10 can’t miss games as high school football season heats up

James Cantrelle
September 28, 2010
Lafourche District 13 school board
September 30, 2010
James Cantrelle
September 28, 2010
Lafourche District 13 school board
September 30, 2010

We’ve seen plenty of awesome prep football already this season in the Tri-parish area.


Heck, on opening night of the season we were blessed with a three-overtime thriller between Thibodaux and McDonogh 35.


Since then, we’ve seen more overtimes, goal line stands, homecoming kings rising to the occasion to lead their teams and players returning from injuries early to beat cross town rivals.

We’ve seen a nationally-televised game for our Tri-parish’s Lumberjacks, a 70-0 win for Terrebonne Parish’s Tigers and first-year starters at quarterback proving they can hang with the big boys.


But the best is yet to come my dear Friday Night Football fans.


Because the district season is here.

The district season – a time when old rivalries are rehashed, new rivalries are made and the pads popping send chills into the crowd.


Everyone thinks their rivalry game is the best, and rightfully so, but behold my Top 10 rivalry games for the remainder of the prep football season.


Top 10:

10. Helen Cox at Vandebilt – Most big rivalries are born on the football gridiron. But this one was actually born on the women’s basketball court, as the schools have been grinding it out for the past several seasons for Class 4A supremacy. Both teams are favorites to win the district title, so on the last game of the season, head out to Marcello Stadium to see what could be a hard-hitting battle.


Date of game: Nov. 5


Last year’s result: 37-13 Vandebilt

9. Terrebonne at South Lafourche – These teams are not friends. Not even close. Every year the Tigers and Tarpons get together, it’s a fierce, usually low-scoring game with plenty of big hits and good, clean big-game adrenaline. Nothing figures to be too different this Friday with the teams meet again.


Date of game: Friday


Last year’s result: South Lafourche 17-13

8. Patterson at Berwick – The Patterson/Berwick rivalry has faded a tad in recent years with Patterson’s dominance and Berwick’s struggles. But throw out the record books when these teams play, because they don’t necessarily like one another. Expect another fierce ballgame from these cross town rivals to close out the season.


Date of game: Nov. 5


Last year’s result: 55-23 Patterson

7. Vandebilt at Morgan City – Vandebilt is handicapped in terms of district rivalries, because they play their biggest rival, E.D. White in pre-district play. So with no one else to turn to, the Terriers take out their anger on their closest district neighbor, Morgan City. In recent years, this game has been a mismatch, but Morgan City would love nothing more than to upset their closest district neighbor and prove they can compete with their parish neighbors to the east.


Date of game: Oct. 22

Last year’s result: 36-6 Vandebilt

6. South Lafourche at Thibodaux – You know you have some awesome rivalries in your area when Thibodaux and South Lafourche rank No. 6. The storyline here is simple: Southern Lafourche natives think the parish’s biggest town (Thibodaux) gets all the attention in both parish politics and athletics. Thibodaux natives think South Lafourche fans are uneducated whiners. It’s a big brother/little brother rivalry that is fierce both on the field and off with fans going back and forth all season.

Date of game: Oct. 29

Last year’s result: 24-6 South Lafourche

5. E.D. White at Patterson – Most people think that cross-town rivals like Morgan City and Berwick are Patterson’s biggest rivals. Not according to former Lumberjacks standout, turn New Orleans Saints halfback Dalton Hilliard. Hilliard said he always looked forward most to the E.D. White game, because of the “intensity of the hits,” and the “close, down to the wire,” games that would always come as a result of the team’s competitiveness. This year figures to be no different as both teams look to make playoff pushes in Class 3A.

Date of game: Oct. 15

Last year’s result: 17-14 E.D. White

4. Thibodaux at Central Lafourche – Anytime you get two Lafourche Parish schools together, you’re in for a fight, because of how dearly they love their football. This rivalry is no different. This isn’t the magnitude of South Lafourche and Central Lafourche, but it’s pretty close. This one is well worth the price of admission every, single year. With a Thursday night kickoff this year, this will be the only game on the schedule for that day, so go check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Date of game: Oct. 7

Last year’s result: 20-15 Central Lafourche

3. Terrebonne at South Terrebonne – Like South Lafourche and Thibodaux, this one has that little brother/big brother feel to it. The Gators don’t like the “big brother,” Terrebonne. The Tigers want to stomp on their rivals and keep the supposed “little man” down. They don’t get a whole lot better than this one. And with the district title possibly being on the line in this year’s matchup, expect more of the same.

Date of game: Oct. 22

Last year’s result: 24-12 South Terrebonne

2. H.L. Bourgeois at Terrebonne – These guys share a stadium throughout the season. And with that, they share pure, 100 percent hatred toward one another. Houma supremacy is always on the line when these teams play. And like a coach once told me, “If Terrebonne loses every other game, but beats H.L. Bourgeois, and vice versa, then they’ve had a great season.” With the playoffs coming the week after this game, it’s always a challenge to not empty the team’s gas tank on their rivals. But either way, it will be a playoff atmosphere when the Tigers and Braves go head-to-head one more time.

Date of game: Nov. 5

Last year’s result: 23-14 Terrebonne

1. Central Lafourche at South Lafourche – This rivalry is so nice, we got to see it twice last year. South and Central Lafourche met twice last year, once in the regular season and once in the playoffs with the Tarpons coming on top both times. But make no mistake about it, last year means nothing when these teams get together. In every sport and at all times, this is a huge rivalry. Whether you’re a player, a fan, a cheerleader or just a casual fan, you can feel the tension between the two sides in this ballgame, which has historically divided a parish and sometimes divides households in half.

Date of game: Nov. 5

Last year’s results: South Lafourche 21-3 (regular season) and 45-14 (playoffs)