Eye-catchers from the Division-IV Select state championship

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vermilion Catholic's record-setting quarterback and his decorated senior class entered the weekend with one last chance to secure the state championship that had eluded their impressive résumé.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And, as they had so many times before, the veterans held lead the Screaming Eagles to victory, highlighted by another new mark for the history books by [player_tooltip player_id='291147' first='Jonathan' last='Dartez'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vermilion Catholic battled back and forth with Ouachita Christian through the first half, not unlike the teams' 2022 meeting on same Caesars Superdome turf.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Only, this time, Dartez and company were the ones who managed to open a two-score lead and put away the other Eagles late to complete their undefeated season with the Division-IV Select title, 33-21.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at eight of the top eye-catchers from the contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWnOKa2IRk","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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=1lWnOKa2IRk </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jo<strong>nathan Dartez — 5-8, 170 QB— Vermilion Catholic (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles' star quarterback finished his prolific career with another record-setting effort. Dartez carried the ball 47 times — more than any other player in any LHSAA state championship game in any division — for 253 yards and two touchdowns. The quick, tough athlete was a big play threat when given space to the outside, slipped his way through tight running lanes between the tackles and appeared to only gain strength as the game continued. He also completed eight of 11 passes for 82 yards and another two scores. He also made a leaping grab of a late OCS onside kick, securing the recovery to begin icing away the victory..</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1596698' first='Jyrin' last='Bessard'] — 5-7, 140 WR/DB — Vermilion Catholic (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The speedy senior skill standout was the top target for Dartez with three catches for 39 yards, including his 20-yard slice up the middle of the field for a third-quarter touchdown that helped Vermilion Catholic double its lead and tighten its grip. Bessard also broke up two passes and nearly intercepted one on the sideline, but was ruled out of bounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1596703' first='Allen' last='McLain III'] — 5-11, 180 LB/TE — Vermilion Catholic (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another two-way senior playmaker who helped lead the Eagles once again, McLain was a disruptive force on defense with three of his team-high seven tackles coming behind the line, including a sack and a forced fumble. He also caught a 12-yard touchdown before halftime that turned a one-point deficit into a six-point lead heading into the break. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caleb Guidry — 5-8, 170 LB — Vermilion Catholic (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The junior had a few tackles during the contest, but really made his mark late with a red-zone interception with which he not only halted Ouachita Christian's potential go-ahead drive, but dashed 87 yards up the sideline to more than double Vermilion Catholic's lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG13jyQk_N0","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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=QG13jyQk_N0 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1596689' first='Luke' last='Vidrine'] — 5-11, 165 QB — Ouachita Christian (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like his counterpart, Ouachita Christian's senior quarterback earned his team's Outstanding Player honors with his huge performance. Vidrine completed 17 of his 28 passes for 322 yards and two touchdowns to lead his Eagles, consistently pushing well-placed throws downfield where his receivers could make plays against even tighter coverage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1596685' first='Cameron' last='Volion'] — 6-2, 180 WR — Ouachita Christian (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior led a physical showing by the OCS receivers who consistently made catches through contact and broke tackles after the catch to extend plays for additional yardage. Volion finished with game-highs of nine catches and 107 yards, including a 46 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put his team right back on Vermilion Catholic's heels. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1596679' first='Cooper' last='Russell'] — 6-5, 205 LB/TE — Ouachita Christian (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Russell stood out off the eye-test alone with his long frame in the center of the Ouachita Christian defense and followed through with a game-high 13 tackles — nearly as many as any other two players on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1596673' first='Aiden' last='Eldridge'] — 6-0, 170 DB — Ouachita Christian (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior defensive back played physically on the perimeter with six tackles and came away with one of the biggest defensive highlights of the game for OCS with an interception downfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->