Trojans bounce back with first district win

The Sacred Heart Trojans needed a complete win to shake off a disappointing loss to Pine Prairie. Using a potent offense and a bend but don’t break defense, the Trojans took a commanding 46-20 win over the North Central Hurricanes Friday. With the victory, Sacred Heart is now 3-3 on the year and 1-0 in district. The Trojans will now travel to False River on Friday to face a 2-3 Gator squad. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
“This was a big win for us coming off of the loss against Pine Prairie,” said Sacred Heart Head Coach Gary Adkins. “North Central may not have a lot of players, but the few they have are very physical. This was the first time this season we have had all of our players available to play. That really gives us some depth to work with.”
The Sacred Heart offense was as balanced as a team could be against the Hurricanes, as they were able to rush for 232 yards and pass for 234 yards. Dylan Scully was once again the workhorse on the ground as the senior rushed for 152 yards and four touchdowns. Quarterback Josh Lahaye completed eight of 14 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Mickey Laughlin led all receivers with 80 yards and one touchdown.
“Our offensive line did a tremendous job Friday,” commented Adkins. “Josh LaHaye is starting to gain some confidence in his throwing ability. He really does throw the ball well. We were able to run our quick passing game to allow him to complete some passes and keep our offense moving the ball.”
The Trojan defense controlled the Hurricane offense most of the night. A lot of the yards and points that North Central was able to accumulate came late in the game when Sacred Heart had a number of back up players in the game. The Hurricanes wound up with a total of 347 yards of offense, most of that through the air.
“Our defense played exceptionally well against North Central,” Adkins acknowledged. “I was a little worried with their speed. But, we were able to force some turnovers and keep them out of the end zone for most of the game.”
Sacred Heart will go on the road Friday to battle the False River Gators. The Gators had an open date this past week having not filled in the empty space where now-defunct Pointe Coupee Central occupied. False River has a familiar face on its coaching staff, as former Trojan Head Coach Doug Guillory is an assistant at the New Roads school.
“It will feel funny going to play there since it is the first head coaching job I had coming out of college,” explained Adkins. “They are a well coached football team. They are mostly a spread team on offense, but can get into some two back sets when they need to. Defensively, they are very multiple, depending on the offense that they face. We will have to really be focused to come away with a victory.”
A Sacred Heart victory would tack on much needed power points to its total. With the playoff system now split, the Trojans must land in the top 16 teams in their division to make the playoffs. Winning two games in a row is not new to Sacred Heart this season, having done so in weeks three and four. Consistency is necessary for all football teams, but especially for the Trojans, if they wish to be among the elite 16 that extend their season.