They’re not the young guys now: 3rd-year starters fill Gators’ depth chart
August 26, 2014
Can Thibodaux rule the Bayou? Tigers beat SL, CL in ’13; hope to repeat this year
August 26, 2014
Last season, the Terrebonne High School football team was experienced at quarterback and along the offensive lines but had some youth within its skill positions.
They went 5-5 and advanced to the Class 5A State Playoffs.
The exact opposite is in place this year, and the Tigers will break in a new quarterback and several inexperienced linemen, while relying upon the now-experienced skill players who earned their stripes in 2013.
The Tigers hope the playoffs are again in their future.
The story around Terrebonne camp this fall is the offensive and defensive lines where the Tigers are younger and have less size than in recent years.
But if everything comes together and the Tigers can keep opponents blocked, there’s no doubting that they can build on last season’s playoff berth in the Bayou District.
“We’re real young – especially up front, which is where it matters the most,” Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said. “But our skill guys are where our returners are. So we’re a little smaller in 2014, but we’re going to have to play with all of the heart that we have. If we can do that, I think we’ll be OK.”
Terrebonne’s offense will look drastically different in 2014.
That’s because the Tigers graduated quarterback Colby Stewart, who was one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in Louisiana last year.
As a senior, Stewart completed 52-of-106 passes for 810 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions. His biggest threat came as a runner, rushing 183 times for 1,304 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Without Stewart, the Tigers will turn to junior Brett Bergeron under center. Hill said the 5-foot, 9-inch quarterback’s job is simple: don’t try and replace Stewart, but instead just manage Terrebonne’s offense. Bergeron played sporadically last season and completed 5-of-7 passes with a touchdown – mostly in blowouts or in packages where Stewart lined up as a halfback.
“Playing experience will help him, but he has very little of that right now,” Hill said. “He’s got to get that experience and he’s got to learn how to handle his weight on his shoulders. But once he does that, he’ll be OK.”
Terrebonne players think that Bergeron has what it takes to make the transition a seamless one.
Defensive lineman/tight end Cameron Clement said once the junior settles in, he has a chance to be a top-notch player.
“He reminds me a little bit of Drew Brees – just this little guy standing out there throwing from the pocket,” Clement said. “But he also can get out of the pocket and make things happen, as well. Once he gets the reps and the work in, I think he’ll be fine and will have a good year.”
Blocking for Bergeron will be the aforementioned youthful offensive line – a group that will need to perform favorably for the Tigers to shine in 2014.
Among Terrebonne’s top offensive linemen will be Martin Chaisson, Chase Duplantis, Nick Johnson, Tyler Porche and Cullen Ezell. Clement will also pitch in as a blocking tight end.
Wide receiver Devon Madison said the group has its good days and bad days in practice, adding that he believes they’ll be OK once the season rolls around.
“The new line is still learning,” Madison said. “They haven’t stepped on the varsity field yet, so they obviously have some work to do. But I think they have the potential. We want them to get ready, so we’re all pushing them to let them know we have their back.”
If the Tigers can block the defense, they have a slew of players who can make things happen in space. Madison returns after catching 23 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns in 2013. Joining him is halfback Justin Theriot – a 1,000-yard rusher from last season.
Add halfbacks Blake Verrett and Joseph Alvis with receiver Kacey Castle and you have a dangerous group of playmakers.
“I think we’re great at the skill positions,” Madison said. “I think we have a ton of guys who can make plays. The defense won’t be able to focus on us all.”
“That’s how we replace Colby,” Clement said. “With strength in numbers. Last year, Colby was a one-man circus sometimes. This year, we need to have more versatility in what we do. I think we have the bodies to do that.”
Defensively, Terrebonne returns four starters, a group led in the secondary by Jalen Williams and Tre’von Guano.
The Tigers also return productive linebacker Charles Clark and Clement, who will plug the interior for Terrebonne.
“He would have been a three-year starter for us on the offense if he would have stayed there,” Hill said. “But we’ve moved him to the defensive line to fit his position a little better. He’s going to play a little tight end, but he’s going to primarily be on the defensive line for us.”
Like with the offense, Terrebonne will rely upon younger players to fill out the rest of the depth chart – a pool that will include cornerback Jordan Quigg, safety Jeff Deroche, linebackers Grant Courville and Nakazie Smith and lineman De’onta Walters.
Hill said the Tigers have a few other linemen out injured on the defensive side, so the team’s defense today isn’t what it might be in October or November.
“We have some injuries there, so it’s hard for us to say who that third, fourth or fifth guy is going to be,” Hill said. “But someone’s going to have to step up and fill that spot for us.”
So the question marks remain in a few places in the depth chart, but the Tigers have a lot of players with experience scoring touchdowns and logging first downs.
If Terrebonne is stable under center and can block in the middle, the team thinks it can be successful again.
“We’ll be fine,” Clement said. “I know the district is tough, but we’ll get it figured out.”
“We’re going to go out with a bang,” Madison said. “It’s my last year. It’s a lot of people’s last years. We want to end our careers as winners.”
Terrebonne is light on offensive linemen in 2014, but filled with skill players. Tight end/defensive lineman Cameron Clement (left) and Devon Madison are two players expected to lead Terrebonne this season.
