Destrehan won a classic prep football shootout on Friday night, but on a night of offense, it was a defensive play that sealed the deal.
The Wildcats (4-3) earned a 46-42 victory over visiting Captain Shreve when Destrehan’s Jabari Mack made a game-winning stop in the Gators’ backfield at the Destrehan 3-yard line. Shreve faced a third down with dwindling time on the clock, trailing by four – its hand off at the Destrehan 2 was met with a surging Wildcats’ defense led by Mack, and the Gators could not get another play off before time expired – setting off a Destrehan celebration.
“One blade of grass, and we’re gonna defend it,” said Destrehan head coach Marcus Scott on the game-winning stop. “And Captain Shreve – that’s an unbelievable offense. Probably the best offense I’ve ever had to coach against. Our kids stood tall and made the plays when it counted. Very proud.”
Mack, whose worn many hats for Destrehan over the course of the season, was also instrumental in his team taking the lead. As quarterback in the Wildcat formation on fourth and five at midfield on Destrehan’s final offensive possession, he took the snap, ran right – then rose up and fired down field to a wide open Greg Wilfred, who scored with just over three minutes left to give the Wildcats a 46-42 lead over Captain Shreve (4-3).
“Really, right before, I felt like I missed a big game-changing catch,” said Mack, who wasn’t able to come down with a contested ball on the third down prior. “My coaches still felt they could put their trust in me to get it to Greg, and I couldn’t let them down … that’s something we practiced on.”
Mack has lined up as the Wildcat quarterback throughout the year, and had rushed for two scores out of the formation earlier in Friday’s game, including on a 50-yard run from roughly the same spot Destrehan ran its final go-ahead play.
“We’d been setting it up,” Scott said. “We were watching it from the box and seeing how they were reacting to outside runs, and Coach (Clint) Harrison was able to dial it up at the right time.”
Malachi Dabney, meanwhile, had a massive night, rushing 14 times for 241 yards and four touchdowns – including one on the very first play from scrimmage. It was a huge breakout game for the talented sophomore running back.
For Destrehan, the win might be one that carries a long way. DHS was on the lower side of the Class 5A non-select top 28 playoff qualifiers/power point rankings; this win over a top 15 Captain Shreve team in Division I select moved DHS up to 22, with games left to play against non-select’s No. 4 Hahnville, No. 26 Central Lafourche and No. 28 Thibodaux (according to power points rating estimates via GeauxPreps.com).
It may be bigger still for the Wildcats’ confidence. A slow start through an injury-riddled early season saw DHS push its way to a trio of victories, but fall short in its chances to score a signature win – most notably a dramatic, close loss to Catholic-Baton Rouge to begin the season.
This time, Destrehan came through in the clutch against one of the state’s most talented teams. Shreve was coming off of a 77-76 win over Evangel in overtime a week earlier and a 69-68 loss to Airline the week before that. The first of those wins captured national attention and set some national prep records as well.
Both teams traded haymakers all night, and the final quarter was tense. Jamarcea Plater’s touchdown run with 4:45 left in the game gave Capt. Shreve a 42-40 lead after a successful 2-point try.
Destrehan took the ball next and drove to its own 45, but the Gators forced a fourth-and-5. Destrehan sent out Mack in the Wildcat formation – he sold the defense on his run to the right and uncorked a throw down the right sideline to a wide open Wilfred, who scored from 55- yards out and sent the Destrehan fans into an explosion of cheers.
But there was still plenty of time for the Gators to strike – and strike last – with just over three minutes left to play. A strong kickoff return by DJ Waldon set up Capt. Shreve at midfield.
Destrehan was able to force a fourth-and-8, but one story throughout the night was the Gators’ ability to convert on third and fourth and long. And it was the case here as Brodie Savage found Plater down field to convert inside the 15.
Time kept ticking down. Shreve wanted to punch it in with the run. It had gone left with great success much of the night, its rushers finding lanes cleared out by mammoth tackle Donovan Jones. But with Captain Shreve at the DHS 3, Destrehan stopped a second down run for no gain, then Mack knifed into the backfield to make a stop for a loss on third – and with no timeouts left for the Gators, there would be no fourth down attempt.
The action was hot from the very first play of the night.
Dabney took the opening handoff and cruised 80 yards for a touchdown to put Destrehan ahead 7-0.
Conversely, Captain Shreve drove several plays on its opening drive down to the Destrehan 2. There, the Gators lined up defensive tackle Lionel Prudhomme in the Wildcat and he powered in for a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
Shreve stopped Destrehan on the Wildcats’ next drive, and took a 14-7 lead on a Savage touchdown pass to Waldon from 20 yards out.
Destrehan showed its own offensive creativity on its next scoring drive. Lining up Mack in the Wildcat, with four receivers lined up to the left, he carried up the right side and got free for a 50-yard touchdown run, including a battering ram-like shoulder he used to drop a defender. The extra point try was no good, leaving the score 14-13.
DHS stopped Shreve, and the Wildcats scored to make it 20-14 on a Mack 6-yard run from Wildcat, one he set up himself on a 25-yard carry while at running back.
That score held to halftime. Shreve took the lead on a Savage redzone fade to Cardarrian Devers.
63 seconds later, Destrehan took it back on a 63-yard Dabney touchdown run.
With 2:19 left in the third, Plater scored to make it 28-26 in Shreve’s favor. And less than two minutes later, it was another highlight of the night as Jackson Fields connected with Phillip Wright III – Wright caught a short pass, made a cut that shook the defender and was off to the races for a 67-yard touchdown reception, making it 33-28.
“I feel like I’m a game changer with the ball in my hands,” said Wright, an LSU commitment. “Today showed we can battle with anybody … we’re back. These games like tonight and the Catholic game, these tough games are getting us battle-tested for the playoffs.”
Plater and Dabney each traded touchdown runs as well in a wild fourth quarter, Plater scoring twice in the final period.
