Eye-catchers from U-High vs. Madison Prep quarterfinal

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A rematch of Baton Rouge rivals not only lived up to the hype, but actually proved more back-and-forth and even tighter down the stretch than their regular-season battle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The offenses managed to find more success the second time around, but each defense stood up for timely stops, including key takeaways that helped University Lab survive, 32-30, and advance to the semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at eight of the eye-catching standouts from the contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='212343' first='Lamar' last='Brown'] — 6-4, 295 DL/OL — University Lab (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The highest-ranked player in Louisiana's senior class rose to the occasion in a major way when his team needed him most, playing most — if not all — snaps on both sides of the ball and making his impact felt in a major way, including in the game's highest-leverage moments. Brown pounced on an early goal-line fumble in the end zone to provided the Cubs their first lead and chased down a strip sack late that preserved the victory in the final minutes of a tight game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1581315' first='Lawson' last='Dixon'] — 5-11, 185 WR — University Lab (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Southeastern Louisiana commit was the Cubs' go-to target through the air, highlighted by an explosive touchdown early on which he spun by the first defender, accelerated downfield for huge yards after the catch and then leaped by another attempted tackle and into the end zone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='401981' first='Sage' last='Ingram'] — 6-0, 190 RB — University Lab (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior running back proved the biggest offensive weapon in the U-High win as the Cubs started finding success with tempo and the ground game just before halftime and into the second half. Ingram racked up about 150 yards on about 10 yards per carry with a couple of long touchdown runs on which he showed some good burst in the open field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1737066' first='Jordan' last='Pinnock'] — 6-5, 235 EDGE— University Lab (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>Talamesi Albert — 6-0, 235 LB — University Lab (2028)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown wasn't the only Cubs' defender in the box able to swipe loose fumbles with strong, violent hands as they closed on tackles. Both Pinnock on another strip-sack and Albert on a rip away from a ball-carrier forced important turnovers in a game in which U-High's advantage in the turnover margin was critical.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1603222' first='Javen' last='Holmes'] — 6-2, 200 DB — Madison Prep (2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As per usual, Madison Prep's defense enjoyed a long list of playmakers at every level stepping up at different points when called upon from big bodies [player_tooltip player_id='1603228' first='Victor' last='Hollins'] and Malachi Cage anchoring the front, to [player_tooltip player_id='710982' first='Ryan' last='Variste'] flying around the box for tackles and [player_tooltip player_id='739753' first='Landon' last='Johnson'] with at least one touchdown-saving breakup deep downfield. Holmes, the Houston-committed senior safety, was all over the field as much as anyone with big, hard-hitting stops and pass breakups alike. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1782517' first='J'on' last='Profit'] — 5-9, 175 RB — Madison Prep (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1815384' first='Harlem' last='Turner'] — 5-8, 180 RB — Madison Prep (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Chargers did the bulk of their damage on the ground with their junior running back duo highlighting the night behind their big offensive line, each gashing their way to multiple big gains and a touchdown a piece.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->