Eye-catchers from the Division-III Non-Select state championship

This year wasn't expected early on to be one in which Sterlington competed for a state championship, and a three-game, midseason losing streak further amplified those outside doubts.   But Lee Doty said his Panthers never lost their focus or belief. And the same was true this weekend as they shut out top-seeded St. James for the final quarter and a half of the Division-III Non-Select title game to put the final brush strokes on a season the coach called his staff's "Mona Lisa" masterpiece.   Sterlington won, 35-28, to avenge a 2023 semifinal loss to the Wildcats and claim its first championship since 2021.   Here's a look at 10 of the top eye-catchers from the contest.   <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=37szn674Uv4 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1596765' first='Hagen' last='Herring'] — 5-11, 150 RB — Sterlington (2025)   The senior earned Outstanding Player honors for his leading role in a balanced rushing attack with his 15 carries for 121 yards and two touchdowns, 28- and 43-yard breakaways for the go-ahead scores to start each half.   David Hickman — 5-11, 170 RB — Sterlington (2026)   The junior was a two-touchdown scorer for the Panthers as well with his 62 yards on 10 carries highlighted by an 18-yarder to regain the lead early in the second quarter and his 6-yarder in the fourth quarter to push the team to its final 35-28 lead.   [player_tooltip player_id='1610155' first='Cam' last='Bagwell'] — 6-1, 185 DL — Sterlington (2027)   The sophomore edge rusher's pair of second-half sacks and quarterback hurry highlighted an all-around disruptive and high-energy performance with his team-leading eight tackles   [player_tooltip player_id='1596787' first='Tomarion' last='Burch'] — 6-1, 240 LB — Sterlington (2025)   The stout senior linebacker was a hard-hitting force in the box with seven tackles and then put the exclamation mark on the victory with a late interception to abruptly halt St. James' last opportunity at a comeback.   Aidan Parker — 6-1, 170 K/P — Sterlington (2025)   The senior specialist averaged 55.2 yards on his five kickoffs, including three touchbacks; downed the Panthers' lone punt 49 yards downfield at the 8-yard line; and limited the explosive Wildcats to just eight total yards in the return game.   <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=yynqVYnxd6U </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='920681' first='Nolan' last='Zenon'] — 6-0, 185 LB — St. James (2026)   Outstanding Player honors tend to skew heavily in favor of offensive players, but the Wildcats' junior linebacker was the lone defender to buck that trend with a ridiculous 23-tackle performance that was impossible for voters to ignore. Seventeen of those stops were solo, and Zenon also forced a fumble.   Kani King-Young — 5-9, 190 RB — St. James (2026)   The Wildcats' standout running back was once again one of the Wildcats' biggest playmakers on offense, capping his big junior campaign with 24 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns, plus two catches for another 18 yards and a two-point conversion run.   [player_tooltip player_id='401966' first='Jakias' last='Villanueva'] — 5-6, 140 WR — St. James (2026)   St. James got the ball to its other veteran junior weapon consistently in the early-going to get the passing game and young quarterback into a rhythm. Villanueva finished with a team-high five catches for 42 yards and two rushes for 11 yards, a team-best 5.5 yards per carry and a touchdown.   [player_tooltip player_id='1291430' first='Ja'Juan' last='Jackson'] — 6-1, 205 QB — St. James (2028)   The freshman quarterback held his own on the big stage with a 12-for-20 passing performance for 179 yards and a 43-yard touchdown to fellow ninth-grader [player_tooltip player_id='1372172' first='Kamon' last='Mitchell'] before halftime. Jackson did a nice job of handling the moment and the Panthers' pressure, extending plays with his legs and keeping his eyes downfield to find his receivers.   [player_tooltip player_id='914096' first='Garry' last='White'] — 6-0, 160 DB — St. James (2025)   The senior corner's tackle total may not have been as eye-popping as Zenon's, but White's six, also among the team leaders, included a pair of particularly high-impact third- and fourth-down stops on the perimeter.

This year wasn't expected early on to be one in which Sterlington competed for a state championship, and a three-game, midseason losing streak further amplified those outside doubts.