The Jena Giants looked good this past Saturday afternoon, defeating the Oak Grove Tigers 24-12 in a matchup featuring two teams that made deep postseason runs a year ago.
For nearly ten years Jena has been one of the premier teams selected to participate in Bayou Jamb, which is held across two days at ULM’s Malone Stadium in Monroe. The temperature for the 3 p.m. Saturday game matched the Giants’ caliber of play during the two quarters – red hot!
Jena, the Division III Non-Select state runner- up last season, came out ready for another championship push, building a 16-6 halftime advantage before finishing off the Tigers in the second half.
The Giants were led onto the field by senior captains Cash Richerson, Carter Nichols, Cruz Humphries and Daniel Hatcher, setting the tone for a Jena team determined to build on last season’s run to the state championship game, where the Giants fell to Sterlington.
Hatcher was a key contributor on the ground, scoring twice on touchdown runs of 38 yards and 6 yards. The senior finished the night with six carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
Jena also got a huge performance from Kaeden Kittlin, who broke loose for a 68-yard touchdown run on his way to 105 rushing yards on nine carries. Because of his efforts, he was named the team’s Player of the Game by Bayou Jamb media.
As a team, the Giants were dominant on the ground, piling up 210 rushing yards on just 21 carries. Head Coach Jay Roark commented in the post-game how happy he was with the physicality of his offense.
Jena put together three impressive scoring drives during the contest. The Giants marched 99 yards on 10 plays for one score, struck quickly with a two-play, 68-yard drive, and later covered 57 yards in six plays.
The win was especially significant given Oak Grove’s success last season. The Tigers advanced to the Division III Non-Select quarterfinals before their season ended with a loss to St. James.
Now, the Giants turn their attention to their home opener.
Jena will welcome the Mangham Dragons to town this Friday in a matchup that should provide another early-season test for the Giants.
Mangham is also coming off a deep playoff run, reaching the Division IV Non-Select state championship game last season before falling to Haynesville.
The Giants and Dragons are no strangers to high-scoring battles. Jena defeated Mangham 64-48 a year ago in a game that featured outstanding individual performances on both sides.
Jena senior Daniel Hatcher will once again be a focal point for the Giants, while Mangham returns junior quarterback Colby Casey, who gave the Jena defense plenty of problems in last year’s matchup.
Casey accounted for 408 total yards against the Giants a year ago, throwing for 278 yards while adding another 130 yards rushing.
With Hatcher leading the Jena ground attack and Casey directing the Mangham offense, Friday night’s home opener promises to feature two returning stars looking to make an early impact.
Friday’s game will also allow fans to finally see and experience all of Guy Campbell Memorial Stadium’s improvements, from the Band Boosters new concession stand with larger menu options, to a new pavilion area and this year’s most anticipated feature – one of Cenla’s largest jumbotrons. All of this and two great football teams should make Friday night one of the most electrifying nights of the year.
Remember if you can’t make it to the game then you can watch all the action live on the www. jenagiantnetwork.com starting at 6:30 with the pre-game show. You can download the Jena Giant Network app on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and Apple TV, or visit the website on your smart phone to watch the action.
