The Cougars scored 26 points in the first quarter and returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Landry's only trip to the end zone, a 102-yard interception return, was called back on a penalty.
By Kim M. Braud | September 25, 2026
NEW ORLEANS - John F. Kennedy took control early Friday night at Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Stadium and defeated L.B. Landry 46-0. The Cougars led 26-0 after the first quarter and kept the Buccaneers off the scoreboard.
The game came one day after Algiers Charter's board voted not to seek renewal of its contract to operate Landry when the contract expires in June, The Times-Picayune reported. The vote does not close the school. NOLA Public Schools could find another operator, and the district says decisions about Landry's future will be made by Dec. 15.
A fast start for the Cougars
Kennedy scored on its opening drive. On the next series, Bobby Spears intercepted a Landry pass, and the Cougars wasted little time. Brandon Bowles caught a 14-yard touchdown pass, and the extra point made it 14-0 with 7:47 left in the first quarter.
Landry's next drive stalled. A false start turned third-and-10 into third-and-15. A short completion to David Williams left the Buccaneers a couple of yards short, and they punted.
Kennedy's next drive opened with a long run by Tyren Carter, who made the first defender miss and ran down the left sideline before he was pushed out of bounds. Semaj Lyons caught a screen pass for a first down, and Jalen Morgan took another screen inside the 5. A Landry penalty moved the ball inside the 3, and quarterback Dorrien Dunham kept it for a touchdown. The two-point pass fell incomplete, leaving it 20-0 with 1:42 to play in the quarter.
Two plays into Landry's next possession, a pass deflected into the hands of Broderick Turner, who returned it 33 yards for a touchdown. Landry got a hand on the extra point, but Kennedy led 26-0 after one quarter.
Landry's defense digs in
The Buccaneers made Kennedy work harder in the second quarter. After Landry turned the ball over on downs near its own 30, Thomas Mitchell sacked Dunham, but a face mask penalty gave the Cougars a first down anyway. Delvin Baker ran down a ball carrier from behind. Wilford Woods upended Malik Thomas short of the marker to force fourth-and-1.
A neutral zone infraction on that fourth down gave Kennedy a new set of downs. Bowles caught his second touchdown pass on the next play, bobbling the ball before securing it at the back of the end zone.
Daniel Smith added a 3-yard touchdown run later in the quarter. The extra point missed, and Kennedy led 39-0.
Landry's offense found some footing before halftime. Woods returned the ensuing kickoff to about the 32, and officials stopped play for a heat and humidity timeout. Woods then gained five yards on an end-around, taking a couple of hard hits along the way. Ronte Ragas caught a screen pass and ran through contact for a first down. Melik Barthelemy worked back toward his quarterback to make a catch. The drive stalled short of the red zone, and the half ended with Kennedy in control.
Landry's longest play of the night never made the scoreboard.
The return that didn't count
Kennedy opened the second half driving. A neutral zone infraction on Landry extended the drive, and an inside sweep reached inside the 10. Then Dunham, chased to his right, threw toward the end zone, where Landry's David Williams intercepted.
Williams, wearing No. 14, found open field and ran the length of it for what the public-address announcer counted as a 102-yard interception return. Flags came in behind the play. An illegal blindside block during the return erased the touchdown. The interception stood, and Landry took over near its own 10.
The Buccaneers took a direct snap to a non-quarterback, a formation known as the Wildcat, and gained nothing on first down. Woods answered with a strong kickoff return that gave Landry room to work, and the Buccaneers had a first down as the third quarter ended.
A scoreless fourth
Neither team scored in the final quarter. Landry kept handing the ball to Ragas, and Kennedy's defense met him at or behind the line more than once, including a stop by Javon Clark. The quarter included an injury timeout and a run of penalty flags before the final whistle confirmed the 46-0 shutout.
Kim M. Braud is the Founder & Editor of Evans Cutchmore Press, an independent newsroom covering Louisiana and the Gulf South. Her reporting focuses on government accountability, infrastructure, business, culture, and the public policies that shape communities.
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