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Lady Wolves come up short in extra innings
Morgan City edges Loranger 7-6 in opening playoff game.
by Jim Henderson
LORANGER, LA—The Loranger Lady Wolves Softball team saw its season come to an end when the visiting Morgan City Lady Tigers escaped with a 7-6 victory in a contest that went into extra innings to decide the outcome in a first-round Division IV non-select playoff. The No. 18th seeded Lady Tigers advance to the regional round of the state playoffs and will play District 7-4A foe Lutcher who is the number two seed.
Meanwhile the 15th seeded Lady Wolves reached the postseason for the first time since the 2012 season and led much of the way only to see Morgan City rally back to tie the game at 6-6 and then scored the winning run in the eighth inning to advance.
“Any loss is tough especially in the first round,” said Loranger head coach Jake Abdalla. “It's like we told the girls, at this point in the season every team is good, but we battled. We had a few blunders in the field and few at the plate. A run here a run there and you know it's a different ball game.”
Both teams were tied at 1-1 at the end of the first inning. Loranger's run was scored when Daisey Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate a run. The Lady Wolves moved ahead with a run in the second on a throwing error by Morgan City. Loranger added a run in the third on a fielding error by the Lady Tigers to make it 3-1.
Morgan City cut into the deficit with a run in the top of the fifth on a RBI single to trail 3-2, but Loranger answered with a run in the bottom of the frame when Rodriguez delivered a RBI single to right field that gave the Lady Wolves a 4-2 advantage.
Morgan City responded with four runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead. Loranger rallied with two runs in the bottom of the frame when Daryck Deville had a base hit to centerfield with one out. /Later Rylee Robertson hit into a fielder's choice. A fielding error by Morgan City plated a pair of runs to tie the contest at 6-6.
Neither team could score in the seventh forcing extra innings. Morgan City scored in the top of the eighth on a RBI single to centerfield. Loranger could not must another run in the bottom of the frame as Olivia Gottschalck struck out looking. Mikayla Watts grounded-out and Paige Tassin flied out to end the game.
Makayla Husser of the Lady Wolves was tagged with the mound loss as she struck out eight, walked one after facing 35 batters at the plate.
Morgan city outhit Loranger 10-9 at the plate. Multiple hitters for the Lady Wolves were Daryck Deville going 2-for-3 and Mikayla Watts went 3-for-5.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” added Abdalla. “It was back and fourth and back and forth. We were in position to win it in the bottom of the seventh, but hats off to them (Morgan City) they played well and their pitcher threw well. Kind of a playoff game you would want.”
The Lady Wolves ended their season with a 16-7 record and made a appearance in the state playoffs for the first time in 12 years.
“It's been a long time coming. We got the program moving forward. That was extra special having the opportunity to host a playoff game. It's been a long time coming in building up the culture here, but we got it where we want it to be. We got some good young talent and we lose only two seniors. The bulk of our lineup and the bulk of our defense is coming back.”
Wolves test Falcons early but STA prevails.
LORANGER, LA—The Loranger Wolves tested the Falcons early in the contest taking a pair of leads but a big second half surge lifted Saint Thomas to a solid 67-50 win.
The Falcons were led by Kohen Rowbatham, who poured in a season-high 36 points, including three 3-point goals.
Rowbatham put Saint Thomas up 6-0 to begin the game nailing a 3-point goals and scoring in the paint on a layup shot. The Wolves battled back and went ahead for the first time at 8-7 when senior forward Joc Bonds scored on a layup and a put-back basket with 1:09 left to play in the first period. Later Bonds delivered on a mid-range bucket and Za'Coryn Bryant scored on a jump shot in the lane to give Loranger a 15-11 edge at the end of the period.
Saint Thomas answered to start the second period with Rowbatham driving into the lane for a layup basket and then another layup on a back-door cut to the hoop to make it 15-15.
Senior Dylan McAllister scored on a fast break layup off a steal by Cace Reed to tie the game at 19-19. Senior Kendrell Perry gave the Falcons back the lead on a wing 3-pointer to make it 22-19 prompting a Loranger time out. Reed made another steal and then made a pass to a streaking Rowbatham for a layup to extend the Falcon lead to 26-19. The Wolves cut into the deficit with baskets by Preston Rogers and Tucker Duhe to end the half trailing 28-23. Saint Thomas outscored Loranger 17-8 in the second quarter.
Rowbatham began the third quarter scoring a mid-range shot and a 3-point bucket to give the Falcons a 3023 lead. Rowbatham scored on an old fashion three-point play nailing a mid-range basket and free throw to give STA its largest lead at 42-30 with 2:17 left to play in the period.
The Wolves cut the deficit to 44-39 after a 3-pointer by Jaylon Matthews and a mid-range jump shot from Scott Covert. However, the Falcons outgunned Loranger 19-16 in the quarter to maintain a 47-29 advantage heading into the fourth period.
Rowbatham began the fourth quarter with his third 3-point goal to make it 50-39. Saint Thomas went on a 11-4 run to make it 60-43 after a layup shot by Kaiden Davis with 3:21 left to play.
Rowbatham made another 3-point play which was followed by a basket on the left wing that gave STA a 65-47 lead before Falcon coach Raymone Andrews pulled his starters off the floor with 1:30 left to play in the game.
The Falcons finished the fourth period outscoring Loranger 20-11 to improve to 11-7 on the season.
“We're just kind of building for the state playoffs,” said STA coach Ramone Andrews. “I loved the environment that we played in here at Loranger. It’s something we need to get used too especially with their pep band that kind of gave us some motivation. We are going to get battle tested with games against Denham Springs, Zachary coming up.”
Rowbatham carried the scoring load with 36 points. Kendrell Perry followed with 11 and Kaiden Dennis added 10 points. McCalister netted four and Reed ended with three points. Hunter Gambel scored two points for the Falcons.
Loranger was led by Joc Bonds with 15, followed by Preston Rogers with 10 and Ashton Brunise added eight points. Scott Covert and Za'Coryn Bryant each had six points apiece and Jaylon Matthew ended with five points for the Wolves who dropped to 4-9 on the season.
“Saint Thomas is a rival game for us. Our boys get fired up and so do our fans,” said Loranger coach Dustin Easley. “I can’t say win or lose. It is how you lose. For three quarters we played pretty good basketball. However, our turnovers we committed gave them momentum. Our comprehension of the game and understanding the game has been pretty difficult for us.”
“This was probably one of the best games we have played,” Easley added. “We have played a tough schedule so far and this type of game is something we can build on. I’m proud of the way we hustled and competed. Saint Thomas could of easily beat us by 30-plus points. I’m more proud of this loss than actually some of our wins this season.”
Parish rivals deliver a five set thriller!
Lady Wolves edge out Saint Thomas 3-2.
by Jim Henderson
LORANGER, LA—The Loranger Lady Wolves Volleyball team had to go five games in defeating the St. Thomas Aquinas Lady Falcons by set scores of 21-25,25-23, 25-20, 15-25, 17-15 in a non-district matchup played at the STA gym.
Each game was fought close with each team stringing together short runs and rallies. Both teams would feed off passing, serving and hitting errors. The largest margin of victory came in game four for the Lady Falcons in forcing a fifth game.
In the fifth game, each team shared a one or two point leads only to have the opposition tie it up. St. Thomas moved ahead at 14-10 behind a pair of kills by seniors Reese Fitzhugh and Julia Bouffard. But Loranger answered by a service ace by junior Alyssa Prine and a kill by senior Sundi Griffin to tie the contest at 14-14.
Bouffard fired a kill to make it 15-15, but Loranger's senior Skylar Ford answered to make it 16-15 on a service ace. A passing error by St. Thomas scored the final point sealing the 17-15 victory.
“This is a fantastic win for us,” said Loranger coach Jennifer Hebert. “Saint Thomas Aquinas is definitely such a good team and they’ve had a great season. We’ve been playing well. So to see the team finish here with a win is just amazing. I’m so proud of them and so glad to part of this program. We’re still waiting to see if will make to the postseason tournament, but either way I’m so proud these girls. They have worked so hard and have bought in learning a new system.”
Leading the Lady Wolves were Ella Bankston with 23 digs, one ace and one assist. Ford had six aces, 16 assists and 13 digs. Lorelei Gautreau had seven kills and seven digs. Griffin finished with seven kills and four blocks and Lanasha May ended with two kills, one dig and six blocks. Paityn Ackerman 17 digs and three aces for Loranger.
The Lady Falcons were led by Bouffard who had four blocks, five digs and 30 kills. The senior outside hitter surpassed 1,000 career kills in the second game of the match. Also contributing was Reese Fitzhugh with one ace, eight kills and two digs. Payton Rowbatham had three aces, one kill and five digs for Saint Thomas.
“I just think that sometimes that when your team is playing well the crowd and who you are playing matters,” said STA coach Courtney Roblez. ‰0ôWe gave them (Loranger) the win with our errors. It is not too hard to beat you when you make that many mistakes. I know our team is better than that. Right now our team is ranked No. 9 in the power rankings so hopefully we can go further in the postseason as long as we keep our heads on right and keep pushing.”
Loranger (2-3, 16-16) will face Bogalusa in their final District game today while Saint Thomas (9-0, 16-9) will travel to play Christ Episcopal in their regular season finale on Wednesday. The LHSAA will announce the playoff pairings for all Divisions on Sunday, Oct. 29. First-round playoff matches must be played by Thursday, Nov. 2. Winners advance to the second-round to be played by Tuesday, Nov. 7. Winners advance to the LHSAA State Tournament Nov. 9-11 to be played at the Cajun Dome on the UL campus.
Loranger outlasts Hannan 79-54.
Wolves and Hawks light up the scoreboard combining for 133 points.
by Jim Henderson
LORANGER, LA—The Loranger Wolves football team captured its first District 8-4A win of the season after defeating the Archbishop Hannan Hawks 79-54 in the annual Pink Game played at Rusty Chambers Memorial Stadium. The margin of victory resembled a basketball score between the two teams that had a combined score of 58 points at halftime.
The victory improved Loranger to 1-1 in league play while Hannan remained winless at 0-2 in league play and 0-8 overall. The annual Pink Game for Breast Cancer awareness saw a battle between two teams that had no awareness stopping each other on defense.
The Wolves amassed over 700 yards of total offense. Loranger’s Rylan James rushed for 386 yards and had five touchdown scores.
“It's an exciting win,” said Loranger coach Sammy Messina. “I didn’t think we would score 79 points in a game, but we needed almost all of them to win it. Finally, defensively we started to play a little defense in the middle of the third quarter and started to get off the field. We we're able to turn points on them and get further ahead. I am proud of guys responding after a couple weeks tough losses. I hope this will get us jump started for next week stringing together a couple of more wins and make a little run and getting us into the playoffs.”
The Wolves began the game with some trickery by executing an onside kick. The football was recovered by Loranger’s placekicker Cooper Flannagan at the Hannan 46-yard line. The Wolves needed eight plays to capitalize on field position marching down to the Hawk 15-yard line. The drive stalled and Loranger settled on a 22-yard field goal by Flannagan to make it 3-0 with 8:17 left to play in the first quarter.
Hannan put together an eight-play drive that reached the Loranger 49. But the Wolves defense stiffened forcing a Hannan punt. Loranger took over at its own 11 and scored six plays later on a 24-yard touchdown run by running back Rylan James. Flannagan kicked the PAT to make it 10-0 with 1:33 left to play in the period.
Highlighting the drive was a 47 and 24-yard runs by running back Rylan James that moved the ball into Hannan territory.
The visiting Hawks answered right back scoring three plays later on a three-yard touchdown run. The PAT successful and Hannan trailed 10-7 with 11:15 remaining in the first half.
Following the ensuing kickoff, the Wolves took over at its own 35 and scored on the very next play when James broke loose Loranger through in the defensive line and scampered 65 yards for a touchdown. Flannagan booted the PAT to make it 17-7.
Hannan was backed up deep in their own territory on its next series and had to punt the football out of its own end zone. Loranger regained possession at the Hawk 45-yard line. The Wolves took possession at the Hawk 45-yard line, but gave it back on a Colton Morris pass interception on the very next play.
The Hawks needed four plays to score capping the drive with a 13-yard touchdown run to trail 17-14 with 6:42 until halftime.
Following the kickoff, the Wolves mounted a four-play, 72-yard drive ending with a 48-yard touchdown run by James. Flannagan missed the PAT leaving the score 23-14 with 4:43 in the half.
Highlighting the drive was a 16-yard pass completion from Morris to Roman James that covered 16-yards moving the ball to the Hannan 48.
Following the kickoff, the Hawks responded with a nine-play, 55-yard drive that was culminated by a 12-yard touchdown run and the Hawks trailed 23-21 with 1:51 left in the half.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Wolves answered on the very next play when James went off-tackle and out raced the Hannan defense 63-yards for a touchdown. Flannagan added the PAT and Loranger extended their lead to 30-21.
It left just enough time for the Hawks to respond. Hannan mounted a three-play that ended with a 51-yard touchdown pass play. The PAT was successful and Hannan trailed 30-28 at halftime.
The Wolves waisted no time in answering taking the second half kickoff and scoring in just four plays. The drive ended with a James scoring on a nine- yard touchdown run. Flannagan added the PAT to make it 37-28 with 10:14 left to go in the third quarter.
Hannan took possession at its own 34 on its next series and scored two plays later on a 69-yard touchdown run and the Hawks cut the deficit to 37-35.
The Wolves got a 32-yard kickoff return by Roman James giving Loranger the ball at the Hannan 48. Loranger mounted a six-play drive that was culminated on a Morris five-yard touchdown run. Flannagan kicked the PAT to make it 44-35 with 6:30 remaining in the period.
Highlighting the drive was a 33-yard run by James that moved the ball down to the Hawk 24-yard line.
The Hawks came right back scoring in just two plays on a 40-yard touchdown pass play. The two-point conversion failed leaving the score 44-41.
The Wolves' offense would not slow down scoring in just two plays on a 15-yard touchdown run by Roman James. Flannagan added the PAT and Loranger increased its lead to 51-41 with 4:42 left in the quarter.
A 48 and 11-yard runs by James set up the scoring drive moving the ball down to the Hawk 15-yard line.
Hannan tried to answer on its next series with a six-play drive reaching the Wolves 21-yard line. The drive stalled and the Hawks tried a 32-yard field goal which was missed.
Loranger took over on downs on its own 25 and marched 75-yards in four plays scoring on a 55-yard touchdown run by Roman James. Flannagan kicked the PAT to make it 58-41.
Hannan fumbled the ball on its next possession and was recovered by Loranger's Dustin Corbin at the Hawk 31. Two plays, later Morris went around the right end and scored on a 25-yard touchdown run. Flannagan added the PAT to give Loranger a 65-41 advantage with 11:53 left to play in the game.
Hannan answered with a five-play, 52-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run to cut it to 65-47. After a failed onside kick attempt, the wolves scored on the next play when James ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run, but a penalty nullified the score. However, two plays later the Wolves scored anyway on a 43-yard touchdown run by Morris. Flannagan added the PAT to make it 72-47 with 7:20 remaining.
Hannan put together a 11-play drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful pulling the Hawks to within 72-54 with 3:37 left.
Loranger recovered an onside kick attempt at the Hannan 45 and scored three-plays later on a 46-yard touchdown run by Morris. Flannagan booted the PAT to give Loranger its final touchdown of the game making the final score 79-54.
The Wolves had 703 yards of total offense. Loranger had 633 rushing yards as James led the way with 386 yards on 23 attempts and he scored five touchdowns. Roman James gained 118 yards on eight carries with touchdowns and Morris finished with 129 yards on nine carries with four TDs.
The 79 points by Loranger was the most scored in the modern era of the Wolves' football program.
The Wolves travel to play Franklinton in a key District 8-4A contest on Friday. “It’s going to be a close game,” Messina said. They are physical up front and well coached. You look at all of the scores in the district and everybody is playing everyone close. We just got to go play our game and play some solid football to give ourselves a chance.”
Titans outgun Wolves 42-14.
Wolves and Titans trade scores early but Titans pull away for the win.
by Jim Henderson
MANDEVILLE, LA—The Loranger Wolves suffered their second District 8-4A loss of the season after the homestanding Lakeshore Titans registered a 42-14 victory. The Titans improved to 1-0 in league play while Loranger remained winless at 0-2.
“We played with a lot of effort and energy but could not match them score to score,” said Loranger coach Sammy Messina. “We couldn't get off the field on defense, but I thought we really did some good things on offense. We had a couple of turnovers that we couldn't capitalize on, but they were able to capitalize on our mistakes that we gave them.”
The contest began with some trickery as Lakeshore attempted an onside kick. The attempt failed giving Loranger possession at the Titan 49-yard line. The Wolves put together a seven-play drive reaching the Lakeshore 26-yard line. Highlighting the drive for Loranger was a 10 and 11-yard gain by running back Rylan James putting the football at the Titan 26. However, quarterback Colton Morris threw an incomplete pass on fourth down ending the scoring threat on downs.
Lakeshore took over at its own 26 and mounted a seven-play, 74-yard drive that was capped by a 24-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful giving Lakeshore a 7-0 lead with 7:20 remaining in the first quarter.
The Wolves answered on its next series driving 66-yards in 12-plays culminating the drive with a six-yard touchdown run by quarterback Colton Morris. Cooper Flanagan kicked the PAT to tie the contest at 7-7 with 1:20 left in the period. Leading the offensive drive for the Wolves was a 12-yard pass completion from Morris to Landon Faust and runs of 22 and 13 yards by Morris that moved the ball down to the Titan six-yard line.
Lakeshore moved back into the lead on its next possession. The Titans marched 65-yards in nine plays for a touchdown. The drive ended on a 15-yard run for the score. The PAT was successful to make it 14-7 with 8:38 left in the first half.
The Wolves responded on its next series. Loranger recovered an onside kick attempt and began their scoring drive on the Lakeshore 49. The Wolves put together a 16-play drive that was culminated on a 15-yard run on a quarterback draw play by Morris. Flannagan added the PAT to tie the contest again at 14-14 with 2:22 left before halftime.
Following the kickoff, the Titans scored on the very next play on a running reverse play that covered 63-yards for a touchdown. The PAT was successful giving Lakeshore a 21-14 advantage with 2:03 left in the half.
Loranger could not answer on its next possession after being forced to punt. The Titans fumbled the punt return and Loranger recovered the ball at the Lakeshore 26 with seven seconds remaining. But the Wolves could not score in the remaining time as Morris found Faust on a 13-yard pass completion marking the ball at the Titan six-yard line. But time expired when the play ended.
In the third quarter, the Titans returned the second half kickoff 23 yards to their own 46 setting up positive field position. Lakeshore needed six plays to score marching 54 yards capping the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful making it 28-14 with 9:09 left to play in the period.
The Wolves were forced to punt on its next series. The snap to the Loranger punter was dropped and Lakeshore recovered the ball at the Wolves' 29.
The Titans took advantage of field position scoring six-plays later on a 10-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful giving Lakeshore a 35-14 lead with 2:07 left in the quarter.
Loranger threatened to score on its next series. The Wolves drove down to the Lakeshore seven-yard line. But Morris had a pass attempt tipped at the goal line and was intercepted in the end zone.
The Titans took over at its own 20 and extended its lead three-plays later on a 65-yard touchdown pass play. The PAT was successful making it 42-14 with 7:54 left to play in the game.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Wolves took over at its own three-yard line. On the very next play, James took a handoff going off-tackle and he scampered up the middle for a 97-yard touchdown run. Flannagan added the PAT and Loranger trailed 42-21 with 7:31 remaining.
Lakeshore fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Wolves recovered it at the Titan 15-yard line.
Loranger could not capitalize on the turnover turning the ball over on downs failing to convert a fourth-and-4 situation at the Lakeshore nine-yard line with 5:08 left to play in the game.
Lakeshore retained possession the rest of the way securing its second win of the season to improve to 2- 4 overall on the year while the Wolves dropped to 2-5.
Loranger will host Archbishop Hannan (0-7) on Friday in another league encounter. The Hawks are winless in District (0-2) after dropping a 45-14 decision to Salmen.
“I have not looked whole lot yet on Hannan,” said Messina. “We gotta work on Loranger first to get ourselves better. We’re trying to get our first district win and carry a little momentum in our remaining games.”
Wolves and Falcons trade scores as both teams rally in hard fought contest.
Falcons get a blocked field goal to save a 29-28 win..
by Jim Henderson
LORANGER, LA—It was a battle between two evenly matched prep football teams. In the end when the smoke cleared it would be the Saint Thomas Aquinas Falcons outlasting the Loranger Wolves 29-28 in its annual Homecoming game played at Rusty Chambers Memorial Stadium. It was a game with big plays and missed opportunities. It was game with unwarranted penalties and turnovers. It was a game that saw the Falcons build a two-touchdown lead only to have the Wolves tie it and then take the lead in the wanning moments of the fourth quarter before a last-second blocked field goal attempt by Saint Thomas Aquinas sealed the victory for St. Thomas giving them their first win of the season to improve to 1-3. Loranger’s loss dropped the Wolves to 1-3.
“Too many mistakes early and we didn’t make enough plays to put them away when we had opportunities and let them (St. Thomas) hang around,” said Loranger coach Sammy Messina. “We just gotta get better...gotta get better...We gonna look at this one and then start Monday preparing for Liberty. We just gotta keep getting better.”
Saint Thomas returns home to Valenti Field for the first time since September 1st hosting winless Archbishop Hannan (0-4) while the Wolves will entertain Liberty (2-2). Kickoffs for both games will be 7 p.m.
Saint Thomas took the momentum early. After the Wolves went three-and-out on their opening possession, the Falcons scored on their first offensive play from scrimmage when wingback Cace Reed took a pitch and scampered down the sideline for an 81-yard touchdown run. Jonathan Bickford kicked the PAT and just like that STA led 7-0 with 9:37 left to play in the first quarter.
The Wolves committed their first turnover on its next possession. A tipped pass at the line of scrimmage was picked off by STA defensive back Cayden Cuti ending a Loranger drive. The Falcons were unable to capitalize when they failed to convert on a fourth-and-5 situation giving the football up on downs at the Wolves’ 28-yard line.
Loranger put together a sustained drive on its next series. The Wolves marched 78-yards in 10-plays culminating the drive with a 21-yard touchdown run by tailback Ryan James. Cooper Flannagan added the PAT to tie the contest at 7-7 with 11:54 remaining in the first half.
Following the kickoff, the Falcons answered with a 13-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass play from quarterback Justin Domiano to wide receiver slot back Kendrell Perry. Bickford booted the PAT to give STA a 14-7 lead with 6:29 left to play in the half. The Falcons executed a short ensuing kickoff and Loranger fumbled the return and Jermaine Spencer recovered it for the Falcons at the Wolves’ 34. Five plays later, Reed scored his second touchdown of the game on a 14-yard run. Bickford added the PAT to make it 21-7 with 4:28 left in the half.
Loranger managed to put together a nine-play, 57-yard drive that saw the Wolves score on a one yard touchdown run by quarterback Colton Morris. Flannagan kicked the PAT and Loranger cut the deficit to 21-14 with just 23 seconds left to play before halftime. Highlighting the Loranger drive was Ryan James, who had runs of twelve, eleven, six, and five yards that moved the ball down to the Falcon 20.
Saint Thomas was forced to punt on its goal line on its opening series in the third quarter. Loranger was aided by a fair catch interference penalty by the Falcons that moved the ball to the STA 28. The Wolves took advantage of field position when running back Roman James scored ona 13-yard touchdown run. Flannagan added the PAT to make it 21-21 with 7:11 left to play in the period.
The Falcons failed to convert on a fourth-and-7 situation giving Loranger the ball at their own 44. Each team would exchange punts and Loranger took its next possession at midfield. Five plays later, the Wolves took their first lead of the game when Morries connected with wideout Ricky James on an eight-yard slant pass that gave Loranger a 28-21 edge. Flannagan booted the PAT to make it 28-21 with 7:49 left to play in the game.
The Falcons were unable to answer on its next series giving the ball up on downs with 3:50 remaining to play. Loranger took possession and began working the game clock down reaching the Falcon 15. The drive stalled and Flannagan was called upon to kick a 25-yard field goal. The attempt was blocked by a STA’s Brody Crouch ending the scoring threat with 1:49 left to play.
The Falcons took over at their own 30 and scored four plays later on a 57-yard touchdown run by Perry. The Falcons opted to go for the two-point conversion score when Perry ran in from three yards out into the end zone to give St. Thomas back the lead at 29-28 with 1:15 left to play.
The Wolves recovered an onside kickoff attempt at their own 48 giving Loranger another opportunity. Morris threw pass completions to Austin Hayden and to Landon Faust for 12 and 11 yards to move the ball down to the Falcon 25-yard line. A Ryan James off-tackle run put the ball at the St. Thomas nine with :28 seconds left. Morris was sacked for a loss on the next play and the Wolves called their final timeout of the game with :10 seconds left to play. Flannagan attempted a 22-yard field goal that was blocked by a host of Saint Thomas linemen as the kick was low. The Falcons recovered the ball at the 15-yard line with :02 seconds remaining sealing the29-28 victory.
“I don't know what to say,” said STA assistant coach Hayden Warren, who filled in for head coach Shane Mulhern who had to miss the game because of a family matter. “The kids played their butts off and I’m emotional right now. It’s been a long week for everybody. We won this one for Coach Mulhern and his family. All three phases of the game won it for us. That’s a talented football team (Loranger) with a great coach. They execute on a very high level and we’re fortunate to come out of here with a win.”
“We’re gonna enjoy this one tonight and then we’ll get to work on Hannan,” said Warren.
Loranger dominates Tigers in Jamboree 23-0!!
By Jim Henderson
LORANGER, LA—The Loranger Wolves registered a 23-0 shutout victory over the Independence Tigers in the Loranger High Football Jamboree played at Rusty Chambers Memorial Stadium.
The Wolves two touchdowns in the first half and then added a defensive safety score and another touchdown in the second half to secure its shutout win. The defense kept Independence on its side of the field much of the way. Loranger forced the Tigers to turn the ball over on downs twice, forced a fumble and intercepted a pass that kept Independence from scoring.
“I think it’s a good start for our season,” said Loranger coach Sammy Messina. “We did a lot good things execution wise on both sides of the ball. Obviously its early so we still got a lot of things to work on.”
The Wolves scored on their opening possession marching 65 yards in eight plays for a score. The drive ended with a seven yard touchdown run by Roman James. Cooper Flannagan kicked the PAT to give Loranger a 7-0 lead with 8:09 left to play in the first half. Highlighting the scoring drive was a 15-yard pass completion from quarterback Colton Morris to Lanen Chavers that moved the football down to the Independence 11-yard line.
After the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers fumbled the ball six plays later and Loranger's Brayden Stevens recovered it at the Wolves’ 48.
Loranger turned the ball over on downs when Morris threw incomplete on a fourth down pass to Landon Faust, but the Tigers could not move the ball offensively giving Loranger the ball on downs at the 45-yard line.
On the very next play, Morris found Chavers on a slant pass that covered 45-yards for a touchdown. Flannagan booted the PAT to give Loranger a 14-0 lead at the half.
In the second half, the Tigers put together its best drive of the game reaching the Wolves 34 yard line. But Loranger's defense stiffened forcing a fumble, an incomplete pass because of a heavy pass rush and another incomplete pass attempt on a fourth down play giving the ball back to the Wolves.
Two plays later, Loranger’s Morris threw an interception deep down field giving Independence possession at their own five yard line. Loranger's defense came away with a two-point safety score on a bad snap from center when the football bounced went out-of-bounds in the back of the end zone. Leading 16-0, the Wolves received the free kick at their own 45. Loranger scored six plays later on a six yard touchdown run by Rylan James. Flannagan added the PAT to make it 23-0 with 2:07 left to play. Highlighting the drive was a 16-yard gain by James that moved the ball to the Indy 10-yard line.
Independence gave the ball up on downs for the fourth time giving the Wolves the ball near midfield. Loranger kneeled the ball for two plays sealing the 23-0 victory.
The Wolves begin regular season play at home against Kentwood. “They (Kentwood) will probably be ranked in the top 3, maybe number one in their class. They are tough, but they get to come here. Will get our kids ready to play and give them everything we got.”
Loranger Volleyball welcomes new head coach Jennifer Hebert.
By Jim Henderson
LORANGER, LA—The Loranger Lady Wolves Volleyball team will have a new head coach this season in Jennifer Hebert. She replaces Misty Holton, who will remain as the Girls' Basketball coach. Hebert is entering her 16th year as a head volleyball coach. She had stints at Saint Thomas Aquinas, Lakeshore and Springfield where she led each school to the State playoffs. Hebert had two semifinal appearances at Saint Thomas Aquinas and a semifinal berth at Lakeshore. She led Springfield to the state playoffs for the first time in school history.
Loranger has not been a participant in the state playoffs for several years. Hebert’s goal for the Lady Wolves is not just to get the team into the postseason, but an appearance into the State Tournament which is slated to be played in November 9-11 at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.
“We just don't want to just make the playoffs,” said Loranger coach Jennifer Hebert. “We want to be at the State Tournament. Our team has the potential to be successful with the amount of talent we have.”
Hebert has beefed up the schedule where the Lady Wolves are playing 33 matches this season against teams that have regularly been participants in the State Tournament. During the summer Hebert had the team participate in two team camps along with scrimmages against perennial playoff teams in New Orleans and Baton Rouge to prepare them for fall campaign.
Hebert welcomed out 37 players to this year's squad and will have 11 seniors dotting the roster.. She is counting on the senior class to pave the way because these players have been playing for the past three years. “They (seniors) have worked so hard during the summer,“ said Hebert. Hebert inherits a team that a year ago that played just 20 games and decided not to play in the postseason because of injuries and other issues.
The Lady Wolves will play different offensive schemes on the court that features one, two or three setters. “We are playing a 5-1 alignment, but can switch to a 6-2 that will put two setters and four hitters on the court,” said Hebert. “The girls have bought into the program and are eager to start the season right away. The team is jelling really, really well and early, which is a good thing and I hope it stays that way.”
Loranger will have seniors Isebel Miller and Olivia Gottscalk directing the offense as setters. The Lady Wolves will have seniors Madi Ackerman and Lorelei Gautreau starting at the outside hitter positions. Senior Paityn Ackerman will start off in the back row and senior Ella Bankston is slated to play the libero spot.
Look for senior setter Skylar Ford to see plenty of action along with seniors Kenli Reid, Lanaisha May, Sundi Griffin and Philia Disher to add depth in the front and back rows. “These girls get along so well,” Added Hebert. “So, I hope this just the beginning and we can continue to get better as the season goes on.”
Junior middle blocker Emma Bankston will anchor the defense for the Lady Wolves. Adding depth on the defensive side of the net for Loranger are juniors Lexie Colona, Melanie Garcia, Kaitlyn Huner, MaKayla Husser, Taylor Smith, Alyssa Prine, Paige Tassin and Heirness Williams.
Hebert also says her style of coaching is an open door policy. “I may ask them to do something out of their comfort zone, but I’m never going to not explain why,” Hebert said. “I will move them to the side and explain why I need them to do this or why I believe they can do this. I am trying to push their limits and get the most of their abilities.”
The schedule has Loranger participating in three tournaments at Hammond on Sept. 9, Doyle Sept. 16 and East Jefferson Oct. 21. The Lady Wolves are playing 5A opponents in Hammond, Covington and Denham Springs. District 8-IV play begins on Oct. 10 against defending Division IV champion Archbishop Hannan. Hebert will face her former team St. Thomas Aquinas in Hammond on Oct. 23.
Wolfettes to Attend UDA Camp
Loranger dance team to compete at Universal Dance Associaiton Camp.
HAMMOND, LA—The Loranger Wolfettes Dance Squad will attend the Universal Dance Associaiton Camp hosted at SLU June 11-12. The squad will receive instruction and compete against other school.
Universal Dance Association was founded in 1980 as Universal Dance Camps. Jeff Webb and Kris Shepherd started UDA to provide high quality educational training for college and high school dancers through summer camps and clinics on college campuses. From the beginning, UDA focused on the highest standards-the finest instructors, the best choreographers and the most exciting and innovative routines.
Summer camps were established nationwide featuring private coaching that allowed every team a one-on-one relationship with the UDA Staff. While the emphasis on team growth and improvement is always a constant at UDA camps, the staff also seek to make the camp fun and productive! Teams are taught routines, proper technique, conditioning and much more.
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