Week 1: Scores, highlights of high school football in Tri-parish area

Week 1 news and notes in the Tri-parishes:

9: The number of turnovers defending state champion Covenant Christian had in their loss to Oak Forrest. With the game played in rain from Tropical Storm Lee, the Lions lost eight fumbles and threw one interception in defeat.

5: The number of lead changes in Thursday’s thriller between E.D. White and Vandebilt. Always a local must-see, the Cardinals won for the first time since 2005 in the annual rivalry, scoring a 30-28 win.

1: The position South Terrebonne coach Richard Curlin holds in the Gators’ record book for wins. With a season-opening win against Miller McCoy Academy, the 22-year-coach now is the school’s all-time wins leader with 117 victories.

SportsNet Week 2 Players of the Week:

Bronze: South Terrebonne halfback Jaquis Flores, Flores picked up where he left off last year, torching Miller McCoy’s defense for 193 yards on 12 carries with a touchdown to lead the Gators to a season opening victory.

Silver: Terrebonne quarterback Kendrick Boudreaux, A first-year starting quarterback, Boudreaux takes home the silver for his accolades with his legs, rather than his arm. The Tigers’ signal caller slashed for 58 and 54-yard touchdown runs to anchor Terrebonne to a win against Ellender.

Gold: Vandebilt halfback/quarterback Elijah McGuire, After taking home silver last week, it’s pretty clear to see McGuire wanted gold in week one. Still playing quarterback for Vandebilt because of an injury to the team’s starter, McGuire sliced and diced E.D. White’s defense for 251 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns. The Terrier quarterback’s efforts fell short of victory, as the Terriers were beaten by E.D. White in a thrilling 30-28 game.

The Super 6 power rankings (ranking Casey Gisclair’s six best Tri-parish teams):

1. Patterson

The Lumberjacks had a week off due to Tropical Storm Lee. Had the Lumberjacks lined up Friday, they’d have surely packed a hurricane-force punch. No way this team drops down a notch, even with a week away from action.

2. E.D. White

Despite a brand-new offense, E.D. White pushed around Vandebilt’s defense and scored a thrilling win. The Cardinals’ offense is so, so simple. But they run it to perfection, which surely makes it incredibly difficult to stop and very fun to watch.

3. South Terrebonne

Congratulations to Coach Richard Curlin for becoming the all-time wins leader at South Terrebonne High School. Coach Curlin’s a great man who is a true ambassador for local football. His 2011 team isn’t so bad, either, pounding a pesky Miller McCoy squad in their opener.

4. South Lafourche

The Tarpons hold level at No. 4, pending their results against the always-tough Destrehan Wildcats. If the Tarpons win that game, they’d shoot up to No. 2 in these rankings. If they falter, they’d shuffle down to No. 6.

5. Central Lafourche

Central Catholic struggled offensively in their season opener and only scored a three-point victory. But a lot of the Eagles’ offense is predicated on the passing game and playing in a tropical storm usually makes throwing the ball a little difficult. We expect this to be a temporary glitch in a dominant team’s season.

6. Vandebilt, Take Vandebilt’s loss to E.D. White with a grain of salt. The Terriers were without their starting quarterback Sam Lirette and also All-State linebacker Seth Ward. Heck, even their coach Laury Dupont is injured right now, still out of action from neck surgery. When 100 percent, this team will be just fine.

The E.D. White offensive line readies for a play Thursday against Vandebilt. The Cardinals pushed the Terriers around, which enabled the team to earn a hard-fought win. CASEY GISCLAIR