Knowing the Woodlawn High School football team would be making its first visit to Edgard Friday night, I tried my best to be a good ambassador.

Like anyone who’s ever been to Edgard after dark, I warned the Panther Nation about the mosquitoes and urged them to come armed with lots of bug spray.

Like any regular visitor to Rudolph Dinvaut Stadium at West St. John High School, I urged them not to pass up the famous chicken wings.

Like any good sports writer, I went down to midfield before the game to meet the visiting coach.

I didn’t have to introduce myself, though.

For the past two seasons, the Woodlawn Panthers have been coached by Destrehan’s own Daniel Luquet.

Some might remember him as an All-River Parishes quarterback for the Wildcats back in 2001, who went on to a short career at Southeastern Louisiana University under legendary coach Hal Mumme.

Some might remember him as a longtime assistant coach at Destrehan, or as the son of former Wildcats baseball coach Marty Luquet.

But, because we don’t share a last name, many might not know that he also happens to be my stepson.

It’s a rare occasion when a sports writer gets to cover their own kid on the field.

Editors usually bend over backwards to avoid it because it could be construed as a conflict of interest.

While I got to watch him grow up from recreation league through middle school, when Daniel became the starter at Destrehan his senior year, my former editors moved me downtown to cover Orleans Parish.

I never got to see my own kid play.

But now he’s all grown up, a husband, a father of two adorable little girls and a head coach at a school in the middle of a community that was devastated by floods just a few short months ago.

His school didn’t flood, but the homes of several of his players and coaches did. Those that didn’t quickly went about helping them tear out drywall and serving food in the community.

Lucky for me, editors are a little less picky these days.

Last year I got to see Daniel’s team in action in Destrehan against his alma mater.

We did the obligatory meet-and-greet at midfield with both of us taking some good-natured ribbing from both sides.

I even brought with me a printout of the flag of Switzerland, but I had to explain to too many people that Switzerland is famous for always being neutral.

Then I got to see his home field for the first time when West St. John traveled to Baton Rouge last season.

And last week I got to welcome him on his first trip to Edgard.

It wasn’t a good one.

Daniel got a first-hand look at those mosquitoes, then he had to skip the wings.

But he had a front-row seat as the Rams ran right through his defense on the way to a 32-7 win, led by quarterback Austin Alexander.

“He ran all over us,” Daniel said. “We knew how good he was. We didn’t know how good everyone around him was.”

For the record, I did forewarn Rams coach Brandon Walters about my connection to his opponent. I didn’t ask him for any scouting reports, either.

After the game, I got a late-night call from the coach.

“Way to ruin family night,” I told him.

To which he replied, “I’d like to say I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Lori Lyons is the Sports Editor at L’OBSERVATEUR. She can be reached a 985-652-9545 or lori.lyons@lobservateur.com.