Lafayette Christian outlasts Teurlings Catholic to reach D-II Select championship game
Teurlings Catholic forced two second-half turnovers and Lafayette Christian's 21-point lead quickly shrank to a one-possession lead with less than six minutes remaining.
For star quarterback Ju'Juan Johnson and the Knights, the motivators that fueled the team to this point was the only focus. Behind an all-star performance from running back Jalen Noel, LCA rode its unsung hero on the final drive to put the game on ice, holding on, 42-35, Saturday in a Division II Select semifinal showdown that spanned two days thanks to a postponement Friday due to severe weather.
The win advances the Knights (12-1) to the D-II Select championship game where it'll meet District 4-4A rival St. Thomas More for the second straight season.
"You got a chance to put them away and we get a fumble (from Johnson), but there was no panic," LCA coach Hunter Landry said. "We knew what we had. Ju'Juan came to the sideline and said, 'That's on me. I'll get us next time.'
"Jalen said, 'Let's keep trucking.' What a great game he had. We leaned on him in that second half and we were able to come out with a win."
Noel amassed 281 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns.
Most teams' game plan lists limiting Johnson, the LSU football commit, at the top of their priorities. With a spot in the state championship on the line, LCA coaches the game plan sideways and turned to its running back.
"(He) takes all the weight off my shoulders, honestly," Johnson said of Noel. "I feel like he's the best back in Louisiana right now in the junior class. He's definitely done his thing over and over again, I think he deserves a look in Louisiana for sure."
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"Knowing that he does this, week in, week out, he's just a great running back."
Johnson finished the game with 298 passing yards with three TDs and 81 rushing yards with another score.
Teurlings traded scores with LCA on Friday before the game was suspended. It had trouble finding its rhythm when the game started back up Saturday.
The Rebels defense sparked its team, with an interception from Kaleb Daniels in the end zone midway through the third and later a fumble from Johnson that the Rebels' Robert Miller recovered.
After the fumble, the Rebs turned in their longest drive of the game, 12 plays, and quarterback Preston Welch capped it with a 4-yard drive, cutting the deficit to 42-35 with 5:42 remaining.
"I'm really proud of the way the guys played in the second half," Teurlings Catholic coach Dane Charpentier said. "We gave ourselves a chance in the end. That's how this group is, we make mistakes but we're never going to roll over. It doesn't matter if you beat us 100 times, we're going to come back and fight.
"But they're hard to tackle. Beginning of story, end of story. We could've tackled better. We were in position to make more plays. Everything is earned. That's what you face when you face a good team."
The Knights held on and will get another shot at St. Thomas More in the Superdome again. Walking off the field in New Orleans last season, a game where LCA lost in dramatic fashion, the emotions of that walk is something Johnson and his teammates remember vividly.
Getting another chance to win a title may be just as emotional.
"We're feeling a lot right now," Johnson said. "Kind of overwhelmed by it. Just knowing we're going to the championship my senior year, it feels great."
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LCA outlasts Teurlings to advance to D-II Select championship game
