Ruston continued its stockpiling of dominant statements right into the regular season Friday, up and down the Hoss Garrett Stadium field, largely on the legs of running back Dalen Powell.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior rushed 24 times for 271 yards and five touchdowns, including the Bearcats’ first two possessions, to lead the 42-16 blowout of rival Neville in the season-opening matchup of top-ranked teams in their respective classifications.
Ruston entered the season No. 1 in the LSWA Class 5A poll and in the Louisiana vs. All Y’all “Preseason Top 50” and a clear Division-I Non-Select title favorite.
And, as in its scrimmage against C.E. Byrd and jamboree against Evangel Christian, coach Jerrod Baugh’s team not only lived up to its billing, but likely bolstered it.
Neville, the unanimous preseason No. 1 in the LSWA Class 4A poll and a top-10 team on the LVAY all-classifications list, pulled within 14-9 with a field goal by Rex Parker and pick-six by Kayden Jones, a pair of seniors, in the second quarter.
The Tigers moved the ball at times, but weren’t able to close a few promising drives.
Not a problem for Ruston and its explosive closer capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.
Powell popped his three longest runs — 39, 66 and 36 yards — for a string of three straight touchdowns in the third and early-fourth quarters to blow open a 35-9 lead.
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When Neville eventually answered with a 6-yard pass from ULM-committed senior quarterback Parker Robinson to junior running back Jarvis Blackston, the Bearcats added a 4-yard touchdown run by senior Kohl Gray to cap the lopsided night.
Gray chipped in 49 yards on seven carries to Powell’s night on the ground, and Ruston quarterback Sam Hartwell, committed to play at hometown Louisiana Tech, completed 8 of his 14 passes for 148 yards and rushed three times for another 15 yards.
Baylor-committed wide receiver Josiah Morgan caught two passes for 73 yards, and LSU-committed tight end Ahmad Hudson had three receptions for 55 yards.
Junior linebacker Aidan Adams, senior defensive lineman Jerron Albritton, LSU-committed safety Jayden Anding and freshman Reed Williams, the son of former LSU and NFL star Kyle Williams, were each credited with five or six tackles in a balanced all-around defensive effort.
Robinson finished 23-for-37 for 131 yards with another 43 yards on 15 rushes, while Blackston carried 15 times for 50 yards and caught three passes for 9 yards.
Jones and fellow senior Emaude Sledge each caught four passes for 38 and 33 yards, respectively.
Ruston hosts Longview (Texas) next week before traveling to New Orleans to face two-time defending Division-I Select champion Edna Karr in Caesars Superdome on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Neville visits Evangel Christian next week before its home-opener in Week 3 against defending Division-I Non-Select champion Ouachita Parish.
