Top-seeded Destrehan generated some late game heroics to survive a second round trip to Mandeville last week. But if the Wildcats are to make the most of their second chance after that miraculous 37-36 come-from-behind victory, coach Stephen Robicheaux warns the same kind of full-game effort won’t be enough for his team to get by No. 9 John Ehret, which ended the season of Destrehan archrival Hahnville via a 35-28 victory last week.
“It was a good win and our kids fought hard, as they have all year,” Robicheaux said, noting his team must shift its focus away from last week’s emotional victory and to the task at hand. “If we play like we did Friday night, though, I don’t think we can get by Ehret. I didn’t have them ready to play on Friday and we’ll address that this week. But these kids found a way in the end.”
Destrehan (11-0) trailed by two touchdowns with three minutes remaining at Mandeville, the unbeaten Wildcats on the brink of what would have been a sudden, unexpected elimination at the hands of the No. 17 Skippers. But the Wildcats scored a touchdown, then held Mandeville to a three-and-out, then scored another to pull within one.
On the point after attempt, holder Justin Jefferson bobbled the snap and sprung into action. With a tying kick no longer an option, he and kicker Bradley Quinn yelled out “fire!” to signify the fire drill play the Wildcats run when a kick attempt is compromised. Jefferson rolled out and threw a pass to Macon Clark in the endzone for the game-winning two-point conversion with only seconds remaining.
“That was the first (snap) Justin has dropped and I’m happy he did this time,” Robicheaux said. “We practice it every day, the fire drill. The tight end goes to the pylon and the wing (Clark) goes to the goalline. The defender actually tried to grab him and slow him down. Coach Wag (special teams coach Paul Waguespack) does a tremendous job with the details of our special teams play. It was a really heads up play by the kids and it worked out in our favor.”
Because of that attention to detail, the Wildcats live to fight another day against a John Ehret team that has won six straight games and was last season’s Class 5A runner-up.
“Their quarterback (sophomore Travis Mumphrey Jr.) keeps getting better and they’ve thrown more often as the season has gone on,” Robicheaux said. “They’re extremely big up front. They present plenty of problems.”
It will be the second meeting between Destrehan and John Ehret this season. The Wildcats captured a 21-7 win at home over the Patriots in Week 3, positioning Destrehan alongside Landry-Walker as the only teams to best Ehret this season.
“Obviously don’t like playing them for a second time,” Robicheaux said. “But they’re in that same situation with us, of course.”
The Patriots rode multiple threats on the ground last week against Hahnville, including Mumphrey himself and a corps of running backs led by Byron James, who piled up 137 yards on 15 carries.
Robicheaux said Ehret’s top backs can “play for anyone in the state” and are especially dangerous behind a large offensive line. Even acknowledging Mumphrey’s ability as a passer, Robicheaux said the biggest factor in earning a victory will be the ability to slow the Patriots running game. Brandon Brown provides a big complement to James.
“We know what we’re up against. We know that’s the key,” Robicheaux said. “They were successful throwing it on Friday, but it’ll be a long night for us if they can run it on us.”
Destrehan will once again have a question to answer at gametime as to who will start at quarterback. Senior Kohen Granier had to leave last week’s game after a player was blocked into him on Destrehan’s second to last drive of the night, tweaking the knee he injured in week four that sidelined him for more than a month.
“He’s back in treatment,” Robicheaux said. “He’s a tough, tough kid. It’s unbelievable for him to even be out there and that’s a testament to him. We’ll take it day by day, see what happens and go from there.”
The good news is even if Granier cannot go, sophomore J.R. Blood has shown an ability to come up big in clutch situations, including in last week’s game as he led the Wildcats down the field and for a touchdown on the game’s final drive, Blood connecting on a 17-yard scoring pass to Jefferson.
In the first matchup between the teams, Ehret lost a major offensive weapon in Jamaal Houston, who injured his left knee in that game. The seven points Ehret scored in that game represent a season low—the Patriots went on to score 60 points in its next game, a win over East Jefferson, and haven’t been held to under 16 in any of its other 11 games. Destrehan rode running back Kristian Mosley in that game, the senior rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
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