District Showdown 9-1A Heats Up – Southern Lab Kittens Host Kentwood Kangaroos
GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
It was one of the hottest games on the schedule for Friday night but was moved to Thursday and it was a great Thursday night for football.
Under clear skies and a cool night two teams took the field to battle it out. #4 Southern Lab and #5 Kentwood were both undefeated in District 9-1A and looking to continue their hot streak with a win.
In the end, special teams and turnovers would be the difference. The Kentwood Kangaroos would take the lead in the 4th quarter on a rushing touchdown by Shun Burton with 1:57 left in the game to make the score 33-26 Kentwood. The Kentwood defense would finish strong as the Kittens tried to mount an offensive attack to score, with less than 2 minutes left in the game.
Senior LB Jer’Michael Carter – Kentwood
The Kentwood defense had two interceptions in the game, one by senior linebacker Jer’Michael Carter and the other by senior cornerback Jamarcus Norman. Both interceptions came at pivotal times during the game and when the Kittens were looking to get into the endzone.
TALE OF THE TAPE:
Southern Lab scores first at the 9:59 Mark 6-0 (extra point no good)
Kentwood matches the touchdown with one of its own to tie the score at 6 All (extra point try no good)
Southern Lab comes back with a touchdown and two point conversion to move the score to 14-6 (2-pt conversion good)
Linebacker Jer’Michael Carter would take a deflected pass for an interception at the one yard line and return it to the 30 yard line with 4:35 left to play in the first half. The interception and return set up the Kangaroos next score with 24 seconds left before the first half that tied up the game.
Halftime Score 14-14 Tied
Kentwood came out strong in the 3rd quarter with the defense getting a key stop. The Kangaroos came crashing through the line on the punt with #33 Senior Omarion Johnson deflecting the ball and it is picked up by #11 Sophomore Kevante Miller, giving Kentwood the ball close to mid-field. Kevante Miller also contributed on special teams with a 56 yard kickoff return that set up a touchdown in the first half.
With 7:13 left in the 3rd quarter, Junior Quarterback Germarcus Wilson (6’2″ 200, Game stats: 14 of 20 for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns) finds Junior Wide Receiver Shemar Cooper all alone in the endzone to take their first lead of the game 20-14.
Southern Lab would return the favor as they took the ball and marched down the field scoring on a 4th and Goal from the one yard line by Junior Running Back Douglas Thornton, at the 2:16 mark of the 3rd quarter.
Southern Lab Linebacker Chase Square
Junior Linebacker, Chase Square for the Kittens recovers a Kangaroos fumble. The Kittens then take the ball and strategically march down the field to score from the two yard line. Freshman Running Back Jerome Harris Jr. exploded into the endzone, as the Kittens regain the lead 26-20 with 46 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
The fourth quarter would be pivotal for both teams. With the Kittens on the move, Brown’s pass would be snatched away from the intended receiver by #25 Senior Cornerback Jarmarcus Norman. The Kittens would however hold on defense with great coverage in the secondary by Baylor Commit, Carl Williams IV and a stout defensive front with 7:28 left in the game. The Kittens were down by one but could not covert offensively.
Then with 1:57 left in the game it appeared Kentwood had sealed the victory to take the score to 33-26 when #9 Sophomore Running Back Shun Burton would barrel into the endzone for the touchdown.
However, the Kittens would mount a fierce offensive attack getting the ball down to the 28 yard line with 32 seconds left and no timeouts. They came up just short as the clock ran out and Kentwood would take the victory.
Key Players Of The Game:
Southern Lab:
Antonio Donahue, Senior Wide Receiver 6’0″ 190 1st Team All State – Stats: 11 Receptions 182 Yards 1 TD, 2 Pt Conversion
Junior Quarterback Marlon Brown 16 of 25 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown.
Kentwood Kangaroos:
Senior Linebacker and Wide Receiver Jermichael Carter – Thursday Night’s Stats vs Southern Lab Offense and Special Teams: 5 Receptions, 70 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT returned for 54 Yards, 1 KO Return for 5 Yards. Defensive Stats: 8 Solo Tackles, 4 Assist for TTKLS 12
Kentwood Kangaroos move to 8-1 on the year and 3-0 in District. Southern Lab Kittens move to 5-3 on the year and 2-1 in District.
Send typos or corrections to RecruitLouisiana@gmail.com
