NEW ORLEANS – A crucial interception by sophomore DB Karon Eugene inside the Panthers’ own endzone clinched a dramatic 31-28 victory for Catholic High over top-seeded The Dunham School in the 2024 Select Division III state championship game Friday at the Caesar’s Superdome.

With just 53 seconds left in the game and the Tigers looking to complete the fourth-quarter comeback from the Panthers’ three-yard line, Eugene said he knew that his team needed him to come up with one more big play. 

“They said go make a play, we went out there and made a play,” Eugene said.

The interception, Eugene’s eighth of the season, returned Catholic High to the championship ranks for the third time, following wins in 1962 and 2017. 

Catholic High might have ended the game on a high note, but it certainly didn’t start out that way. After falling behind to Dunham 14-3 in the first quarter, senior QB Luke Landry and the rest of the Panthers offense began to settle into the game. A 14-yard rush by senior Tristan Lewis cut Dunham’s lead to four points just two minutes into the second quarter, while senior linebackers Bennett Woodring and JohnDavid Hidalgo each took a turn scoring on offense before halftime, Woodring from a one-yard rush and Hidalgo from a two-yard pass.

Senior Joseph LeBlanc scored Catholic High’s only points of the second half from a six-yard pass, increasing the lead to 31-14 with 8:14 remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers struck back in the fourth quarter, scoring from a one-yard quarterback run with 8:51 left in the game. Junior receiver Trevor Haman cut the lead to just three points following a 42-yard reception with just under four minutes remaining. 

With the Tigers deep inside the redzone and the momentum on their side, Catholic High’s defense once again stepped up to the challenge to force a fourth and goal situation. Rather than kick the game-tying field goal, Dunham head coach Neil Weiner decided to put the game on the line for a fourth quarter try. Karon Eugene’s interception sealed the win.

Senior QB Luke Landry completed 19 of 35 passes for two touchdowns plus an additional 62 rushing yards to earn Most Outstanding Player honors. Junior RB Owen Morris ended the night with 70 rushing yards from 14 carries and 73 receiving yards from six catches. 

CHS coach Matt Desormeaux praised his team’s offensive performance, including Landry’s ability to find time and space to deliver the correct pass.

“Our goal is to find points when we get into the red zone and that’s what we did,” Desormeaux explained. “We continued to click. With all the weapons we have I know it’s difficult and credit to Dunham for taking different things away. Credit to Luke for finding the open guy. Our offense played lights out all game.”

Catholic High’s 2024 campaign began with a 14-10 Week 1 loss to Vermilion Catholic before the Panthers mounted an impressive 13-game win streak that saw them take downNo. 2 seed Isidore Newman, 31-0, and No. 3 seed Calvary Baptist, 33-31, both on the road. 

Landry, who finished the season with 2,847 yards passing and 39 TDs, led a Panther offense that outscored opponents 589-184 this year.