Photograph: A Westminster Christian and St. Edmund ball players battle for a loose football. (Photograph by Freddie Herpin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
A strong first quarter performance by Westminster Christian Academy was eventually halted by St. Edmund Thursday night during a key District 6-1A contest at Crusaders’ Stadium.
The Crusaders led 14-6 after first eight minutes, but St. Edmund used the running of Kevon Johnson and a pair of touchdown passes to eventually defeat WCA 42-14.
Westminster (2-7, 1-3), finishes the regular season at Catholic High-Pointe Coupee. St. Edmund (4-4, 2-2) plays Opelousas Catholic this Thursday night at Donald Gardner Stadium.
Johnson ran 31 times for 250 yards and scored the first touchdown against WCA with a 50-yard run that occurred 12 seconds after the opening kickoff.
The yardage compiled by Johnson increased his season total to 1,504 yards and kept him among the top rushers statewide. Johnson also has 15 touchdowns and an 8.0 yards-per-carry average.
Overall SEHS rushed 56 times for 357 yards.
“Johnson is very explosive with good instincts. On that first play from scrimmage, we had two guys in the same gap, and he was able to break it for the long run,” said WCA head football coach Travis Blaize.
Westminster however launched a brief comeback after that.
Crusaders’ quarterback Steven George connected with wide receiver Joshua Cassimere on a 61-yard pass play just over two minutes after the Johnson touchdown and moved ahead 7-6 on a Mac Proffit extra point conversion kick.
With 54 seconds left in the first period the Crusaders scored again, as running back Michael Cunningham moved into the St. Edmund second and scored on a 65-yard run. Another kick by Proffit enabled Westminster to slip back in front 14-6.
That advantage remained until late in the second period when Johnson scored on a four-yard run that ended a 12-play, 59-yard drive. A Taylor Daire conversion pass to Wayne Dubois tied the score at 14.
Blaize said the Crusaders experienced a couple of key injuries by halftime.
“Our tight end Cameron Randell couldn’t play the second half and we had another injury to one of our linemen. That’s not taking anything away from St. Edmund or making any excuse on our part. At this point in the season everybody’s got something,” said Blaize.
St. Edmund reclaimed the lead permanently in the third quarter.
Henry Summerlin scored the first of his two second half touchdowns with a five-yard run (7:05) and he scored the final TD on an eight-yard run with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
The Blue Jays’ added another touchdown in the four quarter when Daire caught a 16-yard pass from Kane West.
West completed nine-of-16 passes for 117 yards.
Westminster was limited to 71 rushing yards. The Crusaders threw for another 151 as George completed 15-of-28 attempts for 151.
Cassimere caught seven passes for 85 yards. Damien Thomas had four catches for 35.
“We were able to get behind the secondary with (Cassimere) on some routes. (George) made some good throws and Josh was able to catch them,” Blaize added.
