Cardinals fall in semifinals to St. Thomas More

E.D. White’s ride ended on Friday night.

But Cardinals coach Kyle Lasseigne said he is so proud of his team for the work that they did throughout the year.

St. Thomas More beat E.D. White 38-7 in the semifinals of the Division II Select State Playoffs, punching a ticket to the Superdome where they will face Lafayette Christian.

The loss ended E.D. White’s season with an 11-2 record — two wins shy of the team’s goal of winning it all.

Lasseigne said on Saturday that while the final game result is disappointing, he couldn’t be prouder of his team for the fight they showed throughout the year, battling a tough district, injuries and then a brutal playoff bracket.

“I’m so proud,” Lasseigne said. “Our guys worked so hard. We faced so many challenges. We’re a 3A team competing in a mostly 4A bracket. We had injuries. We battled a lot. But the kids never complained. They never made excuses. They just kept showing up and going to work. I’m so proud of them for what they accomplished.”

Friday’s game started strong for E.D. White.

The Cardinals scored on their first offensive drive on a long touchdown run from quarterback Ben Guidry to go up 7-0 — sending a large E.D. White fanbase into an early-game frenzy.

But the lead and early-game success was short-lived.

The Cougars scored the rest of the points in the game, controlling the game in all three phases.

St. Thomas More led 17-7 at the end of the opening quarter with consecutive scoring drives.

Through the air, the Cougars struck first, tying the game at 7 on a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Sam Altmann to senior receiver Tanner Hornback.

Altmann was efficient in the game going 17-of-20 for 244 yards and a touchdown. Hornback caught 6 passes for 104 yards and the score.

Lasseigne said he was impressed with St. Thomas More’s passing offense throughout the game.

“Their timing in their passing game was just incredible,” he said.

After forcing a punt, the Cougars then hit the Cardinals on the ground with Cayden Vice rushing for a touchdown to make the score 14-7.

The Cougars then ended the quarter with another stop and field goal to go up 17-7.

E.D. White had chances in the second quarter to get closer, forcing an interception and pushing the ball into St. Thomas More territory, but they couldn’t ever get on the scoreboard, sending the game to halftime with the Cougars ahead by 10.

“We had chances,” Lasseigne said. “We had opportunities there to get points. We just couldn’t break through and convert them.”

In the second half, the Cougars separated, adding 2 more 3rd-quarter touchdowns to go up 31-7, then putting the game on ice in the 4th with another score.

With the win, St. Thomas More now punches a ticket to the Dome where they will face a district foe in Lafayette Christian — a team they beat in a late-season shootout.

For E.D. White, the loss ends the team’s season and also the high school careers of several seniors.

Lasseigne said this senior group is a group that has accomplished an amazing amount in their careers with E.D. White.

This year’s senior group advanced to three-straight State Semifinals, made the State Championship Game last season and won more games than any other team locally.

Lasseigne said he knows the Cardinals have holes to fill in the offseason, but he and his coaches will meet next week to come up with a plan for how to keep the team’s momentum rolling.

He said he’s also thankful to the community for all of the support over the last several years.

“We’re so thankful and blessed for the successes we’ve had,” Lasseigne said. “And I think we have made the E.D. White family proud. I think whether you’re part of the E.D. White community or are just from the area supporting us, we’ve done things to make a lot of people proud. Those things mean a lot to our program, and we’re going to keep working, keep doing things the right way and keep trying to win football games to try and win us the championship.”