Though a non-district contest, Destrehan’s win over Captain Shreve was arguably as pivotal as any toward the Wildcats turning around their 2024 season.
Destrehan was 3-3 after an injury-riddled start to the season and was faced with a Gators team that was setting records offensively – and that was fresh off of a 77-76 victory over Evangel just a week before.
So, when Shreve visited Wildcat Stadium, it quickly felt like a game that the last team with the ball would win – and with the Gators threatening in the final seconds of the game at the Wildcats’ goal line, that seemed like bad news for the home team.
Destrehan’s defense disagreed.
The Wildcats made a dramatic stop as time ran out, Jabari Mack making a game-sealing tackle behind the line of scrimmage to seal a 46-42 win for Destrehan – and though it wasn’t the first of what would ultimately be an eight-game winning streak to the state semifinals for DHS, it largely seemed like the season’s true jumping off point.
“It was an action-packed game,” said Destrehan head coach Marcus Scott this week, as he prepares to take his team on the road this time for another battle with the Gators. “It did feel like the last team with the ball was going to win, and then they did what they normally do and they throw the ball down and are inside our 10-yard line. And between the clock and some timely plays, we ended up coming out on top, but it was certainly a highly-contested ball game and we expect the same this year.”
There are a few different names on the Captain Shreve side this year, but the offense is still incredibly potent – the Gators have scored 56, 42, 59 and 66 in wins over Huntington, Natchitoches Central, Benton and Airline, respectively.
That offensive punch seems to be the key for CSHS (4-2); its two losses came against Ouachita Parish in Week 1, 37-19, and against Evangel last week, 71-25. Both of those games were on the road – Destrehan will attempt to hand Captain Shreve the Gators’ first loss of the season on their home field.
The Gators went 6-5 last season against a tough schedule and a tough district that includes Evangel, Byrd and Parkway, CSHS reached the playoffs, where Evangel got a measure of payback in round one, eliminating their district rival.
This is head coach Jeremy Wilburn’s second year guiding the program. Another familiar name to the Wildcats (4-2, 3-0) is star running back Jamarcea Plater. Earlier this season, Scott quipped that it seemed like Destrehan faced an upper-echelon rusher almost every week, and you can add Plater to that list – he’s a big play back and one of the fastest players in Louisiana at any position. Last season he scored 29 touchdowns and rushed for well over 2,000 yards.
In Shreve’s 66-56 win over Airline, Plater scored three touchdowns over 75 yards. He’s a Wake Forest commitment and Friday will be another matchup of elite rushers as Plater and Destrehan’s Malachi Dabney take the field.
“He can score from distance, and it makes him really hard to deal with,” Scott said. “You know, it’s one mistake. One mistake can lead to a touchdown. A lot of backs, they’re big and strong, but after 15 yards maybe they get tackled or caught after a mistake. This guy, if he gets into the second level, a lot of times it’s a touchdown. He’s a game-changer.”
One of the subplots this season for this Captain Shreve team is at quarterback. David Amos, the team’s starter last season, departed the program for Calvary Baptist in August, just before the start of the season.
That forced the team to shift gears and move to Jackson Gaskin, who has thrived. In that noted Airline game, Gaskin had a big night as well. It took him just 17 pass attempts to tally 418 yards and four touchdowns. Gaskin did not play football last season, previously known for being a standout on the baseball diamond, but he’s made a strong return to Friday night action.
“(Amos) transferred before the season, so they needed to go to a different quarterback – and (Gaskin) is a baseball player, a good athlete who’s mobile and he can throw it. He’s about 6’2 and you can tell he’s very competitive,” Scott said. “You can see that baseball background in him. He’s played well for them.”
Scott said there are threats across the field on offense and go after defenses with purpose, attacking the entire field both horizontally and vertically.
“You can’t particularly just key on (Plater) and load the box. They have good receivers,” Scott said. “And you have to show them the proper respect on the outside. They’ll also get them involved in the run game.”
Defensively, Shreve likes to challenge the opposition’s playmakers, playing a lot of man-to-man.
“That’s what they did against a very good Evangel team, so they feel comfortable in their personnel,” said Scott. “They fly around to the ball, they play man-to-man and they give you some unconventional looks with their front that you have to be ready for.”
REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE – After B.J. Reed had a big game against Terrebonne two weeks ago, rounding into form after early injury. Similarly, Khylan Rousseau made a splash play in Destrehan’s win over H.L. Bourgeois Friday night, intercepting a pass and returning it for a touchdown as he has gotten healthier.
“He was dealing with some nagging injuries at the beginning of the year, but he had a really good spring for us,” said Scott. “And based on that return and how fast he was running, he’s feeling a lot better. He has a good knack for pass coverage and knows how to read the quarterback.”
