Our week 7 Yurview Louisiana matchup brings us to Lafayette for the first time this season as the two biggest private schools in Acadiana, St. Thomas More and Teurlings Catholic, battle it out in a district matchup.
Game week: Two Great Schools, One Great Night @STMathleticsnow vs @TCHSPIRIT JV/Fresh Wed 5:30 at STM Varsity Fri. 7pm at Rebel Stadium pic.twitter.com/nmuQjQhDzM
— STMCougarFootball (@STMCougarFB) October 9, 2017
STM is coming off its first state football championship in school history and this season the Cougars are ranked 5th in the latest Class 4A Louisiana Sports Writers Association Poll with a 5-1 record.
St. Thomas More is led by Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Jim Hightower, who won his 400th game as a head coach earlier this season. He’s the second winningest coach in Louisiana history.
His team has shown they are more than capable of repeating as Division II state champions. They did not allow their first points of the season until week 4 and the offense has a variety of skill position players who can hurt opposing defenses.
St. Thomas More utilizes a two-quarterback system. Caleb Holstein is a gifted passer, while Peyton Landry is more of a runner. Expect to see the Cougars use three different running backs, Chris Primeaux, William Cryer and Sydney London. Primeaux had a 71-yard touchdown run in last week’s 42-20 win over Westgate.
Mason Pesson leads a good group of wide receivers. John Robertson has also made a lot of big catches, while Grant Arceneaux has emerged. In week 3, Arceneaux had seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, there’s a standout group of returning starters from last year’s championship team. Cornerback Jude Joseph is a great athlete. Safety Cade Broussard has a high football IQ.
Linebacker Paul Laborde is an instinctive player at 5-11, 190 pounds and he’s also a tackling machine.
The defensive line features terrific talent. Defensive end Elliot Rountree has scored a couple of touchdowns, Brandon Gannon is very athletic and Sam Greenwood is the team’s best pass rusher and a three-year starter.
Teurlings Catholic brings a 3-3 record to the game, but the three losses have come against some of the best teams in the state, Catholic High, Rummel and Notre Dame. The three defeats came in consecutive weeks, but the Rebels got back in the win column with a solid win over previously undefeated Rayne.
Wesley Blazek leads a Teurlings offense that averages 26 points a game. Blazek is coming off a three TD performance against the Wolves. He also threw three touchdowns in wins against Breaux Bridge and LaGrange.
Blazek operates behind an offensive line that features two Division One players, LSU commitment Thomas Perry and Justin Matthews.
On defense, the Rebels return eight starters from 2016. Leading tackler from last season Beau LeBlanc is back and better than ever. Three-year starter Cole Newland is very aggressive and Safety Hayden Judice is a physical presence in the secondary.
Guiding Teurlings is 32-year-old Dane Charpentier, who replaced his father, Sonny Charpentier. Sonny won 194 games in 22 seasons and put Rebels football on the map in Louisiana. Dane is trying to take the program to the next level.
Teurlings can take that step by knocking off a defending state champion on Friday.
Kick-off is a 7 PM from Teurlings High School. Coverage begins at 6:30 PM with the Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Countdown to GameTime.
