Playoff Top Performers: University Lab vs. De La Salle

Two of Louisiana’s top Division-II powerhouses met in this year’s quarterfinals, a rematch of 2018 and 2019 semifinals and the 2017 state championship game. University Lab and De La Salle each flexed their defensive prowess in a low-scoring battle. But the Cubs managed a few more big plays in the other two phases to continue their season-long run of dominance, 29-7, and continue their hunt for the first title since back-to-back in 2017 and 2018. Here were a handful of U-High’s top performers, including a one or more from each grade, and a trio of the Cavaliers’ best, including a high-profile underclassman. <strong>UNIVERSITY LAB</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136479" first="Austin" last="Ausberry"] (2022)</strong> <strong>6-1, 205 DB/ATH</strong> The older Ausberry brother is most known for locking down opposing wide receivers as a fast and versatile defensive back. But his biggest highlight of the quarterfinals came in the final seconds of the first half on the other side of the ball. With a final opportunity to potentially build on an 15-7 lead, the Cubs split Ausberry out wide and sent him to the corner of the end zone where he easily hauled down a jump ball from quarterback Blake Abney to push the margin to 22-7 at the break. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138276" first="Jaiden" last="Ausberry"] (2023)</strong> <strong>6-2, 200 LB/ATH</strong> Austin’s younger brother made one of the first few major swing plays to help set the tone in another dominant defensive performance. With De La Salle leading a promising drive into U-High territory seeking its first score early in the second quarter, [player_tooltip player_id="138276" first="Jaiden" last="Ausberry"] seized an opportunity during a tackle and snatched the ball away from a Cavaliers’ carrier and darted the other direction out toward midfield. <strong>Jason Barnes Jr. (2022)</strong> <strong>5-8, 150 WR/ATH</strong> One of the Cubs’ biggest offensive playmakers all season long continues to get overlooked because of his size, but one week after another makes opponents pay in a wide range of ways. Barnes took an early toss in the backfield and threw a pass downfield to fellow senior wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id="136531" first="Edan" last="Stagg"] for a big gain. Then, later in the half, Abney hit him on a quick screen that he quickly broke off to the races for the 15-7 lead. <strong>Harry Beacham (2024)</strong> <strong>6-0, 200 LB</strong> The sophomore standout has continued to see his star rise throughout the season and certainly throughout the playoffs. Beacham’s older teammates all over a talented defense have started touting the wunderkind as one of notable underclassman prospects fans will be talking about for years to come. And he played that role well flying all over the field for easily a double-digit tackle performance. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="144905" first="Keylan" last="Moses"] (2025)</strong> <strong>6-1, 215 ATH/LB</strong> An even younger athlete on the Cubs’ defense drew major fanfare even before kicking off his freshman season, similar to older brother Dylan Moses, with a string of Power Five offers during the summer. And he helped U-High quickly take the upper hand in the quarterfinals. Moses burst through the line on a De La Salle punt to get the block that set up the game’s first score, a run by senior back Derrick Graham. <strong>DE LA SALLE</strong> <strong>Ramon Cole (2022)</strong> <strong>5-11, 290 DL</strong> As dominant as the Cubs were on defense, the Cavaliers were just a few plays off that same level of stinginess. U-High climbed ahead largely on the strength of a blocked punt, trick play and halftime heave. And De La Salle came up with one defensive stop after another, particularly during more than 20 straight shutout minutes to start the second half, but could never come up with any points to trim the margin. Cole was a big part of the team’s strong play up front, including flashing some impressive quickness at his size to pounce on a first-half fumble recovery. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136654" first="De’ante" last="LeBranch"] (2022)</strong> <strong>5-9, 175 DB/ATH</strong> One of the Cavaliers’ senior leaders, who earned a ranking in the spring for his junior performance as a defensive back, helped provide one of the team’s few offensive sparks. LeBranch showed off his quick feet to break free from the typically suffocating U-High defense and wind his way through a long gain into the red zone to set up a Myles Sider touchdown run to pull back within 8-7. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139490" first="Keidrick" last="Richardson"] (2024)</strong> <strong>5-11, 220 LB</strong> With the graduations of 2021 stars such as Montrell Johnson and Ja’Marian Peterson, the young defensive standout with an early LSU offer is one of the more prominent names left on the De La Salle roster from a recruiting standpoint. And Richardson pried the ball loose from a ball-carrier in the first quarter for a fumble which Cole recovered while the teams were starting to feel one another out a bit.