Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux quickly reestablished Destrehan as one of Louisiana’s truly elite programs after his return to the sideline in 2011.
Along with that elite status comes elite expectations, which made the Wildcats’ quarterfinal loss last week to No. 6 Parkway all the more heartbreaking for Destrehan’s players, coaches and fans. Seven turnovers and 18 penalties plagued the team in the loss.
Remarkably, Destrehan still found themselves a blocked extra point from tying the game in the fourth quarter, after five of those turnovers had occurred. It was simultaneously a difficult loss and yet a testament to the high level of play the Wildcats have established under Robicheaux’s watch.
Before the season, the Wildcats had to replace all five offensive linemen from the 2014 5A state finalist, all but one starting defensive back and top offensive producers Will Matthews, Kirk Merritt and Alfred Smith. A tight loss to Lutcher in the preseason jamboree accelerated thoughts that this could be a rare retooling season.
Instead Destrehan once again won all of its regular season games and marched into the postseason as the No. 3 seed — one spot higher than the 2014 team secured entering the postseason fray.
“You can say coulda, shoulda, woulda (about the quarterfinal loss),” Robicheaux said. “But these kids can look back and know they had a successful season. This is a senior class that won 13 games, then 14, then 11. That’s a pretty good run, I’d say. They responded to what we asked them to do and both the players and our coaches did a tremendous job.
“I just told our guys, this was only a football game. Yeah, it really hurts right now. It’s supposed to, and it will for a little while. But there are worse things in life. When they reflect back, they’ll be proud of all of this.”
The loss last week saw Parkway (12-1) advance to the 5A semifinal after besting Destrehan 49-34.
The Panthers’ Keondre Wudree, a Louisiana Tech commitment, passed for 386 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Terrance Marshall Jr. hauled in five receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns.
Granier threw five touchdown passes for DHS (11-1). Two of those went to Tramaine Armstrong, two to John Williams and one to Justin Jefferson.
Destrehan rallied to cut a 21 point deficit down to 35-34 in the fourth quarter, but could never gain the lead. Parkway never trailed in the game.
“You can’t come into the quarterfinals and commit (seven) turnovers against a real good team like them,” Robicheaux said after the game. “Obviously, you want to come in and play better, but my hat’s off to them. What a game, what a team. That quarterback is special. We had him bottled up a little bit, and he got out of it and made plays all night long. They have a great football team. They’re as skilled as anybody I’ve ever seen.”
The good news for Destrehan is that most of its offense will return next season, led by quarterback Kohen Granier. Granier topped 400 yards passing in last week’s loss — Robicheaux noted he’d have to look back, but he likely approached the school record for single game yardage — and put together one of the most prolific seasons in team history in his first year as full-time starter.
“We’ll have him back and most of our offensive line,” Robicheaux said. “He had a phenomenal year. We couldn’t have asked for any more from him. In his first year as starter, really, he went above and beyond.”
The Wildcats will lose a key player in Williams, the team’s most explosive weapon both in the receiving game and in the return game. Ditto for fellow productive receiver Armstrong. But Mike Young and Jefferson will each return for their senior seasons after strong showings this season. Tailback Karon Taylor departs, but junior Kristian Mosley seems equipped to handle an expanded role.
Defensively, the Wildcats will have to find a way to replace some major key pieces. Most of the team’s front seven will depart, including LSU commitment Glen Logan and Texas commitment Gerald Wilbon, each defensive linemen, and top linebacker Alex Zayed. In the secondary, top cover man Kendell Anderson will depart.
Destrehan keeps plowing ahead. Their next regular season loss will be their first in a long, long time — DHS has a 29-game win streak on the field in regular season fare. The program keeps on marching.
“That comes down to the type of players we have and the coaches and administration we have,” Robicheaux said. “Everyone buys in and that has allowed us to have a lot of success here. This is a special place. I truly believe it.”
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