The Plaquemine Green Devils and the West Feliciana Saints battled at Plaquemine Stadium for the District 6-4A title. Both teams were on a collision course to play each other in the final game of the regular season for the District 6-4A title, and of course, this big matchup between two undefeated teams came in front of a huge Plaquemine crowd. Not only would this game decide the district championship, but it also would help the winner propel up in the ranking with the two teams being in the top ten in the power rankings for the Division II playoffs.
With a lot on the line for both teams, it was eventually time to kick off the pigskin.
On the first drive of the game, the Saints continue to show its high-powered offense that has carried them all season long. Ja’Terrius Johnson had a 23-yard run to set up the Saints in scoring position. Quarterback Joel Rogers took it from there on a five-yard touchdown run to give the Saints a early 7-0 lead.
West Feliciana added on to its early lead taking advantage of a poor Plaquemine snap and took over inside the Green Devils’ 11-yard line. The Saints would immediately score with a 11-yard touchdown run from Johnson to make it 14-0.
However, Plaquemine showed why they are an undefeated team too and did not go away. The Green Devils got themselves a turnover when senior linebacker Aiden Cain recovered a fumble early in the second quarter. Plaquemine quarterback Mike Mitchell drove the team 58 yards and capped off the drive with a 4 yard touchdown run to put the Green Devils on the scoreboard while cutting the lead in half at 14-7.
After a three and out forced by the Green Devils, the offense quickly scored again in three plays to tie the game up at 14 on a six-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Da’Lano Sanders with a minute left to play until halftime.
That tie would only last 27 seconds as West Feliciana quickly responds with a touchdown pass from Rogers to Jeremey Fowler to give the Saints the 21-14 lead going into halftime.
In the second half, it was the Plaquemine Green Devils that took the momentum back starting the third quarter scoring 15 unanswered points to give them their first lead of the game at 22-21, but an interception by West Feliciana’s Jontre Cummings swung that momentum towards the Saints’ way and they never relinquished it.
After the interception, West Feliciana scored to take the lead at 28-22 and then, the Saints did something that is really rare to do, but Hudson Fuller’s squad recovered two straight onside kicks. Rogers added two more touchdown strikes (one to Johnson and another to Kam Whittaker) to run away from the Green Devils 43-22 in what was at one point a 22-21 lead for Plaquemine.
The second half performance, which included back-to-back onside kicks and an interception was the catalyst for the West Feliciana Saints to score 22 unanswered points, but it was also the dynamic West Feliciana backfield that was clicking on all cylinders. The duo of Joel Rogers and Ja’Terrius Johnson combined for 316 yards of offense. Rogers accounted for four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) and Johnson accounted for three touchdowns.
With the win, West Feliciana clinches the 6-4A district championship and ends the regular season undefeated at 10-0. Plaquemine ends up short of the district title, but still has had an incredible regular season with a 9-1 overall record.
Both teams will now await on what their playoff path looks like when the playoff brackets are released on Sunday.
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