Archbishop Shaw star running back and Michigan commitment Jasper Parker went down with an injury midway through the fourth quarter.
That’s when Eagles quarterback Mason Wilson knew he would need to step up and take a bigger role on offense.
The senior scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 16-yard run with 40 seconds left in the game to give top-seeded Shaw (10-2) a 21-14 win against No. 8 John F. Kennedy in a Division II select quarterfinal playoff game at Joe Zimmerman Stadium on Friday night.
“I knew (Parker) was hurt and knew if we were to advance we would need him for the next game,” said Wilson, who finished the game with 97 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 17 attempts and 25 yards through the air. “I knew that it was going to rely on me.”
Kennedy (7-5) had one last chance to tie the score and send the game into overtime. Quarterback A’Myne Darensbourg had pass completions of 12 and 46 yards and an 18-yard run to set the Cougars up at the 6-yard line with 12 seconds left.
After two straight Darensbourg incompletions, Kennedy had one final play with three seconds remaining on the clock. Gibson Lumene and Caden Valentine combined on the sack of Darensbourg to end the game.
Darensbourg, a senior, finished the game with 218 yards passing and two touchdowns and added 54 yards on the ground.
“What an unbelievable game,” Shaw coach Hank Tierney said. “It was a shame someone had to lose. Give Kennedy a lot of credit for going down the field like that. We played great defense when we had to against a good team. We weren’t at our best offensively, but we did what we had to do to get the winning touchdown.”
Shaw will make its second straight trip to the semifinals when it faces No. 5 Madison Prep of Baton Rouge next week. The Chargers downed No. 13 Istrouma 14-6 in their quarterfinal game on Friday.
Shaw started off the scoring on its first drive of the game, as Wilson ran the ball around the right side on the quarterback keeper from 16 yards out to put the Eagles on top 7-0 with 5:58 left in the opening quarter. The drive encompassed 74 yards on 12 plays, with Parker and Wilson running the ball for 41 and 33 yards.
Parker finished the game with 110 yards rushing on 22 attempts.
Kennedy took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter after scoring on two straight drives. Darensbourg found James Evans on touchdown tosses of 5 and 15 yards. The second touchdown drive came after Wilson fumbled the snap and Kamron Shields jumped on the loose ball for the Cougars.
Evans and Jonathan Strowder had 81 and 84 yards receiving on the night.
Wilson tied the score at 14-14 with 36 seconds left before halftime on a 1-yard keeper. The scoring march went 70 yards in 14 plays.
The game was not a typical No. 1 vs. No. 8 quarterfinal matchup, as the Cougars had to forfeit three wins in their non district schedule after an LHSAA player-eligibility ruling.
“We knew they were one of the best teams in our bracket,” Wilson said. “We knew it would come down to this, but we have been here before and knew what it feels like to win one and to lose one. We didn’t want to lose one today.”