Destrehan looks to follow up on its most explosive effort of the season as it travels to Central Lafourche this week, the Wildcats seeking their fifth consecutive win and looking to remain unbeaten in District 8-5A.
Last week, it was Malachi Dabney’s six touchdowns and 303 total yards paving the way as the Wildcats scorched the field against host Captain Shreve (4-4) in non-district action, rolling to a 68-28 victory to move to 5-2 on the season.
Destrehan head coach Marcus Scott said the Wildcats hit on some big plays early to get out to a lead on the Gators, which was imperative against an offense that entered the game averaging 45 points per game.
“You want to make sure you stay ahead … you don’t want to get to where they’re up on you by a couple of scores. They’re so good on offense, you can’t afford to get behind,” Scott said.
Destrehan (5-2, 3-0) has made several trips to north Louisiana the past two seasons – including three times in the playoffs alone last season. And on three of these occasions, including Friday’s game, the Wildcats topped the 60-point mark.
“Overall, I thought the kids handled the trip really well. We obviously have a lot of experience in traveling far distances and being able to perform,” said Scott. “Credit to the kids and the assistant coaches for doing a great job preparing for and handling the trip.”
Destrehan will be on the road again this week, though it’s a much shorter trip this time.
Central Lafourche (2-5, 0-3) fell last week to Hahnville, 49-14.
The Trojans have had some tough luck in past seasons – in 2023 and 2024, the team lost its starting quarterback, Jeremy Cleveland, before Week 2 of each. Cleveland is back now, however, and has had some strong performances this season. The Trojans have put up big point totals in their two wins, including a 56-24 win over Central Catholic in Week 4.
Running back Robert Day shoulders a lot of the load for the CLHS offense. He rushed for two touchdowns in what was a close loss in a shootout against rival South Lafourche in Week 2.
Last year, the Trojans went 3-6 overall, including a 41-0 loss to Destrehan.
Scott said the goal remains to go out and continue to raise the level of play, week by week, as the Wildcats move toward the playoffs – and all of their goals that come with it.
“Get a little bit better every week, week after week, and keep raising the standard,” Scott said.
Scott noted Central has some playmakers including Cleveland, but also some talented receivers along with Day out the backfield that can connect with the passer.
RAISING HIS GAME – Dabney’s monster performance against Captain Shreve was just the latest big night from the junior. He rushed for touchdowns of 3, 4, 56 and 70 yards – the first four DHS touchdowns of the night – and scored twice more on passes of 51 and 4 yards. He rushed for 212 yards on 12 carries and caught five passes for 81 yards in all.
“He’s just picked up from how he finished last season,” Scott said.
Destrehan powered to 322 yards as a team and averaged nearly 11 yards a carry, with Jabari Mack and Damien Richard II also combining for 100 yards on the ground, with Richard scoring on a pair of runs.
Dabney’s complete game continues to evolve – as well as he’s played, it’s easy to forget he’s not yet a senior.
“He caught the ball well last season, but he’s taken a step forward in the receiving game this year,” Scott said. “It just makes him tougher to match up with.”
There were a lot of big performances against Shreve – the 68 points Destrehan scored represents a season high and the most scored since a 69-point effort in its 2024 quarterfinal victory over Airline. Destrehan has now topped the 60-point mark four times in its past 12 games.
Jackson Fields threw four touchdown passes on the night, including passes of 36 and 37 yards to Jaylan Ash and Mack. Mack caught four passes for 93 yards and a score, while Jaylan Ash hauled in two receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Fields finished with 13 completions in 17 attempts for 266 yards and was not intercepted.
Eleven different Wildcats recorded 10 tackles or more, led by Kyce White’s 12 stops. Cameron Florent made 10 tackles, two for loss, and recorded a sack. Aiden Schwab and Christian Ordonye each recorded a sack.
