Terriers score big district win

Terrebonne Booking Log – October 19, 2019

October 20, 2019

Drew or Teddy under center in 2020? The question needs to be asked

October 21, 2019

All the talk in our local Class 4A district right now is about Assumption.

And heck, rightfully so — those guys are awfully good.

But Vandebilt Catholic is getting better every week, too — their most recent performance just may have been their best of the season.

The Terriers beat Ellender 29-0 on Friday night — a third-straight win and a third-straight dominant defensive performance.

With the win, the Terriers are now 4-3 on the season and 2-0 in district. The Terriers and Mustangs are the only two undefeated teams so far in the district — on an apparent collision course with one another in Week 9 in Napoleonville.

“Our defense continues to get better and make plays,” Terriers coach Lance Ledet said earlier this season. “Those kids are aggressive and they make plays. They are physical and love to fly to the football. We’re very happy with the way they’ve been playing.”

That defense powered Vandebilt on Friday.

It was a struggle early.

The game was scoreless at the end of the first quarter and scoreless midway through the second quarter.

But the dams broke in the final six minutes of the first half.

The Terriers scored first on a 9-yard touchdown run from Gavin Dangle to go up 7-0.

Then disaster struck for Ellender.

On the next offensive possession, the Patriots fumbled deep in their own territory. With possession, Vandebilt cashed in with a short touchdown run to go up 14-0 — a lead which led through half.

Patriots coach David McCormick said he was not happy with the way his team executed offensively throughout the game.

The Patriots were without several key playmakers in the game, but McCormick said Ellender was plagued by too many mental mistakes.

“It’s frustrating. God dog, it’s frustrating,” McCormick said. “Because I know how close we are to being a really good football team. But it’s just little things here and there and it’s sometimes like we’re so close, but we’re so far. It’s very frustrating. “

In the second half, Ellender battling, but Vandebilt just had too much.

The third quarter didn’t have any points, sending the game to the final 12 minutes with Vandebilt holding that same 14-0 lead.

But the Terriers finished with a flurry to send the game to its final margin.

Daigle hit Hunter Porche for a touchdown pass early in the quarter to make the game 20-0. The Terriers then added a field goal to go up 23-0.

Late, Dylan Gaudet punched one in to finish the scoring on the night and to seal Vandebilt’s victory.

Ledet said he wasn’t happy with the Terriers’ turnovers in the win. Turnovers have plagued the team throughout the season. This is now the third-straight game they have multiple giveaways.

“We can’t keep doing that. It’s going to cost us,” Ledet said. “We have to protect the football and value possession better than we are now. You can’t make those types of mistakes and be successful over the long haul.”

With the win, the Terriers now move toward a huge district matchup with South Terrebonne — a game which will have huge district championship implications.

For Ellender, the goal is to pick up the pieces and find ways to get wins.

“We want to finish the season strong,” McCormick said. “We think we’re close, but we have to find some answers.”

TARPONS GET 1ST WIN OVER GATORS

South Lafourche finally got one.

After six-straight losses to open the year, the Tarpons finally finished on top on Friday, beating South Terrebonne 13-10 in a game that literally went down to the last play.

The Tarpons led 13-3 in the fourth quarter, but the Gators scored to make it 13-10.

After forcing a stop, the Gators got the ball back late and were driving — advancing to the Tarpons’ 4-yard-line.

But Christian Arceneaux’s last-ditch attempt to run it into the end zone came up short late, and the Gators ran out of time, sealing the win for the Tarpons.

“We finally finished one,” South Lafourche football coach Blake Forsythe said. “I think for us, the biggest difference was being at home. We’d been on the road the past 4 weeks and there’s just nothing quite like playing in your own stadium in front of your own fans.”

The Tarpons got touchdowns from fullback Derin Doucet and quarterback Patrick Gisclair in the win — two sophomores.

Forsythe said the team has several sophomore starters and many of them made plays in Friday night’s win.

The coach also applauded the play of his offensive and defensive lines.

“We were better up front,” Forsythe said. “We challenged those kids and they really did a great job for us.”