With the score tied at 0 at halftime against the Block Bears, Plain Dealing coach Coy Brotherton knew the first team to make a big play would have a huge advantage.
Thanks to Logan Allen, that turned out to be Plain Dealing. Allen picked up a Block fumble and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown with 4:01 left in the third quarter.
The Bears got a big play of their own later, but the Lions answered with a couple and went on to win the Class 1A second-round game 16-6 Friday night in Plain Dealing.
“At halftime we told them one play is what we needed,” Plain Dealing coach Coy Brotherton said. “The defense played well. I kind of felt like we could stop them. Bijan (Mitchell), Herb (McCauley) and Logan Allen — the three linebackers — were all over the field tonight.”
The No. 6 seed Lions (9-2) will make the 330-mile journey to the Southeast Louisiana town of Edgard Friday to play No. 3 West St. John (9-2) in the quarterfinals. West St. John defeated Varnado 51-0 in its second-round game.
A steady rainfall Friday turned the Plain Dealing field into a virtual mudhole. Both offenses — Block’s tight wing-T running attack and Plain Dealing’s wide-open spread —had trouble gaining traction.
Much of the first quarter and some of the second was played on Plain Dealing’s end of the field. But the Lions defense never let the Bears get close to the end zone, stopping fourth-down plays several times.
While the field conditions played a part, Block’s defense also did a good job slowing down the Lions in the first half with a strong pass rush.
After Allen’s touchdown return, which came on a fumbled snap, the Lions had an opportunity to put the game away. Isaac Jacobs and Keldrick Carper both made great catches to get the Lions to the Block 10.
A penalty moved the ball back 5 yards. Then Allen fumbled when he was hit from behind on a run and the Bears recovered at the 12.
Block lone touchdown came on a 31-yard pass with 3:45 left in the game. The Bears were lined up in their usual tight formation on third-and-2.
“That touchdown was just kind of a mental mistake,” Brotherton said. “There are some things we’ve got to eliminate. Still way too many penalties and turnovers. Hopefully we’ll get that worked out this week.”
Oddly, the Bears lined up like they were going to kick the extra point. The snap was high and the “kicker” tipped it high in the air. He caught it, tried to run up the middle and was stopped well short of the end zone.
The Lions recovered the onsides kick but went backwards on two plays. On third-and-long, Allen hit Isaac Jacobs on a quick slant over the middle and he went all the way for the touchdown. Allen’s two-point conversion pass made it 16-6 with 1:57 left.
“Great job by him, using his athletic ability,” Brotherton said of Jacobs.
Despite the conditions, Allen finished with a solid game statistically. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 199 yards. Jacobs caught five for 106, Morris six for 52 and Carper two for 33.
Mitchell led the Lions with 11.5 tackles. McCauley had 9.5 and tackle Jarvis Washington had 5.5. Washington had two tackles for loss, including a sack, and recovered a fumble.
— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com With the score tied at 0 at halftime against the Block Bears, Plain Dealing coach Coy Brotherton knew the first team to make a big play would have a huge advantage.
Thanks to Logan Allen, that turned out to be Plain Dealing. Allen picked up a Block fumble and returned it 56 yards for a touchdown with 4:01 left in the third quarter.
The Bears got a big play of their own later, but the Lions answered with a couple and went on to win the Class 1A second-round game 16-6 Friday night in Plain Dealing.
“At halftime we told them one play is what we needed,” Plain Dealing coach Coy Brotherton said. “The defense played well. I kind of felt like we could stop them. Bijan (Mitchell), Herb (McCauley) and Logan Allen — the three linebackers — were all over the field tonight.”
The No. 6 seed Lions (9-2) will make the 330-mile journey to the Southeast Louisiana town of Edgard Friday to play No. 3 West St. John (9-2) in the quarterfinals. West St. John defeated Varnado 51-0 in its second-round game.
A steady rainfall Friday turned the Plain Dealing field into a virtual mudhole. Both offenses — Block’s tight wing-T running attack and Plain Dealing’s wide-open spread —had trouble gaining traction.
Much of the first quarter and some of the second was played on Plain Dealing’s end of the field. But the Lions defense never let the Bears get close to the end zone, stopping fourth-down plays several times.
While the field conditions played a part, Block’s defense also did a good job slowing down the Lions in the first half with a strong pass rush.
After Allen’s touchdown return, which came on a fumbled snap, the Lions had an opportunity to put the game away. Isaac Jacobs and Keldrick Carper both made great catches to get the Lions to the Block 10.
A penalty moved the ball back 5 yards. Then Allen fumbled when he was hit from behind on a run and the Bears recovered at the 12.
Block lone touchdown came on a 31-yard pass with 3:45 left in the game. The Bears were lined up in their usual tight formation on third-and-2.
“That touchdown was just kind of a mental mistake,” Brotherton said. “There are some things we’ve got to eliminate. Still way too many penalties and turnovers. Hopefully we’ll get that worked out this week.”
Oddly, the Bears lined up like they were going to kick the extra point. The snap was high and the “kicker” tipped it high in the air. He caught it, tried to run up the middle and was stopped well short of the end zone.
The Lions recovered the onsides kick but went backwards on two plays. On third-and-long, Allen hit Isaac Jacobs on a quick slant over the middle and he went all the way for the touchdown. Allen’s two-point conversion pass made it 16-6 with 1:57 left.
“Great job by him, using his athletic ability,” Brotherton said of Jacobs.
Despite the conditions, Allen finished with a solid game statistically. He completed 15 of 19 passes for 199 yards. Jacobs caught five for 106, Morris six for 52 and Carper two for 33.
Mitchell led the Lions with 11.5 tackles. McCauley had 9.5 and tackle Jarvis Washington had 5.5. Washington had two tackles for loss, including a sack, and recovered a fumble.
— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com
