Photo by T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Prep football team is headed to Eunice as the 24th-seeded Panthers prepare to face the ninth-seeded St. Edmund Blue Jays in the first-round action of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Select School Division IV playoffs.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. tonight.
Panthers coach Chaunce Davison realizes his team will be facing a challenge against a Blue Jays team that is 8-2 but is coming off a 37-22 road loss to Westminster Christian Academy that snapped a four game win streak.
Those victories came by the score of 48-0 over Bolton Academy, 52-50 over Catholic of Pointe Coupee, 58-36 over Sacred Heart and 60-0 over Berchmans Academy.
Davison knows the Blue Jays will be looking to bounce back from last week’s loss.
“St. Edmund looks like a disciplined, well-coached team,” Davison said. “They run a spread offense and have a good, 6-3 quarterback running it.
“They’re going to come in hungry and will be ready. So, we’re going to have to be ready, too.”
Facing the spread isn’t something that causes Davison major concern as the Panthers, who enter the game against St. Edmund at 5-5, have been strong against the pass, totaling 13 interceptions on the year.
“We have done pretty good against the spread this season and it looks like we match up pretty good. But we’ll see. It’ll come down to focus and execution.”
Jabari Levingston leads the Panthers with five interceptions while Trey Spann has added four and Zion Hicks and Josiah Spann have chipped in with two each.
Junior running back Nathan Driggs is St. Edmunds biggest rushing weapon and is averaging 121.9 yards rushing per game while sophomore RB Cooper Berzas is adding 55.0 yards per contest on the ground for the Blue Jays.
Driggs has also rushed for 14 scores on the season.
But St. Edmund also has a solid aerial attack with senior quarterback Wyatt Dubois connecting on 62-of-114 passes for 1,586 yards with 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Dubois also leads the Blue Jays defensively with 9.0 tackles per game.
Junior receiver Judson Simon is Dubois’ top target and has hauled in 19 receptions for 501 yards and seven touchdowns.
Lincoln Prep will likely try to run first, but the Panthers are capable of throwing, as evidenced by sophomore quarterback Josh Kelley’s three score, 286-yard passing performance in a Week 8 contest at Cedar Creek.
Levingston, a sophomore, leads the Panthers with 766 rushing yards on 61 carries with 12 touchdowns but has added receiving to his offensive repertoire late in the season with nine receptions for 247 yards and one touchdown.
He also ranks second in team tackles with 54, behind only J. Shelton, who has 65.
“Jabari is an athlete,” Davison said. “He’s one of those kids that if you get him the ball, running or catching, he’s going to make something happen. And then he’s such a good defender, too.
“He’s one of those guys who can do whatever he wants if he sets his mind to it. Last year he made his mark in basketball as a freshman. This year it’s football where he’s doing his thing, too. He probably needs to be out there playing baseball, too, because he’s just that good an athlete. A natural athlete.”
Kelly has completed 27-of-38 passes on the year for 579 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 123 yards and four scores on 17 carries.
“Josh has done a great job for us,” Davison said. “He didn’t start the season as our quarterback but making that change and having him take over seemed to give us a spark that we needed. He’s a smart guy, a cool guy who’s not going to try to do too much.
“He has a good football IQ and is becoming a big leader for us not necessarily with his words at this point but with his actions. He just handles himself well and does things right whether it’s in practice or in games.”
Trey Spann has added 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers on 21 carries and is Lincoln Prep’s top receiver with 26 catches for 247 yards and six scores.
“Trey is another one of those kids who can do anything he sets his mind to doing,” Davison said. “He has more focus, and a better work ethic, than most kids his age.”
Davison said it’s that kind of mentality the Panthers will need tonight against St. Edmund.
“This team has come a long way since the start of the season,” Davison said. “But we can’t take even one play off against St. Edmund. We need to stay focused and play hard from start to finish until the final second runs off the clock.
“We’re where we wanted to be — in the playoffs. What happens from here is up to this team. I believe in them. All of our coaches believe in them. But they have to believe in themselves, too. It’s going to come down to focus and execution. If we do a good job at that, then I like our chances.”
