Westgate advances to Class 4A state championship game

Published 10:40 pm Friday, December 3, 2021

The Westgate High School football team advanced to the LHSAA Prep Football Classic for the first time in school history Friday, beating top-seeded Edna Karr 27-20 in a thrilling game that went down to the final minute at Behrman Stadium in Algiers.

After a field goal pushed Westgate’s lead to 7 points with two minutes to go, Karr needed only one play following the kickoff to get into Westgate territory inside the 40.

But a penalty moved the ball back and with 25.5 seconds to go, Lil Darnell Benjamin forced a fumble on a quarterback scramble and Zyion Madison recovered the ball to seal the win.

It was Westgate’s first trip to the semifinals since reaching the semis three out of four years from 2007-2010.

Westgate, the No. 5 seed in Class 4A, will play third-seeded Warren Easton in the championship game at the Caesars Superdome. Warren Easton beat No. 2 Neville 45-17 Friday.

The Prep Classic, which features the non-select schools (classes A through 5A), will be held Dec. 10-11. Dates and times for the matchups will be determined by the LHSAA.

Karr’s loss ends a remariable playoff run for the Cougars, who reached the finals every year from 2015 to 2020, bookending four straight championships from 2016-2019 with runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2020. The loss also reportedly is the team’s first at Behrman Stadium since 2011.

Edna Karr will move up to Class 5A in 2022.

In Class 3A, No. 3 seed St. Martinville lost to No. 7 Union Parish 45-26 Friday in the semifinals. Union Parish plays No. 1 seed Sterlington in the championship game.