Trevor Begue + St. Thomas More Erupt In Second Half To Take Down Gladewater, 42-21

SHREVEPORT, La. -- South Louisiana's St. Thomas More Cougars rode 192 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns from junior athlete Trevor Begue to a 42-21 comeback victory against Gladewater in Friday's kickoff of the Battle On The Border High School Football Showcase at Independence Stadium.

Gladewater (2-1) led 21-14 at halftime after erasing a two-touchdown first-quarter deficit, but St. Thomas More (2-0), which hails from Lafayette, got 146 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Begue, who also caught three passes for 46 yards and a score.

Gladewater senior defensive tackle Daylon Mack, who is committed to Texas A&M, had a strong effort in the loss. The 6-foot-1, 330-pound Mack ran for a two-yard touchdown, recorded three tackles for loss, and blocked a field-goal attempt.

Gladewater senior running back James Reese led the Bears with 66 rushing yards and a touchdown, while junior fullback Justice Centers ran for 65 yards and a score. Sophomore Darnell McKnight added 25 rushing yards.

St. Thomas More junior quarterback William Bellamy completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

St. Thomas More scored three times in the third quarter to take a 35-21 lead to the final period, when the Cougars added a late touchdown for the three-score victory.

St. Thomas More had all the early momentum, building a 14-0 lead halfway through the first quarter. The Cougars had a good shot at extending their lead to three scores, but Gladewater's defense made a big stand that culminated in Mack blocking a long field-goal attempt.

That sparked a three-score run that spanned the final quarter and a half of the first half.

Mack capped the ensuing Gladewater drive with a two-yard touchdown run from the fullback position to cut St. Thomas More's lead to 14-7 with 27 seconds left in the first period. Halfway through the second, Centers scored from five yards to tie the game 14-14 as Gladewater's rushing attack started to turn the tide.

Gladewater forced St. Thomas More into a turnover on downs, then kept a 12-play, 67-yard drive alive with a fourth-and-2 conversion near midfield on a Mack keeper out of the Wildcat formation.

Reese capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown to give Gladewater a 21-14 lead with 46 seconds left in the first half.

Gladewater visits Carthage next Friday. St. Thomas More hosts Lafayette (La.) Carencro.