J. EDMUND BARNES

LUTCHER – It is the play that every parent, every coach and every football player dreads seeing. It doesn’t matter if its the shotgun option right, the screen pass or the shooter blitz. Its the play when after the pile clears and there’s still one player down, lying there, not moving much or at all. Everyone holds their breath, and everyone tries to see the number on the jersey, the coaches to identify the player, the players to recoginize their friend and the parents to see if its their son. Football isn’t for everyone. Its a rough and tumble game. No one is forced to play football, and the possibility of injury is just something everyone has to be aware of and do their best to minimize. And when a player is injured, he has to do his best to recover. Whether he plays again or not is his decision. For Marty Louque, there was no decision. He was going to play again. The senior free safety for Lutcher High School went down in the 2000 prep season, sustaining a concussion in Lutcher’s game against East St. John. “The quarterback from East St. John caught me on top of the head with his knee,” said Louque. “A bad baseball injury when I was a sophomore started all these problems.” Louque hasn’t let any of this stop him from playing football, though. Lutcher head coach Tim Detillier was very impressed with Louque’s dedication to the team. “He couldn’t play last year (due to the concussion). He stayed with us all year,” said coach Detillier. “It was very tough on him because he couldn’t play – doctor’s orders.” “He’s a very dedicated athlete. He gives everything he’s got on every play,” he concluded. Louque was going after the Wildcat’s quarterback when the injury occured. Though he said he wasn’t knocked out, he said he was dizzy. With the doctor’s orders sidelining him, all he could do was watch the Bulldogs play. “It was very hard sitting on the bench in the season,” said Louque. “(The injury) made me want to come back and play again – to show everyone I wasn’t scared.” So, Louque worked out in the spring and summer, taking part in the Bulldogs rigorous offseason strength training program. “The hardest part was coming out (to Lutcher High School) at 6 p.m. every day and lifting weights. I got in shape eventually,” said Louque. “The best part was because you’re with the team, the offense and the defense are good guys. When somebody goes down, someone lifts them up. When someone doesn’t feel like lifting weights, someone makes them.” Louque, who has been playing football since he was 7 years old, will be starting for the Bulldogs for the first time this year. For Louque, the best thing about football is how much fun it is. “Its fun. The coaches are joking with us, and sometimes serious. All your friends are here playing football,” said Louque. “For me, football doesn’t have a worst part. My family members want me to be careful, but it (injury) is the last thing on my mind. I ain’t scared.”