BY DAVE WOODALL
Slidell sports writer
SLIDELL — It was a game with a lot of scoring.
Unfortunately, for Pearl River, it was the Salmen Spartans doing the majority of it handing the Rebels a 60-21 loss in the final game of the District 8-4A season.
The season ending loss couldn’t have come too soon for the Rebels who went through a dismal schedule without picking up a win going 0-10 overall and 0-5 in district play.
Their only “win” of the season came against Pope John Paul II but was nullified due to an ineligible player forcing the Rebels to forfeit.
As for the Spartans, their season was nothing to brag about either going 2-8 overall and 2-3 in District 8-4A play although the Spartans were very competitive in their last three games and looked to be coming around.
Pearl River got on the board first when when Zach Vicknair blocked a Spartan field goal attempt by L.J. Leonard and scampered 80 yards for the touchdown.
Gabe Danton made good on the PAT for a 7-0 Rebel lead with 7:32 left in the first quarter.
Three minutes later Johnny Lowery got Salmen on the board with a two-yard touchdown run. The PAT failed to put the score at 7-6.
Salmen capitalized on a Pearl River fumble recovered by Brandon Brown when Lowery went in again this time on a nine-yard touchdown run. The two-point pass to Lowery failed giving the Spartans their first lead of the game at 12-7.
With two seconds remaining in the first quarter, Vicknair was intercepted by Salmen’s Erskine Francis.
The Spartans used this turnover to generate a four-yard touchdown run by Lowery followed by a successful two-point conversion run by Robert Hayes upping the Salmen lead to 20-7.
The Rebels then committed their third turnover of the game when Salmen’s Philip Semere blocked a Rebel punt to give Salmen excellent field position which they instantly took advantage of.
With 5:57 left in the half, Leonard hit Hayes with an eight-yard scoring strike. Devan Penton knocked down Salmen’s two-point conversion pass to keep it at 26-7.
Salmen finished the first half scoring on a two-yard touchdown run by Lowery–his third touchdown of the night. Eddie Smith came on for the PAT giving Salmen a 33-7 halftime lead.
Jamie Passaro, who shared quarterbacking duties with Leonard, hit Hayes with a six-yard touchdown pass to extend the Salmen lead to 40-7 after a Smith PAT.
Pearl River would go on to score twice in the second half with the first score coming on a four-yard run by Vicknair and the second on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Vicknair to Kenneth Stewart. Danton was good on both PAT’s.
Salmen would score three more times in the half. Middle linebacker Semere got in on the scoring action with a two-yard touchdown run followed by 34-yard scoring run by Akobi Nelson. The Spartans finished the scoring when offensive lineman Ray Brown went in from three yards out for the touchdown to end it at 60-21.
Pearl River finished with 191 total yards. Vicknair went 7-of-22 in the air for 125 yards and one touchdown. The Rebel rushing game produced 66 yards on 23 carries.
Vicknair led the Rebel rushers with 46 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown.
Salmen racked up 453 total yards. Passaro led the passing attack going 5-of-11 for 152 yards and one touchdown. Leonard went 3-of-6 for 56 yards and one touchdown for 208 yards passing.
The Spartan running attack produced 245 yards on 38 carries. Lowery led all rushers with 114 yards on 18 carries while scoring four touchdowns. Nelson also had a big night racking up 96 yards on six carries and one touchdown. Rebel kicker Danton was good on all three PAT attempts.