Blocked field goal sets up only score in Northshore’s jamboree win over Jesuit

Defense and special teams decide the outcome of @NorthshorePant1 football's 7-0 win over the @JHSNolaFootball Blue Jays in tonight's jamboree. @WGNOtv @FNFwgno @WGNOsports

Details – https://t.co/VZHJ33PRhp pic.twitter.com/lAZMHVoznz

— Richie Mills (@richiemills) August 25, 2023

SLIDELL – On a sweltering hot night, a pair of offenses were in preseason form while a pair of defenses were clearly prepared for the regular season as Northshore hosted Jesuit in jamboree action Thursday night.

While those two elements negated each other, it was the third phase of the game which proved decisive.

Jackson Fugate blocked a 42-yard field goal attempt by Ethan Cabos and Jonell Scott returned it 68 yards for a touchdown to give the Panthers a 7-0 victory over the Blue Jays.

The score came with 9:40 to play in the 15-minute second half.

“Jackson Fugate managed to get through there and get a hand on the ball and we scooped and scored,” Northshore coach Bobby Sanders said. “Other than that, it was your typical Jesuit team. They are hard-nosed, they are very, very well coached. From top to bottom, that’s one of the best staffs in the entire state. They do everything right on defense. We have a lot of returning starters on defense. We’re very good up front with a good front three and we’re good on the back end. We’re still missing Shaun Collins up front but he should be back soon. We made enough plays to come out on top. We got out of it what we wanted to.”

The two teams slugged it out through a scoreless first half and neither team penetrated the red zone all evening.

Jesuit reached the Northshore 24 and 25-yard lines, respectively, in the second half as the Blue Jays recorded eight first downs.

The Panthers only crossed midfield once and were held to five first downs.

Fugate was a star, intercepting a Beau Perez pass to kill a Jesuit drive in Northshore territory to go along with his blocked field goal.

Northshore sacked Perez five times, including three by Grant Simmons and two by Wyatt Sistrunk.

Perez finished 5 of 19 for 71 yards with the interception and rushed nine times for four yards.

Sophomore Wendell Riggins rushed 11 times for 38 yards while senior Patrick Berrigan sat out, nursing an injury. The Blue Jays were also without three offensive linemen.

Jesuit coach Ryan Manale started 11 freshman or sophomores, highly unusual for his program.

“I thought we had opportunities on offense,” Manale said. “I thought we had opportunities for takeaways on defense. Special teams, we’ll see, but the beautiful thing is you get to clean all three things up before the regular season. We get to see things to work on to improve on for week one. We know with the inexperience that we have to stay together and grow together.”

The big story for Northshore was not the win but the news of the departure of two-sport star Kohen Rowbatham, who has transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas.

Rowbatham is a Division I recruit in both football and basketball.

“I love Kohen to death,” Sanders said. “Him and his sister are both great kids. His family is doing what they think is best for him and I wish him well. He’s got the opportunity to do either football or basketball. He’s really good in both. I love the kid. I’d do anything for him. His family thinks its best that he goes to St. Thomas Aquinas. I hope he does great this year. I hope he goes off and has a tremendous college career. We love him and wish him well.”

In the absence of Rowbatham, senior Brice Cherry carried the load, rushing 18 times for 55 yards for the Panthers. Donavan Weilbaecher rushed five times for 16 yards and completed 3 of 6 passes for 16 yards.

Northshore opens its 2023 season at home against Dutchtown next Friday night while Jesuit returns to Slidell to face defending District 6-5A champion Slidell High.

FINAL
JESUIT 0 0 — 0
NORTHSHORE 0 0 — 7

2nd
NORTHSHORE—Jonell Scott, 68-yard return on blocked field goal (Ethan Hanrahan kick)

Rushing Yards:
Jesuit 42, Northshore 71

Passing Yards:
Jesuit 71, Northshore 16

Total Yards:
Jesuit 113, Northshore 87

Turnovers:
Jesuit 1, Northshore 0

Penalties:
Jesuit 2 for 10 yards, Northshore 3 for 25 yards

Sacks:
Jesuit 2, Northshore 5

First Downs:
Jesuit 8, Northshore 5