Finding different Heroes: Riverside’s second-half surge holds off Ascension Catholic

by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

NEW ORLEANS – When Riverside Academy looked for separation against Ascension Catholic in the second half of Thursday’s Division IV select state title, it relied on the arm of quarterback of Brock Bourgeois.

Riverside reached the final game in part because of the legs of senior running back Jayden Obiewke, but the Rebels stretched their one-score halftime lead on a pair of touchdown passes from Bourgeois, which provided his team with a 31-21 victory over Ascension Catholic in the Division IV select state championship game at the Caesars Superdome.

No. 2 Riverside closed the season on a 13-game win streak and won the school’s second state title. The Rebels also won eight state titles as a member of the Louisiana Independent School’s Association.

“We’ve been getting 30-plus carries from Jayden, and we knew that was a lot of the talk this week,” Riverside coach Lee Rousel said. “The two running backs (Obiewke and Ascension Catholic’s Trevin Simon), the two running backs, and that didn’t mean we weren’t going to lean on Jayden. We knew we could throw the football, too. 

“We have three special wide receivers, we can protect, and we have a quarterback that’s been here before and threw it well as a sophomore,” Roussel said. “We knew if that’s what the game came down to, we could do that too because this wasn’t a one-dimensional offense and they stepped up on the biggest stage.”

Bourgeois, a member of Riverside’s state runner-up team in 2023, completed 7 of 12 passes for 142 yards with an interception and 2 touchdowns. Johnson was his top target with four catches for 89 yards and a score. Christopher Becknell, who had two receptions for 72 yards and a TD, also filled in Obiewke and rushed 9 times for 36 yards and was awarded his team’s Outstanding Player.

Bourgeois led his team to back-to-back scores in the third quarter, hitting Becknell and Johnson, turning a 14-7 lead into a commanding 28-7 advantage at the six-minute mark of the third quarter.

The Rebels needed four plays on each drive, scoring within a three-minute stretch. That created a cushion against the Bulldogs, who closed with two touchdowns that bridged the third and fourth quarters and trailed 28-21 with 6:13 remaining.

Bourgeois’ TD to Becknell included a bit of deception, rolling to his right, stopping, and throwing back where Becknell was wide open on a third-and-eight play.

Johnson made up for an earlier drop near the end of the first half that would have been a touchdown. His 12-yard catch set up his score, taking in a long throw toward the sideline, remaining in bounds, and completing the 42-yard touchdown.

“I just tried to stay poised, making sure everyone was positive on the sideline … making sure everyone was still in the game,” Bourgeois said after halftime. “I give all the credit to the offensive line and receivers. Without them, I’m not doing the things I’m doing. They played a hell of a game, and I’m proud of them. Their success led to my success.”

ACHS stopped Riverside’s stretch of 28 straight points near the end of the third quarter, in which they trailed 28-14.

Simon played a central role in the 14-play drive, rushing eight times for 41 yards, but it was Joshua Barber’s turn on first-and-goal for a 1-yard score with 56 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs (12-2) followed up that 14-play drive that consumed more than five minutes with a 10-play, 88-yard march that took 3:46 off the clock to get within a touchdown and 6:13 to play. 

Fernandez fueled his 3-yard TD on and second-and-goal with 61 yards on three carries. He wound up with 83 yards on 15 carries.

“I know the character of these guys,” said Ascension Catholic first-year coach Taylor James, whose program was in search of its first state title in 33 years. “I know what’s in their soul. I never once had a question if they were going to fight back.”

Riverside was able to stave off Ascension Catholic, which knocked the Rebels out in last year’s semifinals, by holding onto the ball for eight plays and 4:02, which resulted in William Rausch’s 40-yard field goal with 2:07 showing. 

“A lot of these guys were on that team as sophomores, and now as seniors to leave with that gold trophy, it feels special,” Roussel said.

Simon, who had 181 all-purpose yards, picked up his team’s Outstanding Player award with 30 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown. The state’s leading rusher with 3,765 yards and a touchdown producer with 57 scores came into the game averaging 289.6 yards.

“To get that many yards and touchdowns, you’re doing something right,” Roussel said. “He’s a special player, a special kid. You can’t do what he did without being special, but we’ve got some good ones, too. What it comes down to is we have a really good front four, and we have some seniors at the second level. That’s kind of been the story of our defense and team all year.”

Riverside outgained ACSH 370-260, compensating for Obiewke’s injury, which limited him to nine carries to 40 yards after the first quarter. He wound up a team-high 69 yards on 16 attempts, but eighth-grader Caleb Williams added 35 yards on 4 attempts, and Becknell contributed 33 yards on 9 carries.

Part of the Rebels’ defensive effort was Jace Trosclair and Ethan Bourgeois with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. 

Riverside scored on consecutive first-half possessions to build a 14-7 they took into halftime.

The Rebels put together a lengthy 65-yard drive, requiring 10 plays and nearly five minutes, when Obiekwe, out of wildcat formation, took a third-and-goal handoff up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown at the 6:12 mark of the second quarter.

Both teams dealt with near misses in the final minute of the half.

ACHS held onto the ball for 5:31 with an 11-play, 35-yard drive when Fernandez stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure. He threw off his right leg where Simon was behind coverage, only to have the ball sail over his head at Riverside’s 15 on fourth down with 41 seconds to go.

Instead of sitting on the ball, Riverside handed to Williams for 24 yards and a first down to ACHS’ 43 with 33 seconds left. Following a timeout, Bourgeois threw deep to Johnson, who couldn’t bring in the pass, falling on his back in the end zone.

Bourgeois was intercepted on the next play by Jacob Julien at the Bulldogs’ 27 with 15 seconds to go.

ACHS scored on its opening drive, which featured Fernandez early, but on second-and-four four Simon got the ball for the second time. He juked a defender at the 35 and sped untouched the remainder of the way, completing a 46-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the game.

Riverside responded on the next series and Becknel, listed as a wide receiver, took his second straight snap on the series, held the defense with a run threat that enabled Obiewke to sneak out of the backfield uncovered for a 46-yard touchdown catch and tie the game at 7-all. 

“I was really sad in 2023,” Bourgeois said after a 42-35 loss to Southern Lab in the state title game. “We were hungry, and we wanted to get back. Since the start of football, we’ve been talking about getting back here. I’m super proud of the team and the way we work every day.”