Abbeville hangs on to beat Church Point

CHURCH POINT — Two big defensive plays helped the Abbeville High Wildcats survive a tough test in the Acadia-Vermilion Jamboree on Thursday.
Only 10 seconds after scoring the go-ahead touchdown in their game against host team Church Point, the Wildcats got a scoop-and-score fumble return touchdown from freshman defensive back Joseph Davis Jr. and a 2-point conversion from Ta’Zavian Andrews to stretch their lead to 26-14 with 5:43 remaining.
Then, after the Bears got to within 26-20, Church Point was again threatening with under a minute remaining on a 48-yard pass from Luke Baudoin to Bryce LeJeune that got the ball inside the Abbeville 15.
But before LeJeune could get any more yardage from the play, AHS senior defensive back Tajh Judge launched himself into the receiver, jarring the ball loose to be recovered by the Wildcats at the 7-yard line. Two snaps ran out the remaining time on Abbeville’s thrilling 26-20 win.
“I’m proud of how our kids fought for each other at the end there when it looked bleak with them running up and down the field on us,” AHS head coach Roderick Moy said. “You saw it. Our safety came off his feet to make a tackle right there, to sacrifice his body for our ballclub. And that’s what I’ve been trying to teach. I’m proud of that.”
Abbeville got on the scoreboard first with an eight-yard TD run by Andrews for a 6-0 lead. Brian Gordon then hauled in a 52-yard TD reception on a post route to give the Wildcats a 12-0 lead with 4:49 left in the 15-minute first half.
Church Point rallied in the second half, marching 60 yards in nine plays with Jaheim Moore capping the drive on an 18-yard TD run to make it 12-6. The Bears took the lead on a 27-yard TD pass from Baudoin to Tyrese Boast and the 2-point conversion on a naked bootleg by Baudoin with 6:59 left in the second half.
But it took Abbeville only two plays to surge ahead again. A big kick return and a personal foul penalty against CPHS gave the Wildcats possession at the Bears’ 32, and on second down, Da’Zavien Maize threw a beautiful pass to a tightly-covered Te’Zarron Stewart, who gathered the ball in for the TD and an 18-14 lead.
On Church Point’s next offensive play, the Wildcats stripped Moore of the ball and Davis picked it up and returned it 30 yards for the score.
Though the Wildcats won, Moy said the team still has a lot to work on before the season opener at St. Mary’s of Natchitoches on Friday.
“We have to work on our conditioning and our ability to stay together,” Moy said. “That’s two things that haven’t changed.”