’Jacks to open district play at home against Donaldsonville

After starting the season with three straight losses, Patterson has won three straight, the latest, a 40-6 pummeling of Southern Lab of Baton Rouge Friday for homecoming.
“The kids have handled ups and downs really well,” Patterson head coach Chad Blanchard said. “They’re pretty level-headed. They just keep going to work every day. We all knew that if we continued to work hard that we would get better and turn things around.”
A talented Donaldsonville (3-3, 0-1 District 9-3A) team comes to town for the ’Jacks’ district opener Friday.
Donaldsonville dropped a nail-bitter to E.D. White in district play last week, 25-24.
E.D. White intercepted Donaldsonville quarterback Tyler Brown with 2:10 remaining on a possible game-winning drive for the Tigers, and E.D. White subsequently ran out the clock for the win.
Brown connected on 16 of 28 pass attempts for 244 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Jamal Dunn had three catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Jaquel Gant caught eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.
“That’s what they try to do, get the ball to their big receivers in space,” Blanchard said. “They have great size and athleticism on the outside, and they’re their best players. We’ll have to do some things defensively to match up with them the best we can.”
Running back Tajh Gillard led the Tigers’ rushers with 18 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown.
A week ago, Patterson opened the game with a 66-yard, three-minute drive that cumulated with a 27-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sirbatian Charles to standout receiver Daylon Charlot at the 8:19 mark of the first quarter. Christian Soria’s PAT kick gave Patterson a 7-0 lead.
Linebacker Malik Bass began his stellar night with a sack of the Lab quarterback on the Kittens’ first possession, forcing a punt. Bass had three sacks, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and several tackles.
Patterson’s offense marched downfield again but faced a third-and-23 from the Lab 25-yard line. However, Charles found his other standout receiver, Mykel Jones, for a touchdown. Patterson extended the lead to 14-0 at the 4:00 mark.
Charles was 11-of-17 passing for 230 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. The junior has completed 48 of 88 passes for 925 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions this season. His top targets are highly-regarded wide receivers Charlot and Jones.
Charlot, an Alabama commit, has 14 catches for 393 yards and seven touchdowns, while Jones has 12 receptions for 269 yards and three scores.
Jones had three catches for 50 yards and a score Friday, while Charlot had one catch for 27 yards and a score.
Charles also led the Lumberjacks’ rushers with 10 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown Friday. The dual-threat has 310 yards on 52 carries and two touchdowns this season.
Patterson (3-3, 0-0 District 9-3A) extended the lead to 33-8 at halftime and cruised to victory.
Other offensive leaders for Patterson are running back Tristen Ausama, who has carried 90 times for 562 yards and eight touchdowns this season, and senior John Davis, who has 28 totes for 115 yards and a score.
Friday’s game against Donaldsonville will kick off at 7 p.m.
Additional reporting by www.bayoupreps.com.