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HOMECOMING HEROICS TERRIERS SCORE BIG WIN THE TIMES • OCTOBER 7, 2019 • WEEK 6 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
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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Leo Bourg
TABLE OF
CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE WHERE HAS ALL OF THE TIME GONE? Don’t blink, because if you do, the high school football season will go away. Friday night marked the midway point of the 2019 prep football season, which is hard to believe because it feels like just yesterday that we were planning to cover fall scrimmages and jamborees. Heck, it doesn’t even feel that long ago that we were putting the finishing touches on the end of the 2018 season, either. The season has flown by in an absolute blur — each Friday flying by as quickly as the last. Locally, there are several contenders and several teams with playoff aspirations, so we know that our local season will extend beyond Week 10. But it still makes us a little bit sad to know that we’ve reached the mountain’s peak and everything else that happens will be all downhill from here. There will be high stakes games and big-time environments in the coming weeks. There will be playoff games, big wins
05 06
FOOTBALL WEATHER IS HERE Weather cools as football heats up
ALLEMAN LEADS THIBODAUX Alleman powers the undefeated Tigers’ offense
08
BATTLE OF THE TIGERS
12 14 16 20
THE SCHEDULE IS SET
22
UNDER THE LIGHTS
Late-game defense helps Thibodaux secure a win over Terrebonne See all 11 local schedules
HALFWAY HOME Each local team’s progress and ranking
TERRIERS TRIUMPH OVER WELSH Vandebilt soars for homecoming victory
TWO UNBEATENS FACE OFF
PHOTOGRAPHY Leo Bourg Jose Delgado Casey Gisclair Drew Miller Jared Shanklin
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Thibodaux and Hahnville set for potential thriller See photos of jamboree week
and crushing, devastating losses. We’re going to soak it all in and love the entire experience. Because like football has a way of doing, before we know it, it will all be gone and we’ll be left to wonder when the magic might begin again.
OCTOBER 7, 2019 • WEEK 6
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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IT’S FOOTBALL WEATHER AT LAST PHOTO BY: JOSE DELGADO
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
I work in a high-stress, high-pressure job filled with deadlines and all of that madness. So when I have a little spare time, I like to do these mental exercises to wind down and keep some of that anxiety away. I don’t know if they actually work, but half of the battle is to trick yourself into believing that something is working, right? Fake it until you make it. So I stumbled upon a pretty cool one last week when unwinding and I thought I’d share it with you all in my column today. It was a list of words, and the challenge was to write down all of the things that you think of when you see the word. So let’s do it. When one says the word football, what do you think of? For me, I think of the sport, the pageantry, the touchdowns, the studentathletes, the teams, the
epic games, the thrilling wins and, of course, the bone-crushing hits. I think of cheerleaders cheering, marching bands playing, the smell of barbecue in the air and student sections going wild, throwing confetti in the air every chance they get. But perhaps bigger than all of those things, I think of the fall — oh, the sweet fall. We’re halfway through the high school football season already. Friday night’s games marked the ending to week 5. By this point in the season, we’ve usually had a cool front or two to drop temperatures down from oppressively hot to comfortable, if not cool. But that’s not happened yet. Games have been hot, humid and downright uncomfortable. Studentathletes have suffered from cramping and fans have enjoyed the games, sure. But they’ve deposited about a pound of sweat in the concrete FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
bleachers. But finally, this week, we’re going to get the taste of a little fall. Granted, we’re putting this publication to bed on Sunday afternoon, and the front will not have passed yet. But I trust our local weathermen to stake our reputation on the fact that a front will sweep by early this week and will hang around throughout the week to make the weather more bearable. With fall officially here and the second half of the season now upon us, it’s time for our local teams to play their best football at the right time. In the local 5A district, all bets are off. Do you know who is better than anyone else on a given week? If so, fill me in because we sure don’t have a clue. That district is stricken with parity and it will be so much fun watching the Bayou teams try and keep up with the River teams throughout the course of the year. In Class 4A, Assumption
5 OCTOBER 7, 2019
looks like the lead dog right now, but I still think there’s a really good chance that some of our local teams can challenge them and make them work hard to try and win the district title. Our Class 4A District is young, which tells me that a lot of the teams will play their best football in the final games of the year. And in Class 1A, 2A and 3A, we’re still not sure yet, either, though we know all of those districts are tough and E.D. White, Houma Christian and CCA will have their hands full. Good luck to all of our local teams the rest of the way and leave it all out on the field. Some have started slow, others have started quick. Regardless, everyone’s goals and aspirations are still fully within reach. We’ll be watching, and we’ll be enjoying this amazing weather to boot. Football weather is finally here! •
ALLEMAN POWERING THIBODAUX’S OFFENSE
PHOTO BY: JARED SHANKLIN
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
By now, local football fans are familiar with Thibodaux High School junior pocket passer Luke Alleman. The Tigers are 5-0 and have a high-powered offensive attack — routinely putting up 300+ passing yards against opposing defenses. But what most folks don’t know is that all of Alleman’s successes today are because of the adversity and struggles he faced last season — a time that the quarterback said made him better, both on and off the field.
Alleman had a severe knee injury last season just when he was starting to get comfortable in his position. Instead of competing with his team through district play, he was spent rehabbing for months — a process that he said motivated him heavily throughout the offseason. Today, Alleman is bigger, faster and stronger after recovering from his injury and on the field, he’s been a whiz. The Tigers are undefeated and are scoring points in droves. A lot of that success if due to their smooth, strongarmed pocket passing standout. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
“We have a great group of guys right now who love to be around the game of football and work hard,” Alleman said. “We’re 5-0, but we still have a chip on our shoulder to show the entire state that we can make a run deep in the playoffs and be a quarterfinals or state championship caliber team.” Alleman’s adversity struck when he least expected it. The Tigers were young and rebuilding last year, but Alleman was a big part of that process, starting several games at quarterback. But early in the year,
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he went down and knew something wasn’t right. The diagnosis wasn’t good. It was a torn ACL. Instead of competing against the River Parish teams in district play, Alleman’s fall and winter were spent rehabbing. Alleman said that process was one of the hardest experiences he’s ever had to deal with. “It was definitely hard to be on the sideline and watch our team play and not be able to suit up,” Alleman said. Alleman said he realized one thing when he was out — that he had to get physically stronger to survive against a Class 5A
District schedule. So that’s exactly what he did. He did 5 months of therapy at Advanced Physical Therapy and also with Thibodaux Athletic Trainer Jerry Blackwell. Alleman was released to train about 3 months before spring football. Since then, he said he’s been working hard to get stronger than he’s ever been. “I had to workout very hard and to train harder than ever to come back stronger and be in good shape for spring ball,” Alleman said. Alleman got better mentally, too. He said the entire time he was out, he was staying involved in the game to keep fresh. Alleman said the key to the entire process was his love for the game, adding that he just knew he was getting prepared for the 2019 season. “I watched a lot of film while out and during rehab,” Alleman said. “Anything to just be focused on how to mentally be a better quarterback and lead a football team. I knew I was going to be back stronger and in better shape than before. I love to work hard. I feel to be successful at the game, you have to love the process — the workouts, the weights, the film and all that. So I just focused on the mental part of the game so when I came back, it made the physical part of the game 100 times easier.” All of that work has paid off in a big way.
Alleman and the Thibodaux offense is rolling, averaging well more than 30 points per game. The quarterback has weapons all over the field, sure, which helps. But Alleman is poised and calm in the pocket, studying the defense, keeping his eyes down field and making big plays. He’s athletic and has chances to run at times, but Alleman said that’s not his preference. He wants to make plays down the field. When I get out the pocket, most defenses lose coverage and lose containment,” Alleman said. “That makes it good for the down the field throws.” So now, we’re all watching to see how far Thibodaux can go. The Tigers are 5-0 and they have a flare for the dramatic. They’ve won 4-straight games by 10 points or less, including thrilling, last-second wins two weeks in a row — first against Central Lafourche and next against Terrebonne. Alleman said human instinct would be to look ahead to the playoffs, but Thibodaux is focused solely on its next game, on Friday night against Hahnville — a battle of unbeatens. “We focus on 1 game at a time and want to get 1 win at a time,” Alleman said. “I think as long as we stay focused and keep working together as a team, we’re going to be tough to beat week in and week out.” • 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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THIBODAUX
WINS BATTLE OF THE TIGERS
PHOTOS BY: DREW MILLER
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
The Cardiac Cats are at it again. Thibodaux beat Terrebonne 35-28 on Friday night, scoring a game-winning touchdown with 8:13 to go, then holding on with several clutch defensive stops. Thibodaux is now 5-0 on the season. Coach Chris Dugas said he’s proud of his team’s ability to persevere and push past adversity. They’ve now won 4-straight games by single digits. “I’m so proud of the kids. Just so proud,” Dugas said. “This is exactly the position you
want to be in. The kids just keep fighting. They never stop playing. We’ve made some mistakes and we’ve probably not played our best ballgame yet. But we just keep finding a way.” Both teams had chances to win this one — for the second-straight week, Thibodaux won a thriller and for the secondstraight game, Terrebonne lost one at the end. Thibodaux came out of the gates smoking with two touchdown passes from quarterback Luke Alleman to go up 14-0. One of the scores went to Marquel Price and the other was to Kyren Lacy. Dugas said he expected a slight hangover for his team after an emotional FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
win against Central Lafourche, but early, that wasn’t the case. “We came out smoking,” Dugas said. “We were expecting to maybe have a little bit of a lull early, but that didn’t happen at all.” Dugas said after taking the early lead, he thought Thibodaux’s energy waned a little bit for the rest of the first half. Terrebonne upped their play after the deficit, tying the game at 14 at the end of the first quarter with two scores of their own — one on a touchdown pass from Ryan Williams to AJ Walters and another from Williams to Jaylin Lucas. Terrebonne’s surge of momentum continued
8 OCTOBER 7, 2019
into the second quarter, as well, when Williams hit Ja’khi Douglas on a short touchdown to give Terrebonne a 21-14 lead. But Thibodaux never waivered. They scored before halftime to tie the game at 21-all at half on a pass from Alleman to Darwin Davis. Alleman was special in the win, completing 17of-36 passes for 232 yards and four scores. Dugas said the Tigers’ offensive line was also good and the team’s playmakers made plays. Several players caught key, clutch passes in the win. “Our guys just kept making plays,” Dugas
said. “Terrebonne was being very aggressive defensively, but we just kept standing tall and finding ways to make plays.” In the second half, Thibodaux re-took the lead when Rimond Thompson scored on a short touchdown run to go up 28-21. After getting a defensive stop, Thibodaux looked like they were heading to a two-score lead and, perhaps, taking complete control of the game. But D’jon Scott intercepted an Alleman pass and took it 50 yards to the house to tie the game at 28 — a score which held until the end of the third quarter. Dugas said if Thibodaux has one flaw, it’s their turnovers. Dugas said the
Tigers have not won the turnover battle yet this season. But, he also added that that’s part of the process of having a pass-heavy offense at the high school level. “When you’re throwing it 40 times a game, that’s something that’s going to happen a little bit,” Dugas said. “And we know that and we’ve worked on it. We have some explosive plays, but we have some negative plays. I think we’ve done a good job limiting the damage.” In the fourth quarter, Thibodaux drew the last blood on a long, lengthy drive capped with a touchdown pass from Alleman to Price. Terrebonne had chances late, but Thibodaux had an answer for each
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Terrebonne threat, sealing the win. Thibodaux is now 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in district play. Terrebonne is 2-3 and 0-2. “We still have half the season to go and a lot of very good opponents on the schedule,� Dugas said. “We’re proud of where we are, but we know we have a lot of work to do.� TROJANS PUSH PAST ELLENDER Central Lafourche had a big, fat hangover early against Ellender. After four-straight weeks playing at home in front of a huge crowd, the Trojans played before a flat, quiet Ellender crowd at South Terrebonne Stadium. And it affected the team. Heavily favored, the Trojans actually trailed in both the first and second quarters — their last deficit being 14-12 in the second quarter. But it didn’t last long. After getting punched in the mouth, the Trojans rallied, scoring severalstraight second-quarter touchdowns to secure a 41-14 halftime lead en route to a 55-27 win. The Trojans are now 4-1 on the season, but coach Keith Menard said he didn’t like his team’s energy, nor special teams play. “We were flat,� Menard said. “I didn’t like seeing that. We responded and snapped out of it, which was good to see, but I thought we could have done a better job early in the game. That was disappointing.�
OK, so now to answer the question everyone is wondering about: how many yards did Deon Jenkins get? Well, not as many as one might think. The Trojans played Jenkins just for the first half on Friday. He got 100 yards and scored on a long touchdown pass, as well. Menard said Ellender stacked the box to keep Jenkins out of rhythm, so the Trojans threw the ball. Quarterback Ashtrein Duncan had 255 yards through the air with four scores. Receiver Jansen Folse made several big plays down the field, as well. “They were putting a lot of defenders at the line, so we put the ball in the air,â€? Menard said. “We thought early on, our passing game wasn’t clicking, but we got it going and we were very pleased with the big plays we were able to make.â€? In the second half, the Trojans played a lot of JV guys. Both teams scored two second-half touchdowns. •
CLASS 5A SCOREBOARD
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Destrehan 40, H.L. Bourgeois 14 Central Lafourche 55, Ellender 27 Hahnville 21, East St. John 0 Thibodaux 35, Terrebonne 28
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
11 OCTOBER 7, 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 [L] Sept. 27 - at Lutcher [L] Oct. 4 - at Belle Chasse [L] 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 [W] 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 [L] 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 [W] 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 [W] 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 [L] 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 OCTOBER 7, 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 [W] 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 [L] 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 [L] 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 6 SCHEDULE
Sept. 6 - at Highland Baptist [L]
Morgan City vs. Ellender
Sept. 20 - at Ascension Christian [L] Sept. 26 - at West St. Mary [L] Oct. 4 - at Loreauville [L] Oct. 10 - vs. Jeanerette Oct. 18 - vs. Ascension Episcopal
Houma Christian vs. Jeanerette
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 [W] 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]
Oct. 25 - vs. Catholic - New Iberia
Nov. 1 - at Franklin Nov. 8 - vs. Delcambre
(Thursday night)
(Thursday night)
Vandebilt vs. South Lafourche Central Lafourche vs. H.L. Bourgeois E.D. White vs. Donaldsonville Thibodaux vs. Hahnville South Terrebonne vs. Assumption Terrebonne vs. Destrehan Highland Baptist vs. CCA
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
13 OCTOBER 7, 2019
HALFWAY HOME SEE WHERE ALL OUR LOCAL TEAMS STAND PHOTO BY: JOSE DELGADO
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Friday marked the midway point of the regular season for local high school football teams. Local coaches are mostly in the moment — some didn’t even realize it, when asked. But they all agreed that there’s a lot of football to be played and everyone’s goals are still on the table — even for those who are struggling. So in true “school” fashion, we decided to create a “progress report” of sorts for all 11 of our local teams so far at the midway point in the year.
CLASS 5A
CENTRAL LAFOURCHE
Current Record: 4-1 Current Power rating: No. 15 The Trojans are a few heroic plays from Luke Alleman away from being 5-0. The Trojans have arguably the best player in our area in halfback Deon Jenkins and their passing
game is slowly evolving, too. If the Trojans can get healthier and a little more consistent in the second half of the season, we think there’s a better than good chance that they’ll be both hosting the playoffs and also contending to play a home game.
H.L. BOURGEOIS
Current Record: 1-4 Current Power rating: No. 48 The rebuild in Gray is taking a while, but that’s to be expected. The Braves are still in the process of learning their new, Wing-T offense and they’re still in the process of replacing a ton of defensive starters that were lost last year. It’s highly unlikely that the Braves make the playoffs this season. They’d need to likely go 4-1 in the final 5 games and pull off several big-time upsets. But those final games are still huge in building momentum for next fall.
TERREBONNE
Current Record: 2-3 Current Power rating: No. 26 Terrebonne will be in a mad scramble in the FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
second half of the season. They’re 2-3, but still have meetings with East St. John, Central Lafourche, Destrehan and Brother Martin on the schedule. The Tigers desperately have to find a way to find some of those ballgames coming home. Close losses against both Hahnville and Thibodaux in consecutive weeks could really hurt the team later on.
THIBODAUX
Current Record: 5-0 Current Power rating: No. 8 Thibodaux is, at least to me, the story of the 2019 prep football season locally. These guys won just 3 games total last season, but are already 5-0 with wins over Central Lafourche, Terrebonne and McDonogh 35. Right now, the Tigers are No. 8 in Class 5A, which means they have a little cushion, because the Top 16 teams play at home in the first round of the playoffs. But with all three river schools still left to play, the Tigers could do some serious damage and earn an even better seed.
14 OCTOBER 7, 2019
CLASS 4A/ DIVISION II
E.D. WHITE
Current Record: 2-3 Current Power rating: No. 6 (D-II) E.D. White is maybe the toughest local case to crack in 2019. Some weeks, they look really good. Other weeks (like on Friday), they commit a million penalties and struggle to move the ball. The good news for Cardinals fans is that by being in Division II, they’re already in the playoffs, so there’s not as much pressure.
ELLENDER
Current Record: 1-4 Current Power rating: No. 43 Ellender has to get hot fast, currently sitting at No. 43 in Class 4A — a bracket where 32 teams make postseason. But there will be opportunities for the Patriots to win ballgames in a wide-open district. Coach David McCormick has said all along that he thought his team would
be a second-half of the season team. Now, is the time to find out!
SOUTH LAFOURCHE
Current Record: 0-5 Current Power rating: No. 38 It’s crazy that an 0-5 team even has a snowball’s chance in you know where to make the playoffs, but that’s where South Lafourche sits at the midway point, thanks to a brutally tough schedule. The Tarpons have played five-straight brutally tough opponents, including two Class 5A foes. If they get hot and win 3-4 district games, they’re going to make the dance.
SOUTH TERREBONNE
Current Record: 4-1 Current Power rating: No. 13 The Gators’ win against E.D. White on Friday was huge for playoff positioning. South Terrebonne is 4-1 in the non-district slate and they’re currently slated to play a home game in the playoffs (if postseason started today). Now healthier, there’s no reason to think that the team will slow down anytime soon.
VANDEBILT
Current Record: 2-3 Current Power rating: No. 11 Vandebilt is getting better, which means that they have chances to punch a spot in the Top 8
of the Division II playoffs, which would mean a home playoff game. The Terriers’ defense is playing very well and has been forceful throughout the season. If the offense can continue to click, look out.
Christian, but if they can stick together, things will be looking up.
Division IV
COVENANT CHRISTIAN
Division III
HOUMA CHRISTIAN
Current Record: 0-5 Current Power rating: No. 13 It’s been a rough year for Houma Christian. The Warriors are brutally young and they’re facing a Class 2A district for the first time. That’s come with some serious growing pains. This likely will not be the year for Houma
Current Record: 2-2 Current Power rating: No. 16 CCA is firmly on the bubble. A total of 16 teams make the playoffs in Division IV, so the Lions have to have a strong second half of the season to get in. But what this team has done this season is incredible. The Lions are young and have limited numbers. But those kids just keep working. Coach Randy Boquet is proud, and he should be. •
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PHOTOS BY: LEO BOURG
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Since before the season even started, first-year Vandebilt coach Lance Ledet has said it’s going to take his team a little time to get rolling. “We have a lot of change,” Ledet said at Tri-Parish Media Day in August. “We know we’re going to be better at the end of the season that we are at the beginning of the season.” The Terriers showcased some of that forward progression on Friday night against Welsh. Vandebilt forced six turnovers, while also making a few timely offensive plays in a 21-7 win — the team’s second win in three weeks to improve to 2-3 on the young season. For Vandebilt, it was a total team effort on Friday night. Early in the game, Vandebilt’s offense got rolling when quarterback Gavin Daigle turned the corner and found nothing but green grass for a 51yard touchdown run to put the Terriers up 7-0. Daigle managed the game well for Vandebilt like he’s done for most of the season, making several plays with his legs. Ledet has called Daigle a quality playmaker. “He can do a lot of things for us,” Ledet said. “He has the ability to both run and throw and keep the chains moving and our offense on the field.” That 7-0 score held until
the second quarter when Vandebilt struck again on a long touchdown pass from Daigle to Jean-Luc Lapeyre to go up 14-0. Vandebilt also had another second-quarter chance after forcing a turnover, but they fumbled the football in the end zone, giving Welsh a touchback. Just before halftime, Welsh got their only points of the game. The Greyhounds intercepted Daigle late in the first half, then showcased a quick strike offense, marching quickly down the field before halftime with a touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14-7 at halftime. The second half was a defensive struggle. Welsh turned over the ball repeatedly, helping the Terriers keep control of the game. The Greyhounds’ first second-half turnover gave the ball to the Terriers on a short field. They capitalized shortly after on a short touchdown run from Daigle to go up 21-7. After that score, both teams had chances, but neither could take advantage. The Greyhounds turned it over repeatedly, staying out of he endzone and never seriously threatening victory. But Vandebilt left chances on the table, too, with turnovers of their own. But late in the game, the Terriers closed in their offense and pounded Welsh, gutting them and working down the clock to FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
good luck to all teams!
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zero to secure the win. Vandebilt will open district play next week against South Lafourche. The Tarpons and Terriers have been somewhat mirror images of one another so far this season with struggling offenses being fed by stingy, playmaking defenses. GATORS SECURE WIN AGAINST E.D. WHITE Most of the chatter in the local Class 4A district centers on Assumption. But on Friday night, South Terrebonne let the rest of the area know that they’re firmly in the mix for the district championship, as well. The Gators beat E.D. White 14-6 on Friday night, showcasing a suffocating defense, which limited the Cardinals’ opportunities at points throughout the
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game. E.D. White was also its worst enemy on Friday night, committing countless penalties and making several mental mistakes, which enabled the Gators to stay in front throughout. With the win, the Gators are now entering district play 4-1, while E.D. White dropped to 2-3. But what’s perhaps the most important thing for the Gators is that they’re getting healthy at the right time. South Terrebonne had been battered and bruised throughout most of non-district play, but on Friday, they got a lot of those kids back. Jamala Ricks scored the first touchdown of the game early in the second quarter to put the Gators up 7-0.
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That score held until the late third quarter when Christian Arceneaux found Peyton Parr on a long pass to go up 14-0. E.D. White had chances — multiple chances — but could never keep ahead of the chains. Either by penalties, lack of blocking, poor execution, or just dominant defense by the Gators, E.D. White’s offense never got going. The Cardinals got their only points on a long touchdown reception from Branton Vicknair with just more than 4 minutes in the game to cut South Terrebonne’s lead to 14-6. But Colby Chelette and the Gators’ powerful running game salted it away from there, running out the clock and sealing the hard-fought win. Chelette went for more
than 100 yards in the game. He is one of the many Gators who had been limited with injury in recent weeks. •
CLASS 4A/DIVISION II SCOREBOARD St. James 35, Assumption 7 Central Lafourche 55, Ellender 27 Patterson 56, Morgan City 23
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BATTLE OF THE UNBEATENS LEADS WEEK 6 SCHEDULE
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
If it feels like Thibodaux is in a high-stakes showdown every week, that’s probably because they are — one of the most challenging schedules in the state so far in Class 5A. But perhaps their biggest test will come on Friday night against another unbeaten with the same color scheme and mascot name. Both stakes and emotions will be high on Friday when Hahnville travels up the bayou to take on Thibodaux — a battle of powers in the local Class 5A district. Both teams are 5-0. Both teams have won close, hard-fought games already in district play.
Something has got to give, but Tigers’ coach Chris Dugas said he’s happy that the game will be played from the comforts of home. “We like to be in our backyard. That always excites the kids. That always gives them a little bit of extra juice,” Dugas said. “We expect that there’s going to be a big, loud crowd. There always is. We think it’s going to be a good football game. We’ve been in a bunch of those so far this season.” The Tigers have had a flare for the dramatic this season. They turn over the ball a ton, they sometimes make sloppy mental mistakes. But when push comes to shove and it’s late in close games, they find ways to make plays and seal wins. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
In Week 3, Thibodaux made a late field goal to beat McDonogh 35. They followed that up with a last-second touchdown in Week 4 to push past Central Lafourche. On Friday, they beat Terrebonne by a score, getting the go-ahead touchdown with 8 minutes left, then holding on with a pair of late-game defensive stops. The Tigers are led offensively by prolific quarterback Luke Alleman, but Thibodaux also has playmakers all over the field. But perhaps the underrated phase of the Tigers’ is their defense. Dugas said he likes how those guys have played all season. “They’re flying under the radar a little bit,”
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Dugas said. “But they’ve come up big for us several times when we’ve needed them. I think the kids know that we wouldn’t have the record that we do if it weren’t for some of the plays that they’ve made.” Against Hahnville, all three phases will be needed. The River Parish Tigers are undefeated, too, having beaten several quality opponents in the first half of the season, including Denham Springs, Mandeville, Terrebonne and East St. John. Hahnville is elite defensively, having allowed 14 or fewer points in 4 of their five games. Tigers coach Nick Saltaformaggio said Hahnville has a total team approach to defense,
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relying on several playmakers to keep opponents off balance and out of rhythm. Offensively, Hahnville is diverse, running spread sets, hitting opponents both on the ground and through the air. “Our kids have come a long way and have worked very hard,” he said earlier this season. “We know we have some things we can continue to improve on, but we’re pleased with where things are right now.” Dugas said one of the keys to Friday’s game will be his offensive line versus Hahnville’s defensive line, adding that Thibodaux must protect their passer. The Thibodaux coach also said that he believes the Thibodaux defense must win first down to put Hahnville against the chains. If it’s close late, Thibodaux has been in several hard-fought, competitive games, while Hahnville has secured victory early in most of
their games. If looking at common opponents, it’s still razor thin. Both teams played Terrebonne. Both teams beat Terrebonne. Both won by exactly the same amount — 7 points. Hahnville beat them 3427. Thibodaux beat them at almost an identical score, winning 35-28. Dugas said that’s why he’s glad Friday night’s game will be at home, adding that he hopes the team’s crowd gives Thibodaux’s players a little added push. “Our kids are excited and happy to be sitting where we are,” Dugas said. “But we know we have to keep working hard and keep competing. With the schedule and district we play, you can’t take anything for granted. There will be close games and there will be adversity. We have to just keep handling it and keep working through it.” •
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