If the first game of the regular season is any indication of what’s to come for the regular season, it’s going to be a long season for the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns.
Just in the first half, both the Cajuns and the Southeastern Louisiana Lions combined to put up 70 points in the ballgame. However, the Cajuns survived in the final seconds to win 51-48.
It didn’t take long for the Cajuns to get on the board as Cecilia native Raymond Calais took the opening kickoff from 97 yards out to take the early lead. The Lions quickly responded with a 42-yard run to the outside to even things up.
Later in the first quarter, Max Lyons took the first punt return of his career 60 yards to the endzone to give Southeastern the lead. The track meet continued when Trey Ragas hustled down the field, trucking a player in the process to tie things back up at 14 points.
The special teams continued to dominate the first half with Lyons getting Southeastern near the goal line before Bethea punched it in, making it 21-14. Calais struck yet again with a 100-yard touchdown to get tie things back up late in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Jordan Davis found Ryheem Malone with a 15-yard pass to get the lead back for the first time since the opening kickoff. However, the Lions roared back with a 54 yard TD from Julius Maraclin.
While the Cajuns defense underperformed for most of the evening, Acadiana High product Bralen Trahan intercepted Lorenzo Nunez to set up the Cajuns with good field position. It seemed like the offense was stymied, but Davis converted on a 4th and 1 zone read and brought it to the one yard line and Dion Ray finished it off with a one-yard run.
Nunez redeemed himself with five seconds left in the first half with a short pass to Zeke Jenkins to get it evened up.
The track meet slowed down in the second half with Jordan Wright being the lone score in the fourth quarter from three yards out to get back out in front.
The momentum swung yet again early in the fourth quarter with Nunez getting his second touchdown on the evening with a short pass to Bransen Schwebel.
Erath product Elijah Mitchell got things done with 8:41 left in regulation with a short two-yard run to cap off a quick five play drive.
The Lions fired back in the final minute with Nunez connecting with Nih-Jer Jackson on a 29-yard pass to make it a one-point game with 42 seconds left. Southeastern Louisiana tried to end right there with a two-point conversion, but Joe Dillon wound up returning the point after to put the game away.
The Cajuns will hit the road next Saturday when they take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes with kickoff set for 3 pm.
Extra Points:
Special Night for Calais: In his first game back since suffering a shoulder injury that hampered his freshman campaign, the Cecilia native etched himself into the record books for several reasons. Not only did he match the record set by Darryl Surgent and Jeryl Brazil for the longest kickoff return in program history, he became the first player in over 30 years to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown.
-Clint Domingue