Eye-catchers from 1st-ever Lafayette Christian vs. Carencro game

Both Carencro and Lafayette Christian, located just 3 miles apart, have spent seasons in Class 4A and have consistently made deep playoff runs at multiple classification levels.   But those neighboring, perennially contending football programs' respective paths had never crossed until Friday in one of the marquee matchups of Louisiana's Week 2 state.   Lafayette Christian, back in Class 2A this season, made the most of the opportunity with touchdowns in all three phases to help pull ahead of and hold off the Class 5A Bears, 38-21, for the first victory with new coach Zach Lochard and quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1601816' first='Braylon' last='Walker'] at the respective helms.   Here's a look at 12 of the standouts on both teams who caught our eye on Friday.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVRlJqTyMSA </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1224578' first='Calvin' last='Parker III'] — 5-9, 185 ATH — Lafayette Christian (2025)   The versatile senior standout busted an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter to provide the Knights an early spark and the benefit of playing from ahead from start to finish. He also lined up in a variety of positions on offense, including a 22-yard reception and a snap at quarterback, and was among the team leaders with five tackles flying around on defense.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV0t8ArmUYY </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='710782' first='Chris' last='Helaire'] — 5-8, 160 DB — Lafayette Christian (2025)   Another senior helped provide the spark to open the second half with a strong jab to the Bears' comeback hopes when he read a play to the sideline on the opening Carencro drive, jumped the pass and dashed 50 yards the opposite direction for a pick-six. Helaire's eighth career interception pulled into a tie for No. 2 in program history, a testament to his preparation, instincts, quickness and ball skills.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtGp_yUYUwU </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1601816' first='Braylon' last='Walker'] — 5-11, 160 QB/ATH — Lafayette Christian (2026)   The Knights' new quarterback follows the big shoes of the state's all-time leader in career touchdowns and yardage, but has shown some of his own flashes of big-play potential with both his legs and his arm that has his coaches and teammates so confident with him taking over the role. Walker threw a 47-yard touchdown strike to [player_tooltip player_id='924621' first='Brayden' last='Allen'] among his 8-for-13 passing for 110 yards and rushed 14 times for 78 yards, including the team's longest run of 21 yards, and two touchdowns.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJg_ipuxMdk </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1345269' first='Luke' last='Green'] — 6-2, 170 DB — Lafayette Christian (2026)   The junior safety looked the part of the highly ranked Prep Redzone Louisiana prospect following a strong tradition of Division-I talent at the position the Knights' secondary. Green seemed to live around the ball in the box and from sideline to sideline with a game-high 13 tackles, often explosive hits near the line of scrimmage.   Jaeden Winters — 6-2, 200 LB — Lafayette Christian (2025)   and Jaimason Marzell — 6-2, 195 LB/DL — Lafayette Christian (2026)   A pair of tall, athletic pass-rushers were among the new standouts to hit the Prep Redzone Louisiana with their consistent disruptive play, including a combined 12 tackles, a sack by Marzell and a forced fumble by Winters. The emergence of that duo could be pivotal in the Knights' quest for a state championship as their pressure helps complement Helaire, Green and company in the secondary.   [player_tooltip player_id='914215' first='Jalen' last='Noel'] — 5-9, 195 RB — Lafayette Christian (2025)   The senior running back led the Knights' rushing attack with 26 carries for 134 yards behind a big offensive line anchored by veterans Britt Miller (2025) and [player_tooltip player_id='920611' first='Kaleb' last='Campbell'] (2026), helping carry drives to the goal line to set up Walker's touchdown runs and then added his own score late — managing to beat a defender to the end zone even as a cramp set in — to effectively shut the door on the Bears' final potential comeback hopes.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG7iezlS31s </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='710967' first='Chantz' last='Babineaux'] — 6-0, 190 QB/ATH — Carencro (2026)   The Bears' record-setting star led the offense the bulk of the contest at quarterback, showcasing some of his athleticism on several solid runs and spreading the ball around to a few different receivers through the air. He also took advantage of a few opportunities at reps in other positions as Carencro worked to get him the ball in a variety of ways.   Brian Angelle Jr. — 5-9, 165 DB — Carencro (2025)   The small, but speed defensive back, nicknamed "Doo," was among the Bears' top performers before suffering an ankle injury. A pair of his defensive highlights helped force an early Knights punt on the opening possession: a tackle for loss he quickly read and broke on well for a solid open-field stop behind the line of scrimmage, and then a break-up deep downfield the other direction. And Angelle also provided a spark on special teams with multiple explosive returns to help provide positive field position.   [player_tooltip player_id='426969' first='Brian' last='Amune'] Jr. — 5-10, 175 LB/RB — Carencro (2025)   Another Bears standout who covers a ton of ground in a hurry and plays more physically than his measurables. Amune has been a tackle machine early this season, while also chipping into the Carencro rushing attack on the other side of the ball. And in Friday's matchup, he broke off the edge on an extra-point attempt to block the kick.   [player_tooltip player_id='1372164' first='Carson' last='Gurzi'] — 6-1, 190 QB — Carencro (2028)   The freshman quarterback, one of Louisiana's top young passers, looks to have grown 2 or 3 inches since hitting the Prep Redzone Louisiana radar this past winter and is looking more and more the part early in his varsity career. Gurzi is already earning snaps on Friday night, which helps free Babineaux up as a versatile weapon and creates further challenges for opponents. He completed multiple passes in the big matchup and also took an explosive shot late in the game and showed his toughness in getting back up and continued to lead the drive down the field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1618861' first='Brandon' last='Duffy Jr.'] — 6-0, 195 WR/DB/ATH — Carencro (2028)   Just two weeks into the high school careers of 2028 prospects, and the Bears' freshman group looks increasingly intriguing each week out. Gurzi and [player_tooltip player_id='409932' first='Hayden' last='Monroe'] were on Prep Redzone Louisiana's watch list for the class, and another few promising young athletes are already garnering praise from coaches and hitting the PRZLA radar. Duffy, the versatile two-way and two-sport athlete, broke free for a sideline catch in the second half.

Both Carencro and Lafayette Christian, located just 3 miles apart, have spent seasons in Class 4A and have consistently made deep playoff runs at multiple classification levels.