Westminster Christian football coach Byron Porter assembled a rugged non-district schedule that has paid off with the playoffs set to begin this week.
Although the Crusaders returned several talented veteran players from last year’s 12-1 Division IV select semifinal team, the program was also breaking in a number of new starters, and Porter knew traveling to Kentwood and Class 5A Live Oak and hosting Lafayette Christian would get his team seasoned quickly.
“With the young group of kids that we have, playing the likes of those schools would answer a lot of questions, and we’d be able to compete in the district,” he said.
After losing all three non-district games, WCA hasn’t tasted defeat again. The No. 13-seeded Crusaders (7-3) swept through District 6-1A to repeat as league champions, downing unbeaten No. 6 Sacred Heart 49-28 last week.
“Kyle Horde showed up in big fashion against Sacred Heart,” Porter said of the 6-foot-3, 230-pound three-star linebacker and Texas State commitment, who had been dealing with an ankle injury.
“Even when he was out, Kyle was a steady presence there in the locker room.”
WCA, which will host No. 20 Covenant Christian (4-6) in the bi-district round on at 7 p.m. Friday, was lights out on defense in Weeks 5-9, allowing a total of 26 points in five wins with three shutouts.
With the Crusaders battling injuries throughout the season, they got a welcome boost from freshman receiver/defensive back Mason Alexander, who caught four passes for 53 yards and a touchdown and returned a punt 40 yards for a score against Sacred Heart.
“Sacred Heart wanted to win, but so did our kids,” Porter said. “We went into a hostile environment and played really well. They have a really good team.”
Sophomore quarterback Garrett Noel has improved throughout the season after taking over for four-year starter Stephen George, who is making headlines as a true freshman at Centenary College.
“Noel has progressed pretty well,” Porter said of the young QB, who started his first varsity game in one of the state’s most notorious venues at Kentwood.
All-state end Matthew Lalonde had excellent games against Sacred Heart and St. Edmund, said Porter, who has been slowly working star sophomore defensive back Cayden Brown back into the mix after an injury suffered in the Live Oak game.
While WCA is Class 1A, Covenant Christian competes in a Class 2A district headlined by undefeated Newman, which is in the Division III playoffs.
“The next game is the biggest game,” said Porter, whose team would face sister school WCA-Lafayette (9-1) in the second round. “We have to win Friday before I think about that.”
Last year, WCA and Westminster-Lafayette met for the first time ever with the Crusaders claiming a 49-7 win.
Covenant Christian earned a bye in the last two playoff brackets as a No. 8 and No. 3 seed. The Lions defeated WCA’s district rival, Opelousas Catholic, 21-12 earlier this season.
Westminster, the top seed in the 2025 playoffs, beat Opelousas Catholic 7-0 in Week 5.
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