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Written by Ken Trahan, President--NewOrleans.Com/Sports | Friday, 27 November 2009 08:55 Prep Sports
They had been virtually unstoppable and virtually unchallenged, outside of a double overtime win (42-34) over 5A power Hahnville in week three. The aura of Lutcher was pierced, to a degree, a week ago when 14th-seeded St. Louis Catholic presented a serious challenge, falling to the Bulldogs 25-20 in the regional round of the playoffs.
More than anything else, the close call was a wake-up call for Lutcher, a team that has dominated opposition otherwise all season long. Friday night, the third-seeded Bulldogs make a long trek north to Shreveport to take on upstart Huntington at 7 p.m. at Independence Stadium.
The 27th-seeded Raiders are a big surprise. They are the lowest seed remaining in any class and are a modest 7-5 on the season. They upset seeded Ruston 12-9 in the opening round before downing 11th-seeded and 1-4A rival Haughton 47-26, avenging a regular season loss to Haughton. Huntington interim coach Anthony McClain has his team playing loose and very well.
The Raiders employ a two-quarterback system, using both junior Elliott Jones and Jacoby Moseley in every game. Jones is more of a pure passer while Moseley will throw on occasion but is more dangerous carrying the football. The different look presents problems for opposing coaches in preparation. Jones passed for 323 yards in a 26-21 victory over Bossier on September 17. Jones has thrown for 1,139 yards on the year while Moseley has passed for 612 yards and rushed for 647 yards on the season.
Jarrett Fobbs, a dual threat as a runner and receiver, rushed for 259 yards and four touchdowns in the victory over Haughton last Friday night. He has 47 catches for 560 yards and five touchdowns receiving on the season.
Defensively, safety Desman Ethridge returned an interception for a touchdown against Haughton.
The Bulldogs of 18th-year head coach Tim Detillier are the defending 3A state champions and have won three of the last six 3A state titles. The storied program has won six state championships overall and they are considered a favorite to make it seven overall as they pursue a 4A title. Lutcher is ranked 22nd in the nation in the latest Rivals 100 national poll. The Bulldogs have marched through a 12-game schedule perfect. When you talk about Lutcher, you start with a prolific offense, led by senior quarterback Gavin Webster.
Simply put, Webster has been the state’s best player in any class in Louisiana in 2009, accounting for an astonishing 58 touchdowns. Webster has rushed for 1,147 yards and 24 touchdowns and has completed 173 of 249 passes (69%) for 2,724 and 34 touchdowns. In the huge win over Hahnville, Webster had a monster game, rushing 31 times for 300 yards and five touchdowns while completing seven of 11 passes for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Junior wide receiver Jarvis Landry is a blue-chipper, sought by virtually every major college you can imagine. Landry is a two-way star. On offense, he has grabbed 72 passes for 1,245 yards and 13 touchdowns. He led the state in receiving yardage during the regular season. Running back Daniel Taylor has been outstanding.
Defensively, linebackers Derek Matherne and Austin Roussel lead the way. Matherne is the team’s leading tackler with 90 stops while in the secondary, Rico Albert and Todd Washington have been very good. The Bulldogs have posted three shutouts on the season.
The 25 points scored in the win over St. Louis were the fewest scored by Lutcher this season. Prior to that game, the Bulldogs had scored 40 or more points in nine consecutive games. In the opening round of the playoffs, Lutcher blasted Warren Easton 69-30.
Despite moving up in class, the run by Lutcher was not unexpected. The Bulldogs returned 13 starters from last year’s 3A title team. Needless to say, the run by Huntington has been a bit unexpected. You can expect the unexpected from Huntington tonight. They have nothing to lose.
The winner plays the winner of the Northside at Neville game in the semifinals next Friday night.
