photo by Marcus Frazier

Ferriday’s Levier Pryor pulls away as St. John defenders attempt to stop his drive Friday night. Ferriday’s season ended with the loss to St. John 22-20.

Close game ends perfect season for Ferriday

By Matt Burrowes | The Natchez Democrat

Published Saturday, November 17, 2007

FERRIDAY— The Ferriday Trojans’ perfect season came to an end with the 22-20 loss to St. John in the second round of the Louisiana Class 2A State Playoffs.

“Both teams came prepared to play,” Ferriday quarterback Kendrick Harris said. “They just outplayed us tonight.”

St. John let the legs of running back Rodarrick Jones who led the Eagles with 138 yards rushing with a touchdown and 56-yard pass for touchdown, carry them through the game.

“Ro is an athlete,” St. John head coach Bruce Hoffman said. “He plays both ways. Other guys had to step in to give him a breather.”

Six different backs carried the ball for St. John.

Ferriday scored on their opening drive of the game on a 10-yard run by Harris to take a 6-0 lead.

But the Trojan defense was unable to stop Jones and St. John’s running attack as they marched down the field to score on a 3-yard run.

“I told my team all week that St. John was coming here to win,” Ferriday head coach Freddie Harrison said. “They know what it takes. They have been there.”

Harris got hot in the second quarter completing three of his five passes. The longest was a 55-yard pass to Levier Pryor that set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Matthew Smith to regain the lead.

Their fortune wouldn’t last as St. John scored on a 56-yard Jones pass to a wide-open Shelby Hemenway.

St. John’s defense then took over the game. They stopped Ferriday on two fourth down attempts in the first half. One attempt coming on a fourth and inches.

“Our defense has played great all season,” Hoffman said. They made some key stops when Ferriday was gaining momentum.”

After taking a 16-14 lead at halftime, the Eagles scored on the second play of the third quarter on a 55-yard Galen Johnson pass to Spenser Williams to extend their lead to 22-12.

The rest of the third quarter became a defensive struggle with both teams making big stops on fourth down.

“This was a hard fought game on both sides of the ball,” Harris said. “We left it all on the field.”

After another failed fourth down attempt, the Trojans got some hope in the fourth quarter when Johnson fumbled a snap that was recovered by a Trojan defensive lineman.

Nine plays later Ferriday was facing their fifth, fourth down attempt win Harris hit Smith for a 14-yard touchdown pass to close the gap 22-20 with 7:50 remaining.

St. John turned to their running game to eat the clock and to leave Ferriday a slim chance of coming back.

“Our guys gave 100 percent tonight,” Harrison said. “The effort was there. It just wasn’t our night. We have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Ferriday’s chance came with less than 1:30 on the clock. The Trojans saw that chance vanish when Harris’ pass was intercepted.

“I have no regrets,” Harris said. “We fought to the very last minute and never gave up.”

Harrison said this season gave his team something to look forward to next year.

“This season gave us a good foundation to build off of,” he said. “I’m happy with the way we have progressed and this is just a glimpse of what we can become.”