Green Devils even up season mark with rout of hosting Berwick 39-0
Plaquemine High’s Green Devils hit the road again Friday night and took care of business, routing fellow 3-A Berwick High 39-0 to even up the season record at 2-2.
Coach Bob Howell’s PHS club went into the game as a favorite to win on the road after a pair of tough road tests against tough upper classification foes 5-A St. Amant and 4-A Glen Oaks in recent outings. The Green Devil defense did so convincingly, holding the hosting 1-3 Berwick Panthers to only 60 yards rushing, eight yards in the air, and five first downs in a shutout victory. Offensively, Plaquemine kept their triple option ground game going with 260 yards rushing, five touchdowns, and a dominant 24-0 halftime lead.
Senior back Nick Thomas got the PHS offense going with a 3-yard TD plunge. Not long after, Hakeem Deggs tallied one of his two TDs in the game, scoring on a 26-yard run to give the Green Devils a 16-0 first-quarter advantage as PHS scored on a pair of two-point conversions as well.
Green Devil quarterback Darvin Butler pushed the lead to 24-0 as he broke free for a 22-yard TD run and then he added a third 2-point conversion to make it 24-0.
Senior Troy Jones and Deggs put the lopsided victory away in the second half with added touchdown runs. Jones went 22 yards for a score and then Deggs scored his second TD of the game on a 16-yard gallop in the final period.
Thomas finished as the game’s top rusher with 90 yards, while Jones was right behind him with 71. Deggs added 56 yards and Butler 40. The PHS QB, also hit Deggs with a 22-yard pass.
Defensively, senior end Treveon Hawkins led the way with six tackles and a QB sack. James Lee and DeCorey Brown recorded a combined nine tackles, while Jarvin Hines nabbed an interception.
The Plaquemine club is hoping to use the big road victory to build some pre-district momentum as they hit the road for the fourth consecutive week of the non-district slate tomorrow (Friday) night against their second-straight opponent from the 6-3A district. They head down south to tangle with fellow 3-A Catholic High of New Iberia, a team in desperate need of a victory at this point in the season.
The CHSNI club fell to 1-3 last Friday when they were embarrassed by Class 1-A Central Catholic of Morgan City by a 13-10 score. The CHSNI Panthers won their opener 45-25, but have since dropped games to CCMC, Erath, and by a lopsided score to St. Louis High.
The Panthers are led by all-state receiver Devin Boutte, but greatly miss their stellar QB Taylor Bullock, who graduated last May. Even with Taylor last year the Green Devils upended the then ranked CHSNI club in Plaquemine on late game rally. Coach Howell is hoping for an even better effort tomorrow night down in New Iberia.