By Dave Moormann
MaxPreps.com
Belle Chasse stunned defending Class 4A state champion Bastrop, 35-34, in pulling off the surprise of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state football playoffs.
Belle Chasse’s semifinal victory sent the Rams to the New Orleans Superdome, where they will join seven other teams in the state finals to be contested Friday and Saturday.
Belle Chasse will be paired up against Marrero Archbishop Shaw, which stopped Slidell Salmen, 14-10.
Elsewhere, top-seeded West Monroe and defending champion Destrehan will meet in Class 5A, top-seeded Notre Dame of Crowley will face Lutcher in Class 3A, River Ridge John Curtis and Shreveport Evangel Christian will bring a combined 33 state championships into the Class 2A final, and top-seeded and defending Class 1A state champion South Plaquemines will face Baton Rouge Christian Life Academy.
Class 5A Playoffs: Unbeaten teams to risk 13-0 records
West Monroe used a strong second half, and Destrehan rallied for the fourth time in the playoffs to reach the finals with 13-0 records.
West Monroe led just 13-6 at halftime before exploding for a 47-12 victory over Lake Charles Barbe. The Rebels will be making their first appearance in the finals since 2005.
Destrehan, which lost 11 starters from last year’s state championship team, stopped Central, 21-14. The showdown between West Monroe and Central will offer a rematch of the 1993 final.
West Monroe pulled away with a 20-point third quarter that featured touchdown runs from LaDarius Abrams and Paul Turner, and tight end Taylor Underwood’s touchdown catch. Abrams also scored the game’s first touchdown on a 17-yard run.
It wasn’t as easy for Destrehan, which saw Central score on Ed Cutno’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Josh Johns with 2:04 left. Destrehan recovered Central’s onside kick but had to punt the ball back with 1:25 remaining. An interception on the first play finally clinched Destrehan’s 28th consecutive victory.
Cutno had replaced starter Will Briscoe, who sustained a concussion in the quarterfinals, before he hurt a knee in practice and left after completing two passes for 37 yards.
Central took an early lead when it received the opening kickoff and proceeded to drive 80 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. Destrehan defensive back Antonio Parker gave the Wildcats their first score when he intercepted a pass 6 yards deep in the end zone and returned it for a touchdown. However, a missed extra point left Destrehan trailing, 7-6.
Destrehan was plagued by mistakes, as it lost a fumble and muffed a punt. Quarterback Wynrick Smothers threw for 170 yards and a touchdown, but he also tossed three interceptions. In addition, Destrehan missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.
Destrehan finally took the lead in the third quarter when Brandon Armstrong caught a 40-yard touchdown pass. Armstrong finished with seven catches for 124 yards. Marshall Charles contributed 70 yards on 18 carries, including a 14-yard touchdown run.
Class 4A Playoffs: Injury to quarterback limits Rams
Belle Chasse (11-1) took advantage of a hamstring injury to Bastrop quarterback Rueben Randle in surprising the Rams. With Randle unable to scamper out of the pocket, Belle Chasse routinely rushed only three down linemen in limiting Randle’s opportunity to pass.
Instead, it was Belle Chasse senior quarterback Blake Matherne who took control in allowing his team to hold off Bastrop.
Matherne finished 19 of 34 for 331 yards, including touchdown passes of 15 and 10 yards to James Wright and Asphenn Gaines, respectively. Gaines’ third-quarter touchdown gave Belle Chasse a 28-20 lead before Bastrop’s Jevante Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
The two teams traded touchdowns once more, but Bastrop missed a two-point conversion attempt with 10:10 left. Neither team scored after that. Despite being limited, Randle still managed to complete 14-of-26 passes for 254 yards with an interception.
In Shaw (9-4), Bastrop will be facing the two-time Class 4A runner-up. Shaw nearly didn’t make a return trip when it appeared Salmen had scored the game-winning touchdown with two seconds left.
However, Salmen was flagged for illegally aiding the quarterback into the end zone. On the final play, Shaw stopped Salmen on a screen pass at the 3-yard line.
Shaw scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on Kyle Keating’s 17-yard pass to Lawrence Breaud midway through the fourth quarter.
Class 3A Playoffs: Upstart Redemptorist falls just short
After trailing 17-0 midway through the third quarter, Redemptorist nearly caught Notre Dame only to have Jonathan Green stopped 1 yard from the goal line on the game’s final play as the Pioneers held on, 17-10.
Notre Dame (13-0) earned its first trip to the state finals since 2005 despite playing without quarterback Ryan Leonards, who was lost for the season after breaking a collarbone in the quarterfinals.
Notre Dame scored on its first offensive play of the game and its final drive in the first half to take a 14-0 lead. Hunter Stover added a 48-yard field goal at 6:57 of the third quarter to put the Pioneers ahead 17-0.
Lutcher (11-2) grabbed an early lead in its semifinal victory, too, but the Bulldogs didn’t have to worry about any close calls in cruising past Cecelia, 58-26.
Lutcher rolled up 406 yards total offense and scored the first three times it had the ball.
Its opening two-play drive ended with Gavin Webster’s 61-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry. Webster followed that with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Reginald Jackson.
Jackson added two more touchdown catches of 9 and 22 yards.
Class 2A Playoffs: Showdown garners plenty of interest
Long-time perennial powerhouses John Curtis and Evangel will finally meet in a much-anticipated final.
John Curtis (13-1), seeking its 23rd state title, scored on seven of its first eight possessions in routing Shreveport Calvary Christian, 48-0. Quarterback Evan Ingram produced two 1-yard touchdown runs, and Kenny Cain scored on runs of 49 and 4 yards. Cain finished with 12 carries for 99 yards.
Evangel Christian (13-1) breezed from the start in turning back St. James, 31-7, as Cerderrick Tyson returned the opening kickoff for an 87-yard touchdown.
Special teams produced the second touchdown, too, with Trey Wilson blocking a punt and Ray Johnson recovering in the end zone for a touchdown.
Evangel Christian quarterback Dez Duron threw for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Class 1A Playoffs: Hurricanes to face newcomer for title
South Plaquemines yielded double figures in a game for the first time since September, but it hardly mattered in the Hurricanes’ 46-14 drubbing of Haynesville.
South Plaquemines (12-1) scored the game’s first 40 points, including Lyle Fitte’s 61-yard touchdown and two scoring runs from quarterback Ridge Turner. Turner added a third on a 3-yard scamper to complete the Hurricanes’ scoring.
While South Plaquemines is no stranger to the Superdome, Christian Life (12-1) won for the first time in four semifinal appearances. The Crusaders, who beat Delhi Charter, 25-13, last reached the playoffs in 2000. The current senior class failed to win a game as freshmen.
Delhi Charter was making its first semifinal appearance in just its fourth varsity season.
Christian Life overcame a 13-6 deficit with 19 unanswered points in the final 16 minutes.
Shane Andrus scored on runs of 62 and 6 yards and finished with 22 carries for 245 yards. It was Andrus’ fourth consecutive 200-yard performance.
