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E.D. White got a tough draw in the Division II State Playoffs.
Yes, they were at home, having earning the No. 8 seed in the 14-team field.
But opposite them was No. 9 Evangel — a team that’s no ordinary 9-seed.
Evangel, as fans know, is one of the power programs in the state of Louisiana — a team that books its reservations to the Superdome before each season starts.
Evangel was just 5-4 during the regular season, which somewhat watered their seed. But a quick read between the lines would show that the four losses were all close defeats at the hands of state powers.
On Friday, they flexed their muscles in a big, big way — at the Cardinals’ expense.
The Eagles beat E.D. White 84-20 in the opening round of the playoffs, using unstoppable offense to easily push past the overmatched Cardinals.
Evangel coach Byron Dawson said his team entered the playoffs hot and stayed hot in their easy win.
“We’re playing our best ball at the right time of the year,” Dawson said. “Our kids were challenged and tested early in the season, but we rebounded, battled back and kept working hard. I think now, we’re in a position to go at this thing and make a run and try and go as far as we can.”
Evangel came out of the gates smoking.
They scored on the second snap from scrimmage — a 67-yard touchdown run from Jalen Abraham to go 6-0.
After a possession change, Evangel wasted no time on their next drive — a short trek on a touchdown pass from quarterback Blake Shapen to Walker Johnson to go up 14-0 after a 2-point conversion.
And the blitz was on.
Evangel led 28-0 at the end of the first quarter and 62-7 at halftime — their offense virtually unstoppable and pushing forward with both run and pass.
The Cardinals’ lone score in the half was a late-half touchdown run to cut the Eagles’ lead to 55-7.
Evangel promptly responded by returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown before halftime.
In the second half, E.D. White had better success — especially in special teams. Aaron Arcement took two punts to the house in the second half to bring the Cardinals to their point total for the game.
Evangel’s offense kept trucking with three touchdowns of its own to send the game to its final margin.
With the win, the Eagles set up a showdown.
They will take on No. 1 St. Thomas More on Friday night.
St. Thomas More, too, is one of the top teams in the state, having rolled through the season with an 8-2 record.
St. Thomas More had an opening-round bye in the 14-team playoff bracket.
In defeat, the loss ends the playing careers of several E.D. White seniors.
First-year coach Kyle Lasseigne has said several times throughout the season that he was proud of how his team had grown throughout the year.
E.D. White was 2-4, then won three-straight games in the middle part of the season to earn their home playoff seeding.
“These kids fight. It’s so much fun being around them,” Lasseigne said. “We’ve been focused all season on getting better and I think we’ve done that.”
TARPONS, GATORS FALL IN CLASS 4A
E.D. White lost at home.
Their local colleagues South Lafourche and South Terrebonne went on the road and suffered the same fate.
No. 27 South Terrebonne lost 35-12 to No. 6 Breaux Bridge. Up in north Louisiana, No. 31 South Lafourche lost 41-14 to No. 2 Neville.
The Gators fought the Tigers early in the game, trailing just 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.
But Breaux Bridge’s high-powered offense got going in the second quarter, generating three touchdowns to take control of the game with a 28-12 lead.
South Terrebonne could never regain its footing in the second half, falling behind 35-12 at the end of the third quarter before a scoreless fourth quarter.
The loss ends South Terrebonne’s season with a 6-5 record.
Breaux Bridge moves on to take on Belle Chasse.
In North Louisiana, South Lafourche lost to Neville, one of the favorites to win the Class 4A State Championship.
The powerful Tigers rolled to an early lead, grabbing control of the game with three first-quarter touchdowns to go up 21-0.
The Tarpons split the second quarter with Neville — both teams getting touchdowns to send the game to halftime with Neville up 28-7.
Braxton Pitre got the score for the Tarpons.
In the third quarter, Neville busted it open with two more scores to go ahead 41-7.
Before the game ended, Derin Doucet punched in a final score to send the game to its final margin.
The Tarpons ended their season with a 3-8 record in defeat.
Neville moves on to take on No. 18 DeRidder.
