Big Bucs comeback (11/7)

Posted November 7, 2009 at 3:00 am
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By JOHNATHAN MANNING
AMERICAN PRESS

SULPHUR — The doctors having declared Jared Foster’s collarbone healed, the quarterback returned to Barbe’s lineup Friday night.

Just in time, his passing game recovered, too.

Foster, who played briefly for the first time in six weeks, connected on only one of his first eight passes, then hit on five of his next six to lead a 90-yard touchdown drive that completed a 19-point comeback and lifted the sixth-ranked Bucs to a 22-21 win over District 3-5A rival Sulphur.

Barbe (8-2, 4-0) completed its second consecutive undefeated run through district and clinched the title outright.

Sulphur (4-6, 0-4) went winless in district for the first time since 1994 and will most likely miss the playoffs.

Backed up at the Barbe 10 with 2:33 left in the game, Foster missed on his first two pass attempts of the drive. But on third-and-10 he hit Kevin Berard for a 10-yard gain that got the ball moving. He then proceeded to connect with Berard for passes of 17 and 20 yards and tight end Dustin White for 16and 18-yard connections that got the ball to the Sulphur 9.

From there, Michael Guillory carried three times, the last a 1-yard dive over the goal line with 26 seconds left that capped off the Bucs’ comeback from a 21-3 halftime deficit.

“I just had to get in a groove,” said Foster, who was released to play earlier in the day. “If it wasn’t for that line — that’s the best line in the state, they’re the reason we scored 22 points.”

Foster missed five games after breaking his collarbone against Sam Houston in Week 4. He made his first appearance on Barbe’s second possession but didn’t stay behind center until the winning drive, allowing Barbe to move Berard from quarterback to wide receiver.

Berard completed 9 of 17 passes for 133 yards, ran the ball 21 times for 114 yards and caught four passes for 64 yards.

“(Foster) needs more game time,” Barbe head coach Jimmy Shaver said. “In practice, he looks good. But when it counted, he’s got a winner in him.”

Berard led Barbe to its first two touchdowns, both after the Bucs had taken over in Sulphur territory.

He threw a 24-yard score to Tre Goodly, then ran for a 5-yard touchdown to bring Barbe within range of the Tors.

Barbe was forced to score twice in the last 4 minutes after the Bucs were turned away on fourth-and-10 at the Sulphur 11 with 10 minutes left in the game.

“I was concerned when we drove down and got nothing,” Shaver said. “I thought maybe we were doomed.

“It’s a good thing we had a chance to turn things around and still be district champs. It shows a lot of character.”

The first half belonged to Sulphur and the Tors led 21-3 at the break.

Sulphur quarterback Garret McCain completed 11 of 15 passes in the first two quarters, when he amassed 137 of his 186 total yards.

With some deft maneuvering to avoid Barbe’s pass rush, he led Sulphur on touchdown drives of 64, 71 and 80 yards.

Calvin Peco ran for a touchdown and threw another to Chip Armelin, and McCain hit Will Hassien for a 21-yard score to give Sulphur its big halftime lead.

“It was a tale of two halves,” Shaver said. “Sulphur played as good as they’ve played in the first half and we didn’t play so good.”

Rating: 4.0/5 (3 votes cast)

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