By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD—West St. John is regrouping after a 28-0 loss to St. Charles, the No. 6 ranked-team in Class 2A. But the Rams cannot lick their wounds for long with Donaldsonville on the horizon.

The Tigers (3-0) are ranked fifth in the state in Class 2A and represent the fourth ranked team the Rams have lined up against so far this season: Riverside (jamboree), St. Charles, St. James and Donaldsonville will all have been cemented in their classifications top 10 at the time of their clash with West St. John.

Last season, the Tigers bested West St. John, 44-6, behind a lethal no-huddle attack.

Rams coach Robert Valdez knows first hand what Donaldsonville boasts.

“Their no huddle, their speed … first and foremost, you need to handle that,” said Valdez. “They’ve very, very fast. The no-huddle presents a different problem for us since a lot of our kids play both sides of the ball. You have to keep your kids from getting winded.”

The Rams’ defense has been stout all season, but the same was true last year at this time. Valdez said that one way to help the defense against the Tiger attack is through the Rams’ offense.

“Two keys are being able to control the ball and the clock on offense and taking care of the ball. Don’t give them anything free on a short field,” he said.

Against the Comets, West St. John held tough until halftime. But with a 7-0 lead, the Comets came out in the third quarter and let Marcus Hall loose in the Wildcat formation. Hall scored three times in the game and rushed for 150 yards.

The Rams (1-2) did boast a different look offensively throughout the game, rotating quarterbacks for the first time this season. Austin Howard and transfer Mark Wright each took snaps at the position, with the other going out to play wide receiver. Valdez said that will continue.

“(Wright) is a taller kid, it gives us a chance to do some different things. Dump some passes over the line, we dinked and dunked at times against St. Charles,” said Valdez. “We like both of them, and both will play.”

Defensively, Donaldsonville boasts another challenge for a Rams offense that is still at times struggling with its youth. Taking care of the ball in the face of the Tigers’ heavy pressure packages will be tantamount.

“They blitz a lot and they’re very opportunistic,” said Valdez. “We have to pick the blitz up and make plays without allowing them the chance to do so.”

Offensively, the Tigers are led by quarterback Devon Breaux, who accounted for six touchdowns and 339 yards of total offense in a 60-0 win over Ascension Catholic.