Friday Night Lights - Week 3

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TIGERS HEAD INTO RIVALRY SHOWDOWN WITH 60-0 WIN THE TIMES • SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 • WEEK 3

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PUBLISHER

Brian Rushing

EDITORIAL

Bonnie Rushing Editorial Director Casey Gisclair Managing Editor Mary Ditch Managing Editor Drew Miller Associate Editor

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Amber Duplantis Senior Designer Nicholas Boutte Graphic Designer

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Wendy Bergeron

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Casey Gisclair Drew Miller Jared Shanklin Wendy Bergeron Leo Bourg

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THIS IS A SPECIAL WEEK The smell of rivalries are in the air.

This weekend, three games locally will feature cross-parish rivals.

In Terrebonne Parish, we will get rivalry tilts between Ellender and H.L. Bourgeois and also Terrebonne and South Terrebonne.

In Lafourche, South Lafourche will meet Central Lafourche in an annual game pitting the “up the bayou” kids versus the “down the bayou” kids.

I love everything about what happens next.

Rivalry games are amazing theater because of the bragging rights involved.

These kids will graduate, then go off to college and be classmates and friends with their opponents.

They will talk about these games for the rest of their lives.

I know because guess what? When my buddies and I get together, we do the same.

So good luck to everyone involved. Leave it all out on the field — especially this weekend.

How it all goes down will shape the water cooler conversation amongst you and your friends for the rest of your lives.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 05 06 08 12 14 16 20 22

OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER Michelle Ortego

CUSTOMER SERVICE Kimberly Ross

CONTACT

A LITTLE HIGH SCHOOL Q&A Questions from the mailbag

CCA FOOTBALL HOPING TO USE BYE WEEK TO IGNITE A SPARK

Publisher: publisher@rushing-media.com Editorial: mary@rushing-media.com Sales: sales@rushing-media.com

Young team ready to make their mark.

TIGERS ROLL PAST ELLENDER Class 5A highlights

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

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Win/Loss records for 11 local schedules

JENKINS CONTINUING TO BREAK DOWN OPPOSING DEFENSES Trojans’ halfback looks great this season

CARDINALS SOAR PAST H.L.B. Class 4A/Division II Scoreboard

WEEK 3 GLITTERED WITH LOCAL RIVALRIES Three games feature parish schools against one another.

UNDER THE LIGHTS Enjoy more photos from various games!

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 • WEEK 3

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

4 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Friday Night Lights is a free publication.

The entire content of this publication is copyrighted by Rushing Media, with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Friday Night Lights is published weekly by Rushing Media.

A LITTLE EARLY-SEASON HIGH SCHOOL Q&A

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

casey@rushing-media.com

One of my absolute favorite columns to write is my mailbag, because I love to interact with my readers.

So now, we decided to carry the power of the mailbag over into Friday Night Lights. I’ve kept my email and DM’s open the past several weeks and have compiled a couple of questions from the most inquisitive and avid local high school football fans.

So let’s rock!

If you have a question in the future, send to casey@rushing-media. com or tweet it @casey_ gisclair.

If there was a local Heisman Trophy, who do you think would win it?

(Asked by Tim, Houma) Oh, man, what a great question, Tim. The actual Heisman Trophy usually favors the quarterback position, so with that said, I think the best pure local quarterback is Luke Alleman. By the end of the season, he’s going to post some sick numbers.

But I also think that in the high school game, there’s more value given to the running back position, so by that metric, I’m going to give the earlyseason award to Central Lafourche’s Deon Jenkins.

That guy is just a mule for the Trojans. He’s going to

run the ball 25-30 times every night and will power his offense. Others in the mix include Thibodaux’s Tyren Young, Terrebonne’s Jakhi Douglas, South Terrebonne’s Colby Chelette or any assortment of others. This area is super deep in talent.

Why are there timeouts in the middle of high school games, but no one is charged a timeout?

(Asked by Ruth, Houma) I am not 100 percent sure I know what you’re talking about, but I think I do. I think you’re talking about heat and humidity timeouts which are called midway through each quarter to allow players and officials to get water. The breaks are at the 6-minute mark of each quarter and are signaled by the head official. They will last until the LHSAA sends out a memo alerting officials to stop, which usually comes in late-September or early-October when the temperatures drop.

Who is going to win our local Class 4A District?

(Asked by Matt, Thibodaux) I don’t know — do you have a coin? Or what about a bunch of straws?

Maybe it would be better to pull one of those? I honestly believe our local 4A district will be the most competitive district in the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

area this fall — a battle where just about anyone can beat anyone else on any given day. I think everyone sort of agrees that Morgan City is a little weaker and will kind of beat that school that teams bully a little bit, but outside of them, everyone is mostly evenly matched.

Me, personally, I like South Terrebonne a lot — them and Assumption. But I wouldn’t bet anything of substance on any of those games. They’ll all be close, mostly low scoring and competitive.

Why are Houma Christian and CCA not playing one another this year?

(Asked by Reid, Houma) They no longer have to.

They are not in the same district anymore. Houma Christian quietly moved up to Class 2A enrollment last offseason, which put the Warriors in a new district and away from the Class 1A Lions. Now, if it were me, I’d have still made an effort to keep that game on my schedule just because I thought that local rivalry was pretty

5 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

neat. I understand the two schools were trying to scrimmage one another or whatever, but that’s not the same. Put the game on the schedule.

Where will Maason Smith play college football?

(Asked by Tim, Houma) I have no true inside information on this from the Smith camp, but I do have some inside information from the LSU side and the Tigers like their chances. But there’s such a long way to go before we get to that point. We still have a full season, an entire offseason and then a whole another season to cross to before the Early Signing Period in 2020. Literally anything can happen.

I know you’re a Tarpon grad. I’m a Trojan. Let’s bet. You have to say Geaux Trojans on air if SLHS loses to CLHS. If SLHS wins, I’ll wear SLHS gear to the next CLHS game. Deal? (Asked by Matt, Mathews) That’s a bet! •

CCA FOOTBALL HOPING TO USE BYE WEEK TO IGNITE A SPARK PHOTO BY: DREW MILLER

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

casey@rushing-media.com

The Covenant Christian Academy football team had something last year that most smaller schools never get to enjoy: experience.

The Lions had several seniors on their roster and most of those kids had two, three or sometimes even four years of playing experience at the varsity level.

“That was a hard group to say goodbye to,” CCA coach Randy Boquet said this past summer. “Those were some kids who had

done a lot for us — both on and off the field. We’re talking about guys who had seen a lot of things on the field and who were leaders in our locker room, but also in the classrooms around our campus.”

This fall, the Lions are having to replace some of that leadership and experience, and it’s proving tough.

The Lions are 1-1 to start the season and they’ve been a bit up and down — a rarity for a program that’s grown accustomed to high-level success.

But Boquet said his team will not quit and will FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

play its best football as the season progresses.

“We’re young in a lot of areas, and we don’t have all that many guys out there to begin with,” Boquet said after a jamboree win against Hansen Memorial. “But the kids work hard and are willing to be coached.

We know we have some obstacles ahead of us, but we’re going to keep working and keep getting better. We believe in those guys and they believe in us and we’re going to keep fighting.”

It’s just tough to replace all of the things the Lions

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lost without any hiccups.

CCA had to replace its quarterback and several playmakers off last year’s team, which made the Division IV State Playoffs.

When it was all added up, Boquet said the team lost a huge percentage of its yards earned and touchdowns scored.

But the painful thing about Class 1A football is that if you lose players on one side of the ball, you lose them on the other, too, because most guys go both ways.

Those halfbacks and receivers CCA lost were also linebackers and/or

defensive backs.

The offensive linemen who graduated were defensive linemen, too.

By the time fall camp started, Boquet said he was looking at having to fill several holes on his depth chart with players who had never started at the varsity level.

But Boquet said the team is talented and will find its way.

Offensively, CCA is led by senior quarterback Blane Boudreaux. The Lions run a Wing-T alignment, which means that several players will touch the football throughout varsity games.

Malachi Ayo is one of the team’s primary threats, as is Connor Matherne and Jaren Scivicque. Boquet’s son, Zach is also a big part

of the team’s offense.

Boquet said the current players are talented, but the Wing T is an offense that takes time to master.

In the jamboree, it clicked and CCA beat Hanson Memorial 15-0.

In the season opener against Central Private, the Lions struggled to get a first down, barely able to muster positive yardage in the game.

In Week 2, it clicked at times again and the Lions beat Sci Academy.

“We’re talking about timing and reps — hundreds and hundreds of reps to get it right,” Boquet said. “And we just don’t have that yet.”

Defensively, the Lions are the same as their offense — young, but talented. Lineman Bobby

Bland is a playmaker and all of the above-listed names play on that side of the ball, as well.

So for the Lions, the story of the 2019 season is overcoming that youth and peaking at the right time.

Boquet pointed to the team’s schedule.

The Lions played two games like everyone else, but now have a bye.

Boquet said that week off will allow the team to get extra practice time in, while also teaching some hard truths in practice.

Out of the bye, the coach said he thinks the Lions should be able to find their stride and get things rolling.

Boquet said he sometimes stops and looks back at the past,

adding that it’s amazing the strides CCA has made in such a short time.

His words hold weight.

We assume the Lions have been around for decades like the other local schools but they haven’t.

But they’ve still won district titles, have made postseason appearances and have held their own throughout their entire athletic department over the years.

“It’s such a blessing to be a part of this,” Boquet said.

“We’ve accomplished so much as an athletic program in such a short period of time. We have a special things and we’re so happy for our school and the family we have within it.” •

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TIGERS ROLL PAST ELLENDER IN A BLOWOUT

PHOTOS BY: WENDY BERGERON

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

casey@rushing-media.com

For two weeks, Terrebonne coaches and players had to hear the question: “What’s wrong?”

On Friday night, they got to answer loudly and proudly showing that they’re still firmly in the mix when it comes to crowning local powers.

The Tigers demolished Ellender 60-0 on Friday night, scoring their first victory of the season after a tie in the jamboree against E.D. White and a Week 1 loss against Jesuit.

Tigers coach Gary Hill didn’t deny it. He said his team has heard all of the whispers and has felt a little bit of added pressure.

On Friday, he said the team was able to fight back and unite, putting together a full 48-minute performance that overwhelmed the Patriots from start to finish.

“I didn’t think we played as good as we could play — both in the jamboree and in the first game,” Hill said. “I thought finally we were able to settle in and just be ourselves.

The expectations and the chatter and all of those things don’t matter when you’re under the lights and an opponent is in front of you. I thought the kids needed to just settle down a little bit and I thought we did a good job of that and it surely felt good to win.”

Terrebonne led just about every second of the game.

Senior Jakhi Douglas

took the opening kick to the house to put the Tigers up 7-0. After that, the floodgates broke.

Terrebonne’s defense kept Ellender off balance and out of rhythm and with possession, the Tigers scored, leading 310 at halftime, thanks to several touchdown passes from new quarterback Ryan Williams.

Justin Navy also had a scoring run in the early onslaught.

Hill said he thought Williams was a huge difference maker in the game — a big part of why the Tigers had a strong offensive showing.

Williams was late to gain his eligibility, joining the team on the week of the jamboree after a transfer from Ellender.

He’s starting to learn the offense a little more now and his ability to hit passes down the field is freeing up Douglas in the receiving game and is also opening up Terrebonne’s run game.

“We’re able to get some of those bodies out of the box and off the line of scrimmage a little bit now, and that’s helped us,” Hill said. “When we can be more balanced, it’s going to help our offense and I think we’re starting to get a little bit of that more as Ryan is starting to get more comfortable.”

In the second half, the script was pretty much the same.

Ellender made attempts to score, but Terrebonne thwarted those attempts, then took the ball and scored themselves.

Hill said he was so proud FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

“Competing at the highest level is not about winning.

It’s about heart, preparation, courage, understanding and teamwork. Winning is the result.”

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of his defense — a group that’s starting to gel. Hill said he thought the Tigers played well in the 2nd half against Jesuit, then locked down the Patriots.

“I thought it was a really good effort,” Hill said. “I thought up front, we were solid and our linebackers and defensive backs made plays and did some nice things, as well.”

Doniver Harris scored in the second half for Terrebonne on a run — the first score for the Tigers.

Then Williams hit Douglas on a strike which mostly called off the dogs and sent both teams to play reserves for the final minutes.

SPECIAL TEAMS WOES PLAGUE ELLENDER An old bug bit Ellender hard on Friday night.

All offseason, coach David McCormick said the Patriots have to be better in special teams — a problem that’s plagued the team in the past couple of seasons.

The Tigers ran a kick back for a touchdown and also scored on a muffed punt snap.

The game wasn’t close, sure. But later in the season, the Patriots will be in close, competitive games and handing away 14 free points won’t cut it.

“That’s an area we want to get better,” McCormick said earlier this offseason.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

“We can’t have those types of plays. We can’t have the blocked kick. We can’t have the bad snap.

Those are momentum plays and those kill you in a football game.”

TROJANS, TIGERS STAY UNDEFEATED Our local Class 5A district is loaded, folks.

Terrebonne won on Friday to get to 1-1, while both Thibodaux and Central Lafourche scored wins to jump up to 2-0.

The Tigers beat South Lafourche 12-3 in a defensive struggle, while Central Lafourche dismantled Franklin 56-16.

Both teams are now 2-0 on the year, though the

10 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

styles with which they won on Friday were different.

The Tigers were all defense.

Thibodaux turned over the ball five times on Friday and have now turned it over 11 times this season — a stat that’s causing coach Chris Dugas’ hair to turn grey.

But it’s only not falling out of his head altogether because for a secondstraight week, his defense has bailed out the offense with a stout performance.

On Friday, the Tigers held South Lafourche to just more than 50 yards of total offense.

“They were lights out,” Dugas said. “We give a player of the week every

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WISHING ALL OF OUR week and this week, we said all 11 of those guys deserved to win it. It was a total team effort by those guys.”

The Trojans’ were all offense.

Against Franklin, halfback Deon Jenkins continued to be a monster, rushing for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns for a secondstraight week.

Menard said Jenkins’ early-season run is inspiring. The play of the team’s offensive line has been, too.

“He’s been fantastic,” Menard said. “And the line has been there supporting him and opening up those holes.”

The Tigers will take on McDonogh 35 on Friday, while the Tarpons take on Central Lafourche. •

LOCAL CLASS 5A SCOREBOARD Terrebonne 60, Ellender 0 Thibodaux 12, South Lafourche 3 E.D. White 28, H.L. Bourgeois 7

LOCAL ATHLETES A

BIG

FOOTBALL SEASON

Destrehan 48, Walker 21 St. James 30, East St. John 13 Hahnville 34, Mandeville 13

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3092 BAYOU BLUE RD., GRAY STORE OPEN 24 HOURS 11 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

2019 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

SCHEDULES SOUTH LAFOURCHE

CENTRAL LAFOURCHE

E.D. WHITE

Sept. 6 - vs. St. Charles [L] Sept. 13 - vs. Thibodaux [L] Sept. 20 - at Central Lafourche Sept. 27 - at Lutcher Oct. 4 - at Belle Chasse Oct. 11 - at Vandebilt Catholic Oct. 18 - vs. South Terrebonne Oct. 25 - vs. Morgan City Nov. 1 - vs. Ellender Nov. 8 - at Assumption

Sept. 6 - vs. White Castle [W] Sept. 13 - vs. Franklin [W] Sept. 20 - vs. South Lafourche Sept. 27 - vs. Thibodaux Oct. 4 - at Ellender Oct. 11 - vs. H.L. Bourgeois Oct. 18 - at Hahnville Oct. 25 - vs. East St. John Nov. 1 - at Destrehan Nov. 8 - at Terrebonne

Sept. 6 - at Vandebilt Catholic [W] Sept. 13 - at H.L. Bourgeois [W] Sept. 20 - vs. Assumption Sept. 27 - at St. Charles Catholic Oct. 4 - vs. South Terrebonne Oct. 11 - vs. Donaldsonville Oct. 18 - at Patterson Oct. 25 - vs. Lutcher Nov. 1 - at Berwick Nov. 8 - vs. St. James

THIBODAUX

SOUTH TERREBONNE

ELLENDER MEMORIAL

Sept. 6 - vs. Riverside [W] Sept. 13 - at South Lafourche [W] Sept. 20 - vs. McDonogh 35 Sept. 27 - at Central Lafourche Oct. 4 - vs. Terrebonne Oct. 11 - vs. Hahnville Oct. 18 - at Breaux Bridge Oct. 25 - vs. Destrehan Nov. 1 - at H.L. Bourgeois Nov. 8 - at East St. John

Sept. 6 - vs. H.L. Bourgeois [W] Sept. 13 - at Berwick [W] Sept. 20 - vs. Terrebonne Sept. 27 - at Patterson Oct. 4 - at E.D. White Oct. 11 - vs. Assumption Oct. 18 - at South Lafourche Oct. 25 - vs. Vandebilt Catholic Oct. 31 - vs. Morgan City Nov. 8 - at Ellender

Sept. 5 - at Thomas Jefferson [W] Sept. 13 - vs. Terrebonne [L] Sept. 20 - at H.L. Bourgeois Sept. 27 - vs. McMain Oct. 4 - vs. Central Lafourche Oct. 10 - at Morgan City Oct. 18 - vs. Vandebilt Catholic Oct. 25 - at Assumption Nov. 1 - at South Lafourche Nov. 8 - vs. South Terrebonne

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

12 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

VANDEBILT CATHOLIC

TERREBONNE

H.L. BOURGEOIS

Sept. 6 - vs. E.D. White [L] Sept. 13 - vs. Westgate [L] Sept. 20 - at Berwick Sept. 27 - at Dutchtown Oct. 4 - vs. Welsh Oct. 11 - vs. South Lafourche Oct. 18 - at Ellender Oct. 25 - at South Terrebonne Nov. 1 - at Assumption Nov. 8 - vs. Morgan City

Sept. 6 - vs. Jesuit [L] Sept. 13 - at Ellender [W] Sept. 20 - at South Terrebonne Sept. 27 - vs. Hahnville Oct. 4 - at Thibodaux Oct. 11 - vs. Destrehan Oct. 18 - at H.L. Bourgeois Oct. 25 - vs. Brother Martin Nov. 1 - at East St. John Nov. 8 - vs. Central Lafourche

Sept. 6 - at South Terrebonne [L] Sept. 13 - vs. E.D. White [L] Sept. 20 - vs. Ellender Sept. 27 - at East St. John Oct. 4 - vs. Destrehan Oct. 11 - at Central Lafourche Oct. 18 - vs. Terrebonne Oct. 25 - at Hahnville Nov. 1 - vs. Thibodaux Nov. 8 - at Archbishop Shaw

COVENANT CHRISTIAN

HOUMA CHRISTIAN

WEEK 3 SCHEDULE

Sept. 6 - at Highland Baptist [L]

Central Lafourche vs.

South Lafourche

Sept. 6 - vs. Central Private [L] Sept. 13 - vs. Sci Academy [W] Sept. 20 - BYE WEEK Sept. 27 - vs. Loranger Oct. 4 - vs. St. John Oct. 11 - at Highland Baptist Oct. 18 - vs. Centerville Oct. 25 - at Central Catholic Nov. 1 - vs. Vermilion Catholic Nov. 8 - at Hanson Memorial

Sept. 13 - vs. Westminster Christian [L]

Sept. 20 - at Ascension Christian Sept. 26 - at West St. Mary Oct. 4 - at Loreauville Oct. 10 - vs. Jeanerette Oct. 18 - vs. Ascension Episcopal Oct. 25 - vs. Catholic - New Iberia

Nov. 1 - at Franklin Nov. 8 - vs. Delcambre

E.D. White vs. Assumption Thibodaux vs. McDonogh 35 South Terrebonne vs. Terrebonne H.L. Bourgeois vs. Ellender Berwick vs. Vandebilt Ascension Christian vs.

Houma Christian

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

13 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

JENKINS CONTINUING TO BREAK DOWN OPPOSING DEFENSES FOR TROJANS PHOTO BY: CINDY MORRIS

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

casey@rushing-media.com

It was brutally hot on opening night in Mathews with temperatures in the 90s and heat indexes near 100 before the sun sunk from the sky.

Players on both sidelines were affected by the heat with cramping affecting players for both Central Lafourche and White Castle.

But Trojans’ halfback Deon Jenkins never tired, nor wore down.

In fact, as the cramps overtook other players in the second half, he got stronger and did some of

his best work, rushing for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns in a big win.

This past Friday, it was the same thing — hot, humid, the works.

And Jenkins struck again, getting 200+ again with five more scores.

Jenkins is the prototypical bell cow running back — the type of guy who the Trojans want to touch the football 25+ times each game.

He relishes that role. It’s something he loves.

But what’s crazy is how well conditioned his body is for it and how strong he still is at the end of games, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

despite the punishment he receives from opposing defenders.

The senior back already has 10 touchdowns on the year in two games.

“He gets stronger as the game goes on,” Central Lafourche football coach Keith Menard said. “He’s just one of those guys.

That’s just how he’s built.

And look, we try to get him rest throughout the game and throughout the week. He’s the first one who will come to us and say, ‘Coach, I want to get back in.’ He’s a kid who just loves to play and help his teammates.”

So we asked Jenkins

14 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

how he stays so fresh throughout games.

He said the stuff we see on Friday nights comes from the work he does throughout the week to get ready for games.

Jenkins said he never takes a play off — no matter if it’s on Monday at practice or Thursday in walkthroughs, no matter if it’s in May during spring practices or August during fall camp.

Through doing that, he said he’s conditioned himself to be a warrior on Friday nights — a guy opponents have come to fear.

But Jenkins also

conceded that some of his inner strength is pulled from within — a deeprooted competitiveness to do the best he can for his friends, family and brothers on the field.

“I try to run a lot throughout the week at practice,” Jenkins said.

“So when the game comes, it feels like it’s nothing. It feels easier in the game than practice.

But I just stay strong for my team and don’t give up and I give it my all on every play — no matter if it’s blocking or running.”

And through that competitiveness, Jenkins has quietly positioned himself as one of the most productive players in our area.

Jenkins is a three-year starter for the Trojans and one of the top offensive players around — a guy who is starting to generate collegiate attention for his work.

Jenkins said the biggest thing he’s learned throughout his high school career is how to be humble through successes.

Multiple times during the interview, the halfback touted his offensive line.

He also gave credit to Trojans’ quarterback Ashtrein Duncan and the team’s other playmakers.

“Our offense is a powerhouse,” Jenkins said. “We have a great o-line, man. Those guys deserve credit. And we have great skill players who have speed and who can make things happen, and I think people are seeing now that our quarterback is one of the best.”

Jenkins said the reason why he’s able to keep such an even keel is because of how his career has gone.

He’s undersized, standing just 5-feet, 8-inches and weighing 170 pounds.

People often overlook him because he doesn’t have that prototypical frame.

“I’ve learned to humble myself and I’ve realized over these years that nothing will come easy for me,” Jenkins said.

“I’ll have to work for it no matter what, so I just go as hard as I can every down because you never know when it’s going to be your last play.”

This year, the Trojans hope their last play will be played on the turf of the Mercedes Benz Superdome.

The Trojans are 2-0 after beating Franklin on Friday night. With weapons all over the field and an opportunistic defense, some are considering the team a wildcard in a jumbled up Class 5A. Jenkins said there’s a lot of work to be done, but he doesn’t plan to let up anytime soon.

He said he’s going to leave it all out on the field to try and help his team win — any way that he can.

“Things are going as planned. We’re 2-0 and it feels good, but we still have a lot of work to do as a team,” Jenkins said.

“Our goals as a team are to win district and then go to that State Championship.

That’s something I’ve been wanting to do and we’ve been working to get there. We feel great about this year.” • FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

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CARDINALS SOAR PAST H.L. BOURGEOIS PHOTOS BY: DREW MILLER FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

16 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

casey@rushing-media.com

The E.D. White defense is mean and stingy — a salty group that’s earning the trust of their first-year coach.

Never have they been more salty than on Friday night in a big-time win over a Class 5A opponent.

The Cardinals beat H.L. Bourgeois 28-7 on Friday, improving to 2-0 on the season with both wins coming away from home.

First-year coach Kyle Lasseigne said he was proud of the way the Cardinals’ defense played in the win, adding that the group has been a huge spark in the early stages of the season while a young offense finds its way.

“They’ve been just excellent,” Lasseigne said.

“They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them and more. Our offense is getting there. We have a few injuries and we’re moving a few guys around in a couple of different positions. But it just makes it so much easier when you know that you have a defense you can fall back on that’s going to just be able to keep giving you the ball back in positions to succeed.”

The Cardinals got off the bus hot.

E.D. White did almost all of its damage in the first quarter on Friday, rolling to an early lead they’d never relinquish.

Both teams turned over the ball on their opening possession — each fumbling it to the other.

But on E.D. White’s second crack at

possession, they started to showcase a multifaceted power running game that Lasseigne said was pleasing to see.

The Cardinals struck first when Branton Vicknair turned the corner and rushed 33 yards for a touchdown to make the game 7-0.

Vicknair was huge in the win, as was Hunter Becnel.

Both kept the chains moving and the Cardinals in possession of the ball.

The Cardinals also hit their second score of the game through the air when quarterback Dominic Archila connected with Grant Blouin to put E.D. White up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Lasseigne said the Cardinals are finding themselves offensively, and they should get better when Devin DeSandro returns.

DeSandro has been out with an ankle injury. He’s expected to also play a lot of quarterback for the Cardinals later in the year.

“He’s a guy who’s played a lot of high-pressure baseball and football games, so we like him in those tense moments,” Lasseigne said. “But we’re developing a lot of guys who are wanting to touch the football and make good things happen. We were very pleased with the way we ran the ball in the game and we were pleased with the way we played at the line of scrimmage.”

In the second quarter, E.D. White marched again, getting down to the goal line before Patrick Schonacher punched it in FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

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from a yard away to go up 21-0.

Before halftime, the Braves punted to Vicknair and he made them pay, jutting through the defense and taking it to the house to make the score 28-0 in the second quarter.

Then the defense took over.

E.D. White’s offense cooled after the early onslaught, but the Braves never threatened.

They had several possessions and chances to make a game of it, but never could because they were pushed back by the Cardinals’ defense.

H.L. Bourgeois got deep in Cardinals’ territory before halftime, but threw an interception, which kept the score 28-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the Braves had one scoring attempt crushed by a fumble, which sent the game to the fourth quarter still with the same 28-0 score.

Finally, the water broke late when William Babin scored a late touchdown to send the game to its final margin.

Lasseigne said he’s

proud of his team for the 2-0 start, but knows they have to clean up some things, too.

All three of E.D. White’s next opponents are currently undefeated.

“We have to just keep working and getting better,” Lasseigne said.

“We’re happy to be where we are. We’re proud of the kids. But we know we’re still also a long way away from where we want to be.”

GATORS CHUG PAST BERWICK; VCHS FALLS TO WESTGATE Colby Chelette just keeps on chugging along and the South Terrebonne offense just keeps putting the ball in the end zone.

The Gators crushed Berwick 53-28 on Friday, thanks to 200+ yards and four scores from the powerful junior back.

The Gators’ win was actually sprung by a second-half rally.

Berwick led South Terrebonne 21-20 after the Gators put the ball on the turf in the first 24 minutes.

But after stabilizing themselves at halftime, South Terrebonne cruised,

PHOTO BY: LEO BOURG

dominating the line of scrimmage in the win, improving to 2-0 on the season.

Over at Vandebilt Catholic, there was some good news and some bad news on Friday.

The bad news was that the Terriers lost soundly to Westgate, falling 53-13.

But the good news is that the culprit doing most of the damage was an LSU commitment, receiver Kayshon Boutte.

He showed every bit of why he is so highly touted, receiving for more than 200 yards and multiple scores in the lopsided win.

The Terriers are now 0-2 on the season. •

CLASS 4A/DIVISION II SCOREBOARD Thibodaux 12, South Lafourche 3 E.D. White 28, H.L. Bourgeois 7 Assumption 34, Patterson 0 Terrebonne 60, Ellender 0 White Castle 44, Morgan City 6 South Terrebonne 53, Berwick 28 Westgate 53, Vandebilt 13

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WEEK 3 GLITTERED WITH LOCAL RIVALRIES PHOTO BY: JARED SHANKLIN

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

casey@rushing-media.com

Week 3 is somewhat of a rivalry week on the Houma-Thibodaux prep football schedule.

Three games feature matchups pitting parish schools versus one another.

In Terrebonne Parish, it’ll be a battle of local powers when South Terrebonne plays Terrebonne. Also in Terrebonne, Ellender will take on H.L. Bourgeois with both teams in need of a win.

In Lafourche, it’s one of the oldest rivalries in our area when South Lafourche takes on Central Lafourche in a matchup featuring two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum so far in 2019. The Trojans are unbeaten and the Tarpons are winless.

All three games will be

competitive and physical — all local rivalries are.

Local coaches said it’s always fun when there’s a little extra on the line.

“These games are why we love high school football,” Central Lafourche coach Keith Menard said. “The kids have a little extra energy and the community is fired up. It’s a fun thing to be part of.”

TIGERS WANT TO WIN AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AGAINST GATORS Terrebonne got that feel good feeling back on Friday night when they trashed Ellender.

But South Terrebonne is a bit of a different animal and they’re hungry to show that they, too, can play among the elites.

In the matchup of Tigers and Gators, both sides FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

think the winner will be the team that imposes its style of play onto the other.

Terrebonne is more of a quick-strike attack — an offense led by quarterback Ryan Williams and receiver Jakhi Douglas. South Terrebonne is more of a methodical ball control team with halfback Colby Chelette pushing forward a couple yards at a time.

If South Terrebonne can control time of possession and slow the game down, they’ll likely have an edge.

But if it’s a track meet and an offensive shootout, it favors Terrebonne.

“We know they have a powerful running game,” Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said. “We will have to try and put them back against the chains and try and take them out of their rhythm a little bit.”

Defensively, both teams are getting better.

20 SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Terrebonne struggled at times in the season opener against Jesuit, but pitched a shootout in Week 2 against Ellender.

The Gators allowed 28 points on Friday night against Berwick, but several of those points were aided by turnovers and Gators mistakes.

Richard Curlin said throughout the offseason that he thinks his defense can be opportunistic — a group that can give opportunities to the Gators’ offense.

“We like that group.

They’re working hard and we have some kids who have a little experience there,” Curlin said.

TARPONS HOPE TO FIND RHYTHM AGAINST TROJANS Fans are restless in Galliano right now.

South Lafourche’s

triple-option offense is sputtering and the team is losing games, despite Herculean performances from a stingy defense.

Coach Blake Forsythe is urging patience, but also knows the Tarpons have to get right quick.

South Lafourche’s sputtering offense will take on Central Lafourche on Friday — a team that’s scored more points (112) than the Tarpons have total yards through two games this season.

Forsythe said the offensive problems are a combination of youth, execution and facing two good defenses. But he knows that things have to begin to click, and soon.

“We have to get rolling,” Forsythe said.

“We’ve just been unable to keep a rhythm and be as consistent as we’d have liked to be.”

But Central Lafourche coach Keith Menard isn’t sipping the Kool Aid. He thinks the Tarpons will be more than a worthwhile foe, adding that he’s certain Friday night’s game will be a hardfought, competitive affair.

Menard said he thinks the Tarpons’ ballcontrol offense presents challenges because it tests the discipline level of a defense.

The Trojans have to stick to their assignments or surrender big plays.

Menard also said that he thinks South Lafourche’s defense is challenging, and that the Trojans’ highoctane offense will be tested from their rivals.

“They’re going to come in here hungry looking for their first win. We know

that,” Menard said. “We just have to focus on us and keep doing the things that have gotten us to the start that we have.”

PATRIOTS, BRAVES LOOKING FOR A SPARK Both Ellender and H.L. Bourgeois need this one bad.

H.L. Bourgeois is 0-2 and Ellender is desperate to beat up on someone after Terrebonne beat them 60-0 on Friday night.

For the Braves, the key will be a faster start. In both games this season, the Braves fell behind big early, then never could catch up.

For Ellender, avoiding catastrophic, gamechanging plays will be key. They allowed a kick return for a score against Terrebonne and also surrendered a score on a muffed punt snap.

Last year’s game between these teams was all Braves. H.L. Bourgeois won 34-7.

Ellender coach Dave McCormick said these types of games are the ones the Patriots have to start winning to get where they would like to — back to the playoffs.

“We weren’t satisfied with our effort all of the time last year. We thought some of the games we lost should have been closer and some of the closer games should have been wins,” McCormick said.

“This year, we have to change all that around.” •

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