Edna Karr Runs Off 38 Unanswered Points To Beat Warren Easton

Written by Kyle Valdez

On Saturday night at Pan-American Stadium, Warren Easton and Edna Karr faced off for 5th time in three seasons. The two powerhouse 4A teams were both looking for a statement win against each other. Edna Karr, winners of 29 of their last 30, was looking for their first huge win of the season after a disappointing loss to John Curtis in Week 1. Their former district-rival opposition, Warren Easton, had the opportunity to show that this is the season that they can seriously challenge Karr for a state championship. In the end of the contest, Edna Karr had completely dominated the final three quarters and showed who the better team was.

 In Easton’s first possession, safety-turned-quarterback Dayshawn Holmes ran the ball 40 yards for the first score of the game. With 41 seconds left in the first, Easton scored again when senior RB Ashaad Clayton (Top offers include Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Auburn) found a hole in the defense and went off to the races for a 59-yard TD run. At that moment, it felt like it was going to be a good night for Easton: their offense was clicking perfectly, and Karr was committing recurrent penalties. Unfortunately for Easton, things panned out very similar to the state championship game from a year ago: they settled in, got executing, and easily erased an early 12-0 deficit.

At the 7:48 mark in the second quarter, Karr finally got on the scoreboard after Leonte Richardson ran the ball three yards into the end zone. Karr scored for the second time when Kevin Marigny ran the ball for two yards to take take a 14-12 lead into halftime.

On the second play of the half, Karr’s CB Jamie Vance (Arkansas commit) picked Holmes’ pass, and gave his offense tremendous field position. However, Karr’s possession didn’t last long; Easton’s Ramond Stevens responede with by intercepting a Leonard Kelly pass in the end zone. After the interception by Kelly, he brilliantly led the offense for the rest of the night. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for one in the second half. His two TD passes were to receivers Destyn Pazon (Top offers include Alabama, LSU, Colorado, Mississippi St.) and Edwin Joseph. Leonte Richardson completed the scoring with his second TD run of the game with 3:21 left to take a 38-12 lead.

At the conclusion of the game, neither coach was satisfied with their team’s performance. Easton for obvious reasons, and Karr because of the slow start and lack of discipline in the first half. Although both teams only had one turnover each, it felt like both teams lacked the high execution that you would expect from two nationally ranked teams. 

For Karr, they did what they needed to do, and left fans leaving Pan-Am undoubtedly knowing who the best team in 4A is. The consistent and impressive play by Leonard Kelly (Offers from Northwestern St. and Nicholls St.) leaves writers and fans wondering how he doesn’t have more offers. Week by week, he continues to show why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the state. Karr might have also proven themselves as the best defensive team in the state. Shutting down Easton for three straight quarters and letting them get absolutely no rhythm on offense? That might be the best defensive performance we will see all year. Looking to continue their success into next week, Karr faces another huge challenge as they travel to Baton Rouge to face Division 1 powerhouse Catholic High. 
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For Easton, they can’t panic after a week 3 loss. They are still one of the best teams in the state. Anytime you have a safety adjusting to become your starting quarterback, things are going to take some time. Dayshawn Holmes looked impressive in the first quarter, but Jamie Vance and the Edna Karr defense proved too much to handle. Running back Ashaad Clayton played well in the first half, but he didn’t have the huge overall game he was probably looking for, nor did anyone for Easton. They didn’t turn the ball over, and they played relatively disciplined for most of the night. Their offense just lacked the execution needed to keep up with a team of Karr’s caliber. Looking forward to next week, things don’t get much easier as they travel to Gonzales to play highly ranked 5A team East Ascension.