Cedar Creek grinds out 42- 0 shutout of Lincoln Prep
Cedar Creek’s Ladd Thompson (7) looks to cut off a block by Blake Wade (4) against Lincoln Prep Thursday night. Photo by Darrell James
GRAMBLING — It was a Lincoln Parish rivalry renewed Thursday night, but it was all Cedar Creek, which returned to its winning ways with its third shutout of the season, defeating Lincoln Prep 42-0 at Panther Stadium.
“Defensively, it was the third shutout of the year. They keep playing really good football, and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” CCS head coach William Parkerson said.
With the game getting out of reach in the second half, many younger players were able to get playing time. One Cougar who stood out all night to Parkerson was sophomore running back Wyatt Gremillion, who finished with two touchdowns.
“Wyatt Gremillion is growing up in front of our eyes. He had two touchdowns tonight, and that sucker hits it hard like he’s shot out of a cannon every time, and I’m proud of him,” said Parkerson.
The Cougars received the ball at their own 40 to start the game, taking them just four plays as the offense moved in Panther territory at the 27, with James Myers scoring from there on a counter run, which made the score 6-0 with 9:56 in the opening quarter.
On the ensuing drive, the Cougars forced a three and out and started their second drive of the night at the Panthers’ 47 with the Prep defense forcing a three and out.
The Panther offense still couldn’t get things going as it was another three and out for them, and the Cougars got the ball back but went three and out, which ended the opening stanza.
With 9:29 in the second quarter, the Cougars got on the scoreboard again with Ladd Thompson scoring on a 3-yard rush, with the 2-point conversion also being good that pushed the lead to 14-0.
After the Panthers went three and out again on the ensuing drive, the Cougars looked to turn it up a notch, but a fumble recovery by the Panthers set up a shot for their offense at their 37 yard line.
However, a play later, quarterback Jordan Brown was picked off as Noah Durrett scored on a 50-yard pick 6, pushing the lead to 20-0 with 3:06 remaining in the half, with the conversion being no good.
Head Coach Glen Hall knows that play was the turning point in the game for his Panthers.
“If we don’t throw that interception and the ball is thrown over that guy’s head like we practice, he scores. Then you’re talking about a 14-6 or 14-8 game going in at the half, that changes everything,” Hall said.
After halftime, both defenses held their own, forcing three and outs, but the Cougars finally said enough is enough as Thompson scored on his second run from 7 yards with the two-point conversion run good by running back Gray Worthey with the score 27-0 with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
After a Cougars interception by Kade Lucker on the ensuing drive, the Cougars started at the Panthers’ 32 yard line and moved the ball to the four-yard line as time expired in the third.
On second down, Gremillion scored his first touchdown of the night from four yards out, pushing the lead 36- 0 with 11: 53 left in the fourth.
The Panthers were stagnant once again, going three and out, which set the Cougars up to score their last score of the night on their last possession, 42-0, on a 3-yard rush by Gremiilion, with the two-point conversion also good with a 5:39 left in the game.
The running clock was a factor on the Panthers’ next drive, as Prep never scored with time expiring in the game.
Things won’t get any easier for the Panthers as they face powerhouse Ouachita Christian to end the regular season. Lincoln Prep entered this week’s contest ranked 24 in the Division IV Select power ratings, which is the last slot to make the playoffs, but the loss to Creek gives them slim hopes to get in now. Hall still wants his team to compete.
“It’s all about being competitive now. You’re going down in a lion’s cage, and you don’t have nothing but a pencil, so if you are going in there to fight, you better stick them in the eye; you have to find some way to get something going and give an effort,” said Hall.
“We were No. 24 in the ratings, but we’re probably going to fall out the top 24, and we won’t make the playoffs, but we still have to go compete no matter what,” he added.
