Skip to main content
High School

Edna Karr Extends Winning Streak to 30 Games with 21-14 Win Over Ruston in Showdown of Louisiana's Top 2 Teams

Cougars claim 14-0 lead in first quarter, then score only points of second half as dual-QB system of Marlon Jones and Forest Johnson works perfectly. Running back Jermond Macklin accounted for all three TDs.
Mike Coppage|
Ruston tight end Ahmad Hudson vs. Ouachita Parish
Ruston tight end Ahmad Hudson vs. Ouachita Parish | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ruston and Edna Karr are Louisiana football powerhouses that are accustomed to playing in the Caesars Superdome.

However, those appearances are usually reserved for the schools' frequent trips to the football state finals. On Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., the Bearcats and Cougars make an early showing in New Orleans when the top two teams in the Louisiana High School On SI rankings collide in a Week 3 game.

Refresh This Page for Latest Updates

Karr 21, Ruston 14 Final

-Snap is fumbled. Hartwell gets the team to the line and clocks the ball. Ruston with one final play at the Karr 23. Incomplete in the end zone.

-Cougars snap the ball over the punter's head on fourth down, and Ruston takes over at the Karr 16 with 12 seconds left. No timeouts.

-Karr doesn't get a first down and wll punt to Ruston with seconds remaining.

-Incomplete! Dailey pressures Hartwell.

-Third and 10 after incomplete pass intended for Morgan. 4th and 10, 1:54 left.

-First down pass to KeShun Malcolm. Ruston at the 31. 2:08 left. Karr calls timeout.

-4th and 6 for Karr. 2:19 left. Timeout, Ruston. Cougars will punt for a touchback. This is it. Ruston needs to go 80 yards with 2:12 left and one timeout remaining.

-Timeout, Ruston.

-Huge play! Karr gets 10 yards on 3rd and long. Clock rolling. Marlon Jones replaces Forest Johnson at QB. Under three minutes left. Karr at the Ruston 36, 2nd and 7.

-Macklin plunges through the middle for 10 yards. Karr has a fresh set of downs. 1st and 10 at the 50. 5:10 left.

-Karr football, up 21-14. 5:54, 4th.

-Karr gets a defensive stop. Third sack for Edward Dailey. Fourth down and 31. Hydration break. 6:00, 4th.

-Screen pass to Ahmad Hudson. 4th and 1 for Ruston at its own 35. Powell moves the chains.

-Dalen :Powell takes the toss and has a first down. 9:00 left. Ruston at its own 32.

-Macklin runs for his third TD. Karr 21, Ruston 14 9:31 4th.

-Marlon Jones carries to the Ruston 25. Brennan Reid has several catches. He's one of the top sophomores in the state. Macklin punishes defenders on his way to the Ruston 5.

Fourth Quarter

-Karr takes over, 1st and 10 at the Ruston 33. End of 3rd Quarter.

-Aidan Adams, Ruston linebacker, credited with the stop. Ruston 1st and 10 at its own 1. 1:31, 3rd Quarter.

-Marlon Jones at QB for the fourth down play. Macklin stopped short of the goal-line. Ruston, defensive stand!

-3rd and goal for Karr at the Ruston 10. 2:20 left in the third quarter. Forest Johnson in at QB, tucks it under and gets to the Bearcats 3. 4th down. Timeout, Karr.

-4th down and 2 for Karr. Big run by Marlon Jones, 30 yards on the keeper. First down, Cougars!

-Marlon Jones gets 15 on a QB keeper to push the Cougars into Ruston territory. 1st and 10 at the 45. 5:23 to in the third.

-Turnover on downs. Ruston incomplete pass.

-Hydration break, 6:00, 3rd. 4th and 23 for Ruston in Karr territory.

-3rd and 14 for Ruston at the Karr 29. Sack!

-Hartwell looks for Hudson again. He's double covered. Incomplete. Bearcats fake the punt and Ramos throws to defensive back Keilan Davis (had INT earlier) for first down at te Karr 25. Fake punt!

-3rd and 10 after the penalty. 8:30, 3rd quarter. Timeout, Karr.

-Karr sophomore Edward Dailey sacks Hartwell. Cougars blow up a Ruston screen pass. 3rd and 25. Incomplete, but there's a flag on the Cougars for interfering with Hudson.

-107 yards in the first half for Dalen Powell. Ruston with the first possession of the second half. Hartwell throws a pass to Powell, who was lined up at WR, to the 49-yard line.

Third Quarter

Halftime. Ruston 14, Karr 14

-Forest Johnson keeps for a first down, but there's a flag for holding that's going to wipe it out. Only the second penalty for Karr. 32 seconds left, 3rd and 11 at the Ruston 39. Interception, Keilan Davis!

-Timeout, Karr. 3rd and 1 at the Ruston 29.

-Macklin runs to the Ruston 43. 2nd and 3. Incomplete pass. First down, Karr at the Ruston 38. One minute left. 2nd and 10 after incomplete pass intended for Kamal Martin.

-Ruston with 4th and 3 at its 44. 2:33 left in the half. Short punt. Karr first and 10 at its 38 with 2:26 left and two timeouts.

-4th and 13 at the Ruston 40. Pass is complete to Macklin, but it's a turnover on downs. Ruston football, 3:53 left in the half.

-Karr converts for a first down. 4:49, 2nd Quarter. 2nd and 10 at the Ruston 37.

-4th and 1 for Karr near midfield. Decision time for the Cougars at their own 47. Timeout. 5:19, 2nd Quarter.

-Hartwell finds Hudson for a 15-yard gain. 4th and short. Powell takes the misdirection toss and scores. Touchdown, Ruston! 14-14 6:24, 2nd.

-Hartwell passes to Josiah Morgan to the Karr 22. Kaiden Lucas drops Powell for a loss in the backfield. 2nd and 14 at the Karr 26. False start negates a spectacular catch by Hudson for a TD. Instead, it's 2nd and 19 from the Karr 31.

-89 yards rushing for Dalen Powell. He's a workhorse, carrying again. Ruston into Karr territory. 3rd and 5 at the 45. Screen pass in the middle of the field to Powell for a 12-yard gain.

Second Quarter

-Ruston, first and 10 at its own 25. 1:32, 1st. Powell gains four yards. Powell again, 3rd and 3 for the Bearcats. Ruston gets a first down with Powell's third straight carry. He's already near 100 yards. Big play! Hartwell pass to Ahmad Hudson near midfield. End of first quarter.

-Cougars have scored on each of their first two drives. 3:01, 1st Quarter. Long incompletion to an open receiver, Reid. 3rd and 11 for Karr after Johnson sacked. Cougars will punt after another overthrow of Reid, who was open and could've scored.

Karr 14, Ruston 7 1st Quarter

-Dalen Powell with his first carry out of the I-formation. 2nd and 6. Touchdown, Ruston! Powell, 70 yards on the option pitch out of the I.

-Big gain by Marlon Jones on a keeper up the middle. Karr, first down at the Ruston 10. Incomplete pass. Touchdown, Karr! Macklin, 10-yard carry for his second score. Cougars 14, Ruston 0 4:04, 1st.

-Gray carries again. 3rd and 12 for Ruston. He had 96 yards vs. Longview. Interception, Karr. Anthony White, linebacker, intercepts Hartwell and the Cougars have excellent field position.

-Bearcats 1st and 10 at their own 25. Kohl Gray gains one yard. 2nd and 14 with an illegal procedure penalty earlier. Hydration break. 5:33, 1st.

-BIG PLAY! Karr completes a pass to the Ruston 4, then Macklin caps the drive with a short TD run. Karr 7, Ruston 0 6:09, 1st. 14-play drive.

-Marlon Jones returns at QB, hands off to Macklin, who is inside the Ruston 25. Third and 5 at the Ruston 20. Jones and Macklin each ran for a short gain.

-Forest Johnson now in at QB. Throws a pass to Kamal Martin. Karr with 3rd and 8 after Johnson throws incomplete. Johnson scrambles to set up 4th and 3. Johnson looks to have picked up the first down on an option keeper.

-Karr with 1st and 10 at its own 22. QB Marlon Jones gets the start and runs for a first down. Macklin gains six to the right side. First down, Brennan Reid catches a pass from Jones. Jermond Macklin crosses midfield. Nifty first drive for Karr.

First Quarter

Pregame

Ruston and Karr both played for state titles in the Superdome last year, with the Bearcats falling to district rival Ouachita Parish and Karr downing its league rival, St. Augustine.

Karr can extend its winning streak to 30 games with a win today. The Cougars (2-0) own wins over Lafayette Renaissance and Huntington, scoring 98 combined points with a shutout at Huntington and a 48-21 victory over Lafayette Renaissance.

Jermond Macklin ran for three touchdowns against LRCA, which trailed 27-21 in the second quarter before the Cougars reeled off the last three touchdowns. Marlon Jones, one of two QBs for Karr (with Forest Johnson), threw a 57-yard pass to 2029 Brenin Reed, a transfer from Young Audiences High School.

Ruston has reeled off wins over Neville and Longview, which will have the Bearcats battle-tested. This Ruston team is being mentioned as one that could be among the best in the school's history.

Junior running back Dalen Powell has 451 yards rushing and nine TDs with an average of 8.7 yards per carry, according to Matt Belinson of The Ruston Daily Leader. Senior quarterback and hometown Louisiana Tech commit Sam Hartrwell is 19 of 28 passing for 266 yards and has a TD on the ground.

Five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson, an LSU commit, is ranked as the No. 18 player in the country by 247Sports. He has 11 catches for 163 yards.

Powell is the No. 1 player in Louisiana, the nation's No. 2 running back and overall 59th player, according to 247Sports. Shamar Evans, a linebacker who transferred from Mississippi back to his hometown, is the state's top-ranked player on the 247Sports Composite.

Kohl Gray gives the Bearcats another rushing threat.

Karr, which lost a massive amount of starters from last year's team, is looking to end this season with a third straight and eighth overall championship (14-0 Productions).

Ruston has nine state titles and has made four straight finals appearances with a crown in 2023.

The game will be followed by St. Augustine vs. East Ascension at approximately 7:00 p.m.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Published | Modified
Mike Coppage
MIKE COPPAGE

Mike Coppage is a Louisiana-based veteran reporter with decades of experience covering recruiting and high school sports for Scout, Rivals, The Acadiana Advocate and The Daily Iberian. He has been freelancing for High School On SI since 2024.

Share on XFollow MikeCoppage1