Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / June 1, 1998

DESTREHAN – The Destrehan Wildcats were going to have a hard enough time duplicating its 1997 season in which it finished 10-2 and won its second consecutive district championship, losing 13 starters to graduation.

Now comes the uncertainty of whether the Wildcats will lose an additional six contributors. Cornerbacks Leonard Harris and Joey Johnson,tight end Dwayne Donald, quarterback Wendell Smith, linebacker Lance Carter and defensive lineman Marcus Bates have received charges ranging from carnal knowledge of a juvenile to sexual battery and pornography involving juveniles stemming from an incident that occurred over Spring Break.

The loss of those players could be blow to the Wildcats. Smith started atquarterback last season and threw for over 800 yards. Carter led thedefense as the outstanding defensive player in District 6-5A.

Through the uncertainty, head coach Scott Martin and his staff must continue to prepare for the upcoming season.

“We have plans if we have them and plans if we don’t have them,” Martin said of the six. “We are planning for a best-case scenario and a worst-case scenario.”One thing that has come out of the uncertainty is that the backups got more repetitions during the spring. Coming out of the spring, Martin saidthe team’s strong point should be its running game. The Wildcats are alsosolid at the defensive skill positions but Martin said the team still needs depth on the offensive and defensive lines.

The Wildcats concluded their 13 days of work with an intrasquad Garnet and Gray game Friday night with the offense defeating the defense, 50-46.

“It was a lot of fun,” Martin said.

Martin said the team’s goal this year is meet the standard set by their predecessors.

“Are we a district championship football team?” Martin said. “I think wehave a shot at it. When we compare teams, we compare whether we canwin district again.”The Wildcats open the season at home against Jesuit, one of only two teams to defeat them last season. Destrehan continues its homestandagainst non-district opponents Douglass and Bonnabel before opening defense of its title against Thibodaux and Hahnville.

Destrehan hits the road for the first time against Central Lafourche and East St. John before returning home against South Lafourche. The Wildcatsclose out the season on the road against Terrebonne and H.L. Bourgeois.

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