Catholic rolls past Zachary

• By BEN MILLER
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Nov 7, 2009

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Catholic High School had everything to gain, while Zachary had nothing to lose. But both teams came out Friday night ready.

The result was a high-scoring, offensive slugfest that was finally decided by a big play on the defensive side of the ball.

The Bears (8-2, 5-1 District 5-5A) all but clinched the victory against the Broncos (3-7, 3-3) when Karson Cullins returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown with 5:04 left in the third quarter before going on to win, 56-27.

“We felt like we were in control the whole game,” said Catholic senior Brad Nelson. “It was a tight one throughout the first half, but we were able to push through.”

On the opening drive, Catholic went 62 yards down the field in seven plays to put the ball in the end zone. Then, on Zachary’s next drive the Bears’ John Paul Luckett picked up a blocked punt for a score to put his team on top 15-0 less than four minutes into the contest.

“We just kept the offense rolling,” said Catholic coach Dale Weiner.

The Broncos, however, were not willing to go down easy.

After the Bears scored after the blocked punt, Zachary had an answer.

The two teams combined for 57 points in the first half, and the Broncos kept the game in striking distance coming out of halftime, 36-21.

Zachary really made its case for the upset bid when Wendale Collins ran two yards for a touchdown to cap a 10-play, 77-yard drive to open up the second half. Then, with Catholic looking to score again on its next drive, Zachary defensive back Kevin Phillips intercepted a Zack Oliver pass, returning it down to the Bears 20-yard line.

On the next play, though, Cullins had his interception return that all but ended the Broncos’ chances.

“They had kind of made a game of it in the third quarter,” Weiner said. “But (Cullins) came up with a huge momentum swing play.”

The win will push Catholic into the playoffs with momentum. A loss caps a rebuilding season for Zachary. But for the two coaches, it was almost like a family reunion.