Host Destrehan outscored Jesuit 17-0 in the second half Friday night to turn a tied score at halftime into a 27-10 victory in non-district competition.
It was the fifth win in a row for Destrehan (7-2), which welcomed back tailback Kyle Edwards after a multi-game absence due to a concussion. Edwards rushed for 122 yards on 25 carries and put the exclamation point on the win with his 25-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
Destrehan controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Jesuit’s usually potent rushing attack was stifled all night long by the Wildcats, who allowed the Blue Jays less than 50 yards on the ground.
“I thought we played good defense all night long,” said Destrehan coachStephen Robicheaux. “It was a complete effort. I’m really proud of our kids … if we can keep doing this, hopefully we can make a little noise in the playoffs.”
It was a great play on special teams that put Destrehan ahead 7-0 as Macon Clark’s 9-yard fumble return in the first quarter gave Destrehan an early lead. Jesuit tied the game later in the first on Alex Watermeier’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Brenden Berggren.
The teams traded field goals in the second quarter, with Destrehan’s Phillip Stratton drilling a 30-yarder as time expired in the first half to tie the game.
The second half was all Destrehan. J.R. Blood’s 27-yard connection with Quincy Brown made it 17-10 midway through the third quarter. Stratton made it a two-score game with an 18-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Jesuit (2-7) was unable to gain any footing against the Destrehan defense from there. After Edwards’ late touchdown run, the Wildcats’ Alex Huszar intercepted a pass to officially seal up the win, with Blood taking a pair of knees to wrap up the win.
While Blood completed only one pass on six attempts, he showed his versatility in his ability to move the chains with his legs. Blood rushed for 95 yards on 13 carries to compliment Edwards’ big night on the ground.
“It was a complete team effort,” Blood said. “Our o-line came out here, and they were much bigger than us, but we handled our business as a unit.”
Blood said getting Edwards back added some punch to the offense, and he noted that seeing his teammate break loose for a late score was great to see.
“That let us know, ‘he’s back, 100 percent,'” Blood said. “We’re starting to come together. We’re young, but everyone’s starting to understand each others strengths and what we’re good at.”
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