With Destrehan locked in their toughest battle of the season, Wildcat running back Will Matthews provided the spark his team needed to pull out a 21-14 victory over Thibodaux.
Matthews scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter – one that gave the Wildcats a 14-7 lead and another that clinched the win. It was a big win for the Wildcats, who stayed perfect at 6-0 and locked down the top spot in District 7-5A after knocking off previously unbeaten Thibodaux.
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Neither team managed to make much of a mark offensively in the first half, with the lone score coming on a 43-yard interception return by Destrehan defensive lineman Glen Logan. Logan picked off the pass after teammate Allen Pittman pressured Thibodaux quarterback Peyton Bonvillain.
Right before the half, the Wildcats had another chance to get on the scoreboard when cornerback Kendell Anderson intercepted Bonvillain deep in Wildcat territory as time expired. However, Anderson was tackled near the goal line after bringing the ball back nearly 80 yards.
Thibodaux tied the game with an impressive 14-play drive to start the third. A pass interference call against the Wildcats moved Thibodaux into Destrehan territory, and running back Jaquan Chenier picked up 14 yards to the Destrehan 23.
Bonvillain followed with a 13-yard pass and then scored on a five-yard run to tie the game at 7-7 with 5:46 left to go in the third.
With their offense struggling to get into a rhythm, Destrehan turned to Matthews, who carried the Wildcats into Thibodaux territory with several nice runs. Marquise Darensbourg found Tremaine Armstrong for a 14-yard gain and then John Williams picked up 11 yards.
On Williams’ run, Thibodaux was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which moved the ball all the way to the Tiger 16.
A few plays later, Matthews barreled through the middle of the Thibodaux defense on a 12-yard touchdown run to give Destrehan a 14-7 lead with 7:52 left to go in the game.
Thibodaux tied the game again after Marquis Barman recovered a fumble by Darensbourg and returned it for a touchdown with 3:32 left to go in the game.
But Matthews would strike back, scoring on a 19-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds left in the game to give the Wildcats a 21-14 win.
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