By LORI LYONS
Special to L’Observateur

The close-knit community of Edgard will gather Saturday morning to say goodbye to one of their own.

Juan Joseph, the former standout quarterback of the West St. John Rams and an assistant football coach, who died in a tragic shooting last weekend in Baton Rouge, will be laid to rest at St. John the Baptist Church, where he spent many years as an altar boy.

But Friday night they did what Joseph could not – they went to Rudolph Dinvault Stadium to root for the Rams in their Class 1A regional playoff game against Varnado, cheering every big play and every touchdown (and there were many).

Then, after West St. John took a 51-0 victory over the Wildcats to earn a spot in next week’s quarterfinals against Plain Dealing, they gathered on the field with current and former players, their families and their friends to celebrate both the victory and the young man who had represented them so well.

Joseph, a 2005 WSJ graduate, helped lead the Rams to Class 2A state championships in 2003 and 2004 as their quarterback. He had gone on to a stellar college career at Milsaps College, where he was a three-time Offensive Player of the Year in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and, in 2008, earned the Conerly Trophy, the top college football award in Mississippi. He later had brief stints with the Edmonton Eskimos and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League, and with the Lafayette Wildcatters of the Southern Indoor Football League. He was the brother of Dray Joseph, who put together his own stellar career at Southern.

So Friday they came to West St. John to honor him. They came wearing stickers with the letters “JJ” over their hearts, and with buttons urging the Rams to “Do it 4 Juan,” and with a wide assortment of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and even socks bearing the smiling face of Joseph, sold as part of a fund-raiser for Joseph’s wife, young daughter and the child that is due to be born this week.

“This is what we do,” said Rams coach Robert Valdez. “We lean on each other when we need to.”

After a week spent sitting idle after earning a bye week, then spending a week in mourning, Friday night was just what the West St. John football team needed, as well – the normalcy of football, and a win.

But it was different.

“Today was just going through the motions,” Valdez said. “We always have a festive atmosphere, it’s always alive and loud. And today, everybody was just a little serene. We just needed to get back to playing football.”

After an understandably slow start following a moving pre-game tribute to the fallen coach, which included the release of 27 balloons – one for every year of his life – the Rams finally found their rhythm. They went from a scoreless first quarter to a 22-0 halftime lead, then a 51-0 win with little clock stoppage in the second half.

Junior quarterback Jermoine Green completed 15 of 24 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns. He threw two to senior receiver Morell Bartholomew, who finished with seven catches for 64 yards. Jabari Walters caught the other scoring pass. Bradley Borne led the rushing game with 15 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 2-point conversion. He also had the play of the night, breaking free for a 65-yard run in the third quarter to put the Rams ahead 37-0.  Lamore Boudoin ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns and a 2-point conversion.

The Rams defense, meanwhile, did its part, holding the No. 14 seed Wildcats (9-3) to minus-39 yards rushing and 8 yards passing.

“We needed to get back to playing football,” Valdez said. “Our purpose and our mission has always been clear – we play for championships. It’s just a little redefined now. It has a little bit more meaning. We’re going to keep going. It’s good to win, it’s good to keep going. We do it with a heavy heart.”

Green had thrived under the tutelage of Joseph, who served as quarterbacks coach. Friday night was not easy for him.

“I miss him a lot,” Green said. “Him telling me the mistakes I’m making and what I can do to get better. He would be happy right now. I did everything he taught me.”

 Borne said the week was tough for everyone.

“We came into this game with a lot of emotion, playing for Coach Joseph,” he said. “It was hard having to come out and adjust to not having him there. We can’t bring him back. The only way we can live up to his legacy is to honor him and do what we have to do on the field.”

On Saturday, the tight-knit community of Edgard will say its final farewells to The funeral will be held at St. John the Baptist Church in Edgard, where Joseph served several years as an altar boy. His repast will be held at West St. John High School.

“We’re the epitome of Small Town America,” Valdez said. “It’s West St. John. This is West St. John football. And Juan Joseph epitomized that.”