The battle for the University Avenue Trophy was going to be one of those games that was going to come down to whoever had the football last between parish rivals LCA and Carencro and it certainly did not disappoint with the LCA Knights getting a 41-38 victory over the Carencro Golden Bears.
The stars really shined bright on Friday night for both teams. LCA QB and UL Ragin’ Cajuns commit Braylon Walker was electric and ended the game with a clutch touchdown pass to Kaden Ledet on fourth and goal to get the eventual game winning touchdown. Walker completed 7 of 9 passes for 119 yards and 3 TDs while also rushing 13 times for 146 yards and another touchdown.
“On the fourth down play, we ran two posts and a corner. The outside cornerback ran with Brayden Allen because of the great game he has been having and he did just that. It left Kaden who has been blocking his tail off the past two games and he hasn’t complained. He came down with the ball when it mattered most and made the play.”
LCA QB Braylon Walker
Both the Knights and the Golden Bears have special QB/WR duos with LCA having Walker and Brayden Allen and Carencro having Carson Gurzi and Chantz Babineaux.
Allen, who has committed to play at Tulane, finished the game with four catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns plus a 72 yard punt return for a touchdown.
“That’s just me and my best friend playing pitch and catch. It’s stuff that we work on all the time. We work on it on Saturday and Sunday even if we don’t feel like it and Monday when we do feel like it. That’s all that was with all of the hard work and the connections that we’ve built.”
LCA QB Braylon Walker
“We just have been working on the field all the time during the summer. That has really helped us build chemistry. The post touchdown was originally a run. We looked at each other and knew what it was. The middle of the field was open and we knew what route it was that was going to beat them and that was the corner post.”
LCA WR Brayden Allen
Gurzi, who is a former Gridiron Football Junior High All-American quarterback, is definitely looking like one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Louisiana for the 2028 class as he completed 14 of 26 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Gurzi’s number one target Chantz Babineaux, who is committed to play for Nicholls State, had nine grabs for 192 yards and one touchdown in the contest.
The game started with a long methodical drive from the Golden Bears taking nearly eight minutes off the clock and kicking a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.
It only took one play for the Knights to score with Walker scampering for a 65 yard touchdown run to take a 6-3 lead.
After a quick three and out, the Knights exploded for another big play from Allen having a 72 yard punt return for a touchdown to give them a 13-3 lead.
Carencro would respond back with back to back touchdown drives. Gurzi would run for a 11 yard touchdown to pull the Golden Bears within three at 13-10. Right before halftime, Carencro got the ball back driving 80 yards. With less than five seconds left before halftime, Gurzi was able to find Khylin Taylor to give Carencro an 18-13 lead after the first 24 minutes of play.
The second half was back and forth between the Knights and the Golden Bears. It started on the second play of the third quarter when talented sophomore running back Caiden Bellard broke a 56 yard touchdown for the go ahead score at 19-18 with Walker sitting out the play because of a minor injury. Obviously, he came back and finished the game.
The Bears punched back with a touchdown run from Cardaye Batiste from five yards out to put them up top 24-19.
Allen scored his second touchdown on a 20 yard screen pass from Walker dragging Golden Bear defenders to give LCA a 26-24 advantage.
The connection of Gurzi and Babineaux connected for a 47 yard catch and run to set up a one yard touchdown run from Batiste to put the Bears up top 31-26.
Once again, an immediate response by the Knights as their dynamic duo of Walker and Allen connected on a 66 yard touchdown to give LCA at 34-31 lead in a back and forth third quarter.
After five lead changes in the third quarter, it looked like the LCA offense was going to get a chance to extend their lead and get the ball back, but a special teams blunder got the Golden Bears the ball back after the football touched a Knights player and was immediately recovered by a Golden Bear.
Gurzi and Babineaux made the Knights pay for that mistake with a 53 yard touchdown to give Carencro a 38-34 lead with six minutes left to go in the game.
Despite having quick scores the entire game, LCA was able to have a methodical drive down the field eating up majority of the clock before the eventual fourth down and goal game winning touchdown.
This early contender for game of the year featured two teams that have the talent to make a lot of noise this year. After a 27-26 win in Week 1 against Archbishop Rummel, the LCA Knights start the season at 2-0 and will take on the Westgate Tigers next week.
“Coach Peters and his crew did a heck of a job. Carencro is a legit team and they make a run in their division. They gor some talent and their coaching staff did a great job at halftime. We were able to make some adjustments. I think that was ultimately the difference. We came out on fire. We had the punt return and then kind of got out of rhythm before halftime. Our kids did a phenomenal job. Halftime was a great teaching moment for everybody. There was some fussing and fighting, but that is what brothers do. You are going to figure it out and find a way to be successful.”
Meanwhile, the Carencro Golden Bears fall to 1-1 after a 30-27 win over St. Thomas More in Week 1.
Check out Jace’s stops throughout the season for Gridiron Football!
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