Finally at home, Vandy loses 47-33 to Terrebonne

After two hard-fought road games to start the season, the Vandebilt Catholic Terriers were eager for their first home football game Friday against the Terrebonne Tigers.

Buddy Marcello Stadium was packed beyond capacity as the roar of the crowd and the smell of mesquite from barbeque grills filled the night air.

It had been one month since Hurricane Gustav blew through the campus and damaged the fieldhouse, weight room and coaching offices.

The stadium survived with only a few lights and signs falling down.

Fortunately, neither players nor coaches suffered heavy losses due to Gustav or Hurricane Ike. But the pace of recovery has become an irritant.

“It’s taken a while to get everything back,” said Vandebilt assistant principal and head football coach Walter Dupre. “The hazard response team had to come and pull up all the carpeting and the ceiling tiles. We don’t have a floor in there. We’ve been working out of my house on weekends because it’s too much of a hassle in there. We’re slowly piecing it together, and I think this weekend we’ll actually work in the coaching office. We’ll finally be at full strength this weekend at our facilities.”

The players were mentally ready for football once practices resumed in mid-September, but physically, the two weeks away got many of them out of game shape.

“Our momentum slowed down a lot,” senior defensive lineman Ed Dupont. “After we played those scrimmages against E.D. White and Assumption, we were pumped. Since the hurricanes came, it just slowed us down.”

Despite the obstacles, the timing seemed perfect to have the Terriers’ home debut.

“To have our first home game also be homecoming is going to make it that much more exciting,” said senior tight end Jonathan Martin. “LSU has a bye week too, so we got a lot of alumni coming in from Baton Rouge to see us play.”

With a last-minute 21-17 loss to Central Lafourche and a thrilling 46-40 come-from-behind OT victory over Holy Cross under their belt, Dupre hoped his younger players understood what it takes to win.

“We played with a lot of inexperienced guys and they weren’t in game shape,” he said. “That first game was a real learning experience for them. It helped them get the mindset of what you need to do in a football game to be successful.”

Vandebilt (1-2) ripped through Terrebonne (2-1, 1-0) last year, winning 65-28.

But it only took one play for the Tigers to show how far they had come in their 47-33 victory over the Terriers Friday night.

On the Tigers’ first offensive play, senior tailback Darrious Neville (16 carries, 113 yards) took the pitch around the right side for a 68-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead 18 seconds into the game.

“We knew defensively, they were fast and aggressive and like to pursue the ball,” said Tiger head coach Gary Hill. “We had to find a way to use that against them. Tonight, we able get outside on them.”

Vandebilt’s first possession seemed to end on an interception in the end zone by Tiger safety Brad Usie, but a defensive holding penalty negated the play.

On the next snap, Terrier senior tailback Curtis Welch (30 carries, 157 yards) plowed for a 5-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

The Tigers ended the first quarter leading 20-7 on 5 and 1-yard touchdown runs by Neville.

The point-after attempt for the second touchdown was blocked.

Forced to punt on their first drive of the second quarter, Terrier punter Hunter Haydel had to snatch a high snap from going over his head.

Hoping to avoid the rush, Haydel zigged left, right and up the middle for a 63-yard touchdown run to cut Vandebilt’s deficit to 20-14 at the 10:42 mark.

“I would like to take credit for that play, but he pulled it down and did what he’s capable of doing,” Dupre said. “He’s a good athlete and he found creases to run through.”

Terrebonne answered with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Neil Robertson (7-of-8, 136 yards) to Darion Jones. The PAT was botched, leaving the Tigers up 26-14 at the 6:18 mark.

Vandebilt would capitalize on two Tiger turnovers to take the lead going into halftime.

Three plays after recovering a Robertson fumble on the Tigers’ 19-yard line, Welch sprinted around the left sideline for a 9-yard touchdown, making the score 26-21.

The Tigers fumbled the following kickoff, which Vandebilt recovered. Five plays later, Vandebilt quarterback Brannon Thompson (4-for-6, 27 yards) scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown, putting the Terriers up 27-26 with 4.5 seconds left in the half. The ensuing two-point attempt failed.

“We fell behind and we were able to scratch back and take advantage of some of their mistakes,” Dupre said. “But, we made a few of our own, so they were able to scratch back and take the lead and hold it.”

With 7:55 in the third quarter, the Tigers decided to go for it on 4th and 9 at the Terriers’ 27-yard line. Robertson floated a high arching pass that found wide receiver Sheldon Lamark in the back of the end zone for the score. Robertson converted the two-point attempt to put Terrebonne up 34-27.

Both squads got defensive as they went 12 minutes of game time without scoring.

But with 6:46 in the fourth quarter and 4th and goal at the 1-yard line, Welch bowled his way for the touchdown.

Terrier kicker Michael Blanchard missed the point after attempt leaving Vandebilt behind 34-33.

Robertson took a quarterback keeper around the left side for a 34-yard touchdown run, putting Terrebonne up 41-33 with 2:40 left in the game.

Vandebilt seemed to be heading for a potential game-tying drive just as it did a week earlier against Holy Cross.

However, an illegal substitution penalty negated a 40-yard pass play from Thompson to Stephen Martinez.

After turning the ball over on downs, Robertson took another sweep over the left side – this time for a 38-yard score to seal the Tigers’ win.

“We ran the bootleg to burn time off the clock, but there was defender there, so he ran it in,” Hill said. “Had somebody been there, he would have got down and forced them to burn a timeout.”

“It’s one of those games where it’s exciting for the fans,” Dupre said. “Personally, I prefer a few that are a little more dull where we are in control throughout.”

This is the first time Terrebonne has won consecutive games since October 2005.

“This week I thought we practiced a little light, but maybe they are maturing,” Hill said. “They’re not making excuses when they mess up. They’re not putting their heads down. They say ‘That’s my fault. I got to make up for it. This is my responsibility.’ That’s what I’m proudest of them for.”

Dupre hopes his younger players use this game as a learning tool for this Friday’s opponent, the Belle Chasse Cardinals.

“Belle Chasse runs a similar spread, wide open offense. So we’re going to look at this film and see where things didn’t go right and make the correct adjustments.”

The Tigers’ defense encircled Vandebilt’s Dexter Smith (1) all night in their 47-33 victory Friday. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF