An impromptu bye week due to Hurricane Francine didn’t seem to slow down the Westgate Tigers as they claimed the program’s first-ever victory over former District 4-4A rival Lafayette Christian.

The Tigers had previously lost to LCA four times since 2019, with the 2023 Select Division II runners-up claiming ever-increasing margins of victory. On Friday, a combination of brutal defensive pressure and a one-two punch from seniors Jaboree Antoine and Tavias Gordon were too much for the Knights to handle.

Antoine, who opened the scoring on the first play of the game following a 55-yard scramble downfield, ended the night with 116 rushing yards from 10 carries and one touchdown while also completing four of nine passes for 106 yards and two TDs against LCA. Gordon recorded 187 yards from 31 carries, grinding away for long stretches where the Knights seemed unable to stop him from picking up repeated first downs.

Dytraevous Lively scored the Tigers’ second touchdown of the opening quarter from a five-yard rush, followed by a successful two-point conversion by Gordon on the ground. Amari Simon’s short run was enough for the Tigers’ only points in the second quarter. Davian Jackson hauled in a 29-yard pass to open the scoring with just three minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Jamboree Antoine found Bryant Leon Jr. deep downfield for a 51-yard passing touchdown in the third quarter. Kicker Jake Thibodeaux’s 31-yard field goal increased the Tigers’ score to 39 and sealed the win.

While Westgate’s offensive performance was impressive, the defense deserves as much, if not more, credit for the win. Coming into the Week 3 matchup, LCA receiver Brayden Allen was one of the Acadiana area’s best performers. Junior QB Braylon Walker and senior RB Jalen Noel were also among the top performers in the opening two weeks of play. Against the speed and tenacity Tigers, it wasn’t enough.

“We just wanted to throw a lot of numbers at them and kind of get after them a little bit,” said Westgate defensive coordinator Tyrunn Walker. “We missed a lot of plays late in the game due to injuries and guys cramping, just early-season stuff.”

LCA ended the game with just 76 rushing yards, converting just three of nine third down attempts in the loss.

Even with the many positives to take away from the game, the Tigers suffered from the same problem they had in the Week 1 contest against LCCP: penalties. Against the Knights, Westgate amassed 161 yards in penalties and saw three touchdowns overturned. According to Walker, that kind of sloppiness is unacceptable and must be corrected if the team wants to have a chance at another state championship.

“We definitely have to clean it up. Some of it comes in those bang-bang plays and we’re not going to argue about it,” Walker said. “It is what it is and we have to look at it and work on it to get better. Our goal is not to beat one team, it’s to win a championship, so we definitely need to get that stuff cleaned up and get ready for next week.”

With one rival vanquished, Westgate will immediately shift focus to the opening game of the District 4-4A schedule as they host Teurlings Catholic (3-0) on Friday. The Rebels claimed a 38-14 win over Westgate in 2023, and Walker said he expects another difficult opponent this time around.

“We’re expecting everything they can throw at us,” he said. “We’ve gotten it for the last couple of years, they’re a great team and they have great coaching. We have to come in here and be ready to go. We have some guys banged up that we will need to get healthy.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Westgate High School.