Marjorie Albert
August 17, 2017
Get in my BELLY!
August 17, 2017
PREP SPORTS
Jamborees are nine days away and the prep football season starts in just 16 days.
We’re here to help guide you through the first month of what figures to be an exciting, funfilled season.
The first month of the 2017 prep football season will be great – it always is.
Loaded with rivalry matchups and juicy non-district games, here are five matchups to choose from when weaving through the Houma-Thibodaux slate in the coming weeks.
For fun, we also decided to make a pick in each game.
I’m sure I’ll get quite a lot of social media flack for that.
Game 1: Vandebilt at Thibodaux
Where: Thibodaux High School
When: Sept. 1
The prep football season opens with a bang, with arguably the two top teams in the area doing battle on the grass fields of Thibodaux High. The Tigers lost Amik Robertson to graduation, but always have a slew of playmakers at their disposal to make things happen. For Vandebilt, the recipe is a continuation of the immediate past. The Terriers had a wonderful 2016 season, finishing 8-2 with victories over St. Charles Catholic and Newman. This one is going to set the pecking order for local prep football teams. The winner of this game should rule the yard throughout the season – barring injury or an unexpected team jumping into the fray. Call me crazy, but I’m taking Vandebilt in this one. It will be one heck of a game. I can see it going in ei ther direction.
My Pick: Vandebilt 31, Thibodaux 27
Game 2: Terrebonne at South Terrebonne
Where: South Terrebonne Stadium
When: Sept. 8
This is an interesting matchup for a lot of reasons. Terrebonne was a playoff team last season in Class 5A and the Tigers have enough returnees for us to think that they can make that goal a reality for a second-straight year. For South Terrebonne, the focus is on rebounding after two-straight tough seasons. The Gators were incredibly young last year. But they’re older now. They have a lot of guys back in key positions. The Tigers crushed their cross-parish rival last year by a score of 38-6. We don’t think this one is going to play out the same way in 2017. It will be much closer.
My Pick: Terrebonne 27, South Terrebonne 17
Game 3: South Lafourche at Central Lafourche
Where: Central Lafourche High School
When: Sept. 15
To the people of Lafourche Parish, this game is an awfully big deal. After how it all went down last season, the stakes will be even higher than ever in 2017. After a lengthy losing streak against their longtime rivals, Central Lafourche finally broke the ice in 2016, beating the Tarpons in a shootout – one of the best games of the entire season. It was a game so dramatic and action-packed that Trojans coach Keith Menard pulled both teams aside after the game and told kids on both sides that it was one of the best games he’d ever been part of. In 2017, the Tarpons are hungry to get the upper hand with a talented group of returnees – many of whom started in the game last year. The Trojans are talented, too, but lost their quarterback and halfback off last year’s team – key losses in a high-powered offense. Call me a homer, but I like the Tarpons for revenge.
My Pick: South Lafourche 30, Central Lafourche 20
Game 4: H.L. Bourgeois at Ellender
Where: South Terrebonne High School
When: Sept. 15
Last year, Ellender had a great turnaround season – winning six games and making it to the Class 4A State Playoffs. And it all started with a matchup with H.L. Bourgeois early in the season. The Patriots lost their season opener last season, but quickly recovered, walloping H.L. Bourgeois 47-14 to get their first victory of the year – a win which avenged a Braves victory over the Patriots one year earlier. Both the Braves and Patriots have capable playmakers on both sides of the ball, but both are also trying to replace bigtime playmakers from 2016. This ought to be a great measuring stick for both teams and a sign of who is going to be the top dogs in Terrebonne Parish.
My Pick: Ellender 34, H.L. Bourgeois 30
Game 5: Assumption at E.D. White
Where: E.D. White High School
When: Sept. 22
E.D. White is in District 7-4A – a loaded district which features several tough outs, including South Lafourche, Ellender, Vandebilt and others. But to open their run in Class 7-4A, the Cardinals will lock horns with Assumption, the two-time district champions. The Mustangs are always tough to deal with. They have athletes all over the field and have some of the fastest defenders in the southern reaches of the state. This will be a terrific test for E.D. White – especially after a tough non-district slate, which features Central Lafourche, Erath and St. James. If E.D. White scores the upset here, look out.
My pick: Assumption 20, E.D. White 14
A school of Tarpons swarm a Chalmette ball carrier (top) and stop him for a loss on a play. (Bottom) The Vandebilt Terriers run to the field before a game last season.
