VC going back to the semifinals

BATON ROUGE — The Vermilion Catholic Eagles advanced to the semifinals for the second time in three years by doing what they do best.
The Eagles, 12-0, beat Southern Lab, 17-7, in Friday’s quarterfinal round of the Division IV Select Playoffs.
VC will play St. Martin’s Episcopal at home in the semifinal round.
The winner of that game advances to the Division IV State Finals, to be played in the Superdome in New Orleans on Thursday, Dec. 8.
St. Martin’s beat St. Mary’s 29-24.
It will be VC head coach Broc Prejean’s second trip to the semifinals in three years.
“That game will be special,” said Prejean about reaching the semifinals. “I do know that game we will be playing at home. I am so glad these seniors get one more home game.”
Research showed that in the last 40 years, the Eagles had played the Kittens twice before, with VC losing both matchups.
Friday’s victory was a historic one.
There is a chance some of the Vermilion Catholic fans missed the first touchdown if they were waiting in line at the concession stand when the game started.
Southern Lab got the ball first and took up shop at its 23-yard line. On the first play, VC's Lewis Briggs picked off a pass at the 45-yard line and ran it back for a touchdown 30 seconds into the game.
“I trust my guys as they trust me,” Lewis said about the interception. “Everyone was in the right position. The ball came to me, and I took it to the end zone.”
Lewis would get another interception with two minutes left in the game.
“That interception was for me,” Lewis added. “I read the quarterback and intercepted the football.”
Up 7-0, VC’s defense was not done making big plays.
On Southern Lab’s second possession, the Kittens marched into VC territory, reaching the 32-yard line. Six minutes after Briggs intercepted a pass, VC’s Rhett LeBlanc also intercepted a Southern Lab pass at the VC 15-yard line and ran it back to the Southern Lab 45-yard line.
Three plays later, VC quarterback Jonathan Dartez ran around the right side for a 38-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good, and before the first period was ended, VC had a stunning 14-0 lead.
With a 14-0 lead, Prejean did not do anything crazy on offense. If anything, his offense was conservative. Prejean put the ball in his sophomore quarterback’s hands and Dartez carried the pigskin 29 times for 154 yards and a touchdown.
Why 29 times? Because he averaged 5.3 yards a carry.
Dartez said he did not mind putting the offense on his back.
“I will do whatever it takes. It got us a win, and that is all that matters,” said Dartez.
VC led 14-0 at halftime. However, they got a scare in the opening seconds of the second half.
The Eagles coughed up the football on the opening second-half kickoff, and Southern Lab marched 21 yards in five plays to score a touchdown.
Just like that, Southern Lab was only down 14-7.
The Eagles only got one series of plays in the third period, and they drove to the Southern Lab 4-yard line, but the drive stalled.
The Kittens’ offense was stopped again by VC’s defense with 9:47 to play in the game. On fourth down from VC’s 36-yard line, LeBlanc broke up a pass near the end zone.
VC’s offense got the ball back at their 37-yard line and marched down to the 2-yard line.
The drive took seven minutes off the clock, and VC’s Dane Richoux nailed a 19-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the game. The field goal made it 17-7, and VC was beginning to taste victory.
“That field goal was big,” said Dartez. “I think we were able to win the game because we wanted it more. We never stopped grinding.”
The second leading ball carrier for VC was Travin Moore, with six carries for 36 yards.
Moore also had two catches for 26 yards.
Ross Dartez (1-18), Jake Lege (1-11), and Lewis Briggs (1-4) also had catches for VC.
Southern Lab coach Darrell Asberry said, “I thought we played well defensively. We had those early turnovers; that happens. Marlon (Brown) has played well all year. The turnovers got us. Vermilion Catholic is a well-coached team. I thought we were the better team tonight, but we didn’t match their intensity. We’ll learn from this.”