Patterson High's Ausama signs with Louisiana College

It’s been a big year for Patterson standout running back Tristen Ausama, and he took another leap Thursday, signing a national letter of intent to play college football at Louisiana College.
Ausama burst onto the recruiting scene after a stellar junior season in 2014 in which he rushed for 175 times for 1,318 yards and 21 touchdowns and recorded 25 catches for 272 yards and two scores.
He was rewarded with first-team all-district honors and invites to several colleges Junior Days. He attended Junior Days at Southern Miss, Northwestern State and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
“I had a real good junior year and a lot of colleges were sending me letters and inviting me to Junior Days,” Ausama said. “And I was looking to put up some even bigger numbers my senior year, but I got hurt. I kept trying to play on it, and it (injury) got even worse. I’m just getting back to 100 percent, so my numbers dropped.”
He missed all or parts of four games last season.
In 2015, he rushed 110 times for 657 yards and eight touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 123 yards and a score.
“Most schools said that I played really good late in the season and in the playoffs, so I don’t think my senior year hurt my recruiting that much,” he said. “What hurt me was waiting too long to make a decision. I was gonna go to Northwestern State, but they wanted an early commitment and they didn’t hold a spot for me.”
Patterson finished last season with a 9-3 overall record, including a District 8-3A championship with a 6-0 mark in league play. Patterson’s season ended in the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs.
But, the season wasn’t the highlight of Ausama’s year.
He found out that he and girlfriend Raven Gahn were expecting a baby.
“Once I got my head around that, I went straight into going to doctor’s appointments and stuff,” he said. “I really love my son. I wouldn’t change nothing. When he laughs and smiles, it makes me really happy.”
Bryson Ausama is six months old.
“He’s had to make some grown up decisions this year, and I commend him on how he’s handled himself,” Patterson assistant football coach Branden Harden said.
Harden also pointed out that Louisiana College is getting a good running back who also catches the ball well out of the backfield but can get the tough yards when needed.
The Wildcats run a multiple offense but often play out of the spread.
“They run a lot of spread like we do at Patterson, but they also get under-center and put the backs in the I-formation, something I’ve never done,” Ausama said. “But I’m just going to go in there, work hard and see where that gets me at the end of camp.”
Hard work in the classroom also helped Ausama land at Louisiana College.
“I got a pretty good ACT score, so LC was able to give me some money for that too,” Ausama said.
Ausama also was recruited by Arkansas State, Miami (Ohio), Yale and Navy.