MCHS looking to break losing streak against Wolfpack

The Morgan City High School Tigers will continue their nondistrict schedule against West St. Mary at home Friday.
The Tigers who threatened the Wolfpack late in last year’s 21-14 loss in Morgan City but couldn’t convert, are trying to break a 17-game losing streak.
While Morgan City has had close calls with Ellender the past two years, the Tigers have not been able to get in the win column since Sept. 28, 2012, when it beat Pearl River, 35-13, in Morgan City.
A week later, the Tigers’ current losing streak began with a 26-14 loss to Franklin.
This season, the Tigers have begun their season with losses to White Castle, 50-28, in week 1, and Central-Baton Rouge, 57-27, a week ago.
“We talked to them about it, breaking the streak,” Morgan City head coach Scott Tregle said. “It’s about time we start winning some games, and we’re doing everything the right way … Eventually it will pay off, hopefully sooner than later.”
Tregle said the Tigers’ “matchup well” with the Wolfpack but they have to produce on offense and defense.
While he said his team has a good chance to win, he said nothing is a given.
However, Tregle said his players have played hard the two first two weeks of the season, and if they play hard again Friday, he said their chances of victory should be good.
West St. Mary enters Friday’s contest with a 0-2 mark after falling in its season opener to Opelousas, 23-20, and in week 2 to Loreauville, 54-6.
In last week’s loss, Loreauville jumped out to a 28-0 lead, putting up points on four of its five possessions.
West St. Mary’s touchdown came on a 52-yard touchdown reception by Thaddeus Gabriel from La’Bryson Polidore.
Gabriel also had a 69-yard run in the third quarter in the contest, although he didn’t score on the play.
Gabriel also had a 20-yard touchdown reception in the Wolfpack’s week 1 loss as well as Tyler Martin’s 4-yard pass from Polidore.
In Morgan City’s loss to Central a week ago, the Tigers had cut Central-Baton Rouge’s deficit to 8-7 after an interception return for a touchdown by Tierell Jones and Irving Delgado’s extra point.
However, Central’s Justin Vessell took the ensuing kickoff back 79 yards for a touchdown, and Central scored touchdowns on its next three possessions to balloon its lead to 36-7 in the second quarter en route to the easy victory.
Morgan City has struggled on defense the first two weeks of the season, surrendering an average of 451.5 yards per contest.
Offensively, the Tigers also have struggled, averaging 221.5 yards a game during the same period.
While Morgan City was outgained 410-243 in total yards a week ago in its 57-27 loss to Central-Baton Rouge, the Tigers did outrush Central-Baton Rouge 210-194.
Last week’s game featured a running clock through much of the second half.
Against Central, Jaylen Jones rushed five times for 87 yards and a score, returned a kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown and caught two passes for 30 yards.
Jones’ rushing touchdown came on a busted punt attempt in which the ball rolled through his legs and he picked it up at the Tigers’ 3-yard line and worked his way through the Wildcats’ special teams’ unit for a 97-yard touchdown.
Kevon Marsh led the Tigers’ ground game with 11 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Marsh is the area’s second leading rusher with 32 carries for 202 yards and two touchdowns, while Jaylen Jones is fifth among area rushers with eight carries for 131 yards and two scores.
Through the air, Morgan City quarterback Hector Tolento has completed four of 11 passes for 55 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Jaylen Jones has caught three of Tolento’s four passes for 52 yards and a score.
Additional reporting by www.iberianet.com.