Guardians Overpower Mount Olive, 60–0
Lafayette, LA – John Paul the Great Academy’s Guardians outclassed the Mount Olive Christian School Eagles of Athens, LA, 60–0 Friday night at Clark Field, pairing sharp execution on offense with a stifling defensive effort.
A Strong Start and Relentless Ground Attack
Head Coach Barrett Richard praised his offensive line’s performance against Mount Olive’s size up front:
“Mount Olive has some really big offensive and defensive linemen… I thought we did [our blocking] really well. Our running backs were executing, everybody looked sharp,” Richard said.
The Guardians piled up 243 total yards — 192 on the ground and 51 through the air. Quarterback Daniel Charpentier completed his only pass for a 51-yard touchdown to Riley Lormand.
Behind the offensive line, Guardian running backs churned out yards and scores as follows:
- Nicholas Odinet ripped off a 52-yard burst on his way to 56 yards and a touchdown.
- Luke Salvatierra broke free for 43 yards and a score.
- Jonah Petitt added 25 yards and a rushing touchdown, plus a conversion.
- Charpentier chipped in 30 rushing yards and a touchdown run of his own.
The Guardians’ defense smothered the Eagles, recording three fumble recoveries, a pick-six, and nine tackles for loss. Playmakers on defense included:
- Luke Cramer returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown.
- Jacques Odient scored on a fumble return.
- Maximus Stewart anchored the line with six tackles, including four tackles for loss.
- Freshman Elliot Patrick added a sack.
Coach Richard also highlighted linebacker Riley Lormand for sniffing out swing passes and closing quickly, noting the defense “looked sharper than in the previous two weeks.”
Depth on Display
With the game well in hand by halftime, Richard and his staff rotated in younger players for nearly the entire second half:
“That was fun to watch… their excitement’s always a bit infectious. It helps them develop as players and stokes that fire,” Richard said.
Looking Ahead
The Guardians improve to 4–0 and now set their sights on a much-anticipated showdown with Southwest Louisiana Homeschool Association (3-1) this Friday at Clark Field. Southwest will be coming in after a 24-16 loss to Acadiana Christian School.
Despite a drama free start to the season where the Guardians have routed each of their opponents, Richard’s passion and preparedness remains high, “Southwest always plays us hard. They always have a dynamic offense… I’m preparing like this is a championship game.”
Richard called it “a real big game” that will test his team’s mettle, “As a coach, you can’t ever take football for granted. You get to get on the field and do what we do. A lot of people in the world never get the opportunity to do it. As I always tell my players, football is not a right, it’s a privilege. So, a game coming up like this Friday gets me thinking just how lucky we all are to even be out there. It’s amazing.”