Playoff Top Performers: Lafayette Christian vs. Newman

Fans all over Louisiana tuned in last Friday for a second straight year’s semifinal showdown between well-known Division III programs Lafayette Christian and Isidore Newman. And while both rosters included their shares of notable talent, the Greenies’ star junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="138484" first="Arch" last="Manning"] was — as he tends to be — the clear headliner entering the broadcast. But his counterpart, Knights sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="139261" first="Ju’Juan" last="Johnson"], stole the show in a dominant 49-7 victory by the Knights to continue their mission to win a fifth straight state championship. Here were five of the top performers for LCA. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139261" first="Ju’Juan" last="Johnson"] (2024)</strong> <strong>5-10, 175 QB</strong> Alphabetical order be damned. No top performers list for this contest could have started anywhere other than the young quarterback, who had his best game yet in his biggest game to that point. Johnson completed all 10 of his first-half passes for 309 yards and three touchdowns and ran in another pair to help send the Knights’ rout into full-throttle. <strong>Alex Beard (2023)</strong> <strong>5-9, 145 WR</strong> Johnson’s primary target for the offensive fireworks was Alex Beard, who hauled in three of those passes for 164 yards and two scores. The junior wide receiver has come up behind high-profile stars not just at LCA, but in the Lafayette area as a whole and consistently impressed with his route-running and sure hands. And this season, particularly during the postseason run, Beard has flashed big-play ability to blow the top off opposing defenses vertically. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136536" first="Cowinn" last="Helaire"] (2022)</strong> <strong>5-10, 150 WR</strong> The senior receiver caught Johnson’s third touchdown over the middle to start the second quarter and give the Knights four touchdowns on their first four drives. Lafayette Christian had big shoes, most notably Sage Ryan, on the offensive side of the football. [player_tooltip player_id="136494" first="Darian" last="Riggs"] was the biggest known, returning commodity on that side of the ball, but the emergence of Beard and Helaire was critical for the team’s continued success. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145325" first="Ty" last="Lee"] (2024)</strong> <strong>6-0, 165 DB</strong> On the other side of the ball, the secondary returned Division-I prospects in [player_tooltip player_id="136630" first="Jordan" last="Allen"] and [player_tooltip player_id="136632" first="Brylan" last="Green"], but had to replace Ryan, Anthony Richard Jr. and others. And the emergence of sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="145325" first="Ty" last="Lee"] on the far side of the field from Allen has been big. The young cornerback has the early look of one of the state’s better prospects for the 2024 recruiting class as he continues to develop. <strong>Brayden Zeigler (2022)</strong> <strong>6-0, 220 LB</strong> For all the talent and success of the secondary, the Knights’ strength up front and pressure from the front seven have set the tone and given Manning fits each of the past two postseasons. Both last year and last week, senior linebacker Brayden Zeigler made the most of the pass-rushing lanes left as Greenies blockers try to react to LCA’s linemen. He recorded a couple tackles for loss and made a couple more big hits, including one on Manning, and hauled in an interception on a deflected pass.