By Bret H. McCormick
Jadon Mayfield has been one of the best, most decorated defensive players during Ruston’s greatest run over the past three decades.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound inside linebacker earned Class 5A first-team all-state by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association as both a sophomore and a junior, and he’s a virtual lock to do so again this year with a chance to be named the Defensive Player of the Year.
On a team full of decorated stars and future college players, the Louisiana Tech commit capped his fantastic career Saturday night winning the Division I Non-Select state championship.
Mayfield led the Bearcat defense with 12 tackles Saturday night, including 2.5 sacks and two additional tackles for loss.
DEFENSE DIDN’T DISAPPOINT: Ruston’s defense came into the state title game allowing opponents to rush for 105 yards per game on the season.
They did even better than that against Zachary’s high-powered offense, which featured a 1,000-yard rusher in senior Kameron Thomas.
The Bearcats held Thomas, who rushed for 242 yards in a quarterfinal win over Destrehan and another 144 yards in last week’s semifinal victory against Dutchtown, to just 51 rushing yards in the game.
The Broncos finished with a total of 82 rushing yards on 26 carries, an average of just 3.2 yards per carry. Ruston had given up an average of 3.4 yards per carry on the season entering the title game.
RUN GAME STRUGGLES: Ruston had its own struggles in the running game as the Broncos schemed to slow down junior tailbacks Jordan Hayes and Dylone Brooks.
Hayes and Brooks were bottled up all game long as they combined for just 17 rushing yards in the game. They entered the championship game averaging over 200 yards in the Bearcats’ three previous playoff victories.
Junior quarterback Josh Brantley was the only Bearcat who found success on the ground, rushing for 134 yards and three touchdowns.
Because of a botched snap on a punt that lost 38 yards and set up Zachary’s first touchdown in the second quarter, the Bearcats finished with a total of 112 rushing yards in the game, an average of 2.7 yards per carry.
MALONE SHINES IN THIRD QUARTER: Logan Malone had the game of his life in the third quarter.
The senior receiver made all five of his receptions for 112 yards in the third quarter as the Bearcats adjusted to Zachary loading up the box to stop the run.
On the opening drive of the quarter Brantley connected with Malone for 27 yards and a first down on 3rd and 1. Malone then caught a 5-yarder and a 20-yard pass to the Zachary 5 on the next two plays, which helped set up a 3-yard TD run by Brantley to take a 17-10 lead.
On the final drive of the quarter, after Zachary had tied the game at 17, Malone made his biggest play of the game, breaking free over the middle for a 51-yard gain to the Zachary 24.
Brantley did the rest of the work on the drive, finishing it off with a 9-yard score to put the Bearcats ahead 24-17.
