Rayne Wolves outlast Crowley Gents in shootout

CROWLEY - Crowley High’s Gents matched the Rayne Wolves nearly score-by-score in the first half of their annual rivaly Thursday night.
But some effective halftime adjustments by the Wolves put an end to that and, with it, the Gents’ hopes of ending a disappointing season on a winning note.
“In the second half, they just got us,” said CHS coach Josh Fontenot after watching his Gents go from scoring 36 points in an explosive and entertaining first half to being held scoreless in the second half in what turned out to be a 59-36 loss.
The defeat left the Gents with an overall record of 2-8 and a District 3-4A record of 0-5. Rayne finished the year 9-1 overall and tied for the district championship with LaGrange and Leesville at 4-1.
“That’s a good team,” Fontenot said of the Wolves. “We’re a team that’s struggling and we’re beat up. But we had our chances. If we were going to do it (upset the Wolves) we had to get a big lead in the first half and we didn’t.”
The game between the two parish rivals was entertaining from the opening kickoff with the Gents and Wolves combining for 77 points and 618 yards offense in the first 24 minutes and 95 points and 1,015 yards overall.
The Gents enjoyed their most productive offensive half of the season and trailed just 41-36 at the intermission.
Unfortunately for them, the second half was one of their least productive.
The Wolves shut the Gents out in the second half, allowing just 35 yards and no points while adding three scores and 18 points to their halftime totals.
“In the first half, we weren’t lining up right at all and we were just going crazy,” said RHS coach Curt Ware. “Once we made the adjustment at halftime to just line up right...play one defense and line up right, then that was that. They (Crowley) didn’t move the ball much at all in the second half.”
That wasn’t all.
“I think we were just feeling that pressure of winning a district championship (in the first half),’’ said Ware. “But once we settled down, I thought we were fine.”
The Wolves scored once in the third quarter on an 11-yard touchdown reception by Jaylon Reed and added two more scores, a 28-yard touchdown run by Trent Winbush and a 27-yard scamper by Darien Harmon, in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.
Harmon proved to be a thorn in the Gents’ side the entire night, rushing for 383 yards and four touchdowns. He had 281 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries in the first half alone.
“Harmon was great tonight,” said Fontenot. “They were all great. They are a sharp team, sharper than I’ve ever seen them. Their backs are phenomenal, and the offensive line played within themselves. They did exactly what they needed to do and if I’m their coach, I don’t think I’d change anything.”
In addition to Harmon, the Wolves pummeled the Gents with  runs by Winbush, who added 156 yards and two scores on 24 totes.
“We have two really good backs and if you take one away, we have the other. It’s tough to take them both away,” said Ware of his two backs that are each well over 1,000 yards on the season. “The way they (Crowley) lined up, they kind of took away the fullback plays. Trent still had a decent night,  but early on, they kind of took that away.
“Darien made some great runs, had some great cuts . He’s a good back. They are both good backs.”
Harmon and Winbush accounted for five of Rayne’s six first half-touchdowns as both squads struggled defensively.
Rayne took a 13-8 lead in the opening quarter on a pick-6 by Reed and a 9-yard touchdown run by Winbush.  Crowley got on the board with a 5-yard touchdown run by Paul Dugar and a two-point conversion by Keith Wilson.
The second quarter was when both teams really got going.
The two traded jabs the entire 12 minutes, each scoring four touchdowns.
Harmon scored on a 3-yard run to start the quarter before Crowley’s Chris Lewis hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Paul Dugar.
Harmon struck again two minutes later, on a 57-yard run, only to see  the Gents respond with Lewis adding a 37-yard touchdown reception.
At that point, things were just getting started.
Harmon slipped away for a 42-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining in the half after which Lewis took the ensuing kickoff at the Gents’ 22-yard line and raced 78 yards for a touchdown to trim the lead to 35-28 with 2:13 remaining.
With just over a minute remaining, the Gents took their only other lead of the game after the recovery of an onsides kick following Lewis’ TD run.
A pass to Xavier Johnson and a big run by Paul Dugar set  Wilson up for a three-yard touchdown run and the Gents surged ahead, 36-35.
Not to be outdone, the Wolves countered in the final 56 seconds and regained the lead (41-36) on a 30-yard scoring pass from Donald Doucet to Winbush.
 A fumble by the Gents late in the third quarter gave the Wolves the ball at the CHS 39 and five plays later, Doucet hit Reed from 11 yards out for his second touchdown of the game.
“We told the kids it was 0-0 at halftime and I knew if we could extend the lead to two scores, it would put them (Gents) in a position where they would have to throw the ball more,” said Ware. “That was a big touchdown for us.”
Rayne then executed an onside kick of their own, recovering the ball at the CHS 49. After a big run by Harmon, Winbush pushed the lead to 53-36 on a 28-yard touchdown run.
Harmon put the nail in the coffin late in the fourth quarter with a 27-yard touchdown run.
Overall, the Wolves racked up 607 total yards of offense while the Gents finished with 308.
Lewis was the Gents’ leader on the ground with one carry for 45 yards. He also had three receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his kickoff return touchdown.
Dugar posted 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and also completed 10 of 17 pass attempts for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson added 14 carries for 34 yards.
For the Gents the loss was the end of a frustrating season. Fontenot, however,  had nothing but praise for his team and the heart that they showed.
“Maybe we didn’t stay consistent victory wise, but if you think we’ve taken a step back in effort or character, you would have to show me where,” said Fontenot.
“To show this kind of character and effort in a season under these circumstances I think shows a lot. We’re still moving forward in the things we’re trying to build upon and that’s the bottom line. You’re trying to build good young men and I think these guys learned a lot this year.”
Rayne, on the other hand, has at least one more week of football as they will enter the 2016 Class 4A playoffs on Friday as the No. 7 seed. Rayne will host Lakeshore (26) at Wolf Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
“We just have to try to get ready and hopefully move on in the playoffs,” commented Ware of the Wolves return to the state playoffs this season.