Two River Parish teams in two weeks have already fallen at the hands of John Ehret.
It’s up to Destrehan to halt that streak at 7 p.m. Friday night, as the Wildcats host Ehret in a battle of undefeated Class 5A contenders.
Ehret defeated Riverside, 29-28, in the season’s opening week, then dominated East St. John in Week Two, 30-0, holding ESJ to a scant 34 yards of total offense as it avenged its first round playoff loss to ESJ from a season ago.
Destrehan has not lost on its home field since 2013, but the Patriots bring enough talent and confidence on both sides of the ball to pose a very tangible threat, said DHS coach Stephen Robicheaux.
“You look at their defense, and there are six Division I players lined up against you,” Robicheaux said. “They’re definitely very, very athletic and they can cause a ton of problems.”
Among those Division I prospects is linebacker Michael Divinity, who in many ways took over the game against East St. John a week ago. Divinity registered three sacks and nine tackles, and the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has offers from LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M and Ole Miss, among others.
“You have to try and get a body on him,” Robicheaux said. “You hope to be able to block him. He’s a big time recruit and he does a great job when he’s playing in space. We’ll have to always be aware of where he’s at.”
The Patriots rolled up nearly 300 offensive yards and scored four times in its win over East St. John, doing so despite the absence of quarterback Ca’Ron Baham, a Missouri commitment. Baham rushed for 1,750 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, while passing for 1,080 yards and 10 touchdowns. Baham missed the game with knee injury suffered on the first series of Ehret’s opening week game.
Baham has reportedly torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
In his absence, backup quarterback Juwan Leonard rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Ehret running back Byron James added 100 yards and a score on 16 carries of his own.
“They’ve put a few really good players back there,” Robicheaux said, prior to the report Baham would miss the game. “You know, if Baham plays, yeah, that probably makes them better. But (Leonard) does a really good job as well. We’re going to do what we always do (defensively).”
Ehret middle linebacker De’jon Harris is committed to Arkansas. Defensive back Jarrius Wallace is ticketed for Central Florida. Defensive end Kerry Starks is en route to Grambling State. And junior cornerback Terrell Bailey is considered a high-level prospect as well.
Destrehan got a big lift from its special teams in its 44-7 victory over Woodlawn last week. Tyler Addison, Michael Young and John Williams all registered return scores for Destrehan, which scored 30 first quarter points and all 44 of its points in the first half. Williams scored three touchdowns on the night to lead the Wildcats, while Young had two of his own. Kohen Granier passed for three scores.
Defensively, Destrehan registered eight sacks, Jaece Stroud accounting for 3.5 of those.
“He did a tremendous job,” Robicheaux said of Stroud. “He plays opposite of Glen Logan and Gerald Wilbon and just makes things happen. He’s a high-motor guy. He’s an undersized kid, but he’s relentless. He’s quick off the ball and he gives opposing linemen fits.”
Williams’ big night served as a reminder to how quickly he can shift a game. Destrehan recorded a safety Friday night to take a 16-7 lead, then on the ensuing kickoff, Williams’ 80-yard return completely swung momentum.
“He’s our playmaker,” Robicheaux said. “It was a tremendous night and a great game for him.”
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