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HALFWAY HOME SEASON ENTERS MIDPOINT THE TIMES • SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 • WEEK 5 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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PUBLISHER
Brian Rushing
EDITORIAL
Bonnie Rushing Editorial Director Casey Gisclair Managing Editor Mary Ditch Managing Editor Drew Miller Associate Editor
CREATIVE
Amber Duplantis Senior Designer Nicholas Boutte Graphic Designer
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Jose Delgado
PHOTOGRAPHY
Casey Gisclair Drew Miller Jared Shanklin Jose Delgado Wendy Bergeron
EDITOR’S NOTE
ADVERTISING
Regretfully, I missed the game of the night locally this past Friday night. Because of my radio obligations, I was unable to attend the showdown between Central Lafourche and Thibodaux — a game that I’d hyped up all last week because I knew it would be a thriller. It did not disappoint. There were thrilling moments, outstanding individual efforts and two teams hungry to establish themselves as the superior dogs in their parish. There were late-game touchdowns, final-second lead changes and dramatic plays that the folks locally will be talking about for a long, long time. At the end of the day, it was Thibodaux who won the ballgame, improving to 4-0 on the season. Central Lafourche fell to 3-1 in defeat. But when you get a rare game like that, there are truly no losers — only winners. Kudos to the men on both sides. You gave the community a show and did everyone proud. Now, keep it going for the rest of the season. You both have the rest of your seasons left in front of you.
Bonnie Rushing Sales Manager Deanne Ratliff Senior Account Manager Elise Falgout, David Gravois, Linda Pontiff
TABLE OF
CONTENTS 05 06 08 12 14 16 20 22
GIVE JENKINS SOME LOVE Trojans standout needs offers
BRUTAL SCHEDULE Tarpons winless, but facing powers
OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER Michelle Ortego
CUSTOMER SERVICE Kimberly Ross
CONTACT
Publisher: publisher@rushing-media.com Editorial: mary@rushing-media.com Sales: sales@rushing-media.com
INSTANT CLASSIC Tigers win last-second thriller
THE SCHEDULE IS SET See all 11 local schedules
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HANDLING ADVERSITY Patriots pushing past youth, injuries
BATTLE OF THE TIGERS Hahnville gets comeback win
CROSS-AREA RIVALS COLLIDE Thibodaux to tangle with Terrebonne
UNDER THE LIGHTS Enjoy more photos from various games!
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 • WEEK 5
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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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.
IT’S TIME FOR SCHOOLS TO GIVE JENKINS SOME LOVE BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
I love to go to scholarship signings. Unfortunately because of our busy schedule and small staff, I can’t make as many of them as I’d like to, but when I can go, I do, and I always love to see how happy everyone there is. Securing a place at the next level as a student-athlete is an amazing accomplishment. Statistically, only about 7 percent of all high school athletes play collegiately, and just 2 percent play Division I. For those lucky few student-athletes, signing that scholarship marks a chance to keep playing, yes, but it also marks continued education, which breeds future community leaders. I love my job all of the time, but on those days, I always leave work with a smile. So, let’s get to business. Rarely do I publicly promote local players because if you get into that business, sometimes coaches or parents expect you to get into the business of creating hype over reporting facts. But right now, I have to make an exception, and I think football fans in our area will agree and understand. Central Lafourche senior
halfback Deon Jenkins is not getting the offers he deserves at the next level. It’s really time that colleges take note of that kid’s talent and give him the chance that he deserves. They will not be disappointed. Jenkins is one of the best local halfbacks I’ve seen in a while — in part because of his diverse skillset. He’s not a huge back, but he has power — lots of it, often finishing runs having done more punishment to the defense than they’ve done to him. That’s been since his first days on campus in Mathews as a freshman. He lowers that shoulder, delivers punishment to the defense and doesn’t wear down. By the fourth quarter, he’s still fresh and the opponents no longer have any interest in tackling him. But what stands out to me most about Jenkins is how much he’s improved over the years. At one time, he was a one-trick pony with just the power, but now, he has some wiggle. He can both run through you and around you. When the Trojans opt to throw the football, he’s also a weapon and can make plays with his hands — both in short, intermediate and deep wheel routes. That makes him dangerous as heck on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Friday nights. And it shows. In the first three games of the season, the halfback pushed close to 1,000 total yards with 14 touchdowns. Yes, I said that right. In THREE games. That’s a full season’s worth of production in three earlyseason nights in the fall. This past Friday, he eclipsed 1,000 yards and continued his magical ride. The schedule gets tougher in the coming weeks, but it’s hard to envision that there’s an ending anywhere in sight in the coming weeks. The kid has elite vision and is so patient in the backfield waiting for his hole to develop. Once in the hole, he always seems to fall forward. Because he has a low center of gravity, it’s hard for defenses to ever square him up, so he often gets 2-3 cheap yards after contact. After about 25-30 carries, those 2-3 cheap yards per play turn
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into an extra 70-80-yards per game — just with sheer talent, vision and motor. Most of those are intangibles that can’t be coached. Some kids just have ‘em, and Jenkins is one of those lucky few. Add it all up and it all looks pretty darned good to me. Local college coaches, I am stating right now: You should get in on this kid — right now, before it’s too late. Coaches outside the area — you guys might want to take a look, too. Don’t just take me at my word. Call coach Keith Menard and ask for a little tape. You won’t be disappointed. This kid is a collegelevel player. Oh yeah, and he’s a pretty awesome kid, too — always humble, never showboating. To me, that counts for something, as well. •
TARPONS STRUGGLING THROUGH ‘MURDERER’S ROW’ SCHEDULE
PHOTO BY: DREW MILLER
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
The South Lafourche football team is winless in the first month of the season. But yet if the playoffs started today, the Tarpons would comfortably be in the playoffs. And actually, they wouldn’t even be too far away from receiving a home game, either. How can that be, you ask? Well, they have one of the most difficult schedules in the state of Louisiana to thank for that. The Tarpons have played a murderous nondistrict schedule — a slate of games that’s pit them against some of the best
teams in the state among several classifications. At press-time, the Tarpons are 0-4, but the combined record of their opponents so far this season is 14-2. The only games their opponents have lost are games amongst each other. St. Charles (Week 1 opponent) beat Lutcher (Week 4 opponent), and Central Lafourche (Week 3 opponent) beat Thibodaux (Week 2 opponent). This coming week won’t be a cakewalk, either — a date at undefeated Belle Chasse. Tarpons coach Blake Forsythe said he wanted to schedule hard to get power points and to challenge his team before FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
district. Mission accomplished. The Tarpons’ have generated enough schedule points so far to easily remain in postseason contention, despite the slow start. “We wanted to make sure we knew what we needed to do to get ready for district play,” Forsythe said. “These games are tough. But they’re testing our guys and showing us what we need to get better at. We think when we get into district play, some of our young guys will be more experienced and a little more battle tested and we think we will be in position to play our best football at the right time of the year.”
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For the Tarpons, it all centers around moving the football offensively. The Tarpons utilize a runheavy Flex offense that’s built on moving down the field in small chunks, while grinding down the clock and protecting a defense from the field. When it works, it’s excellent, and in a 48-minute game, it could be lethal in stealing possessions away from more athletic teams, because the Tarpons have a mean, opportunistic defense that’s had several big-time moments so far in the early stages of the year. But right now, it’s not, and the Tarpons are hurting.
South Lafourche gained just more than 100 yards total in their first two games of the season — a lot of those yards coming late in both games. In those games, the team never scored a touchdown and mustered just 6 total points. Against Central Lafourche in Week 3, the Tarpons were better, pushing forward for more than 200 total yards and 13 points. The team could have had more if not for turnovers and penalties in the red zone, which halted drives. Forsythe said the reason for the Tarpons’ struggles offensively are correctable — centered on a combination of small, correctable mistakes and youth.
South Lafourche has several new starters offensively and some of those guys are just sophomores, including quarterback Patrick Gisclair, fullback Derin Doucet and receiver Jackson Autin. But the beauty of youth is it one day blossoms into experience, and Forsythe said he’s pleased with how his new starters are progressing, and knows that by the time those kids are seniors, look out. “We’re getting better,” he said. “It’s a process and it’s taking a little time to get it clicking like we’d want it to be, but the kids are keeping their heads up and I think we’re starting to see some of that progress.” The Tarpons have also
started to tweak their play-calling a little bit. As teams have seen them on film, they’ve crept up to the line of scrimmage heavily to take away the run. That’s allowed the Tarpons to showcase Gisclair’s arm a little bit more in recent weeks. “We’re seeing more guys in the box,” Forsythe said. “So we’re opening it up a little bit and putting it in the air. We’ll do that if we have to and when the numbers work to our advantage.” If the target is district play, the Tarpons have a week to peak. They face Belle Chasse on Friday night, then open up district at Vandebilt next Friday before moving through the grind of the
local 4A district. Doing a little math, it’s easy to pencil the team into the playoffs even if they win just a handful of games — because of the strength of their schedule. That sounds crazy, but heck, that’s why they made such a schedule. It’s hard to deny that it’s working out in the team’s favor. “We knew before the season it would be a hard schedule,” Forsythe said. “It’s successful programs and some 5A schools. But we knew it’d help our power point numbers and we knew it would get us ready. I think it’s doing exactly that for our football team.” •
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THIBODAUX STORMS PAST CENTRAL LAFOURCHE PHOTOS BY: DREW MILLER
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
It was an instant classic — the type of game people in Lafourche Parish will be talking about for a long, long time. It was filled with twists, turns, big plays and dramatic moments. Fortunately for fans of Thibodaux, the last swing went their way and they were the ones who scored the win and bragging rights this time around. Thibodaux beat Central Lafourche 36-33 on Friday night in a game that’s the immediate leader in the clubhouse for 2019 Houma-Thibodaux Game of the Year. The Tigers trailed with 2 minutes left after a Deon Jenkins touchdown. Jenkins was incredible again in the game, but more about that later. With the Tigers down in possession of the ball, they marched and scored the dagger — a touchdown with 19 seconds left to secure a last-second win. Halfback Rimond Thompson punched in the dagger on a oneyard touchdown run, but the drive was set up by a masterful performance by quarterback Luke Alleman, who made several clutch late-game throws. The Tigers are now 4-0 on the season, while the Trojans are 3-1. Coaches on both sides
are still barely able to catch their breath after a thrilling cross-parish rivalry tilt that did not disappoint. “What a game,” Thibodaux coach Chris Dugas said. “We always seem to be in those close games, and fortunately, we’re finding ways to win. I couldn’t be prouder of the kids. So many times, we could have let it go the other way, but the kids just kept playing and kept believing and we got the ball last and took advantage of it.” “Our kids were hurt, but that’s good. It’s supposed to mean something. That shows us that they care and they’re into what we’re doing,” Trojans coach Keith Menard added. “It hurts, but we’re still 3-1. We had chances to win it, but we couldn’t take advantage and look, give credit to Thibodaux. They made the plays. They did what they needed to do.” The Tigers had to slay a Herculean effort from Trojans’ halfback Deon Jenkins to secure the win. Thibodaux led 28-21 at halftime, but Jenkins took over in the second half and nearly powered his team to a win. He carried over and over and over again in the second half, punishing the Tigers’ defense without relent. The third quarter was scoreless, meaning the Tigers maintained a FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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7-point lead going to the fourth quarter. But then the dams broke. Jenkins scored after a long, lengthy drive to cut the lead to 28-27. The Trojans tried unsuccessfully for a 2-point conversion after the score. After a defensive stop, the Trojans got it back and Jenkins powered through again — this time on a 35-yard touchdown run, breaking multiple tackles before powering into the end zone. That score put Central Lafourche up 33-28 with 1:58 on the clock. It was Jenkins’ final carry on a night where he rushed 37 times for 230 yards and four scores. “I don’t know where he finds the energy,” Menard said. “But he just keeps getting it done.” “He’s just relentless,” Dugas added. “That’s a Saturday player.” But Thibodaux’s offense had just enough time on the clock to get over the top, thanks, in part to a kick return which gave the team the ball at the 49-yard-line. Dugas said Alleman was masterful on the last drive, maneuvering the team forward, while also keeping tabs on the clock. He completed passes to Kyren Lacy and Darwin Davis, moving the team closer to the end zone. When they got close and with the clock bleeding down, they handed it to Thompson, who pushed forward through the line and into the end zone to give his team a 34-33 lead. After a 2-point conversion,
Thibodaux led by 3 with 19 seconds on the clock. The Trojans had one more chance with possession of the ball, but a Hail Mary heave fell flat. On one side of the stadium, fans sat silent. On the other, the Thibodaux faithful went nuts — celebrating their team’s fourth-straight win to start the year. Dugas said he was proud of his team for overcoming adversity and making enough plays to win. For Menard, he said he’s disappointed his team lost, but added that the crowd, the atmosphere and the game, itself, will not soon be forgotten. “It never gets old,” he said. “That was as packed as I’ve seen that stadium. Both sides were full. Our crowd was wild, our students were into it. Their crowd came and packed their side. It was a great night for high school football. It’s unfortunate we didn’t come out on the winning end of it, but it was a great showcase for our sport.”•
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CLASS 5A SCOREBOARD East St. John 69, H.L. Bourgeois 7 Thibodaux 36, Central Lafourche 33 St. James 31, Destrehan 24 Hahnville 34, Terrebonne 27
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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 [L] Sept. 27 - at Lutcher [L] 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 [W] Sept. 27 - vs. Thibodaux [L] 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 [L] Sept. 27 - at St. Charles Catholic [L] 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 [W] Sept. 27 - at Central Lafourche [W] 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 [L] Sept. 27 - at Patterson [W] 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 [L] Sept. 27 - vs. McMain [L] 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 30, 2019
VANDEBILT CATHOLIC
TERREBONNE
H.L. BOURGEOIS
Sept. 6 - vs. E.D. White [L] Sept. 13 - vs. Westgate [L] Sept. 20 - at Berwick [W] Sept. 27 - at Dutchtown [L] 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 [W] Sept. 27 - vs. Hahnville [L] 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 [W] Sept. 27 - at East St. John [L] 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 5 SCHEDULE
Sept. 6 - at Highland Baptist [L]
Belle Chasse vs. South Lafourche
Sept. 6 - vs. Central Private [L] Sept. 13 - vs. Sci Academy [W] Sept. 20 - BYE WEEK Sept. 27 - vs. Loranger [L] 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 [L] Sept. 26 - at West St. Mary [L] 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
Ellender vs. Central Lafourche E.D. White vs. South Terrebonne Thibodaux vs. Terrebonne Vandebilt vs. Welsh H.L. Bourgeois vs. Destrehan CCA vs. St. John Loreauville vs. Houma Christian
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
13 SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
PATRIOTS PUSHING PAST ADVERSITY PHOTO BY: WENDY BERGERON
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
The Ellender Memorial High School football team has been through a lot already in 2019. But those kids only bend and never break — always finding ways to keep battling for their team. The Patriots are just 1-3 on the year, but they could easily be 3-1, having lost two close, hard-fought games in the past two weeks to H.L. Bourgeois and then McMain. Coach David McCormick said he’s proud of the effort his team gives, adding that if they keep giving that same effort on the field, things will
eventually turn around. “The kids are giving us everything they’ve got right now,” McCormick said. “I don’t have anything negative to say about our effort. We have to do better in our execution, but our effort is there. They’re doing the best that they can, and that’s all we can ask. I told the kids — just keep working hard and keep doing the right things and eventually, the ball will bounce our way or we will get things to happen the way we want.” Truth is, the Patriots just have a lot going against them right now. For starters, they’re low in numbers with hardly 50 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
kids in the program — a problem that McCormick said has been plaguing the team for the past few seasons now. “It’s hard to get these kids off the video games,” McCormick said. “They don’t want to play football, I guess because of the heat or the physicality of the sport or whatever it may be. We’re just having a hard time getting those numbers like we’d want them to be.” And with the poor numbers, the Patriots are also having attrition. Ellender dressed just more than 40 kids on Friday night against McMain. McCormick said several players missed the
14 SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
game with injury. The Patriots led the game early, but then fizzled late, surrendering a lead in the fourth quarter before surrendering. It was the secondstraight week that Ellender lost a game that they led in the second half. “I think we just kind of ran out of gas a little bit, you know? We’re asking those boys to do a lot and it’s wearing on them a little bit,” McCormick said. “We have a lot of kids who are going both ways for us and when you add it all up with the offense, the defense and the special teams, something’s got to give. And we’re getting close and competing well,
but we just can’t play the whole game right now and finish it off.” But the good news is that the Patriots are young and talented and McCormick said he thinks the team is going to continue to get better as the year goes on. Offensively, the Patriots have skill all over the field. Quarterback Patrick Perna is doing a good job managing the game and getting the ball to the team’s playmakers. “He’s never played quarterback before, but he’s getting better and better and more comfortable,” McCormick said. McCormick said he’s also pleased with Tyshaun Hester and receiver O’Ryan James — guys
who are making a lot of the plays and scoring a lot of the touchdowns for the team. On Friday, James took a jet sweep 80-plus yards to the house for a touchdown. McCormick said Hester is one of the most underrated players in the area. “He puts our team on his back every Friday night,” McCormick said of Hester. “He does whatever we need him to do to help us win. He makes plays all over the field at so many positions. We can’t say enough about the way he’s played for us so far this season.” The Patriots have one more challenge before starting district play. They play Central
Lafourche on Friday, then open district play at Morgan City. McCormick said he’s told the team that all of their goals are still in front of them and the team needs to keep playing hard without panic. “We said before the season we wanted to win district and we wanted to make the playoffs,” McCormick said. “We can do both of those things, so we’re still in good position. We just have to keep working hard and get a few injured kids back and we think we have a shot.” PATRIOTS STUDENT OUT OF HOSPITAL AFTER STROKE There was some good news for Ellender this past
week. McCormick said senior defensive back Kameron Adkins is out of the hospital after suffering a stroke earlier this month. Adkins visited with the team and urged them to keep fighting through the season. McCormick said the long-term prognosis for Adkins is good. He added that the team is finding power in his strength. “That kid just won’t quit,” McCormick said. “He’s been through so much and he just doesn’t quit fighting. He wants to play so bad. He wants to get back out there and be with his team. But while he’s out, we’re just amazed by how strong he’s being and the resiliency he’s showing.” •
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15 SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
HAHNVILLE WINS DISTRICT BATTLE
OF THE TIGERS FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
16 SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
PHOTOS BY: JOSE DELGADO
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Last year, Terrebonne put a hurting on Hahnville, scoring a 41-0 win over their River Parish foes. This year, Hahnville came to Houma and returned the favor, scoring a hard-fought, comefrom-behind win over the local Class 5A power. Hahnville beat Terrebonne 34-27 on Friday night, overcoming an early 19-0 deficit to secure their fourth-straight win to the season. Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said he was disappointed in the result, but added that he thought Friday night was the first time this season that the Tigers played with four quarters of district-level intensity. “I thought we played pretty well. I thought our effort was consistent — as consistent as it’s been all season,” Hill said. “We made some mistakes and they took advantage. Hahnville is a really good football team. I think if we keep playing with that same kind of fire, we’re going to have great things happen to our team.” Terrebonne came out of the gates smoking early on. For a minute, it looked like Terrebonne would rout Hahnville for a second-straight year. The Houma-based Tigers struck first when senior quarterback Jakhi Douglas hit Jaylin Lucas on a 56-yard touchdown to go up 6-0.
After a Hahnville fumble, Terrebonne got the ball in opposing territory and they took advantage when Douglas and Lucas connected again for a touchdown to make it 120. Special teams plagued Terrebonne throughout the game and helped Hahnville get the win. The Tigers missed both of their early extra points. After falling behind 120, Hahnville got some momentum, pushing the ball deep into Terrebonne territory. But they couldn’t score, turning over the ball on downs at Terrebonne’s 2-yard-line late in the first quarter. Then Jakhi Douglas showed why he’s one of the best players in the state of Louisiana. While in shotgun, Douglas took the snap, faked a handoff, then ran forward. He got past the line of scrimmage, into the linebackers and then in the secondary. It was a foot race down the field and Douglas turned on the jets and accelerated — 98 yards for a touchdown to put Terrebonne up 19-0. Hill said Douglas had an extra pep in his step on Friday. Hahnville coach Nick Saltaformaggio called Douglas a one of a kind talent. “He’s a special player,” Saltaformaggio said. “We had our hands full throughout the game.” But Hahnville kept battling and turned the wave of momentum around. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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The special teams bug bit Terrebonne late in the first half when Hahnville blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone to make the score 19-6 — an advantage which held until halftime. Hill said the Tigers have to get better in the third phase of the game going forward. “We can’t keep having negative plays in special teams,” Hill said. In the second half, Hahnville kept battling, scoring two third-quarter touchdowns to take a 2019 lead into the fourth quarter. In the final frame, Terrebonne made a strong case for victory when they intercepted a pass and turned a short field into points on a touchdown
WISHING ALL OF OUR
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run by Douglas. After a 2-point conversion, Terrebonne led 27-20 in the fourth quarter. But Hahnville showed championship moxie after falling behind. They tied the game when quarterback Andrew Naquin hit Darryle Evans on a screen to tie the game at 27 with 7 minutes to play. Terrebonne had the ball with a chance to re-take the lead, but faltered when quarterback Ryan Williams threw an interception. With possession again, Hahnville took control for good on a short touchdown from Evans. GATORS SCORE WIN AT PATTERSON After losing to Terrebonne last week, the
South Terrebonne football team got back on the winning track on Friday night. The Gators beat Patterson 35-20, improving to 3-1 on the season. Quarterback Christian Arceneaux was big in the win for the Gators, generating four touchdowns in the win — two with his arm and two with his legs. The Gators had to work to secure the win. The score was tied at 7 at the end of the first quarter, and South Terrebonne led 14-7 at halftime. In the second half, the Gators kept the lead, thanks to their power running game and timely defense. Jamala Ricks had more
than 150 all-purpose yards and Lance Pellegrin snagged two gamechanging interceptions. The Gators will have one more pre-district tuneup on Friday night when they take on E.D. White. •
LOCAL 4A SCOREBOARD Assumption 40, Denham Springs 34
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BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Last week, Thibodaux found a way to get past bruising Central Lafourche halfback Deon Jenkins. Now, they’ll have to tangle with a man just as dangerous — if not more: Terrebonne standout Jakhi Douglas. The stakes will be high again this Friday when undefeated Thibodaux (40) faces Terrebonne (2-2), two teams with high hopes at making a run in the
Class 5A State Playoffs. Both coaches said they think Friday’s game will be close and competitive with college-level athletes all over the field. “It’s going to be a challenge for us,” Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said. “They’re coming into the game with some momentum after a big win, and we’re going to their stadium, so we know they will have a big crowd and a lot of excitement. Our kids will have to have a good week preparing and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
will have to play a full four quarters. We’re expecting a close, competitive football game.” “They’re a very talented, well-coached team,” Thibodaux coach Chris Dugas added. “We know it’s going to be another battle. They have talented athletes and they have a lot of size. We’re expecting them to come in hungry.” What makes the game perhaps a little more attractive is that Hill and Dugas are close friends
20 SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
and that Dugas was once an assistant coach under Hill at Terrebonne. Hill said he loves what he’s seeing in Thibodaux’s offense, adding that Thibodaux’s vertical passing attack will test the Terrebonne secondary. Thibodaux is led by quarterback Luke Alleman — a guy who owns multiple 300-yard passing games so far this season. Hill said one of the keys to the game will be whether his team can get pressure on Alleman up
front. Terrebonne has able bodies, including 5-star defensive lineman Maason Smith and also others. “We have to make him uncomfortable back there,” Hill said. “If he can get into a rhythm and step into his throws, he can do a lot of damage.” But that’s easier said than done. Thibodaux’s passing attack is diverse with several guys getting touches. The Lafourchebased Tigers also have a two-headed monster at running back. “That’s our goal — to get all those guys involved. That’s when we’re at our best,” Dugas said when asked about the team’s ball distribution. “We have a lot of playmakers and we want to get it to those guys in space and let them make plays and do what they’re capable of doing.” In facing Terrebonne, Dugas said his team is facing an athletic spread offense that tests you because they can take any given play to the house. Dugas said a huge key to the game will be identifying where Douglas is on any given play. Most of the time, he’s at quarterback, but sometimes, he’s at receiver. He also plays all over the field on special teams. Dugas said his defensive staff will have to scheme carefully to try and keep him out of space. “With Terrebonne, I like to say you’re facing Jakhi and the crew,” Dugas said. “He’s such an unbelievably gifted player.
He makes so many things happen. We’re going to have to account for him at all times.” But Dugas said Terrebonne is far from a one-man show. He said the Tigers have other athletes who are capable of playing at the next level. In Friday’s game against Hahnville, Jaylin Lucas accounted for two touchdowns. “They have playmakers all over the field,” Dugas said. But what perhaps makes this matchup the most intriguing is what’s on the line. Both teams will be hungry to try and make statements — each in their own way. For Thibodaux, they’re 4-0, but were walloped last year by Terrebonne. A win in this game could make a huge statement that it will be Thibodaux who makes a playoff run in 2019 — much like Terrebonne did last fall. For Terrebonne, they’re seeking a return to 2018’s form. Terrebonne is 2-2 and has been sometimes hit or miss. They played well against Hahnville, but came up short. Hill said he wants to see his team compete in those close, hard-fought games and find ways to win. “It’s going to be a really big challenge for both of us,” Dugas said. “Every game in this district is that way. We know going in you have to show up to play or you’re going to likely get left behind.” •
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