Second-ranked team in Class A scores late in 18-13 nailbiter
St. Martinville – Khyrie Francisco’s 12yard touchdown pass to Jorey Blanchard in the third quarter had Jeanerette on the ropes, but the secondranked team in Class A answered with their own 12-yard touchdown pass with five minutes to go to hold off St. Martinville 1813 Friday night in a non-district game at St. Martinville’s Tiger Stadium. The loss was the third for SMSH by less than a touchdown this season. St. Martinville (2-5 overall) fell to Lafayette High 23-19 in Week 2 and to Woodlawn of Baton Rouge 26-20 in Week 5.
The Tigers, who have fought injuries all season, lost a couple of other key players on the offensive line and at linebacker to injury in Friday’s game.
“Injuries killed us,” SMSH coach Garrett Kreamer said. “We’re pretty much playing iron-man football at this point — guys going down and then you’re chipping away and doing what you can.
“We just came up short and didn’t make enough plays at the end of the day. You’ve got to tip your hat to them. They played well.”
Jeanerette (7-0) opened the scoring on its first drive with a 21-yard pass from Aaron Tillman to Synjaya Hamilton with 10:07 left in the first quarter. But the Tigers could not convert their 2-point attempt after the touchdown and led 6-0.
JHS made it 12-0 with an 11-yard touchdown run from Destin Smith with 7:01 left in the first half.
Smith rushed for a team-high 91 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Tillman completed nine of 12 pass attempts for 114 yards and two TDs.
St. Martinville answered quickly, however. On their ensuing possession, SMSH quarterback Khyrie Francisco found receiver Jamion James open behind the secondary, and James raced all the way to the Jeanerette 4-yard line before being tackled. Kohen Clues scored on a three-yard run two plays later to pull SMSH to within 12-6 with five minutes to go in the half.
Francisco completed five of nine pass attempts for 96 yards. James had three catches for 74 yards to lead the Tigers.
St. Martinville scored on its opening possession of the second half to surge ahead.
Shannon St. Julien’s 19-yard run opened the drive up and Francisco added an 11-yard keeper to set up the tying TD throw to Blanchard with 10:29 left in the third quarter. Logan Bienvenu booted the point-after for a 13-12 lead that held up until late in the fourth quarter.
St. Julien had a teambest 47 yards on 18 carries.
Neither team could score on its next two possessions, but Jeanerette returned a punt to the SMSH 22-yard line and scored five plays later, overcoming a 15-yard penalty with Tillman connecting twice with Kobe Gage for 27 yards to the 10 and then for 12 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. The missed conversion try kept the score at 18-1 but St. Martinville could not convert on a fourthand- two try on their ensuing possession and Jeanerette ran out the final 2:51 for the win.
Gage had five catches for 50 yards and a TD and Hamilton had three for 43 with a touchdown.
“We just didn’t have quite enough firepower to get it done,” Kreamer said.
St. Martinville opens District 5-3A play on Thursday with a road game against Erath, which is 7-0 and ranked seventh in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 3A football poll.
Getting healthy is the first order of business for the Tigers, Kreamer said.
“A lot of it is can we win it up front,” he said. “That’ll be the tell-tale.
“They’re a really good team. We know they’re going to be ready to play.”

TD CATCH — St. Martinville receiver Jorey Blanchard (34) crosses the goal line after catching a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Khyrie Francisco on Friday against Jeanerette. SMSH opens District 5-3A play on Thursday at Erath. The Bobcats are 7-0 and ranked seventh in Class 3A. (Robby Bishop)

DEFENSIVE STOP — St. Martinville defenders Kohen Clues (0) and Jamion James (2) look to tackle Jeanerette quarterback Aaron Tillman (1) on Friday. (Robby Bishop)

RUNNING ROOM — St. Martinville running back Shannon St. Julien (13) gets outside Jeanerette defender JoaQuinn Charles (4) on Friday.. (Robby Bishop)

TOUGH FIGHT — St. Martinville running back Julien Stewart (21) has his facemask grabbed by Jeanerette defender Malik Gray (40) on Friday. (Robby Bishop)