A hungry Destrehan team will soon take the field, and it will waste no time diving headfirst into strong competition.
The Fighting Wildcats will see back-to-back marquee games to begin the season against St. Paul’s and St. Augustine, respectively, as Destrehan looks to prepare itself for runs in district and state playoff action. DHS has year in and out been a significant contender, and head coach Marcus Scott has presided over six district championships, three semifinalist finishes and an undefeated 2022 state championship.
The Wildcats had a rare early exit in 2025, bowing out in round two to eventual state champion Ouachita Parish in a 21-19 heartbreaker – this Destrehan team may take the field Sept. 4 with a bit of an added chip on its shoulder.
And that season opening date brings St. Paul’s to Wildcat Stadium. St. Paul’s was the 9th seed in Division I select last season and finished 9-3 overall. The Wolves are big across the offensive line seemingly annually and are always physical. This season sees the school debut a new head coach in Josh Gast, who took the helm at the resurrected North Iberville High School and built the freshly established program into a playoff team. The Wolves have an experienced quarterback in Brady Pierson who will lead a talented team in 2026.
Week 2 brings another huge showdown at Destrehan. St. Augustine went 12-2 in 2025 and finished as state runner-up to Edna Karr in Division I select. The Purple Knights can put up plenty of points in a hurry – last season, the Knights weren’t held under 47 points until Week 5. This game will see a return to the River Parishes for Robert Valdez, who had very successful tenures at West St. John and St. James – he delivered the latter its first state crown in 40 years in 2019.
Valdez was a natural fit for St. Augustine – his teams have long been fast, hard hitting and physical, as are the Knights historically. Destrehan, of course, never seems to lack in those departments, and fans should be in for an early season treat.
Week 3 brings the third and final pre-district matchup as West Jefferson visits Destrehan. West Jefferson went 2-7 last season and will have a new look this year under new head coach Frank Daggs. Daggs was head coach at McDonogh No. 35 and defensive coordinator at East St. John before accepting the job as WJHS. It’s a retooling program under Daggs, one that will look to test itself against one of the state’s elite programs in Destrehan.
The Wildcats will celebrate homecoming in Week 4 as it welcomes Central Lafourche to Wildcat Stadium. Central went 2-8 last season. This will be the third team on Destrehan’s schedule with a new head coach this season as Aaron Babin makes his debut with the team this fall. Babin is an alumnus of Central Lafourche and was previously head coach at South Terrebonne from 2022-2025. Destrehan defeated Central 45-7 last season in Raceland.
A local River Parishes rivalry takes stage as East St. John visits Destrehan in Week 5. Destrehan won 50-6 in Reserve last season, part of what was a tough year for ESJ, which went 1-9. This projects to be a very speedy team, especially in the wide receiving corps and across the defense, and its a program that is never down for long.
Destrehan takes to the road in Week 6 as it visits resurgent Thibodaux. The Tigers broke out last season under head coach Lowell Narcisse, the former St. James passer who will enter his second season as Thibodaux’s head coach this year. Destrehan won 49-26 at home in last season’s matchup between the teams, clinching the outright district championship for Destrehan. Thibodaux went 8-3 last season and returned to the playoffs, losing in Round 1 to Mandeville. It will look to build on a strong 2025 season this year.
That brings Destrehan into its always massive rivalry showdown with Hahnville. The Battle on the River is set right in the middle of 7-5A competition as Hahnville and Destrehan face off at DHS. The game always brings tremendous attention statewide. The Tigers are looking to snap an eight-game Destrehan win streak in the rivalry – including last season’s 49-28 Fighting Wildcats win in Boutte. Hahnville’s last win came in 2017. Hahnville, of course, is entering its third season under head coach – and former longtime Destrehan offensive coordinator – Greg Boyne. Hahnville brings back quarterback Landen Teague for his third season as starter and talented running back Fabian Celestine, just two of the leaders on a talented Tigers squad. HHS went 9-3 last season and advanced to Round 2 in the postseason.
Another key district encounter comes Week 8 as Terrebonne visits Destrehan. Terrebonne went 8-4 last season, reaching the second round of the playoffs. Destrehan earned a 41-28 victory at home over the Tigers last season, a win that ended what was previously an unbeaten run for THS. That was a measure of payback for Destrehan – a year earlier, Terrebonne handed DHS its first district loss in five seasons by a 30-21 score. This Terrebonne team will be debuting a number of new faces, but among the returnees is standout linebacker Mason Coleman, who leads the defense.
The final non-district matchup of the season for Destrehan will be another matchup of perennial state contenders. The Wildcats will visit Zachary, which finished 2025 as a state semifinalist in Division I non-select. These two teams are no strangers, matching up three times in the playoffs since 2018 – twice in the semifinals and once in the quarterfinals. The Broncos have been a thorn in Destrehan’s side over that time period – all three of those games were Zachary wins, including a wild and memorable 67-57 shootout in the rain in the 2018 quarterfinals. Expectations for the 2026 Broncos are high as well, and Destrehan will look to score a signature win that would create significant momentum before the playoffs.
Destrehan closes the regular season with its district finale, visiting H.L. Bourgeois. The Wildcats defeated the Braves 53-6 at home last season. Bourgeois went 5-5 last season, falling just short of the playoffs. The Braves will be in their first season under new head coach Munchie Legaux, who was previously head coach at Sophie B. Wright and who, in his playing days, quarterbacked at Karr and at the University of Cincinnati. Bourgeois went 5-5 last season, falling just short of a playoff berth.
Destrehan 2026 football schedule
Sept. 4 vs. St. Paul’s
Sept. 11 vs. St. Augustine
Sept 18 vs. West Jefferson
Sept. 25 vs. Central Lafourche
Oct. 2 vs. East St. John
Oct. 9 at Thibodaux
Oct. 16 vs. Hahnville
Oct. 23 vs. Terrebonne
Oct. 30 at Zachary
Nov. 6 at H.L. Bourgeois
