Bourgeois unveils sleek backfield

H.L. Bourgeois’ 2007 backfield will feature two sports cars and a bulldozer.

All three were on display Friday night as part of the Braves spring intrasquad scrimmage at Tom B. Smith Stadium.

The Blue Team defeated the Gray Team 18-12, with the speed of Christian and Caleb Williams and brute force of Jeremy Lagarde taking center stage.

Christian Williams led all runners with 94 yards and a touchdown in the Gray Team’s loss, but Caleb Williams and Lagarde combined for just under 100 yards and two touchdown runs apiece for the Blue Team.

“In my opinion, I think we’re going to potentially have the best speed in the state,” said H. L. Bourgeois coach Randy Boquet. “Christian Williams is an explosive player who has got uncanny vision and deceptive speed. When you’re playing against him, he’s got another gear that a lot of guys don’t have. And then we’ve got Caleb Williams who just placed at the state track meet. But then the other thing is we have the Lagarde kid at fullback who will punch you in the face and run by you.”

It was Lagarde’s 4-yard scamper in the waning seconds of the fourth-quarter that cemented the victory for the Blue Team in a game that generated a lot of enthusiasm for an offseason exhibition.

“We decided to go intrasquad for the first time in a couple of years, and it’s amazing to me the intensity and pride these kids displayed,” said Boquet, who led the Braves to a 6-5 finish last year. “They didn’t want to lose to their teammates.”

Christian Williams broke a scoreless tie early in the second quarter with a 7-yard run that put Gray ahead, 6-0. Blue answered minutes later when quarterback Evan Ingram connected with Kerry Guidry on a 31-yard touchdown strike to notch the score at 6-6 going into the half.

“Our passing game adds a whole other dimension to our offense,” Boquet said. “The big-play ability through the air is what Evan Ingram brings to our offense.”

Ingram’s backup, Clark Bergeron, helped Gray recapture the lead with a 1-yard run midway through the third.

Caleb Williams jetted 52-yards up the sideline in the fourth to tie the game at 12 before Lagarde put Blue ahead for good.

Boquet’s offense will likely operate under the Wing T formation next season.

“If you can run the football in the wing t, you’re going to win some football games,” he said. “But if you can run the football, and throw the football in the wing t, you’re going to give a lot of people a lot of problems.”

Boquet was generally pleased with his defense, which forced a few fumbles and accumulated a few sacks. But he also saw room for improvement.

“We had some kids step up and make some plays defensively,” Boquet said. “(Linebacker) Kaylon Nixon stepped up and made a couple of good plays. But our defensive execution wasn’t really crisp. Our tackling wasn’t really crisp.

“Of course, there’s always room for improvement, and some things we need to work on, on both sides of the ball.”

H.L. Bourgeois kicks off its 2007 campaign at the South Terrebonne Jamboree on Aug. 24. The Braves open their regular season against at home against Class 1A runner-up St. John of Plaquemine on Aug. 31.