There was no love lost when Cecilia football traveled to Opelousas looking for revenge. The last time these two teams faced each other was at the Caesars Superdome for the 2023 LHSAA Division II Non-Select State championship when the Tigers beat the Bulldogs for the title.

This go-round you would’ve thought another state championship was on the line with how each squad battled like their seasons depended on it. At the end of this one, the result was familiar. Opelousas won this time by the super close margin of 28-27.

“This is a huge win because this is our district championship right here,” Opelousas senior running back D’Shaun Ford said. “We gonna run through the district for the rest of the team. This was critical. We’ve seen them at the dome last year so it’s a good win in this rivalry game.”

Making it happen on the ground

All night long the Tigers made a killing on the ground sending their senior night crowd into a frenzy every time they handed the ball off. Fans were practically calling for the ball to go to four-star running back Ford and he delivered every snap he got.

“He's huge every week, man, he's consistent every week,” Opelousas coach Jimmy Zachery said. “He's consistent every week we're gonna ride him. He’s our belt cowman and we’re riding him all the way to the dome.”

The 6-foot power back ended the night rushing for around 250 yards and a touchdown from about 75 yards out. Along with Ford, senior quarterback Zackieus Malveaux and junior running back Cody Majors were key factors in Opelousas’ near-unstoppable run game. Majors scored the Tigers' first touchdown of the game from 12 yards out.

Malveaux, who only threw seven passes all night was another running back for his team. He rushed for two touchdowns and came through clutch in the final minute of the game. The Tigers had a fourth-and-7 on their hands looking to put the game out of reach and Malveaux answered the call.

“He had run out of bounds on the play before that but we just had told him you got to keep the clock running,” Zachery said. “He said, ‘Coach, I'm gonna get the first down.’ We gave it to him and I have faith in all my players and, man, he put his head down and he got the first down to seal the game.”

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Bulldogs fall just short

With the Tigers' lethal running game working, the Bulldogs had to make magic on almost every drive to keep the game close. After every Opelousas touchdown, the Bulldogs were cashing in on their own score thanks to the relentless drive of senior quarterback Diesel Solari.

Despite having big-body defenders like 6-foot-2 defensive lineman Jonathan Ford in his grill, Solari moved the pocket at will and found his receivers. He ended the night throwing for close to 200 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with senior Ellis Stewart for two touchdowns and senior Brent Gordon for one score.

“He's a warrior,” Cecilia coach Dennis Skains said. “He played almost a whole game on defense and offense. The kid's just a hell of a football player. He's not even 100% so we're blessed to have him. He’s upset right now.”

Along with doing all he could in the air, Solari was a threat on the ground as well. He rushed for a 5-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving the Bulldogs a shot at tying the game or going for two and the win. Skains decided to go to Solari on the two-point conversion but it fell just short.

“I just felt like we had momentum,” Skains said. “I trusted the offense and I trusted Diesel and we were trying to ride that momentum. I think the players did everything we asked them to do. We lost this one. It goes on me.”

Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at sbelt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Opelousas takes down Cecilia in a rematch of the 2023 DII Championship