Replay: Rummel wins defensive struggle over Brother Martin, 3-0

HAMMOND – It took the football equivalent of a pitcher’s duel for an old baseball coach to snap a losing streak.

Rummel used a stiff defense and a 34-yard field goal from Chris Wallace in the third quarter to take a 3-0 victory over Brother Martin Friday night at Strawberry Stadium.

The game was streamed live on Crescent City Sports.

Both teams are 5-3 overall and 2-2 in District 9-5A play. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Raiders.

Rummel coach Nick Monica, who spent a decade as the Raiders’ baseball coach before becoming head football coach in 2019, got a fourth-down stop from his defense at the 11-yard line on its first series of the second half.

Three plays later, Casey Avrard connected with Ruben Ramirez on a 65-yard catch and run – one of only two plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more all night – to put the ball at the Brother Martin 17.

The Crusader defense toughened in the red zone, but Wallace connected from 34 yards out with 4:05 left in the third quarter.

Rummel got two more stops on fourth down and ran out the final 3:28 on the legs of Jaidyn Martin, who gained 18 yards on the final series.

Avrard passed for 106 yards and Martin rushed for 51.

Jordan West led Brother Martin’s ground game with 67 yards, while Kai Brown moved from the defensive line and gained 51 yards in his first game action. Starting running back Torey Lambert missed the game with an illness.

“I’m really proud of the way the kids came out tonight and really fought,” Rummel coach Nick Monica said. “The offense didn’t move the ball too well but they did enough. We have a bunch of young guys on defense. You have to get that feeling of what it feels like to win a ball game like this. Hopefully, this is a springboard and gives us a little confidence moving forward.”

It was a big win over a quality team which snapped a three-game losing streak for the Raiders.

“I told the kids we’re eight weeks in and I still don’t think we’ve played anywhere close to our best football,” Monica said. “Hopefully, we can find that somewhere in the next two weeks and get rolling into the playoffs.

Brother Martin outgained Rummel 233-188.

Next Friday, Rummel heads to the west bank to face Karr at Behrman Stadium, while Brother Martin meets John Curtis at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium.