SHREVEPORT – A game winning field goal with just five seconds left on the clock was the dramatic end to a game that Catholic High football fans won’t soon forget. 

Against the third-seeded Calvary Baptist (10-3), the Panthers pulled out all the stops, first to take a commanding 21-10 lead, then again to tie the game with a 24-24 and finally to come away with the win after a failed two-point conversion and a successful onside kick in the final minute of the game. 

“I’m so proud of these guys,” said head coach Matt Desormeaux after the game. “There were so many times that they could have given up this game, but all of them battled for 48 minutes. This is a hell of a team and I knew we needed some things to go our way. I just can’t say enough good things about them.”

The Panthers pulled ahead to a 14-7 lead just before halftime thanks to receiving touchdowns by seniors Jaiden Mitchell and Joseph LeBlanc. A Cavalier field goal cut the lead down to four points just before the break. 

Turnovers gave Calvary an opportunity to get back into the game, with the tying field goal coming from CHS senior Bennet Boudreaux with 3:25 left in the contest. Another TD from the Cavaliers was answered with a touchdown catch by senior Joseph LeBlanc, his second of the night, but a failed two-point conversion to take the lead left the Panthers trailing by one point with 1:03 left to play. 

The CHS onside kick was recovered by Chris Green, giving Catholic High good field position to begin their final drive. A successful conversion on fourth and long with 37 seconds remaining moved the ball down to the nine-yard line, where Boudreaux scored his second field goal of the night to clinch the 33-31 win. 

“At the time, I was just trying to think back to how many times I have practiced that kick,” Boudreaux said about his thoughts before the game-winning field goal. “I try not to think about the pressure too much. I knew when I made contact with the ball that it was going to go in. It’s a great feeling. It’s not every game that I get to kick three field goals and it feels amazing that I got to kick in this scenario.” 

Junior Owen Morris led the way for CHS running backs with 83 yards, joined by senior Tristan Lewis (4-46 yards, 1 TD) and JohnDavid Hidalgo (3-5 yards). 

Senior WR Jaiden Mitchell made the most of his 12 receiving opportunities, scoring once and racking up 84 yards. Joseph LeBlanc (3-44 yards, 2 TDs), Gavin Roy (4-41 yards) and Jake Wyman (6-28 yards) also contributed to the win.

Senior QB Luke Landry ended the game with 245 passing yards and three touchdowns, completing 21 of 44 passes and adding an additional 38 yards on the ground. 

Landry’s performance was praised by Desormeaux, who credited the hard work that his senior leader has put in both on and off the field for much of the team’s success this season. 

“Luke’s a warrior. The day that I got named head coach two days ago, he came to meet with me to talk about the offense,” said Desormeaux. “Everything that we’ve accomplished has a lot to do with his character and his work ethic. He’s always there on Monday morning to look at film, never skipping reps and that’s why we are where we are.”

The win marks Catholic High’s return to the LHSAA Prep Classic for the first time since 2018, when the Panthers lost 42-21 to Notre Dame after defeating the Pios in the state championship game the year before.

If CHS wants to leave New Orleans with the school’s third state championship, they will first need to nullify top-seeded Dunham and the Tigers’ high-flying offense. 

In last week’s semifinal matchup against then-undefeated Bunkie, Dunham overcame a one-point deficit at halftime to pull away for a 46-22 win. Two-way star Elijah Haman, the top-rated sophomore in Louisiana, completed 18 of his 36 passes for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns, adding 179 yards and three more TDs on the ground. 

Catholic High has faced talented QBs before, however, holding opponents to no more than 31 points all season and recording eight wins with fewer than 10 points allowed. Against Calvary, senior trio Izaac Andre, JD Hidalgo and Bennett Woodring combined for 41 tackles. DB Chris Green added eight more, with Layton Mitchell and Karon Eugene each recording six. Jace Riskowski had the Panthers’ only sack of the game.  

The Panthers will return to action in the Select Division III state championship on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans.