by Malcolm Butler
Friday night’s Nonselect School Division I semifinal showdown at Hoss Garrett Stadium has all the makings of a classic.
Two of the top teams in the state playing some of their best football of the season will kickoff at 7 p.m. with a trip to the Caesar’s Superdome and the state title game on the line.
It’s a rematch of the 2022 state title game.
The No. 3 seeded Ruston Bearcats (10-2) will host the No. 10 seed Destrehan Wildcats (10-3) in what has become a pretty traditional match-up over the past five years. Destrehan eliminated Ruston from the postseason in the quarterfinals in both 2020 and 2021 and then edged the Bearcats 17-10 in the state title game in 2022.
This year’s Wildcats have won eight straight games since dropping three of its first five contests, including a 69-41 win over No. 2 seed Airline last Friday night. Destrehan will travel to north Louisiana for the third straight weekend after also defeating Northwood 63-21 two weeks ago. The Wildcats first round playoff win was at home but came against another District 2-5A foe in Ouachita (30-12).
This year’s version of the District 8-5A Wildcats got off to a slow start due to injuries according to Ryan Arena, who covers Destrehan for the St. Charles Herald.
“They were 2-3 at the beginning due to a bunch of injuries,” said Arena. “They still have a few but the main guy they were really missing was their quarterback Jackson Fields. He got hurt in the first game against Catholic (of Baton Rouge) …. He missed the next four weeks and they went 2-2 in those to start 2-3. He came back for the next game and they haven’t lost since.”
Offensively, the Wildcats have scored new fewer than 20 points in any game this season and are averaging 49.5 points per game during their eight-game winning streak. Destrehan has eclipsed 60 points in three of its last four contests.
“They have been getting better and better as the year has gone on,” said Arena. “At the middle point of the season people were thinking this may be a down year for them. It’s been anything but though.”
Wildcat running back Malachi Dabney is on a “massive heater” during the postseason. Dabney, just a sophomore, has totaled 600 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground on 76 carries in Destrehan’s three playoff victories, including 219 yards and five scores on 35 carries last week against Airline.
“He was not even supposed to be the starter coming into the season,” said Arena of the 5-foot-9, 175-pound tailback “Shane Ward, the starter, got injured before the season. Dabney has just gotten better and better. I think last week was his fourth 200-yard performance in the last seven or eight weeks. It’s a very good running game that is getting better, and the offensive line is very good.
“He runs with power, but he is a break-away player. He is very very fast. They just keep giving him the ball with the idea being he is going to crack one. He has been a revelation this year. He has been really strong.”
Fields and the Wildcat wide receiver corps can also burn opponents through the air.
“Fields was one of the leading passers last year in the Metro area,” said Arena. “He is putting up good numbers this year, but with them running the ball as well as they have … it has been more efficiency then bulk stats lately.”
Fields has completed 42-of-56 passes for 607 yards and 6 TDs during the playoffs, including a 266-yard and 3 TD performance in a 30-12 win over Ouachita in the first round.
“His receivers are very, very good,” said Arena. “I think all four of them are going to the next level.”
Jabari Mack (LSU commit), Phillip Wright (LSU commit), Johnnie Thiel (LA Tech signee), and Greg Wilfred provide Fields the weapons on the outside.
Defensively, the Wildcats have allowed some points this year, surrendering 20 or more points in eight contests, including 30-plus on five occasions.
“They have had to be a lot more creative this year,” said Arena. “Usually, they have a lot more high end prospects on defense. They have had a bunch of guys moving over to defense. Thiel is playing a lot more defense. Mack is playing a good bit of defense.”
Linebacker Myd Gilbert and safety Blake Brown are two of the standouts on the defensive side of the football for Destrehan.
“Gilbert has been great all year,” said Arena. “he has put up big tackle numbers all season and made big plays all season. Brown was voted the most improved play on the team by the work he put in during the off-season over the summer. He is another guy that racks up a lot of tackles.”
It will be a defense that Ruston will need to solve in order for the Bearcats to come away with a win.
“The defensive scheme is pretty basic,” said Arena. “They adjust week-to-week depending on the opponent. Tim Taffi is the defensive coordinator and for my money one of the best in the state. He has gotten results year in and year out from that team.
“The games in which they have given up a bunch of points have come in these games against teams up north (Louisiana). You guys up there can score.”
Destrehan’s losses this year came against Catholic (23-20), Alexandria (45-27) and Terrebonne (30-21); however, the Wildcats haven’t tasted defeat since October 7.
