Jesuit Comes Up Short Against Brother Martin, 49-46, But Jays Are Playoff-Bound Anyway

Kalija Lipscomb scores the second of his three touchdowns against the Crusaders.

View the Photo Gallery of the Jesuit – Brother Martin Game

You can say this about the clash of the Mid-City and Gentilly titans of prep football that produced a total of 95 points: The fans who watched the Jesuit – Brother Martin game Friday night at Tad Gormley Stadium certainly were treated to a spectacular offensive fireworks show that was perhaps a bottle rocket shy of the Saints and Giants free-for-all just over a week ago in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Connor Prouet stretches the ball over the goal line near the pylon, but the ref rules him down at the two-yard line. Prouet’s run led to Jesuit’s second touchdown and a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.

Forget the fans who socialized and played with cell phones all night. Have some pity for the fans who wanted a concession or desperately needed a bathroom break, but didn’t want to miss the action on the field. If they didn’t take care of business at halftime, they more than likely would have missed one or two of the 13 touchdowns tallied by both teams. Nine of those TDs were in the second half. If any Blue Jay fans ducked under the stadium to stand in the concession queue with 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter, they missed Crew Jacobs’s 31-yard field goal with 12 seconds on the clock that gave Jesuit a 17-14 lead to take to the locker room.

Week 10 was the final week of regular season play for the Blue Jays and it can be summed up like this: for the first time in five years, Jesuit was defeated by Brother Martin, 49-46. Even though the Jays’ overall record is 4-6 (and 1-5 in District 9-5A), Jesuit is seeded eighth in the Division 1 playoffs that start this weekend.

The Jays will host the Shaw Eagles (seeded ninth) in a round one game scheduled Saturday, Nov. 14, at Tad Gormley Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Jesuit’s only district win was against Shaw, 42-14, back on Oct. 24.

Pre-sale tickets are $6 for adults, students, and children (ages 6-11).  Pre-sale tickets will be on sale Wednesday – Friday from 8 a.m – 4 p.m., and on Friday during lunch in the Student Commons. All tickets purchased at the gate are $8 each. Student IDs and season passes will not be accepted at the gate.

The Jays and Crusaders marched and strutted up and down the field like packs of hungry dogs fighting over a Milkbone. When the game ended eight minutes shy of three hours, exhausted fans on both sides felt as if they’d been strapped onto the Zephyr or stuck in one of those shaky Wild Maus cars (a pair of popular vintage rides at Pontchartrain Beach).

Peter Hontas wanted to throw but saw a wide opening and picks up a first down to keep a drive moving in the second half.

There was exhilaration on the Crusaders’ side of the field. On the Jays’ side of the field, it wasn’t exactly desolation row because even in defeat, Jesuit, the defending Division 1 state champion, remains gracious, proud, and yes, optimistic.

Here are some of the highlights in the Jesuit – Brother Martin game in which Kalija Lipscomb scored three times (almost four), Connor Prouet scored twice, and Evan Slattery crossed the goal once. Slattery also caught a two-point conversion. Crew Jacobs kicked a 21-yard field goal and five PATs.

• The Jays took the kickoff and within two minutes were up 7-0; Connor Prouet sprinted up the middle 35 yards for the score and Crew Jacobs kicked the extra point.
• Two minutes later, the Crusaders tied the score on a 55-yard run.
• Connor Prouet had a fantastic run for some 60 yards, diving the last three or four yards for the end zone. The refs said no TD and put the ball on the two-yard line. From there, quarterback Peter Hontas rifled a pass to tight end Evan Slattery for the Jays’ second TD. Jacobs converted and with 3:40 left in the first quarter, Jesuit had a 14-7 lead.
• Two minutes later, the Crusaders tied the game again, 14-14.
  

  Kalija Lipscomb catches a short pass and leaps over his last obstacle on his way to the Crusaders’ end zone.

• The Jays lost senior defensive back Jakirai Wiley early in the second quarter to a knee injury. Wiley also was a kickoff and punt return specialist, and a dangerous one at that, and he’ll be dearly missed in the playoffs.
• The teams traded punts in the second quarter, until 12 seconds remained. That’s when Crew Jacobs booted a 31-yard field goal to give the Jays a 17-14 halftime lead.
• Jesuit’s lead vanished in the opening minute of the third quarter when Brother Martin scored a long TD to make it 21-17.
• Halfway through the third quarter, Kalija Lipscomb caught a five-yard touchdown pass to put the Jays back on top, 24-21.
• Two minutes later, the Crusaders jumped on the lead, 28-24, with a 26-yard run.
• The Jays took the ensuing kickoff and drove into the BM red zone when a fumble was recovered by the Crusaders, sapping Jesuit’s momentum, temporarily.
• With two minutes left in the third quarter, the Crusaders upped the ante with a 20-yard strike, extending their lead, 35-24.
• Nine seconds left in the third quarter and the Jays are stopped cold on BM’s nine-yard line.
  

  The Crusaders pull off a “hook and ladder” play with some 15 seconds remaining in the game. The touchdown wipes out a terrific Jesuit comeback and puts Brother Martin back on top, 49-46.

• The fourth quarter saw five touchdowns, with the first coming before one minute was burned off the clock: BM threw a long TD pass to take a 42-24 lead.
• Connor Prouet scores from one yard out with just under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Jays go for a two-point conversion. Hontas throws to tight end Evan Slattery for the two points to cut into BM’s lead, 42-32.
• BM has to punt with five and half minutes left in the game. Twenty seconds later, Kalija Lipscomb catches a short pass over the middle, than shakes free his defenders for a 50-yard TD. Jacobs kicks the PAT to cut the BM lead to 42-39.
• The Jays’ defense prevails on the ensuing series and the Crusaders are forced to punt with 4:11 showing on the clock (four minutes, 11 seconds).
• Jesuit starts a drive on their own 22-yard line. Connor Prouet and Kai Rozas have a good series. Bryce Musso and Kalija Lipscomb catch passes.
• With 75 seconds left in the game, the Jays have a first and 10 at the BM 31-yard line. Hontas throws a short pass to Kalija Lipscomb, who once again runs like a wild Colorado stallion into the end zone. With Jacobs’s kick, the Jays now lead, 46-42.
• The Crusaders take the kickoff and quickly move down the field into Jesuit territory.
  

  Oh so close!. Five seconds left in the game, the final play for the Jays, and Kalija Lipscomb breaks free at Jesuit’s 37-yard line. But Lipscomb was finally caught and dragged out of bounds at the four and a half yard line. No time is left on the clock. Brother Martin preserves a 49-46 win.

• Nineteen seconds left in the game and its third and 10 from Jesuit’s 36-yard line.
• During a time out, the Jesuit coaches remind their players to watch out for the “hook and ladder,” a play the Crusaders have deployed successfully throughout the season.
• Sure enough, the Crusaders pull it off. The Jays are hooked and two defenders tackle the receiver, who laterals the ball at the last millisecond to BM’s star running back. The Jays are caught flat-footed and the Crusader running back has an open field for 37 yards, reaching the end zone untouched. BM steals the lead, 49-46.
• BM kicks off and Evan Slattery calls for a fair catch on the Jays’ own 35-yard line. Thirteen seconds show on the clock.
• Peter Hontas hits Connor Prouet with a short pass for virtually no gain, but the running back manages to get out of bounds to stop the clock with five seconds showing.
• The last play is a doozy. Peter Hontas completes a short pass to Kalija Lipscomb, who is surrounded by defenders. Incredibly, he breaks free and heads for the end zone, hugging the Jesuit sideline.
• Kalija Lipscomb is running full tilt, the Blue Jay fans are going nuts. He’s at the 50, 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10… Lipscomb is going to score!
• Oh no, two defenders catch him on the 10-yard line! They ride this horse for another five, maybe six yards. Lipscomb is brought down, pushed out of bounds at the four-yard line.
• The clock shows 0:00. Lipscomb slides another six, maybe seven yards out of bounds. When he stops, he’s motionless for several seconds. Lipscomb is on his belly, face-down. A Crusader’s helmet flies off.
• Kalija Lipscomb doesn’t move for a good 10-12 seconds, then slowly gets to his feet.
• There is joy among the visitors’ side; joylessness among the Blue and White, stunned that their team came so close, oh so close.

“I can’t say enough about the effort, I am very proud of your effort tonight,” said Coach Mark Songy. “We just came up a little short…  We got something going that’s very good. I think we can be playing in another four weeks, but if we make mistakes like the ones we made tonight, next week will be the end of the season.”

Read More…

The New Orleans Advocate: From champion back to underdog, Jesuit enters postseason as No. 8 seed in 10-team Division I select bracket

The New Orleans Advocate: Brother Martin holds on for thrilling 49-46 win over Jesuit in Catholic League play

Nola.com: Hook-and-lateral, great tackle earn Brother Martin a 49-46 victory against Jesuit