Northwest Also Has Defense

 Northwest Also Has Defense

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

In assessing a game where his offense scored 50 points, Northwest High head football coach Chris Edwards says one aspect of that win is possibly getting ignored.

Edwards gives copious credit to the Raiders’ defense, which he says played a major part in a 50-14 victory over Rayne High last Friday night.

“The defense has been a strong point for us all season. The amount of points we scored and the score itself did surprise me. However our defense turned in another great game,” says Edwards.

Rayne was limited to 57 rushing yards on 11 carries, while the Wolves threw for 71.

Northwest defensive end Davon Thibodeaux, a returning all-state selection, already has 10 individual tackles in two games for the undefeated Raiders, who again are the No. 3-ranked Class 3A team in the updated Louisiana Sports Writers Association weekly poll. 

Thibodeaux, a defensive end and outside linebacker, also has four assists.

White Edwards admits Thibodeaux is a key element for the Northwest defense, the standout senior does have a supporting cast.

Outside linebacker Bri’Lynn Synegal (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) has nine individual tackles. Inside lineman Curtis Harrison has 10 tackles, while the secondary has two solid players in Brayden Batiste and Ty Sam, Edwards said.

Inside linebacker Kylen Seria has six tackles and four assists this season.

“What’s important about our defense is it has several guys who came out for football just a couple of years ago and they are continuing to make a contribution,” Edwards points out.

So What About Offense?

Senior quarterback Jayden Chavis completed 11 of 12 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns against Rayne, while running back Ke’Von Johnson gained 212 yards on 18 carries.

Two of the Chavis completions were turned into Dillon Guilbeau touchdowns, while Reginald Lavergne caught another long throw from Chavis for a 34-yard score.

Chavis threw another touchdown pass of 14 yards to wide receiver Markez Davis.

Johnson, who ranked among the state regular season rushing leaders in Class 1A the last two seasons, is still creating yardage in a higher classification.

In the two Northwest victories, Johnson has gained 418 yards. 

Not Getting Easier

The Raiders again play up in classification this Friday night when Northwest goes to Lake Charles to play Barbe High, a perennial Class 5A playoff team.

Barbe wasn’t ranked in Week 3 LSWA poll, but the Bucs did receive some votes for Top 10 placement in the poll voted on by state sports writers.

Edwards said his non-district schedule contains teams in higher classifications, since the Raiders are expected to compete again in the Division II non-select playoffs.

Eunice, a team the Raiders defeated 21-14 in the season opener and Jennings are on the 2024 Northwest High schedule.

Some of the schools on the Northwest High district schedule however compete in the Division III non-select playoffs, Edwards said. That normally reduces the amount of power points the Raiders will receive when the brackets are released in November, Edwards pointed out.

“If you are in our situation, which is a Class 3A school having to play Class 4A teams in the playoffs, then you have to make your non-district schedule contain Class 4A and Class 5A teams. We’re doing that for the power points,” Edwards said.

Last year Northwest reached the Division II non-select semifinals with three impressive playoff victories, but lost to Cecilia.