Tom Dodge
St. Edmund remained in the chase for a share of the District 5-1A as the Blue Jays earned a 13-0 shutout win over rival Sacred Heart of Ville Platte in the rain last Friday.
Now St. Edmund turns its attention to Westminster Christian Academy as the Crusaders visit Blue Jay Field this week.
Presently, St. Edmund (5-3,2-1) is No. 12 in the LHSAA Division IV power rankings and WCA (5-3, 1-2) sits at No. 16 – the final spot in the playoff bracket.
“Our kids really wanted to win,” St. Edmund head coach James Shiver said. “We beat a big rival on their field in the rain.
“We had 237 yards rushing, led by Peyton Marcantel who finished with 190 yards on 30 carries,” the coach said. “Plus our defense held them to less than 100 yards.”
Shiver said he was proud to see the defense grab its third shutout this season.
The Jays also grabbed one-sided wins over Highland Baptist (47-0) and North Central (57-0) earlier this season.
“I think it comes down to our strength and conditioning,” Shiver said. “We are able to wear people down in the second half.”
WCA suffered a 45-23 loss to district leader Catholic High of Pointe Coupee last week, but put up 257 rushing yards after losing starting quarterback Janssen Lacour on the first series.
WCA’s Landon Devillier rushed 17 times for 161 yards and scored twice, while Cade Lyons scored the Crusaders’ final touchdown on a two-yard run.
Bryant Moore gained 66 yards on 14 attempts for WCA.
The Hornets jumped out to a quick 37-7 first quarter lead and CHPC finished with 326 rushing yards in the win.
“They have some real big offensive linemen and good running backs,” Shiver said of WCA. “The Crusaders run their offense very well.
“It will come down to which team can run the ball better,” the coach said. “We really need to play well to get the win and stay in the district title chase.”