Mom and my favorite school teacher
September 7, 2017
Lafourche Booking Log – Sept. 6
September 7, 2017
South Terrebonne coach Richard Curlin isn’t necessarily shy, but he’s a man of few words.
But at Terrebonne General Medical Center’s Media Day event in the offseason, Curlin opened up about his team, discussing at length how tough the 2016 season was for his team while also talking about his belief that brighter days were ahead.
“It was really hard – one of the most difficult things that we’ve been through,” Curlin said when asked to recap 2016 – a year which saw the Gators struggle both on and off the field. “But these kids are tough and they just keep fighting. I think we’re more experienced and I believe we have a group that has a good chance to be much better this year. We’re farther along than we think we’ve been the last few tries.”
On Friday night, Curlin’s words rang true and the Gators got that feel-good feeling once again.
South Terrebonne mashed H.L. Bourgeois 28-12 on Friday, gutting the Braves for several long, lengthy drives capped with scores.
With the win, the Gators have actually now won two-straight games – dating back to a victory over South Lafourche to close out 2016.
Curlin said that game last year was huge for his team’s psyche and it has stuck with the Gators throughout the offseason and now into 2017.
“We just needed something good to happen to our football team and I think ending the way we did last year was really big for the kids and even the coaches,” Curlin said. “It was a tough year and we thought we were really close in a lot of games – a lot closer than our record would have maybe made people think. To play a good game to end it, I think that showed the kids that it was all going to head back in the right direction.”
The Gators controlled the pace of Friday night’s game for the full 48 minutes.
South Terrebonne rushed for more than 300 yards in the win, led by fullback Logan Melancon, who toted the football 28 times for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
The Gators led 14-0, then surrendered a score before halftime, which cut the advantage to 14-6.
Out of halftime, South Terrebonne struck again, going on a run-heavy, 70-yard drive capped by a Melancon touchdown, which effectively put the game out of reach.
With the win, South Terrebonne is above .500 for the first time in quite a while.
The Gators will return to action in Week 2 with a home date against Terrebonne – a team also riding high after walloping Ellender to start their season.
ELSEWHERE IN THE AREA:
The Gators weren’t the only local team to make a statement in week one.
Six local teams walked out of the first game of the season unscathed, including an unblemished 4-0 mark from the area’s private schools.
In Class 5A, Terrebonne rolled, overcoming an early 12-0 deficit to wax Ellender 3812 in one of the more lopsided results of the night.
Tigers quarterback Keshawn James was strong in the victory, recording several huge runs on the ground to power Terrebonne’s offense.
Ellender led 12-10 at halftime, but Terrebonne controlled the action in the second half, rattling off four-straight touchdowns to put the game out of reach in the victory.
The Patriots’ loss was a rare defeat for a District 7-4A unit which otherwise had a pretty nice night locally.
E.D. White started the season with a bang, trumping Central Lafourche 28-22, making amends for a jamboree loss against Holy Cross just seven days prior.
The Cardinals used stout rushing from Nik Shanklin and Brandon Legendre, as well as timely, consistent defense to power the victory.
E.D. White will play Erath on Friday, while the Trojans will look to snap their seven-game regular season losing streak against Carver Collegiate Academy.
Like E.D. White, Vandebilt also had a big opening night, using a big night from Andrew Robison to power past Thibodaux 31-28.
Robison completed 20-of-34 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns in the win. The Terriers also enjoyed a big night on the ground from half back Michael LeCompte, who rushed 19 times for 82 yards to keep Thibodaux’s defense off balance.
Vandebilt will face H.L. Bourgeois on Friday, while Thibodaux will look to avenge their loss against South Lafourche, who fell to De La Salle on Friday.
In Class 1A, CCA and Houma Christian started off hot – each scoring big season-opening wins.
The Lions beat Fisher 27-7, thanks to a stout rushing attack and pressure defense.
Houma Christian rolled to a 36-25 victory over Highland Baptist, using several big plays to spark their push.
The South Terrebonne football team kicked off the 2017 season with a bang, running past H.L. Bourgeois to open the season.
Vandebilt quarterback Andrew Robison had a huge opening night for the Terriers, tossing three touchdown passes to lead Vandebilt past Thibodaux High.
