Two district rivals face off with plenty of playoff seeding implications Friday as Thibodaux hosts Hahnville.
Thibodaux 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. Thibodaux went 8-3 last season and returned to the playoffs, losing in Round 1 to Mandeville.
Thibodaux has continued to progress this season under Narcisse. The team is 7-1 thus far overall and 4-1 in District 7-5A play.
Last season, Hahnville earned a 34-20 win over Thibodaux at Hahnville.
This will be a key game for playoff seeding. Thibodaux ranks 8th in power points, Hahnville 14th.
“They’re a really good football team,” said Hahnville head football coach Greg Boyne. “I’ve been impressed with what Coach Narcisse has done since he’s been there. The amount of things they do offensively is very impressive – multiple schemes, multiple formations. They run it well and throw it well. The system he’s installed in a very short amount of time is very effective and they’ve beaten everyone this season besides Destrehan, who’s in the top 3.”
Damien Robertson leads Thibodaux at quarterback and he’s surrounded by dangerous offensive weapons. Boyne said Robertson reminded him of Lutcher’s talented quarterback Terron Charles, who HHS faced in Week 4.
“He can pretty much make every throw and he can run it,” said Boyne. “He doesn’t have a cannon of an arm, but he’s accurate and he’s got weapons all over the place, so you have to make sure all your zones are covered. You can tell he’s in tune with everything they’re trying to do, so it’s a tall test for our defense.”
Cemiyen Adams is a big play threat out the backfield and Boyne said he ranks among the best running backs Hahnville has faced.
“We’ve faced some very good backs. He’s another one,” Boyne said. “He’s really, really fast, and he’s the focal point of who they try to get the ball to. They’ll throw him screens, get him in motion and throw it to him down the field. And of course they’ll hand it to him. He’ll get his 15 to 20 touches. You just have to limit the big play.”
Jacob Terrell, Anzeo Holmes and Carlton Ingram are the top targets outside at receiver.
“They’ve got a lot of weapons. At the end of the night, you look up and see (Robertson) has 200 yards and has completed 70 percent of his passes. They get the ball to everyone,” Boyne said.
Defensively, Thibodaux plays mostly zone and looks to limit the big play.
Up front, Kymari Carter is a disruptive force.
“He’s their biggest kid,” said Boyne. “He’s huge and he’s their run stopper. They play him sometimes at end, but most of the time he’s on the inside. I remember when we walked on the field for warm ups against them last year. I was like, wow, I didn’t realize he was that big.”
Landon Pertuit, Boyne said, is a good, active tackler at linebacker.
“They’ll play a 5-1 box and he’s their guy they usually leave as the one linebacker in there,” Boyne said.
He said Thibodaux has been very disciplined under Narcisse.
“They don’t make many mistakes,” Boyne said. “The little things it takes to win games, they’re doing, and you can tell they believe they’re going to win.”
Hahnville’s defense was on display last week in its 13-12 win over East St. John. It was the continuation of some very strong play for a unit that truly took off in the second half of its 42-21 win over Lutcher in Week 4, shutting out the Bulldogs in the second half. Since then, HHS has allowed just 56 total points over four games, including three games holding opponents to 14 or less.
