St. Thomas More once again finds a way to defeat crosstown foe Lafayette Christian

Cougars get game-turning pick-six and offense awakens after halftime for Division II select title repeat

NEW ORLEANS - St. Thomas More didn’t light up the scoreboard the way the Cougars did in their previous games against Lafayette Christian Academy. 

In fact, the Cougars were even out-gained by more than 200 yards in Saturday’s Division II select championship game. They also stared at a 14-0 deficit before the end of the first quarter.

But, just like they did in their three previous games against the Knights since the 2022 season, the Cougars still found a way to prevail.

This time, it was back-to-back touchdowns to break a fourth-quarter tie and an opportunistic defense - highlighted by a game-turning pick-six to end the first half - that enabled STM to repeat as state champions with a 35-21 win Saturday at the Caesars Superdome.

St. Thomas More defeats Lafayette Christian: Live updates, score of Louisiana high school football Division II select state championship

“We played together; (our defense) gave up a couple of plays, but they weren’t getting killed, and we just kept a positive attitude throughout the whole game,” Cougar senior quarterback Sam Altmann said. “It made the team morale a lot better because if we get on each other, it won’t play out well and we know that.”

Last season, STM defeated LCA, 41-34, in the regular season, and then rallied late for a wild 52-48 win in the title game. On Week 10 this season, the Cougars pulled out a 44-40 decision.

Louisiana high school football Top 25 rankings (12/7/2023)

In Saturday’s game, STM also overcame a tough start, throwing an interception on its second drive and missing back-to-back field goal attempts. But the Cougars finally broke through on the scoreboard with a touchdown inside the final minute of the opening half.

Then, on the last play before halftime, with LCA driving in Cougar territory, the Cougars got another lift.

LCA standout quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson fired a pass toward the right flat. But STM senior linebacker Brody Latiolais stepped in front of a receiver to pick off the pass at his own 20.

He didn’t stop there, taking it in untouched for an 80-yard pick-six with time already having expired. Brendan Bourque’s PAT followed, and a 14-0 deficit just a minute ago became a 14-all score at halftime.

“I was playing deep and I think I had two receivers to my side,” Latiolais said. “And then as soon as the ball was snapped, I dropped back even farther and then they were coming straight up at me; so I was thinking to myself, ‘As soon as he throws this ball, I know it’s not going to be a hard ball, he’s probably going to loft it a little bit.’

“Then as soon as I saw it in the air, I broke on it. … The defensive line blocked for me and I saw that, and then also there was just nobody there to stop me.”

St. Thomas More linebacker Brody Latiolais (left) and coach Jim Hightower listen during a press conference following the Cougars' Division II select state championship win Dec. 9, 2023

Though LCA did regain the lead, 21-14, on its second drive in the second half, the point production stopped for the Knights. The Cougars kept LCA scoreless for the final 19 minutes and change.

They also forced five turnovers on downs during the game, including two in the second half on drives where LCA ran at least 10 plays.

Senior defensive end Adam Guidry ended that last turnover on downs with a fourth-down sack with less than two minutes left.

“We just had that, ‘I want the ball’ mentality, and then we just showed off and we won,” Latiolais said. “That’s about it.

“They dropped a couple of (passes) they should have caught, and if they had done that, it would have been a different game, but we just kept going and kept chopping wood, and we just kept doing it.”

Meanwhile, the Cougars’ offense was revived in the second half, scoring touchdowns on three straight possessions to turn a 21-14 deficit into a two-touchdown lead.

Altmann broke a 21-all score with a 1-yard keeper with 7:40 left, capping an 11-play, 78-yard drive. STM’s defense then forced a punt, and Landon Strother brought it back 44 yards to the LCA 16.

Three plays later, senior tailback Hutch Swilley found the end zone from 5 yards out, giving the Cougars their two-score lead with more than four minutes to play.

“It was real frustrating I’ll admit (especially after being down 14-0), but I knew with the way we could score, I knew we were still in it,” Altmann said.

And in the end, it was Altmann and the Cougars that got the better of their crosstown rivals once more. They also finished off a perfect 14-0 season, the first team in program history to achieve such a feat.

“Last year was probably a lot more exciting, but this year, just to seal it and go 14-0 and know we’re the first team in STM history to do that, it feels pretty special,” Altmann said.

St. Thomas More coach Jim Hightower (left) and tailback John Luke St. Pierre listen to questions during a press conference following the Cougars' Division II select state title win Dec. 9, 2023

While Johnson - an LSU commit as a defensive back - had dazzling numbers on Saturday with 457 yards of total offense and three rushing TDs, his quarterback counterpart had just 153 yards passing and 8 rushing yards.

But Altmann will get another championship ring in a season in which he threw for more than 2,100 yards. And unlike Johnson, Altmann didn’t have college coaches breaking down his door to land his services, as he has reported no offers.

Altmann, though, hopes that changes.

“Hopefully (I’ll get an offer),” he said. “I’ll be your hardest worker; that’s my message to every college out there.”

Saturday was further proof of that.

Photo of St. Thomas More quarterback Sam Altmann (left) and linebacker Brody Latiolais 

-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveLA