<p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">ST. AMANT — Host St. Amant put on quite a fireworks show here Friday night.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Of course, that was after the game, no doubt paid for by boosters.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">But Barbe and St. Amant, both reputed to be explosive offensives, had trouble getting any fuses lit.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">St. Amant, however, took better advantage of the slim offensive pickings for 16-6 victory in the regional round of the Class 5A playoffs.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“The will and the want was there,” Barbe coach Mike Cutrera said. “We just came up short.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“This one hurts a lot, hurts very bad.”</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The Bucs outgained St. Amant 310-262 and had 22 first downs to 14 for the Gators, but three turnovers and a special teams oversight ended Barbe’s season at 10-1.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“We were moving the ball well,” Cutrera said. “But turnovers were costly.”</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">St. Amant (11-1), whose lone loss this season was to No. 3 seed Catholic High, will travel to play No. 2 seed West Monroe next week in the quarterfinals.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Both teams went in averaging more than 40 points per game, but managed one offensive touchdown apiece, both followed by a missed extra point.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“That was two good defenses,” Cutrera said.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Barbe had little trouble moving the ball — in the middle of the field — even after starting quarterback Gavin Nettles had to leave the game early in the second half.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">But a long St. Amant punt return set up the field goal that put the Gators up 9-6 late in first the half and the Gators had a 90-yard pick-six that all but sealed the win with the final points with 3:57 to play.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Barbe spent most of the second half knocking on the door, but a failed fourth-down gamble and three interceptions sealed the Bucs’ fate.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Sophomore Luke Richard completed 12 of 21 passes for 113 yards in Nettles’ place.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The game turned on a 90-yard interception return by St. Amant’s Khaj Washington, who had a wall of blockers and few Bucs to deter him after snatching Richard’s pass at his 10-yard line with 2:50 to play.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">It was the second Bucs’ drive into the red zone that came up empty in the fourth quarter, as Kirkland Banks was stacked up short on a fourth-and-3 gamble.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Banks had 76 yard rushing to go with 55 in the air, including a 5-yard run for Barbe’s lone score.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The Bucs’ final two possessions also ended in interceptions, although both were bombs with the Bucs in desperation mode.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“Luke is going to be fine,” Cutrera said. “I thought he did fine.”</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The Bucs got on the board late in the half when Devon Pauley broke a host of tackles to turn a short pass into a 43-yard gain.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">Banks scored from 5 yards out on the next play with 7 seconds remaining, but the extra-point kick was blocked.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The Bucs defense held up well against the Gators’ highpowered offense, staving off one scoring threat when Barbe defensive back Jakoby Pappillion recovered a fumble in the end zone.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">But Haydon Mallory’s 9-yard scoring pass to Briggs Bourgeois late in the first quarter gave St. Amant the first lead, although the Gators missed the extra point.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">St. Amant’s Johnny Vickers returned a punt 44 yards to set up a 23-yard field by Bourgeois without benefit of a first down.</span></p><p class="indent" style="color: rgb(74, 73, 73); font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 17.64px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="font-size: 12px;">“It’s a shame,” Cutrera said. “I thought we had some football left in us. But, I’ll say this, they left it all out there on the field.”</span></p>