Warren Easton brings Carver down to earth, 23-12

On beautiful Saturday afternoon from Pan American Stadium, the anticipation was in the air.

Warren Easton, a team that has been up and down this season against a challenging schedule but still one of the premier programs in the greater New Orleans area, hosted an undefeated Carver Rams team that was ready to show their 4-0 record did not happen by accident.

Something had to give but the Eagles did not. Easton soared to an early lead and handed Carver their first defeat, 23-12.

The District 10-4A game did not get off to a good start for both teams. Penalties and miscues played a significant role in the first half.

Carver (4-1, 1-1) was hit with double-digit penalties in the first quarter. The Rams couldn’t overcome the mental lapses of the first half.

The Eagles didn’t have their best performance either, coming off of a heartbreaking defeat last week in the final minute to rival Edna Karr. Easton was flagged 19 times for 171 yards.

“We didn’t play Warren Easton football,” said Easton head coach Jerry Phillips. “I promise you we will get it fixed going forward.”

Carver’s defensive efforts were still notable as they have been all season but the Rams needed to play cleaner football against the bigger Eagles despite the mutual sloppiness.

“We just can’t make these kinds of mistakes against a good Warren Easton team, but honestly it was a lot of self-inflicted plays we couldn’t overcome,” said Carver head coach Byron Addison. “We just didn’t play smart football; we’re look at the film at make the necessary adjustments.”

Easton defense gets a fourth down stop!!! pic.twitter.com/BB16mhjgJs

— Jermal Greenberry (@JermalGreenber1) October 16, 2021

The game was decided by the Eagles offensive line. Running backs Jay Gordon and sophomore Fred Robertson were able to grind out yards and allow Easton to control the clock with the lead.

Gordon finished with 16 carries for 89 yards and Robertson had 14 for 92. Both scored a touchdown in the first half.

Eagles Running Back Gordon running hard… pic.twitter.com/97abCKBbyU

— Jermal Greenberry (@JermalGreenber1) October 16, 2021

Senior wideout Byron Gibson also scored a 10-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Keddrick Connelly on fourth down.

Warren Easton Touchdown! pic.twitter.com/IUpxeLhEtD

— Jermal Greenberry (@JermalGreenber1) October 16, 2021

Easton (3-2, 1-0) led 21-0 at the break, and their only score in the second half came from a safety when cornerback Wallace Foster tackled a Carver runner in the end zone.

The Rams kept fighting, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Lessons learned from the step up in class of opposition should pay benefits for a roster talented enough to make a 4A postseason run.

Next for Easton is a matchup with McMain while Carver will look to bounce back against John F. Kennedy.