The four-time defending state champion, Lafayatte Christian Academy, showed why it should be favored to win a fifth, with a dominant 47-27 win over Lafayette High.
Sophomore quarterback Jujuan Johnson was spectacular, throwing four touchdown passes and running for two more, as the Knights scored early and often.
LCA scored three TDs within the game’s first seven minutes.
The Knights only needed three plays to get on the board. Johnson went deep to Alonzo Ryes to set Lafayette Christian up with great field position in Lions territory. Two plays later, Johnson found Darian Riggs for the first of his three touchdown receptions.
After LHS turned it over on downs, the Knights found the end zone for the second time. Dudley Jackson punched it in from five yards out, and Lafayette Academy went up 14-0.
The Knights scored on each of their first six possessions, capitalizing on short fields given to them by their defense.
Riggs scored for the second time, on a 25-yard reception from Johnson to increase the lead to 20-0 with 4:59 to play in the opening quarter.
Johnson did it on his own on the Knights’ next possession, going around the left side for an eight-yard TD run. After 12 minutes, LCA had a 27-point advantage, and they weren’t finished.
Johnson’s third touchdown pass of the night went to Ryes, and just like that the score was 33-0.
“We came out and competed hard,” said LCA head coach Trev Faulk. “We did a really good job of taking control of the game early on…got off to a good start. Executed well, really. Offensively. Defensively.”
Lafayette High would get off the mat and keep swinging. They broke into the scoring column late in the second quarter when Jakaylib Anderson went up the middle for an eight-yard score.
But 1:49 was too much time to leave to the LCA offense.
The Knights re-seized the momentum when Johnson found Riggs once again for a 45-yard score right before the half.
Down 40-7, the Lions could have been tempted to pack it in for the night, but Cedric Figaro challenged his team during the intermission.
“They fought,” he said. “They fought. They fought in the second half, and that’s what we talked about at halftime, and they came in and they did what we asked them to do.”
Grayson Saunier threw his only touchdown pass of the night to cap the Lions’ first drive of the second half, making the score 40-13.
Less than a minute later, LCA scored on another big play. Johnson broke through the scrum and took off down the sideline on his way to a 45-yard touchdown run and a 47-13 lead for the home team.
Turnovers cost both teams scoring opportunities in the second half, but LHS kept at it. Tim Wilson’s one-yard TD carry cut the deficit to 28 with 9:10 remaining on the clock.
The Knights would fumble on their next possession, and the Lions would take advantage as Saunier punched it in from the one yard line. A successful two-point conversion brought LHS within 20 with just under eight minutes to go.
But it wouldn’t get any closer from there. Faulk was able to close the game out with his second unit as Lafayette High couldn’t string together enough plays to start a comeback in earnest.
Lafayette Christian picks up its second win of the season, heading into next week’s matchup at Acadiana (0-2).
Meanwhile, the Lions fall to 1-1 on the year. It won’t get any easier for them next week as they visit Carencro (1-1).