Rayne hosts rival Notre Dame

BY LANCE REED

LSN STAFF WRITER

CROWLEY – Notre Dame and Rayne High School have a unique rivalry. You see, a vast majority of the students at Notre Dame are residents of Rayne and could attend Rayne High. Many of the Rayne High students are neighbors with students of NDHS. With that said, several of the players on the NDHS football team are from Rayne. Tonight, many neighbors will be playing against each other. For 48 minutes, friends will become opponents on the gridiron.

Rayne (3-4, 0-2) will be looking for their first district victory, while Notre Dame will be looking to keep its top spot in the power rankings and stay unbeaten in district.

“It’s always a little bit of a rivalry because of the situation of us being a parish school,” said Notre Dame coach Lewis Cook. “We face the same thing with other teams in district. It adds excitement but also makes it a little difficult. We all have friends on both sides and when its over, its over. You always hope it stays on the field.”

The Wolves bring a heavy offensive and defensive line to the game. The offense averages 16 points per game. The O-line is anchored by five seniors and a sophomore. Tight end Perry Faucheaux is the biggest man on the line. He stands at 6-foot-1 and tips the scale at 215 pounds. Josh Tauzin, Chris Bourque, Philip Richard and Wilton Marks are the other four seniors that man the offensive trenches for the Wolves.

The Rayne running game is one to be respected. Senior tailback Antonio Wheeler is one of the best running backs in the district. Some will argue he surely the best. Whatever the case, Wheeler is a major part of the Rayne High offense. When broken down, Wheeler makes up nearly 50 percent of the offense. From running the ball to catching the ball, the senior makes plays when it counts. Sophomore fullback Zack Quibodeaux does the blocking for Wheeler and does a lot short-yardage running.

Junior quarterback Zack Venable is in his first year as the starting signal caller for Wolves. The youngster does a great job of throwing the ball and likes to spread the love. He hits four different receivers on a regular basis. His favorite target senior wide out Vincent Sinegale. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound receiver has nearly 500 yards worth of receptions this year. Venable’s other big target is Andrew Wynn. The senior multi-role player has been battling injuries and is questionable for this game.

“We have to stop the big plays and win the battle up front,” stated Cook. “We also have to do a better job and eliminate penalties.”

The NDHS offense has rattled off big points and big yards on offense the last couple of weeks. From the passing game to the running game, the Pioneers seem to be able to score from many different angles. Junior signal caller Ryan Leonards continues to hit different receives on a regular basis. He connected with Nick Zaunbrecher and Jacob Nugier in an effort to move the ball several times last week. Philip LeBlanc, Robert Johnson and Morgan Allen are also go-to receivers for Leonards.

The running game of Notre Dame has become one with many facades. From seniors Jordan Bertrand, Robert Sarver and Jack Thomas Hundley to youngsters Marshall Watson, Stu Cook and Logan Venable, several different guys get a chance to escort the rock in a given contest.

The biggest consistency seems to come from the NDHS offensive line. The O-line keeps getting better and better each week. From opening holes to pass blocking to pulling and finding a man to block, the O-line is getting the job done

“We have to balance the run and the pass because they have size and strength up front,” Cook explained. “Their strength is definitely their size and strength.”

The Wolves give up about 22 points per game. Their most recent loss was a 27-7 loss to the Church Point Bears. On defense, the Wolves rely heavily on senior Trey Duplantis and Wynn. However, as of late, injuries have hampered the Wolves ability to keep opponents from scoring.

Tonight’s contest should be compelling for fans of both schools. With so many residents of both schools being friends, the game will be fun to watch and talk about on Saturday morning.

The contest takes place at Rayne High School and kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.