With the Non Select heavyweight fight becoming a District 2-5A instant classic, the Select bracket version was set up to be just as exciting, pitting the defending champion Edna Karr Cougars against the St. Augustine Purple Knights. The Dome was packed well before kickoff, and the team entrances lit up the building.

Karr’s first drive ended in a punt, and St. Aug got some slant routes going to move the ball before punting as well. Karr had a long punt return TD called back for an illegal block, and punted it back after 5 plays. Both QB’s worked out of the shotgun with a mix of runs and passes, and both defensive units hit hard and forced turnovers in the first quarter, an interception by Karr and a 4th and goal sack by St. Aug. That would end the first quarter with each team getting three drives and no points.

The Purple Knights began the second quarter with another stalled drive up after the goal line stop and had to punt out of their own end zone. Cougar QB John Johnson took over with good field position and fed RB Tre Garrison over and over into the red zone. Johnson would then execute a nice ball fake, pulling and dashing into the end zone from inside the 5. The extra point was good, and Johnson’s run gave Karr a 7-0 lead with 10 minutes before intermission.

Karr got the ball back, and Johnson threw a beautiful ball 36 yards downfield leading to a Tre Garrison short touchdown run. The Purple Knights got a good kickoff return and some free penalty yards to cross midfield. The Cougar defense continued to be stingy and got the ball back via a stripped ball that they recovered with about 6 minutes left in the quarter.

Johnson threw the ball really well on this drive and found WR Gregory Wilfred on another slant route and another Karr TD. That made it 21-0, and Karr kept going from there. They got another takeaway on a dropped screen pass, and although they ran out of time trying to move the ball back to scoring range, they took a 21-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Purple Knights couldn’t make any headway when they got the second half kickoff, but then they got a little energy. John Johnson threw an out route in the red zone that St. Aug DB Chad Jones picked off and return 90 yards to put his team on the board, and a PAT kick made it 21-7 with 8 minutes left in the third.

However, Edna Karr got the ball back and John Johnson easily led an 8 play 60 yard drive. He sprinted into the end zone for a 3 yard TD run, to put the Cougars up 28-7 and quiet down the St. Aug fanbase. But that lull didn’t last long, because Derrick Bennett charged up the sizable Superdome crowd with an 88 yard kickoff return TD down the left sideline with about 4 minutes left in the third, making it 28-14.

St. Augustine almost picked off Johnson and would eventually force a punt. They started the last drive of the third quarter on the Karr side of the field. However, Karr forced a three and out as the game moved into the fourth quarter.

The next Karr drive looked a lot like the others, matriculating the ball down towards the goal line and scoring on a fourth down dive from Johnson, which put the Cougars up by 21 with five minutes left. This began emptying out one side of the arena. Karr’s marching band kept making a spirited noise in the corner of the end zone, and just a minute later, Torrence Sanders added a 74-yard scoop and score touchdown sprinting down the sideline as the band played on. Karr’s defense wasn’t finished, adding another interception and another John Johnson touchdown run to make it 49-14 and wrap up another state championship for the Edna Karr Cougars.