Finding a Way: No. 1 U-High Digs Deep For 3-0 Win Over Woodlawn in Season Opener
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Under normal circumstances, University High football coach Andy Martin would have been happier to play the game.
His top-ranked Cubs of Class 3A have some of the Baton Rouge area’s top skill players and thrive in a traditional setting.
With its opener moved from Friday because of heavy rains over the course of the week, University’s first game was shifted to a Saturday morning kickoff at Woodlawn which plays its games on natural grass.
University lost a pair of fumbles and was limited to 84 total yards but managed to find a way to the finish line on Mason Melancon’s 30-yard field goal with 8:59 to play for a 3-0 victory over Woodlawn.
“We’ve not won these games,” said Martin, whose team was stopped by St. Charles in the Division III select semifinals 10-7 in 2023. “The turf’s not been good to us to get up and down the field. It was good for the guys to see that. We’d love to have played on (artificial) turf, but playing out here, I wanted to show our guys we can win a game like this. We have to start winning games like this.”
Woodlawn’s first-year coach Scott Pellegrin didn’t get the result he desired but saw his team display plenty of character and potential.
“I think both sides (offense and defense) are a positive showing,” Pellegrin, who made his head coaching debut. “The score doesn’t reflect it on offense, but there’s a lot to build on. If our guys are coachable and able to come to the sideline and get adjustments, listen to their coaching staff, and do better the next time, I’d think we’d tough to beat in those situations.”
University had the ball for more than seven minutes on its game-winning drive, taking advantage of five penalties for 48 yards against Woodlawn that included three pass interference calls.
When U-High quarterback Emile Picarella threw incomplete on third down, Melancon faced his first attempt of the season from the middle of the field. The snap from Andre Reyes and hold of William Martin were on point and the kick provided the difference in a game with 205 total yards.
“I was just trying to focus in, clear my mind. Just me and the field goal,” said Melancon, a first-year starter. “It was a pretty close shot. I wasn’t trying to give it everything. I was just trying to get it through.”
Martin’s son, William, is the team’s holder and said it was imperative to try and find an area to place the tee on a field that had deteriorated throughout the game.
“There was a spot in the grass that we found, and the snapper was able to put it there, and we were able to kick it through,” Martin said.
Woodlawn had the ball three more times after the made field goal. The Panthers were forced to punt, turned the ball over on downs and U-High’s Ethan Kimmie made an interception of quarterback Ahmad Price with 22 seconds to play.
“The kids came out and responded well,” Pellegrin said. “They showed up very focused. They came ready to play and it showed on the field. Our defense … I’d put them up with anybody in the state right now. It’s early, but I would. The score didn’t reflect it, but I saw good things on offense.”
Defense ruled the morning with Woodlawn totaling 121 yards and U-High 84.
U-High’s defense registered 12 negative plays for minus 22 yards, while Woodlawn had seven such plays for minus 28 yards with fumble recoveries from Cainen O’Neal and Tyrone Morgan.
Running back Jay’Cob Jolla led the Panthers with 64 yards on 19 carries. Fellow running back Sage Ingram topped the Cubs with 46 yards on 14 carries for a unit that had 84 total yards.
“They had eight and nine guys in the box a lot,” coach Martin said of Woodlawn. “It’s tough to block that and you’ve got to be able to try and throw it a little bit there. We did find some holes and we needed it, they did it. We had some early turnovers the defense overcame which was huge. I told the guys those are things we have to clean up and play complementary football.”
Woodlawn had two drives that finished inside of U-High’s 20-yard line and had another scoring opportunity – a 29-yard field goal attempt from Klayton Tate – that went wide right – in a scoreless first half. The Panthers got to the Cubs’ 7-yard line when ‘wildcat’ quarterback Cayden Randall was just shy of a first down on fourth-and-four with 53 seconds to go before halftime.
O’Neal’s fumble recovery at U-High’s 43 led to a 6-play, 46-yard drive that benefitted from a defensive holding penalty. The Panthers advanced to the 11-yard line, but Tate’s attempt from the middle of the field was off-target on the second play of the second quarter.
“I think it was an important game for us. It really was,” Coach Martin said. “To show, no matter the conditions, no matter the field, which is terrible right now, that’s life. We may be in the semifinals trying to win that game. I’m glad we actually got to play out here for our guys to see that we can do this. We can get it done.”