By DAVE WOODALL
Slidell sports writer
SLIDELL—Several weeks ago most people would have written off the Mandeville Skippers after their dismal start to the 2014 season.
But since then, the Skipper defense has proved to the naysayers that they are a force to be dealt with.
Mandeville proved it again last Friday, this time with a lopsided 41-7 win over Northshore in a very important District 6-5A win at Panther Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Joseph Bulovas threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns, with three of them coming in a six-minute span of the second quarter for the Skippers (6-3, 5-1), who led 24-7 at halftime and never let Northshore (3-6, 1-5) past midfield until the waning moments of the game.
“They were too good for us,” Northshore coach Mike Bourg said. “We just couldn’t make the plays we needed on offense, and they’re awfully hard to stop when they get it going. We didn’t help ourselves with so many missed tackles, but they were just better than we are.”
“He works so hard,” Skippers coach Guy Lecompte said of Bulovas. “He takes everything seriously and never takes any time off. He knows he’s got some work to do, but he has really improved.”
Bulovas got things going with a 73-yard scoring pass to Parker Orgeron to make it 7-0 after a Parker Pastorello PAT.
Northshore answered with a big play of its own when Panther quarterback Matt Benedict hit K.J. Hopkins with a 62-yard scoring strike.
Bulovas then caught fire, throwing two touchdown passes with the first going to Brand Moisant for eight yards and a 42-yard pass to Tyler Parker Mandeville’s next two possessions with TD pass of eight yards to Brand Moisant and 42 yards to Tyler Parker.
Mandeville threatened again late in the first half but were stalled by the Northshore defense forcing them to be satisfied with a successful 34-yard field goal try by Pastorello that made it 24-0 at the half.
Bulovas and Orgeron picked up where they left off combining for a 25-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.
Pastorello added his second field goal of the game with this one coming from 32 yards out.
Senior safety Koree Hollins ended the scoring going 66 yards with a pick-six.
Mandeville closes the regular season Friday at Covington while Northshore ends its regular season taking on Slidell at home.