Editor’s note: Destrehan began the playoffs on Wednesday against John Ehret, but the game took place after deadline. If the Wildcats win, they will play on Monday, May 10 (see bracket on 10A). After either game, check www.heraldguide.com for game information and loads of pictures.
The Destrehan Wildcats will begin their march towards the 2010 Class 5A state championship from the No. 2 seed after claiming the District 6-5A title with a perfect 15-0 record.
“I like our seeding and we are in a great spot to make a run, but there are a lot of good teams on our side of the bracket,” Destrehan head coach Marty Luquet said. “To win a state championship though, you have to face them all. There is no hiding in 5A.”
Being a favorite to win the state title is nothing new for Luquet. In eight years as the Wildcat head coach, Luquet has led his squad to the state playoffs every year, brought them to the state tournament six times and has made two appearances in the state title game.
His overall record at the school is 221-86.
This is also the third time that Luquet has managed the Wildcats to a perfect district record, after leading the team to undefeated marks in 2002 and 2004. However, Luquet said this season was the first time his team has done so in such a tough district.
“I was thrilled (to finish district undefeated),” he said. “Heading into the season I thought we had a chance to do OK in district because we had some good, experienced players coming back in Kurt McCune, Sam Carriere and Matt Smith. When the other guys on the team started playing well, everything just worked out for us.”
Carriere is batting .416 on the season with 36 runs, an on base percentage of .524 and a slugging percentage of .644.
Smith leads the team in RBIs with 38 and stolen bases with 11, while McCune has pitched his squad to eight wins by striking out 95 batters in 77 innings. McCune also leads the team in home runs with six.
But several other players have also made a big impact this season. Pitcher Brandt Bourgeois, who is 6-2 on the season, has the lowest ERA on the team with a 3.06, while Dylan Lucich leads the squad in doubles with 10. Scott Stonestreet has contributed from both the plate and the mound, batting .329 with 22 RBIs while going 3-2 from the stripe with a 4.55 ERA.
“The three guys that we counted on to lead us did,” Luquet said. “Carriere has been voted the best defender in the district for two years and he has done so well for us offensively, as has Smith, who has had a big season from the plate. Then you have McCune shutting teams down on the mound.
“It gave our other guys time to get better, and they responded. Everyone is just playing their role.”
Last year, the Wildcats were co-champs of District 6-5A and advanced all the way to the state quarterfinals before falling 5-4 to rival Dutchtown. This year, Luquet says his team is more explosive from the plate, which should pay off in the later rounds of the playoffs.
“We are better offensively than we were last year, which is a benefit because the playoffs turn into a slugfest after round two,” he said. “I am confident we can score more runs.”
In fact, the Wildcats are averaging almost eight runs a game this season with a .311 team batting average.
“At Destrehan, you have a lot of good players and guys have to wait their turn, which is why we had some inexperience when the season started even though we weren’t a young team,” he said. “I knew we had some good players just waiting on their chance.”
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