MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / August 30, 2000

LUTCHER – Once upon a time, Lutcher and East St. John was one of THEgames in the state, always contested in the last week of the season.

Times have changed. Both schools have created rivalries with other teamsand the game has been moved to the first week of the season. But when theBulldogs and Wildcats meet, it still creates some of the best football around.

That was certainly true of the last two times the teams met. Two yearsago, East St. John rallied for a 19-13 win at Lutcher. Last year, theBulldogs turned the tables, rallying with two touchdowns in the final five minutes for a 35-28 victory. It was a game that saw the teams combine toscore three touchdowns in the final 48 seconds of the first half. East St.John’s Roydell Williams caught six passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns while Lutcher’s Kenneth Johnson had five receptions for 118 yards.

Johnson and Williams have both gone on to the next level. Gone also arequarterbacks Floyd Smith of East St. John and Lutcher’s Thomas Ricks. Intheir place this year are Darwin Pittman for the Wildcats and Risley St.

Germain for the Bulldogs, both playing their first regular season game at the position. Both were all-district selections at tight end for theirrespective teams last season.

The teams are coming off different results in the River Parishes Jamboree last Thursday. East St. John defeated St. Charles Catholic, 17-7, whileLutcher fell to Hahnville, 12-0.

Despite missing starter Chuckie Burl, the Wildcats got a boost from their running game. Brandon Mason had a game-high 89 yards and a touchdown on19 carries. Tremaine Moore had 33 yards on six carries as the Wildcatsgained 139 yards on the ground. Burl, who ran for 123 yards in last year’sgame, will play this week.

Pittman completed 4-of-11 passes for 122 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown to Wade Walker. The defense held St. Charles Catholic to 103yards, including minus three yards on the ground.

“Right now, our run offense is a little ahead of our pass offense because of the quarterback and two receivers we have to replace,” East St. Johncoach Ronnie Stephens said. “I’m pleased with what we did offensively,especially in the first half. Defensively, we got after them pretty good. Wehad people around the football.”Despite the loss to Hahnville, Lutcher coach Tim Detillier said he was pleased with his team’s play. St. Germain completed five of his 10 passesfor 83 yards but the running game was held to 14 yards.

“I was kind of upbeat,” Detillier said. “I know Hahnville is one of the bestteams in the River Parishes and we are so young. The effort was there.Given the effort we gave, I was very upbeat. Offensively, we haveimproved so much. I feel we are a really good football team.”With the scrimmages and jamborees out of the way, both coaches know this is the real thing and want to start the season on a positive note.

“When you play Lutcher, you have to be ready to play,” Stephens said.

“They get up for this game. It’s a big game for them and it’s a big game forus. The last couple of years it has gone down to the wire.”Everybody wants to start out 1-0. We’ve been out since Aug. 1 and thekids want to turn the lights on the scoreboard and see what happens. Youalways want to start out on a good note.”Detillier said that when any two River Parishes teams meet, it’s already a rivalry and playing East St. John in the oldest rivalry in the area in thefirst week of the season really adds something to it.

“For the winner of the game, it has a springboard effect,” Detillier, whose team defeated the Wildcats for the first time since 1995 last season, said. “Last year, that was a classic game. But they have a lot of weaponsthat they have lost and we have a lot of weapons that we have lost. Itshould be more of a hard-fought, low-scoring defensive struggle. But I’mstill anticipating the atmosphere. It should be a full house and I can’t waituntil Friday.”Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Lutcher.East St. John hosts St. James next Friday while Lutcher travels toVandebilt Catholic.

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