Rams rally, score winning TD in final minute to beat Barbe 35-31
Published 11:00 am Saturday, November 5, 2022
- The Bucs’ Eric Jones reaches for the goal line as he gets to the Acadiana 1-yard line during a District 3-5A game Friday night at Barbe High School. It was the regular-season finale for both teams. The playoffs begin next week. (Rick Hickman / American Press)
Acadiana scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to complete a comeback victory in a 35-31 District 3-5A win over Barbe Friday night.
The loss ended Barbe’s playoff hopes. The Bucs finished with a 5-5 record, including a 3-5 mark in district.
Keven Williams scored the winning touchdown on a 7-yard burst up the middle with 23 seconds left in the game.
Acadiana (7-3, 7-1) trailed by 17 points midway through the third quarter.
Barbe dominated most of the first half, taking a Bucs quarterback Carson Sanford scored on a 1-yard sneak to open the scoring. Later in the first quarter he tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Kenneth Golla.
Acadiana’s Russell Babineaux returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to pull the Rams to within 14-8.
Barbe stretched the lead back to 16 points with a 34-yard field goal from Collin Medlin and a 6-yard pass from Sanford to Jamaal Levi.
Acadiana cut the deficit to 24-14 at the half with an 18-play, 80-yard drive. Keven Williams scored on a 1-yard run with 7 seconds left in the half.
Barbe gained breathing room with a 32-yard pass from Levi to Sanford early in the third quarter, making the score 31-14.
Acadiana answered with a 15-yard touchdown run by Williams, then narrowed the deficit to 31-28. The fourth on a touchdown run by Ezekiel Hypolite.
Williams finished with 203 yards and 32 carries.
Bucs head coach Mike Cutrera said his team played well for most of the game.
“We were just executing offensively and defensively,” he said. “We got some stops, forced some turnovers. The offense capitalized on them and our kids played their hearts out.
“Acadiana has a good team. They didn’t panic. They kept battling and things worked for them on the end. I love the way our kids played. They gave us a chance to win”
Levi made 10 receptions for 153 yards to lead the Bucs.
“We had a great group of kids,” Cutrera said. “Our seniors went through a lot but stayed together and fought. They showed that tonight in the way they played; they were awesome. It shows a lot about their character. They showed up when things were not going their way and kept battling.”
