Raiders End 2024
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
It was an inopportune time to experience sufficient playoff energy, but that was a problem that helped end the Northwest High postseason Friday night.
Sixth-seeded Plaquemine High raced to a three-score lead in the first half and then held off Northwest to capture a 49-34 win in a Division II non-select second round playoff victory.
The district champion Raiders (8-4) compiled 427 total offensive yards.
However Plaquemine (11-1) used a combination of running back Tyrese Mosby and quarterback Nico Victorian to cause Northwest some defensive issues.
“We came out flat at the start. We were having problems and that caused us to regroup at halftime and correct the mistakes. At the start we were down to our third or fourth running backs. We put Craig Malveaux in there and he made plays for us,” said Northwest head football coach Chris Edwards.
“You would like to have all your key pieces available for the playoffs. We ended up with some key injuries that you don’t want to have at this point in the season. Overall though I thought we had a great year,” added Edwards.
Missing from the offensive lineup was Raiders’ running back Ke’Von Johnson, who ended the regular season rushing for more than 1,800 yards.
Johnson, injured in the final game of the year, had an ankle injury, according to Edwards.
In the third quarter Northwest outscored Plaquemine (21-15). However the scoring surge was not enough to overtake Plaquemine who maintained at least a two-score lead throughout the final two periods.
Northwest received a career playoff-game performance from senior quarterback Jayden Chavis.
Chavis passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns, while running for two more TD’s. Chavis was also intercepted three times, but Edwards said those picks came when the Raiders were forced to throw more.
Raiders’ receivers Malek Davis and Dillon Guilbeau combined for seven receptions and 158 yards.
Davis caught a pair of touchdown passes (36 and 58 yards), while Guilbeau had a 67-yard TD reception.
Mosby, who ran for three touchdowns, gained a team-leading 97 yards.
