Many’s hopes for a repeat in Class 2A took a big hit Friday.
Returning to the Class 2A championship game for the third straight year, the Tigers lost 17-6 to Amite in the Caesars Superdome.
The Tigers’ lone score came from senior running back London Williams, who finished with 101 rushing yards on 22 carries to earn the Most Outstanding Player award for runners-up.
“London set such a great example for those young running backs behind him,” Many coach Jess Curtis said. “Hopefully, we’ll be the ones to adjust and come back a little hungrier.”
On the Tigers’ first drive, they went 41 yards on 18 plays and burned over nine minutes off the clock, but missed a field goal as it was a sign of things to come.
It was a tough time for Many (13-2), as it trailed at halftime for the first time in two years thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Warrior senior Liam Adamson with 1:32 left in the second quarter.
Amite (11-2) extended its lead in the second half when junior Jalen Robinson and senior Earl Jackson added touchdown runs to give it a 17-0 lead with 9:27 remaining.
Williams’ touchdown nearly sparked a rally for the Tigers as they recovered the onside kick, but the Warriors forced them to turn the ball over after a quick drive.
Amite was led by senior linebacker Ashton Wilson, who earned its Most Outstanding Player honor with 17 tackles. Robinson passed for 109 yards and rushed for 32.
“I want to give them credit,” Curtis said. “They played extremely hard and have a lot of seniors that didn’t want to lose to Many again. They really played well tonight. It was their night and they deserve to be a champion. I hate they they’re moving up to 3A and I wish we could do it again next year.”
Immediately after the loss, Curtis and his Tigers were already making plans to begin their offseason workouts Monday.
“We’re going to get the trailer unloaded Monday and get back at it,” Curtis said. “That’s what we are and people may say, ‘Give them a little time,’ but these guys want to work. They’ll be mad at me if I’m not blowing the whistle. That’s why I love them and I wouldn’t do it for anybody else.”
This is Amite’s first title since 2018 when it defeated Welsh.