Featured Photograph: OC RB Eli Chelette gets the handoff from QB Mark Collins before gaining yardage against the St. Ed Bluejays.(Photograph by Mike Curley.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Two consecutive outright district championships accompanied without a loss either time, is an accomplishment the Opelousas Catholic football program can commemorate as a testimony to excellence.
Navigating through a 10-game district schedule undefeated during the past two seasons isn’t easy and the 2022 District 6-1A title the Vikings won Thursday night at Donald Gardner Stadium was achieved after OCS assembled after a dubious start, a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Vikings’ head football coach Thomas David put 2022 in perspective Saturday morning as he looked back on a 60-21 Week 10 victory over St. Edmund and how his program regrouped after a 1-3 start this year.
“A lot of what we did, winning six straight, had to do with who we played early in the season. We grew up after that, matured and then began playing at the level we needed. I thought we cleaned ourselves up and then played a lot better,” David said.
David said that beginning with the Week 5 win over Menard (48-0) the Vikings began to show some aspects of a district contender.
“We began doing things like not giving the ball away and not doing things that would really hurt us,” said David
Defensively the Vikings for five straight weeks allowed only 14 points, which contrasted the first four games that saw OCS allow 70.
“I thought we just began doing a better job in all three phases and that was part of the transition of what happened,” said David.
David thinks the Vikings (7-3) could host a first-round playoff game after the Division IV select pairings are released this weekend.
“Right now I expect us to be at No. 15 or so and that should be enough to allow us to play at home for the first round,” David said.
St. Edmund (4-6), ended the regular season with losses in three of the last four games.
OCS bolted to a 24-7 first quarter lead on a John Michael Jarrell eight-yard run, before St. Edmund freshman Kevon Johnson cut the advantage to one point (8-7) on a 30-yard run.
Jarrell matched the Johnson TD with a 56-yard scoring run and quarterback Mark Collins scored from four yards to provide the three-TD cushion.
The Vikings led 52-7 by halftime, as Chris Brown scored twice on a 32-yard reception on a throw by Collins and gain with 2:25 before intermission when he caught another TD pass of 64 yards from Collins.
Johnson, who leads the parish in rushing with 1,656 yards, scored second half touchdowns on a 64-yard Henry Summerlin pass and a 75-yard run.
Brown rushed four times for 53 yards and caught four passes for 169.
Johnson ran for 152 on nine attempts.
“(Brown) had a good night, running and catching the ball. Throughout his career here, (Brown) has always been a special guy. I think (Johnson) is a talented guy, especially for a freshman,” said David.
