Ariel Lynn Guidry
November 11, 2008
Southern Smith
November 13, 2008
The South Terrebonne Gators cannot guarantee a victory at every home game in Memorial Stadium.
However, they are assured that they will never go home hungry.
That is because for the past 10 seasons, a group of parents and Gator alumni, who simply call themselves “Tailgating,” has prepared post-games meals for the players, coaches, band members, cheerleaders, Gatorettes drill squad and anybody else who stops by for a bite.
“Win, lose, or draw, everybody eats,” said Ernest Stoufflet, 60, an original Tailgating founder and president of the Gator Club, South Terrebonne’s athletic booster organization, for the past four years. “The referees get a plate with a sampling of everything after the game. We also feed the paramedics who stand by during the game and the sheriff’s deputies who do security.”
The team dines on a usual menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage, jambalaya, tamales, desserts and snacks. On cold nights, gumbo is served.
For the homecoming game against South Lafourche (Sept 26), the Tailgating cooks prepared a pre-game meal of rib-eye steaks served at 3:00 p.m.
“We got here about 10:30, 11:00 (a.m.) to fire up the pit,” said Jan Rodgers, Gator Club vice president and Tailgating cook. “After we finished the steaks, we started cooking for that night’s game.”
Although many of those involved with Tailgating are members of the Gator Club, Tailgating is not a part of the Gator Club.
“It’s come to our attention that some members have said, ‘I don’t pay my dues so they can go party,'” said Stoufflet, Gators class of 1967. “We had to correct them. This does not cost the club a cent. Everything here is donated by a sponsor or a person.”
Tailgating has sponsors Coastal Wire Rope, which donated a large barbecue pit and the platform that sits on the Memorial Stadium track runway during football season, The Wood Group, which donated a secondary barbecue pit, South Louisiana Bank’s Bourg branch and Terrebonne Parish Councilman Peter Lambert (District 9).
The group also has an anonymous donor who will continue to donate money as long as they feed the band after home games.
According to Stoufflet, the origin behind Tailgating started with a conversation between him and Gators’ head football coach Richard Curlin.
“Coach Curlin said he had players who played for him for four years, and he never met their parents,” Stoufflet said. “We decided to change that.”
With good food on their plates, it is common to find coaches, parents and students mingling for 30 minutes to over an hour after a Gators’ game.
“We have nothing to gain except being around these kids and keeping them here for a little while after the game,” Rodgers said. “The parents get to talk to the coaches. The kids aren’t running out to Pizza Hut and Burger King.”
“It’s a big family out here,” Stoufflet said. “Everybody is free to tell us what they want and we’ll cook it up.”
Chauvin native Jay Duplantis, 48, STHS class of 1978, has been with Tailgating for about six years and has become the main cook on the Coastal Wire pit.
“I just kind of nudged my way into this, and whether they like it or not, I’ve taken control of most of the grilling,” Duplantis said.
The only thing different about what Tailgating does and other tailgaters is they don’t drink alcohol on school grounds.
“That’s a good thing,” Stoufflet said. “I have too much fun as it is.”
“I don’t think it gets any better than this – giving back to your school and having everybody enjoy what you do,” Stoufflet said. “The kids know us, so when they take the field and the smell from the pit drifts toward them, they’re like, ‘Mr. Ernest, what you cooking tonight?’ or, ‘I want that, Mr. Ernest.'”
As the Gators’ home schedule came to an end, the tailgating crew cleaned its mess and was already thinking about the fall of 2009.
“The bad thing is when the season ends, it’s nine months before we can get back out here,” Rodgers said. “But if another sport wants to do a special one-day thing, like senior day or something, we’ll be more than happy to do it. “
At the Gators’ final home game of the season, Tailgating originals Carol Bascle (left) and Jan Rodgers prepare post-game hamburgers for all to enjoy. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
