Neither defense would break. So, both Catholic High and Rummel decided to get creative to finally put points on the board Friday in their Division I select quarterfinal clash, a defensive stalemate that turned into a battle of offensive ingenuity.
To win 14-7, the No. 4 Bears dialed up a double pass on a crucial fourth down. Senior receiver Cohen LeBlanc caught what appeared to be a screen, but he was already planning a toss to receiver Amari Clayton, who snuck behind a pair of defensive backs, popped open and corralled a nicely thrown 44-yard touchdown grab in the end zone.
“That’s a play we’ve had for a while now,” LeBlanc said. “We’ve just kind of been waiting to run it. Coach asked me if I wanted it, and I said, ‘Hell yeah.’ ”
No. 5 Rummel used a similar trick play to score on its previous drive. Its double pass was disguised as a swing route to the left for running back Kendrick Joseph, who slowed down, set his feet and threw a 6-yard touchdown to Micah Green. That fourth-quarter score, only the second of the game, tied the contest 7-7 at BREC Memorial Stadium.
Before Friday, Catholic had scored at least 35 points in six straight games, and Rummel averaged 40 points across its previous three contests. The two offenses combined for 92 points just last week, when the District 4-5A Bears (11-0) tallied 42 points in a second-round win over No. 13 East Jefferson, and the District 9-5A Raiders (9-3) notched 50 in a victory over No. 12 McDonogh 35.
This game followed a much different script.
“We really didn't run the ball very well,” Rummel coach Nick Monica said. “I think our quarterback designed runs were pretty good. Other than that, as far as just lining up and running our base offensive plays, we didn't do a very good job at the point of attack. And that's kind of been the story of our season.”
Catholic had five drives in the first half, and it punted at the end of each. Three Rummel first-half drives ended in a punt, one stalled with a turnover on downs and another — its offense’s last march before halftime — concluded with an interception by LSU commitment Jacob Bradford. Each offense dropped a pass on either a key third or fourth down, and both units combined to pick up just seven first downs across the first and second quarters.
Rummel defensive back Lester Johnson stopped a Catholic drive when he careened off the blind-side edge on third down and sacked Baylor Graves. Later in the half, Catholic linebacker Clayton Welch batted down a Generald Buggage pass behind the line of scrimmage to stop a Rummel drive on third down.
Buggage rushed 18 times for 104 yards. On the Raiders’ first scoring drive, he tallied 28 yards on his three carries, including a 16-yard run that picked up a third and 6, and a 1-yard sneak that converted a fourth and 1.
On Catholic’s first touchdown drive, it turned to LeBlanc, who caught two passes for 17 yards. The Bears gave him a touch on three of the first five plays of the possession, and he picked up 7 yards on a screen, 18 yards on a jet sweep and another 10 on a short pass to the flat.
Catholic and Rummel have now met in six of the last seven postseasons, with the Bears winning all but one matchup. Rummel picked up its lone win in the 2019 state championship game.
Next, Catholic will face No. 1 Edna Karr, which defeated No. 8 St. Thomas More 42-14 on Friday.
