Despite lost starters, SL sees ’10 as reloading, not rebuilding

The South Lafourche football team tasted success in 2009. Now, they’re ready to order seconds.

After winning just 11 games combined from 2004-2008, the Tarpons turned things around and went 9-1 last season.

And despite virtually every starter from that team being gone, South Lafourche’s new senior class sees no reason why the winning tradition cannot continue in coach Terry Farmer’s second season in Galliano.

“I think we’ve got a lot more here than what people think we actually do have,” said Tarpons’ senior linebacker Justin Lasseigne. “I think people are putting us away because we don’t have so many returning starters, but we’re still coming out with some good depth and plenty of quality players.”

Quality players will be needed for the winning to continue in the football-starved South Lafourche area, as the Tarpons return just four starters off last year’s team.

Gone are Rusty Borne, Mark Mayberry, Rafe Plaisance, Jesse Adams and Cameron Esponge.

In this year are going to be returning starters Lasseigne and halfback Justin Galjour, as well as new starters like junior defensive back Bruce Lee, senior tight end/defensive end Jarrett Gilliam and junior quarterback Seth Griffin.

“I don’t think it’s really so much of a rebuilding year, as it is like we’re reloading,” Lee said.

Senior defensive end Jared Billiot agreed and said learning from last year’s huge, 31-player senior class will help ease the transition when the season rolls around this fall.

“We’ve got a group of kids who are young, but they’re also football experienced because we’ve all spent time on the scout team, so we all know what’s going on,” Billiot said. “And with Coach Farmer here, everyone is involved with him, so we’re going to try and be just as good this year and we think we can do it.”

Offensively is where the Tarpons have spent a lot of their time throughout the early portion of summer practices.

With Borne gone, the Tarpons are being asked to replace more than 20 touchdowns.

But Farmer said the unit, led by Galjour and Eymard, has shown promise and could become the strength of the team this year.

“Offensively, we’re pretty set,” he said. “We’ve found some young linemen willing to work hard and fit into some spots.”

On defense, the Tarpons’ depth chart isn’t quite as settled yet, because of the early restrictions on when teams can have full-contact practices.

But Farmer said when the fog clears; he expects to see another unit that’s able to be formidable in District 8-5A.

South Lafourche allowed just 31 points in district games a year ago – a mark that was by far the best total in the district.

“We’ve definitely got a lot of eager bodies,” Farmer said. “The kids are definitely working hard. There’s no question about that.”

This year will mark Farmer’s second season at South Lafourche. After last year’s 9-1 turnaround, the coach would probably have won a poll of the most popular South Lafourche citizen.

But he knows nothing that happened last year matters when the ball is kicked off for the first time in 2010.

“The second year’s always tough,” he said. “The honeymoon’s over – for better or worse – the honeymoon’s over. We’ve got to put a foothold on the things we need to do practice-wise to get these kids ready to do this again.”

South Lafourche opens the season Sept. 3 at home against Warren Easton – a team the Tarpons beat, 17-6, a year ago.

But in addition to playing 10 opponents, Farmer and the players know that the Tarpons are also playing against expectations.

Just like the team wants more success, the Tarpon faithful now expect it.

“We don’t want to be the team that goes down as a letdown,” Lee said. “We want to continue the legacy.”

And while pushing to be the best is great, Farmer said the only way the Tarpons will accomplish what they’re capable of is if they develop their own identity.

“They’re putting a lot of pressure on themselves to try and carry on what happened last year,” he said. “But we’re very careful about making them understand that they’ve got to do the best that this team can do. They’re going to need to find leaders and do the right things in practice. From there, if you’re good enough to win the game, most times you’re going to.”

South Lafourche Tarpons

District 8-5A

Sept. 3 Warren Easton

Sept. 11 Columbia High School (Florida) at Nicholls’ Guidry Stadium

Sept. 17 @ E.D. White

Sept. 24 @ Vandebilt

Oct. 1 Terrebonne*

Oct. 8 @ South Terrebonne*

Oct. 15 H.L. Bourgeois*

Oct. 22 @ Assumption*

Oct. 29 @ Thibodaux*

Nov. 5 Central Lafourche*

* Denotes district game

Coach: Terry Farmer

Assistant Coaches: Jared

Landrum, Scott Sanamo, Tommy Gisclair, Nessie Pierce, Billy Gillis, Eric Howard, Charlie Comeaux, Thad Matherne, Lonnie Griffin

Record Last Season: 10-2

Returning Starters: 2 on offense, 2 on defense

Players to Watch: Linebacker Justin Lasseigne, halfback Justin Galjour, defensive end Jared Billiot, quarterback Seth Griffin

Primary Strength: Size on offensive and defensive line

Fun FACTS

11: The number of wins South Lafourche had from 2004-08

10: The number of wins South Lafourche had last year alone (includes playoff win)

8: The number of times the Tarpons’ defense held opponents to 10 points or less last year

South Lafourche’s most experienced returnees (from left) Bruce Lee, Jared Billiot, Jarrett Gilliam, Justin Lasseigne, Justin Galjour and Seth Griffin say they are excited about the new season. CASEY GISCLAIR TRI-PARISH TIMES