By TJ Fontenot

The Rayne Wolves looked to bounce back from a home loss last week traveling to Church Point to take on the Bears. But, the Wolves would fall to 2-2 with a 14-6 loss to the Acadia Parish rivals.

The Wolves started off on offense and like their last games moved the ball very efficiently across midfield and into the red zone running the clock down. When the Wolves get inside the 10, the Bear defense tightens up and force the Wolves to a turnover on downs setting up the Church Point offense deep in their own territory. Rayne’s defense holds tough to force a punt and give Rayne the ball again at the Church Point 37. The Wolves get inside the red zone again but once again turn the ball over, this time coming by way of a fumble giving the Bears the ball back at their 17. Church Point converts one third down, but it stuffed once again and is forced to punt. Chaisson mishandles the punt and Church Point recovers the punt with good field position at the 23. The Bears fail to get anything going and end up turning the ball over on downs at the Rayne 22. Penalties stall the Wolves’ drive and they are forced to punt from the 27 to give Church Point the ball again at the Rayne 46. After both teams exchange punts until Church Point drive the ball 73 yards with Ty Leger connecting through the air to Desmond Bellard from 7 yards out for the first score of the game. Extra point was good to put the score 7-0. A Bear interception on a Hail Mary pass sends the game into halftime with Church Point leading 7-0.

Abshire’s kick to open the second half sails into the end zone to give the Bears possession starting at their own 20. The Rayne defense gives a little, but they force a punt from the 37, where a penalty pushes the return back to the 20. Bourque and Williams combine for two first downs then Bourque dashes across midfield to the Bear 45. After a Tre Leon first down, he finishes what he started and goes around the end for 22 yards and the score. The fumbled snap leaves the Wolves trailing 7-6 with 3:07 left in the third quarter. The Bears don’t take long to answer back though, as they complete a reverse pass for big yards into Rayne territory and get down to the 20. The Bears are then faced with a 4th and 23 when Jacob Boone sneaks past the Rayne pass defense to catch Ty Leger’s pass for another Church Point score. Extra point good with time winding down in the third quarter. The Wolves get the ball and threaten to score again getting inside the Bear 30, but the Church Point defense comes up big forcing the turnover on downs. The Church Point offense is then able to hold on to the ball and run out the clock to seal the 14-6 win over the Wolves.

Offensively, the Wolves gained a total of 284 yards with 102 of them coming on the legs of Brody Bourque. On the defensive side of the ball, Aaron Chaisson recorded the team high nine tackles on the night.

Ware knows that his team killed themselves tonight. “We had opportunities and we just turned the ball over at the wrong times. I have no doubt that we can beat Church Point, but tonight just wasn’t our night.”

Next week the Wolves will be on the road again this time heading west to take on the Crowley Gents.