Madison Prep’s defense needed one series before putting the breaks on St. Michael the Archangel’s offense.
After the Chargers took a 7-0 lead on quarterback Jacobe Shannon’s 67-yard run on the game’s first play, the Warriors tried to answer. They drove 55 yards and kept the ball for more than five minutes when TCU commitment Landon Johnson dropped running back Gavin Romero for a seven-yard loss on third down, resulting in a 26-yard field goal.
Madison Prep allowed seven yards the remainder of the half, 53 the remainder of a game and kept St. Michael out of the end zone in a 32-3 victory.
Right before halftime, with the Chargers’ offense unable to get rolling because of penalties, senior defensive tackle Jamryis Allen’s safety with 3:37 left in the half provided a spark that continued into the second half – a stretch of 25 unanswered points.
“That was big,” Madison Prep football coach Landry Williams said of Allen. “Landon came in and closed it out and they ended up kicking the field goal. Those were big plays for us, keeping those guys out of the end zone. Those guys have been making plays all year.
“Hopefully, they stay healthy and continue to do that,” Williams said. “They’re good friends on and off the field. Just continue to be disciplined, work hard, stay humble and continue to push and challenge each other to be the best.”
The 6-foot-3, 304-pound Allen, a Nicholls State noseguard commitment, was at the center of Madison Prep’s disruptive defense with seven tackles – five of which were behind the line of scrimmage – with 1 ½ sacks, three pressures and a safety to earn this week’s LouisianaSports.net’s Player of the Week.
“He’s pretty much been playing lights out the whole season,” Williams said. “He’s real athletic. He’s a two-gapper who’s hard to move on the interior. Once he settles in, it’s just kind of hard to block him. The kid works his tail off. Just a hard-working kid who keeps his nose down and likes being grimy. Likes being the tough guy in the middle.”
No. 5 Madison Prep (6-2, 5-0 in 6-4A) travels to Plaquemine (5-3, 4-1) for the opportunity to win the district title outright at 7 p.m. Friday at Andrew Canova Stadium. The Chargers close the regular season on Nov. 5 against Tara at Memorial Stadium.
Landry said the adjustments to his defense that took place in the earlier stages of the season have taken root.
The Chargers allowed 29.3 in their first three games against Jesuit, University High and Zachary, but have tightened the screws significantly over their last five games.
Madison Prep had a stretch of three straight shutouts, limited St. Michael to a field goal and allowed 20 points to Brusly in a 53-20 victory.
“The guys are starting to get comfortable in their positions,” he said. “We started at the beginning of the year giving up a lot of deep balls. We had to go to the lab and correct it, get some guys in there that were willing to tackle, some guys that could cover and we were able to do that. Those guys were able to develop. I’m proud of my guys.”
Allen has been one of the defensive staples, anchoring the interior that was extremely active in the game with St. Michael, which entered the game as the co-leaders in the district along with Madison Prep.
“He’s the leader of the interior,” Williams said. “He sets the tone. He’s the one with an attitude, the bravado, the swag. He’s that guy on the interior.”
Madison Prep outgained St. Michael 262-46 and 476-108 overall. The Chargers limited the Warriors to 2.3 yards per carry, recording 10 plays of zero or negative yards, and held them to a season-low point total.
The defense recorded another safety with 2:22 remaining when junior linebacker Daelyn Early sacked reserve quarterback Cole Vallery in the end zone.
Defensive back Cole Barber also picked off two of three passes with Johnson coming up with a third.
“Jamyris has great size, a great motor,” Williams said. “He’s violent at the point of attack. He will bully you. If you let him have his way, he will bully you. He’s a maniac in the weight room. He’s put his time in and the days of effort in practice have all come together as one and you see the product is starting to take form.”
