J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTO: Dechad Ward of Destrehan High School catches a pass at the Destrehan Jamboree Thursday night. Ward scored 2 touchdowns and gained 157 yards in total offense.(Photo for L’Observateur by Tommy Williams) DESTREHAN – The Lutcher Bulldogs and the Destrehan Wildcats fought each other for 30 minutes at the Destrehan Jamboree Thursday night. When the dust settled Destrehan was the winner by a score of 13-8. The game was a mix of both old and new news. Destrehan running back Dechad Ward provided most of the Wildcat’s offensive punch, while wide receiver Fred Smith preformed the acrobatic stunts he’s been famous for since his freshman year in bringing in the few passes that were sent his way. Lutcher’s defense was as tough as ever, and was largely responsible for minimizing Smith’s impact on the game. The surprises were provided by the quarterbacks on either side. Demarko Hutch-inson replaced Daniel Luquet for the Wildcats in the second half of the game and helped provide the spark that gave Destrehan the lead and the win. Between keeping the ball and passing between his wide receivers and Ward, Hutchinson was able to keep the Bulldog defense off balance and force big plays. For Lutcher, the biggest surprise was their offensive muscle. Head coach Tim Detillier had been skeptical about his offense in the pre-season interviews, but that skepticism seemed unfounded as the Bulldog offense came through in the clutch after Ward had scored his first touchdown in the middle of the second half. Bulldog quarterback Bryce Matherne directed a six play 77 yard drive and took the ball into the endzone himself on a 27 yard quarterback keeper. The resulting two point conversion was good, and for a moment, the Bulldogs had the lead. But only for a moment. Literally, for only 16 seconds. The biggest play of the game came in the second half after Lutcher had scored their only touch down. The Wildcat’s made no attempt to return the kickoff, and started from their own 20 yard line. On the first play, Hutchinson optioned left out of the shotgun to Ward, who proceeded to blast through the Bulldog line and run the length of the field. The 80 yard touchdown run finished off the scoring – the celebration on the Destrehan sideline resulted in a penalty, and the point after kick was no good. Dechad Ward was responsible for the majority of the Wildcat’s offense. Ward ran for 133 yards and caught passes for another 24, ending the evening with two touchdowns and 157 yards of combined offense. The Wildcat’s quarterbacks were eight for 16 with one interception, while Matherne, who was under center for the entire game, was five for 13 with one interception. The Bulldogs picked up 183 yards of offense, while the Wildcats were able to run and pass for 294. Both sides were almost equal on first downs, as Lutcher had 13 while Destrehan had 12.