Amite beats Welsh in 2A title game, 47-20

NEW ORLEANS, LA (KPLC) - “I want to give credit where credit is due to the Welsh Greyhounds for them having a great year,” Zephaniah Powell said. “The community and school came out to support their team and coach Richardson does a great job with his kids. But today was all about Amite High School.”

The Greyhounds would agree today wasn't their day. In a game where the defense was usually in position, Amite still made play after play.

“The first touchdown they threw to seven, I thought the corner was in good position and is the ball goes in the air all of a sudden seven just had another gear that we don't have,” John Richardson said. “He accelerated and got to the football and there's just not a whole lot you can do about those types of things.”

And that was a theme throughout. The Warriors led by Kentucky commit Amani Gilmore scored a touchdown on six of their first seven drives. Welsh, while running for nearly 200 yards and three scores, made it interesting late, but in the end- it wasn't enough.

“I’m just proud of them. It wasn’t a lack of effort for our guys,” Richardson said. “We were out man and we knew that coming into the game. We were out-manned a few games in the playoffs and we have been able to overcome that with effort and the ability to these guys have along with hard work. We just fell a little short against this group.”

It wasn't the end Welsh seniors hoped for, but its back-to-back dome appearances is plenty to be proud of.

“This group of seniors has probably won more games than any group of kids in school history,” Richardson added. “It's been a great run and we will be sad to see them go.”

“I’m really proud of our guys for how hard we played and there's no other group of guys that I would've rather played with for my four years,” John Daigle said.

“love every one of them. When his head was down, I told him that we've got this we just have to rebound,” Da'Ren Zeno said. “I said pick your head up, we are still in it. I just love them and love all the seniors.”

“We always stuck by each other,” Austyn Benoit said. “Since the beginning of the year, no one gave us a chance, so we just always fell back on each other.”

The Hounds now enter the offseason with changes ahead. From personnel to district foes. But the focus won’t change as Welsh will aim to make it a three-peat in Superdome appearances.