The Destrehan Wildcats may have had to fight for their lives in their come-from-behind win against Helen Cox last weekend, but the offense looked light years ahead of where they were in the jamboree.
Quarterback Taylor Dunn connected on 15 of his 23 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns while running back Marshall Charles, who ran for over 100 yards, caught the game-winning pass to put the Wildcats on top 25-22. The offensive line, which got off to a slow start against Lutcher in the jamboree, paved the way for Charles while giving Dunn plenty of time to throw the ball.
“I thought our offense, if you take away a fumble and an interception that killed two drives, played well,” Destrehan head coach Stephen Robicheaux said. “I am encouraged by Marshall Charles’ performance because he rushed for over 100 yards and would have had 140 yards if one of his long runs wasn’t called back.
“As for Taylor Dunn, he also played pretty well and made a lot of progress.”
But while Robicheaux was pleased with how his offense performed against Helen Cox, he was not as excited about the play of his defense.
“Defensively, we are not very good right now,” Robicheaux said. “Our players though are working hard to get better.”
And they must get better in a hurry if they hope to contain star Thibodaux quarterback Trevon Reed this Friday.
Last year, Thibodaux finished their regular season with a perfect 8-0 record, which led to the team capturing their first District 8-5A crown since 1992. In the playoffs, Thibodaux made it all the way to the quarterfinals before losing to Barbe.
A large reason for that success last year was the play of Reed, who led the team in rushing (746 yards and 10 touchdowns) and passing (694 yards, 10 touchdowns). Reed also finished with 344 yards receiving and is projected as a receiver at the next level.
Currently, he has offers from almost every major program in the country, including LSU, Texas, USC, Florida and Alabama.
“Trevon Reed is a tremendous athlete and really excels when the play breaks down,” Robicheaux said. “He is fast, hard to take down and is such a weapon for them back there.”
Robicheaux admits that not many people have been able to stop Reed over the last two seasons, and says to do so requires containment.
“We are going to have to keep him in the pocket and force him to throw the ball,” Robicheaux said.
While Reed is definitely a game changer, Thibodaux does only return five starters from 2008. However, Robichaux said they have a good secondary that could pose problems for his young quarterback.
“We are going to have to be able to run the ball to be successful,” he said.
Another challenge for Destrehan will be facing Thibodaux on the road. Robicheaux said that his teams have played well away from home in the past, but he is worried this year because he has so many new starters.
“As long as we do the little things well, such as blocking, tackling and taking care of the football, we should be OK,” he said.
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