Matt Vines

SHREVEPORT – When Loyola College Prep scampered for a 55-yard touchdown run early in their first possession, none would have blamed the Bulldogs to accept their fate and stop fighting.

But Red River (1-9) didn’t do that, punching back with a touchdown of their own to tie the score at 8-8 in the first quarter.

The Loyola deluge did come as the Flyers scored five straight touchdowns in the first half, and 34-point halftime lead turned into a 56-20 win.

Quarterback Bryce Restovich and his stable of weapons proved too much for a defense that did slow down a similar offense in their lone win against Logansport this season.

The loss sealed Red River’s playoff fate as the Bulldogs will miss the postseason for the first time since 2012.

Red River faced a formidable schedule in which every opponent made the playoffs, including the majority that will host a playoff game.

The Bulldogs showed that they had early punches at times, building leads against the likes of Class 4A Tioga and Class 5A Parkway among others.

But a lack of depth on a roster of 28 players plus the injury bug limited Red River’s ability to stay in games for four quarters.

The biggest injury came before the season even started as quarterback Landon Wilson went down and missed more than the first half of the season.

Quarterback Ashton Johnson filled in admirably as the junior made plays with his arm and his legs, gaining valuable experience.

Wilson did return and make an impact as a receiver and a running back, adding to weapons like Lathyn Lewis and Christopher Hackett.

At least Lewis should be represented on the all-district team because of his ability to score from anywhere on the field and may even be an All-State candidate despite Red River’s team record.

Pieces like Lewis and Johnson return, but Red River will lose nine seniors this year.

Red River will go back to the drawing board this offseason and try to figure out a way to limit rushing yards allowed and run the ball better themselves.

The schedule won’t change in the second year of a two-year cycle, so the Bulldogs must rise to the occasion.

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