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Written By Kyle Valdez On Friday night, the Thibodaux Tigers prevailed over the Mcdonogh 35 Roneagles. Thibodaux High’s Peyton Domangue, Tyren Young, and Kyren Lacy helped complete a dramatic comeback. Riding a two-game winning streak, the Tigers had a chance to open their season with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2008. Mcdonogh 35, losers of two straight, were looking to get their first win of the season. Although they had a winless record, it would be unwise to overlook a team that opened their schedule against powerhouse opponents in St. Augustine and Edna Karr. The night’s scoring opened when Mcdonogh 35’s QB Manuel Armstrong connected with Corey Chambers for a 69-yard touchdown reception with 8:43 left in the first quarter. Thibodaux quickly responded with a 71-yard reception by Kyren Lacy (UL-Lafayette commit) on the first play of their drive. The Tigers continued the scoring when Peyton Domangue knocked in a 32-yard FG to give Thibodaux their first lead of the night at 10-8. In the second quarter, the teams went back and forth, resulting in three lead changes. Mcdonogh 35’s Steveland Williams ran the ball four yards to retake the lead at 15-10. Thibodaux responded again when Tyren Young scored on a 39-yard TD catch by breaking multiple tackles and willing his way into the end zone. Mcdonogh 35 eventually took a 22-17 lead into halftime after Steveland Williams broke loose on a 52-yard touchdown. In the opening stages of the 2nd half, Mcdonogh 35 stretched the lead to 12 when the defense stripped Thibodaux’s Ferronte Miller and DB David Ellis returned the ball for a touchdown. For the final 9:35 of the third quarter and all the fourth quarter, the Thibodaux defense would pitch a shutout. The Tigers trimmed the lead throughout 2nd half. A Kyren Lacy touchdown reception for 16 yards, and a 32-yard FG by Domangue cut the Roneagle lead to just two points. In the fourth, the only score was when Peyton Domangue drilled a 42-yard field goal with 4:56 left in the 4th quarter. The clutch kick gave Thibodaux the final lead change of the game at 30-29. When asked about his impressive kicks, Domangue responded, “That’s what I practice for. I kick hundreds of balls every day and I just lined up, and I did what I usually do… Part of kicking is 75% mental, I focused on the sideline, I thought myself through the kick, and I just executed.” For Thibodaux, they start the season with their best record in over a decade. Both sides of the ball were inspired all night. The defense didn’t allow a point in the second half, and the offense made the plays when needed. Receiver and ULL commit Kyren Lacy finished with five catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Tyren Young caught six passes for 86 yards. Quarterback Luke Alleman threw for 364 yards on 24-33 passing. Although Alleman was sacked a few times, the O-Line was very impressive for most of the night, giving Alleman enough time to find targets. “You can’t give up on your team because you took a big hit. You know you’re going to take big hits in the game. Maybe one or two, sometimes 10 or 15 big hits in a game. It doesn’t matter, you have to stay in there and make big time throws and you can’t give up on your guys.” said Luke Alleman. Looking forward to Week 4, Thibodaux opens district play against Central Lafourche on the road. Central Lafourche is looking to improve on their perfect 3-0 record behind the crazy stats of star RB Deon Jenkins Jr. For the Roneagles, their 0-3 record might feel like a huge disappointment, but their non-district schedule is insanely difficult. They had many opportunities to beat Thibodaux down the stretch, but their offense couldn’t convert in the 2nd half. Although they put 29 points on the board, one touchdown was by the defense, and two of the touchdowns were off plays for 51+ yards. Although QB Manuel Armstrong totaled 240 yards on 12-18 passing, the offense just couldn’t put together any strong drives all game. Looking to rebound from the tough loss, it doesn’t get any easier for the Roneagles as they travel to face G.W. Carver. Written by Kyle Valdez On Saturday night at Pan-American Stadium, Warren Easton and Edna Karr faced off for 5th time in three seasons. The two powerhouse 4A teams were both looking for a statement win against each other. Edna Karr, winners of 29 of their last 30, was looking for their first huge win of the season after a disappointing loss to John Curtis in Week 1. Their former district-rival opposition, Warren Easton, had the opportunity to show that this is the season that they can seriously challenge Karr for a state championship. In the end of the contest, Edna Karr had completely dominated the final three quarters and showed who the better team was. In Easton’s first possession, safety-turned-quarterback Dayshawn Holmes ran the ball 40 yards for the first score of the game. With 41 seconds left in the first, Easton scored again when senior RB Ashaad Clayton (Top offers include Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Auburn) found a hole in the defense and went off to the races for a 59-yard TD run. At that moment, it felt like it was going to be a good night for Easton: their offense was clicking perfectly, and Karr was committing recurrent penalties. Unfortunately for Easton, things panned out very similar to the state championship game from a year ago: they settled in, got executing, and easily erased an early 12-0 deficit. At the 7:48 mark in the second quarter, Karr finally got on the scoreboard after Leonte Richardson ran the ball three yards into the end zone. Karr scored for the second time when Kevin Marigny ran the ball for two yards to take take a 14-12 lead into halftime. On the second play of the half, Karr’s CB Jamie Vance (Arkansas commit) picked Holmes’ pass, and gave his offense tremendous field position. However, Karr’s possession didn’t last long; Easton’s Ramond Stevens responede with by intercepting a Leonard Kelly pass in the end zone. After the interception by Kelly, he brilliantly led the offense for the rest of the night. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for one in the second half. His two TD passes were to receivers Destyn Pazon (Top offers include Alabama, LSU, Colorado, Mississippi St.) and Edwin Joseph. Leonte Richardson completed the scoring with his second TD run of the game with 3:21 left to take a 38-12 lead. At the conclusion of the game, neither coach was satisfied with their team’s performance. Easton for obvious reasons, and Karr because of the slow start and lack of discipline in the first half. Although both teams only had one turnover each, it felt like both teams lacked the high execution that you would expect from two nationally ranked teams. For Karr, they did what they needed to do, and left fans leaving Pan-Am undoubtedly knowing who the best team in 4A is. The consistent and impressive play by Leonard Kelly (Offers from Northwestern St. and Nicholls St.) leaves writers and fans wondering how he doesn’t have more offers. Week by week, he continues to show why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the state. Karr might have also proven themselves as the best defensive team in the state. Shutting down Easton for three straight quarters and letting them get absolutely no rhythm on offense? That might be the best defensive performance we will see all year. Looking to continue their success into next week, Karr faces another huge challenge as they travel to Baton Rouge to face Division 1 powerhouse Catholic High. For Easton, they can’t panic after a week 3 loss. They are still one of the best teams in the state. Anytime you have a safety adjusting to become your starting quarterback, things are going to take some time. Dayshawn Holmes looked impressive in the first quarter, but Jamie Vance and the Edna Karr defense proved too much to handle. Running back Ashaad Clayton played well in the first half, but he didn’t have the huge overall game he was probably looking for, nor did anyone for Easton. They didn’t turn the ball over, and they played relatively disciplined for most of the night. Their offense just lacked the execution needed to keep up with a team of Karr’s caliber. Looking forward to next week, things don’t get much easier as they travel to Gonzales to play highly ranked 5A team East Ascension. Written by Kyle Valdez According to multiple sports writers and coaches, many people expected the highlighted week 2 matchup between the St. James Wildcats and East St. John Wildcats to be a highly contested match. The game in Vacherie was the featured game of the week across multiple media outlets and included more than 10 players to have received at least one D1 offer. After all, both teams entered the game with a 1-0 record, beating their week 1 opponent by more than four touchdowns. Despite the hype for both teams, St. James proved to be the superior team by jumping out to a 23-0 lead and cruising the rest of the way. The St. James defense stayed in control from the opening drive of the game. At the 10:47 mark in the first quarter, St. James junior Kaleb Brown forced a fumble, giving the offense the ball at the ESJ 36-yard line. The St. James offense scored their first touchdown after senior QB Shamar Smith (top offers include Air Force, Colorado, Houston, Navy, Memphis, and Tulane) ran the ball for a 10-yard gain to place the ball inside the one-yard line, followed by a keeper for the score. The first half consisted of many turnovers by both teams. A fumble recovered by St. James late in the first quarter, an interception by St. James junior Keshawn Coleman, and a clutch pick by East St. John junior Travis Turner in the endzone. Amid the loose play with the ball, only St. James took advantage of the opposition’s mistakes. Last week, St. James allowed zero points against West St. John, and continued the tight defense early in the first half this week. When asked about the St. James defense, senior safety Tyler Steib (offer from UTSA) said, “Forcing turnovers has been a big thing. We got four great defensive linemen and they rush the ball real fast. They get to the quarterback, and they either force turnovers, force fumbles, or force interceptions.” After the Coleman interception, St. James marched down the field for a six play, 46-yard drive to take a 15-0 lead with 6:59 left in the half. The touchdown was completed by Shamar Smith to sophomore receiver Shazz Preston (2nd ranked player in Louisiana class of 2022, top offers include LSU, Texas A&M, Mississippi St, and Colorado) for seven yards. The next drive, East St. John was quickly put into a 4th-and-19 just 58 seconds into their drive. Setting up to punt from their own endzone, the snap was too low for the punter and trickled into the endzone giving the home Wildcats two points for the safety. Before the half concluded, each team scored a touchdown, giving St. James a 23-7 lead at halftime The second half of play was dry for both teams. The defenses went to work, while the offenses severely struggled to put any points on the scoreboard. The only scores included a Shamar Smith two-yard run in the early stages of the 3rd quarter and an East St. John touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in the game. Coming off a 47-7 win against West Jefferson last week, the hype for the 2019 Wildcats could have picked up some serious steam with a statement win over St. James. But nothing went right for ESJ all night. Maybe it was the much improved and suffocating St. James defense. Whatever the case, the offense found no rhythm from the start. They were penalized 12 times for 90 yards. They turned the ball over three times and gave St. James great field position too often. Although they ended up allowing 30 points, the defense was very respectable for most of the night; they forced a few turnovers and the offense’s turnovers didn’t make it any easier. Looking forward to their week 3 game, East St. John has a very good opportunity to hop back in the win column and gain some much-needed confidence against Sophie B. Wright on the road. Heading into the game, St. James knew what they had to do. Shamar Smith described the team’s mindset, “We knew it was going to be a tough game, so it was just about discipline. We knew it’s a rivalry game and we hadn’t played them in a while, so we just wanted to play through this and do the small things to win.” The statement win solidifies St. James as the favorite to win District 9-3A and possibly title favorites in Class 3A. Their offense looked great; Shamar Smith balled out, totaling 227 yards for one passing and three rushing touchdowns. Both sides of the ball were disciplined, resulting in just 3 penalties for 45 yards. Head Coach Robert Valdez discussed his team’s performance, “This is a program validated win, when you’re able to step up a class like that and be able to get a win. Just so proud of our kids, we work hard and it’s good to see them having a good time... We still have some things we need to correct. We had some turnovers ourselves, but we’ll get back into film, study and break it down, and try to get better.” Next week, St. James travels on the road to face Riverdale High before their huge week 4 home matchup against Destrehan. Written by Kyle Valdez Two nationally ranked teams. Two defending state champions. Two historic high school programs. John Curtis riding a 13-game win streak, and Edna Karr riding a 27-game win streak. Louisiana’s Week 1 matchup between the John Curtis Patriots and the Edna Karr Cougars was destined to be one of the most hyped up and anticipated matchups for the 2019 Louisiana season. In addition to Louisiana, it was also the featured game of the week across multiple national media outlets. Multiple representatives from LSU, Nicholls, Southeastern, and Louisiana-Lafayette came to scout talent from both of the highly talented rosters. Even Alvin Kamara was in attendance, standing along the Karr sideline. Among all the hype and expectations for both teams, the Curtis/Karr matchup did not disappoint one bit. When it was all said and done, Curtis outlasted Karr 42-39 in a memorable offensive shootout. From the start, the Patriots were ready to play. On the opening kickoff, Curtis’ junior Caleb Spann returned the ball to the Karr nine-yard line, setting the tone for the Patriot offense. A play later, QB Kyle Guggenheim (Army Commit) scored on a 1-yard sneak to give Curtis a 7-0 lead just 1:37 into the first quarter. To make matters worse for Karr, they fumbled on their very first play of the game, giving Curtis the ball on their own 40-yard line. Although Curtis was unable to convert on the next drive, the mistake would foreshadow many crucial mistakes that the Cougars would commit later. The first two minutes of the game also gave John Curtis much confidence. Senior quarterback Collin Guggenheim discussed the fast start, “It was huge, it set the tempo. Turning the opening kick that far and giving the offense good field position to put it in the end zone really fast, let them know we’re here.” At the 5:47 mark in the first quarter, Karr’s offense found a much-needed breakout play when senior QB Leonard Kelly (Offers from Nicholls and Northwestern St.) found Aaron Anderson (Offers from Colorado, Miami, and Virginia) for a 45-yard TD reception, tying the score at 7-7. Late in the first quarter, Curtis missed an opportunity when senior Shane Goins found a hole in the defense and ran for a 45+ yard run that was called back due to a penalty. In their very next possession, Curtis found a hole in the defense again, but didn’t commit a costly penalty that time. Running an option play, Guggenheim pitched the ball in last second to University of Georgia commit Corey Wren for a 33-yard run to take a 13-6 lead with 10:14 left in the second quarter. After Karr regained the lead by another Aaron Anderson reception, Corey Wren rushed for a 43-yard touchdown, giving Curtis a 20-14 lead with 1:49 in the half. With under two minutes in the half to go, Karr quickly marched their way inside the 10-yard line, setting themselves up on the eight-yard line with 20 seconds left. However, the Karr offense failed to make a clutch play. Four consecutive plays resulted in a Karr receiver dropping a catchable pass in the end zone. In the first drive of the second half, Karr again failed to put the ball in the end zone from the six-yard line. Another Karr receiver missed an easy catch. Then, Tulane commit Angelo Anderson of John Curtis forced a fumble at the goal line, resulting in a touchback. Although Karr was down just six points during the whole sequence, and eventually took the lead just three minutes later, the missed opportunities made it feel like Karr was eventually going to pay for their earlier miscues in one way or another. With 11:14 left in the fourth quarter, Guggenheim rushed for an 11-yard touchdown, giving Curtis a 35-21 lead. In the next possession, Karr’s Leonard Kelly hit junior receiver Destyn Pazon (Offers from Alabama, LSU, Colorado, Miami, Tulane) for a 52-yard touchdown reception, cutting the Curtis lead to 35-27 with 8:39 left. After holding Curtis to a three-and-out, Leonard Kelly led a 1:32 drive down the field, capped off by a big 32-yard rushing touchdown to cut the lead to 35-33, but the 2-point conversion resulted in an incomplete pass. With the clock approaching two minutes, Guggenheim sealed the deal when he found an open hole in the Karr defense and broke loose for a 16-yard touchdown, giving the Patriots a commanding 42-33 lead with just 1:50 left in the game. For Karr, all their mistakes were self-inflicted. When they watch film on Saturday morning, they will see their own mistakes lead way for Curtis to capitalize. Five crucial dropped passes by receivers, a missed extra point, two missed 2-point conversions, and they only lost by 3 points to John Curtis? Karr had too many opportunities to take the lead in this game but simply couldn’t make the big play. Although there were many places to improve on, the bright spots from the contest included the insane performance by QB Leonard Kelly. He certainly proved why he should be viewed as one of the best QBs in the state. Kelly passed for 406 yards on 21/35 passing and contributed to all of Karr’s six touchdowns. Destyn Pazon also finished with a solid game: finishing with 3 catches for 151 yards, including 2 touchdowns. Looking forward to next week, Edna Karr will recoup, regroup, and be much more focused in their Week 2 matchup against McDonough 35. When analyzing the Patriot’s performance, one can only tip their hat to the team that played a near error-free game. They performed just how you would expect a nationally ranked team to play. They showed explosiveness, confidence, and poise. Outside of the missed coverages on receivers and the 9 penalties, there is little you can ask for the Patriots to improve on. They got off to a good start, put up six touchdowns, and neutralized Karr’s damage by blocking extra points and stopping 2-point conversions. Although Curtis totaled just 14 passing yards on 4/6 passing, QB Kyle Guggenheim was arguably the MVP of the game. Guggenheim totaled 99 yards on 16 carries, but beautifully set up teammate Corey Wren for 184 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots' option offense was just too much for Karr’s defense, leaving open holes in the defense for Wren much too often. When asked about his big game and his quarterback Kyle Guggenheim, Wren responded, “Those plays don’t happen without Kyle Guggenheim making the right checks, he had a phenomenal game... He’s been under this offense since elementary. He’s a great leader, and he led this team’s offense.” In response to John Curtis now owning the New Orleans area “bragging rights”, QB Kyle Guggenheim made it clear that beating Karr wasn’t the team’s goal. “Yeah it feels great to beat them. But honestly, the biggest thing is to win a state championship for us. This is a great opening game, to win out here is a great thing for our team... We won’t see them in the playoffs. It’s a good thing to play a good team that early, but for us, the goal is a state championship. And if we don’t win state, then our season is a failure.” Looking to next week, the Patriots continue their quest for an undefeated season when they travel to Shreveport to face Westlake High. The Thibodaux Tigers was in a dog fight on Friday night against a talented Riverside team. The Rebels led 25-14 at the half after a 82 yard kick return for a touchdown by 4-star prospect Ahmonte Watkins, a 65 yard pick six by Herbert Keys, & a blocked field goal 80 yard return by Cade Middleton. The Tigers was able to put keep their composure & put together an impressive second half. The first drive of the third quarter, Luke Allemand would connect with 3-star receiver Kyren Lacy *UL commit* for a 8 yard touchdown along with a two point conversion. Senior cornerback Karrick Harris would come up with a big interception on the ensuing drive to give the Tigers great field position in the Rebel’s territory. Senior running back Rimond Thompson would then have scoring runs of 12 & 7 yards to give the Tigers 36-25 lead with 2:31 left in the third quarter. Riverside’s Ahmonte Watkins would make a house call & take a handoff for 72 yards to cut the lead to 36-31 going into the fourth quarter. The Tigers defense would show up big in the fourth with two interceptions on Riverside’s last two drives by seniors Josh Holden & Tyren Young. Rimond Thompson would cap the game off with an explosive 96 yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 43-31. Junior quarterback Luke Allemand was terrific for the Tigers finishing the game with (355 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, & 2 interceptions), senior receiver Darwin Davis was Mr. Reliable all night finishing the game with (10 receptions for 142 yards), senior running back Rimond Thompson finished with 162 yards rushing & 3 touchdowns. In constructing our watch list, some of the important factors we assess is how significantly each player’s production from last year will impact his team’s success this season, how much better each player has gotten from last year, or what type of college prospect he is (although those three factors often have a way of lining up). 1.) Terrebonne ATH Ja’Khi Douglas C/O 2020- Douglas’s body of work over the last three seasons as a starter speaks for itself. His speed & elusiveness separates him from everybody on this list. Hopefully we get to see him play his natural position this season, which is receiver with transfer quarterback Ryan Williams in the fold now. The *Florida St commit* will probably be the best player on the field more often than not this season. Douglas holds over 20 offers & is currently ranked #8 in the state for 2020. 2.) Central Lafourche RB Deon Jenkins C/O 2020 -Jenkins had an incredible junior year rushing for 1,742 yards & 17 touchdowns. His patience & vision in the hole is one of a kind. He is really shifty & has a great burst when he gets to the second level. He is definitely somebody who defensive coordinators will have to game plan for this season. Nicholls St & Southern are showing interest. 3.) Terrebonne DL Maason Smith C/O 2021 - Smith is on track to be one of biggest recruits to come through the Tri-Parish. The 6-foot-5, 290 pound prospect is very light on his feet & he moves exceptionally well for a kid of his stature. Even though he is still a work in progress, I think you see him take that next step of being dominant this season. Smith is currently ranked the #1 prospect in the state for 2021 & #4 at his position in the country. He holds offers from LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, & a host of others. 4.) Thibodaux WR Kyren Lacy C/O 2020 - Lacy is a very unique talent that people better get familiar with if you’re not already. The 6-foot-3, 210 pound prospect is very long & athletic which makes him a matchup nightmare. His best football is still ahead of him & I see him solidifying himself as one of the state’s best receivers before season’s end. Lacy is a 3-star prospect that is verbally committed to the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns & holds offers from Virginia, LA Tech, ULM, & Nicholls St. He has been picking up a lot of steam as of late from schools like Tennessee, Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Utah, Wake Forest, Houston & Tulane. Don’t be surprised if some of these programs pull the trigger on Lacy soon. 5.) South Lafourche OL Jhy Orgeron C/O 2020- Orgeron plays with good aggressiveness that you look for in a offensive lineman. He’s very strong with long enough arms that makes him play with good leverage, & he plays with an attitude. His versatility being able to play guard or center also adds to this kid’s value as well. He is committed to Southeastern University and is receiving a lot of interest from UL, Louisiana Tech, & Nicholls St. 6.) Terrebonne WR A.J Walter C/O 2020- Walter is a transfer from Natchitouches-Central that has shown since he arrived that he can make a big impact this season. He is very well put together with pretty good athleticism. He has a chance to be a household name this season. Walter is committed to Southern for baseball, but I think he’ll receive a lot of late offers before it’s all said & done. 7.) E.D White OL Bordelon C/O 2022- Bordelon is definitely an impressive prospect that played a lot last season as a freshman. He’s already 6-foot-5, 235 pounds & he looks like he’s not finished growing. Of course he has a ways to go, but he has the tools & talent to be a power five prospect when it’s all said & done. UL & Nicholls St. are showing interest early. 8.) Terrebonne ATH D’Jon Scott C/O 2020 - Scott had a pretty solid junior season where he played on both sides of the ball at safety & receiver. Scott looked terrific in the spring & throughout the summer which caused him to get a lot of attention from schools. He’s a ball hawking long & rangy safety that can run. Scott holds offers from ULM, McNeese St, Lamar, Southeastern, & Arkansas-Monticello. Also, UL, Louisiana Tech, & Nicholls St. are showing interest. 9.) H.L Bourgeois DL Jameian Buxton C/O 2023- Buxton is a special talent that will be the next big time prospect to come out of the Tri-Parish. His violent nature to go with his athleticism is already off the charts & has the Braves coaching staff excited to have him aboard the next four years. He has already done something that has never happened in the area before & that’s land three power five offers in the eighth grade from LSU, Miami, & Virginia. When you watch him this season you’ll definitely see why. 10.) Assumption DL Tra’Mond Williams C/O 2020 - Williams is coming off of a hell of a junior campaign where he finished the year with 14 sacks. He is relentless when it comes to getting to the quarterback & he has the best get off on this list. He will definitely be a problem this season and I would not be surprised if his sack total increases. At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds Williams will have to bulk some more at the next level, but he has the frame college coaches look for. He has zero offers, but Nicholls St. is showing interest. 11.) Thibodaux ATH Tyren Young C/O 2020- He is drawing interest from Lamar, Southeastern, Southern, & Arkansas Baptist. 12.) Vandebilt Catholic LB Chandler Rhodes C/O 2020- He is drawing interest from Nicholls St. 13.) Central Lafourche WR Jansen Folse C/O 2020 14.) Terrebonne DL Kadan Lewis C/O 2022 - Lewis is drawing interest early from Alabama, Mississippi St, Virginia, Nicholls St, Southeastern, & North Carolina Central. 15.) H.L Bourgeois DE Melvin Matthews C/O 2020 - He is drawing interest from UL, Lamar, & Southeastern. 16.) Thibodaux QB Luke Allemand C/O 2021 - He is drawing interest from Mississippi St, Georgia Tech, Tulane, UL, Nicholls St, Coastal Carolina, & Southern. 17.) Thibodaux Safety Rolaun Richard C/O 2021 - He is drawing interest from Purdue, Southern, & Nicholls St. 18.) Terrebonne CB Kwan Allen C/O 2020 - Allen holds one offer from Grambling St. and is receiving interest from Colorado, Southern, Lamar, Nicholls St, Southeastern, McNeese St, Hampton, North Carolina Central & Army. 19.) Thibodaux RB Ferronte Miller C/O 2021 - He is drawing interest from UL & Southern. 20.) Central Lafourche QB Ashtrein Duncan C/O 2020 21.) South Terrebonne RB Jamala Ricks C/O 2021 22.) Assumption RB Tyran Cassie C/O 2020 23.) Assumption OL Vernell Dorsette C/O 2020 24.) Ellender RB Tyshaun Hester C/O 2021 25.) Terrebonne DB Jakobe Carter C/O 2020 - Carter holds offers from Southern Miss, Air Force, Southeastern, & Austin Peay. 26.) Central Lafourche TE Logan Wilcox C/O 2020 - He is drawing interest from Nicholls St. 27.) Thibodaux WR Darwin Davis C/O 2020 - Davis holds offers from Arkansas Baptist & Rockford. 28.) Terrebonne RB Jahon Johnson C/O 2020 29.) Terrebonne WR Jaylin Lucas C/O 2022 - He is drawing interest from Southeastern, Lamar, Nicholls St, & Northwestern St. 30.) Thibodaux ATH Maurquel Price C/O 2020 - Price holds two offers from Arkansas-Monticello & Rockford. He is receiving interest from Lamar, Southeastern, & Southern. 31.) Thibodaux LB Hunter Trosclair C/O 2020 32.) Ellender LB Jared Whitrack C/O 2020 33.) H.L Bourgeois Safety Rontrell Holmes C/O 2021 34.) South Lafourche LB Austin Danos C/O 2020 35.) Assumption WR Jaden Tyler C/O 2021 36.) Thibodaux LB Khalil Brisco C/O 2020 - Brisco holds one offer from Arkansas-Monticello. He is drawing interest from Southeastern, McNeese St, & Southern. 37.) Terrebonne ATH Ryan Williams C/O 2022 38.) Central Lafourche DE Truvon Price C/O 2020 39.) Terrebonne ATH Chavez Brown C/O 2021 - Brown is drawing interest from Virginia & Nicholls St. 40.) Central Lafourche DE Trevor Allemand 41.) Vandebilt Catholic WR JaCorey Wells C/O 2020 42.) H.L Bourgeois ATH Javon Pharagood C/O 2022 43.) Ellender WR Tamaj Vergin C/O 2023 - Vergin is receiving interest from Alabama, Mississippi St, Houston, UL, & Nicholls St. 44.) H.L Bourgeois RB Demarcus Singleton C/O 2023 45.) South Terrebonne ATH Colby Chelette C/O 2021 46.) Terrebonne LB Justin Navy C/O 2020 47.) Ellender RB Daviante Scott C/O 2023 48.) Central Lafourche Center Gavin Adams C/O 2020 49.) South Terrebonne QB Christian Arceneaux C/O 2022 - Drawing interest from LA Tech, Northwestern St, & Nicholls St. 50.) Assumption WR Rashaun Jarvis C/O 2020 The last time the Cougars lost a game was September 15th, 2017 versus De La Salle 28-26. Over the last three years they have a record of 43-1 & 3 state championships. This season presents a different challenge because of the youth on both sides of the ball & this might be the toughest non-district schedule in head coach Brice Brown’s era. “The fourth one should always be the most difficult,” Brown said. “Opening up week one against John Curtis is exactly what we wanted, & adding Wossman along with Catholic-Baton Rouge to our schedule will be a great challenge for our kids this season.” No matter how the Cougars fair throughout their tough non-district schedule, you get the sense that they will be the favorites in 4A again. I think their defense will be the staple of the team this season unlike in recent years. Senior QB Leonard Kelly is coming off a really good junior campaign where he passed for 2,817 yards, 28 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, & a 75.4% completion rate. Sophomore WR Aaron Anderson made a huge impact as a freshman at receiver & in the return game finishing the season with 7 punt/kick return touchdowns along with 4 receiving touchdowns. Anderson will be the number one athlete in the state before it’s all said & done. Senior CB Jamie Vance is as good as they come at the corner position throughout the state. The Arkansas commit has the ability to take away the opposing team’s best receiver any given Friday. Sophomore DT Tygee Hill made his mark last season as a freshman in the trenches. He’s becoming a household name & should have a dominant second year. Junior OT Kenneth Bannister will protect Kelly’s blindside this year. He has looked very impressive throughout the summer & leading up to week 1. He should be regarded as one of best offensive tackles in the state by season’s end. Junior WR Destyn “Fatt” Pazon is emerging as the team’s best receiver. He’ll be who Kelly relies on when the team needs a big play this season for sure. Senior LB Dylan Smith spot played a lot last season, but when his number was called he came up with some big plays. Look for Smith to play a huge role into why this Cougars defense is stout this season Senior LB Joe Thomas will be the heart & sole of the defense. His versatility will be very key in the Cougars’ success this season. Junior DE Con Mead has shown since the spring that he will be a impact player on the defense this season. His athleticism will give a lot of offensive lineman problems. Look for this kid to blow up this season. Senior DE Josh Randall had one of best statistical seasons you’ll see in high school finishing the year with 26 sacks. He has one of the best get offs you’ll see in the state & I don’t know if he’ll eclipse his 26 sacks, but he should get close to it this season. Junior safety Destin Refuge is probably the most improved player on the Cougars defense. This kid is very very instinctive & smart for sure. He should make a big impact this season. Written by Kyle Valdez In the first game of the TGMC Community Sports Institute High School Jamboree, the H.L. Bourgeois Braves hosted the South Lafourche Tarpons. Despite trailing the whole game, the Tarpons hung tough and found a way to win. In HLB’s opening drive of the game, junior Jordan Rainey got off to a quick start with a 50 yard pass, followed by a 13-yard pass to freshman Demarcus Singleton to take a 7-0 lead just 3 minutes into the game. Although there were multiple turnovers throughout, neither team scored the ball until South Lafourche at the 1:13 mark in the first half. After converting on a crucial 4th and 5, the Tarpons set themselves up inside the Braves’ 1 yard line. The following play, sophomore Patrick Gisclair ran the ball to tie up the game 7-7 going into halftime. To start the second half, junior Rontrell Holmes recovered and returned a fumble to give the Braves a 14-7 lead just 47 seconds into the half. At the 7:57 mark, the Tarpons evened the score when Gislcair found senior tight end Eric Thibodaux. In the last 5:23 of the game, there were 5 possession changes With 4 seconds left on the clock, and HLB’s setting up for a 39-yard field for junior Rodney Bouvier, the HLB offense was called for a penalty and moved 10 yards back. Coach Fournier took the kicking team off the field and gave Jordan Rainey one last opportunity for the win. However, it also gave the Tarpons’ defense another opportunity. On the final play of the game, South Lafourche’s Jake Pitre intercepted Rainey’s last second hail marry attempt and returned the ball 85 yards for the pick-6, to go ahead 20-14 as time expired. “They (HLB) gave me an opportunity to make a play by throwing the ball up. I was in the right spot at the right time, read the quarterback… I had some good blocks, made a couple people miss, and I just saw open field” said Pitre. South Lafourche head coach Blake Forsythe said, “In 15 jamborees, I’ve never seen anything happen like this….that’s about one of the most insane finishes that i can think of. A great football game between two teams… A really great game, great work for both sides.” For a game that felt like HLB was in strong control for a majority of the game, they still dropped a tough one. Fortunately, it was just a jamboree and their record is still 0-0. Coach Fournier has many bright spots to take away from the scrimmage. Going into next week, they get an opportunity to fix their errors and show off their young talented roster against South Terrebonne at The Swamp. Although South Lafourche won in dramatic fashion, their record is also 0-0. After finishing the season at 2-8 last year, the attitude and expectations must be elevated. They also showed off a much improved defense. After giving up nearly 32 points per game last year, they held HLB to just one offensive touchdown, and shut them out for the final 27 minutes of the scrimmage. Next Friday, the Tarpons get another chance to prove themselves against a very quality opponent in St. Charles Catholic for their home opener matchup |
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