LC-M vs. Ozen updates..LC-M Wins/Comments

[adminbaberuth]

Both teams were competive this year, something to build on.

Lcm nice win.

[mjones830]

Good job Bears, great win.....

[mat]

LCM had a much better season than a 4-6 record might represent.

Can't wait until next year.

[tvc184]

Good finish for LCM looking toward next year.

[KFDM COOP]

Bears fend off late Ozen surge to win 29-28
Van Wade
The Orange Leader

BEAUMONT — BEAUMONT - To wrap a season in which they made serious strides under first-year head coach Randy Crouch, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Battlin’ Bears wanted to finish up their season on a high note by downing the Beaumont Ozen Panthers Saturday at Babe Zaharias Stadium.

Well, “mission accomplished”, though it was far from easy.

After the Bears grabbed a 29-15 lead with 5:19 left, the Panthers rallied back all the way to within a point but the Bears were able to hold on to a 29-28 victory.

Junior quarterback Hunter Gonzales completed 12-of-21 passes for 208 yards in the LC-M (4-6, 2-5) win, throwing for two touchdowns while running for two more.

The Bears finished with 358 total yards.

Brilliant receiver Zack Sonnier had four catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Preston Armstrong also had his best outing of the campaign, hauling in five receptions for 82 yards. Tailback Tevvin Jones contributed 73 yards on 12 carries on the ground and also caught three balls for 33 yards.

“This was a tremendous way to end the season,” said first-year LC-M coach Randy Crouch. “You can’t call it a great season but it was one in which we made some great strides in. Our seniors, we’re really proud of them. They’ve put forth a ton of effort to help us succeed this year. We’re also thrilled to have a ton of key kids back. This is a football team that learned a lot this year and it will hope us down the road.”

The Bear win offset a superb performance by Ozen (3-7, 2-5) quarterback Charles Durio. Durio completed 18-of-32 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns, all to receiver Stanley Sullivan. Sullivan finished with eight catches for 137 yards.

“You can’t ever rule out Ozen because they have so much darn talent and they come come at you many different ways,” said Crouch. “We gave up a lot of yards late in the second half but I felt we made the big when it counted most. They got a lot of passing yards but I thought our defense was outstanding pressuring the quarterback. We had some huge sacks today.”

Leading 22-15 with 8:23 left in the game, Gonzales calmly led the Bears on a seven-play, 89-yard scoring jaunt. He had a big 39-yard keeper down the left sideline that went to the 50. He hit Armstrong on a 21-yard strike that went to the 30. Three plays later he found Sonnier for a 28-yard scoring dart in the back of the right side of the end zone as the Bears led 29-15 with 5:19 left.

Ozen retaliated in a hurry when Durio hooked up with Sullivan on a short pass and Sullivan did the rest by sprinting 42 yards to the end zone down the left side as Ozen trimmed the margin to 29-22 with 4:47 remaining.

After the Bears failed to make a first down, the Panthers started at their own 19 with 2:56 left. Mixed in with a couple penalties against the Panthers, Durio ended up throwing for 90 yards on six pass plays to punch the Panthers into the end zone again. He connected with Sullivan again, this time from 21 yards out as the Panthers trailed 29-28 with 1:14 left.

However, after a bad snap on the extra-point attempt, Ozen kicker Jose Torres had to kick it late and went straight into the line of scrimmage as it looked like the Bears salvaged the win.

The Panthers, though, got a break when they recovered an onside kick at the LC-M 45.

The Bears tightened down the hatch to seal the deal, forcing Durio into three incompletions while also sacking him for a loss of eight. LC-M sacked Durio seven times.

The Panthers finished with 372 yards but struggled on the ground, managing just 65 yards on 32 carries. The Bears had one of their best running games of the season, finishing with 150 yards on 35 carries. Gonzales added 58 yards on 15 totes.

The Bears went up 7-0 late in the first period, cruising 75 yards in just five plays.

Jones set things up nicely with a 46-yard burst that went to the Panther 29. After he hit Armstrong on a 14-yard pass play, Gonzales ended up scoring on a nine-yard keeper off left tackle. Kicker Garhett Bonneaux’s extra-point was good as LC-M led 7-0 with 2:38 left in the first.

Ozen chewed up 69 yards in eight plays to draw close early in the second period. The Panthers scored when tailback William Sullivan fumbled at the Bear 3 after a 12-yard gain. The ball rolled into the end zone and receiver Jarvis Fontenot recovered it. The extra-point attempt was blocked to make it a 7-6 game with 11:26 left in the half.

Ozen jumped ahead with 5:18 in the half when Torres booted a monstrous 52-yard field goal that hit the crossbar and bounced through.

LC-M got back in business after defensive back Aldric Jones picked off a Durio pass and returned it 12 yards to the Ozen 42 with 1:4e3 left. Two plays later Gonzales hooked up with “old reliable” Sonnier for a 38-yard scoring dart that bounced off an Ozen defender and into Sonnier’s arms to make it 13-9 with 1:21 left. The Bears went for two points but the pass failed.

The Bears went up 20-9 in the third period, zipping 59 yards in just six plays.

Gonzales had a 13-yard pass to Sonnier and a 13-yard run in the series and he capped it with a five-yard keeper with 3:28 in the third.

Ozen pulled to withing 22-15 with 8:30 left in the game. Leroy Jackson helped set up the TD with a 30-yard run and Durio and Sullivan hooked up again, this time from nine yards out.

Gonzales finishes the season completing 150-of-272 passes for 1,686 yards and 11 TDs. Sonnier finishes as the leading receiver in Southeast Texas with 74 grabs for 922 yards and 11 TDs. Jones wrapped up the year with 548 yards and then their is Armstrong, who finishes with 15 catches for 157 yards.

The best part, all four of those guys will be back in a Bear uniform next year.

“We’re excited about it,” said Crouch. “Most of our skill people are back. I think we’ll improve greatly on defense with a nice offseason. We’re really looking forward to next year.”

[77]

Congrats on a much improved season to coach Crouch and the Bears.