LAFOURCHE SCHOOLS ALREADY

Lafourche Parish public high schools have had field turf for a little more than a month now.

And already, they’re loving it.

And already, their rivals in Terrebonne are griping about possibly being up next.

Turf is making a difference for Lafourche Parish high schools — especially after a wet and rainy August, which has dampened local grass and has made practice almost impossible in the past few weeks for teams without the artificial surface.

Coaches say the results of the new surface are being seen in the win/loss column — especially late in games when conditioning is of the utmost importance.

“We practice on our game field pretty much every day,” Thibodaux High School coach Chris Dugas said. “And I think that’s helped us. Other schools are on their practice fields and they tear them up or the field is

So wet that you can’t get any work in at all. Par us. we get on that new surface and as long as there ‘a no lightning in the area, we can get work in and I think we’re in better shape because of it”

The results sort of speak for themselves.

Both Thibodaux and Central Lafourche are 2-0 on the season and both teams have won tough. hard-fought victories late in the fourth quarters of games.

In the season opener, Thibodaux played Vandebilt Catholic in a mud bowl at Buddy Mar cello Stadium.

The Terriers led 10-0 going into the fourth quarter, but lost several key players in the second half to cramps — a factor, which, allowed the Tigers to score two late touchdowns and secure a 14-10 win.

After that game, both Dugas and Vandebilt coach Jeremy At well said that the artificial surface at Thibodaux High School was the impact player of the game.

The week before the game was wet. but Thibodaux was able to get on their turf during afternoons to get some work.

Vandebilt couldn’t Most of their practice time leading up to the game was done in the school’s gym.

In the fourth quartet while the Terriers sucked wind and cramped-the Tigers reached their peak,

“I think that was a big factor in the game. I don’t think there’s any question,” Atwell said. “We lost key players in key situations and we just didn’t have that second wind like they did.”

“I think we took advantage of Vandebilt just getting a little tired,” Dugas added after the game. “They had a lot of cramps and up front, we were able to get better control of the game because we felt that they were starting to wear down..”

Central Lafourche got their piece of the pie this past week, as well.

The Trojans battled Carver tooth and nail — one of the most dramatic games of the early portion of the 2016 season.

Central Lafourche trailed the Rama late in the fourth quarter and Carver took over possession of the hall late inside of two minutes with a lead.

The Trojans had just one timeout so Carver could have kneeled on the football and secured a win.

Instead, they ran a dive, got stripped and Central Lafourche took over possession, driving down the field for a last-second touchdown and a late-game win.

Trojans coach Keith Menard said this was a game that the Trojans would have lost in previous seasons — a testament to the grit of the roeter

“Our kids never gave up” Menard said. “You know, it’s funny. A young man on defense told us an the sideline “Coach, I’m going to strip the ball; and our coaches thought it would be a kneel down” so we were telling him to not go crazy on the field. But they ran a play and sure enough, we stripped it. “

But on the other end of the area in Terrebonne, coaches are not quite as lucky.

Terrebonne coach Gary Hill said the middle of the field at Tom B. Smith Stadium is in “OK condition ” but on the sidelines, the field has been torn to mud.

“Prom a scale of l-to-10, I’d say it’s about a 6,” Hill said. “It is what it is. We spend a lot of time keeping it in good condition, bat the problem is that I don’t know that it’s going to get any better than it is now. We’d need a lot of dry weather, but I just am not sure if we’re going to get that right now.”

Ellender coach David McCormirk said the field at South Terreboime is about the same. He said the “like at Smith Stadium, the middle of the field is OK. but is getting rutted up The sidelines are a total wash and there is little hope far a long-term solution/because of rains.

McCormick said the frustration is that it’s unrealistic to ever expect the conditions to consistently gat better because this is Southeast Louisiana and it’s inevitable that if s going to rain.

With the hefty slate of middle school. freshman, junior varsity and varsity game a the fields have to host, it “a impossible for the damaged grass to heal.

Maybe someday, we will get in the 21st Century and get those turf fields like they have now down the bayou,” McCormick said with a laugh. “But for the time being, we have to just try and make the best of what we have and try and keep our fields in as good a condition as we can. We owe it to our kids to do that much for them to try and keep them safe and keep their surface we can.”

LAFOURCHE SCHOOLS ALREADY

After Week I, the field at South Terrebaure High School Booked more Hke a mod pit than it did a football field. Coaches say that local field are doing OK, but that they know addtrtonal rain will just was the surface worse as the season goes on

COURITSY