By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
After the biggest game of the year ended painfully, the North DeSoto Griffins football team’s leaders saw the bigger picture.
The scene last Friday afternoon on the field at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans as the game clock evaporated was agonizing to behold – heartbreaking for NDHS players, coaches, managers, trainers, and cheerleaders to experience.
It went deeper than simply the bitter disappointment of losing 50-43 to Iowa from Calcasieu Parish in the state championship game for Non-Select Division II. It was the first loss of the season for the Griffins, and their second defeat in the state finals in the four-year careers of their seniors, some who will always rank among not only the school’s best players, but in a couple cases, among the most outstanding in the area and even the state.
As the searing emotions calmed during the postgame awards presentations, and after the team made its way into the locker room, the hurt lingered. It will for quite some time. But the Griffins began to gather themselves, and reflected who they are and what brought them to the state’s biggest stage.
“This in no way diminishes what these guys have done,” said their coach, Dennis Dunn, minutes later in the postgame press conference. “The four-year run here, with Luke Delafield as our leader and these seniors, won 46 football games. That’s pretty amazing – two state championship games in four years.”
What they accomplished was rooted in that senior group, said Dunn.
“They modeled the standard and the culture in a way that represents who we want to be. They met the standard every day, 365 days a year. They left a legacy that’s unmatched… one that will be remembered forever.”
And it will be treasured by all involved, especially the boys who wore the red jerseys with the white numerals in the last football game most of the seniors will ever play.
“It’s been a blessing to be a part of it … the train horns, the packed house every Friday night,” said Delafield, the record-breaking quarterback, whose career will continue down I-49 in Natchitoches as the latest in his family to attend and compete for Northwestern State.
“I’ve been playing football since kindergarten and every time I’ve stepped on the football field I’ve had ND on my chest,” Delafield said. “It’s been a really, really, really fun ride … we never quit, we played as hard as we could, and in the end, they executed one more time than we did.”
It was the Griffins’ third straight game trading scores with stout playoff opposition. Friday, the teams combined for 1,007 yards and 93 points, the highest scoring of the eight championship contests staged by the LHSAA over three days.
There were eight lead changes, six after halftime, two in the final quarter. After Iowa regained the lead on a seven-play, 80-yard drive with 8:38 remaining, North DeSoto missed on its next chance and the Griffins’ offense never got another.
NDHS reached the Yellow Jackets’ 16 but was halted with 6:45 remaining. Twice afterward, the Griffins appeared to have stopped Iowa, but each time, major penalties allowed the Jackets a new set of downs – once on a just-too-late hit out of bounds at Iowa’s 24, then with just over two minutes to go, a controversial roughing-the-punter penalty after a snap sailed over the kicker’s head.
The Griffins ran out of time outs before that punt. The penalty allowed Iowa to erase the remaining time and celebrate their first-ever unbeaten season and first state crown.
“The (roughing) call wasn’t the game,” said Dunn. “We did not do enough to win. I want to credit Iowa for having a very good plan and staying with what they do. They beat us up front, in the trenches, and we didn’t get enough stops.”
Senior running back Kenny Thomas, headed to play at Louisiana Tech, provided 210 all-purpose yards for NDHS and scored once. Braelyn Latin plowed in for a pair of short TD runs.
Delafield had 233 passing yards on 17 of 24 aim, with two touchdown throws, both to Colton Lacour, who caught six balls for 113 yards. Delafield also ran for 79 yards and another TD.
Ethan Ivy led the Griffins with nine tackles, while Logan Anderson and Brayden Thomas had eight apiece. Hayden Bell made seven stops and came up with the only Iowa turnover, a fumble forced by Landyn Berry.
As the postgame press conference drew to a close, the NDHS contingent used its platform to explain the core of its success.
“It’s been an uncanny, organic move of God on this team,” said Dunn. “Jesus has been the hero.”
“I’m extremely blessed,” said Delafield. “God has had His hand over this whole ordeal.”
“I can’t wait to see what Jesus does in their lives going forward,” Dunn said. “It’s going to be so much fun to watch.”
Delafield and his fellow seniors will be watching future editions of the Griffins. Anchored in the culture that Dunn, his staff and the Class of 2026 have established, he offered a confident prediction.
“I can tell you this ain’t gonna be the last time North DeSoto plays on this field, and next time, they’re going to win.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com