LaSalle will face the Block Bears this Saturday
In this week-3 matchup, the LaSalle Tigers hosted the Merryville Panthers in Olla for an out of district battle of familiar foes.
In last year’s matchup, the Panthers took the win 30-14. The Panthers relied on a strong run game and a few successful passes to score points.
This year the Tigers had an idea of what to expect and executed a great game plan that showed growth as a team from the previous year.
The first drives from each team stalled out as both defenses were successful in stopping the run. Following that, the Tigers forced a turnover on downs on their own 40-yard line and began a clock burning ground game assault.
The first score came on the first play of the second quarter with a 32-yard designed QB run by Tuff Street. Following that was a successful two-point conversion with a pass from Wyatt King to Alex Richmond making the score 8-0.
On the ensuing drive, the Panthers drove down the field and capped off the drive with a 3-yard TD run by their talented RB #20. They also responded with a two-point conversion of their own after a successful “Philly Special” (wide receiver pass to the quarter back) and tied it up 8-8.
The response by the Tigers was a 1-2 punch on the ground game by both Street and King that culminated in a six-yard TD run by King. Following that was a corner endzone pass from Street to Caiden Finley making it 16-8.
That breathing room was short lived however as Merryville took another long, clock-eating drive that paid off in a five-yard touchdown pass, but a crucial dropped pass made the two-point try no good leaving LaSalle with a crucial 16-14 lead going into the half.
In the 3rd quarter both teams shared turnovers with Merryville getting an interception and seemingly all the momentum. But on the following drive, Tuff Street forced a clutch touchdown-saving fumble, recovered by Aidan Billingsley, which provided a much-needed jolt to the sideline! Following the turnover, Street executed the read option to perfection and scored on a 53-yard TD making the score 22-14.
On the following kickoff, Lane Burnham made a very impressive, toe-tapping recovery to an onside kick and the momentum stayed with the Tigers; but both teams’ drives would stall again going into the 4th quarter.
Merryville would punt it back to the Tigers in their own territory, and with that good field position they drained the clock and capped it off with a three-yard touchdown run by Street along with a successful 2-point conversion pass from Street to Finley.
With all the momentum secured and less than a minute left, it looked as if the Tigers would be on the exact opposite end of that 30-14 score they suffered last year. But as fate would have it, a high snap on a punt put Merryville in prime scoring position on the Tiger four-yard line and it allowed an easy four-yard TD run and successful twopoint
try.
With the onside kick failing, the final score from Olla would be LaSalle 30, Merryville
22.
The improvement from last year’s 0-3 start to this year’s 2-1 start shows just how much growth the players and coaches have experienced in one full off season.
In order to keep this momentum going, the Tigers will need your help as they travel to former in-district rival – Block Bears – this Saturday, September 27 (not a typo, the game is indeed on Saturday) as they will look for their first road victory for the season.
Please show up and give the young men the support they need to make it three wins in a row and climb up those rankings!
Make sure to follow The Jena Times Facebook and Instagram pages for LaSalle Tiger football updates, and this year, the Tigers can be found on the NFHS Network, new to LaSalle Athletics.
