Rummel Reclaims the Megaphone: Raiders Power Past Shaw in 35-21 Victory
by: Mike Strom // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
The Megaphone is back in Metairie.
After spending a one-year hiatus at Shaw’s Marrero campus, the symbolic trophy annually awarded to the Rummel-Shaw winner was reclaimed Friday night in impressive fashion as the undefeated, unranked, and host Raiders unleashed a potent second-half ground game to record a 35-21 non-district victory at East Jefferson’s Joseph S. Yenni Stadium.
Raiders running backs Norman Taylor and Coryan Hawkins were catalysts, combining to rush for 260 yards and three touchdowns in the second half to break up a 14-14 tie at halftime in the 68th meeting between the two Jefferson Parish all-boys Catholic school rivals.
Taylor, a 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior, rushed for a game-high 169 yards on 19 carries with scoring runs of 1 and 16 yards in the third and fourth periods while Hawkins, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound sophomore, carried 14 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns covering 2 and 12 yards in the second and third quarters to pace a 283-yard rushing attack. Hawkins also had a two-point conversion run following Rummel’s fourth touchdown.
Senior Generald Buggage Jr. topped off the Raiders’ 410-yard offensive by hitting 6 of 12 passes for 127 yards and a 64-yard touchdown to wide receiver Micah Green for the game’s first score while directing four 80-yard scoring drives, two in each half.
“As long as they’re good, we’re going to be pretty good on offense,’’ Rummel coach Nick Monica said of his two power runners, Taylor and Hawkins. “We’re always going to rely heavily on them. We did tonight and they carried us.
“Norman’s kind of the personality of the offense in the way that he runs the ball. Our offensive line feeds off of that. And Coryan is the same way. They’re both physical runners. You saw the power moving quite a bit tonight and those extra yards pay off in the long run. They keep the chains moving. When you’re running behind those guys, again, (their teammates) feed off of it. It was the story of the game.’’
Rummel (3-0) won its third straight outing against a state-ranked opponent by downing the state’s No. 7 ranked team in Class 4A. A Division I Select state semifinalist last season during an injury-plagued 7-7 campaign, the Raiders opened the season by defeating Lafayette Christian, 42-35, in Metairie and then knocked off University, 13-7, last week in Baton Rouge. U-High was ranked No. 1 in Class 3A and Lafayette Christian No. 3 in Class 2A.
“I honestly feel like (people) should put a lot of respect on us now,’’ said Taylor, who has played running back throughout his varsity career save for last season when he started in the secondary. “But we still have a lot to work on. We still have a lot to get better at. Right now, we’re on a good track. We’ve just got to keep it going and keep getting better.’’
Wearing its powder blue jerseys for the first time in years, Rummel won for the 11th time in the last 12 meetings against its arch-rivals to increase its advantage to 32-26-0 in the 61-year-old series that dates to 1964.
Shaw defeated Rummel, 43-28, last season at Shaw’s Joe Zimmerman Stadium to break an 11-game winning streak by the Raiders, their longest in the series. Shaw owns the longest winning streak in the series at 13 games compiled from 1986-97 under Shaw coach Hank Tierney.
Seventh-ranked Shaw (1-2) lost for the second time in three games although getting 120 rushing yards and three total touchdowns from Michigan committed running back Jasper Parker. The Eagles opened the season ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 4A by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Shaw beat West Jefferson, 49-0, last week following an opening 48-21 loss to Karr, the No. 2 ranked team in Class 5A.
“If you can’t run the ball, you can’t win,’’ Tierney said. “You’ve got to be able to stop the run in high school. (Rummel) had two 80-yard drives in the second half. We didn’t have the ball. They went on like (four) 80-yard drives. We probably had like 15 plays in the second half.
“We got it to one possession, but they dominated us with their ability to run the ball. And when that happens, you can’t win. I give them all the credit of the world for that.’’
Parker, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior, carried 19 times for 120 yards and scored Shaw’s first touchdown via a 6-yard in the first quarter in addition to catching three passes for 37 yards and two scores. Parker had scoring catches covering 8 and 27 yards from quarterback Mason Wilson, with the latter converting a fourth-and-13 with 43 seconds remaining in the third period that trimmed Rummel’s lead to 28-21.
It proved to be Shaw’s final hurrah as the Raiders answered with their fourth and final 80-yard march culminated by Taylor’s 16-yard burst up the middle and to the left that along with Spencer Misuraca’s third successful PAT kick accounted for the final 35-21 margin with 11:08 remaining.
Wide receiver Kendrick Joseph was another Raiders difference-maker with a dazzling 49-yard punt return to set up a Hawkins touchdown covering 12 yards on a one-play possession. Rummel defensive back Keiron Jackson additionally halted a Shaw drive at the Raiders’ 35-yard line via a leaping interception.
The Raiders defense limited Shaw to 283 yards, 248 rushing, and 35 passing, while holding the Eagles to 100 second-half yards on 25 plays. Rummel’s offense produced 21 first downs to Shaw’s 18 (7 in the second half).
Wilson finished 6 for 15 passing good for 35 yards and the two touchdowns to Parker, who totaled three receptions for 37 yards. The Eagles senior quarterback also rushed for 90 yards on 15 carries but was held to only 10 yards on seven carries in the final two periods.
“I’m really proud of our defense,’’ Monica said. “They really stepped up in the second half. They gave up a fourth-and-14 for a touchdown, but other than that they played really good in the second half.’’
The two sides waged a spirited first half of exchanged body blows before settling into a 14-14 tie at intermission. Each team had single touchdowns in the first and second quarters.
Yardage totals were nearly equal with Shaw holding a 183-176 advantage that included a 175-yard rushing effort while much of Rummel’s yardage came from the passing of Buggage.
Rummel struck first via Buggage’s 64-yard strike to scoring pass from Buggage Jr. to Green up the home sidelines that Misuraca followed with the first of two successful first-half PAT kicks.
Shaw responded right away with an 11-play, 80-yard possession culminated by Parker’s 6-yard run and the first of two successful first-half PAT kicks by Henry Cardenas. The Eagles converted two third downs on the drive featuring eight runs and three passes.
After Shaw forced a three-and-out, the Eagles gained possession and drove 62 yards in three plays to take their only lead at 14-7 on Parker’s 8-yard scoring pass from Wilson and a Cardenas kick. The snappy drive began with a 36-yard run by slot back Caleb Williams on a reverse followed by an 18-yard run by Wilson.
Rummel answered on its ensuing possession with a second 80-yard drive featuring 11 rushes and capped by running back Hawkins’ 2-yard run and Misuraca’s PAT kick. The key plays were consecutive runs of 17 and 8 yards by Taylor to convert third-and-14.
Cardenas also came within a whisker of hitting a 53-yard field goal on Shaw’s opening possession, but the kick sailed just wide right.
Halftime adjustments proved consequential in slowing down Shaw’s Double Slot Spread offense.
“(Shaw) showed us some stuff (in the game) that we hadn’t seen on film,’’ Monica said. “They were blocking our quarterback (tackler). We had to do something to get an extra guy there. They had some really good backs. That trio they have in the backfield is as good as anybody we’re going to see the entire season.
“And even when you have a guy there committed to the plus-one (for the quarterback), you’ve still got to tackle (the quarterback). A couple of times they ran through us. But we did a great job in the second half of getting to the ball and making plays.’’
Rummel now kicks off District 9-5A Catholic League play next Friday with a 7 p.m. home game against state-ranked John Curtis. Shaw plays at Lafayette Christian at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Getting the Megaphone back to Metairie feels amazing,’’ Taylor said. “Coach Monica has been telling us all week how this game meant something for sure. I’m just glad to have it back.’’
“It’s big for the seniors. I think that’s the biggest thing,’’ Monica said of regaining the Megaphone. “This group has been through a lot especially last year and part of it was losing the Megaphone and how it happened and what we were going through at the time (with injuries). So the fact that they only had one more shot at it, I’m very happy for (the seniors).’’
As for being 3-0 with three wins against ranked teams, Monica said:
“They’re great wins. Nobody’s going to rival those three wins on their schedule to start the year. But it’s a long season and we have seven more just like that. It’s intimidating. We’re going to try to stay grounded and take it one week at a time. We have to be prepared and ready to go every week or it’s not going to go well for us. It’s a very challenging schedule. It’s great to be 3-0. But you’ve got to turn the page quick and get ready for the next one.’’
RUMMEL 35, SHAW 21
Shaw 7 7 7 0 — 21
Rummel 7 7 14 7 — 35
SHA RUM
First downs 18 21
Rushing 248 283
Passing 35 127
Total offense 283 410
Passes 6-15-1 6-12-0
Punts 3-38.3 1-42.0
Fumbles/lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties 10-104 8-70
SCORING:
R: Micah Green 64 pass from Generald Buggage (Spencer Misuraca kick).
S: Jasper Parker 6 run (Henry Cardenas kick).
S: Jasper Parker 8 pass from Mason Wilson (Henry Cardenas kick).
R: Coryan Hawkins 2 run (Spencer Misuraca kick).
R: Norman Taylor 1 run (Kick failed).
R: Coryan Hawkins 12 run (Coryan Hawkins run).
S: Jasper Parker 27 pass from Mason Wilson (Henry Cardenas kick).
R: Norman Taylor 16 run (Spencer Misuraca kick).