Louisiana teams invade Superdome to win state football titles

Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport) was the only repeat winner among the five state football champions crowned at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Prep Classic in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans last weekend.

In a rematch of last season's title game, second-seeded Evangel Christian defeated top-seeded John Curtis (River Ridge), 28-14, in holding the Patriots to their lowest scoring output of the season.

Acadiana (Lafayette) stopped West Monroe from winning back-to-back Class 5A crowns, as the Wreckin' Rams (10-5) claimed a 21-14 victory.

Elsewhere, Franklinton won the Class 4A crown over top-seeded Edna Karr (New Orleans) in overtime, 34-28, Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge) stopped Patterson in the Class 3A final, 24-20, and White Castle turned back Ouachita Christian (Monroe) in Class 1A, 32-20.

Franklinton and Parkview Baptist were runner-ups last season.

Acadiana's victory capped an incredible comeback for a team that had to forfeit four regular-season games for having used an ineligible reserve player. Acadiana had to win its last two regular-season games just to qualify for the playoffs as the No 27 seed. The Wreckin' Rams weren't to be denied, as they snapped West Monroe's 29-game winning streak. The fourth-seeded Rebels (14-1) had won seven state titles since 1993.

Acadiana's Micah Eugene rushed 22 times for 151 yards, including a 1-yard, go-ahead touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Eugene's 63-yard pass reception set up his third-down score. Eugene earned Outstanding Player honors.

Acadiana quarterback Ryan Bergeron threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to Terry Abraham on the first play from scrimmage as the Wreckin' Rams built a 13-point lead before falling behind.

CLASS 4A: WILSON LIFTS FRANKLINTON
Reggie Wilson scored on a 1-yard run on fourth down in overtime, as sixth-seeded Franklinton (14-1) capped its 14-game winning streak with a state title over Edna Karr (13-2).

Wilson's touchdown came one play after Karr seemingly had recovered a fumble only to have the officials rule that Ronnie Wheeler was down at the end of a 4-yard reception. Franklinton had recovered a fumble to set up its winning touchdown drive.

In a fierce battle of quarterbacks, Franklinton's Terrance Magee completed 15 of 27 passes for 203 yards, including touchdown tosses of 8 yards to Vincent Wilson and 28 yards to Chris Briggs. Magee also rushed 24 times for 124 yards.

Edna Karr's Tollette George completed 26 of 40 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns and accounted for 379 of Karr's 399 yards total offense. George's touchdown passes covered 4 and 38 yards to Rasheed Davis, 6 yards to Jarrell Bennett and 11 yards to Neal Randall.

CLASS 3A: PARKVIEW BAPTIST CONTAINS PATTERSON
Parkview Baptist (12-2) overcame seventh-seeded Patterson's 20-17 halftime lead thanks in part to a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions by Brooks Godbery.

The Eagles' defense finished with four picks overall and held celebrated Patterson (12-3) running back Kenny Hilliard to 41 yards on 12 carries. Patterson quarterback Justice Jones completed 23 of 37 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns.

Hezekiah Randolph, Parkview Baptist's Most Valuable Player, rushed 13 times for 104 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles previously won state titles in 2007 and 2001.

Fifth-seeded Parkview Baptist delivered a statement of its second-half superiority when it took the third-quarter kickoff and drove 56 yards for a touchdown on Garrett Banta's 10-yard run.

CLASS 2A: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
After having defeated John Curtis in last year's final, 18-13, when it held the Patriots to their lowest scoring output of the season, Evangel Christian produced the same outcome even more emphatically.

The Eagles (12-2) held John Curtis (12-2) to one offensive touchdown while winning their 13th state title in 15 championship-game appearances. The last of John Curtis' state-record 23 crowns came in 2008 when it beat Evangel Christian.

John Curtis scored its only offensive touchdown on Brandon Bourgeois' 13-yard pass to Josh Hanberry with 1:46 to play. Torrey Pierce also scored on an 85-yard kickoff return. Pierce finished with 12 carries for 99 yards and two receptions for 71 yards.

Evangel Christian quarterback David Dee Duron was named Most Valuable Player after rushing for touchdowns of 4 and 1 yards and throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Jennings.

With the loss, John Curtis went without a state title in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1994-95.

CLASS 1A: FIRST TIME'S A CHARM
White Castle (12-3) made its first appearance in an 11-man state football championship game a memorable one.

The 15th-seeded Bulldogs recovered five Ouachita Christian (12-3) fumbles and intercepted five passes, while junior running back Tyre Bracken fueled the offense with a record-setting output.

Bracken rushed for a championship-game class record 235 yards, including touchdown runs of 51 and 8 yards.

White Castle's defense scored twice against ninth-seeded Ouachita Christian on Johnathan Roberts' 29-yard interception return and Shaquille Armstead's fumble recovery in the end zone.