Lakeshore Remains Unbeaten With 35-13 Win Over Westgate

Written by Kyle Valdez

On Friday night in New Iberia, the Lakeshore Titans and Westgate Tigers were set for a usual 7:00 p.m. kickoff. All the factors for a great game were in place: perfect conditions with the temperature hovering in the mid-to-low 60’s, a clash between two top 4A teams, Westgate fresh off an upset win over St. Thomas More, and Lakeshore putting their undefeated record on the line.  The only problem was unexpected traffic for the visiting Lakeshore Titans. Interstate traffic stretched the 2.5 hour drive to nearly five hours. 
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After a 45-minute delay was given to Lakeshore for warmups, the Titans showed up and rolled past Westgate 35-13 behind the impressive play of QB and LB Christian Westcott. Westcott played nearly every snap of the game, making big plays on both sides of the ball: he rushed for 178 yards on 26 carries, ran for all five of Lakeshore’s touchdowns, and recorded a crucial sack in the second half.

Lakeshore struck first with 8:01 in the first quarter by a Westcott 26-yard keeper. Over the next seven minutes, the Westgate offense got hot. Quarterback Brennon Landry found Kayshon Boutte (LSU Commit, #2 recruit in Louisiana, #7 WR nationally) and Makholven Sonn (Kansas St. Commit) for two big touchdowns receptions. The two early scores gave Westgate a 13-7 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. However, the Makholven 46-yard reception would be the Tigers’ final score of the night.

 Lakeshore responded with a Christian Westcott seven-yard rushing touchdown. The Titans took a 14-13 lead into the half after missing a FG attempt that hit the upright. Lakeshore dominated the whole second half, outscoring Westgate 21-0. A combination of suffocating defense by Lakeshore, and undisciplined plays by Westgate, resulted in the Tigers inability to score. Lakeshore’s offense was carried by Christian Westcott. Three rushing touchdowns from 2, 11, and 13 yards from Westcott opened up Lakeshore’s lead down the stretch.

When asked about his performance, Westcott responded by giving kudos to his linemen, “If I could give this interview to anyone else, it would be the whole O-Line. Without them, the score is not like it is... They made blocks that were key, and we drove it up and down the field running the ball. It’s because of them.” 

Lakeshore’s past two victories over De La Salle and Westgate have proven that they’re the real deal. After weeks of questioning their legitimacy, it is finally evident that they are serious contenders to play in the Superdome for Week 15. Their defense is elite, and they have Taysom Hill Jr. playing on both sides of the ball. Westcott only completed 3 of his 10 passes on the night, but still made the biggest impact. The Titans’ final three games of the season should be three wins, setting themselves up for a district championship and a good seeding for the Class 4A playoffs. No matter who they get matched up with, the opposing offense should be concerned. 
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Cornerback Brendan Perry discussed the Titan defense and the big win, “We started out rough, it was 13-7, but we forgot about the bad plays, came back and made better ones... We played good [defense], we knew they had good receivers. We had the pass rush there, and when the quarterback made bad throws, we had to capitalize.”

For Westgate, nothing went right. Their communication was lack-luster, they looked undisciplined, and they were simply outplayed and outcoached for the final three quarters. Especially with such a huge win coming last week against STM, it just seemed like Westgate ill-prepared. The offense was shut down for final three quarters. Two bright spots for the night were the receivers: Kayshon Boutte reeled in five catches for 91 yards, and Makholven Sonn had three catches for 78 yards. Quarterback Brennon Landry finished with 175 yards, but was inconsistent for most of the night. Along with throwing multiple interceptions, too many tipped passes and fumbles haunted the Tiger offense all night. Next week, the Tigers look to rebound against a tough team in Teurlings Catholic on the road. Currently ranked 10th in 4A, a win against Teurlings would be very beneficial to Westgate’s seeding and confidence.