Karr rallies late to survive Scotlandville upset bid, 34-26

NEW ORLEANS- No. 7 seed Edna Karr is ready, willing and able to make a deep playoff run but a rematch with No. 10 seed Scotlandville was no gimmie.

The Hornets were looking for payback from a regular season loss, hoping to pull off a big upset at Behrman Stadium. The Hornets threw some devastating punches but the Cougars came up with the knockout blow in a 34-26 victory Friday night in the 2nd round of the LHSAA Division I Football Playoffs.

The ability of Scotlandville to keep making explosive plays made Karr change their post-playoff bye plans. Starting quarterback AJ Samuel was looking to become fully healthy while nursing a minor shoulder injury. Although he was ready to go, the senior didn’t start the game.

Karr needed him. Samuel entered with 10:34 left in the game and looked like Captain America leading the Avengers.

With Karr trailing 20-14, Samuel connected with Makhi Paris for two big completions (34- and 16-yards). Chris Vasquez finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown but the extra point try failed. The game was tied 20-20 with 9:46 remaining.

Samuel continued to work his magic for the Cougars. He connected with Paris again for 54 yards to the Hornets 28-yard line. Next, he found Tavis Williams for an 11-yard touchdown, giving the Cougars a 27-20 lead.

Feeding off the leadership of Samuel, Karr seemed to put the game out of reach. The Cougars were stout on defense, and Bryant Sanchez’s 31-yard touchdown extended the lead to 34-20 with 1:53 to go.

Scotlandville and the synamic Teasett kept battling until the final whistle. Broderick Davis caught a 20-yard touchdown pass but only 3.9 seconds remained. The Hornets tried an onside kick but the Cougars recovered the ball to end the upset threat.

Edna Karr (7-3) looked ready for business as usual early. Capping a 58-yard drive over five plays, Deantre Jackson turned on the jets for a 45-yard touchdown run to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead.

Michael Richard sacked C’Zavian Teasett on 4th down and 12 at the Karr 41-yard line and Ryan Robinson snagged an interception off Teasett, returning it to the Scotlandville 30-yard line.

However, Karr did not score off of either turnover. Vasquez was stuffed on 4th down and two by Kyree Langley after the second one.

The Hornets then struck with the big play. Covanta Milligan’s 68-yard touchdown cut the lead to 7-6 leading into the half.

Scotlandville (6-6) started the second half with a bang thanks to a 50-yard touchdown by Milligan. The ensuing two-point run gave the Hornets a 14-7 lead.

Karr bounced back with a 54-yard drive on 13 plays. After Kylen Lampton’s 13-yard run to the Hornets 2-yard line, Vasquez punched it in to tie the game at 14-14.

The Hornets answered, re-taking the lead at 20-14 when Teasett connected with Ferzell Shepard for a 35-yard touchdown. Then came the heroics of Samuel.

Karr accumulated 284 yards of total offense with 181 rushing yards. Vasquez led the Cougars with 25 carries for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson finished with seven carries for 85 yards and score. Sanchez had three carries for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Samuel finished 4 of 7 passing for 102 yards and a touchdown. Paris had four catches for 96 yards.

“It was a good clean game by both teams and it was too bad that someone had to lose,” said Edna Karr Head Coach Brice Brown. “Injuries is a part of football and it’s next man up. I’m proud of Vasquez and Samuel managing the week and getting themselves the position to win.”

Scotlandville (7-5) accumulated 337 yards of total offense that includes 175 rushing yards. Milligan led the Hornets with 16 carries for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

Teasett finished 15 of 29 passes for 162 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Shepard had five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.

“When we played earlier in the season, we getting things started with the program but we got better as team. That loss got prepared for the rest of the season,” said Scotlandville Head Coach Ryan Cook. “It’s a program thing and we got to have the maturity going into the future. We have an athletic group of seniors and we wanted to work on their mindset. I was pleased with their mindset and they offered for the team.”

Edna Karr will take their show on the road against Catholic-Baton Rouge next Friday in the state quarterfinals of the Select Division I LHSAA playoffs.