Byron Acosta
April 27, 2017
Graves sets sights on Corps, Trump’s budget
April 27, 2017
The schedules are out. On paper, at least, it looks like the 2017 prep football season is going to be a whole lot of fun.
Local coaches sent their schedules to The Times this week, and a glance at each team’s slate shows that some fun-filled matchups will fill local Friday nights this fall.
In Class 5A, locals are going to be tested throughout the season.
The area 5A district is tough as can be, and every local Class 5A school will have to go through the usual gauntlet of games – including dates with Hahnville, Destrehan, East St. John and local power Thibodaux.
But local teams challenged themselves in non-district play, too, which will make for some tasty pre-district matchups before we get into the meat of the schedule.
As-always, Terrebonne and H.L. Bourgeois will play crosstown opponents, South Terrebonne and Ellender – annual prep football traditions.
The Tigers will also take on Patterson and Assumption in non-district games, while the Braves will battle Vandebilt and Lakeshore.
Thibodaux’s non-district slate is also tough. The Tigers will open the season with Vandebilt – a nice matchup between arguably the area’s best team and arguably the area’s best player, Terriers quarterback Andrew Robison.
In Class 4A, local teams are adjusting to some new company.
E.D. White will be joining the district for its first season next fall.
The Cardinals are used to playing Class 4A competition, because their playoff bracket, Division II, features private schools with Class 3A and Class 4A enrollment.
E.D. White will get thrown right into the fire in District 7-4A, opening their district schedule with Assumption, the two-time defending champions.
The Cardinals will also adjust to a change in tradition. Instead of facing Vandebilt in the season-opener, the teams will compete in the final game of the year on Nov. 3.
The Terriers beat E.D. White during the season last year, but the Cardinals got the last laugh, upsetting the Terriers in the opening round of the Division II State Playoffs.
E.D. White Chris Bergeron said he likes the potential his 2017 team has.
“We like the group coming back,” Bergeron said after last season. “They’re going to work hard to get better, and we think we can build on what we did this past year and get beyond that next fall.”
District 7-4A is also home to the area’s only first-year coach, South Lafourche head-man Blake Forsythe.
Forsythe’s inaugural schedule with South Lafourche is challenging. The Tarpons will play the usual district schedule, but will open with De La Salle, Thibodaux and Central Lafourche – all playoff teams last season.
The Tarpons will close the season against East St. John.
Forsythe said when he was hired that he can’t wait to coach some football under Friday night lights in Galliano.
The new Tarpons coach was the offensive coordinator at H.L. Bourgeois last season.
“This is a great opportunity,” Forsythe said. “This is a great place – a passionate place that loves its football. We can’t wait to try and put a winning product on the field that our community can rally around.”
In Class 1A, Houma Christian and CCA are expected to be contenders for the district championship.
But the cross-town rivals won’t face one another until the final game of the season – a week 10 date that will be played at Nicholls State University.
See the 2017 prep football schedules below.
South Lafourche
Sept. 1 – vs. De La Salle
Sept. 8 – vs. Thibodaux
Sept. 15 – at Central Lafourche
Sept. 22 – vs. Ellender
Sept. 29 – at Vandebilt
Oct. 6 – vs. Assumption
Oct. 13 – vs. Morgan City
Oct. 20 – at E.D. White
Oct. 27 – at South Terrebonne
Nov. 3 – at East St. John
Central Lafourche
Sept. 1 – at E.D. White
Sept. 8 – vs. Carver
Sept. 15 – vs. South Lafourche
Sept. 22 – at East St. John
Sept. 29 – at Ellender
Oct. 6 – vs. H.L. Bourgeois
Oct. 13 – vs. Destrehan
Oct. 20 – vs. Terrebonne
Oct. 27 – at Hahnville
Nov. 3 – vs. Thibodaux
Thibodaux
Sept. 1 – vs. Vandebilt
Sept. 8 – at South Lafourche
Sept. 15 – at East Ascension
Sept. 22 – at H.L. Bourgeois
Sept. 29 – vs. Destrehan
Oct. 6 – at Terrebonne
Oct. 13 – vs. Hahnville
Oct. 20 – Open Date
Oct. 27 – vs. East St. John
Nov. 3 – at Central Lafourche
E.D. White
Sept. 1 – vs. Central Lafourche
Sept. 8 – vs. Erath
Sept. 15 – at St. James
Sept. 22 – vs. Assumption
Sept. 29 – at Morgan City
Oct. 6 – at Vermilion Catholic
Oct. 13 – vs. South Terrebonne
Oct. 20 – at South Lafourche
Oct. 27 – vs. Ellender
Nov. 3 – at Vandebilt
South Terrebonne
Aug. 31 – at H.L. Bourgeois
Sept. 8 – vs. Terrebonne
Sept. 15 – vs. Berwick
Sept. 22 – vs. Vandebilt
Sept. 29 – at Assumption
Oct. 5 – vs. Morgan City
Oct. 13 – at E.D. White
Oct. 20 – at Belle Chasse
Oct. 27 – vs. South Lafourche
Nov. 3 – at Ellender
Terrebonne
Sept. 1 – vs. Ellender
Sept. 8 – at South Terrebonne
Sept. 15 – vs. Assumption
Sept. 22 – at Patterson
Sept. 29 – at Hahnville
Oct. 6 – vs. Thibodaux
Oct. 13 – vs. East St. John
Oct. 20 – at Central Lafourche
Oct. 27 – at H.L. Bourgeois
Nov. 3 – vs. Destrehan
Vandebilt
Sept. 1 – at Thibodaux
Sept. 8 – at H.L. Bourgeois
Sept. 15 – vs. Shaw
Sept. 22 – at South Terrebonne
Sept. 29 – vs. South Lafourche
Oct. 6 – vs. Ellender
Oct. 13 – at Central Catholic
Oct. 20 – vs. Assumption
Oct. 27 – at Morgan City
Nov. 3 – vs. E.D. White
H.L. Bourgeois
Aug. 31 – vs. South Terrebonne
Sept. 8 – vs. Vandebilt
Sept. 15 – at Ellender
Sept. 22 – vs. Thibodaux
Sept. 29 – at East St. John
Oct. 6 – at Central Lafourche
Oct. 13 – at Lakeshore
Oct. 20 – vs. Destrehan
Oct. 27 – vs. Terrebonne
Nov. 3 – at Hahnville
Ellender
Sept. 1 – at Terrebonne
Sept. 7 – vs. Grace King
Sept. 15 – vs. H.L. Bourgeois
Sept. 22 – at South Lafourche
Sept. 29 – vs. Central Lafourche
Oct. 6 – at Vandebilt
Oct. 13 – at Assumption
Oct. 20 – vs. Morgan City
Oct. 27 – at E.D. White
Nov. 3 – vs. South Terrebonne
Covenant Christian
Sept. 1 – vs. Fisher
Sept. 8 – at Christian Life
Sept. 15 – vs. Hamilton Christian
Sept. 22 – vs. St. John
Sept. 29 – at Ascension Catholic
Oct. 6 – at Varnado
Oct. 13 – at West St. John
Oct. 20 – at J.S. Clark
Oct. 27 – vs. St. Martin’s
Nov. 3 – vs. Houma Christian
Editor’s Note:
Attempts to get Houma Christian’s schedule were unsuccessful at press-time on Monday evening.
Both H.L. Bourgeois and South Lafourche are teams expected to compete for postseason play in the 2017 season. Local teams released their schedules this week.
