By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
Alexandria Senior High piled up 44 unanswered points Friday night to begin the 2024 football season with a dominant road victory over West Feliciana.
Senior JT Lindsey rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown while adding a 25-yard TD reception for the Trojans, who fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter but quickly opened a 31-7 lead at the half.
Sophomore quarterbacks Karsen Sellers and Max Gassiott combined to throw four touchdown passes to four different receivers in the game.
After ASH’s opening drive stalled, West Feliciana drove for the game’s first score and a 7-0 lead. However, senior Darius Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards to tie the game, and the Trojans’ defense did not allow another point the rest of the game.
ASH took a 10-0 lead on a 22-yard Channing Meche field goal before the Trojans rolled off five consecutive touchdown drives spanning into the second half.
Sellers tossed a 34-yard touchdown to Washington, and Lindsey added a 5-yard touchdown on the next drive. Sellers avoided a sack and found a wide-open Lindsey for his second of three TD passes on the next drive, which included a 42-yard Lindsey run, his final carry of the night.
Gassiott connected with sophomore Alex Fontenot for a 26-yard score on the Trojans’ first drive of the third quarter, and Sellers threw his third touchdown of the game, a 15-yarder to Jimmie Duncan, to finish off the next drive.
While the Trojans got in the win column during Week 1, the Pineville Rebels lost at home, 34-25, against New Iberia.
The Rebels led early and trailed by just one point at halftime, but New Iberia outscored Pineville 14-6 in the second half to pick up the victory.
Junior Ayden Tate and senior Hy’keem Mix combined for 123 rushing yards and scored one touchdown each, while sophomore quarterback Carter Smith added a rushing touchdown while throwing for 108 yards and two interceptions.
Tioga, meanwhile, began the season 0-1 with a 28-13 road loss at Class 3A power Sterlington.
The Panthers’ run-heavy offense compiled almost 300 rushing yards against Tioga, which was held to less than 200 yards of total offense in the contest.
Senior Travis Adams scored a 4-yard touchdown late in the first half to cut the Sterlington lead to 14-7, while junior quarterback Cace Malone connected with junior receiver Kervin Johnson for a 38-yard score in the third quarter that cut the lead to 21-13.
However, that’s as close as the Indians would get as they couldn’t finish the comeback.
Holy Savior Menard was a Week 1 winner with a 34-6 home victory over Northwood-Lena.
Junior Jake Vaughn threw for one TD, a 25-yarder to Matthew Hicks, and ran for another while Aidyn Moran added TD runs of 10 and 11 yards. Sam Brocato’s 5-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter gave the Eagles a 34-0 lead.
Northwood scored on the final play of the game, a 4-yard touchdown run by Tyler Bowman.
In other Week 1 action around Rapides Parish, the Aaron York era at Buckeye began with a victory as the Panthers shut out Block, 35-0. The Peabody Warhorses fell on the road Saturday night against LaGrange, 22-20, while Bolton opened the season with a 58-0 road loss at Mamou on Thursday.