Top Performers: Brother Martin vs. John Curtis

An LHSAA ruling forced Brother Martin to forfeit its first five games of the season because of an eligibility and documentation issue. But the Crusaders appeared determined to continue flexing their muscles as one of Louisiana’s top teams on the field Saturday in the state’s final regular-season game. Brother Martin dominated John Curtis, 41-12, in a fashion rarely suffered by the perennial power Patriots. Here were a handful of the Crusaders’ top performers, as well as three for the Patriots. &nbsp; <strong>BROTHER MARTIN</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138282" first="Torey" last="Lambert"] (2023)</strong> <strong>6-0, 200 RB</strong> The younger Lambert brother is blossoming into one of Louisiana’s top running backs for the 2023 class after working more at cornerback as an underclassman. Torey carried the ball 25 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the Crusaders’ offensive charge and give the John Curtis defense fits all afternoon with smooth combination of speed, strength and patience. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138503" first="Clayton" last="Lonardo"] (2023)</strong> <strong>6-3, 200 ATH</strong> Another interesting story of development at his possession, the backup to senior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="127758" first="Garrett" last="Mmahat"] has become his teammate’s primary weapons downfield. Mmahat completed three passes, and Lonardo hauled in two of them for touchdowns, including a 72-yarder in the opening plays of the third quarter to push a 10-0 lead to 17-0 and a rout into gear. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138336" first="Leyton" last="Liuzza"] (2023)</strong> <strong>5-10, 150 K</strong> One of Louisiana’s better specialists connected on field goals of 22 and 42 yards to help keep pushing the point total even when the Patriots managed to hold up defensively in their territory. &nbsp; <strong>Jahron Manning (2022)</strong> <strong>6-0, 185 DB/WR</strong> The Crusaders’ defense contained the John Curtis offense nearly from start to finish, holding the Patriots to their season-low scoring output. And the speedy senior standout’s ability to support his bigger teammates and make tackle near or behind the line of scrimmage played a major role. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136660" first="Jordan" last="Thomas"]</strong> <strong>5-10, 190 RB/DB</strong> Another two-way senior standout who played a big role in the final regular season game of his high school career. Thomas added 109 yards and another touchdown on 19 carries to Lambert’s big day for a dominant ground performance overall for Brother Martin. &nbsp; <strong>JOHN CURTIS</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136534" first="Javon" last="Davis"] (2022)</strong> <strong>6-0, 170 ATH</strong> Javon Stoudmire-Davis has been a fantastic, three-phase leader for the young Patriots throughout an overall challenging season for the perennial powerhouse. And during a long contest against a veteran Catholic League rival, he helped finally put his team on the board with a second-half touchdown run. &nbsp; <strong>Ma’Lyk Smith (2022)</strong> <strong>RB/DB</strong> With Brother Martin already leading, 7-0, and looking for more, John Curtis managed to swipe an interception at the goal line by Smith that helped keep his Patriots within striking distance through at least the first half. &nbsp; <strong>Carl Wilson (2022)</strong> <strong>6-2, 190 WR</strong> Another senior who stepped up and tried to keep Curtis fighting with a long touchdown pass from his classmate, quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="136467" first="Buddy" last="Taylor"], as the typically run-dominant Patriots took to the air.