Tigers roar: Terrebonne cruises past Ellender in Week 2 blowout

Week 3 marks local rivalry matchups
September 16, 2019
Jenkins continues to soar past opposing defenses
September 16, 2019
Week 3 marks local rivalry matchups
September 16, 2019
Jenkins continues to soar past opposing defenses
September 16, 2019

For two weeks, Terrebonne coaches and players had to hear the question: “What’s wrong?”


On Friday night, they got to answer loudly and proudly showing that they’re still firmly in the mix when it comes to crowning local powers.

The Tigers demolished Ellender 60-0 on Friday night, scoring their first victory of the season after a tie in the jamboree against E.D. White and a Week 1 loss against Jesuit.

Tigers coach Gary Hill didn’t deny it. He said his team has heard all of the whispers and has felt a little bit of added pressure.


On Friday, he said the team was able to fight back and unite, putting together a full 48-minute performance that overwhelmed the Patriots from start to finish.

“I didn’t think we played as good as we could play — both in the jamboree and in the first game,” Hill said. “I thought finally we were able to settle in and just be ourselves. The expectations and the chatter and all of those things don’t matter when you’re under the lights and an opponent is in front of you. I thought the kids needed to just settle down a little bit and I thought we did a good job of that and it surely felt good to win.”

Terrebonne led just about every second of the game.


Senior Jakhi Douglas took the opening kick to the house to put the Tigers up 7-0. After that, the floodgates broke.

Terrebonne’s defense kept Ellender off balance and out of rhythm and with possession, the Tigers scored, leading 31-0 at halftime, thanks to several touchdown passes from new quarterback Ryan Williams.

Justin Navy also had a scoring run in the early onslaught.


Hill said he thought Williams was a huge difference maker in the game — a big part of why the Tigers had a strong offensive showing.

Williams was late to gain his eligibility, joining the team on the week of the jamboree after a transfer from Ellender.

He’s starting to learn the offense a little more now and his ability to hit passes down the field is freeing up Douglas in the receiving game and is also opening up Terrebonne’s run game.


“We’re able to get some of those bodies out of the box and off the line of scrimmage a little bit now, and that’s helped us,” Hill said. “When we can be more balanced, it’s going to help our offense and I think we’re starting to get a little bit of that more as Ryan is starting to get more comfortable.”

In the second half, the script was pretty much the same.

Ellender made attempts to score, but Terrebonne thwarted those attempts, then took the ball and scored themselves.


Hill said he was so proud of his defense — a group that’s starting to gel. Hill said he thought the Tigers played well in the 2nd half against Jesuit, then locked down the Patriots.

“I thought it was a really good effort,” Hill said. “I thought up front, we were solid and our linebackers and defensive backs made plays and did some nice things, as well.”

Doniver Harris scored in the second half for Terrebonne on a run — the first score for the Tigers.


Then Williams hit Douglas on a strike which mostly called off the dogs and sent both teams to play reserves for the final minutes.

SPECIAL TEAMS WOES PLAGUE ELLENDER

An old bug bit Ellender hard on Friday night.


All offseason, coach David McCormick said the Patriots have to be better in special teams — a problem that’s plagued the team in the past couple of seasons.

The Tigers ran a kick back for a touchdown and also scored on a muffed punt snap.

The game wasn’t close, sure. But later in the season, the Patriots will be in close, competitive games and handing away 14 free points won’t cut it.


“That’s an area we want to get better,” McCormick said earlier this offseason. “We can’t have those types of plays. We can’t have the blocked kick. We can’t have the bad snap. Those are momentum plays and those kill you in a football game.

TROJANS, TIGERS STAY UNDEFEATED

Our local Class 5A district is loaded, folks.


Terrebonne won on Friday to get to 1-1, while both Thibodaux and Central Lafourche scored wins to jump up to 2-0.

The Tigers beat South Lafourche 12-3 in a defensive struggle, while Central Lafourche dismantled Franklin 56-16.

Both teams are now 2-0 on the year, though the styles with which they won on Friday were different.


The Tigers were all defense.

Thibodaux turned over the ball five times on Friday and have now turned it over 11 times this season — a stat that’s causing coach Chris Dugas’ hair to turn grey.

But it’s only not falling out of his head altogether because for a second-straight week, his defense has bailed out the offense with a stout performance.


On Friday, the Tigers held South Lafourche to just more than 50 yards of total offense.

“They were lights out,” Dugas said. “We give a player of the week every week and this week, we said all 11 of those guys deserved to win it. It was a total team effort by those guys.”

The Trojans’ were all offense.


Against Franklin, halfback Deon Jenkins continued to be a monster, rushing for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns for a second-straight week.

Menard said Jenkins’ early-season run is inspiring. The play of the team’s offensive line has been, too.

“He’s been fantastic,” Menard said. “And the line has been there supporting him and opening up those holes.”


The Tigers will take on McDonogh 35 on Friday, while the Tarpons take on Central Lafourche.

LOCAL CLASS 5A SCOREBOARD

Terrebonne 60, Ellender 0


Thibodaux 12, South Lafourche 3

E.D. White 28, H.L. Bourgeois 7

Destrehan 48, Walker 21


St. James 30, East St. John 13

Hahnville 34, Mandeville 13