The high school football semifinals finished Friday night.
Seven Baton Rouge-area schools looked to punch their tickets to state title games at the Caesars Superdome. Here's how they fared in their semifinal matchups.
Dunham takes down LCA
It was a night full of offensive fireworks between the No. 5 Tigers (12-1) and No. 1 Knights in the Division III select semifinals.
Dunham trailed 48-41 late with less than five minutes to go. Tigers quarterback Elijah Haven drove his side down the field and connected with wide receiver Jarvis Washington on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 1:46 left in the game.
The Tigers went for two and converted it when Haven hit Khris Thomas in the front corner of the end zone to put the Tigers ahead 49-48.
Haven completed 18 of 27 passes for 357 yards, six touchdowns and one interception while also rushing for a team-high 61 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Washington tallied 182 yards receiving and four touchdowns on seven receptions.
Now, Dunham returns to the Division III select state title game for a second year in a row. The Tigers will face No. 6 Calvary Baptist (12-1) on Thursday at the Dome.
Ascension Catholic advances
The No. 5 Bulldogs went on the road against an undefeated No. 1 Westminster Christian side in the Division IV select semifinals.
Ascension Catholic got off to a quick start on both sides of the ball. The defense held the Crusaders without a first down on their first four drives of the game.
The offense put points up in a hurry behind a strong run game led by running back Trevin Simon. He ran for 364 yards and six touchdowns on 33 carries.
Two interceptions in the first half by the Bulldogs' defense also halted Westminster Christian drives. Ascension Catholic took a 33-0 lead into the half and rolled on toward a 45-14 win.
Ascension Catholic is back in the Division IV select state title for the first time since 2018. The Bulldogs will face No. 2 Riverside Academy (11-1) on Thursday.
U-High falls in OT
The Cubs went on the road against No. 1 St. Charles in the Division II select semifinals.
University High trailed 20-7 at the break but battled back to tie it 27-27 in the fourth quarter. U-High quarterback Ethan McGlynn found wide receiver Lawson Dixon for a 47-yard touchdown with 1:30 to go in regulation to tie the game. St. Charles blocked the extra point attempt, which sent the game to overtime.
St. Charles had the ball first and scored a touchdown. The Cubs were stopped on fourth down on the ensuing possession to fall 34-27. U-High's season ends at 10-3.
Catholic falls to Karr again
In a rematch of last year's Division I select semifinal, the No. 4 Bears faced the undefeated No. 1 Cougars.
Catholic lost last year's game 21-19, looking to avenge that loss and get back to the state title game.
The Bears trailed early, 7-3, but quarterback Baylor Graves scored on a 36-yard run to put his side up 10-7. Karr answered with 10 points before the break to take a 17-10 lead into halftime.
Catholic had a chance to tie it late, but the Cougars' defense forced a fumble in the red zone to regain possession and eventually kneeled out the clock to seal a 17-10 win.
The Bears (10-3) had four turnovers in the game.
Zachary loses narrow game
The No. 13 Broncos' run ended Friday against No. 1 Ruston in the Division I nonselect semifinal.
Ruston struck first in the second quarter to take a 7-0 lead. The Broncos evened the score after Tylek Lewis ran it in for a 5-yard touchdown. Zachary took a 10-7 lead into the break after a field goal.
The Bearcats went back in front after a 45-yard rushing touchdown. Broncos quarterback Michael Kirby gave his side the lead after responding with a 9-yard touchdown run.
Ruston scored another touchdown in the fourth to take a 21-17 lead. Zachary (9-4) had one last chance to win it but was stopped on fourth down with 3:37 left in the game.
Plaquemine falls
The No. 5 Green Devils faced No. 1 North DeSoto in the Division II nonselect semifinals.
Plaquemine took an early 14-0 lead after the first quarter. North DeSoto responded with 22 points in the second quarter, but the Green Devils took a 30-22 lead into the break.
The Griffins kept clawing away and took a 44-36 lead into the fourth. Plaquemine scored to tie it 44-44, but North DeSoto scored two touchdowns late to win it 58-44.
Plaquemine's season ends at 12-2.
St. James loses rematch
The No. 3 Wildcats looked to avenge last year's state title loss in a rematch with No. 2 Sterlington in the Division III nonselect semifinals.
St. James fell to Sterlington 35-28 in last year's game.
The Wildcats led 18-14 at the end of the first quarter. Sterlington fought back and led 28-24 at halftime. The Panthers overwhelmed St. James in the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 28-0.
St. James scored two touchdowns late but fell 63-38. The Wildcats' season ends at 10-3.
