By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LUTCHER – Though it didn’t end the way Lutcher hoped, 2009 was still a season for the ages for the Bulldogs.

LHS shattered numerous school records on the gridiron on its way to a state semifinals apperance, and it didn’t go unrecognized by the Louisiana sports writers, as four Lutcher stars were named to this year’s Class 4A All-State team.

The quartet is led by senior quarterback Gavin Webster, who put up staggering offensive numbers en route to being named this year’s Class 4A Offensive Outstanding Player.

He is joined on the team by junior wide receiver Jarvis Landry, senior offensive lineman Jared Trosclair and senior defensive back Todd Washington.

Webster put up eye-popping numbers every week for what was arguably the greatest offense in the school’s history. He totaled 64 touchdowns in 14 games, 38 of those coming through the air. Webster completed 69-percent of his passes for 2,962 yards and only seven interceptions. He rushed for 1,350 yards on 172 attempts. He led LHS to an average of 43.6 points per game.

“We’ve been blessed with a lot of great athletes, but I don’t ever remember someone being so consistent,” said Lutcher coach Tim Detillier. “There were nights when we thought Gavin had an off night. Then we’d look at the statistics and say ‘Wow, that’s supposedly an off night for him?’ We finished on such a tear last season, and this year he picked up right where he left off.”

Detillier said that Webster was deserving of the honor not just as a player, but as a person.

“Sometimes, nice guys can finish first,” said Detillier. “As great a player as he is, he’s an even better person.”

Landry was on the receiving end of many of Webster’s throws as his primary target. He caught 80 passes for 1,406 yards and 15 scores, while adding 101 yards and two scores as a rusher.

“As far as his ability to catch passes, there are no words in my vocabulary,” said Detillier. “He makes some breathtaking plays.”

But what impresses the coach even more is Landry’s physicality. That attribute led the team to install Landry at a spot not generally reserved for a wide receiver – middle linebacker, where he started down the stretch.

“He brought an attitude with him. You’d never think of a wide receiver as being that physical. Then he became such a force in the middle for us,” said Detillier. “You look up and he’s leading us in tackles. And when he’s on offense, you see guys with their heads on a swivel, looking for Jarvis – he was so intimidating not just as a pass catcher, but a blocker.”

The team set school records for both rushing production and passing proficiency, and much of the credit for that comes back to an offensive line adept at blocking for both within Detillier’s spread offense.

Trosclair was a huge part of that. The 6-2, 250 pound lineman was Lutcher’s biggest lineman and made his presence known week in and week out. LHS averaged 7.4 yards per carry this season, thanks in large part to his ability.

“Everybody on this team works hard, but I don’t know if any group worked harder than these lineman,” said Detillier. “I was glad to see one of them recognized. Jared is very deserving … we blew away school records in rushing and passing, and it speaks to his versatility and that of our line. He has such a strong work ethic.”

Defensively, Lutcher continued its recent tradition of strong secondary play. Washington was the star of the group, tallying 43 tackles and two interceptions, and was mostly a blanket upon some of the state’s top receivers this season.

A Tulsa commitment, Washington really had a break out performance during LHS’ win over Belle Chasse, when he effectively took standout receiver James Wright out of the game.

“After that game, people started to really notice him,” said Detillier. “Wherever Wright went, he shut him down.

“He didn’t have the huge stats, but a lot of that comes down to teams saying ‘Where’s 24? Let’s throw away from him.’ That shows a lot of respect for him.”