Home Sweet Dome

Bearcat fans, you might as well make your reservations in New Orleans annually.

Ruston High football (11-2) will defend its state title after a dominant 44-7 win over Destrehan (10-4) Friday in the Division I nonselect semifinals on a freezing night at Hoss Garrett Stadium, making a third straight trip to the Dome - the first such streak in school history.

No, not even the Ruston teams of the 1980's or 1990's can say they did that. But these Bearcats, the ones that had the outside world nervous after a two-game losing streak in late October, the ones that had their championship credentials tested against district foes and a Texas gauntlet, can say they made history. Back-to-back titles are on the table now.

"When our guys get out and practice the way that they're supposed to and we need them to, and they're in tune to what's going on, I've told them all year I didn't think there was anybody that could beat them' Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. "We lost two ball games and I'm not blaming anybody or anything. We didn't practice very well during those ball games and maybe we were tired from the Texas run, or whatever excuse anybody would come up with. But late in the year, leading into the playoffs we've been able to put good practices together. All of them aren't the greatest but the kids were really focused coming into tonight."

The first half could not have been more one-sided with Ruston carrying the rock 24 times for 199 yards - 8.3 yards per carry - and 2 rushing touchdowns, led by Dylone Brooks with separate 44 and 9-yard TD scampers. Destrehan's offense, meanwhile, put up a goose egg in the first half with its drives ending in a punt, turnover on downs, an interception (Jackson Fields picked off by Trindon Moore), and the end of the half to allow Ruston to lead 24-0 at halftime.

In Ruston's previous three losses to Destrehan, the Bearcats had 20 total points.

Ruston used nine straight runs on its first drive of the night, capped off by Brooks' 9-yard TD, to set the tone for the night ahead. The defense quickly followed up the momentum created by the score on Moore's interception to set Ruston up for great field position in its second drive. The Bearcats used the takeaway to their advantage, going up 14-0 on a 16-yard TD pass from Josh Brantley to Joran Parker. Brooks took off for a 44-yard TD on Ruston's next drive before Jack Elliot booted through a field goal to give Ruston a four-score lead before the break.

The scoring didn't stop in the second half after Ruston senior Payton Bell recovered a fumble on Destrehan's kickoff return, setting up Ruston inside the Wildcat 21. Seventeen seconds into the third, Lander Smith caught a 21-yard TD pass from Brantley to build the lead to 31-0.

Destrehan finally moved the ball offensively, getting to the Ruston 15 with a chance to get on the board. But Ruston's defense held strong, even after three straight throws to the end-zone by Fields, and forced a turnover on downs on the Wildcats' only threatening series of the evening.

On the ensuing drive, Brantley kept it himself for a TD run, serving a stiff arm to the would-be Destrehan tackler, to give the Bearcats a 38-0 lead on his third total TD of the game.

Junior defensive lineman Keegan Goldsmith recovered a fumble on Destrehan's next drive and backup quarterback Sam Hartwell capitalized on Ruston's next drive with a rushing score to make it 44-0.

Ruston finished with 312 rushing yards at 8.21 YPC as part of 356 total yards. Brooks finished with 108 rushing yards and a pair of scores, while Brantley had 93 yards and a rushing score to go with two passing scores.

Destrehan had six possessions entering the fourth quarter, one score away from being shut out in the playoffs for the first time since Dec. 18, 2020. Ruston's defense allowed a late score with its backups in but it didn't damper a night of history at The Hoss.

The Wildcats, who came in averaging 39.4 points, finished with a single touchdown, 245 yards of offense, with leading rusher Malachi Dabney, who came off a 200+-yard outing against Airline, finishing with just 44 yards on 12 carries.

"He and I are a lot alike," Baugh said of Defensive Coordinator Kyle Williams. "There's a line that we draw of what it is that's acceptable as far as attitude about going to work and what your effort is. That line stays there. He doesn't bend it. He doesn't make excuses for it. In my opinion, that's how we built this football program."

Since 2022, Ruston has held opponents to average 18 fewer points off their average in the postseason, including another impressive showing on Friday night.

No. 3 Ruston (11-2) takes on No. 4 Central-Baton Rouge Wildcats (12-1) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Division I nonselect state championship at Caesars Superdome.