Has Opelousas High been excluded from winning the District 5-4A football championship?
The final answer for that question will be decided in less than two weeks.
Meanwhile the Tigers will have to live with their 25-22 defeat at Cecilia Friday night in a game that probably stamped final clarification for the 2023 title.
The loss for Opelousas High (5-3) gives the Tigers – the defending titlist – two wins in three 5-4A games.
Cecilia (7-1) is undefeated and 3-0 in league games.
Cecilia plays Livonia in Week 9. Opelousas hosts Breaux Bridge (4-4, 1-1) on Friday night at Donald Gardner Stadium.
Opelousas High concludes the regular season at Beau Chene (1-7, 0-3). Beau Chene goes to Hanson Memorial in Franklin for a non-district Friday night contest.
Cecilia 25, Opelousas 22
When the Tigers scrutinize this loss, turnovers will apparently become a primary culprit.
Opelousas quarterback Zach Malveaux was intercepted twice and Cecilia recovered three of six Tigers’ fumbles.
Cecilia limited the Opelousas passing game to 18 yards, while the Tigers were outscored 17-0 during the final quarter.
Opelousas established a 14-0 lead by halftime, but were outscored 31-8 during the final two periods.
Tigers’ running back De’Shaun Ford scored both of the first half Opelousas touchdowns. Ford, who gained 159 of the Tigers’ 269 total rushing yards, scored on a 1-yard, first quarter touchdown and followed that with a 6-yard run with 2:15 left before the intermission.
Opelousas created a three-score lead in the third period when Malveaux broke loose on a 24-yard run with 6:18 left.
The remainder of the game belonged to Cecilia, which scored four unanswered touchdowns.
Cecilia tight end Johnathan Boudreaux, quarterback Diesel Solari and the Bulldogs’ Ellis Stewart played major roles in that comeback.
Stewart caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Solari as 7:19 remained in the game. Boudreaux then received the two-point conversion throw from Solari, which tied the contest at 22.
Boudreaux caught seven passes for 46 yards and then kicked the game-winning field goal — a 25-yarder – with 1:36 left.
The Bulldogs also scored on a pair of third quarter runs by Solari (4 yards) and Corey Broussard (8 yards).
Solari had an accurate night, completing 12-of-14 attempts for 105 yards. Stewart completed six-of-nine attempts for 69 yards. Stewart also had four receptions for 62.
Broussard gained 68 yards on 13 attempts, while Solair had 44 yards on 16 carries.
