4 Takeaways From Thursday Night Lights in Louisiana High School Football

Zany high-scoring games were the norm; Southwood snaps state's longest losing streak

Elijah Haven and the Dunham Tigers won a shootout against Live Oak. / Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are four takeaways from Thursday night's slate of Week Two high school football games in Louisiana.

1. Cowboy Up

The coaching staff at Southwood High School accepted a monumental challenge when hired prior to this season. Confident he could turn around a program mired in the state's longest losing streak, head coach De'Aumante Johnson assembled a cast of young assistants from the area, led by former Parkway stars Keondre Wudtee (offensive coordinator) and C.J. Morgan (DC).

Johnson is 1-0 in his career at Southwood after a come-from-behind 16-15 win over Arcadia that halted a 46-game skid dating back to 2019. Quarterback Jaden Carter completed 12-of-19 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown to James Harris, who had eight receptions, according to Roy Lang of The Shreveport Bossier Advocate. Roger Moore added a rushing touchdown, and Carter converted a pair of two-point conversions.

The Cowboys, who had an open date in Week One, will try to extend their winning streak next week against North Caddo.

2. Breaking the Scoreboard

Three games ended with over 100 points scored: Dunham topped Live Oak 63-42; St. Amant outlasted Cecilia 60-56, and Lake Charles College Prep mounted an incredible comeback to beat Barbe, 70-65.

Junior quarterback Elijah Haven had a hand in eight touchdowns for Dunham, according to Jackson Reyes of The Baton Rouge Advocate. He tossed a 72-yard strike to Jarvis Washington on the first play and threw for six scores (four to Washington) while rushing for over 100 yards.

At The Pit in Ascension Parish, St. Amant nearly squandered a 21-0 lead. When four-star junior Braylon Calais scored with less than two minutes left to give Cecilia its first lead of the game, Gators quarterback Cooper Babin answered with an efficient drive capped by a TD pass to Quentin Elisar with 12 seconds left. Babin ran for four touchdowns.

Last but not least, Lake Charles College Prep rallied from a 25-point halftime deficit to nail down its first win over Barbe, according to Rodrick Anderson of The American Press. The team combined for over 1,300 yards of offense.

3. Brodie Undefeated at Delcambre

Cory Brodie, the head coach at Kaplan two years ago, spent a year as an assistant at Lakeshore before returning to the Lafayette area as Delcambre head coach. With halfback Nave Nguyen out with a broken leg, freshman Adrian Godette stepped up in a 53-7 rout of Berchmans Academy.

Godette racked up over 200 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on a pick-six, a kick return and a 57-yard run on his only carry. Hugo Morales surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the second straight week, and quarterback Lynkon Delcambre ran for 81 yards on six carries with a pair of touchdowns

Brodie has an ace up his sleeve in the form of assistant coach Craig Brodie, his father and a brilliant defensive mind. A few years ago as defensive coordinator at Catholic New Iberia, Craig Brodie's unit neutralized five-star Derek Stingley in a playoff road win over undefeated Dunham.

Hugo Morales / Mike Coppage

4. Renaissance Men

In its second year competing for full LHSAA honors, Lafayette Renaissance is expected to be one of the Acadiana area's most improved programs. The Tigers posted a winning season in 2024 and made the playoffs, but coach Hunter Landry's team has much loftier goals this season.

LRCA stayed perfect with a 48-6 win over Abbeville, staking a 35-0 cushion at the half. Quarterback Kennan Brown threw TD passes to three receivers - Ashton Joseph, Brenden Miles and Shemar Taylor - and junior Da'Marion Green rushed for two scores before intermission, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate.

Ashton Joseph / Mike Coppage

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