By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — Coach Larry Dauterive minces no words when describing his team’s thrilling 29-21 victory over Rummel on Saturday.

“That,” Dauterive said, “was a signature win.”

Indeed, the Wildcats (4-0) prepare this week to host Carencro (2-2) on an emotional high after besting the 2009 state runner-ups at Joe Yenni Stadium.

East St. John overcame four penalty-negated touchdowns to take the win, the deciding points coming on Darion Monroe’s “flood” pass to DeChris Strong that went 64-yards for a score with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.

“Once I hit the open field, my track instincts kicked in,” said Strong, who also stars on the Wildcats track and field team. “I just kept asking Coach for the ball. Get me the ball and get it done. It just feels great.”

Dauterive said that the play was designed for Strong to get a first down and get out of bounds.

But with nobody between he and the endzone, the speedster called an audible of his own.

“(Strong) told me that nobody was coming over to cover him, so we called the flood. The plan was to get a quick first down, get out of bounds, and maybe take two or three shots with D’haquille (Williams). I was thinking overtime. But nobody was there and he took it to the house.”

Strong has emerged as a key contributor this season, his role growing by the week. He had a 50-yard rushing score called back in the game.

“He’s a smaller guy, but he’s got a big heart,” said Dauterive. “He’s a smart kid who understands where he needs to be and what his assignments are.”

Of the four touchdowns that came off the scoreboard, only one came on a drive that the Wildcats would score anyway.

“The last thing I told them when we got off the bus was, ‘If one, two, three bad things happen, don’t panic. We have the offense to overcome this,’” said Dauterive, whose team hoisted him on their shoulders after the victory. “They never quit. That never say die attitude is what got us the win.”

Williams was held to three catches on the night, but scored on 6-yard run and a 32-yard catch — the latter converting a third-and-29 play in the first half.

Dez Broussard had 2 catches for 32 yards. Andrew Taylor carried five times, gaining 66 yards.

Rummel entered Saturday night as the top ranked team in the state by power rankings. East St. John moved up to fourth with the win.

The Wildcats are familiar in some ways with Carencro, having faced the Bears in each of the past three seasons. ESJ is 3-0 over that span, but Dauterive said that there’s a lot of unknown to deal with: Brett Indest is in his first season as Carencro head coach after taking over from Mac Broussard.

“He’s been successful everywhere he’s been,” said Dauterive. “They’ve lost to two good teams, and they’re coming off of a big win (28-7 over Lafayette).”

Carencro will be the second team this season that East St. John has faced that employs the Wing-T as its base offense. ESJ defeated another Wing-T squad, St. James, 35-12 in week three.

He expects Carencro to try and control the ball, limiting ESJ’s offensive snaps.

“That’s been the blueprint this year,” said Dauterive. “Keep Darion, D’haquille and this offense on the sideline. We only ran about 38 plays on Saturday. I’m used to getting 65-70 a game, but teams are looking to keep our offense on the sideline.”

Nobody can argue with his team’s offensive efficiency. ESJ is averaging 38.2 points per game. They’ve punted six times in four games.

It’s a big reason why the Wildcats remain among the undefeated.

“Right here, you’ve got St. Charles, Riverside and ourselves, all undefeated. That’s something that bodes well for River Parish football,” Dauterive said.