While Destrehan will be the favorite Friday night as it welcomes Central Lafourche to open up District 7-5A play the Trojans team that arrives represents a program that appears headed in the right direction.
Central is 2-1 this season under first year Trojans head coach Aaron Babin – after just three weeks, it has matched its win total from a year ago. This is already just the second Central Lafourche team to win two games since the start of the 2020 season – the team’s current 2-1 start is matched only by the other, a2024 team that won two of its first three games.
This is a high-scoring team under Babin. It earned a 37-14 win over West Jefferson in Week 1 and a 51-0 victory over Patterson in Week 2. A rivalry matchup against South Lafourche resulted in a 55-36 loss, but the offense continued to create explosive plays.
Quarterback Brock Babin leads the offense. Among his top targets are Reese Verdin – the two connected for a 60-yard score last week against South Lafourche. The ground game is paced by running back Hunter Babin.
“(Brock Babin) is a good player, and he has some very capable receivers,” said Destrehan head football coach Marcus Scott. “You saw them go out and produce in a big rivalry environment, and that says a lot. (Hunter Babin) is a really good player as well. They can give you problems … I think Coach Babin has energized that program and the fanbase. And they’ll return a lot of these guys next year.”
Central runs multiple looks offensively – some out of the spread, some from the Pistol and others with multiple running backs in the backfield.
“They’ll run some stuff where they have two kids who can both play H-back, but then they can threaten you in the passing game as well,” Scott said. “They can get into some different formations with some different personnel groupings, and that can be a challenge.”
Defensively, Scott said Central brings a versatile group that adapts its base formation and plan of attack to the opposing offense in a given week.
This will be Destrehan’s homecoming game.
Last week, Destrehan (2-1) dominated in a 56-12 win over West Jefferson at Fighting Wildcats Stadium.
Coryan Armstrong and Jaylan Ash each scored two touchdowns. Malachi Dabney scored on a 54-yard run. Aushai Smith threw three touchdown passes, and backup quarterback Denham Ellsworth scored two rushing touchdowns. Tony Crump added another rushing score.
Ash’s second touchdown came on a third quarter kickoff return – while the Wildcats have had a number of punt returns over the past few seasons, Ash’s score was the first kickoff return for a touchdown of Scott’s tenure, which began in 2020.
“It felt amazing. That was the first kick return (for a touchdown) in a long time here, so it felt really special,” Ash said. “I didn’t think he was going to kick it to me, but I got it and I made a play.”
Armstrong, meanwhile, enjoyed a breakout game this season.
“It’s good to see,” Scott said. “He battled some injuries over the offseason and he’s back healthy now. He adds another weapon for us for sure.”
