No. 1 Dunham Caps 10-0 Season in Convincing Fashion over Slaughter Charter – GeauxPreps – Louisiana High School Sports

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Perfection.

How else could you describe The Dunham School’s regular season, and the manner in which the Tigers wrapped up Friday with a 56-16 victory over Slaughter Community Charter?

Dunham, the No. 1 team in GeauxPreps’ Class 2A rankings, concluded the school’s third perfect 10-0 season and went 6-0 to win the District 8-2A championship. They outscored league opponents 299-41 and are expected to be the top seeded team in the Division III state playoffs.

“The phrase we tell the guys is, ‘It’s not the better team that wins, it’s the team that plays the best’ and if you’re the better team, and you’re play best, it looks like that,” Dunham’s football coach Neil Weiner, who also led the Tigers to a 10-0 season in 2018. “I’m proud of the maturity of our seniors and everybody showing up and doing what they were supposed to do.”

An anticipated bye week will allow Dunham to continue working toward becoming the second team in school history to win a state championship. Coach Joey Thibodeaux, who also had a 10-0 campaign in 1994, directed the Tigers to a state title that same season.

“We’re definitely going to keep practicing physical and competitive,” Dunham junior wide receiver/middle linebacker Trevor Haman said. “We usually go best on best in practice on offense and defense. We love to do that to stay competitive during the season. We’re going to continue to do that and just focus.”

Perfection also included Dunham’s first team offense scoring on all of its five possessions. Heralded sophomore quarterback Elijah Haven completed all of 12 pass attempts for 239 and four touchdowns, and he also added a 6-yard scoring run.

“Elijah was really sharp passing the ball and the receivers made some great catches,” Weiner said. “He put the ball where it had to be, but they had to make great plays to make it happen. It was fun to see him spread the ball around.”

Dunham’s average number of plays to score during its 28-point first quarter blitz and 42-8 halftime cushion was 3 ½. 

The Tigers, which held a 183-52 edge in total yards through the first quarter, were able to unleash their passing game a week after torrential rains made it impossible to throw and catch.

Haven was on target with touchdown passes of 26 yards to Tyler Sotile, 16 yards to Haman, but it was the athleticism of Jarvis Washington that turned a jump ball into an 89-yard touchdown and 28-0 lead on the final play of the first quarter.

Washington came back on an underthrown ball because of pressure in Haven’s face, and the junior high pointed the ball at his own 44, maintained his balance and sped the remainder of the way to complete the touchdown. He finished with three catches for 117 yards.

“It was great, it was his first opportunity since the St. Charles game, and to be to do that and he did it great,” Weiner said of Washington. “We did a good job in protection because they were doing a lot of different things and Elijah did a good job of improvising a couple of times and buying some time.”

Dunham’s defense also contributed to the team’s scoring avalanche.

Senior defensive back Grant Morgan alertly picked off SCC quarterback Ty’Kimion Ford on a tipped pass and brought it back 30 yards with 3:29 showing in the first quarter.

The Tigers also added a 57-yard interception return from Jarone Harris at the 11:24 mark of the second quarter for a 35-0 lead.

“One of the things we talk about is not stooping down to the level of our opponent,” Morgan said. “We try to play our best every week no matter who we play. Once we do that and we’re clicking on both sides of the ball, things come together. It shows on the field.”

Dunham’s special teams impacted the team’s next score when Richard Bonneval blocked and recovered a punt, and Haven found Haman in the end zone for the second time in the game, connecting on a 25-yard TD to make it 42-0.

“It was really fun,” said Haman, who had three catches for 37 yards. “The passing game was going well. They loaded the box and left the receivers with more opportunities to go make plays. Elijah laid out the ball and it was really fun.”

SCC (6-3, 4-1 in 8-2A) avoided a shutout on its final series of the second quarter with a 5-play drive that ended with a 42-yard TD pass from quarterback Ty’Kimion Ford to Kyron Jackson with 1:16 showing. Carson Baxter added the two-point run.

Ford, who was 7 of 13 for 126 yards with two interceptions, had his second TD pass with a 34-yard score to Joshua Thomas with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Ford also added 44 rushing yards on 12 attempts and Thomas led the Knights with four receptions for 80 yards.

“We’ve got a lot of fight in us whether we’re up or down.” SCC coach Patrick Clarkston. “That’s good because a lot of teams would fold and give up in those situations and we didn’t. We took a step forward, especially with the playoffs coming up.”

Despite the game’s outcome, Clarkston’s encouraged with the step his team took in its first season in Class 2A. He’s the first coach to lead the Knights to three straight winning seasons in their brief eight-year history and are in a position to host a first-round playoff game.

“Our goal is to be like the top teams in the district,” he said. “Those teams do the little things correct and those are the things we want to work toward to make us a better team for years down the line.”

Dunham’s first-team offense put together its longest drive of the game – 10 plays to cover 42 yards – when a 6-yard keeper from Haven resulted in 49-8 advantage at the 8:26 mark of the third quarter. The Tigers also divided extra points between kickers Andrew Bardwell (5) and Gavin Byrd (3).

Haven accounted for 262 total yards and five touchdowns and took his place on the sideline with the rest of Dunham’s starters with the clock running the remainder of the way.

Dunham put together one final scoring drive with its reserves and freshman quarterback Jack Temple’s 12-yard TD put the finishing touches on the historic night. 

“We’re going to go to practice and put in the work,” Morgan said. “We’ll have a bye week, but it doesn’t change the way we practice. We’re still giving 100% effort and we’re preparing for our next game.”

And the pursuit of perfection.

Dunham 56, Slaughter Charter 16

Score by Quarters

Slaughter Charter 0 8 8 0 – 16

Dunham 28 14 7 7 – 56

Scoring Summary

DHS – Tyler Sotile 26 pass from Elijah Haven (Andrew Bardwell kick) 

DHS –  Trevor Haman 16 pass from Haven (Bardwell kick)

DHS –  Grant Morgan 30 interception return (Bardwell kick)

DHS – Jarvis Washington 89 pass from Haven (Gavin Byrd kick)

DHS – Jarone Harris 57 interception return (Bardwell kick)

DHS – Haman 25 pass from Haven (Byrd kick)

SCC – Kyron Jackson 42 pass from Ty’Kimion Ford (Carson Baxter run)

DHS – Haven 4 run (Bardwell kick)

SCC – Joshua Thomas 34 pass from Ford (Ford pass to Jackson)

DHS – Jack Temple 12 run (Byrd kick

SCC DHS

First Downs 10 19

Rushes-Yards 26-91 21-49

Passing Yards 126 258

A-C-I 7-13-2 13-13-0

Punts-Avg. 2-31 1-33

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-0Penalties-Yards 5-31 4-40