St. Mary’s beats Lakeview 41-8 but must wait to learn playoff fate
By LORI LYONS, Journal Sports
With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, St. Mary's did its part to help itself Thursday night, taking a 41-8 win over local rival Lakeview in the regular season finale for both teams at Turpin Stadium.
Going into the game, St. Mary's was the No. 25 team in the Select Division IV power rankings, needing to move up at least one spot to make the playoff field. The win gives the Tigers an overall record of 5-5, and 3-2 in District 3-1A play in their first season under coach Kedrin Seastrunk.
Now they wait.
"We've got about three scenarios that are very possible," Seastrunk said. "We're waiting to Friday night to see what we've got and where we go. We wouldn't mind scratching it one more time."
Playoff brackets will be released Sunday on LHSAA.org.
Lakeview finished the season 0-10 under first-year coach Lawrence Seawood.
White the Tigers honored their five senior players before the game (Braylon Normand, Chance Rushing, Camden Litten, Peyton Mitchell and Vincent Hung-Dang), it was sophomore all-purpose threat John Paul Thibodaux who scored four touchdowns. He ran for two in the first quarter and another in the third and caught a pass for a score.
Senior quarterback Normand threw one touchdown pass to Thibodaux, a 20-yard scoring pass to Chalin Gandy as time expired in the first half, and a 50-yard strike to Haiden Nelson two plays into the second half.
Seastrunk, determined to let every senior score before the end of the season, had senior center Mitchell add a 1-yard rushing touchdown to the St. Mary's total.
The Tigers also got a safety when the Gators misplayed a kickoff that rolled out of the end zone after Nelson's score, which put St. Mary's ahead 33-0. The safety made it 35-0. Thibodaux made it 41-0 with a 6- yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
"The kids are playing better, morale is better," Seastrunk said. "We're kind of getting that feel of what we've been wanting. We're 10 weeks older. I'm pretty satisfied with the game. It was a breath of fresh air to see the kids' faces. We went through the ringer this season. People counted us out. We had a lot to overcome."
Lakeview avoided the shutout in the fourth quarter when Amania Green scored on a 1-yard touchdown run and Zantavious McKinney successfully ran for the 2-point conversion.
But Seawood was haunted by a big interception right after his defense stopped St. Mary's and forced them to attempt a 36-yard field goal that went wide right.
"That turnover kind of hurt us," Seawood said. "It was a call I made, a gut-check call. But the kids came out and competed hard. It was tight at first. We're going to start Monday morning getting ready for next year."
