Same face … New places? Houma Christian hopes continuity breeds 2014 wins
August 26, 2014Standouts define 2014 prep slate: Pay attention to the following players in ’14
August 26, 2014
By CASEY GISCLAIR
casey@tri-parishtimes.com
The South Lafourche High School football team finished the 2013 regular season with a 5-5 record, which was just enough to get to the Class 5A State Playoffs for the second-straight season.
But had the ball bounced differently a few times a year ago, the Tarpons believe that they could have been 7-3, if not better – something that would have enabled the team to have a better seed in postseason play.
Winning the close ones is something on the minds of the Tarpons this year as they fine-tune their skills on the warm practice fields in Galliano.
With a new starting quarterback and the team’s 2013 signal caller now doubling at receiver and defensive back, the Tarpons think they have found the mix that best enables their team a shot at winning the title in the brutal Bayou District.
“We like to say that last year, we were eight plays away from 7-3,” Tarpons senior center Bryce Guidry said. “We just have to clean up those mistakes, and we’ll be OK. We had a good summer and we’ve had great practices. I think this will be a good year. It’s my last one, so we’re ready to go out kicking and screaming.”
“Last year, we had a few things stop us from winning as many games as we’d have liked, but I think we’re ready to take it back this season,” senior defensive tackle Marval Bourgeois added. “It’s not going to be easy, but we think we have what it takes.”
Offensively, the Tarpons have a lot of the same pieces off last year’s unit that averaged 36.6 points per game in district play last season.
Some of the pieces are just in new positions this year.
Junior quarterback Harvey Allen returns after a solid sophomore year and will take over under center for his first year as a starter, replacing 2013’s starter Dominick Fillinich.
Allen was a slot back last year who developed a bigger role as the year progressed. As a quarterback, Allen is a dual threat that will help South Lafourche’s offense have big-play ability, something the team lacked in some games last year. In the Tarpons’ first scrimmage against H.L. Bourgeois, the junior signal caller showed that ability when he took the opening play of the scrimmage 80 yards to the house, setting the tempo for South Lafourche’s 13-0 win.
“He’s like lightning in a bottle,” Bourgeois said. “He’s unbelievable. He’ll be a big help to us.”
“One guy can’t take him down,” Guidry added. “If you try and tackle him with one guy, it’s not going to work most times. I’ve seen it myself.”
But South Lafourche coach Dennis Skains emphasized throughout a 10-plus-minute interview that giving Allen the job wasn’t a demotion to Fillinich, but was instead an opportunity to allow the Tarpons’ former quarterback to shine in a new role.
Fillinich will now be one of the team’s top receivers, joining junior Shakerrin Dillon – another player that has looked solid in camp. In addition to his offensive duties, Fillinich will play in the secondary on defense, settling into a role as one of the best ball-hawking playmakers on the team.
Senior receiver Tony Bailey and Audie Pitre will also make plays in what’s become a four-deep receiving corps.
“We believe in our heart of hearts that (Fillinich) would have had a damn good season back there if we needed him to (play quarterback),” Skains said. “It’s just now we get to put him in a spot where we can use him two ways. At quarterback, we couldn’t have used him as much. He’s a special athlete. He has instincts back there in the secondary that are just unreal. It’s a decision that didn’t come without a lot of thought. We think having him on both sides of the ball make us better because he’s a special, special kind of player.”
One hole South Lafourche will have to fill offensively is at halfback where the team graduated bruising power back Jake Williams after last season. Williams missed the first half of 2013, but was a terror in the back-half of the season, sparking South Lafourche’s late-season run.
Senior Sean Bouzigard is one of the bodies who will be asked to fill that void. He said he knows that it’s naïve to expect to replace a player the caliber of Williams.
“I know I have big shoes to fill, because Jake was awesome,” Bouzigard said. “But I just need to go out, work hard and hit the holes. If I do that, I think it’ll be a good year.”
The good news for Bouzigard is that there should be plenty of holes to hit, as the Tarpons return a slew of linemen from last year – players who are now bigger and stronger in 2014.
Guidry leads the Tarpons’ line, which will also receive contributions from juniors Blayne Kiff, Richard Lopez, Brody Cheramie and Brandon Whitney, among others.
Skains said Guidry is the heart and soul of his team, commanding the offense from the center position. He added that the juniors around him provide size and strength the team didn’t have last year.
“We’re so much bigger than we were a year ago,” Skains said. “When you look at our line, both offensive and defensive, it’s really like night and day. I think we’re going to really enjoy that luxury and take advantage of that size that we have this year.”
Guidry agreed with his coach’s sentiments and said that South Lafourche will have a better offensive line in 2014 than they did in 2013. When one considers that the Tarpons graduated massive 6-foot, 7-inch Bailey Granier, that’s a bold statement.
Granier signed with Vanderbilt out of high school and is slated to begin his SEC career this week.
“I think that it’s like night and day – honestly,” Guidry said. “I think that we will be able to push a lot of people back this year. I thought last year, it was kind of hit or miss. Some games we were solid, but many we weren’t. I think this year, we’ll be able to do a much better job at keeping our style imposed in a game.
Defensively, Bourgeois and Fillinich are two players that factor to help make South Lafourche among the stingiest teams in the area in terms of allowing points.
But the supporting cast isn’t devoid of talent, either.
Skains said juniors Jacob Jackson and Charlie Smith will start up-front alongside Bourgeois. Joining them in the middle will be Vince Liner, who will take the second interior position on the Tarpons’ defensive line.
“We feel like we have five-to-six kids who can play on that front four, and everyone knows that the game starts right there, so we’re fortunate,” Skains said.
“We’re deep,” Bourgeois added. “We have a lot of guys who can make plays. I think people will be surprised at the depth we have. I don’t think we’ll be tired because we have so many guys we can swap in and out.”
At linebacker, South Lafourche returns Matt Richardel – one of their top playmakers from last year’s defense.
And in the secondary, Fillinich will roam free as a safety – a role that will allow him to create havoc.
“They look good,” Guidry said of the Tarpons’ defense. “I think Dominick back there helps because it’s ridiculous how good of an athlete he is. I think we’ll be better on defense and will get back to being nasty and physical on that side of the ball.”
But for the Tarpons, it’s all about progressing and winning the close ones this time around. With the roster looking glittered with talent, everyone involved believes that 2014 will be a big year.
The Tarpons have now gotten used to the playoffs, having been there two-straight seasons.
Now, the goal is to win a game while there.
If they do, it’d be the first-ever win for Skains as a prep football head coach, as this is his third season with the team.
South Lafourche quarterback Harvey Allen fires a pass during a practice this fall. Allen is one of many players the Tarpons are excited about in the 2014 season. South Lafourche opens on Sept. 5 against Landry/Walker.
