By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
NEW ORLEANS – Calvary’s biggest problem Thursday night in the LHSAA’s Select Division III state championship game was obvious from pregame warmups, watching Dunham’s No. 5 getting loose.
But it wasn’t just record-shattering, man-among-boys quarterback Elijah Haven, who somehow seemed larger than 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. He looked like he belongs on the Caesars Superdome field – on Sundays, in a few years.
His 407 total yards and five touchdowns were fitting of a player ranked as the nation’s No. 1 QB in the Class of 2027. His three TD passes gave him a state-record 62, topping 59 by Dez Duron of Evangel in 2007.
Haven was undeniably the focal point of Dunham’s 34-17 victory.
“He’s phenomenal. That guy will play on Sunday, I can promise you,” said Calvary coach Rodney Guin, who ended his 43rd year wearing a headset on a sideline, and a quarter century as a head ball coach. “It’s just tough (to defend). They’ve got good receivers. If you don’t drop enough guys to try to cover them, then he throws it all over you. We dropped a bunch of guys, and he runs the ball on you. He’s a handful.”
Senior safety Luke Miller summed up the dilemma succinctly.
“It’s always tough to bring bigger guys down, and he ran hard. It took 2-3 of us to get him down.”
As usual, Haven’s production outpaced everything the Tigers’ opponent could muster – thanks not only to his gaudy stats, but to 168 receiving yards on 10 catches by receiver Jarvis Washington Jr., and an offensive line effort that fairly well muted Calvary’s normally furious pass rush, while creating space for his 136 rushing yards on 27 carries.
The lethal combination was on display when the Cavaliers tried in vain to keep pace. Dunham had a voracious defensive line, a swarming linebacking corps, and a secondary that blanketed Calvary receivers when it wasn’t tipping away passes.
Total yards: 486 for Dunham, 222 for Calvary.
The thing that couldn’t happen for the Cavaliers to prevail, did. The Tigers (13-1) ran 79 plays to just 42 for Calvary (12-2, losing for the first time in 12 games over three months).
“He’s hard to slow down. I think everybody knew that coming in here,” said Guin. “We had to play better offensively to keep him off the field. If you leave them out there, they’re going to score. The defense played way too much for us to stay in the game.”
Calvary couldn’t run the ball against a defensive front without a player over 200 pounds. The Cavs’ prime ballcarriers – running back Z’Ryan Miles and quarterback Hudson Price – combined for 28 yards on 17 tries.
“The guy that plays nose, No. 44, (Eliot Trahan), he is a football player,” said Guin. “No. 7 (linebacker Trevor Haman) — they can all play, they’re well coached, they’re where they are supposed to be. We had trouble blocking 3-4 of those guys up front. We had to be able to run it, and couldn’t do that effectively.”
Said Miles: “They were very good up front and it was hard to get blocks when they kept shifting, and how speedy they were, and how physical they were. It was hard to get me holes to run through.”
It didn’t begin that way. It couldn’t have started any better for the sixth-seeded Cavaliers, who marched to the state final with 17 first-year starters.
Calvary’s defense got a game-opening three-and-out. Miller dropped back and broke free on a 40-yard punt return to the Dunham 22. The next play, the Cavs lit up the scoreboard.
Junior receiver Braylun Huglon took a jet sweep pass from Price, racing right toward the Calvary sideline, weaved past a couple defenders, tightroped the sideline and outran pursuit untouched. Just 75 seconds in, Calvary was up 7-0.
But it didn’t last long. Haven replied by spearheading two straight eight-play scoring drives, 74 and 76 yards, ending on his TD runs of 13 and 2 yards, sandwiched around the first of five Calvary punts.
The Tigers took control with a 17-play, 83-yard march that finished with a 7-yard Haven touchdown pass for a 20-7 advantage.
Calvary finally found success offensively, going 56 yards on 10 snaps but stalling at the 14, where Ty Knight’s 31-yard field goal hooked left 1:02 before halftime.
He made amends quickly, thanks to a diving interception by Garrett Lee at the Tigers’ 46 that led to a 37-yard three-pointer at the 0:05 mark.
But Dunham’s first play of the second half made it 27-10. Washington snagged a Haven pass on a hook route in the middle of the field, spun, shook loose, and split six Calvary defenders on a 77-yarder.
The Cavs punched right back on the next play when Price went up top to Huglon, who officials ruled was tackled a foot shy of a 56-yard TD. Price cashed in on first down and it was 27-17 less than two minutes into the third period.
But the Tigers clamped down and smothered hope for a comeback. Calvary netted only three yards on its next three series. Worse, Dunham drove relentlessly, with an 11-play drive on its next chance finished by Haven’s 20-yard strike to Washington midway through the quarter.
Then Haven and company drummed away. Taking over with 11:42 remaining, they ran 16 plays, reached the 4, and shifted into neutral. The Tigers curled up and contentedly declined to score, or even tack on a field goal.
“They have a great football team, and they were better than us tonight. Hats off to them, class program, class coach,” said Guin, who lost a state final for the first time after wins in 2020 and two years ago.
“I’m happy with my team,” he said. “This is my 43rd year. This may have been the most enjoyable year I’ve had. They show up every day, they work very hard, and they do exactly what we ask.
“I don’t care what happened tonight. These guys are winners, and just good people.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com