Houma Christian wants another playoff push
August 29, 2013
After struggling on defense in ’12, Gators expect progress
August 29, 2013
How does a prep football team replace 2,094 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns and the greatest big-play threat that this area has seen in years?
That’s the question Vandebilt Catholic is asking itself this fall as it prepares to play its first games without iconic quarterback Elijah McGuire, who has graduated and taken his talents to UL-Lafayette.
So far in practice, Terriers’ coach Brad Villavaso said the formula seems clear – no one player will fill the void.
It’s up to the team’s depth to fill McGuire’s shoes.
“We lost a lot of offense in one guy,” Villavaso said. “But one guy doesn’t make a team – he can just make a team better. Our guys understand that everybody’s going to have to step up. They know that no one guy is going to replace Elijah McGuire. But our guys feel real comfortable about the fact that it’s going to take everyone for us to have another great year.”
Offensively, the Terriers lose McGuire and his big play ability under center.
But Villavaso believes McGuire’s replacement will land in the lineup with varsity-level polish.
Junior quarterback Bailey Pere is penciled in as Vandebilt’s starter after playing sporadically last season.
Villavaso said Pere has poise and polish at the position. He added that he could have been the team’s starter last season had the decision been made to play McGuire at running back.
“He could have been a starter at this level last year,” Villavaso said. “He’s doing a great job right now. I don’t think the pressure will be too much for him. I think he’s going to have a great season.”
Around Pere, the Terriers will also return junior halfback Gage Corte and senior tight end Chase Hawthorne.
Hawthorne has drawn his coach’s attention so far this fall.
“He’s going to be a dominating force for us this year at that position,” Villavaso said.
Up front, the Terriers coach said All-State tackle Tyler Bourque will anchor a group that also has experience.
“We have a lot of guys that really did a great job last year, but nobody was waiting for them to do anything,” Villavaso said. “I think teams forgot about them because of Elijah. But they’ll know who they are this year.”
Defensively, the Terriers return most of their front seven from the 2012 unit – a group led by linebacker Dylan Ward, who posted multiple double-digit tackle games a year ago.
“We have pretty much everyone back up front,” Villavaso said. “We will have a lot of experience there in the trenches.”
The defensive question mark for Vandebilt will come in the secondary.
Villavaso said the Terriers lost both of their starting cornerbacks and one of their starting safeties from last year’s group that sometimes struggled to defend the pass last year.
The coach said a revolving door will be in place early in the season to determine who will contribute in the secondary for the Terriers’ defense.
But he added that he thinks he has a slew of worthwhile options.
“With the mental capacity and the speed and work ethic of the kids that we have there right now, I can see us being as good in the secondary this year as we were last year,” Villavaso said.
But ultimately the biggest aid to the team’s defense may be Vandebilt’s offense and the new style that it will possess.
McGuire is gone – undoubtedly that is a massive blow for Vandebilt football.
But without his explosiveness, the team’s defense may also be able to enjoy more rest this year than they have in years past.
Vandebilt will need that against a difficult schedule that pits the Terriers against the likes of E.D. White, Thibodaux, Patterson and Brother Martin in non-district play. The Terriers will also compete in their usual district slate against South Terrebonne, Assumption, Morgan City and Ellender.
“I tell the coaches all of the time, ‘I think we’re in a position to score in eight or nine plays this year instead of in just one play,’” Villavaso said with a laugh. “If we do that, that will help our defense a little bit.
“Elijah will be missed – there’s no doubt about it. But every, single year, coaches get together at the beginning of the season and say ‘Oh, I wish I had this guy back,’ or ‘Oh, I wish I had that guy back.’ But when the next class graduates, you turn around and say the same thing about those kids, too. We miss Elijah right now because he’s a great kid and a wonderful player. But time goes on and this time next year, I promise you there will be people here talking about how much they miss a few guys on this year’s team who will have a big year for us. We had a good run last year, but it’s a new season and we can’t live on anything that happened in the past.”
