A punishing ground game combined with a stingy defense pushed Minden’s Crimson Tide to a 28-0 win over the Homer Pelicans Friday in a fight-shortened contest at Homer.
Led by running backs Lucas Owens Jr. and Caylien Aubrey, the Tide pounded out 297 yards on the ground while Minden defenders held the usually potent Pelicans to just 78 yards in total offense.
Aubrey, who had 88 yards on 12 carries for the evening, got the Tide on the board with 3:57 remaining in the first quarter with a nine-yard run to cap a seven-lay, 51-yard scoring drive. Braxton Glover nailed the first of four PATs to make it 7-0.
Owens Jr. scored the first of his two touchdowns of the night on the Tide’s next possession, scoring from eight yards out to put the finishing touch to a five play, 50-yard march. Big play in the drive was 31-yard pass from quarterback Hudson Brown to Jaden Johnson.
Up 14-0 in the second quarter, the Tide set sail on a 10 play, 67 yard scoring drive with Owens’ one yard blast up the middle sending Minden into halftime leading 21-0.
Minden took the second half kickoff and ate nearly six minute off the clock on a 10 play, 68-yard scoring drive capped by Brown’s two-yard run to make it 28-0.
Both teams swapped turnovers in the fourth quarter until Minden took over on downs at their own 48 with just over eight minutes left in the game. The Tide moved steadily downfield, taking it to the Homer four-yard line on a nine-play drive with a little less than three minutes left in the game.
After getting it to the Pelican four yard line, a bad snap sent the ball to the 10 where a fight broke out after players piled on during the recovery. Officials and law enforcement officers managed to restore order, but following a lengthy discussion game referees called the game to a halt with 2:24 still left on the clock.
Owens Jr. led the Tide’s power running attack with 106 yards in 16 carries with Aubrey’s 86 adding to the total. Jardon Carey and 32 yards on seven attempts, Johnson had 31 yards on six carries, Kaiden Shine notched 24 yards on six tries, Brown carried three times for 13 yards and Javen Calloway had one rush for three yards.
Homer’s Jer’Maurion Pickens led the Pelicans on the ground with 23 yards on eight carries.
Minden had only three pass attempts for the night with the Brown-to-Johnson combination netting 32 yards.
With the win, Minden evens its early season record at 1-1 heading into Friday’s home game with long-time rival North Webster of Springhill in the Tide’s final warmup before beginning conference play.
