Mandeville's Isaiah Baham looks for some running room against West Monroe on Nov. 22.
A pair of costly fumbles proved to be the difference as Mandeville's football season came to an end on Nov. 22.
The fifth-seeded Skippers took the lead into the fourth quarter before 21st-seeded West Monroe rallied for a 20-9 Division I nonselect second-round playoff victory at Sidney Theriot Stadium.
"We were on top of the turnover battle all year, and they got us tonight," said Mandeville coach Craig Jones. "The margin for error gets smaller and smaller in the playoffs. When you lose the turnover battle, most of the time, you don't win. (West Monroe) are what they are. They play downhill, power football, and I think we got tired towards the end of the game. We just didn't get it done, but that's the way it goes sometimes."
After a scoreless first quarter, Mandeville (10-2) scored first on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Ben Hendricks to Michael White. But Southern Miss commitment Creighton Wilbanks missed the extra point (his first miss of the season) to go up 6-0 with 5:34 left in the half.
The Rebels (7-5) answered on their next possession with a 5-yard TD run by Kedrian McNeil. Hunter Fox added the extra point to take a 7-6 lead.
The turning point in the game came with only seconds left in the half as the Skippers drove to the Rebel 2-yard-line. On first-and-goal, Hendricks fumbled the handoff, and the Rebels recovered as time ran out on the first half.
But still, the Skippers battled back as Wilbanks booted a 39-yard field goal to regain a 9-7 lead midway through the third quarter. But that would be the final points that the Skippers would muster as West Monroe added two fourth-quarter scores to advance.
Luke Vallery scored on a 2-yard run less than a minute into the final quarter to take the lead for good. Ranaldrick Myles added a 23-yard TD run following a second Skippers fumble to seal the win.
Mandeville senior running back Isaiah Baham, who took over the rushing load following the season-ending injury to Nate Sheppard in Week 8, was injured early in the third quarter and never returned.
"We came out ready to play and to give it our best, but we lost fair and square," said Baham. "I gave it my all but got hurt in the end. We were on a roll, but this was just not our night."
Hendricks shouldered the load for the Skippers' offense as he threw for 244 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-33 passing.
"It was rough out there tonight," said Hendricks. "I took quite a few hits, but we kept it close for quite a while. We came close and almost had it. We would have liked to continue into the playoffs, but it is what it is."
SCORE BY QUARTERS
West Monroe | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 -- 20
Mandeville | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 -- 9
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
MHS: Michael White 70 pass from Ben Hendricks (kick failed), 5:36, 0-6
WM: Kedrian McNeil 5 run (Hunter Fox kick), 2:12, 7-6
Third quarter
MHS: Creighton Wilbanks 39 FG, 5:08, 7-9
Fourth quarter
WM: Luke Vallery 2 run (conversion failed), 11:20, 13-9
WM: Ranaldrick Myles 23 run (Fox kick), 4:17, 20-9
STATISTICS
West Monroe: 292 total yards (37 pass, 255 rush)
Rushing: Ranaldrick Myles, 23-144, TD; Kedrian McNeil, 5-65, TD; Luke Vallery, 3-31, TD.
Receiving: Brodie Thurmon, 1-27; Lukas DuPriest, 2-10.
Passing: Ryder DeJean, 3-6, 37 yards.
Mandeville: 279 total yards (244 pass, 35 rush)
Rushing: Isaiah Baham, 10-37.
Receiving: Jake Jaketti, 5-58; Luke Demelo, 3-34; Michael White, 5-104, TD; Jax O'Quin, 2-36.
Passing: Ben Hendricks, 17-33, 244 yards, TD.