Deborah Carney
October 20, 2009
Mrs. Leontine (Tina) Harris
October 22, 2009
At 5 feet, 8 inches and 130 pounds, Vandebilt Catholic quarterback T.J. Cantrelle isn’t exactly an imposing figure on the football field.
But what he lacks in size, the 16-year-old junior more than compensates for in toughness and leadership.
The Terriers (3-4, 2-0) have needed every ounce of those traits to overcome a season plagued with injuries and adversity to co-lead District 8-4A after Friday’s 49-12 victory over the Ellender Patriots and the 28-21 upset of defending Class 4A champion Belle Chasse on Oct. 9.
“He doesn’t play at that height and weight. He plays with a big heart and he’s a good team leader for us,” said Terrier head coach Laury Dupont.
“He makes all the right calls. We do a lot of reads on the field with the veer (offense),” he continued. “He’s been a difference maker for us on offense not making mental mistakes or turning the ball over.”
Cantrelle is not quite the runner former Terrier quarterback Evan Mistish was in 2007 or a classic pocket passer like Brannon Thompson in 2008. However, he has played like a combination of the two.
Only once since he began playing quarterback in seventh grade has a coach thought Cantrelle was too small to play the position.
That was two years under former Terrier coach Mark King.
“I was a lot smaller back then,” Cantrelle recalled. “I was maybe 105 pounds. That might be pushing it.”
He attributes his success to an unshakable confidence. But this is not a Napoleonic complex at work.
He said it comes from knowing his offensive line will do their job, making it easier for him to play well.
“I try not to show any weaknesses, so I’m always confident,” Cantrelle said. “The last couple of weeks, everything has been clicking. The offense has found a comfort zone. We’re going to try and stick with it for the rest of the season.”
The quarterback points to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association taking away its Sept. 4 victory over E.D. White for playing an ineligible player as the source of the Terriers’ turnaround.
“After we had to forfeit that game, we all took a stand and said we’re not going to let this affect us,” Cantrelle recalled. “We’re going to turn things around. We’re still going to win enough games to get in the playoffs.”
“Since the Hahnville game (Oct. 2), our offense has really been moving the ball on the ground,” Dupont explained. “The biggest thing isn’t who we play, but how we play. I tell my kids we have to play better each week. Right now, we’re playing well on both sides of the ball.”
That doesn’t mean the Terriers have cleared all obstacles in their path.
The team has lost about half a dozen starters to injuries. Their biggest loss has been first team all-district senior linebacker Ches Morrison, who also started at running back this year.
Dupont hopes Morrison will be back by the end of the season or the playoffs if the Terriers make it.
The coach has had to tweak his offense and defense and his team has adjusted well to new roles.
“We’re running our offense more out of the shotgun formation, which in the beginning of the year we weren’t,” Dupont explained. “We had to move some linebackers into different positions. I think they’re doing a good playing in different spots because Ches isn’t in there. That’s been important for us.”
After Friday’s homecoming game against the Morgan City Tigers, Vandebilt will face their greatest test in district co-leader and top-ranked team in Class 4A, the Lutcher Bulldogs, at home on Oct. 30.
While the Terriers are not ignoring the Tigers, Cantrelle is already looking forward to battling Lutcher, who were Class 3A champions last year.
“Our focus now is on Morgan City,” he said, “but if we can get past them, we’re going to give it our best to try and beat Lutcher for the district championship.”
Vandebilt Catholic Terrier quarterback T.J. Cantrelle (9) finds room through the Ellender Patriot defense in Friday’s 49-12 victory. Despite his slight built, the 5-foot, 8-inch, 130-pound junior has guided the Terriers to a share of the District 8-4A lead. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
