Alexandria Senior High scored all 49 of its points in the first half of last Friday night’s regional round game of the Select Division I state playoffs, but the most impressive thing is the Trojans held Evangel Christian to six points.

You read that right. ASH (11-0) held Evangel, with its high falutin’ sophomore quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston, to six points. The Trojans limited Houston to 237 passing yards, his season low. This is the same guy who, last month, set a national high school single game passing record of 814 yards in a 77-76 overtime loss to Captain Shreve.

ASH’s defense snared three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and held the visiting Eagles (6-6) to minus-7 rushing yards in a contest that mercifully went to a running clock in the second half. Against an aggressive, harassing Trojan defense, Houston completed less than 50 percent of his passes (10 of 28) for the first time this season. The Trojans also staged a goal-line stand after the Eagles got to the ASH 1-yard line on their first possession. That was set up by a 69-yard pass from Houston to Nate Green.

Holding an opponent to one touchdown in an era of vulnerable defenses – especially an opponent with a national passing record quarterback – is as rare as a tuxedo at a rodeo.  Yet, ASH has done so three times this season, with the other two being against West Feliciana and Many. Edna Karr, the top-ranked Division I team in the state has held three teams to one touchdown or zero points, but one of those was a forfeit by Opelousas recorded as a 2-0 win.

The architect of this ASH defense is Joshua Keegan Mercer, a 30-year-old husband and father of two. He’s in his eighth year at ASH and his third season as defensive coordinator, and he considers himself lucky to be alive. An ASH football alum, Mercer suffered a severe head injury during spring practice before his senior season. He suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke.

He remembers a priest, Fr. Jose Robles, twice giving him the last rites at age 17.

“I had to relearn how to walk and how to talk,” Josh recalled. “I had speech therapy for three or four months.

He healed enough that, instead of playing football as a senior, he was a student coach, having been granted that opportunity by Eric Cook, the defensive coordinator at the time. That led to his coaching career, which included a five-year stint coaching linebackers at Pineville High School. He was coaching while attending LSUA.

He credits Duane Urbina, a former powerlifting coach, assistant football coach and principal at ASH for recommending him as an assistant to ASH coach Thomas Bachman, who hired him in 2017.

He also credits his defensive coaches – Ryan Russo (linebackers), O.J. Chatham (defensive line), Malik Williams (cornerbacks) and Kyle Arthaud (safeties) – for helping shape such a stalwart defensive unit.

How did they prepare for Pop?

“It was nothing secret or special. We played the same defense we’ve been playing all year,” Bachman, a former Evangel star wide receiver, said of his defensive staff, which employs multiple defensive alignments but generally operates a 3-4 defense. “They teach it extremely well. I think they did a great job of preparing what they were going to see, and then get a chip on your shoulder and go compete.”

The lone touchdown for Evangel, a 74-yard pass from Houston to John Isaac, came on a busted coverage that allowed Isaac to be wide open.

Quarterbacks Karsen Sellers and Max Gassiott, Mercer said, helped the defense prepare for Houston’s throwing and scrambling, and the mantra during the practice week was “relentless pursuit.” Coach Chatham, meanwhile, had 10 different guys alternating on the defensive line, always sending in a fresh body to be relentless in their pursuit of the ball.

Senior strong safety Jayden Lewis, with a big tackle in the goal-line stand, also got an interception near mid-field that he returned to the 1 to set up a touchdown.

“The growth that Jayden has had in the last four weeks,” said Mercer, “he’s a different young man. He just flipped a switch and has played at a high level.”

After the game, Evangel coach Denny Duron suggested ASH is “probably the best team in the state,” but ASH needs to win three more games to prove that, and the next game is at home Friday against another Shreveport opponent, C. E. Byrd (9-3).

ASH is as ready to tackle the Byrd Yellow Jackets as Bocelli is to sing “Ave Maria.” That’s because the last time ASH played Byrd, in the second round of the playoffs two years ago, Byrd burned the Trojans, 49-10, in a game that mercifully went to a running clock.

“This one is personal for us,” said Mercer. “We’ve got a chip on our shoulder.”

With their justifiable swagger, it’s as if the undefeated Trojans are daring the Yellow Jackets to knock that chip off.