PHOTO GALLERY

LAKE CHARLES – After a 45-minute lightning and rain delay halted the first McNeese football scrimmage following the first five plays on Saturday evening, the Cowboys returned to the field to showcase some exciting moments on both sides of the ball.
 
"I thought both sides had their moments," said head coach Matt Viator. "The offense struggled some in the first 12 plays but after that we made some plays."
 
The three offensive units combined to roll up 545 total yards and six touchdowns – 279 with two scores through the air and another 266 with four touchdowns on the ground in the 100-play scrimmage.
 
The defense held its own as well with six quarterback sacks, two fumble recoveries, and a handful of tackles for a loss and pass break ups.
 
At the start of the scrimmage and through a kickoff an four offensive plays, lightning crashed all around Cowboy Stadium to force the team off the field.
 
Forty-five minutes later, the scrimmage resumed as the first unit with quarterback Daniel Sams, was held in check by the No. 1 defense and not allowed a first down in four series.
 
Sams would come back strong in his second appearance to complete 3 of 4 passes for 49 yards including a 26 yard strike to defensive back turned wideout Tavarious Battiste for the first passing score of the scrimmage.
 
Sams would finish the day 3-for-9 for 49 yards passing and rushed for another nine yards on six carries.
 
Senior running back Derrick Milton got the scoring going in the second unit's turn on a 1-yard run after his 23-yard scamper set up the score. But that didn't come until after a big 3^rd-and-24 conversion that saw quarterback Grant Ashcraft hit Kylon Highshaw for a 37 yard gain to keep the drive going. Highshaw, a redshirt freshman from Monroe (Neville HS) outjumped two defenders to make the grab.
 
"He's an interesting story," said Viator of Highshaw. "He only played one year of football in high school. He's one of those kids that we're waiting for the light to come on. Well I think it did tonight."
 
Highshaw led all receivers with 88 yards on four catches.
 
The No. 3 offense had a difficult time in the next portion of the scrimmage as the defense got sacks by Sage Seay and Chris Livings along with a Holden Rogers tackle for a loss and forced fumble that was recovered by Dechristian Wilson.
 
Joe Lissard quarterbacked the No. 2 offense on the second go-around at the plus-40 yard line and completed 3 of 6 passes for 30 yards in the two series that ended in a 38 yard field goal by Trent Manuel and a 30 yarder by Jean Breaux.
 
Transfer quarterback Shane McCarley, running the No. 3 offense, led the unit to three touchdowns the following sequence. McCarley started the scoring with a 25 yard td pass to sophomore wideout and Sulphur native Brian Walker. Walker had a 35-yard touchdown called back later in the scrimmage.
 
That was followed by a 1-yard dive by Demarcus Smith. Then Lawayne Ross, Ryan's younger brother, accounted for all 40 yards in the final series as he rushed for 35 and caught a pass for seven following a 2-yard rushing loss by McCarley. He capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
 
Lawayne's moves undoubtedly woke up older brother because in the final series with the No. 1 unit, Ryan carried the ball four times for 53 yards, including sprints of 18 and 24 yards.
 
The older Ross, the team's top returning running back from last season, led all rushers with 60 yards on seven carries followed by McCarley with 41 yards on five carries. The younger Ross added 39 yards on six carried with a td while Milton ran for 35 yards on six carries and a score.
 
Overall, the running game averaged 5.7 yards per carry on the night.
 
Rogers led the defense with six tackles followed by Ashari Goins with five and Andre Fuller, Bo Brown, Christian Jacobs, and Micah Udeh with four each.
 
The Cowboys will not practice on Sunday but will instead take part in media day that's slated to begin at 5 p.m. in Cowboy Stadium.
 
McNeese will be back on the field on Monday at 4:20 and will hold its second and final scrimmage of the preseason next Saturday morning at 9:45.
 
 
SCORING PLAYS
Derrick Milton 1 yard run.
Daniel Sams 26 yard pass to Tavarious Battiste.
Trent Manuel 38 yard field goal.
Jean Breaux 30 yard field goal.
Shane McCarley 25 yard pass to Brian Walker.
Demarcus Smith 1 yard run.
Lawayne Ross 11 yard run.
Grant Ashcraft 10 yard run.
Trent Manuel 24 yard field goal.
 
GAME STATS 
Passing: Joe Lissard 7-14, 101; Grant Ashcraft 6-11, 73; Shane McCarley 5-8, 56, td; Daniel Sams 3-9, 49, td. Totals 21-42, 279, 2 td.
 
Rushing: Ryan Ross 7-60; Shane McCarley 5-41; Lawayne Ross 6-39, td; Derrick Milton 6-35, td; Demarcus Smith 4-32, td; Benjamin Jones 4-15; Grant Ashcraft 1-10, td; Daniel Sams 6-9; Joe Lissard 3-9; David Bush 1-7; David Hamm 2-5; Dylan Long 1-2; Brian Walker 1-2. Totals 47-266, 4 td.
 
Receiving: Kylon Highshaw 4-88; Nick Edwards 4-24; Kent Shelby 2-23; Benjamin Jones 2-21; Damon Gladney 1-28; Tavarious Battiste 1-26, td; Brian Walker 1-25, td; Dillon Bauer 1-14; Austin Nelson 1-9; Nesly Ovincy 1-8; Jamari Payne 1-7; Lawayne Ross 1-7; Ryan Ross 1-1.
 
Tackles: Holden Rogers 6; Ashari Goins 5; Andre Fuller 4; Bo Brown 4; Christian Jacobs 4; Micah Udeh 4; Erik Jones 3; Tre Porter 3; Sage Seay 3; Brent Spikes 3; Ed Duplesis 3; Ja'Len James 2; Gabe Hamner 2; Carlos Carroll 2; Wallace Scott 2; Shea Nutt 2; Raekwon Morgan 2; Kelvin Bennett 2; Khoury Kraus 2; D.J. Gatlin 2; Jake Grode 2; Marval Bourgeois 2; Brandon Blackwell 2; Chris Livings 2; Jermaine Antoine 1; Bryce Jones 1; Trent Jackson 1; Kurt Viges 1; Mason Knighton 1; Jonta Jones 1; Anthony Yruegas 1.
 
Sacks: Erik Jones; Sage Seay; Jonta Jones; Marval Bourgeois; Brandon Blackwell; Chris Livings.
 
Tackles For Loss: Holden Rogers 2; Raekwon Morgan 1; Shea Nutt 1; Brent Spikes 1.
 
Passes Broken Up: Gabe Hamner 2; Kelvin Bennett 1; D.J. Gatlin 1; Shea Nutt 1; Brent Spikes 1; Carlos Carroll 1; Andre Fuller 1.
 
Forced Fumbles: Holden Rogers; Bo Brown.
 
Fumble Recoveries: Dechristian Wilson; Tre Porter.