Terriers hope experience breeds success
September 6, 2018
Warriors want to re-gain postseason form
September 6, 2018
It’s no secret to local sports enthusiasts.
Terrebonne High School is supposed to be really good this fall.
But Tigers coach Gary Hill knows that games aren’t won on paper, so his message throughout camp has been simple: embrace expectations, but work relentlessly to prove everyone right.
The Tigers have high expectations for championship-level success in 2018 after winning 7 games last year with a young, underclassman-laden group that’s mostly back in 2018.
Hill said the team knows the hoopla surrounding them, but added that they’ve also done a good job of deflecting the noise and staying focused on their road, which will include difficult non-conference tilts, as well as the always-tough District 7-5A road.
“We tell them that we want to prove everyone right,” Hill said at Tri-Parish Media Day at TGMC. “It won’t be easy. We’re still 0-0 — just like everyone else. The expectations are nice, but they don’t make us, but they could break us if we don’t stick to what we’ve done to get ourselves to this point.”
There are weapons all over the field in Tigerland.
Offensively, Terrebonne has both Jakhi Douglas and Keshawn James at quarterback — maybe the most explosive duo in the state for Class 5A.
Douglas is a junior who has burst onto the recruiting scene heavily with a productive summer at camps around the country. He now owns offers from 20-plus power-five programs, including LSU, Alabama, Mississippi State and Florida.
But James is just as explosive. For the past two seasons, he’s been a significant playmaker for the Tigers, routinely affecting games with his arm and legs.
The guys rotate at quarterback. When one isn’t at quarterback, they are often at running back or receiver.
Hill said it makes calling plays easier when you have elite talent in the huddle. In addition to Douglas and James, the Tigers also have underlooked weapons like Chaz Ward, Treveon Johnson and Anthony Ruffin, among others.
“It’s nice,” Hill said with a laugh when asked how it feels to have so much explosiveness. “Look, people like to talk about a lot of things and yes, you do need to work hard and have teamwork and chemistry. But sometimes, a kid just has it — that rare athleticism to make a difference. We’re lucky to have a few of those right now. And they’re good kids. We know they hear it. ‘Hey, this guy had four touchdowns, but you only had two grabs for 23 yards?’ There’s no selfishness. They know that yes, someone else may get the touchdowns and the glory, but what others don’t see is that a big block by that guy with two catches may be why we scored those touchdowns. They stick together and all do their part.”
Douglas agreed and said the Tigers have a comfort offensively knowing that no matter what an opponent does to stop them, they have the playmakers to combat it and fight back.
“We know what we can do,” he said. “We believe in ourselves and we all stick together.”
But what may stand between Terrebonne and their hopes and dreams of making the Superdome is the progression of its defense.
The Tigers were a force offensively last year, scoring 387 points in 11 games.
But the team’s defense was susceptible to big plays at times, allowing 28 or more points six times in 11 games.
But there are a lot of returning faces on that side of the ball with Cullen Butler, Dillon Babin and others leading a mix, which will also include a lot of the offensive playmakers, as well.
Hill said he’s been very impressed by what he’s seen so far in fall camp.
“They’ve been getting after it,” he said. “I think we’ve made improvement there. We know we will face great athletes, but we have some athletes, as well. They’re aggressive and ready to get after it — no matter who we face.”
So now, it’s just about turning expectation into reality for Terrebonne.
The Tigers won seven games last year and Hill is quick to say that he thought the team deserved to win eight.
The team made the playoffs a year ago, but lost in the first round.
Expectations are higher this year, but they know that nothing will be gifted to them. Everything will have to be earned.
“Our district is tough. Our schedule is tough. We’re going to have to fight and take it,” Hill said. “We got a taste of it last year and now, we have to learn from the mistakes we made last year at times, correct them and do the best we can to execute in those situaitons.”
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