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Lafayette Christian Academy quarterback Braylon Walker led the Knights to a revenge road win over Notre Dame on Friday Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save CROWLEY -- Lafayette Christian Academy got a second chance to prove themselves against Notre Dame. Earlier in the season, the Knights were on the wrong end of a District 6-2A contest against the Pioneers. LCA committed multiple penalties and turnovers in that 42-28 defeat.
After winning its first-round playoff game, the Knights would get another crack at the Pios as the two teams faced off at Gardiner Memorial Stadium on Friday night. This time the outcome was different as LCA defeated Notre Dame 35-28. With the win, the Knights advanced to the quarterfinal round of the LHSAA Division III (Select) playoffs.
"We are a different team than we were the first time," LCA coach Matt Standiford said. "I have a lot of respect for Coach (Lewis) Cook and that program. For us to come up short the first time against the team like that, we knew as a staff that we had to prepare our guys and be much better the second time.
" "I feel like as a team, we prepared a lot better this time around, especially through our practices," LCA quarterback Braylon Walker said. "We watched a lot more film on these guys. We came out tonight with a lot more energy and enthusiasm.
We just played for one another in this game." Notre Dame opened up the game with a methodical 12-play, 68-yard drive that ate 6:45 off the clock. The Pios capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run by Jackson Casanova.
LCA's offense took a very different approach -- a far quicker approach. The Knights needed only six plays to respond as Walker hit three big pass plays, including a pair of throws for 51 yards to Brayden Allen, and then finished it off with a two-yard touchdown run. After forcing a three-and-out by the Pios, the Knights needed only five more plays to find the end zone again as Walker ran it for a 66-yard touchdown.
"When you have an athletic quarterback playing that position that gives you an advantage," Standiford said. "He did a tremendous job. He's the guy that gets everybody going.
He doesn't talk a whole lot, but when he talks everybody listens. And tonight, you could see that he just had that look in his eyes, like he was ready. He wanted it.
" Notre Dame's defense forced LCA to punt and then took advantage of the short field. The Pios needed only three plays to score as Parker Faust got the Knights to bite on play action and found Drew LeJeune wide-open for a 36-yard touchdown. LCA responded with another quick scoring drive -- this one with only six plays, scoring on Walker's 16-yard run.
"We saw the defensive end was crashing and saw the linebacker coming," Walker said. "I tried to make a move on him and after that, it was all up to Jesus." At the break, LCA held a 20-14 lead.
Notre Dame tried to get a spark as the Pios attempted an onside kick to open the second half. It appeared to have worked as Notre Dame recovered it and was wiped out due to an offsides penalty. LCA needed three plays to score as Walker found wide receiver Ashton Begnaud behind the coverage for a 53-yard touchdown.
Walker completed 14-of-17 passes for 191 yards, including completing his first 10 passes, and also led the Knights in rushing with 103 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. "We realized that we had a lot of one-on-one opportunities on the outside," Walker said. "We realized we missed a lot of shots deep in that first game.
So we got our coverage and protection down and prepared for the blitz. We just let it fly. I let my playmakers go make plays.
" The two teams would trade interceptions but Notre Dame took advantage of LCA's miscue. With a short field, the Pios found the end zone as Casanova scored from seven yards out. The extra point was good and Notre Dame had trimmed LCA's lead down to six points.
With the two offenses unable to sustain drives, the difference in the game would be special teams. The snap on a punt was too high, and Notre Dame's punter couldn't handle it. LCA recovered it and had the ball at the 11-yard line.
A few moments later Walker took the designed run and scored from 8 yards out, and the two-point pass by Walker was good. With 9:46 left on the clock, the Knights held a 35-21 lead. "Coach Drew Bergeron does a great job with our special teams," Standiford said.
"We have a lot of blocks set up and we had one that we had been working all week to get to. Unfortunately for them, the ball went through his hands, and we were there to make a play. That's ultimately what ended up being the seven-point difference.
" Notre Dame did get the ball back late and the Pios were able to put together a touchdown drive capped by a four-yard touchdown run by Casanova. With 2:57 left in the fourth, the Pios trailed 35-28. Notre Dame attempted another onside kick but was unable to recover it.
LCA was able to pick up a few first downs to run out the clock and come away with the victory. It has been a season of growth for the Knights. LCA started the season 1-4, fired its head Zach Lochard after four weeks, and finished the regular season with only four wins.
Yet, the team has now won two playoff games and has advanced to the quarterfinals against top seed Dunham. "It could have been easy for us to tuck tail and quit after starting 1-4," Standiford said. "A lot of times, people in this generation tend to do that, but these seniors rose.
They knew what the expectations were. They knew what they knew where the ultimate goal was, and they put themselves in a position." "It feels great," Walker said.
"It's also a great confidence booster. Throughout the season, we had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of losses, and a lot of adversity. We realized we have to come together now.
We know now that we can compete and go out there and play with anybody.".
