Bourgeois winning with ‘Wing-T’

(Posted Nov. 7, 2006)

To area football fans, it is no secret why H.L. Bourgeois has had success in District 6-5A action over the past two seasons. Last year, the Braves won the district title, and this season they finished second — their lone district loss coming to No. 5 ranked South Terrebonne.

The main reason for H.L Bourgeois’ success has been head coach Randy Boquet’s successful implementation of the Wing-T offense. “The players believe in it, and they execute it exceptionally well,” he said. “It’s been very, very good to us.”

The system, which has been used for years by area teams like South Terrebonne and St. James, is based on misdirection plays that keep defenses guessing where the ball is. “It gives you an opportunity to flash the ball to certain positions on every play,” explained Boquet. “On every play it gives you a chance to attack various areas of the field.

“So it makes the defense stay honest on any play. With the same type of backfield action, we can be throwing the ball, running the ball inside or running the ball outside,” he said.

Still, the various options are only as effective as the players executing them. And Boquet says, starting with the offensive line, execution has not been a problem for his team. “You can have some of the best backs in the world,” he said, “but if you don’t have an offensive line to move people out of the way, you’re not going to move the football.”

The coach described his offensive line as “machine-like” when executing. “I’ll be honest with you,” he said, “it’s fun to watch them on tape. They do a great job of … blocking on angles and just executing our offense. Regardless of what you can say about the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, we will go where our offensive line is going to take us.

“And these last couple of weeks, they’ve taken us a good bit,” Boquet said, referencing the Braves outscoring their last three opponents, 127-28.

But throughout the entire season the line has paved the way for backs Christian Williams, Jeremy Lagarde, Caleb Williams and Travis Watts. According to the coach, each back brings unique abilities to the Braves’ offensive attack.

“We’ve got two ‘Brave Backs’ that we’ve used this year, in (sophomore) Jeremy Lagarde and (senior) Travis Watts,” explained Boquet. “Both of those kids bring similar things to the table. On any given play they can run you over and get you four tough, physical, hardnosed yards. But at the same time, if they get a crease, they can take it 20 or 30 yards. They bring a lot of power with them, but they have deceptive speed as well.”

And while Watts and Lagarde provide power, Christian Williams is the team’s big-play back. “You’re talking about speed, finesse, quickness,” said Boquet. “He’s lightning in a bottle. He can make you miss, and he can run right by you. He’s a game breaker.”

Caleb Williams is a sophomore whom Boquet says has impressed him with his work ethic. “He’s the youngest, as far as playing time. But I’ve really been impressed with his work ethic. His game, especially his blocking, has come a long way, and I’m very proud of his progress so far,” the coach said.

This season, H.L. Bourgeois’ offensive attack has been particularly effective because of an improved passing game. The Braves are averaging 30-points per game this season, and have scored 30 or more points in four of their last five games. “Everybody knows you’re going to run the football in the Wing-T, but if you can run it and throw it … that makes for a very potent offense,” the coach said.

He noted the Braves are in the neighborhood of 800 to 1,000 passing yards this season, an accomplishment that he calls “spectacular in the Wing-T.”

A key to the Braves prowess through the air has been sophomore quarterback Evan Ingram. “He’s progressed so rapidly in his development over this season,” praised Boquet. “Potentially, he’s a very special player. He’s got a tremendous arm, and he’s showing flashes of great leadership.”

Boquet’s experience with the Wing-T offense dates back roughly nine years, when he was a defensive coach at South Terrebonne. “I coached against it, everyday,” he said. “When I first got here, my pride wouldn’t allow me to try it. I wanted to run my own offense.”

The coach tried to run an I-type offense, but the required blocking schemes were unsuccessful against bigger River Parish teams like Destrehan, East St. John and Hahnville. “It wasn’t very successful,” he said. “We had some success, but we realized we just didn’t see it being successful year-in and year-out with that style of offense.

“Whereas the Wing-T, if you have one good back every year, it gives you a chance. If you’ve got two good backs, it gives you a better chance. If you’ve got three good backs, you really have potential to have a very explosive offense, and I feel like we’ve got three really good backs,” he said.

And with the offensive line paving the way, the Braves are hoping their stable of running backs can lead the way for extended success — starting with a 2006 playoff run.

Junior Christian Williams has led an H.L. Bourgeois rushing attack that has keyed the Braves’ success over the past two seasons. The Braves’ Wing-T system has led them to a combined 10-1 district record the last two years. Staff photo by Matt LeBlanc € Tri-Parish Times