Top Performers: U-High vs. Madison Prep

University Lab didn’t score first, but had started taking full control of a highly anticipated district battle by the second quarter and kept rolling in the third. Madison Prep provided its best punches to the Cubs’ 24-point lead in the fourth quarter, before the reigning Class 3A champions’ rally deflated with a controversial call of a roughing the punter penalty in the final minutes. The flag granted an additional first down with which U-High managed to keep moving the clock and chains to secure the 37-29 victory. Check out more details below on some of the Cubs’ top performers. And <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/10/top-performers-madison-prep-vs-u-high/">click here for more from the Madison Prep side</a> of the Baton Rouge showdown of state championship hopefuls. &nbsp; <strong>ESTABLISHED STAR</strong> Running back <strong>Derrick Graham (5-11, 205)</strong>, nicknamed "Rodeo," has been a star and workhorse for the Cubs his entire career and was reliable as always in the primetime battle with Madison Prep. Graham was a particular go-to anywhere near the goal line, where he was somewhere between a downhill bowling ball and a points-seeking missile en route to a pair of touchdowns and a two-point conversion to help the Cubs build their lead. &nbsp; <strong>EX-FACTOR(S)</strong> The Graham-led running game, with fellow senior <strong>Brian Beck Jr. (6-1, 210)</strong> as a key complement, and the loaded defense were well-known commodities for title-hopeful U-High from as far back as the spring. The question mark was which quarterback would win a position battle and the reins of the offense and how they would perform to provide some balance on that side of the ball. <strong>Blake Abney (5-11, 175)</strong> was fantastic against the Chargers with an efficient 191 yards and three touchdowns through the air. The junior quarterback not only effectively distributed the ball to <strong>Jason Barnes Jr. (5-8, 150)</strong> on quick hits that the senior speedster turned into 107 yards and a 58-yard score, but also dropped a perfectly placed 35-yard touchdown over the shoulder of senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136531" first="Edan" last="Stagg"] (6-1, 175)</strong> in the back of the end zone and threaded an 11-yard dart through traffic to sophomore <strong>Seth Gale (5-10, 155)</strong>. So the Cubs appear well-positioned indeed with plenty of balance to make a run at a trophy. &nbsp; <strong>THE NEXT GENERATION</strong> That stingy defense is loaded with veteran stars with college scholarship offers. The most prominent of the bunch, senior defensive back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136479" first="Austin" last="Ausberry"] (6-1, 185)</strong> and junior linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138276" first="Jaiden" last="Ausberry"] (6-2, 200)</strong> both made several plays. Senior defensive tackle <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128920" first="Nick" last="Williams"] Jr. (6-2, 290)</strong> set a physical tone up front with senior defensive ends <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="187018" first="Jabari" last="Johnson"] (6-3, 235)</strong> and <strong>Banks Moore (5-11, 205)</strong> and junior <strong>Jackson Forbes (6-2, 210)</strong>. And senior linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136609" first="Roman" last="Pitre"] (6-6, 230)</strong> and senior safeties <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136641" first="Justin" last="Collins"] (6-2, 180)</strong> and <strong>Dillon Smith (5-10, 165)</strong> flew all over the field largely stymying the potent Chargers attack, especially for the first three-plus quarters. But some of the Cubs’ underclassmen were among the stars of the night. Sophomore linebacker <strong>Harry Beacham (6-0, 195)</strong> was right there in the "all over the field" category, making one strong tackle after another. Freshman linebacker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="144905" first="Keylan" last="Moses"] (6-1, 215)</strong> was on the heels of Chriss as much as anyone with constant pressure in the backfield. And sophomore defensive back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="144887" first="Tony" last="Burns"] (6-0, 180)</strong> — the younger brother of LSU safety Major Burns, who coincidentally played at Madison Prep — darted into the backfield untouched for a big sack, broke up a pass and made another couple tackles.