Instead, an interception for a touchdown on their first play from scrimmage and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half helped the Louisiana Swashbucklers roll to a 70-32 win at Bell County Expo Center on Saturday night in an Intense Football League matchup.
“It’s tough,” said CenTex coach Stan Petry, who saw his record fall to 1-3 in his first season with the team. “Some of these young men fought and played hard. I’ve got to do a better job and get them more help because it’s not working.”
The fumble recovery in the second half proved to be a critical blow. At the time the Barracudas, who trailed 21-0 early in the game, trailed only 35-21 and had momentum after quarterback Donald Carrie hit Kendrick Wade for a 32-yard touchdown pass right before the half.
The Barracudas received the second-half kickoff and looked strong when Carrie hit Olan Coleman on the first play to move the team from its 8-yard line to near midfield.
But from there, Carrie was sacked on first down, then got pushed back to the 4 after a fumble. On the next play Carrie was under quick pressure, and trying to make something happen he lost the ball in the end zone, where Louisiana lineman Robert Hooker pounced on it for the easy score.
“That’s a killer,” Petry said. “I told them in the locker room that this is why I like to defer. If it’s close or if we are behind, we get the ball and set the tempo. Just drop on the ball . . . so what if we get a safety.”
Things only got worse from there as the Swashbucklers’ defense continued to dominate in the trenches, forcing Carrie to scramble, throw the ball away or take a sack. In all Carrie was sacked eight times for 50 yards and completed 21 of 39 passes with two interceptions, the majority of the incompletions coming on throwaway passes.
“We tried to get a little more beef up there,” Petry said. “I told them, ‘Just stay in front of them and hold your feet. Stay in front and give Donald some time.’ It didn’t happen. After that fumble, that was it.”
The Barracudas tried to remain competitive but never could find any answers for the Swashbucklers’ line, and as the score got farther away from them they were forced to go for it on fourth down, giving Louisiana decent field position most of the second half.
Things actually looked good for the Barracudas early as they held the Swashbucklers on their opening drive.
But then the Barracudas got a preview of things to come, when on the first play from scrimmage Carrie’s pass down the middle was tipped and intercepted by Mike English, who ran it back for the Swashbucklers’ first score.
“Here we go again,” Petry said of the play. “It was wide open. We practiced that - just throw it up and let our playmakers do something.”
The line-drive pass and the fumble were about the only mistakes Carrie made, as when he had time to throw he was on the money. He began to shine in the second quarter after the offense finally gave him a little time.
On the Barracudas’ first scoring possession, Carrie threw six straight completions, connecting with Wade from 4 yards out for the team’s first score with 5:36 to go in the half.
After Louisiana answered to go back up 28-6, Coleman made IFL history with a 59-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Coleman caught the ball near the back line of the end zone and actually looked down to make sure he was in bounds before he began his sprint. He followed his lead blockers to the left and then as he ducked in where he was about to be tackled, the blocking wall around him collapsed and Coleman suddenly had open field in front of him and stumbled in for the score.
“He’s awesome,” Petry said. “That kid is tough. He won’t be playing here next year. I’m hoping I can get him to a level of play where he can support his family. He deserves it because he works his tail off.”
Coleman led all receivers with 11 catches for 110 yards.
The Barracudas will host the Odessa Roughnecks - the defending IFL champions - at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Expo Center.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Petry added. “Some of these guys have gotten comfortable, and it’s not going to happen. I’m sick of it already. I’ll never quit on them, but for the guys that have done what I’ve asked them to do, I have to get them some help.”
