By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Lutcher football Coach Tim Detillier can already see a difference in his players.

When the school lost its fieldhouse and all of its equipment in a fire before the 2006 season, the Bulldogs were relegated to working out of trailers for each of the last two seasons.

But while they haven’t been cleared to move into their new building completely, the players have been given the green light to use the weight room.

“If nothing else, it has an impact on motivation,” Detillier said. “You tend to take some things for granted when you always have them. But I can see the effort they’ve put forth for the past week. I think it’ll make a big difference.”

The Bulldogs had more than enough motivation entering their 2008 spring and summer programs. After capturing the Class 3A state championship in 2006, and the District 9-3A title in 2007, Lutcher wasn’t able to return to the Superdome — it fell in the state quarterfinals to Redemptorist.

This year, the biggest change for the team will come at quarterback. Gone is Blaine Gauthier and the 46 touchdowns he accounted for – he’s off to play at Louisiana-Lafayette. In his stead will be junior quarterback Gavin Webster.

“He’s a dual threat,” said Detillier. “He’s not as elusive as Blaine, but he’s more of a punishing runner. He’s build more like a fullback than a quarterback.”

Webster led the offense well in the team’s spring game with Loranger last month. Lutcher scored seven times, and found a connection with senior Reginald Jackson, the squad’s top returning receiver.  

“(Jackson) had a really strong game,” said Detillier.

Overall, the offense will see seven of its offensive starters return, indicating that little will change strategically from a season ago, when the Bulldogs scored 40 or more points on five occasions.

“We’re not gonna change. We’ll be very multiple, offensively and defensively,” Detillier said.

Defensively, the team will see seven starters return, but suffered a blow in the spring when senior linebacker Blake Rome suffered an injury on the first series of the Loranger scrimmage.

But the injury shouldn’t cost him time once prep season begins, Detillier says.

That’s important, because the Bulldogs will be thrust into the fire at season’s beginning – after a jamboree matchup with Destrehan, Lutcher will four Class 5A teams to begin it’s pre-district schedule.

“We’re only starting out against the defending 5A champs,” Detillier said with a laugh. “Then it’s on to Higgins, and St. Amant, and so forth. We won’t only be playing larger schools, but quality ones.”