The Division II Non-Select state championship provided the perfect stage for No. 1 North DeSoto and No. 2 Iowa to deliver a classic.

Both teams entered Friday night unbeaten, each chasing the first state championship in school history for communities located at opposite ends of Louisiana. What followed inside the Caesars Superdome was worthy of the moment: eight lead changes, more than 1,000 yards of offense, and a finish that kept the outcome in doubt until the final minutes.

Quarterback Lawston Broussard’s 11-yard keeper with 8:38 remaining proved to be the decisive score, giving Iowa a 50–43 lead that the Yellow Jackets protected with one final defensive stand—and a pivotal penalty call—down the stretch.

“We know our job is to score, and the defense’s job is to stop them,” Broussard said. “At the end of the day, the job is to win.”

Iowa (14-0) secured the first state championship in the school’s 72-year history and became the first team from Calcasieu Parish to claim a football state title since 1972.

“I’m glad we’re the ones who were able to do it,” said Iowa coach Tommy Johns, who has served as head coach for nine of his 12 years at the school.

The game turned into a track meet coming out of halftime. Over a 16-minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters, both teams scored three touchdowns as momentum swung repeatedly.

North DeSoto (13-1) erased a 13-point deficit behind quarterback Luke Delafield, a Northwestern State signee who was named his team’s Outstanding Player. The Griffins, state runners-up in 2022, scored on three of four second-half possessions and grabbed a 43–42 lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter when Delafield connected with Colton Lacour on a 41-yard touchdown pass.

“It was a state championship football game,” Delafield said. “That’s what you expect—a one-score game. I just wish it wouldn’t have ended the way it did.”

Iowa answered immediately with a seven-play, 80-yard drive that never left the ground. Four different players touched the ball, setting up Broussard’s walk-in touchdown on first-and-goal from the 11 after a perfectly executed fake opened a wide lane on the left side. Kaston Lewis, who rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, added his third two-point conversion of the night.

“That’s what’s different about this team,” Johns said. “They don’t get too high or too low. Nobody panics. They’re resilient and they find ways to win.”

The Yellow Jackets got the ball back with 6:45 remaining after their defense forced four straight incompletions from Delafield. Iowa drained more than four minutes off the clock before punting in the final two minutes.

The punt nearly unraveled when the snap sailed over punter Christian Williams’ head. Williams retreated, recovered, and managed to get the kick away before colliding with a North DeSoto defender. Officials flagged the play for roughing the punter, effectively sealing the outcome.

Both coaches had differing views of the call.

“To end the game that way was unfortunate,” North DeSoto coach Dennis Dunn said. “The officials had done such a good job all night, and for it to end like that was disappointing.”

Dunn said the referee explained that Williams had regained his balance and was protected during the kicking motion.

“That was a live ball once it hit the ground,” said Dunn, who has won nine state titles at Evangel Christian Academy. “At that point, he’s a runner. It is what it is, but you don’t want a championship decided that way.”

Johns had experienced a similar moment in Iowa’s semifinal win over Belle Chasse.

“When the ball went over his head, I thought, ‘Oh no, not again,’” Johns said. “When the flag came out, I knew that should do it.”

Iowa’s physical dominance up front told the story. The Yellow Jackets rushed 56 times for 405 yards and finished with 588 total yards—both season highs against North DeSoto’s defense. J’Vien Adams added 158 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, pushing his school-record totals to 3,131 yards and 35 touchdowns.

“They didn’t surprise us,” Dunn said. “We just didn’t have an answer for their physicality in the box. It came down to who had the ball last, and unfortunately, they did.”

Two of Iowa’s final three touchdowns came on the ground, including Lewis’ 42-yard score late in the third quarter that pushed the lead to 42–26 before North DeSoto’s rally.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Bushnell earned Iowa’s Outstanding Player honors after totaling 156 yards and three touchdowns. He recovered his own fumble in the end zone after failing to cross the goal line on what would have been a 49-yard score earlier in the game.

North DeSoto finished with 419 yards, highlighted by Kenny Thomas’ 90 rushing yards and a touchdown, and six catches for 113 yards from Lacour. Delafield accounted for 312 total yards and three touchdowns.

“I believe if we get the ball back there, we go win the game,” Delafield said. “That’s just how I compete.”

Iowa jumped out fast, scoring on its first four possessions and piling up 309 yards in the opening 12 minutes. The Yellow Jackets led 28–22 at halftime after rallying from an early 15–14 deficit.

Lewis’ 59-yard touchdown run on a direct snap and Adams’ 12-yard score capped an 11-play drive that featured two fourth-down conversions and showcased Iowa’s confidence and creativity.

North DeSoto responded with a late scoring drive before halftime, highlighted by a 30-yard scramble from Delafield and capped by Braelyn Latin’s three-yard touchdown run.

It set the tone for a second half that lived up to its billing.

“We’re built for moments like this,” Broussard said. “It’s been a long road, but we pulled together and won as a team.”