| 2-1-12 Five Lions make college choices official Five Ouachita Parish High School football players signed college national letters-of-intent Wednesday in a ceremony at the school’s Mane Center. Xavier Davis, Jemarcus Marshall, Trevor Rogers, Devaughn Sanders, and Sam Williams all made their future choices official on the first day of the national signing period. Marshall, a defensive end, signed with Northwestern State. Marshall finished the 2011 season second on the team in tackles with 76.5. He also recorded 1.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for losses, and six quarterback hurries. Marshall, 6-3 and 225 pounds, also considered McNeese State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but he went with the Demons based on the comfort factor. “On my visit, the players made me feel more at home and (former Ouachita player) Cornist (Broadway) is there,’’ Marshall said. Davis and Williams will remain teammates as the two defenders signed with Kilgore (Texas) College. Davis, a 6-1 and 225-pound linebacker, was named the 2011 Ouachita Defensive Player of the Year and named honorable mention Class 5A All-State. Davis led the team in tackles with 84. He added three sacks, five tackles for losses, and three forced fumbles. Williams (6-2, 190) made 65 tackles and had four pass breakups from his safety spot despite missing some time with an injury. “We both had the same offer, so we felt we should stay together and stay as a team in college,’’ Williams said. Rogers (6-4, 300) signed with Henderson (Arkansas) State. Rogers helped anchor an offensive line that helped pave the way for 2,865 rushing yards in 2011. He based his decisions on football and academic interests. “The good thing about it is they have big majors in theater art, and that’s important,’’ Rogers said. Sanders (6-0, 175) signed with Arkansas Tech. Sanders had 13 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns in 2011. 1-20-12 Wheeler, Kijak, Davis named top players at banquet Seniors Quentin Wheeler, Xavier Davis, and T.J. Kijak received the top player honors Friday at the Ouachita Parish High School Football Banquet for the 2011 season. The banquet was held at the school's Mane Center. Wheeler, a three-year starter at quarterback, received the Greg Walker Memorial Award as the Offensive Player of the Year. As a senior, Wheeler threw for 1,811 yards and 17 touchdowns, and he ran for 902 yards and 12 TDs. Wheeler also had a touchdown reception. Davis was named the winner of the Bob Sewart Memorial Award as the Defensive Player of the Year after his stellar season at linebacker. He was the leading tackler in 2011 with 84 total tackles. Davis also recorded three sacks, five tackles for losses, and three forced fumbles. Kijak was honored as the Special Teams Player of the Year. Kijak turened in a standout senior season as the punter and place-kicker for the Lions. Kijak made 5-of-9 field goals in 2011, including a career-best 48-yard kick. He also made 48-of-49 extra-point kicks and recorded touchbacks on 71 percent of his kickoffs. As a punter, Kijak averaged 40 yards per kick. Senior defensive back Fred Hardmon was honored with the Lion Academic Award. Hardmon, Kijak, and defensive end Jemarcus Marshall were also recognized for earning spots on the LHSAA Class 5A Academic All-State Team. Three $1,000 scholarships given by the Ouachita Football Booster Club were also awarded Friday to three seniors. Backup quarterback Garrett Douglas received the George Pruitt Memorial Scholarship, linebacker Micah Johnson received the Tom Bond Memorial Scholarship, and running back Tavarius Buie received the Wencil Bass Memorial Scholarship. Wheeler, Marshall, and running back Damarkus Sledge were named the permanent team captain, which were selected by the players. Ouachita players that received all-district, All-Northeast Louisiana, and all-state honors were also recognized at the banquet. 12-27-11 Six Lions earn honorable mention All-State honors Six Ouachita football players have been named honorable mention Class 5A All-State by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Quarterback Quentin Wheeler and wide receiver Taijuan Thomas received recognition on the offense. Dfensive linemen Jemarcus Marshall and Shelby Smith, and linebacker Xavier Davis made the defensive team, and place-kicker T.J. Kijak also garnered recognition. Wheeler finished his stellar high school career with a banner senior season. He completed 103-of-169 passes for 1,811 yards and 17 TDs with just four interceptions. He also ran 138 times for 902 yards and 12 scores. Thomas, a junior, established career-bests with 49 receptions for 844 yards and 8 TDs. Kijak, a senior, put 51-of-70 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks and made 48-of-49 extra-point kicks. He also converted 5-of-9 field goals with a long of 48 yards. Davis, a senior, led the Lions in total tackles with 84 stops. He also had three sacks, five tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, and two quarterback hurries. Marshall, a senior defensive end, was second on the team in tackles with 76.5. He also recorded 1.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for losses, and six quarterback hurries. Smith, a junior defensive tackle, had 57 total tackles and led the Lions with 13 tackles for losses. He also had three sacks and eight quarterback hurries. 11-17-11 Lions set to tackle Carencro's potent attack The No. 10 seed Ouachita Lions will hit the road Friday to face No. 7 Carencro in a second-round Class 5A football playoff game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Ouachita's attempt to reach the state quarterfinals must go through a Carencro Bears squad that has posted some impressive numbers through eleven games, led by a strong running game. Carencro averages 47.5 points per game. The high-scoring offense is led by Alex Johnson, the state's leading rusher with 2,296 yards and 32 TDs. "We have to score some points,'' Ouachita Coach John Carr said. "We can't blow opportunities. This time of year, successful teams capitalize on opponents' mistakes. You can't gift wrap these guys anything.'' Ouachita will counter with a high-scoring offense of its own (37.7 points per game) to go along with a defense that yield 11 points and less than 200 yards per game. Senior quarterback Quentin Wheeler leads the balanced Ouachita offnese. Wheeler has passed for 1,595 yards and 15 TDs, and he has rushed for 812 yards and 12 TDs. Senior running back Damarkus Sledge has gained 793 yards on the ground and scored eight TDs. Junior wide receiver is the main go-to target for Wheeler. Thomas has 45 receptions for 759 yards and eight TDs. the winner of the Ouachita-Carencro game will face the East St. John-Jesuit winner in the quarterfinals. 11-11-11 Ouachita surges past New Iberia in round one, 47-22 Ouachita rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense, and the Lions overcame three turnovers as the Lions upended New Iberia 47-22 Friday night in a first-round Class 5A football game at Ouachita. No. 23 seed New Iberia (8-3) went toe-to-toe with No. 10 Ouachita (9-2) early, but some big defensive plays in the third quarter pushed the Lions past the Yellow Jackets and into the second round. The biggest of those plays came with 9:16 to play when New Iberia faced first-and-goal at the 4-yard line, trailing 24-14. Yellow Jacket quarterback Javonte Johnson fired a pass into that end zone into the waiting hands of Ouachita defenser Will Ward, who turned the errant pass into a pick six and a 30-14 Ouachita lead. New Iberia cut the deficit to 30-22 later in the quarter on the third of Lamarcus Allen's three TD receptions and a two-point conversion, but the Lions began to crank up the ground game and continued to rattle the Yellow Jacket air attack to take control. The Lions ran for just 79 yards in the first half but finished the game with 172 yards rushing. Defensively, Ouachita took New Iberia out of its comfort zone after halftime with more pressure and agrressive coverage. Johnson completed 10of-15 passes for 117 yards and two TDs in the first half. In the second half, he completed 4-of-16 passes for 115 yards with one TD and three interceptions. Ouachita's Terrence Williams two interceptions in the second half to go along with Ward's pick. Ouachita junior receiver Taijuan Thomas had a record game with eight recpetions for 157 yards and a TD. His receptions and reciving yards were personal-bests for one game. Senior quarterback Quentin Wheeler completed 13-of-19 passes for 241 yards with a TD, Wheeler also ran 12 times for 68 yards and a TD. Senior running back Damarkus Sledge ran 19 times for 105 yards and a TD, and Xavier Davis had six carries for 31 yards and two scores. Allen had a big game for New Iberia with nine catches for 173 yards and three TDs. Running back Velot Khammany had 22 carries for 124 yards. Ouachita will travel for its second-round game next Friday against Carencro, a 77-28 winner over Natchitoches in the first round. 11-6-11 Ouachita earns No. 10 seed in 5A The Ouachita Parish High School football team is the No. 10 seed in the Class 5A state football playoff pairings that were announced Sunday. The Lions will play host to No. 23 seed New Iberia in the first round Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets for the playoff game between the Lions and Yellow Jackets will be on sale Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Ouachita ticket office. Tickets are $7 in advance and $8 at the gate. Ouachita and New Iberia both finished the season with 8-2 overall records and finished second in their respective districts. Ouachita finished 3-1 in District 2-5A, losing only to No. 5 seed West Monroe in overtime, 17-14. New Iberia finished its District 7-1 slate with a 5-1 record, losing only to No. 24 seed Westgate, 31-14. The first-round matchup will also feature two teams that can put a lot of points on the scoreboard in a hurry. Ouachita averages 36.8 points per game, and New Iberia averages 33.3 points per contest. The Lions of Coach John Carr have scored 40 or more points five times and surpassed 50 points twice. Coach Rick Hutson?s New Iberia squad has topped the 40-point mark in four games and scored 60 once. 11-3-11 Wheeler sparks rout of Richwood, 48-6 Ouachita opponents know they have to prepare for the dual threat of quarterback Quentin Wheeler's running and passing, but the standout senior turned out to be a triple threat Thursday night in the regular-season finale against Richwood at Ouachita. Wheeler ran for two touchdowns, passed for two more scores, and caught a touchdown pass to lead the Lions to a 48-6 victory over the Rams. Wheeler's short night of work included 122 yards rushing on two carries, 121 yards passing on 6-of-8 passes, and 56 yards receiving on one reception. He had TD runs of 84 and 38 yards, and he threw TD passes of 64 and 31 yards to go along with the 56-yard TD catch. He had 299 yards of total offense and five total TDs. Wheeler also moved past the 2,500-yard career rushing mark. Meanwhile, the Ouachita defense shut down the Rams after Richwood recovered a Ouachita fumble on the opening kickoff and cashed in a quick score. Antonio Wilson capped a 38-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run to give Richwood a 6-0 lead, but it was all Lions after that. Ouachita allowed the Rams just 152 total yards in the game. Ouachita finished with 435 yards of total offense -- 258 rushing and 177 passing. Cameron Sims and Taijuan Thomas hauled in the TD passes from Wheeler. Tavarius Buie added a 5-yard TD run late in the second quarter as the Lions rolled to a 42-6 halftime lead. Dearius Rollins ran 21-yards for the lone score in the second half, which featured a running clock. The Lions finish the regular season 8-2 and await Sunday's announcement of the Class 5A playoff brackets. 10-28-11 Lions crank it up to power past Pineville, 52-7 It took the Ouachita Lions about a quarter and a half to get going Friday night, but the Lions were virtually unstoppable once they kicked it into high gear. Ouachita was scoreless until the 4:24 mark of the second quarter, but the Lions went on to power through the Pineville defense for 545 yards en route to a 52-7 District 2-5A victory at Lion Stadium. The Lions (7-2, 3-1 in 2-5A) scored three times in the final five minutes of the second quarter on two Quentin Wheeler runs and a Wheeler pass to Taijuan Thomas as the Lions took a 21-7 halftime lead. Ouachita, ranked No. 9 in Class 5A by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, tallied 21 more points in the third quarter to take complete control. Tavarius Buie sped 52 yards for a TD on the first second-half series and added a 65-yard TD run late in the quarter. Wheeler tossed a 68-yard TD bomb to Cameron Sims between the two Buie scores as the Lions took a 42-7 lead into the final period. T.J. Kijak kicked a career-best 48-yard field goal with 8:37 to play in the fourth quarter, and Dearius Rollins capped the scoring with a 52-yard TD run with 4:06 to play. Pineville (4-5, 0-3) scored its lone TD on a 75-yard TD run by Emanual Mitchell late in the second quarter. The Rebels were held to just 32 yards after halftime and finished the game 0-of-12 on third-down conversions. The performance gave Ouachita Coach John Carr a nice birthday present -- career victory No. 60. Wheeler finished the game with 11 carries for 137 yards and two TDs. He also completed 6-of-16 passes for 150 yards and two TDs. The fpur combined TDs give Wheeler 80 total for his career. Buie finished with four carries for 126 yards while Rollins had eight carries for 78 yards as the Lions gained 396 yards on the ground. Sims had three receptions for a career-best 96 yards. Ouachita will close out the regular season Thursday with a non-district home game against the Richwood Rams. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. 10-22-11 Lions get past Natchitoches road test, 28-16 Ouachita jumped out to a two-touchdown halftime lead and then withstood a rash of penalties and a little Natchitoches-Central surge to pick up a 28-16 road victory in District 2-5A play Friday night. The Lions improved to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in district play. Ouachita led 21-3 at the half on a Damarkus Sledge TD run, and a Quentin Wheeler TD run and TD pass to Cameron Sims. The Lions had nearly doubled the Chiefs (6-2, 1-1) in yardage, but turnovers and penalties helped the Chiefs hang around. Ouachita committed 10 penalties for 98 yards in the second half, including three personal foul penalties. Natchitoches intercepted the Lions on the first drive of the second half, and the Chiefs turned the miscue into a touchdown on a Denard Llorens 2-yard run to pull within 21-10. The Chiefs looked poised to capitalize on another Ouachita turnover when Wheeler was intercepted to the end zone, but Ouachita defensive back Micah Johnson stepped in for one of his several key defensive plays. Johnson recorded his second interception of the game as he picked off NCHS quarterback Robert Woodard at the Natchitoches 45-yard line and returned it to the 31. Seven plays later, Tavarius Buie scored on a 1-yard run, and T.J. Kijak added the extra point to extend the Ouachita lead to 28-10. Natchitoches scored on another Llorens run with 2:20 left to play to pull within 12 points and tried an onside kick, but the Lions covered the ball to effectively seal the win. Johnson also intercepted Woodard on the opening drive of the game in the red zone to end a Natchitoches scoring threat. Johnson also had a tackle for a loss and pass breakup on his game resume. Sledge had another solid performance running the ball. The senior ran 18 times for 150 yards and a TD. Wheeler finished the game completed 13-of-21 passes for 164 yards with sa TD and two interceptions, and the senior reached three milestones in the game, He went over 1,000 yards passing for the season in the first half, and he surpassed the 4,000-yard career passing mark in the second half. His TD in the first quarter also was career. touchdown No. 75 either rushing or passing. For the season, wheeler has completed 70-of-113 passes for 1,068 yards with 10 TDs and four interceptions and has run 93 times for 485 yards and 7 TDs. For his career, Wheeler has thrown for 4,021 yards and 42 TDs. Ouachita will return to the field Friday at home against Pineville. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. 10-14-11 Lions come up short against Rebels in OT, 17-14 Class 5A top 10 teams Ouachita and West Monroe went toe-to-toe Friday night in a District 2-5A football showdown, and four quarters were not enough to decide the outcome. No. 5 West Monroe kicked an overtime field goal to slip past No. 7 Ouachita, 17-14, at Ouachita. The two teams staged an intense defensive chess match that ended in a 14-14 tie at the end of regulation. Ouachita had the first shot to score in overtime from the 10-yard line. Quarterback Quentin Wheeler flipped a pass to wide receiver Taijuan Thomas on first down, and Thomas raced toward the goal line. As Thomas fought for extra yards at the 2-yard line, the Rebel defense stripped the football to end the threat. West Monroe ran two plays from the 10 that netted a total of four yards before Zachary Alexander kicked a 23-yard, game-winning field goal on third down. The win improves West Monroe to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in district. Ouachita now stand 5-2 overall and 1-1 in 2-5A. West Monroe finished the defensive game with 215 yards of total offense, including 194 rushing. Ouachita had 191 yards of total offense, including 109 through the air. Ouachita struck first with 3:48 to play in the first half when Wheeler hit Stephen Doublin with a 10-yard TD pass. T. J. Kijak added the extra-point for a 7-0 lead. West Monroe cashed in on a fumbled Ouachita punt return just before halftime to tie the score at 7. The Rebels recovered in Ouachita territory, and Jacob Tyson scored on a 37-yard run with 1:03 left before halftime. West Monroe opened the second half with a 16-play, 80-yard drive to take a 14-7 lead. Michael Mims capped the drive with a 12-yard TD run. Ouachita rallied to tie the score in the fourth quarter with 7:21 remaining after the defense forced a West Monroe punt from its own 12-yard line. Ouachita took over at the Rebel 42. The Lions drove to a first-and-goal situation before the Rebel defense stiffened, leaving Ouachita with a fourth-and-goal at the 1. Wheeler rolled right and found Thomas in the end zone for a touchdown, and Kijak kicked the PAT to tie the score and force overtime. 10-7-11 Lions blank Bearcats in 2-5A opener Ouachita went into Friday night’s game with Ruston having scored on its first offensive play from scrimmage in each of the previous two ballgames. The Lions did not even need an offensive play to get on the scoreboard this time around. Taijuan Thomas returned the opening kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to set the tone for Ouachita Friday night as the Lions rolled to a 42-0 victory over the Ruston Bearcats in the District 2-5A opener for both teams. Thomas’ kick return was just the first punch in a knockout win for the Lions. Ouachita had its ground game going strong for the second consecutive week, chewing up the Bearcat defense for 363 yards. Senior running back Damarkus Sledge led the way with his second consecutive 100-yard performance, rushing 17 times for 139 yards and a career-best three TDs in one game. Sledge scored on runs of 3, 33 and 4 yards for the Lions, who improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in district. Tavarius Buie added nine carries for 90 yards and a TD, quarterback Quentin Wheeler had 12 carries for 78 yards, and Dearius Rollins had five carries for 43 yards and a TD. While the Ouachita offense was running in high gear, the Lion defense was stonewalling the Bearcats. Ouachita allowed Ruston 141 yards of total offense as the Lions recorded their third shutout of the season. Sledge had two of his three touchdown runs in the second quarter as the Lions took s 21-0 halftime lead. Sledge scored again in the third quarter, and Buie and Rollins added fourth-quarter TD runs to cap the Ouachita scoring. Ouachita will try to improve to 6-1 next Friday as the Lions play host to parish rival West Monroe in a District 2-5A game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. 9-29-11 Ouachita ground game runs over Evangel, 24-7 An Evangel-Ouachita game anticipated by many to be an offensive shootout ended up as a one-sided display of force in favor of Ouachita. The Lions put their running game into high gear, rushing for a season-high 414 yards on their way to a 24-7 victory over the Eagles Thursday night at Ouachita. Quarterback Quentin Wheeler and running back Damarkus Sledge each established single-game bests on the ground. Wheeler ran 19 times for 202 yards and two scores while Sledge carried 19 times for 156 yards and a touchdown. Wheeler’s effort put him over 2,000 yards rushing for his career with 2,173. The Evangel offense fizzled thanks to a dominating performance from the Ouachita defense. The Lions (4-1) allowed the Eagles just 112 yards total offense and intercepted Evangel twice. Evangel’s lone score came late in the third quarter on a drive aided by four Ouachita personal foul calls. Ouachita wasted little time getting on the board, scoring on its first offensive play from scrimmage for the second week in a row. This time Wheeler raced 80 yards for a TD, and T.J. Kijak’s extra point put the Lions ahead 7-0. Sledge capped Ouachita’s next drive, scoring from 8 yards out. Wheeler finished the third Ouachita drive with a 2-yard TD run to give Ouachita a 21-0 first-quarter lead. The Lions led 24-0 at the half as Kijak added a 32-yard field goal. Ouachita will begin district play next week as the Lions travel to face Ruston. 9-23-11 Lions pitch second shutout of the season Ouachita scored early and often Friday night in front of the Homecoming crowd on the way to a 56-0 victory over Ringgold. It is the second shutout win of the season for the Lions, who improved to 3-1. Ouachita scored on its first play from scrimmage -- a 49-yard run by Tavarius Buie. The Lions held a 14-0 lead with only one offensive play under its belt thanks to a Caleb Tucker blocked punt that Jarrett Triplett recovered in the end zone for another score. Ouachita went on to score a season-best 35 points in the first quarter and led 49-0 at halftime. Most of the starters played very briefly in the contest. Senior quarterback Quentin Wheeler was in the game long enough to attempt four passes. He completed all four attempts, including two for TDs -- one to Cameron Sims and the other to Taijuan Thomas. Ouachita's other first- half scores came on runs by Dearius Rollins and Brandon Victorian, and a 48-yard punt return by Quin Wilson. The Lions rounded out the scoring in the third period with a Nigel Dora TD run. Ouachita will be back in action next Thursday when the Lions play host to Evangel. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. 9-16-11 Late Neville TD hands Ouachita its first loss Neville got in the last scoring punch in a battle of football heavyweights Friday night as the Tigers escaped the Lions Den with a 34-29 win over Ouachita in front of huge crowd that stayed until the final seconds. Neville led most of the game that pitted two 2-0 teams against each other. But the Lions charged back from a 21-7 deficit and took the lead at 29-28 with 5:11 remaining in the game. Quarterback Quentin Wheeler scored on a 5-yard run, and Garrett Douglas made the transformation from stationary holder to a speedster into the end zone on a boobled snap to give Ouachita a two-point conversion and a one-point lead. Neville answered the challenge, driiving in for a score with 1:06 to play. Jamnond Collins, stepping in at quarterback, ran 26 yards for the touchdown, but he was stuffed on the two-point run. The Lions had one last shot for the win. Ouachita drove inside the Neville 40-yard line, but quarterback Quentin Wheeler was hit on a blitz and fumbled. Neville recovered the ball and took a knee on the next play to let the clock run out. Damarkus Sledge led Ouachita in rushing with 99 yards. Wheeler completed 10-of-17 passes for 227 yards and two TDs. Junior receiver Taijuan Thomas caught five passes for a career-high 140 yards and two scores. Ouachita will be back at home again next week. The Lions play host to Ringgold at 7 p.m. in their homecoming game. 9-10-11 Ouachita defense skins the Gators, 35-0 The Ouachita defense resembled a collection of "Swamp People'' gator wranglers Friday night as the Lion "D'' stopped and stuffed the Captain Shreve Gators all game on the way to a 35-0 Ouachita victory at Lee Hedges Stadium in Shreveport. A week after rolling up 475 yards total offense in a 58-28 win over Green Oaks, Captain Shreve had no answers for the swarming, gang-tacklingLion defenders. Captain Shreve had no first downs and 5 yards of toal offense at halftime and finished the game with just 68 total yards -- most of that against backups after the game was well in hand. The biggest defensive play among a reel full of highlights came with 4:07 remaining in the first quarter with both offenses struggling to get anything going. Shreve was set up in Ouachita territorafter recovering a Lion fumble and faced a fourth-and-7 at the 30-yard. Shreve quarterback Trey Rogers dropped back to pass, but was bulldozed by linebacker Xavier Davis. The big hit knocked the ball free, and Ouachita defensive lineman Jarrett Triplett picked up the ball and raced 61 yards for the game's first score. Triplett made another stellar play for the Lions just more than four minutes later, only this time on offense. Ouachita started its drive at the Shreve 33 after a poor punt from the end zone. The Lions faced a fourth-and-goal at the 2 when Triplett came in at running back. He was popped by a Shreve defender just as he received the handoff, but Triplett spun off the attempted tackle and outran the rest of the Shreve defense to the left corner of the end zone. T.J.Kijak's second extra-point kick with 11:50 remaining in the second quarter put Ouachita ahead 14-0 and essentially in control with the Ouachita defense smothering the Gators. The Lions scored two more times in the second quarter to take a 28-0 halftime lead. Devaughn Sanders outjumped a Shreve defender to grab a Quentin Wheeler pass and speed 41 yards for a touchdown with 5:47 to play before halftime. The Lions closed out the first-half scoring on Wheeler's 6-yard pass to Joseph January with 2:32 remaining in the quarter. Tailback Tavarius Buie capped the game's scoring with a 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Ouachita reserves played the majority of the second half on both sides of the ball. Shreve did have a couple of chances to erase the goose egg from the scoreboard, but it just wasn't the Gaors' night. A 31-yard field-goal attempt clanged off the upright just before halftime, and the Lions blocked another field goal attempt in the third quarter. The Gators heaved a pass into the end zone on the final play of the game, but it fell incomplete. The yardage sheet reveals the dominance by the Ouachita defense. Of the 51 plays from scrimmage for Shreve, 13 were for negative yardage, six were for no gain, and seven were for only 1 yard. Shreve only had seven plays that gained more than 4 yards. Wheeler finished his short night of work by completing 10-of-16 passes for 159 yards with two TDs and an interception. He also had 41 yards rushing on 10 carries. Dearius Rollins led all OPHS runners with 11 carries for 55 yards. Thomas and Sanders led a group of eight different Lions that caught passes. Thomas had three catches for 59 yards and a TD while Sanders had two receptions for 54 yards and a TD. Ouachita will play its first home game of the season next Friday as the Lions play host to the undefeated Neville Tigers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. 9-3-11 Wheeler's legs, arm spark Lions to win in opener Ouachita's turnovers and the Wossman defense were not enough to slow down the Lions Friday night as Ouachita churned out a 40-12 victory at Wossman in the season opener for both teams. Senior quarterback Quentin Wheeler ran for two touchdowns and passed for another to pace the Lions. Wheeler's night started out a little slow when he was hit on his first pass attempt and Wossman intercepted the ball. But that was about the only success the Wildcats had against him the rest of the night. Wheeler scored on a 7-yard run in the first quarter to put the Lions ahead 7-0. That TD run was Wheeler's 60th career TD either running or passing. He finished with a game-high 121 yards rushing on 11 carries with two TDs, and he completed 14-of-21 passes for 262 yards and a touchdown. Wheeler also reached another milestone, passing the 3,000-yard career passing mark. The Lions, who had to overcome the interception and three lost fumbles, jumped out to a 19-0 lead on the Wheeler TD and two Damarkus Sledge touchdown runs before Wossman hit a big play to get on the board just before halftime. On Wossman's first play after Sledge's second TD run, quarterback DeAndre Price hit Lajairus Gibson with an 80-yard TD strike to pull Wossman within 19-6 at halftime. Ouachita took firm control of the game in the second half. Wheeler hit Taijuan Thomas for a 30-yard score in the third quarter, and Wheeler ran into the end zone from 6 yards out early in the fourth quarter. Wheeler's two-point pass to Cameron Sims put the Lions ahead 34-12 with 9:49 to play. Wossman scored its final touchdown against the Lions reserves when the Wildcats pounced on a Ouachita fumble in the end zone. Dearius Rollins, who fumbled the ball that Wossman recovered, redeemed himself on the next Ouachita offensive play when he raced down the left side a a 73-yard touchdown, the first of his career. Thomas finished the game with 118 yards receiving and a TD on seven receptions. Senior Devaughn Sanders had two catches for 55 yards, and Sims had two grabs for 44 yards. Sledge finished with 23 yards rushing and two TDs, and he had two receptions for 40 yards. Ouachita will be back on the road again next week as the Lions travel to Shreveport to face the Captain Shreve Gators. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Lee Hedges Stadium. 8-27-11 Late TD lifts Ouachita past Bastrop in jamboree Ouachita found the end zone with 38 seconds remaining to play as the Lions knocked off Bastrop 28-22 Saturday in the Bayou Jamb at ULM. Senior tailback Damarkus Sledge ran into the end zone from 7 yards out to give Ouachita the winning TD. The third of Sledge's three rushing TDs and big defensive plays helped Ouachita rally for a victory after Bastrop charged back from a three-touchdown deficit, thanks in part to some Ouachita miscues. The Lions led 20-0 in the first half of the in the two-half jamboree and 20-8 at halftime, but Ouachita lost four fumbles, including three in the second half. Denzell Devall scooped up a Ouachita fumble and rumbled 40 yards for a TD to pull Bastrop within 20-14 with 11:11 left o play. The Lions then fumbled on their first play from scrimmage following the ensuing kickoff to set up a 2-yard TD pass from Ditavious Ridgell to Jaetavious Wilson to tie the score. The pair hooked up for a two-point pass to put Bastrop ahead 22-20 with 9:39 remaining. Ouachita fumbled at the Bastrop 21-yard line on its next possession, but the Lion defense gave Ouachita one more shot when Shelby Smith sacked Ridgell on third down to force a Bastrop punt. Ouachita took over at its own 44-yard line with 2:06 remaining. Quarterback Quentin Wheeler threw big passes to Diquan Wilson and Cameron Sims before Wheeler and Sledge runs gave the Lions first-and-goal at the 7. Sledge took the ball up the middle into the end zone on the next play, and Wheeler hit Sims for the two-point conversion. Sledge finished the jamboree with 12 carries for 50 yards and three TDs. Wheeler ran 11 times for 96 yards and completed 8-of-10 passes for 83 yards. Sims led Ouachita with three receptions for 48 yards. Xavier Davis had two interceptions for the Ouachita defense, and Jarrett Triplett returned a fumble 26 yards for the first Ouachita score of the contest. Ouachita will officially kick off the 2011 regular season Friday at Wosman. The game is schedule to begin at 7 p.m. 8-26-11 Lions to take big tune-up test against Bastrop Ouachita Coach John Carr says that his team will get a good litmus test of how well it is ready for the 2011 seson in Saturday's Bayou Jamb at ULM's Malone Stadium. The Lions will face perennial power Bastrop Rams in the third of four scheduled jamboree matchups. Kick off for the Ouachita-Bastrop contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. Ouachita returns 10 starters and its place-kicker from last year's team that finished 10-2 and advanced to the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs. Carr and the coaching staff are working to mesh together the new faces with the experienced players. "We need a test like this jamboree early,'' Carr said. "This will be a great barometer of where we are as a football team.'' Carr and the Lions have some lofty expectations for the season, and one big reason is the return of senior quarterback Quentin Wheeler. The all-district quarterback is coming off a stellar junior season in which he threw for 1,611 yards and 16 TDs and ran for 1,014 yards and 19 TDs. Other returning offensive starters are running back Damarkus Sledge, wide receivers Taijuan Thomas and Devaughn Sanders, and left guard Hunter Pittman. Defensive end Caleb Tucker, defensive tackle Jarrett Triplett, linebacker Xavier Davis, safety Sam Williams, and cornerback Javanta Henderson return to lead the OPHS defense. Ouachita is coming off a scrimmage last week at Rayville. The Lions scored four touchdowns to two for the Hornets, but Carr said the Lions have to cut down on the mistakes. "We didn't come out the the gates with our best stuff,'' Carr said. "It took us a while to get going defensively, and offensively we didn't run the ball with much consistency. 5-21-11 Lions wrap up spring drills with intrasquad scrimmage The Ouachita football team capped 10 days of spring football practice with an intrasquad scrimmage Friday afternoon at the OPHS practice field. The controlled format featured the offensive and defensive units for the first, second, and third teams going against their respective counterparts. The first-team defense had the upper hand early on with an interception and fumble recovery on the first couple of series for the ones, The offense, however, cut out the mistakes and picked up steam as the scrimmage progressed. After a couple of series with nice plays but no scores, the first-team offense tallied touchdowns on its final two opportunities. Tavarius Buie broke through for what looked like a sure tackle and raced 50 yards for a TD for the first score. On the final series for the ones, quarterback Quentin Wheeler and tailback Damarkus Sledge hooked up on an 11-yard scoring screen pass. The second team also added a TD early in the scrimmage when running back Dearius Rollins made a nice inside run to reach the end zone. In all, the defense forced three turnovers, including a fumble recover for the third team. The offense scored the "big victory '' on the final series of the scrimmage after suffering "losses'' throughout most of the spring at the end of each practice. With pushups on the line, the third-team offense bested the third team defense when Nigel Dora scored on a 27-yard pass reception. The push-up weary offense rejoiced in the win as they counted out the pushups for the Lion defenders. 2-2-11 Five Ouachita football players make college choices Five Ouachita Parish High School senior student-athletes made their future football and college plans official Wednesday when they signed national letters-of-intent during a signing ceremony at 9 a.m. in the school’s Mane Center. Terron Bell, Ray Davis, Justin Ginyard, Elijah Sullivan, and Xavier Wilson all made their college choices when they signed in front of their teammates, coaches, family, friends, and school officials. A sixth player – defensive lineman Chris Houston – announced at the ceremony that he would delay his signing. Houston plans to visit Air Force this weekend, and he said he will make his decision Monday between Air Force and Army. Bell, a 6-0 and 190-pound linebacker, signed with Troy in Alabama. Bell is the 2010 season OPHS Defensive MVP after leading the team with 96 tackles. He also recorded three sacks, 12 tackles for losses, and an interception. Bell was named first-team 1-5A All-District, first-team All-Northeast Louisiana, and honorable mention Class 5A All-State. Bell said he chose Troy after also considering Louisiana Tech, Ball State, Louisiana-Monroe, and Jackson State. “I picked Troy because they have a good tradition with football,’’ Bell said. “I also connected with the head coach. The defensive coordinator was cool, and I’m familiar with the defense they run, and it will be eas for me to adjust.’’ Ginyard (6-2, 210) chose to stay close to home and take his receiving skills to the ULM Warhawks. As a senior, Ginyard caught 24 passes for 337 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns in a Ouachita offense that spread the ball around. Ginyard recorded 29 catches for 586 yards and six TDs as a junior. Bell was named first-team 1-5A All-District, first-team All-Northeast Louisiana, and honorable mention Class 5A All-State. Ginyard said he chose ULM over Western Kentucky, Central Arkansas, and Southern University. “I felt like it was the best overall decision for what was best for me academically and for sports,’’ Ginyard said. “It is the best option for me and it’s right at home.’’ Sullivan, a defensive lineman, and Wilson, a wide receiver, will remain teammates as both signed with the Univeristy of Arkansas-Monticello. Wilson said they plan to room together in college. Sullivan (6-0, 215) led Ouachita as a senior with eight sacks and 16 tackles for losses. He was also third on the team with 72 tackles. Sullivan was named first-team All-Disdtrict 1-5A, first-team All-Northeast Louisiana, and honorable mention All-State. “It will be a good college,’’ Sullivan said. “They are in a rebuilding season, and I think I can help them.’’ Wilson (5-9, 160) caught 35 passes for 462 yards and five TDs, and he ran for a TD in 2010. He was named second-team All-District 1-5A and honorable mention All-Northeast Louisiana. “They talked about my freshman year I can start,’’ Wilson said. “I think me and Sully can make a difference.’’ First-team 1-5A All-District cornerback Davis (5-11, 190) signed with Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. Davis led Ouachita in 2010 with 12 pass breakups and tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. Davis, who was named first-team All-Northeast Louisiana, also had 39 tackles and five tackles for losses. “It’s a good school,’’ Davis said. “I feel like it fits for me education-wise and sports-wise.’’ Houston is a 6-1, 225 defensive lineman. He had 66 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 15 tackles for losses as a senior to earn honors for first-team All-District 1-5A and second-team All-Northeast Louisiana. Houston was also named to the LHSAA Class 5A Academic All-State team. “It’s still wide open,’’ Houston said. “I’m going to Air Force (this weekend) with an open mind and then make my decision.’’ 2-1-11 Six Ouachita players scheduled to sign Wednesday Ouachita Coach John Carr said that six senior football players are expected to sign national letters-of-intent Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period. A signing ceremony for the Ouachita players has been scheduled for 9 a.m. at the school's Mane Center. Offensively, wide receivers Justin Ginyard and Xavier Wilson plan to make their college commitments official. Defensive players expected to sign their letters are linebacker Terron Bell, cornerback Ray Davis, and linemen Elijah Sullivan and Chris Houston. 1-20-11 Bell, Wheeler take top honors at Ouachita football banquet Senior linebacker Terron Bell was named the defensive most valuable player and junior quarterback Quentin Wheeler was named the offensive most valuable player at the Ouachita Lion Football Banquet held Thursday night at the Monroe Civic Center. Bell earned the Bob Stewart Memorial Award as the top Ouachita defender after leading the Lions with 96 tackles, including 87 solo stops, for the 2010 season. Bell also recorded three sacks, 12 tackles for losses, and an interception. Wheeler had a standout year in his second season as the starting quarterback to earn the Greg Walker Memorial Award on offense. He led the Lions with 1,014 yards rushing and 1,611 yards passing. Wheeler tallied a total of 35 touchdowns -- 19 passing and 16 rushing. Bell and Wheeler were also among four Lions, along with senior receiver Justin Ginyard and senior defensive lineman Elijah Sullivan, that were recognized for earning honors for first-team all-district, All-Northeast Louisiana, and honorable mention Class 5A All-State. Senior Tommy Lebeau was presented with the Ouachita Scholastic Award and recognized for his spot on the the LHSAA Composite Class Academic All-State Team. Lebeau, the student of the year for Ouachita Parish High School and the parish school district, has a 4.0 grade-point average. Lebeau, Chris Houston, Marty Shiers, and Sam Pleas were also recognized for their selection to the LHSAA Class 5A Academic All-State Team. Three players received a $1,000 scholarship each from the OPHS Booster Club. Senior offensive lineman Blake Wolfe received the George Pruitt Memorial Scholarship, senior defensive back Marty Shiers received the Tom Bond Memorial Scholarship, and senior punter Jason Johnson received the Wencil Bass Memorial Scholarship. Lebeau, Sullivan, and defensive lineman Chris Houston were named permanent team captins, which were voted on by the team. Ouachita players who were previously announced as all-district and All-Northeast Louisiana selections were also recognized at the banquet. 11-12-10 Ouachita bounces Byrd, 44-13, to advance to the second round Ouachita overcame an early deficit behind a strong defensive performance and a strong running game to overpower Byrd 44-13 Friday n ght in a Class 5A first-round playoff game at Ouachita. The win advances the Lions (10-1) to a second-round game against St. Augustine, which defeated Catholic-Baton Rouge 53-43 Saturday in New Orleans. Ouachita will play host to St. Augustine on Friday, November 19, at 7 p.m. Byrd (6-5) struck quickly as teh Yellow Jackets scored on the third play from scrimmage on a 49-yard TD scamper by quarterback Richard Carthon. Byrd kicked and recovered an onsides kick and drove to the Ouachita 15-yard line, but the Lions defense held to keep the Byrd lead at 6-0. That's when the Lions turned the tide and took control of the game. Ouachita followed the defensive stand with a 16-play, 86-yard drive, capped by quarterback Quentin Wheeler's 5-yard TD run to tie the score at 6-6. That began an onslaught of 37 consecutive Ouachita points as the Lions took a 23-7 halftime lead and put the game away in the third quarter. Wheeler finished the game with a season-high 178 yards rushing and two TDs. He also threw for 101 yards and a TD, a 6-yarder to Justin Ginyard. Running back Ricky McCarthy ran 21 times for 97 yards and three TDs. Ouachita's other score was a T.J. Kijak 18-yard field goal just before halftime. While the Ouachita offense rolled up 433 yards of total offense, the Ouachita defense held Byrd to 220 yards. The Lions recorded seven sacks led by Terron Bell's 2.5. 11-12-10 Four Lions selected for academic all-state team Four Ouachita Parish High School Football players have been named to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association academic all-state football team. The Lions named to the Class 5A academic team are Tommy Lebeau (4.0000 grade-point average), Marty Shiers (3.8049), Chris Houston (3.6667), and Samuel Pleas (3.5610). Students must have at least a 3.5 GPA to be eligible for the team. |
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| Ouachita Football News |