The Destrehan High School football team has finished 18th nationally for the 2008 season. The announcement was made by MaxPreps, a California-based company that ranks more than 15,000 high school varsity football teams.
Destrehan capped a perfect 14-0 season by beating West Monroe, 14-3, on Dec. 13 to win the Louisiana High School 5-A state championship.
The Wildcats have won back-to-back state titles and 29 consecutive games. Destrehan is one of 30 high schools nationwide being honored on the fourth season of the MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard.
The Wildcats also were 18th in the 2007 final rankings and it marks the second straight season the school is being honored by MaxPreps.
“The MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard salutes a group of very talented young athletes across the country, who along with their coaches and families, are committed to being the very best they can be.” said Andy Beal, MaxPrep’s president. “We’re happy to be a part of that dedication.”
“It’s a great honor. MaxPreps does a great job for high school football and to be ranked in the Top 20 in the nation in back-to-back years is a great honor for this program. We’re really excited,” said Destrehan head football coach Stephen Robicheaux, who completed his ninth season at the school.
Destrehan played a suffocating defense, allowing 100 points the entire season. The Wildcats held 10 opponents to seven points or less including a stretch of eight straight games. Their closest margin of victory was seven points.
Senior end Darrington Sentimore led the assault with 85 tackles (59 solo, 26 assists), four quarterback sacks, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Inside linebacker Rufus Porter made 107 tackles , forced two fumbles and had three pass interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns. He made a key 98-yard interception return for a score in the championship game. Defensive back Antonio Parker had five pass interceptions, returned two of those for touchdowns and returned four kickoffs for touchdowns.
Offensively, senior signal-caller Wynrick Smothers passed for 2,267 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 365 yards and eight scores. Corey Vidal led the receiving corps with 56 catches for 814 yards and five touchdowns.
Louisiana Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Jeffrey R. Nelson presented Coach Robicheaux and the team the national ranking trophy at a pep rally Friday afternoon.
“The Army National Guard honors the players and coaches of Destrehan High School because they are champions. And like National Guard Soldiers, they stand united as champions of their community,” said Major Michael Baptista, National Guard Bureau.
“That is why we are proud to be a partner of the Tour of Champions. The Guard applauds and congratulates them, champion to champion.”
MaxPreps uses a sophisticated computer program to determine team rank. The system utilizes the huge number of game results stored in the MaxPreps database.
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