Both Catholic High and St. Thomas More showed up to Memorial Stadium with large, loud crowds. Interactive student sections were pumped on both siders. There was a strong alumni and community presence. It was a back and forth game full of talented athletes, but St. Thomas More came out on top 39-38.
The Cougars have a team full of hefty athletes on both sides of the ball. They also have a strong defense. Jack Bech of St. Thomas More was the player of the game. Bech scored the first touchdown of the game for the Cougars as Walker Howard threw a 63-yard pass to him with 10:52 to go in the first quarter. Howard has an accurate, strong through that connected many times throughout the night. Tobin Thevenot, Carter Arceneaux, Paxton Perrett and Carter Domangue all also scored touchdowns for the Cougars.
The Bears also have a dominant and reactive defense. Their quarterback, Landon O’Connor, has a high football IQ and is not afraid of contact. He is a dual threat. He tied the game in the first quarter with a 9-yard run to the end zone. O’Connor overall had plenty of impressive touchdown throws and plays throughout the game. Kylan Dupre completed a 29-yard field goal which brought momentum back for the Bears and cut down the Cougars’ lead as they were up by nine. Corey Singleton had a 74-yard run that gave them the lead as the score went to 38-33.
In the end, it came down to Kylan Dupre making a 53-yard field goal for the Bears to win the game. He came up just short as the Cougars won 39-38.
I spoke with Landon O’Connor, quarterback for Catholic High, after the game.
“It was a back and forth game from the beginning. What helped you keep your momentum and fight?”
“The social cues on the sideline. We always continued to get together as a team and hype each other up. We made a lot of big plays on offense. The defense also got a lot of big stops for us, so that helped us keep fighting.”
“What surprised you the most about today’s games? Was there anything you didn’t expect?”
“Today, we got closer to our potential. Last week against Ednar Karr, we played sloppy and started off slow. Today, we came out and played a great game. That’s a great team over there in St. Thomas More. Hats off to them but we’ll be back to work Monday.”
“After tonight, what are some things you want to focus on working on for the next game and rest of the season?”
“I just want to keep polishing my game, passing playings and running plays. Keep polishing up the offense and getting ready for tougher teams and defense. Overall, just getting better as a team”.
