Livonia’s defense is proving to be just as impressive, holding a Loreauville team that rushed for 390 yards the week before to 197 total yards, helping the Wildcats claim a 51-7 district win over Loreauville that spoiled the Tigers’ homecoming celebration.
“They were just so much more physical than we were tonight,” said Loreauville coach Trent Delahoussaye. “We’ve got a young team and they’ve got a veteran team with a lot of seniors. It showed.”
 Loreauville’s Jarmal Alexander (28) celebrates his touchdown with teammate B.J. Green (23) after making a diving catch of a Jonathan Louviere pass in the end zone Friday. The touchdown was the only score for the Tigers, who lost their homecoming game to Livonia. - Lee Ball / The Daily Iberian Advertisement
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Dixon rushed for 235 yards and four touchdowns, averaging more than nine yards a carry. Freshman quarterback Justin Mingo also topped the century mark, running for 128 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, as the Wildcats scored on eight of 11 possessions, including their first four.
But Loreauville’s inability to move the ball consistently after their opening possession was critical.
“We knew how good their offense was,” said Delahoussaye. “I was hoping we’d be able to move the ball better than we did to keep it away from their offense.”
The Wildcats took a 6-0 lead with a nine-play, 95-yard scoring drive to open the game, capped by a six-yard scoring pass from Mingo to Mark Savani with 7:43 remaining in the first quarter. Dixon had seven carries for 70 yards on the drive, including a 37-yard run where he reversed field after taking a pitchout to the right side of the offense, going back all the way to the left sideline for the big gain.
Loreauville stripped Dixon of the ball on a later carry inside the Tigers’ 10-yard line, but an early whistle by the officials stopped the play and Livonia retained possession, scoring two plays later.
The Tigers answered quickly, marching 75 yards on 11 plays to take a 7-6 lead. Jarmal Alexander ran twice for 15 yards, Jonathan Louviere had two carries for 11 yards and Dillon Anthony carried five times for 34 yards on the series, and Louviere completed two pass attempts, including a 12-yard touchdown toss to Alexander with 2:04 left in the first quarter. Zachary Galatas tacked on the point-after for a 7-6 Loreauville lead.
“That touchdown we gave up in the first quarter was the first touchdown our first-team defense has given up this year,” said Livonia coach David Brewerton. “Defense has definitely carried us through the last couple of games, especially those front four guys.”
The lead held for only four more plays as Livonia went 51 yards to reclaim the lead for good on the Wildcats’ next possession. Mingo faked a handoff to Dixon, sidestepped a tackler and went untouched for a 37-yard scoring run to cap the drive with 19.5 seconds left in the quarter.
And things only went downhill for Loreauville from there. The Tigers’ next three possessions in the first half ended with three punts and a turnover on downs, and Livonia added touchdown runs of two and 23 yards from Dixon to surge to a 24-7 halftime lead.
“I feel as though we’re starting to come around and jell as a unit (on the offensive line),” said Brewerton. “There were several occasions where our backs weren’t touched until they were seven or eight yards downfield.”
“Any time you get whipped up front, especially with a great running back like Dixon, you’re going to have trouble,” said Delahoussaye.
Loreauville moved the ball at times in the second half, but couldn’t get on the scoreboard again. Anthony, who finished with 124 yards on 20 carries to pace the Tigers, impressed Brewerton again.
“Fifteen is a great back,” Brewerton said in referring to Anthony by his jersey number. “We call him the bowling ball of razor blades because the first (defensive) guy never gets him down. He had a great game last year and he’s been having a good season this year too.”
But Friday was Dixon’s night. After adding touchdown runs of 31 yards and one yard in the third period, he sat out the fourth. Junior Ivory Slaughter added to the Wildcats’ totals with a 73-yard scoring run, and freshman Mason Torres scored on a two-yard carry with 3:29 to go in the game after a punt block set up one more TD for the Wildcats.
“Trent does a great job over there,” said Brewerton. “I think he’s dealing with some young guys up front on both sides of the ball, and that’s definitely something we wanted to attack.”
Alexander added 48 yards on 10 rushes and Louviere completed seven passes for 30 yards for the Tigers.
Loreauville travels to Donaldsonville on Friday for another district game, while Livonia plays host to St. John.
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