Warren Easton dominates Neville to reach title game

Neville has been a powerful force in prep football in Louisiana for as long as the sport has existed.

The second-seeded Tigers were at home in the Class 4A state semifinals Friday night, hosting No. 3 seed Warren Easton.

Neville had won all three previous playoff matchups with Warren Easton.

That spotless record is now gone.

The Eagles saw to that in demonstrative fashion, whipping the Tigers 45-17 at Bill Ruple Stadium.

Keddrick Connelly completed 12-of-17 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns to pace Warren Easton.

After trailing 17-13 in the second quarter, Warren Easton dominated the rest of the way, scoring the final 32 points of the contest, pulling away for a decisive victory.

The Warren Easton defense shut down Neville in the second half, holding the Tigers to just 54 yards.

The Eagles totally dominated play, amassing 513 yards of offense.

Speaking on The Three Tailgaters Show Saturday morning on NASH ICON 106.1 FM, Warren Easton head coach Jerry Phillips spoke about the rivalry and finally getting it done against Neville.

“It was one of those nights,” Phillips said. “Everything started clicking. A lot of people know that game was real personal. Many of our coaches played on the 2014, 2015 and 2016 teams that lost to Neville. They were locked in. The kids were locked in. They knew the game plan and they took it personal. It got back to us that they said our offense was real simple. Actually, they are right. We are going to run the ball and you have to stop it. They did not.”

Warren Easton returns to the title game for the first time since 2019 and will make their fourth appearance in the championship game since 2014.

“Neville is a great team and program. They’ve had our number. I told our coaches and players that all week. It is always Neville or Karr who has beaten us. We broke that glass ceiling and got over that hump and beat Neville.”

The Eagles were not expected to be here on many fronts.

“This is not one of the most talented teams that we’ve had but these kids get it,” Phillips said. “They play together and love each other. Nothing affects them. I love these guys. They have a lot of fun and help keep us young as a coaching staff. They play together.”

The Eagles are looking for their first state title since 1942 and what would be the school’s third football state championship overall.

“It would mean everything to win a title,” Phillips said. “The first reason you do this is for the kids. The second is to win a state championship with the hard work that goes into it all season long. It would mean everything to our school and our program. We’re excited about beating Neville but we’re not done yet. The goal is to win the gold trophy. This team, Westgate, beat Karr. Obviously, they are pretty good. We will take them real serious. They are locked in. We will respect them.”

With the way they are playing, there is a real possibility that the echoes of past heroes will add the presence of new heroes on Canal Street.