Motivated Many caps undefeated season with 35-13 win for Division III non-select title

By LaMar Gafford | Photos/Video by Parker Waters 

NEW ORLEANS - For the third time in the last nine seasons, Many entered the year with sharp focus after a loss in the previous season’s title game.

Much like in 2014 and 2020, it completed its goal of unfinished business Saturday.

The Tigers defeated Union Parish, 35-13, in the Division III non-select championship game in the Caesars Superdome for their third title in program history.

“This is a special team and group,” Many coach Jess Curtis said. “They have a bunch of talent and they choose to come to work every day.

"A year ago, we sat at this (press) table in pain and we vowed to go to work that Monday. These kids believed and wanted to get better.”

Tiger senior and USC commit Tackett Curtis closed out his career with his team’s Most Outstanding Player honor by rushing for 99 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries and tying for a team-high seven tackles.

Tackett Curtis opened the scoring with an 80-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter and made it a multiple-score game with 7:09 left.

“I remember when we lost last year, I said, ‘I have one more year. I can come back and win it this last year,'" he said. "It’s a great feeling and a dream come true.”

While Curtis was close to 100 yards, Many running backs Jeremiah James and Trent Williams achieved that feat by running for 140 and 102 yards, respectively.

James made it impossible for the Farmers to come back with his 51-yard touchdown run with 6:07 remaining to give them a 22-point lead.

“We knew what he was all along,” Jess Curtis said. “He came out (Saturday) looking to show himself to the whole state of Louisiana.

"The yards he got, he had to fight for. I was really proud of that.”

Union Parish senior running back Trey Holly, an LSU commit, had his 41st 100-yard rushing performance over the last 42 games by tallying 115 yards and a touchdown, but the Many defense kept his Union Parish teammates in check.

The rest of the Farmers had 102 yards of offense, and compounding their woes were two missed field goals and an extra point.

“Ultimately, it’s about execution,” Union Parish coach Joe Spatafora said. “They executed (Saturday) better than we did.

"You do everything that you want to do to prepare, but you have to execute when it comes time to.”

Holly - the state's all-time leading rusher - closes his illustrious career with 10,528 rushing yards and 146 touchdowns, and his rushing helped Union Parish gain its third straight runner-up finish.

The Farmers lost Class 3A title games to Madison Prep in 2020 and Sterlington in 2021.

“I got my team here three years in a row,” Holly said. “We didn’t finish the job, but it took a lot to get here.

"Next year’s group will be back. They have a chip on their shoulders.”

Each of the Tigers’ three championship wins came during undefeated seasons.