Playoffs Week 1 scores

Harold Griffin

November 15, 2016

Ellender Memorial High student nominated for prestigious state award

November 15, 2016

CLASS 5A

NO. 1 DESTREHAN — 47

NO. 32 TERREBONNE – 7

It’s not easy to play Destrehan – especially in their stadium. Heck, that’s why they’re the No. 1 team in the state. Terrebonne had an uphill battle from the start and were outmatched against the Wildcats, falling behind early and never finding a way to recover in a lopsided loss. But kudos to Coach Gary Hill and his team on reaching the playoffs after a down couple of years. The Tigers were a younger group in 2016, and they will likely have a pretty good shot at reaching postseason play again next fall. That’s never an easy feat, though, considering that the team plays in District 7-5A, which is about the same as a college football team saying that it plays in the SEC West. It’s that brutal out there, folks. There’s college-bound talent everywhere.

NO. 16 MANDEVILLE – 42

NO. 17 THIBODAUX – 0

Without Amik Robertson, Thibodaux lacked energy and pizazz on Friday night, falling behind big early and never recovering against the Skippers. It’s a shame that the Tigers had to play a home playoff game without their senior leader, but the team just couldn’t rise to the occasion and fell to a quality Mandeville football team – one that will strongly challenge Destrehan in round two on Friday. For Thibodaux, the season is over, but the future remains awfully bright. Thibodaux coach Chris Dugas said the team’s younger players look good, and the team should remain in prime position to challenge the top teams from around the area. But like Terrebonne, the same challenges are present for Thibodaux. The schedule is brutally tough and things won’t be easy.

NO. 2 WEST MONROE – 48

NO. 31 H.L. BOURGEOIS – 14

It’s never fun to lose a playoff game, and we’re sure the Braves felt a tremendous amount of disappointment to see their season end on Friday night. But going to Monroe is an experience, according to everyone who’s ever been there. The team’s underclassmen will be able to use those lessons learned and carry them into next year. Kudos to Braves quarterback Jude LeCompte. The 2016 season marks the end of his career with the Braves, but he was a joy and a treat to be able to watch over the past few seasons – one of the most underrated players in our area. Also kudos to coach Carey Melvin. After a lenghty playoff drought, the Braves’ second-year coach was able to take the team back to the playoffs, a place where they will likely return to sooner than later under Melvin’s coaching and leadership.

CLASS 4A

NO. 10 BENTON — 63

NO. 23 ELLENDER – 28

Ellender’s defense was rock-solid all season. Their improvement was one of the biggest reasons why the team was able to turn itself around and reach the Class 4A State Playoffs. But in the final two games of the season, some old habits started to resurface, and it cost the team when it needed to win most. Benton scored with ease on Friday night, and used that momentum to soar to a comfortable win – one which ends coach David McCormick’s first season with the Patriots. But there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Patriots will be back. They have athletes galore, and as long as McCormick and his current staff are in place, they seem capable of getting those athletes to hold off on basketball season for a couple of months so that they can play a little football, too. That’s a huge plus.

DIVISION II

NO. 11 E.D. WHITE — 24

NO. 6 VANDEBILT – 17

I had Vandebilt coach Jeremy Atwell on my radio show last weekend when the brackets were announced, and he said it would be “brutally hard” for the Terriers to beat E.D. White twice in the same season. I scoffed at his notion. I thought the Terriers would win easily on Friday night – just like they did in Week 1 when they beat their rivals 41-7. But I was wrong. Backed by a strong running game and an absolutely heroic defensive performance, E.D. White surged past their rivals, scoring a thrilling, upset victory. They’ll now take on No. 3 St. Thomas More and will look to keep their Cinderella ride alive.

DIVISION IV

NO. 2 CCA — 48

NO. 15 ST. MARTIN’S – 21

CCA struggled early in the game against St. Martin’s, but that quickly changed and for the second time this season, the Lions were able to get a runaway win against their district opponent. CCA is awfully tough to stop and they’re awfully fun to watch. With their Wing-T, run-based offense, it’s very, very hard to keep the team out of the end zone. Except for a shutout loss against mighty Vandebilt, the Lions scored 20 or more points in eight of their nine other games, including 30 or more in four-straight games.