EDW riding experienced defense this year

If offense wins games and defense wins championships, E.D. White will probably be in good shape in 2011.

The Cardinals return seven starters on defense and hope to ride that experienced unit to another deep playoff run after last season’s trip to the state quarterfinals and 2009’s run to the semifinals.

“We’ve got a bunch of people returning,” free safety Bradley Clement said. “Instead of learning stuff over and over again, this year, we can do new stuff and really put in a lot more packages. That’s really a luxury we have.”

New packages for the Cardinals’ defense will likely mean headaches for opponents.

They were already pretty stout as-is, even with the run of the mill playbook.

Last season, E.D. White allowed just 11 points per game in their final seven games of the season.

“This year, we think we can be even better,” cornerback Matt Daigle said.

Joining Clement and Daigle as prominent returnees will be 250-plus-pound defensive tackle Alex Becnel, who appears prime to have another solid season in the middle for the Cardinals.

“He’s probably the best I’ve blocked against,” senior center Jordan Knight said. “Alex is just a load.”

The Cardinals’ experienced defense is a blessing in disguise, because their offense isn’t quite as lucky.

E.D. White has just three returning offensive starters and will have to replace starting quarterback Grant Chiasson, wide receiver Jacob Rodrigue and fullback Dylan Ledet, a trio that accounted for well more than half of the team’s yards last season.

How the young Cardinal playmakers respond to that transition might decide whether the season ends in success or failure. As of now, their coach said it’s too early to tell.

“We have some good days and we have some bad days,” E.D. White coach Kyle Lasseigne said. “The unknown part of it is not knowing how guys will react on Friday nights. For the most part, we execute our offense in practice, but you just never know how people will react when it’s game time. That’s always the scary part.”

Lasseigne said juniors Benton Arceneaux and Nick Falgout will compete for the starting quarterback job.

The coach said each player possesses a unique skill set and he expects to use both in situations that exploit their strengths.

“We don’t have anyone who’s the complete package like Grant Chiasson was, meaning a kid who could throw the football and run the football and also control the offense,” Lasseigne said. “But we have two guys at that position now who do a few of those things. One throws the ball well. One runs the ball well. We’re going to have to do some things to kind of replace that void.”

To make the quarterback transition a bit easier, E.D. White also returns halfback Bobby Businelle and tight end Alex Becnel.

Knight is the only returning starter on the Cardinals’ offensive line. The good news for Lasseigne is the team will fill the four available spots with plenty of beef.

“The offensive line is as big as we’ve been since I’ve been here,” Lasseigne said. “We’re probably going to average in the 250-pound range up there along that line. That’s a good place to start.”

“I was the second-biggest lineman last year,” Knight said with a laugh. “This year, I think I’m the second smallest of our five. That’ll tell you how big we are.”

That size is one reason why Clement said the Cardinals’ defense has its hands full every day at practice.

He said he expects the same thing to happen to opponents when the season rolls around.

“They give us a tough time every day. Sure, we don’t have a Dylan and we don’t have a Grant,” Clement said. “But we have some guys who can play. We’ll be just as good on offense as we were last year. We’ll get our share of points, I think.”

E.D. White’s new faces will be put to the test early and often.

The Cardinals will play Vandebilt, Assumption and Terrebonne to open the season. After those non-district appetizers, E.D. White will make its debut as a member of District 7-3A, which features the likes of St. James, St. Charles and Brusly.

The Cardinals were previously in a more local district that featured Berwick, Patterson and Franklin.

“There’s no games off this year,” Daigle said. “It’s a tough district, but we’ll be ready for it.”

Despite more travel and what appears to be tougher opponents, these inexperienced Cardinals aren’t afraid to try and fly high for a third-straight season.

“There are a lot of new faces, but I got a lot of reps with a lot of them last year and the year before,” Knight said. “I think on that side of the ball, we’ll have really good chemistry, even though it’s our first year working together. … We’ll be OK. Everything will work out just fine.”

“Last year, we kind of fell short,” Clement added. “This year, we’re looking to take it farther, to take it to the Dome, maybe.”

If defense does indeed win championships, the Cardinals have just as good a shot as any.

E.D. White Catholic Cardinals

District 7-3A

Sept. 2 vs. Vandebilt

Sept. 9 at Assumption

Sept. 16 at Terrebonne

Sept. 23 vs. South Terrebonne

Sept. 30 vs. Central Lafourche

Oct. 7 at Brusly*

Oct. 14 vs. Donaldsonville*

Oct. 21 at St. James*

Oct. 28 vs. Port Allen*

Nov. 4 at St. Charles*

* Denotes district game

Coach: Kyle Lasseigne

Assistant Coaches: Chris Bergeron, Roger Bimah, Jason Callahan, David Constant, Darin Fontz, Lance Ford, Blake Forsythe, Jeremy Robichaux, Tommy Schexnayder, Shane Trosclair

Record Last Season: 9-4

Returning Starters: 10

Players to Watch: Alex Becnel, Matt Daigle, Jordan Knight

Primary Strength: Defensive experience, winning history

Fun FACTS

8: The number of new starters E.D. White will have on offense this coming season

7: The number of games the Cardinals won by 20 or more points in 2010 with their dominant offense and stingy defense

5: The total amount of playoff wins E.D. White has in the past two seasons

Pictured from left, Matt Daigle and Bradley Clement pose inside the Cardinals’ stadium. Experienced defensive returnees like Daigle and Clement have EDW coaches excited about the team’s defense. CASEY GISCLAIR