Top Performers: Catholic vs. Byrd | Division I State Championship
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Catholic High continued to solidify itself in the elite of Division I with a 35-12 defeat of Byrd on Sunday. The Bears made good on their fourth straight state championship appearance and fifth in six years with a third title…
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Continue ReadingCatholic High continued to solidify itself in the elite of Division I with a 35-12 defeat of Byrd on Sunday.
The Bears made good on their fourth straight state championship appearance and fifth in six years with a third title in the latter span.
Coach Gabriel Fertitta’s balanced group overcame a pair of early turnovers to take a 14-6 lead into halftime and pull away from there.
2021 Recruiting Class
Mike Albarado — 5-9, 197 LB — Catholic
The undersized linebacker was involved in as many plays as anyone on the Bears’ defense with a team-high eight tackles, including one for loss, as well as a forced fumble, fumble recovery and one pass break-up.
Michael Cerniauskas Michael Cerniauskas 5'11" | 195 lbs | DB Catholic - Baton Rouge | 2021 State LA — 5-11, 189 DB — Catholic
The Army signee left his usual physical, hard-hitting stamp on the the game from the beginning and added a blocked extra point in the second quarter and a late interception to help seal the victory.
George HARTIII George HARTIII 5'11" | 200 lbs | RB Catholic - Baton Rouge | 2021 State LA — 5-10, 198 RB — Catholic
With his junior running mate Corey Singleton sidelined by injury, Hart rushed 12 times for 62 yards to lead all players. He once again took a few snaps directly, adding an additional wrinkle to an offense already boasting a pair of viable quarterbacks.
Landon O’Connor — 5-11, 169 QB — Catholic
The senior quarterback returned to action from a late-season ankle injury and carried eight times for 46 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help split duties with his freshman teammate.
William Berry — 5-10, 177 ATH — Byrd
The senior speedster earned Most Outstanding Player honors for his team with his six rushes for 55 yards, including a 37-yard scamper and a 4-yard touchdown.
Carson Bruno Carson Bruno 6'4" | 285 lbs | DL C.E. Byrd | 2021 State LA — 6-5, 290 DL — Byrd
One of the few college-signed or -committed prospects in the Yellow Jackets’ impressive senior class was going to have to excel to give his team a chance. And the Louisiana Tech signee racked up eight tackles on an active night in the middle of the line, including a sack, but also showed mobility to pursue plays well outside.
Brayden Hermes — 6-3, 193 DB — Byrd
The senior safety ended two of Catholic’s first three drives with interceptions and led the team with nine tackles.
Kellum Humphrey — 6-1, 177 WR — Byrd
Six of quarterback Lake Lambert’s eight completions went to Humphrey, the split end, for 83 yards.
2022 Recruiting Class
Lloyd “Tre” Benson — 5-8, 172 WR — Catholic
The junior earned Most Outstanding Player honors for his four-catch, 140-yard performance, including a 78-yard dash to the end zone on a pass from freshman quarterback Daniel Beale.
Emery Jones — 6-5, 300 OL — Catholic
The big left tackle was the cornerstone of the Bears’ offensive line that paved the way for 141 yards on 33 carries and protected its two quarterbacks to complete 12 of 18 passes for 223 yards.
Josh Robertson — 5-8, 154 DB — Catholic
Byrd opened the second half with an opportunity to potentially pull back even with a scoring drive, but instead Robertson snatched a bad pitch off a fortuitous bounce and dashed back the other direction to double the Bears’ lead. He added a tackle for loss on a two-point conversion on the next drive and finished with four tackles.
Joshua Wax — 5-10, 160 DB — Catholic
The speedy defender wasn’t far behind Albarado with seven tackles of his own, primarily using his quickness to the edge to contain and shut down potential big gains before they could get started. He also added one pass breakup in coverage.
2023 Recruiting Class
Shelton Sampson Jr. — 6-4, 181 WR — Catholic
The highly touted 2023 prospect caught three passes for 45 yards and one leaping, highlight-reel touchdown to help stretch the Bears’ lead late that showed why LSU, Florida State, Virginia, Mississippi State, Tulane and several other colleges are already competing for his services.
2024 Recruiting Class
Daniel Beale — 6-1, 175 QB — Catholic
The freshman quarterback shook back from a pair of first-quarter interceptions to complete 11 of 17 passes for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help lead a state-championship run less than two months after joining the varsity roster midseason.