What makes a successful senior class?

Senior. It’s a two-syllable, six-letter word defined by Webster’s as “a person with higher standing or rank.” On the football field, they are the leaders, the captains, the field generals – those seasoned to Friday night perfection with three years worth of battle scars. But what intangibles make up a successful senior class? Here’s what arguably our area’s best crop has working for them, the Terrebonne High School Class of 2011 football team – a group that has rolled to an 8-0 start to the 2010 season and has already clinched the District 8-5A district championship.

Plenty of Beef – Having athletes is fine, but every successful football team needs muscle, too. Terrebonne is no exception, relying on the brute force of senior linemen Ryan Billiot and Hunter Breaux, who weigh 330 and 290 pounds respectively. These unheralded and sometimes underappreciated workhorses provide the creases for the Tigers’ athletes to attack. A wise coach once proclaimed that the first player to touch the football in every offensive play is an offensive lineman, and Billiot and Breaux bring the beef for the Tigers to boost the team’s high-powered offense.

A leader with a strong arm under center – That’s where 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound Mike Williams comes into the fold. Through the first seven games of the season, Williams has completed 52-of-88 passes for 854 yards, 10 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Williams is the anchor and the driving force behind the Tigers’ high-powered offense that averages more than 40 points per game on the season. On the rare occasion that a team takes away the Tigers’ explosive passing game, that’s fine, too, because the quarterback also has four rushing touchdowns on the season.

Burning speed – Another wise coach once said that speed kills, and Terrebonne senior halfback Taylor O’Brien has proven that analogy to be true time and time again. O’Brien doesn’t necessarily look the part of a big-time halfback, standing 5-foot-7-inches and weighing just 155 pounds. But don’t tell that to the defenses he’s faced this year, as the senior has carried the football 41 times for 425 yards and 11 touchdowns in the first seven games of the season. O’Brien might only get the football a handful of times each game, but pay close attention when he does, because something special is probably about to happen.

Mean and physical linebackers – Sure, scoring a lot of points is nice. But stopping your opponent from scoring is even better. That’s where linebackers Devante Clark and Donovan Watkins add their own spice to the Tigers’ mix. The Terrebonne linebacker duo has combined for 59 tackles on the season. Standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 185 pounds, Clark isn’t the size of the traditional linebacker. But his nose for the football is undeniable, as the standout has recorded four sacks on the season to go with his tackles. Don’t worry, these guys aren’t as mean as they look – unless you’re a halfback, of course, then yes, you probably should be worried.

Unquestioned defensive focus – When the Tigers’ offense gets rolling, Terrebonne usually has the lead. When the Tigers have the lead, their opponents are usually relegated to throwing the football. That’s when safety Kirby Bonvillain and cornerback Pat Ward step in to make life miserable for opponents. The Tigers’ secondary duo has recorded a combined six interceptions this season. By locking down the edges and forcing turnovers, the Terrebonne secondary holds back opposing offenses and gives the football back to the Tigers’ offense where they can do more damage.