Mamou battles Montgomery on road Thursday

The Mamou Green Demons will travel Thursday to take on the Montgomery Tigers. The Demons are 1-3 on the season after losing to Sacred Heart on Friday. Mamou has played hard all season long; there is no doubt about that.
However, it seems as if the Demons have not been able to finish games like the coaching staff has wanted. Having to play a number of young players may be a big contributing factor. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“We played hard against Sacred Heart,” said Mamou Head Coach Brian Brumfield. “When we had opportunities to make a play, we didn’t. Playing a lot of young kids who don’t know how to win is something we will have to work on. We are just going to learn how to win again.”
The Demon offense was on the mark in the first half against the Trojans. In fact, Mamou had the lead at half time, 14-12. Things just did not quite gel in the second half, as the Demons were held scoreless for the rest of the game.
Leading Mamou on offense Friday was Dylan Duplechin. Duplechin completed 14 out of 26 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He even added a touchdown on the ground.
“Dylan played really well Friday,” stated Brumfield. “He is one of our leaders and takes being a leader very serious. He started cramping in the fourth quarter and tried to tough it out. Sacred Heart was big and strong. It was tough to get our running game going. We had to rely on the passing game to move the ball.”
Mamou was also able to play well defensively in the first half against Sacred Heart. Things fell apart in the second half as the Demon defenders gave up 14 unanswered points. Altogether, Mamou allowed 409 yards of offense to Sacred Heart, including 368 yards rushing.
“We had a number of miscues on defense against Sacred Heart,” commented Brumfield. “There were plays in the first half where we had players not recognize formations and did not understand their assignment. I am going to take responsibility for that. We made some adjustments in the second half and played a little better. We need for the senior defensive players to be able start being coaches on the field.”
The Montgomery Tigers come into the contest with a 1-3 record, after having lost three in a row. The Tigers have losses against St. Frederick (31-8), Lakeview (14-12) and Red River (32-22). The lone win for Montgomery came in week one when they defeated Grant, 47-26.
“Montgomery is a team that likes to spread you out,” said Brumfield. “Their quarterback is a really good athlete. They use him in the run and pass game. You can tell he is the one they want to have the ball in his hands. They have really good skill position players. Defensively, they look to play a bend but don’t break scheme. Hopefully our running game will be able to get going against them.”
To get back in the win column, Mamou will have to learn how to complete games. Hopefully, going on the road on a Thursday night will not affect the young Demons. Continuing to play hard and never quitting will be a big plus for Mamou. To be 2-3 going into district would give this young squad some much needed confidence.