Columbia Academy tried to go back to the well and pull off another road playoff upset, but turnovers caused the Cougars to fall short in a 35-26 loss to Bayou Academy in Cleveland Friday night.
“We turned it over five times,” CA head coach Randy Butler said. “For the year we were minus-9. That’s the tale of the tape right there. When you don’t get more than they do and you give it up a few times, that’s hard to overcome.”
The Cougars (3-8) seized the momentum and the lead in the third quarter, with Ras Pace running for a 3-yard touchdown and Cole Rowell intercepting a pass and returning it 65 yards for the score to put CA up 26-21 with four minutes left in the third.
However, after CA forced a punt and had the opportunity to make it a two-possession game, Pace was intercepted and Bayou returned it down to the CA 6. Two plays later Bayou’s Riley Smith found paydirt from two yards out to put the Colts up 28-26.
Smith then extended the Colts lead to 35-26 on a 35-yard touchdown run on their next possession, which the Cougars were unable to overcome.
“We had the big momentum boost there with the interception, and we turned right back around and give it back. On both sides of the ball we never really recovered from that,” Butler said. “There comes a point in every game where something good is going to happen and something bad is going to happen, and when something bad happens you have to respond. We didn’t respond on either side of the ball.”
The Cougars punted and Pace was intercepted for the third time on CA’s last two possessions to seal the deal. Drew Havard was held to just 2.4 yards per carry — 55 yards on 23 attempts — and the lack of a consistent rushing attack kept the offense from finding a consistent rhythm. Butler said Bayou deployed a defense the Cougars hadn’t worked a lot against, which led to some confusion with the blocking assignments.
A bright spot for the Cougars, though, was the return of big plays in the passing game. Riles Stuart, who began the season as the starting running back but moved back to receiver with Havard back healthy, racked up 135 yards and caught two touchdowns from Pace in the first half.
While the loss stung, the Cougars will return 14 starters, including Pace and Stuart, and a lot of experience next season.
“I know they’re disappointed, and everyone is disappointed. But I think the future is bright here; I really do,” Butler said.
Butler added many of the Cougars’ core playmakers returning should make Columbia Academy competitive once again next season.
“The young linebackers (Patrick Gill, Kris Ginn and Rowell) continue to play well, and our offensive line with Colby Thompson and Jacob Bain coming back and Hunter Courtney coming back at tight end looks promising,” he said. “We played Preston Sauls some at running back and at linebacker as an eighth-grader, and he has a bright future. The returning guys battle hard.”
Columbia Academy will also return Pace, Stuart, Robert Johnson and Peyton Rowell.
All seven of the graduating seniors started for the Cougars, though, and will need to be replaced. They are Holden Smith, Hunter Reid, Evan Rowley, Tyler Terry, Gavin Duncan, Chase Thornhill, Parker Mattox and Havard.
Pictured Above: Columbia Academy quarterback Ras Pace fires a strike for a first down to Robert Johnson (2) Oct. 18 against Bowling Green at home. The Cougars finished the season 3-8 and 1-1 in district. | Photo by Mark Rogers
