By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Many of Destrehan’s current starters hadn’t started a varsity game before Friday night’s home opener against Helen Cox. Most of the experienced starters from Destrehan’s repeat Class 5A championship teams have since moved on.

But it sure seems that the youth on this squad learned something from its predecessors – how to win.

At least, that much seems true after the Wildcats’ 25-22 come-from-behind victory over the Cougars at Destrehan.

Taylor Dunn’s screen pass to Marshall Charles with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter went for an 8-yard touchdown, as the Wildcats survived Helen Cox, 25-22, to extend their winning streak to 30 games.

Charles caught the screen pass against a blitz, and was able to get into the endzone to put DHS ahead 23-22. A Dunn pass to De’Ante Armstrong for a two-point conversion made it 25-22.

“Marshall ran well for us all night,” said Destrehan coach Stephen Robicheaux. “We knew they were coming after us. Fortunately for us, we got him the ball and he was able to get in untouched.”

But while Robicheaux credited his team with gutting out the win, he said a repeat performance would almost assuredly end with a loss.

“I have mixed emotions about it,” Robicheaux said. “We made a lot of mistakes. A big play called back, an interception, we fumbled, a clip…we can’t make the mistakes we made in that game if we hope to be successful.”

Charles carried 19 times for 96 yards. Kyron King had a monster game, hauling in 142 yards and two touchdowns. Dunn passed for three touchdowns in his first down – he completed 15-of-24 passes for 217 yards.

Punter Kurt McCune set up Destrehan’s last chance with an enormous kick – it was his 68-yard punt that effectively reversed field position for the two teams. DHS went from being backed up on its own 20, to Helen Cox starting on its own 12.

“That was probably the saving play for us,” said Robicheaux.

After a three-and-out, Cox elected to take an intentional safety instead of kicking away. That made it 22-17, and Destrehan would begin on the 50 after the safety punt return.

Destrehan struck first in the opening quarter on Dunn’s 53-yard scoring strike to King.

After Cox answered in the second quarter to go ahead 8-7 with a touchdown and two-point conversion, King struck again later in the quarter, this time for a 28-yard touchdown. Charles ran in the two-point conversion to make it 15-8.

A pair of fourth quarter scoring runs by Kerry Brister put Cox ahead 22-15.

But the lead was fleeting, and Robicheaux’s young starters can now all count themselves in on the “streak”.

“This is a completely different team,” said Robicheaux. “Now, we just move on and hope our inexperience becomes experience very soon.”