By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

DESTREHAN — After his hosting Wildcats rallied to defeat West Monroe in a Class 5A semifinal game, Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux called his team together and spoke to them with clear emotion in his voice.

“This is a different feeling from last year, isn’t it?” he told his team. “You faced adversity (against West Monroe) and you dealt with it, because you’re winners.”

Last season, Destrehan went into Acadiana for a semifinal contest sporting an undefeated record, but the Wreckin’ Rams dominated en route to a 35-7 victory and an eventual state championship victory, a 77-41 win over Parkway.

Robicheaux and his Wildcats now finally have a second crack at those Rams — and at a state championship. Destrehan and Acadiana are set to square off at 7 p.m. today at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to decide the Class 5A state championship.

Acadiana started fast last season, senior quarterback Donovan Isom was forced to play through an injury suffered early on and the Wildcats never recovered on a cold, windy night up north. This time around, the game will be indoors, and while Robicheaux says his team is in for a major challenge again, he feels Destrehan is more equipped to respond if the Rams gain some early momentum.

“Last year, things went the wrong way on us early, and we allowed it to snowball,” Robicheaux said. “This year, West Monroe started gaining traction, they came back on us, and we responded and made the plays we needed to pull it out. I thought we got down on ourselves last year. We’re a more mature team now.”

Destrehan and Acadiana have won five of the past eight Class 5A state championships, with Acadiana taking the crown in 2006, 2010 and 2013 and Destrehan earning the honor in 2007 and 2008, during what was a 30-game winning streak for DHS.

Destrehan defeated Acadiana for that 2007 state championship, 41-21. Back then, it was a contrast in styles, a high-flying Destrehan squad led by quarterback Jordan Jefferson and wide receiver Damaris Johnson facing off with a ground-and-pound Acadiana option offense.

Acadiana’s attack hasn’t steered away from the veer, but Destrehan’s offense has shifted considerably to the running game and tailback Will Matthews, who has put together a slew of career-best numbers as a senior. Robicheaux said he sets the tone on and off the field.

“He’s our emotional leader, our physical leader, our spiritual leader,” Robicheaux said with a chuckle. “There’s no doubt about it. (Matthews) works so hard, and the way he runs the ball, our guys really feed off that. He’s made big play after big play. We knew we weren’t going to have the same production at quarterback with Donovan gone, with some youth back behind center, but Will took it on his shoulders, and we’ve become a running football team.”

Still, Acadiana likely won’t be able to completely sell out on the run. DHS quarterbacks — Kohon Granier and Malcolm Darensbourg — can dial up big play weapons, including Kirk Merritt, Alfred Smith and John Williams. Robicheaux has rotated both passers over the course of the season and has not revealed his starter. Both are likely to see time.

Merritt, a nationally recruited speedster who doubles as a running back and wide receiver, suffered an ankle injury and had to exit last week’s win over West Monroe. However, he is expected to be ready to go.

Robicheaux said one plus in his team’s corner is some experience facing Acadiana’s veer option last season. A unique offense in and of itself, the Rams run it in a different way than most teams, firing off the ball almost immediately after getting set. The Rams obliterated the Class 5A state rushing record in last season’s 5A championship, racking up 634 rushing yards in their win over Parkway.

“That offensive line does a great job rolling off of the ball,” Robicheaux said. “You can’t simulate what they do in practice. Fortunately, our kids saw it last year. We’ve got a bigger defensive line this year and hopefully that proves the difference.”

Tulane commitment Malik Eugene is the top ballcarrier for the Rams. But quarterback Kevin Moore might be the offensive key. The Rams haven’t lost since Moore took over at quarterback in Week 8 of the regular season — the team moved him from middle linebacker, though Moore still plays on that side of the ball.

Donavin Solomon and Eric Duhon are also big threats at tailback. Acadiana’s best all-around player likely lines up at tight end: Bry’Keithen Mouton is an LSU commitment, standing at 6’2” and 240 pounds.

But if the old axiom “defense wins championships” is to be believed, both sides are more than equipped to celebrate a huge win on the Superdome carpet. Acadiana held a Zachary team averaging 46 points per game to just 3 in the Rams’ 9-3 semifinal win last week and has allowed 38 points total this postseason. Destrehan has allowed 20 points or more twice all season, with one of those occasions coming in the midst of a blowout. Raekwon Morgan, Brandon Scott and Austin Dickerson are among the top playmakers on defense for Destrehan.