Photo by: Bayou State Media Staff
In a commanding performance, Southside High flexed their offensive prowess in a 28-0 shutout over the Lafayette High Mighty Lions on Friday night, opening District 3-5A play with a statement win.
Lafayette got off to a promising start, advancing down the field quickly with big plays from Jamieon Brown and Kamorie Boyd. However, a crucial holding penalty erased what would have been a touchdown, stalling the Lions' momentum and forcing a turnover on downs.
With the ball back in their hands, Southside capitalized. Quarterback Parker Dies led the Sharks down the field, capping off the drive with a gutsy fourth-and-goal play at the 1-yard line. Faking the handoff, Dies kept the ball on a read option, crossing the goal line just before the first quarter expired to give Southside the early 7-0 lead.
The Sharks’ defense continued to hold firm, setting up another scoring drive. Cruz Holden added a touchdown late in the first half to put Southside up 14-0. Lafayette, determined to close the gap, found success with deep passes from Richmond Saunier to Kevon’te Landry, getting the Lions into scoring range. But Southside’s Derrick Collins came up with a key interception, one of two on the night, to thwart the Lions’ scoring attempt.
Coming out of halftime, Southside wasted no time asserting control. The Sharks’ methodical run game, led by Dies and Holden, chewed up 10 minutes of the third quarter as they consistently converted on third and fourth downs. The drive ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Holden to a wide-open Kade Fontenot, stretching the lead to 21-0.
In the fourth quarter, Dontavion Jean-Baptiste tacked on another score with a late rushing touchdown, sealing the 28-0 final.
Southside head coach Jess Curtis expressed pride in his team’s dominant performance. “This was, without a doubt, our best showing of the season,” Curtis said. “We found our rhythm tonight, and this is the type of game that sets the standard for us moving forward.”
On the other side, Lafayette coach Garrett Kraemer acknowledged his team’s struggles. “We’ve got to stay disciplined and mentally tough,” Kraemer said. “We can’t keep making costly mistakes against good teams like Southside.”
With the victory, Southside improves to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in district play. Lafayette, now 3-1, falls to 0-1 in district competition. Both teams are set for Thursday night matchups, with Lafayette hosting Sam Houston at Acadiana High and Southside heading to Barbe.
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