Y'all Thought We Were Finished?

The Patriots marched to the Superdome, but it wasn't easy. Before the season, people doubted if Curtis would make the playoffs, but Curtis proved them wrong. Just making it to the playoffs wasn’t enough. Raising that trophy inside the Superdome was the ultimate goal. Outsiders are still doubting the Patriots and are calling them “overachievers.” They are right. The Patriots are overachievers, but every great team overachieves in massive challenges, overachieves by making it to the playoffs, and overachieves by winning the state championship. Since when is being an “overachiever” a bad thing? The senior class wanted to achieve one thing, to win a ring in their final year and be remembered in the history books. The underclassmen were fighting for the seniors to give them a chance to get a ring. The Curtis offense has been on fire all season with a fantastic run game thanks to juniors Marlon Prout, Jason Gabriel, Kaheam Smith, and senior Aaron Johnson. Having multiple fantastic and speedy running backs leaves the opposing defense muddled and confused, but every iconic run game has an iconic offensive line. Nicknamed “The River Ridge Bandits,” players like seniors Nick Dalferes, Andrew Martinez, Josh “Number 62” Teague, and juniors Bryce Godfrey, Richard Newby, Orion Duplessis, and Christian Thibodaux have all set the tone for being the best offensive line in the state. This isn’t just a one-dimensional offense as most people expect. If needed, the Patriots can catch defenses by surprise and have junior star quarterback Dagan Bruno bring out his inner Drew Brees and throw the ball beautifully downfield. Being able to throw it to the running backs, Dagan also has juniors Michael Turner and Tyler Mitchell he can rely on to outrun any defensive back and make a spectacular catch.

What’s a good offense without a good defense? The Patriot's defense is one of the most physical and brutal in the entire state. Every team shakes in fear of having to face them. Senior linebacker Justin “Sensei” Horne is a fan favorite and one of the most feared players to go up against. He sets the tempo for the rest of the defense with help from junior linebacker Kaleb “Pop” Saavedra by his side. The defensive line stops any team's run game with seniors John “El Toro” Morter, Justin Brooks, junior Jowhar Franklin, and sophomore Logan “Bubblegum” Barnes. The defensive ends can make life brutal for the fellow offense, with seniors Austin Ackel and Aden Laborde being the group's leaders. Junior Zack Drake is also a formidable foe for any offensive linemen to go against. Once the opponent's run game comes to a stop, they start to get desperate and try to throw the ball, which always ends up going rough for them. Seniors Blake Wibel and Tyler Hayes can lock down any receiver, along with junior Michael Turner and sophomore Jason Curtis. What’s a great offense and a great defense without a great special team? Coach Johnny Curtis is a special team aficionado, taking great pride in it. Players who may not usually get much playing time can significantly impact special teams, giving them a chance to help win the game. Junior kicker Jaden Alphonso has been automatic all season and gives the team increased odds to win games. 2022 was the Patriot's year to shine, to go into the Superdome and demolish any opponent. First, they had defeat some of the best teams in the state.

Let’s see how they did it…

The Patriots entered the playoffs and took care of the Blue Jays in a decisive 35-7 victory at Joe Yenni stadium. Everyone was reminded of last year's loss to the Blue Jays. Curtis already played Jesuit earlier this year which ended in a decisive victory for the Patriots, but the stakes were much higher this time. The Bluejays had a lot of tricks up their sleeves, and they wanted to send Curtis home early for the 2nd year in a row. After a scoreless first quarter, the Patriots showed their offensive might and scored 21 points in the second quarter. It all started with an interception by sophomore defensive tackle Logan “Bubblegum” Barnes, where he tried his best at reenacting Madden and tried running it back for a touchdown before he was tackled at the 10-yard line. A quarterback sneak from junior Dagan Bruno put the Patriots up seven, thanks to Logan and his interception. A defensive stop allowed the offense to keep rolling with an incredible 85-yard pass from Bruno to junior wide receiver Michael Turner who scorched the Jesuit secondary for a walk-in touchdown. The defense didn’t let up and forced a Bluejay punt. Bruno again showed his arm talent by throwing a quick pass to his favorite receiver, junior Tyler Mitchell, for a 17-yard touchdown, Bruno’s second passing touchdown. After a Curtis fumble, Jesuit had a fantastic field position for a chance to lessen the deficit for them. The Patriot defense took the challenge and answered the call by stopping Jesuit in their tracks thanks to an interception by junior cornerback Jermal Callio. The Curtis defense took away any hope the Bluejays had since they were now down by 21 going into the half. With the Patriots receiving the ball at the half, they took advantage of it by having a drive that ate up the entire 3rd quarter. The whole drive was masterfully planned, taking up as much time on the clock as possible to make sure Jesuit wouldn’t have time to rally a comeback. The drive ended with a 12-yard touchdown run by Bruno, his 4th touchdown the entire night! The Blue Jays tried their best to comeback by scoring early in the 4th quarter to make it a 28-7 game, but Curtis put a nail in the coffin with a fantastic 68-yard touchdown run by junior running back Marlon Prout. The Patriots fried some Blue Jays in the playoffs in a 35-7 victory to start the playoffs on fire.

Back home at Joe Yenni, the Patriots demolished the Byrd Yellow Jackets in a 35-14 victory in the quarter-finals. Like with Jesuit last year, Byrd beat Curtis in the playoffs over two years ago. Everyone on that team knew how tough of an opponent they were, especially since this was the first time they had faced each other since that playoff game. Byrd had an exceptional quarterback with Lake Lambert, who wanted to end his senior year with a ring. If only he knew that he would face Curtis in the playoffs, he would set his expectations lower. A 42-yard touchdown run by junior running back Marlon Prout kicked off the first quarter, but Byrd wasn’t going to back down that easily. A short touchdown run by Bryd at the start of the 2nd quarter tied the game back up. Like Deja Vu of the Jesuit game, Curtis scored another 21 points in the 2nd quarter. The high-scoring quarter started with a defensive touchdown caused by a failed pitch fumble which was recovered and run back by junior cornerback Jermall Callio for a touchdown. The defense went back on the field to stop the Byrd defense, which allowed the offense to get another touchdown of their own. Prout ran for a 40-yard touchdown which was the best run all season, avoiding over nine defenders and using his speed to give Curtis a 14-point lead. After another tremendous defensive stop, Curtis had the ball on their 9-yard line. Having perfected the 2-minute drill in practice, the Patriots marched down the field thanks to a huge run by junior running back Jason Gabriel, which led to a 60-yard touchdown pass from junior Dagan Bruno to junior receiver Michael Turner. A Curtis fumble in the 2nd half allowed the Yellow Jackets to score to make it a 28-14 game. Still, a nice lead to have, but Curtis felt it was too close with a team as good as Bryd. The Patriots needed to put their foot on Bryd’s throat to make this game over, and a Bruno quarterback sneak made sure Bryd wasn’t going to come back. With his season over, Byrd’s star quarterback Lambert threw an interception to sophomore safety Jason Curtis to end the game. The Patriots smacked the Yellow Jackets in the quarter-finals in a 35-14 win, cementing their spot to play Catholic B. R. in the semi-finals.

The Patriots went into the Catholic Bears' backyard for a brutal battle, which ended in a triumph for Curtis in a 24-21 win to mark their place in the state championship game in the Superdome. Catholic has been ranked as one of the best teams in the state, and after their win against Edna Karr in the week prior, the media was already calling them the pseudo-State Champions. People assumed it would be an easy victory for Catholic, but doubting this Curtis team is the worst thing you could do. People doubted if they were going to make the playoffs, if they were going any better than 4th in the division, and if they were going to make it this far in the playoffs. Every player on the team knew how much of a demanding fight it would be, but they knew they had a chance to pull off an amazing upset. Given a chance to fight, anything is possible. The Bears got the ball to start the game, and they punched first by scoring a 12-yard touchdown pass. A massive run by junior running back Marlon Prout allowed the Patriots to march down the field, but they couldn’t capitalize on it. Curtis was forced to go for a 31-yard field goal which kicker Jaden Alphonso easily made despite all the pressure. Curtis and Catholic exchanged punts in the second quarter due to both teams’ defenses playing at an elite level. At the end of the second quarter, Catholic showed off their dominant passing game and scored another passing touchdown, a letdown for Curtis. Going into halftime, the score was 3-14, with the Patriots trailing by 10. To be down by 10 points by a team with excellent defense and an amazing offense was intimidating. Curtis has entered halftime trailing before, with St. Augustine and Holy Cross, but Catholic was a vastly better team. Every player on the team knew they didn’t make it this far to lose.

The seniors didn’t want their final game to end in the semi-finals without getting the chance to play for a ring. All the hard work put in before the season and during all the practices would have been all for nothing if the Patriots decided to put their head down and accept defeat. The second half of the game was going to be Curtis’s toughest challenge of the year by far, but they were ready to accept that challenge straight on. The Patriots got the ball in the second half and started to run down the field. An amazing quarterback scramble on 3rd down by junior Dagan Bruno kept the drive alive. A penalty caused by Catholic gave Curtis the perfect field position to score. A pitch play from Bruno gave Prout a perfect chance to use his speed to run for a 21-yard touchdown. The entire crowd erupted, but it wasn’t over. The Patriots were still down by four, kicking it to Catholic. About ten plays decide a football game. They can drastically change the entire game for either team to leave with a victory. On the proceeding kickoff, Catholic’s returner fumbled the football at the 20- yard line. The ball bounced out of his chest and was sent directly to junior receiver Tyler Mitchell. This was one of the best showcases of how a single play can turn the tide of a game since it gave Curtis another chance to hit Catholic in their faces with another touchdown. Thanks to Mitchell and his amazing effort, the Patriots took the lead with a 20-yard touchdown run by senior running back Aaron Johnson. The Patriots took the lead for the first time in the game, and they weren’t going to allow the Bears to take that from them. Curtis ate up the rest of the time in the 3rd quarter before they were forced to punt. Catholic had the ball back, and the Curtis defense needed to stop them from scoring. Even a field goal would tie the game. The Bear’s offense relies on their passing game, with their 5-star LSU commit wide receiver, Shelton Sampson, being regarded as the best receiver in the state. Giving Catholic’s star quarterback Daniel Beale enough time to throw the ball always ends up in failure for the opposing team. Curtis’s stellar pass defense had to play their best, so Catholic wouldn’t be able to win the game potentially. The Patriot’s inferior linemen pressured Beale all night long, even picking up some sacks, like with senior defensive end Austin Ackel getting a massive tackle on Beale early in the 4th quarter. Curtis’s pass rush kept pressuring Beale all night long, and it was finally getting to him mentally. After a failed drive by Catholic, they punted it back to Curtis, thanks to the defense stopping them. With 9 minutes left, the offense had to decide if they wanted to run the clock down or go straight for Catholic’s throat to end the game, and of course, they took the latter. The Catholic defense was left speechless after a stunning play-action pass by Bruno to a wide-open Mitchell for over 47 yards! Another one of those plays ended up deciding a game since it gave Curtis a 10-point lead.

The game wasn’t over. The Catholic offense received the ball. They went down the field with their pass game for a 30-yard touchdown pass to make the score 24-21. Curtis needed to run the clock down to win the game. The Patriots punted with 2 minutes left on the clock, more than enough time for Catholic to get the game-winning score. The Curtis defense wasn’t going to allow that to happen, putting pressure on Beale, which caused his throws to be inaccurate, and with the secondary locking up every receiver like their life depended on it. Finally, it was 4th and long. If Catholic could get this first down, their season would still be alive and they would have had a chance to tie the game to go into overtime. If the Curtis defense stops Catholic, it’ll be game over with only a couple of Curtis runs needed to run down the clock. This is where history is made; the winners are remembered for what they are; and the losers have to sit back and watch and wonder what could have been. Countless days running in the summer, doing three a days in spring, practicing every Saturday morning after a game, and being knocked down at practice...All of this equated to this moment here. This is a moment in history. With Beale dropping back to pass with multiple defenders in his face, he sees no open receivers and tries to force a ball which ends up going out of bounds. The Patriots did it. They won! The entire sideline erupted in cheers and screaming from the fans, the players, and the coaches. A couple of Curtis runs ended the game. The John Curtis Patriots, who no one expected to make it this far, were going to the state championship game in the Superdome. Everyone on the team, from the coaches, players, filmers, the waterboys, and of course, the fans believed they could make it, and they did. It was an amazing moment to witness and feel. Senior offensive linemen Andrew Martinez said, “Heading into the Catholic game, we knew it would be one of the biggest games of the year. We had really good practices the whole week. Going into it we were confident, and we did exactly what we did at practice. We played with confidence and had great plays as a team on offense, defense, and special teams. We played an amazing game.” After three long years of losing in the playoffs and people thinking Curtis was washed, this is the only thing left to be said...

The Patriots are back in the dome.

The Patriots revisited an old district enemy, Brother Martin, in the Caesars Superdome on December 10, 2022, in the state championship game, which ended in Curtis’s biggest win of the season in a 23-0 victory to collect the school's 28th football championship. It was a massive moment for all the seniors to experience. To walk into the Superdome for the first time was special. Some waited all of their life to experience this. Senior defensive tackle John Morter said, “We had to get scanned in, and it really set in whenever I walked onto the field for warm-ups. It was more of a surreal moment for me, but it felt good. It felt right.” The entire season was leading up to this moment. Any other team may start to feel stressed out and nervous, but the Patriots kept calm going into the game. At the end of the day, the players treated it as any other game against an opponent they play yearly. The stage was huge; the fans were loud; and the lights were bright, but the Patriots kept their poise. Brother Martin looked nervous heading into the game. It was the first time in over 30 years they made it to a state championship game, so unlike Curtis, they aren’t used to this feeling. Still, they were a formidable team to go against, especially since this was still practically the same team that beat Curtis by 41-12 last year. The Brother Martin running back, Torey Lambert, had been making headlines about his amazing play in the playoffs so, so he could have been a difference-maker in this game. The stage was set. Could Curtis win their 28th ring and give their senior class a championship win before they leave, or will Brother Martin pull off an upset and bring back a trophy 30 years in waiting?

The game started with the Patriots receiving the kickoff. Curtis marched down the field and was in prime position to strike first in the game, but after a 4th down stop, they were forced to turn over on downs on the Crusader's 15-yard line. This gave the stellar defense a chance to showcase their might on the main stage in front of thousands of people. A quick 3-and-out stop got the defense on fire for the rest of the game, but now it was the offense’s time to shine. With Curtis getting the ball back, they knew they needed to score early on to get the Crusader's hopes down, and they did just that. Junior quarterback Dagan Bruno threw a perfect spiral to junior wide receiver Michael Turner who was wide-open for the 38-yard touchdown. The crowd exploded, watching this unfold, and so did the sidelines. The Patriots just scored in the Superdome, and they weren’t going to slow down soon. After a missed extra kick, the defense kept playing to perfection throughout the quarter. It seemed like Torey Lambert ran out of excuses for his play because the Crusaders didn’t score in the first and second quarters! The Curtis offense was given many chances to drive down the field, and after an amazing screen pass from Bruno to junior running back Jason Gabriel for a critical first down, the Patriots kept driving down the field to score. A quarterback sneak at the one-yard line by Bruno put the Patriots up by 13. Everyone assumed that was where the first half would end since there were only 3 minutes left. Everyone on the team knew what assuming does, though. With the Crusader offense back on the field, they tried to cook something up, but it ended with one of the most absurd interpretations of the year. Brother Martin’s quarterback Seth Dazet dropped back to pass and threw it off target, which caused senior cornerback Blake Wibel to dive for the ball, causing it to deflect right in the air. Turner was there to catch it, but it bobbled up from his hands, shooting straight up before he finally caught it. This is a perfect example of Curtis’s mentality of never giving up the entire year. Wibel didn’t give up when he dove for the ball, and Turner didn’t give up after the ball escaped from his hands the first time. In the first half alone, Turner got a touchdown reception and an interception in the Superdome, not bad! The interception gave Curtis a perfect field position to score. A Bruno pitch to junior Kaheam Smith allowed for a 29-yard touchdown run. This run was even more special because Smith caught the pitch with only one hand! After halftime, Curtis was up 20-0, but Brother Martin has fought back from major deficits before. The coaches reminded the players that they needed not to let up and to go back onto the field with the same intensity as before.

The story of the second half was all about the defense. They stopped the Crusaders from any chance they had, not allowing them to move down the field far enough to score. The offense widened the margin with a field goal by kicker Jaden Alphonso in the 3rd quarter. Brother Martin tried everything they had to make a comeback, but the defense had a response for everything thrown at them. The run game was stopped, and the passing game wasn’t better. The clock kept ticking down and down, and the pressure was on for Brother Martin. Was this how they were going to leave? With a massive blowout loss in the Superdome after making it for the first time since the 90s? Well, it brings me, a senior football player, such happiness to say this, but yes, this was the case for Brother Martin. Every game has to end with only one winner. As the clock kept going down, thanks to the offense running the ball and taking up time, players who didn’t see the field as often got a chance to play. To play in the Superdome is an amazing feeling. The turf is so smooth; the stands seem massive; and looking up at the dome makes you feel tiny in comparison.

As the clock ran down, the crowd was cheering, and once that clock finally hit zero, everyone celebrated in tears of joy. Everyone ran onto the field, cheering and hugging each other. They waited three long years to experience this. Raising the trophy in the dome has been the goal since the season started. All the setbacks that happened in the season were all worth it. Getting home late and tired from practice, watching film while trying your hardest not to doze off, and having fun with your teammates are all experiences that the seniors will never experience again. They can say one thing, though, their last game ever as a John Curtis Patriot ended with a State Championship win in the Superdome, just as 27 teams before them did. Senior Austin Ackel said, “Whenever we walked out on the field for warm-ups it was truly a blessing to be on the same field that many great players have played before me. It was an awesome experience to finish my career at John Curtis by winning a state championship with my brothers.” It’s the 83rd overall state championship win for Curtis. This game was even more important because the win put Coach J.T. Curtis just six games away from tying the all-time win record in football history. With over 615 wins and 28 state championships, at the age of 76 years old, Coach J.T. has cemented himself as the greatest coach ever in football history. The season ends here. After 14 games, approximately 70 practices, countless hours of film watched, and blood, sweat, and tears, the season is over. It’s been an amazing ride.

THE JOHN CURTIS PATRIOTS ARE BACK ON TOP!

2022-2023

LHSAA DIVISION 1 SELECT

STATE CHAMPIONS