LHSAA State Championship Top Performers: Lutcher vs. North DeSoto
D’Wanye’ Winfield had looked throughout his senior season like a man on a mission who would not be denied. And once again, with Lutcher back in the Caesars Superdome for the first time since 2016, the star quarterback remained on…
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Continue ReadingD’Wanye’ Winfield had looked throughout his senior season like a man on a mission who would not be denied.
And once again, with Lutcher back in the Caesars Superdome for the first time since 2016, the star quarterback remained on brand and up to the billing with a memorable performance to complete the job in his and his classmates’ final game with coach Dwain Jenkins and company.
Winfield and the Bulldogs’ 2023 class led the way with big plays in all three phases en route to a 28-25 defeat of North DeSoto in the Division-II nonselect state championship game.
D’Wanye’ Winfield (6-3, 215 ATH/QB | 2023)
The star quarterback unloaded a prolific rushing performance for the ages in the Bulldogs’ semifinal victory with 331 yards of seemingly unstoppable bulldozing. A stout, disciplined North DeSoto defense was determined not to let Winfield dominate in the same fashion the following week. So, instead, “Lunch” showed off his often-underrated passing ability to burn the Griffins for three touchdowns and nearly 300 yards through the air. He finished 20-for-32 for 299 yards and the three scores with no interceptions to lead Lutcher to its first state championship since 2016 and earn Outstanding Player honors in the process. He also rushed 43 times for another 130 yards and a score to help eat the clock and ice away the win.
Winfield finished the season with 2,477 yards and 38 touchdowns on 318 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and 2,180 yards, 32 scores and four interceptions on 136-for-200 passing (68.0 percent). The rushing yards and scores both marked program records for the traditional power.
Craydon Long (5-9, 180 DB | 2023)
Lutcher wasn’t a big takeaway team during the regular season, but began snatching critical turnovers throughout the playoffs to culminate in five in the title game. The senior cornerback took advantage of a young, albeit talented opposing quarterback for three interceptions to help the Bulldogs take control, and actually left frustrated that he hadn’t secured a fourth. Long finished the season with seven picks, three tackles for loss and 37 solo tackles.
Tylin Johnson (5-10, 175 WR/ATH | 2023)
Winfield completed passes to five different receivers, but top target Johnson hauled in nearly half with nine catches for 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Lutcher, particularly the past few seasons, was known for its success running the football — due in no small part to how unstoppable Winfield appeared to be doing so most weeks. But Johnson, a talented receiver capable of going up and making plays over defenders, returned from a missed junior season to catch 42 passes for 750 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.
Luke Delafield Luke Delafield 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB North DeSoto | 2026 State LA (6-1, 165 QB | 2026)
The Griffins’ passer is one of few freshman quarterbacks in Louisiana history to lead his team to a state championship game, and the results were fitting for a young player against a strong, veteran defense on a big stage, but talented enough to have earned the opportunity in the first place. Delafield completed 23 of his 39 pass attempts for 320 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He had half a dozen or so miscues, but still completed 59.0 of his passes in a vertical passing attack that averaged more than 14 yards per completion in all and made several of the week’s best throws that showed glimpses of why his coaches project him to be one of the nation’s best 2026 quarterbacks before his high school career is finished. Delafield finished the season 165-for-279 for 2,504 yards, 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Hunter Addison (5-10, 175 DB | 2023)
The senior safety finished with a game-high 16 tackles that marked more than any other two players — on either team — combined. A ridiculous 13 of those were solo stops as he flew around the field and arrived often with highlight-reel physicality. Addison finished the season with a team-best 117 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a pair of touchdowns.