CCHS tops Westminster Christian Academy for semifinal berth

Central Catholic’s football team may be a battered and bruised bunch, but it keeps playing as a team and more importantly, winning.
The Eagles, Division IV’s No. 12 seed, knocked off its second consecutive higher-seeded opponent, No. 4 Westminster Christian, Friday in Morgan City, 42-27.
The win puts the Eagles one game away from their first trip to the Superdome since a Class 1A runner-up finish in 1997.
To get there, the Eagles will have to defeat Ascension Episcopal, Division IV’s top seed, who edged the Eagles, 42-41, in Week 10.
In their latest win, the Eagles overcame injuries and a first-quarter deficit to take down Westminster.
“It’s called people sticking together and fighting for the brotherhood,” Central Catholic Coach Tommy Minton said. “I mean we got people out all over the place, and we got people playing hurt, and it’s just a great, great team effort. That’s the only way you can explain it.”
Among the starters missing was senior quarterback Blake Byrne, who was injured during the Eagles’ first-round playoff win against Lafayette Christian Academy.
Just as they had in the first round, Central Catholic defensive back DeDe Gant and wide receiver Samarick Paul filled in at quarterback Friday. The duo combined to complete 4 of 7 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Gant completed 3 of 5 passes for 63 yards, while Paul completed 1 of 2 attempts for 45 yards and a score. Paul’s 45-yard score was to Gant, who had lined up at wide receiver on the play.
Trailing 13-7 after a quarter, Central Catholic outscored Westminster 28-0 in the second and third quarters to take as much as a 35-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Chris Singleton scored two second-quarter touchdown for the Eagles via a 4-yard run with 6:40 remaining in the first half and again with 4:20 after Central Catholic’s Ja’len Johnson had recovered the kickoff at the Westminster 26 on the ensuing possession.
Gant capped the first-half for the Eagles with a pick six after intercepting Westminster quarterback Kaleb Prudhomme at the Westminster 29-yard line and returning it for a touchdown with 2:35 remaining in the first half. Drake Angeron, who was 6-for-6 on extra point attempts, booted his fourth straight through the uprights for a 28-13 Central Catholic lead.
Singleton led the Eagles with 19 carries for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
After stopping a Westminster drive at the Central Catholic 48 to begin the third quarter, the Eagles added to their lead with another Singleton run, this time from 9 yards out with 5:59 left in the third quarter for a 35-13 Central Catholic lead.
The touchdown was set up by a 47-yard pass completion from Gant to Paul down to the Westminster 9 the previous play.
Paul led the Eagles with two receptions for 53 yards.
Westminster scored on its ensuing possession, capping a 12-play, 76-yard drive on third-and-goal from the Central Catholic 3 when Prudhomme connected with Zach Thomas on a 3-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. Gene Kraemer, who was 3-of-4 on extra point attempts, booted the kick through the uprights with 11:53 remaining to cut the Crusaders’ deficit to 35-20.
The teams scored touchdowns on their next possessions as Paul connected with Gant on a 45-yard touchdown completion with 8:50 remaining, while Cole Fournet scored on a 2-yard run on a third-and-goal play with 2:44 remaining in the contest for the 42-27 final.
Central Catholic opened the game with a touchdown on its first possession. After recovering a Westminster onside kick attempt, the Eagles exclusively used their ground game to move 54 yards in six plays before Bailey Badeaux capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 9:06 remaining in the first quarter for a 7-0 Central Catholic lead.
Badeaux had 10 carries for 74 yards and a score Friday.
While the Eagles stopped Westminster on their first drive, the Eagles gave the ball back to the Crusaders two plays later when Westminster recovered a fumble. Seven plays later, Ken Jones scored on a 1-yard run on third-and-goal with 3:21 remaining in the first quarter to tie the game at 7.
Although Central Catholic’s Thomas Garber’s punt pinned Westminster at its own 8-yard line on the Crusaders’ next possession, the visitors from Opelousas would score quickly. On the third play of the drive, Prudhomme found Jones open and connected with him on a pass that he then outran the Central Catholic defense for an 82-yard touchdown reception as the first quarter came to a close. A missed extra point gave Westminster a 13-7 lead.
Central Catholic totaled 396 yards of offense (288 rushing and 108 passing).
Defensively, the Eagles surrendered 360 yards of offense (266 rushing and 94 passing).
“We knew coming in: (Westminster was) a big physical team, and we knew that they weren’t going to throw it a ton but they were going to come right at us. …It was a physical game, very physical game,” Minton said.
Jones led the Westminster offense with 14 carries for 121 yards and a score. He added an 82-yard touchdown reception.
Fournet added nine carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Prudhomme completed 4 of 5 passes for 94 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Thomas also had a 3-yard touchdown reception.