By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LUTCHER — Last week Lutcher put to rest much of what’s haunted the Bulldogs for a year, last season’s second round loss — LHS advanced to the Class 4A quarterfinals with a 49-14 win at Washington-Marion.

It now has a chance to put the rest of those demons to bed.

On Friday, No. 3 seeded Lutcher (12-1) is set to host No. 6 Teurlings Catholic (9-3), the team that upset the Bulldogs a year ago and ended their season.

“Last year is last year and this year is this year. But at the same time, I know our guys will have a little extra motivation,” said Lutcher coach Tim Detillier. “I don’t have to say it, they know it.”

Detillier said that there’s a perception around his community that Teurlings Catholic is something of a Bulldogs’ nemesis. They’ve beaten Lutcher in two previous playoff matchups, the first coming in 1999, and have had postseason success in other sports against the Bulldogs as well.

But those games, Detillier said, mean nothing in terms of this matchup, this year.

“All of that has nothing to do with this Friday night,” said Detillier.

One positive for the Bulldogs is that this game, unlike the previous two, will be played at the Dog Yard.

Another is, in short, the team’s scalding hot play. Lutcher is on an 11-game win streak, winning by an average score of 43.9 to 12.2. It has scored 40 points or more eight times and has not allowed more than 14 points in any of the last eight weeks.

Even better for Lutcher is the ascending play of its quarterback, Ruston Matherne, who turned in another big performance last week. He rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns while completing six of seven passes for 88 yards and the one blemish on his night, an interception.

“Just how well he’s been playing, it’s been unbelievable,” said Detillier. “He’s playing lights out.”

The coach wants to see his team do a better job of containing Rebels’ quarterback D’Shai Landor, who had a lot of success in the running game against the Bulldogs out of Teurlings’ spread attack.

In last week’s regional round win, the Bulldogs held standout quarterback Melvin Jones to 69 yards and a score on 19 carries to go along with 41 yards through the air.

Dorian Semien scored on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter. Daniel Taylor ran 13 times for 109 yards and two scores for Lutcher.

The Bulldogs trailed early, but scored 49 unanswered points to take control of the contest.

The Bulldogs’ Ian Podufalski recovered a Marion fumble and returned it for a score.