OCS Can’t Catch Jays
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com
(Mike Curley photo)
St. Edmund scored 20 points during the first 11 minutes Friday night as the Jays pounded Opelousas Catholic with a running game that damaged the Vikings during a 42-21 District 5-4A defeat at Donald Gardner Stadium.
OCS (1-7, 0-4) surrendered 290 rushing yards to St. Edmund, which finished the game with 370 yards total offense.
The Vikings scored their first touchdown with 2:21 before halftime when Evan Duplechin sailed into the end zone on a 35-yard run that cut the St. Edmund advantage to 28-7.
OCS scored two more touchdowns during the final 4:50 on an 18-yard pass from Duplechin to Kaleb Tezeno and another 29-yard throw from Duplechin to wide receiver Carter Savant.
Savant had two catches for 65 yards.
The 21 points against St. Edmund (5-3, 3-2) marked the most points this season since OCS scored 29 in the season-opening victory against Breaux Bridge.
OCS is averaging 12.5 points a game. The Vikings have failed to score in three of their eight 2026 games.
The 77 yards from senior running back Braxton Harris led a Vikings’ running game that compiled 166 yards. Duplechin completed three-of-five passes for 83 yards.
The scoring began early for St. Edmund, as Cooper Berzas broke away on a 64-yard touchdown run (9:45) that ended a 78-yard drive.
That TD was followed by two more first quarter scores on a 42-yard reception from Camdyn Loewer to Jackson Landry. Loewer followed with another touchdown pass of 25 yards to Bryer Guillory, as the Blue Jays led 20-0 at the end of the first period.
Jay’s running back Nathan Driggs scored with 5:54 remaining in the second quarter as St. Edmund bolted in front 28-0.
Driggs scored on a 12-yard run in the fourth period before St. Edmund’s Fox Crosby added the Blue Jays’ final points on an eight-yard run.
Berzas and Driggs combined for 291 rushing yards, while Loewer completed five-of-eight passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
OCS goes to North Central this week, while St. Edmund hosts district leader Westminster Christian Academy.
