Tarpons hopeful for renewed success in 2018
September 6, 2018
Tigers are young, but talented in 2018
September 6, 2018
All of the talk in District 7-5A is about Hahnville, Destrehan, Thibodaux and Terrebonne.
The folks at Central Lafourche High School know it better than anyone.
Now, it’s up to them to prove the so-called experts wrong and solidify their place at the top.
The Trojans are hopeful for a turnaround in 2018 after struggling to just a three-win season in 2017. The path is tough. In District 7-5A, it always is. But coach Keith Menard said he believes in his team and has faith that the team has all of the pieces it needs to compete against anyone.
“We’re excited,” Menard said at TGMC’s Tri-Parish Media Day. “We were young last year and had a couple things go against us, but the kids are motivated. We know the district we’re in and the challenges we face. But we’ve been against those teams before and have given ourselves a chance. We think we will be in position again this year.”
The Trojans have a lot of returning starters all over the field, which is a big source of Menard’s optimism.
Offensively, quarterback Jacob Barker is back and he’s surrounded by a slew of weapons.
Last year, Barker and the Trojans averaged 28.5 points per game. Menard said with a full offseason to get bigger, stronger and more seasoned, he should be even better this fall.
“He’s had just a great offseason,” Menard said. “He understands the offense, understands the calls and he just has a great feel for everything around him. It’s all much slower now.”
Joining Barker in the backfield will be halfback Deon Jenkins Jr., who enjoyed big success last year as a sophomore.
Menard said Jenkins is a powerful runner who has the ability to push forward for an extra yard or two after contact — often turning three-yard gains into five-yard gains.
But this year, he also has a new wrinkle, which will be put to the test in live-game action.
“He has more wiggle than he did last year,” Menard said. “Last year, he wasn’t avoiding any contact. He wanted to go through you. This year, he’s more elusive and willing to go around you.”
In the passing game, the Trojans lost prized receiver David Robinson, but they return a fleet of athletes, including Peyton Loredo.
Menard said Loredo is tough and will be a huge impact player, though he added that no one on the team will have the same impact to the Trojans that Robinson did.
“We will spread the ball around more,” Menard said. “We cannot replace David. He is too special. We can’t just appoint someone else to have that impact on our passing game, special teams and everywhere else. But we can do it by committee. We can get the ball to a lot of people and keep defenses off balance by being balanced.”
Defensively, the Trojans will be experienced. The team played several sophomores on that side of the ball last year in an effort to build a core group for the future.
The unit had successes, but also had moments of youth, allowing big plays and long, sustained drives — sometimes late in games.
Menard said he’s proud of the way his defense has developed, but added that the challenge for 2018 is to show far more of the good than the bad.
“We have made good progress there,” Menard said. “But we do get frustrated sometimes because we will allow a big one here or there or make a mental mistake. I know they are coming along and we have confidence in them, but they were so young last year. And a lot of them still aren’t seniors now, so we have to remind ourselves sometimes that they’re young guys even though they have experience.”
Now, the challenge is to beat the schedule that’s in place.
The Trojans believe they have a solid team. But solid sometimes isn’t good enough when in a district filled with elites — a league which includes the River Parish powers, as well as locals like Terrebonne and Thibodaux, among others.
Menard said a key will be a fast start. The Trojans open with E.D. White, then they take on Carver and South Lafourche.
After that, district begins against East St. John and every, single week for the rest of the season will be a grind.
“It’s a challenge,” Menard said. “But we’ve done it for a while. We know what to expect and we know what we’re up against. We’ve beaten those teams before and have been close in a lot of other games. We want to focus on us, execute, play as well as we can and if we do that, we think things will come together for us.”
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