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TALLULAH, La. — The Ferriday High School Trojans had a tough task on their hands last Tuesday night in a non-LHSAA District 2-2A game against one of the top teams in all of Class 2A in the Madison Parish High School Jaguars.

What made it even tougher for Ferriday was that it did not have a full roster of players while Madison Parish was at full strength. And that proved to be pivotal as the Jaguars defeated the Trojans 67-45.

“As of Dec. 28, they were ranked No. 1 in the state. They were like 13-0 before French Settlement beat them last week (at the Sicily Island Tournament),” Trojans head coach Shawn Davis said. “We knew what we were up against. We tried to keep it close.”

Madison Parish (16-1) led Ferriday 19-13 at the end of the first quarter. The Trojans hung tough with the Jaguars in the second quarter, but were still outscored 16-13 and were down 35-26 at the half.

“We always give max effort. We played them even in the first half. The third quarter, we were getting tired,” Davis said. “We only played six player and they played 12 players. That kind of wore us down.

The Jaguars put up 14 points in the third quarter while holding the Trojans to just eight points to take a 49-34 lead into the fourth quarter. Madison Parish was led by Tayshaun Dykes with a game-high 18 points and Nehemiah Jackson with 11 points.

Davis added that the Trojans were without two of their starters, one who was in quarantine for COVID-19 and the other for disciplinary reasons. And that led to Ferriday having an odd line-up with two post players in the perimeter.

“We needed more ball handlers and we needed more perimeter players. Two big men on the outside was what kind of messed us up,” Davis said.

Derrick Carson led Ferriday with 15 points while Montrell Reynolds had 13 points and Pamerion Swanson added 11 points.

The Trojans will play at Natchez High School at 6 p.m. Friday.