Top Performers: Episcopal (Baton Rouge) vs. Port Allen

The potential for a three-way tie for the District 8-2A crown remained intact Friday through a scoreless first half in Port Allen. But Episcopal (Baton Rouge) finally lit up the scoreboard on the third-quarter kickoff and came up with enough pivotal plays to cruise to the 28-0 shutout of the home Pelicans — and their and Dunham’s district title hopes. The Knights won their 20th straight regular-season game to maintain their momentum into the upcoming playoffs. &nbsp; <strong>Cooper Braud (2023)</strong> <strong>5-10, 180 ATH</strong> For the second straight week, the Knights’ backup quarterback hauled in a touchdown pass from junior starter Lewis Ward and ran another in. The Episcopal defense forced a quick three-and-out after the return touchdown to start the third quarter, and Ward hit Braud for a 44-yard strike the next play. The latter then found the gap on the goal line later in the quarter to push the margin to 21-0. &nbsp; <strong>Ethan Carmouche (2022)</strong> <strong>5-9, 175 RB</strong> The senior running back remained a go-to workhorse for the offense, even against a solid Port Allen defensive front. Episcopal went to Carmouche, among the Baton Rouge area’s most productive rushers, early and often as he continued pushing toward the 1,000-yard mark for the season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136523" first="Thomas" last="DArmond"] (2022)</strong> <strong>6-0, 195 WR</strong> One of the Knights’ brightest stars toughed through one nick and bruise after another to continue making plays both from the backfield and the perimeter, never staying sidelined for long and adding the fourth-quarter exclamation point on a 10-yard touchdown run. &nbsp; <strong>Dryden Duggins (2022)</strong> <strong>6-2, 200 WR/TE</strong> The recent Washington and Lee commit springboarded the strong second half with an impressive kickoff return which he handled well off the bounce, then reversed field and was off 83 yards to the races for the first points of the night. He then showed off his hands and strength on a reception over the middle on which he broke a handful of tackles and dragged multiple defenders about 10 yards well into the red zone. &nbsp; <strong>RJ Pickney (2025)</strong> <strong>5-8, 150 DB</strong> Shortly after Episcopal had taken its 14-0 lead, the freshman defensive back made a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch deep downfield in the third quarter to help the Knights really open the game up. &nbsp; <strong>PORT ALLEN</strong> <strong>Robert Amacker (2023)</strong> <strong>6-1, 225 DL</strong> The evening was tough for the Pelicans overall. Despite some nice plays, notably by senior quarterback Jeremiah Dehon and senior running back Titus Winfield, the offense could never quite punch the ball in and make things particularly interesting. The defense did hold Episcopal to its second-lowest scoring output of the season, though, despite momentum snowballing swiftly in the third quarter. And one of the clear names to know is junior defensive end Robert Amacker, who made plays in the opposing backfield just as he has all season long.