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September 12, 2017
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September 12, 2017
Winning football games at the high school level is awfully hard work.
But right now, the Vandebilt Catholic Terriers are making it look easy.
The Terriers entered the 2017 season with big expectations after a solid season last year under coach Jeremy Atwell.
So far, the high hopes haven’t spooked Vandebilt this fall, as they’ve started the season 2-0 with consecutive victories over Class 5A foes, including a 62-10 victory over H.L. Bourgeois on Friday night.
Atwell said any win is a good win, adding that the goal each Friday night is to play hard, have fun and score one more point than the other team.
But right now, Atwell said he’s most pleased because he’s getting high-level contributions from all three phases of the game, which he said has made coaching awfully fun to start 2017.
“We’re getting a total team effort,” Atwell said. “We have kids who are making plays all over the field and in all aspects of the game. We know we have our share of things that we need to work on and get better at because the meat of our schedule is still out there. But right now, we’re really comfortable with how we’ve started the season.”
Offensively, Vandebilt is tough to stop.
Quarterback Andrew Robison is two games into his junior season and is already showing why he’s widely considered to be one of the top players in the area, owning six touchdown passes and zero interceptions in 2017.
On Friday against H.L. Bourgeois, Robison wasn’t as efficient as he usually is, completing just 8-of-18 passes. But he did have four total touchdowns, which Atwell said is a sign that the quarterback is maturing and truly developing into a leader.
“He struggled a little bit early, but found his rhythm and I think that’s the mark of a really good football player,” Atwell said.
But what makes the Terriers so tough to stop is how they spread the ball around to all of their playmakers.
In Friday night’s game against the Braves, no Vandebilt ball carrier had more than 10 carries and no one caught more than three passes.
Atwell said keeping playmakers fresh throughout the game is a huge point of emphasis, adding that one of Robison’s biggest strengths is his ability to evenly distribute to everyone in the starting lineup.
“I think that keeps everyone happy,” Atwell said. “Everyone is touching the football and contributing to what’s going on during the games and I think that’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. Andrew is so good at keeping everyone involved and making the right reads and I think we’re fortunate to have a lot of guys who can make things happen with the football in their hands.”
But while the Terriers hang crooked numbers just about every Friday night, the team’s defense and special teams are shining, as well.
Atwell applauded the play of defensive back Brennan Patterson – a guy who has been a huge playmaker so far this season to help lead the team.
In the season opener, Patterson forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had an interception to help Vandebilt beat Thibodaux.
On Friday, he kept the momentum rolling, making several more defensive plays, while also returning both a kickoff and a punt for a score.
Atwell said the best thing about Patterson is that his work ethic continues to grow – even as he reaps the benefits of his maturation.
“He shows up ready to work. I love that he’s so coachable,” Atwell said. “He’s really had a great start, but he’s stayed grounded. Brennan is a kid that played a lot of offense for us, then got injured, so we moved him to the defensive side of the ball. And right now, I think what we’re seeing is that the game is slowing down for him and he’s really gotten very comfortable. He’s making things happen for us back there.”
And the icing on the cake is the Terriers’ kicking game.
Atwell praised kicker Reid Bourg, calling him a huge piece of Vandebilt’s success.
Bourg, a junior, has a big leg – one of the biggest in the area.
This season, he’s already banged home a field goal from more than 40 yards out, while also recording several touchdowns on kickoffs after possession changes.
“Right now, he’s our biggest weapon,” Atwell said. “He puts just about every kickoff in the end zone for us, which helps us really have a good handle on the field positioning game, while also taking away the opponent’s return game. Reid also is a weapon to make field goals for us, which is a huge plus because not a lot of teams can drive down the field and take those three points. With Reid, we’re able to do that.”
Add it all together and it looks like the Terriers will be one of the teams playing football deep into the fall.
Atwell said he’s excited about the direction of his program, because the Terriers have a great blend of both talent and youth.
Several of the team’s top playmakers – including Robison, Patterson and Bourg – are underclassmen.
That’s a luxury which Atwell said makes him sleep easy at night.
“We like the way our roster is built,” Atwell said. “We have a great group of seniors, but the core of our playmakers are the same as they’ll be for the next few years. It’s been a good start and we’re excited. We like the direction we’re headed.” •
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