NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - It’s a matchup between the top two seeds to determine the Louisiana Division III Non-Select state champion.
Defending champion Sterlington, the No. 2 seed, takes on top-seeded Jena Friday afternoon in the Caesars Superdome as part of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s Prep Classic.
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Sterlington enters Friday’s game at 11-2. Last week, the Panthers rolled past St. James - the same team they beat to win the title last season - 63-38 in the semifinal round. Sterlington is bidding to win state for the fourth time in program history.
As for Jena, the Giants are making their first-ever trip to the Superdome to play for a state title. After reaching the semifinals each of the past two seasons, the Giants (12-1) finally broke through with a 30-6 semifinal win against Union Parish.
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STERLINGTON 34, JENA 20 FINAL
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POSTGAME
- Sterlington was out-gained in Friday's game. Panthers finished with 309 total yards - 287 of those on the ground. Jena had 417 yards of total offense (222 rushing and 195 passing).
- Sterlington is able to defend its state championship, going back-to-back and also claiming championship gold for the fourth time in program history. The Panthers rallied from a 12-7 halftime deficit, scoring 27 second-half points.
FOURTH QUARTER
- TOUCHDOWN JENA. Giants get a late score, on a 39-yard pass from John McPhereson to Adrian Sharp. Sedrick Wilson adds a two-point run. (Sterlington, 34-20 | :21, 4th)
- PICK-SIX TOUCHDOWN STERLINGTON. Wow, Panthers with two pick-sixes in less than two minutes. This time, it was Tre Burch who jumped the route and grabs the pass, going in untouched from 34 yards out. PAT is blocked. (Sterlington, 34-12 | 4:58, 4th)
- PICK-SIX TOUCHDOWN STERLINGTON. Devyn Downs, an LSU baseball commit, may have sealed the Panthers' bid to repeat as state champions as he picks off a pass and brings it back 37 yards. PAT is missed. (Sterlington, 28-12 | 6:21, 4th)
- Sterlington punts it away. Jena takes over at its own 20 with 6:34 left, trailing by 10.
- Sterlington forces Jena to punt, and the Panthers have the ball and a 10-point lead with more than nine minutes to go.
- Through three quarters, Jena has 293 yards of total offense, while Sterlington had 280 total yards - 258 of those coming on the ground.
THIRD QUARTER
- TOUCHDOWN STERLINGTON. Panthers take advantage of the takeaway, going 64 yards in nine plays. Xavier Rawls-Stromile ended it with a 21-yard run to the house, and William Lyon adds the PAT. (Sterlington, 22-12 | :11, 3rd)
- FUMBLE RECOVERY STERLINGTON. Panthers come up with a takeaway inside their own 40. Steven English forced the fumble and also recovered it with more than three minutes to go in the period.
- TOUCHDOWN AND 2-POINT CONVERSION STERLINGTON. Panthers score on their opening drive of the half, going 72 yards in five plays, all runs. TJ Burch darts 37 yards to the house and then adds a two-point run. (Sterlington, 15-12 | 7:59, 3rd)
- Jena forced to punt after coming up short on a third-down play, and Sterlington will take over.
- Jena receives the ball to start the second half.
HALFTIME
- Jena had 241 yards of total offense in the opening half, while Sterlington had 144 total yards.
SECOND QUARTER
- Jena into Sterlington territory, but turns the ball over on downs at the Sterlington 25 with 13 seconds to go in the half.
- FUMBLE RECOVERY JENA. Giants get a takeaway late in the half, forcing a fumble, with Elijah Townsend making the recovery at his own 35.
- Jena goes for it on fourth down inside the Sterlington 40 but a pass goes incomplete. Panthers take over with 2:47 left in the opening half.
- Ball goes in and out of the hands of a Sterlington receiver on third down, and the Panthers will punt. Jena takes over and has the ball near the halfway point of the quarter.
- TOUCHDOWN JENA. In just one play after taking over on their second drive, the Giants take the lead on a 74-yard TD pass from John McPhereson to Zadrien Cooper, who catches a pass in double coverage and then gets away from them both to take it to the house. Two-point pass fails. That scoring drive took 13 seconds. (Jena, 12-7 | 8:39, 2nd)
- Sterlington goes for it on a fourth down inside the Jena 30 but a pass falls incomplete. Jena takes over, down by a point with 8:52 left in the opening half.
- TOUCHDOWN JENA. Giants score on their opening drive, also a lengthy one, as they move 74 yards in 15 plays in 5:57, capped by a 10-yard rushing score by Sedrick Wilson. Giants go for two but don't get it, and Sterlington is still in front. (Sterlington, 7-6 | 11:27, 2nd)
- Both teams had the ball once in the opening quarter. Sterlington had 63 total yards, all rushing, while Jena had 64 total yards - 37 of that rushing.
FIRST QUARTER
- Jena used up the remaining 5:26 off the first-quarter clock. The Giants have the ball at the Sterlington 10 as the quarter comes to an end.
- Jena converts on a third down play and the Giants are into Sterlington territory on their opening series.
- TOUCHDOWN STERLINGTON. Impressive opening drive for the Panthers, who go 63 yards in 14 plays - all runs and taking 6:34 off the clock. TJ Burch finishes it off with a 3-yard plunge, and Jae'lon Bush tacks on the PAT. (Sterlington, 7-0 | 5:26, 1st)
- Sterlington now has a first-and-goal at the 3. The Panthers have used up nearly six and a half minutes on this opening series.
- Sterlington converts on a fourth-and-short. The Panthers are almost to the red zone as we are already five minutes in.
- Sterlington marching on the opening series, as the Panthers are inside the Jena 40.
- A short kickoff, and Sterlington will start at its own 37-yard line.
PREGAME
- Sterlington wins the toss, but in a twist, the Panthers elect to receive the opening kickoff.
- About to get things started here in the Dome. Sterlington wearing all white and Jena wearing all black.
- Live from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, coming off a wild and epic Division II Non-Select title game. Can this game coming up be just as exciting? We’re about to find out, as Sterlington takes on Jena for the Division III Non-Select championship.
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