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FRESH START TERRIERS AMONG LOCALS TO OPEN DISTRICT WITH A WIN THE TIMES • OCTOBER 14, 2019 • WEEK 7 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
1 OCTOBER 14, 2019
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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
2 OCTOBER 14, 2019
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
3 OCTOBER 14, 2019
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
TABLE OF
EDITOR’S NOTE I’LL FOREVER REMEMBER There are some things in life that impact you so greatly that you remember them like they were yesterday. You remember where you were, what you were doing, who you were talking to — it all. I will never forget where I was on the day that tragedy struck Vandebilt Catholic in the Fall of 2010. I was lying in my bed trying to rest. It was a Sunday in the early afternoon hours. My phone kept going crazy, but I paid it no mind. After about 20 messages, I knew it was either something going on in the NFL or an emergency, so I bit. When I finally did, I got the bad news and I was devastated. I felt a pressure in my chest. My shoulders sunk. For the first time as an adult, I didn’t know what to do or say. My entire body was just empty. I had to attend a church ceremony for my brother that day, and I remember weeping in the church pews, and no one understood why. Seeing Jesus on the cross that day made it all pour out of me — the emotions of sadness and realization that 4 precious lives were lost. Just a Friday before, I watched TJ Cantrelle run wild against South Lafourche. Weeks before that, he played and beat E.D. White after an injury so severe he didn’t expect to play. I didn’t know Megan Hitt, Gabrielle Hebert and Ian Haydel as well as I knew TJ, but those I trust say all 4 were amazing young people — taken from us too soon. I cannot attend a game at Vandebilt Catholic without thinking of TJ, his sparkle and his love
CONTENTS 04 06 08 12 14 16 20 22
MAILBAG FUN Q&A from Casey’s Corner
TROJANS’ OFFENSE EVOLVING A closer look at Central Lafourche
TERRIERS SCORE DISTRICT WIN Ellender, Assumption take home wins too
THE SCHEDULE IS SET See all 11 local schedules, wins and loses
FROM POLITICS TO PLAYOFFS David McCormick makes a playoff push
TIGERS FALL SHORT Battle of unbeatens goes to Hahnville
TERREBONNE VS HLB Local rivals take the field this Friday
UNDER THE LIGHTS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Wendy Bergeron Leo Bourg Jose Delgado Drew Miller
ADVERTISING
Bonnie Rushing Sales Manager Deanne Ratliff Senior Account Manager Elise Falgout, David Gravois, Linda Pontiff
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
Enjoy photos from various games
6160 W. Park Ave., Houma, LA 70364 • 985.868.7515 for the game. Every time I see the stadium at a glance, I think back to that day — the hardest day of my professional career. I pulled into Marcello Stadium this Friday with a focused mind, but still a somewhat heavy heart. That never ceases to fade. I’m a graduate of South Lafourche and forever, I’ll love my Tarpons. But on Friday, the Terriers played with moxie and grit, and I left the stadium knowing the angels above were smiling. And that’s OK by me. •
OCTOBER 14, 2019 • WEEK 7
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
4 OCTOBER 14, 2019
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MAILBAG FUN BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
We’re at the really fun time of the high school football season right now. District play is here and all of our local teams are in a mad dash for either a spot in the playoffs or a push to earn a better seed. I’m interested, and apparently you guys are too, because my mailbag this week was full. So let’s go. Q: How far can Thibodaux go this year? (Asked by Tommy, Thibodaux) A: With the way they’re playing right now, likely not very far. I know, I know. They’re undefeated and all of that, but they still turnover the ball too much to be a serious contender in a brutally tough Class 5A. But, that’s exactly why the Tigers are so intriguing. They’re winning and they’re still not playing their best. If they put it all together, look out. Then, I think they’re a serious threat to make big, big waves.
Q: We saw ya’ll poll this week about Midseason MVP. Who did you vote for? (Asked by Ron, Houma) A: First off, thanks to all of our awesome voters who participated in the poll. The kids found the link and took it all over Twitter and the turnout and participation was really good. On my browser, I voted for Deon Jenkins. Look, it’s no disrespect to any of the other players on the list. They are all included for a reason. But to me, no one is more valuable to his team locally than Jenkins. He gets the ball 30-40 times a game, for one. For two, all of the defensive attention is on him at all times, which creates advantages for other players. And for three, even with the defense knowing that he’s getting the ball, he’s still been an absolute monster and touchdown machine. The other guys have all been great, but Jenkins has been next level special.
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Q: Who is the local coach of the year right now? (Asked by Reid, Houma) A: Reid, this is the hardest question I’ve gotten all week. I have to pick Chris Dugas, because, look, Thibodaux won 3 games last year and has already far surpassed that. People don’t realize that dude is both the offensive and defensive coordinator for his team right now. He’s calling every, single play. That’s exhausting. But I will say this. I also think South Terrebonne’s Richard Curlin is doing an amazing job, as is Central Lafourche’s Keith Menard. On any other year, they’d be at the top of my list. Want a sleeper? Don’t overlook Randy Boquet at CCA. That dude has a small (in numbers), young football team. But they’re competing and getting better. Q: What’s going on with Houma Christian? They’ve struggled this year. (Asked by Tommy, Houma) A: Well, that’s two-fold. For one, they’re in 2A now, which means a drastic step up in competition in district play. That will take a little bit of time for the Warriors to get adjusted to. And for two, I think they also went into Class 2A at a really awkward time because they’re super young and inexperienced and lost a lot of talented kids off last year’s team. I have friends at Houma Christian and they tell me there are some talented players there — just too young to play varsity. Give
5 OCTOBER 14, 2019
it time. They’ll get it back where it needs to be. Q: Best local stadium food? (Asked by Ross, Larose) A: Vandebilt Catholic or South Terrebonne. Literally everything is cooked fresh, and you can smell it as soon as you walk into the stadium. Both of those places are among my favorites to cover games. Q: Had a friend tell me today that coaches here make less than coaches in other places, and we lose talented guys to other parishes because of that. Can you confirm? (Asked by Bob, Houma) A: I can confirm that, yes. Our area is a bit of a coaching black hole. What I mean by that is just about every, single parish neighboring Lafourche and Terrebonne offers better teacher pay than we do and/or richer coaching stipends. For example, assistant coaches in St. Charles Parish make more money than head coaches do in Lafourche and Terrebonne — sometimes by a lot, if the teacher has put a lot of years into the system. Do we lose people to that? Absolutely. Wouldn’t you drive 30-40 minutes a day to make $10,000-$20,000 more per year? Q: Will the Tarpons make the playoffs? (Asked by Dan, Galliano) A: In a word, yes. District play will treat them better than non-district play, and they’ll earn enough points to get in. •
TROJANS’ OFFENSE EVOLVING BEYOND RUN GAME PHOTO BY: DREW MILLER
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Central Lafourche senior halfback Deon Jenkins is amazing. Heck, just look at his stats for the season. He now has well more than 1,000 yards and has as many touchdowns just this year alone than most players score in their entire careers. Oh, and the season is just six games young. But the Trojans are beginning to flex their muscles outside of their running game, too, as the
season evolves. That’s a scary thought for opposing defenses trying to figure out what to defend, and Trojans coach Keith Menard said it’s all about what he and his staff see at the line of scrimmage, adding that he trusts both his running and passing game equally to make plays for his team. “Look, we know what teams see. At this point in the year, teams know about Deon and know the things he can do,” Menard said last week. “So if teams are going to pack the box, we’re going to look FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
to throw. I think we have to do that. We’re never going to abandon our run game. But we’re going to position ourselves as an offense to take what the defense gives to us.” Central Lafourche got through the first month of the year hardly ever having to put the ball in the air. They played their first several games at home against outclassed competition and Jenkins ran wild, posting several huge games with hundreds of yards and sometimes 5-6 touchdowns per
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Friday night. But in the local Class 5A district, you’re not going to sweep through the campaign being onedimensional, and Menard knows that. In recent weeks, opponents have started to clog the box early in down and distance sequences, which has forced Menard to dial up different plays to keep opponents honest. Against Ellender, the Trojans hit several big plays down the field, getting huge plays in the passing game in a comfortable win.
A week before that, the Trojans gave Thibodaux a steady dose of Jenkins, but also made plays in their passing game. On Friday against H.L. Bourgeois, the recipe was the same. Jenkins did his usual thing, but again, the Trojans kept the Braves honest by stretching the field through the air. Central Lafourche has a first-year starting quarterback in Ashtrein Duncan. He’s a different type of quarterback than Menard said he’s used to — a guy who’s more mobile and who can make. In recent weeks, Duncan has been looking far more comfortable and poised and is managing the offense beautifully throughout games. “He’s a good football player and a good leader,” Menard said. “Coming in, he was replacing a guy who had two years of starting experience for us, but the kid worked hard throughout the offseason and he keeps getting better. He’s grown more comfortable and the kids trust him back there. He’s a good player for our offense.” The Trojans have other weapons on the edges, as well. Tight end/H-Back Logan Wilcox is a mule — a guy with college-level size and an athletic frame to go with that body. He effectively works the middle of the field throughout games to help the Trojans — including on Friday when he caught a touchdown pass. Duncan’s No. 1 target is Jansen Folse — one of the
more underrated players in our area, if not the state. Folse is a big outside receiver who is deceptively quick and able to take the tops off of defenses. Folse is one of our area’s leading receivers — a guy who is starting to put together some impressive statistics of his own. The Trojans could have been even more lethal, as well. Senior slot man Peyton Loredo suffered a severe injury before the season started. If healthy, he would undoubtedly be touching the ball throughout games. “We like our receivers,” Menard said. “We think we have some tough kids out there with some size who can go up and make a play. That group we knew coming in had some experience.” But the schedule gets rough. The Trojans are 5-1 and are playing elite offense, having scored at least 33 points every game this season. But they close with Hahnville, East St. John, Destrehan, then Terrebonne in four-straight weeks and three of those four games will be on the road. The lone home game will be with East St. John. That will be challenging, undoubtedly, but Menard said he likes where his team sides getting into the meat of the schedule. “We’re working on us. Figuring out ways we can be better,” Menard said. “We like where we stand.” •
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TERRIERS SCORE
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8 OCTOBER 14, 2019
PHOTOS BY: JOSE DELGADO
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
For the second-straight week, Vandebilt rode its defense to a win, despite offensive turnovers. For the sixth-straight week, South Lafourche played gutsy defense, but couldn’t score, sending the coaching staff home wondering when — if ever — the team’s triple option offense is going to click. The Terriers beat the Tarpons 18-3 on Friday night in an ugly game — a contest which featured forgettable play at times from both teams. But in the end, it was the Terriers’ defense that was the difference — that combined with timely, ball
control offense, which helped improve the team to 1-0 in district play and 3-3 on the season. “I thought our defense was excellent,” Vandebilt coach Lance Ledet said. “The kids played about as well as I thought they could play. We put them in some bad situations at times, but they never broke and they really dug us out of some holes and kept us pushing forward.” The first quarter of the game was wretched for both teams. The Terriers turned over the ball multiple times in the first quarter, handing the ball to South Lafourche deep in Vandebilt territory multiple times. But the Tarpons couldn’t
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
even take advantage — in part because of anemic offense, but also because of the Terriers’ dominant defensive front which disrupted everything South Lafourche tried to do. After the game, South Lafourche coach Blake Forsythe was left looking for answers. Throughout the season, he said he thought the team would start to gel as the year matured. So far, it hasn’t happened. Through six games, the Tarpons have scored just 36 points all season. By comparison, cross-parish rivals Central Lafourche and Thibodaux have scored 36 or more points
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in 7 of their combined 12 games. “Our defense is doing everything they can. They’re giving us chances,” Forsythe said. “Our offense just can’t stay on the field. And then, that breaks down our defense and the kids tire out.” That process started in the second quarter when Vandebilt struck first on a lengthy touchdown drive capped by a touchdown run from quarterback Gavin Daigle. After a missed extra point, the Terriers led 6-0. That lead grew to 8-0 before halftime when Tarpons’ punter Jesse Torres dropped a low snap, then kicked the ball
out of the back of his own end zone for a safety to give the Terriers a couple of cushion points. In the second half, another Vandebilt turnover gave South Lafourche a short field. Safety Jake Pitre intercepted a pass and made several men miss before being tripped up deep in Terriers’ territory. But the Tarpons’ offense again stalled, settling for a 35-yard field goal from Torres to make the game 8-3. The Terriers dominated the rest of the way. After the Tarpons’ field goal, Vandebilt drove and iced the game late in the
third quarter with another Daigle touchdown run to go up 15-3. Late in the game, Vandebilt intercepted a pass to set the stage for a late-game field goal, which sent the game to its final margin. Vandebilt is now 3-3 on the season, while South Lafourche is 0-6. The Terriers are, most importantly, 1-0 in district play. ELLENDER GETS DISTRICT OPENING WIN The Ellender Patriots are also 1-0 in our local Class 4A district. The Patriots got an FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
early start to fall break on Thursday night, beating Morgan City 24-21 to improve to 2-4 on the season. The Patriots led big early, storming out of the gates to take a 17-0 lead over Morgan City, thanks to opportunistic, turnoverforcing defense and quick strike offense. But Morgan City rallied back with 21-unanswered points to take a 21-17 lead going to the fourth quarter. Ellender lost Tyshaun Hester to an injury during the game, which flustered the Patriots. But they rallied back with a touchdown from Anthony
10 OCTOBER 14, 2019
Foret early in the fourth quarter to take a lead they’d never relinquish. ASSUMPTION BRINGS DEFENSIVE ELECTRICITY AGAINST GATORS All season long, Assumption’s defense has been electric. On Friday night, they were the same — as electric as the lightning storm which forced the early completion of their win over South Terrebonne. The Mustangs rolled 34-0 on Friday in a game that many pundits considered to be a matchup of the two best
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teams in our local Class 4A district. The Mustangs are now 5-1, while the Gators are 4-2. Assumption is now firmly in the driver’s seat of the local 4A district chase. They have their defense to thank for that. Assumption led 7-0 after the first quarter, then 21-0 at halftime, completely stymying the Gators’ offense at every turn. In the 2nd half, the Mustangs continued the onslaught with two, third-quarter touchdowns before a rain band from the weekend cold front caused lightning, which
ended the game early in the fourth quarter. •
CLASS 4A/DIVISION II SCOREBOARD Vandebilt 18, South Lafourche 3
“HAVE PRIDE IN HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME. HAVE FAITH IN HOW FAR YOU CAN GO.”
Assumption 34, South Terrebonne 0 ** Ellender 24, Morgan City 21 Donaldsonville 12, E.D. White 7 **denotes game was stopped early due to lightning storm in area
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
985.655.2200 11 OCTOBER 14, 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 [W] 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 [L] 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 [L] 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 [L] Oct. 18 - at South Lafourche [L] 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 [W] Oct. 18 - vs. Vandebilt Catholic Oct. 25 - at Assumption Nov. 1 - at South Lafourche Nov. 8 - vs. South Terrebonne
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
12 OCTOBER 14, 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 [W] 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 [W] 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 [L] Oct. 18 - vs. Terrebonne Oct. 25 - at Hahnville Nov. 1 - vs. Thibodaux Nov. 8 - at Archbishop Shaw
COVENANT CHRISTIAN
HOUMA CHRISTIAN
WEEK 7 SCHEDULE
Sept. 6 - at Highland Baptist [L]
South Lafourche vs. South Terrebonne
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 [L] 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 [L] Oct. 10 - vs. Jeanerette [L] Oct. 18 - vs. Ascension Episcopal Oct. 25 - vs. Catholic - New Iberia
Nov. 1 - at Franklin Nov. 8 - vs. Delcambre
Hahnville vs. Central Lafourche Patterson vs. E.D. White Breaux Bridge vs. Thibodaux Ellender vs. Vandebilt H.L. Bourgeois vs. Terrebonne CCA vs. Centerville Houma Christian vs. Ascension Episcopal
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
13 OCTOBER 14, 2019
FROM POLITICS TO THE PLAYOFF PUSH McCormick falls short in race, but will never sit idle in quest to evolve as a coach, person
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Being a full-time teacher is tough. To be a full-time head football coach on top of that is tougher. To juggle both roles while also being a husband and a father leaves little time. To do all three while trying to become Terrebonne Parish President? Well, that’s close to insane. But that’s what Ellender football coach David McCormick has been trying to do throughout the fall. McCormick didn’t become Terrebonne Parish’s President this past week, losing to incumbent Gordon Dove. But McCormick said throughout the race that the lessons he learned are going to make him a better person and coach now that the race is over and his 100 percent focus is on the team for the rest of its season. “I’ve met so many amazing people. It’s been just such a fulfilling experience,” McCormick said earlier this season. “You learn from other people and their experiences and I’ve taken so much from the people I’ve met and it’s made me a better person and a better coach. And I think one of the things that inspired me to do this is, yes, love for Terrebonne Parish and a desire for greater things here. But also, I wanted to show our kids that anything is possible and they can aspire to do
anything if they work hard enough.” McCormick operated his campaign around the football team. He’d teach, practice, meet with coaches, then head home to change clothes and grab a bite to eat. He’d then walk the streets talking to people and listening to their concerns — going throughout random neighborhoods in the parish — sometimes well after the sun had gone down. By the time he’d get home, the clock would sometimes be near midnight. His alarm would be set for near sun-up the next day to do it all again. “It’s been some long days,” McCormick said with a laugh. With the Parish President race done, one might think McCormick’s days would soon get shorter. But that’s not likely. He’s going to find some other way to occupy his time. T h r o u g h o u t McCormick’s coaching career, he’s always found ways to stay busy when away from the fieldhouse. Most don’t know McCormick had once delved into acting and stunts. He’s an extra in several movies. He also has several other odd hobbies, adding that he’s the type of guy who will see something, like it, then dedicate time and energy toward it until he gets better at it. McCormick said he can’t help it — he just hates to have spare time. “I don’t like to sit on
the couch,” McCormick said. “When I do that for a little while, I get really antsy. I don’t like to sit still in the same place for long. I want to always be doing something and always finding a way to keep myself busy.” But all of the odd quirks and random hobbies aside, McCormick is also one heck of a football coach and his focus now is on turning the Patriots’ season into a playoff campaign. The Patriots are close. They sit at No. 38 in the state in Class 4A with a 2-4 record. Their positioning was helped after beating Morgan City on Thursday night — a game the Patriots led big early, but struggled late — thanks in part to some poor
execution and a few key injuries. McCormick said this year’s Ellender team has been inconsistent and that’s something he wants to see change in the coming weeks as the team progresses through
But the Patriots also give up big plays, too — especially in special teams. McCormick said getting all three phases squared away and synced together will be the key. Ellender is one of three
PHOTOS BY: WENDY BERGERON
district play. The Patriots have athletes and guys capable of making big plays — as much skill as anyone in the area.
teams currently tied for first place in our local Class 4A District. The Patriots have a chance to improve to 2-0 in the district on Friday
night against Vandebilt Catholic. “We think we have a pretty good football team,” McCormick said. “The challenge right now is we’re not playing the full 48 minutes. Some of it is numbers. Some of it is our kids are running out of gas or not having enough energy to play the entire game. That’s a big part of it. But some of it also is we’re just not executing at times. We will do well for 5 or 6 plays, then let up for a few plays and that’s when all of the bad things happen. We’re young in a lot of areas and that inexperience shows. But we’re going to keep working and we like our talent. we think when we put it together, we’re going to stack up well.”•
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15 OCTOBER 14, 2019
TIGERS FALL SHORT IN BATTLE WITH HAHNVILLE
PHOTOS BY: DREW MILLER
BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
All season long, Thibodaux has had a flare for the dramatic and the ability to find ways to win close, hard-fought
games decided in the final seconds. But on Friday night against Hahnville, Thibodaux got a dose of their own medicine, this time losing one of the close ones that they’d FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
become so accustomed to winning. Hahnville beat Thibodaux 36-28 on Friday in a battle of the unbeatens. Thibodaux led the game several times, but couldn’t finish.
16 OCTOBER 14, 2019
Hahnville scored twice in the final few minutes to secure the win. Thibodaux coach Chris Dugas said he’s disappointed in the result, but not in the effort of his kids, adding that he
thought his team played hard throughout the game. Thibodaux is now 5-1 on the season. “Our kids were hurt, but we want them to have that feeling,” Dugas said. “We want this to motivate them, and look, in some ways, this may end up being a blessing in disguise for us. We’re still in a good position to earn a high seed, and we know if we keep taking care of business, all of our goals are still in front of us — from the district championship to the playoffs and to everything else.” Friday’s loss hurts because it was a game that truly could have gone either way. Thibodaux tied Hahnville 7-7 in the first quarter with each team showing their explosiveness. Hahnville struck for a score on a long scoring drive capped by a touchdown run from Corey Lorio. Thibodaux got a long touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Alleman to Marquel Price to tie it up. In the second quarter, Hahnville got another touchdown, but Thibodaux added a touchdown and a field goal to take a 17-14 lead. Alleman connected with Darwin Davis on the touchdown strike. Just before halftime, kicker Peyton Domangue drilled a 41-yard field goal to give his team the lead. Alleman was special throughout the game. He completed just 16-
of-38 passes, but he was pounded by Hahnville’s aggressive, blitzing defense. Dugas said inability to win up front ended up dooming the team at the end. “We have to be better at the line of scrimmage,” Dugas said. “I thought we got beat up front and it messed up our rhythm offensively.” In the second half, Thibodaux’s inability to run the football and salt the game away haunted them. Hahnville struck first with a touchdown run to go on top 21-17 late in the third quarter. Thibodaux then struck back and got another Domangue field goal to cut the lead to 21-20 — a lead which held to the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, it looked like Thibodaux was going to work some more of its late-game magic. Hahnville was driving deep into Thibodaux territory looking to score and drive a nail in the coffin. But Thibodaux forced a fumble, which Tyren Young picked up and ran the length of the field for a touchdown. After a 2-point conversion, Thibodaux led 28-21. But Hahnville finished the game with a flurry and some late-game magic of their own. With just a few minutes to play, Hahnville took the ball down the field and punched it in — a drive capped by a touchdown run from Darryle Evans to make the game 28-27 with FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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3 minutes to play. Instead of kicking the extra point for the tie, Hahnville coach Nick Saltaformaggio opted to go for the jugular with a 2-point conversion play. It worked — a sweep to Jerry Spencer which put Hahnville up 29-28. “We wanted to try for it all,� Saltaformaggio said. “On the road, facing those guys with the playmakers they have, we knew we wanted to go down there, score and try and take the lead. That’s what we did.� Thibodaux had a chance late, but couldn’t convert. They turned the ball over on downs deep in their own territory, which gave the ball back to Hahnville on a short field. They scored again inside of 2 minutes to secure the final score. Thibodaux had one final chance to try and get 8 points, but they couldn’t convert. Dugas said his team’s inability to run the football late cost them on Friday. “When you throw the ball 40 times a game, that can bite you in the tail sometimes,� Dugas said. “We have to be able to find a way to keep it on the ground and work down the clock in some of these close, late-game situations.� TERREBONNE GETS HUGE WIN AGAINST DESTREHAN Last year, Destrehan beat Terrebonne twice — their only two losses of the season. This year, Terrebonne struck back and secured
a signature win over their rivals. The Tigers beat Destrehan 30-22 on Friday, using dominant defense throughout the game to secure the win. Terrebonne led 17-7 at halftime, then 23-7 at the end of the third quarter. Quarterback Ryan Williams was smooth with both his arm and legs in the win, and standout Ja’khi Douglas made several big catches, as well. But the game got close late. Destrehan scored 15-straight points to trim the deficit to 23-22 — the last points coming on a safety. With possession and a chance to win the game late, Wildcats’ quarterback Jai Eugene was picked off by Jakobe Carter, who took the ball to the house to secure the win. “It’s big for our football team,â€? Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said. “All year long, we’ve told the kids that we were close. We just had to put it together for a full game. I think we did that on Friday.â€? With the win, Terrebonne is now 3-3 on the season. •
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CLASS 5A SCOREBOARD Central Lafourche 48, H.L. Bourgeois 13 Terrebonne 30, Destrehan 22
Hahnville 36, Thibodaux 28 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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TERREBONNE SET FOR “ROAD” RIVALRY GAME “AT HOME” AGAINST H.L. BOURGEOIS
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BY CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@rushing-media.com
Terrebonne got their biggest regular season win in a long, long time on Friday night. Now, they move into a rivalry game with a team that’d love nothing more than to stop that momentum in its tracks and generate some of their own. Emotions will be riding high on Friday when Terrebonne takes on H.L. Bourgeois — an annual rivalry tilt among teams that share Tom B. Smith Stadium. So far this season, it looks like Terrebonne would be favored to win the game. But in rivalry games, sometimes, all bets are off, and both teams have weapons
that could make this an exciting, competitive affair for four quarters. “They have some talented kids and we know they’d love to beat us,” Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said. “Every week in this district, you have to play well or you will be in a battle. This game will be no different.” The game will be a “home” game for H.L. Bourgeois, so they will be positioned on the home sideline and will wear their home uniforms. They hope that the comforts of Tom B. Smith Stadium treat them well, because they’ve been struggling. The Braves are 1-5 on the season and have had a hard time putting it together in all phases for a complete game. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Since scoring 46 points in a win against Ellender, the Braves have scored just 34 points in the next 3 games combined — all defeats. Coach Ryan Fournier said the Braves are still learning their Wing-Tbased offense and the growing pains are evident. Making matters worse is that the team lost virtually all of its defense this past offseason, so the team is struggling to keep opponents off the scoreboard. “We’re fighting and working to get better,” Fournier said earlier this season. “We’re young and inexperienced in a lot of areas, but the kids have continued to fight and stay together. They’ve done what we’ve asked of them so far, and we just want to
20 OCTOBER 14, 2019
keep getting better.” The challenge for the Braves on Friday night will be corralling Terrebonne’s playmakers in space — a problem for anyone the Tigers have faced. Of course, there’s Ja’khi Douglas — the senior receiver/quarterback who makes plays all over the field to help Terrebonne on every Friday night. But quarterback Ryan WIlliams is also settling into his role and the Tigers are developing other receivers and halfbacks to become a more complete offense. Terrebonne started the season 2-3 with close losses against Hahnville and Thibodaux — games that both could have gone either way. But since the slow start, Hill said he’s challenged
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his team to come together — something that he thinks was a little bit of a problem for them in the early reaches of the season. “I thought we’re gotten back to playing team ball and playing together and for one another,” Hill said. “Early in the year, I think we were too individualistic. I think the kids understand that our biggest strength is when we’re all pulling in the same direction and lately, we’ve been doing that.” Friday night’s game will be big for playoff implications. After Friday night’s results, Terrebonne sits around No. 21 in Class 5A — give or take a spot or two in either direction, given unofficial ratings. A loss against H.L.
Bourgeois would set the team back quite a bit in its quest to host an openinground playoff game. It could also affect the team’s ability to make the playoffs altogether. For H.L. Bourgeois, the path to the Top 32 in Class 5A is murky. The Braves need to win out and even that might not be enough. But it all starts with Friday night and a chance for an underdog to stun its biggest rival. Stranger things have happened. “We’re approaching it the same as we would any game,” Hill said. “We will run out the same locker room, take the same field. The only thing different is we will be on the opposite sideline than we normally are. Our approach and focus will be the same.” • FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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