Berwick tops MCHS, 27-21

Just one week after losing to Morgan City by double digits in the Morgan City High School Jamboree, Berwick rebounded Friday with an upset of its local rival, 27-21, in the season opener at Berwick.
“I have to give all the credit to my assistant coaches,” first-year Berwick head coach Eric Holden said. “They worked some long hours while I was away.”
Holden, who spent this past fall as defensive coordinator at Port Allen, had his Baton Rouge home flood during the August storms.
“I’m just doing the best I can with a bad situation like many other people in that community,” he said. “I had to be away, and the coaches and kids stepped up and did a great job.”
But it was Morgan City that got the scoring going Friday first, converting a Berwick turnover into a score. Morgan City quarterback Isaiah Escort capped the short drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:03 remaining in the first quarter. Quang Nguyen added the point-after attempt for a 7-0 lead.
Berwick (1-0) couldn’t answer the score until the final seconds of the quarter when quarterback Colin Louviere hit Joshua Carver with an 88-yard bomb with 10 seconds left on the clock.
With Morgan City’s defense focusing on standout Berwick wide receiver Kenan Jones, Carver ran past the defense for the score. John McCorkle added the PAT and the first quarter ended tied at 7.
Morgan City answered with a bomb of its own when Escort went over the top to a wide open Kalen Hillen for an 84-yard scoring pass with 5:50 left before halftime. Morgan City added the point-after attempt for a 14-7 lead.
Hillen had five catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in the game.
Berwick answered late in the quarter again when Louviere hooked up with Jones for a 63-yard touchdown with 1:35 remaining.
Jones, who has an LSU offer, finished the game with six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. Berwick missed the point-after kick, however, and went to the half trailing 14-13.
Berwick took its first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter, converting a Morgan City special team’s miscue into a touchdown with 10:11 remaining.
Berwick scored when Louviere hit Tysin Meads for a nine-yard touchdown. The Panthers’ duo also hooked up on a two-point-conversion, giving Berwick a 21-14 lead.
Louviere was 9-of-23 passing for 97 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Berwick running back Joshua Jones fumbled and Morgan City recovered with 7:27 remaining in the game.
Morgan City quarterback Alex Brocato scored on a 1-yard run after a penalty extended the Tigers’ drive with 5:31 left in the game. Nguyen’s PAT tied the game at 21.
Brocato entered the game after Escort left with an injury. Escort was 7-of-16 passing for 120 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Brocato was 1-of-4 passing for 2 yards.
“The offense played pretty well, but we left a lot of points on the field,” Morgan City Coach Scott Tregle said. “Taking nothing from Berwick, because if they continue to improve like they did this week, they will be very good. But we practiced poorly last week, and I told them they were taking them lightly.”
Berwick’s offense answered Morgan City’s score immediately when Josh Jones took the first play from scrimmage 55 yards for a touchdown. Berwick missed the point-after attempt but led 27-21 with 5:20 to play.
Lucas Hatch intercepted a Morgan City pass with 1:57 left, and Berwick ran out the clock for the win.
“I’m just happy for the kids, because they have bought in and worked extremely hard. They can enjoy it tonight, because tomorrow we turn our attention to Abbeville,” Holden said Friday.
Berwick will host Abbeville Friday, while Morgan City will host Sophie B. Wright.

Box Score
BHS MCHS
First downs: 13 7
Rushing yards: 125 85
Passing yards: 221 122
Total yards: 346 207
A-C-HI: 28-11-2 20-8-3
Penalties-Yds: 4-25 11-80
Fumbles-lost: 2-2 2-2

Score by Quarters
Berwick: 7 6 0 14 — 27
MCHS: 7 7 0 7 — 21

Scoring Summary
First Quarter
MCHS: Isaiah Escort 2-yd. run (Quang Nguyen kick) 4:07
BHS: Joshua Carver 88-yd. pass from Collin Louviere (John McCorkle kick) :10

Second Quarter
MCHS: Kalen Hillen 84-yd. pass from Escort (Nguyen kick good) 5:50
BHS: Kenan Jones 63-yd. pass from Louviere (kick failed) 1:35

Fourth Quarter
BHS: Tysin Meads 9-yd. pass from Louviere (two-point pass Meads) 10:11
MCHS: Alex Brocato 1-yd. run (Nguyen good) 5:31
BHS: Joshua Jones 55-yd. run (Kick failed) 5:20

Berwick Individual Stats
Rushing
Josh Jones, 18-99, 1 TD; Collin Louviere, 5-26

Passing
Collin Louviere 9-24-2, 181 yds., 3 TDs; Mitchell Sanford 2-4-0, 40 yds.

Receiving
Kenan Jones 6-115, 1 TD; Tysin Meads 2-18, 1 TD; Josh Carver, 1-88, 1 TD; Ryan Hover, 1-4; Josh Jones, 1-(-4)

Morgan City Individual Stats
Rushing
Ethan Scioneaux 18-56; Kalen Hillen 5-16; Ke’Sean Francois 1-8; Isaiah Escort 6-5, 1 TD; Alex Brocato 2-1, TD; Trey Deuron 1-(-1)

Passing
Isaiah Escort 7-16-3, 120 yds., TD; Alex Brocato 1-4-0, 2 yds.

Receiving
Kalen Hillen 5-121, 1 TD; Keith Henderson 1-5; Ethan Scioneaux 1-4; Isaiah Escort 1-(minus-8)