2011 schedule - MediaSpan

44 AMERICAN PRESS FOOTBALL 2011
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011
WELSH
Greyhounds ready
to bounce back
BY JIM GAZZOLO
AMERICAN PRESS
The Welsh Greyhounds
have just one thing on their
minds for this fall:
Redemption.
District
4-2A
After setting an
upward trend during
the past few
years under coach
Robbie Gates, the
Greyhounds fell back on hard
times last year.
“Everything kind of went
wrong,” Gates said.
Two one-point losses and a
couple of other “tough”
defeats left the Greyhounds
out of the playoffs for the first
time in eight years. They finished
just 3-7 overall, 2-4 in
district play.
A host of injuries cost
Welsh a good portion of its
experience last year, forcing
Gates to play a young club
that was good enough to stay
in most games but not to finish
them off.
“We were close,” Gates
said. “There were four games
that we could have won, and
that would have turned our
record around at 7-3. But we
learned a lot for that, I hope.”
The Greyhounds also
found some depth as they
were forced to play more
sophomores than expected
and even a few freshmen.
That may pay off this year, as
Welsh gained not only experience
but also that depth for
those forced to move up.
“It could really help us,”
Gates said. “We are a lot deeper
this year. We can take those
injuries, I think, much better
this season.”
Tailback Nick Hebert was
limited to just four games last
season after rushing for 1,015
yards and 13 touchdowns as a
sophomore in 2009. But he
was averaging 8.5 yards per
Clockwise from top left, Kade Landry, Randall Cooper,
David Caraway and Sage Benoit pace the Greyhounds.
carry despite being hobbled.
“That was a very big loss,”
Gates said. “We had to scramble
after that. Nick just could
never get healthy.”
He is now.
“He looks really good and
had a great summer through
workouts,” Gates said. “We
are counting on him.”
Help could come from
sophomore Caleb Hayes, who
filled in for Hebert as a freshman.
He ran for 532 yards and
five touchdowns during the
last part of the season.
PANKAJ KHADKA / AMERICAN PRESS
Senior quarterback David
Caraway also returns after
injuries propelled him into
the starting lineup for the last
six games a year ago.
Caraway, who Gates says is an
even better safety on defense,
was 27-of-56 for 380 yards and
two touchdowns last fall. He
also threw four interceptions.
“The experience he got last
year really is a boost for our
offense,” said Gates, who will
have nine starters returning
on that side of the ball.
See WELSH, Page 47
AT A GLANCE
■ HEAD COACH: Robbie
Gates (fifth year)
■ DISTRICT: 4-2A
■ LAST YEAR: 3-7, 2-4
(fifth in District 5-2A, no playoffs)
■ OFFENSE: Multiple (Nine
starters returning) TE Will
Heinen (6-1, 185, Jr.); SE
JACOB KRATZER (5-8, 140, Sr.);
LT SAGE BENOIT (6-1, 200,
Sr.); LG Nick Davidson (5-9,
185, Sr.); C WILL LEGER (5-7,
175, Sr.); RG DYLAN BENOIT
(5-10, 180, Sr.); RT KADE
LANDRY (6-3, 325, Sr.); QB
DAVID CARAWAY (6-1, 185,
Sr.); RB NICK HEBERT (5-9,
165, Sr.); FB Dominic Davis (5-
9, 165, Sr.); RB CALEB HAYES
(5-9 165, So.); WR SEAN
LELEAUX (5-10, 165, Jr.).
■ DEFENSE: 4-2-5 (Eight
starters returning) DE WILL
HEINEN (6-1, 185, Jr.); DE
SAGE BENOIT (6-1, 200, Sr.);
DT DAN BILLEADEAUX (6-0,
190, Sr.); DT Randall Cooper
(6-3, 230, Sr.); LB TRAY GOOD-
WIN (5-9, 190, Jr.); LB Andrew
Moore (5-9, 180, Jr.); SS
DOMINIC DAVIS (5-9, 165, Sr.);
SS CALEB HAYES (5-9 165,
So.); FS DAVID CARAWAY (6-1,
185, Sr.); CB SETH BENOIT (6-
2, 175, Jr.); CB MIKE DUPLICHI-
AN (5-9, 155, Jr.).
■ SPECIALISTS: K Cob
Sammis (5-7, 135, Fr.) or Jude
Pousson (5-9, 120, So.); P
David Caraway (6-1, 185, Sr.).
00701088
Go Greyhounds!
•Engines - Natural Gas & Diesel
•Vertical & Centrifugal Pumps
•Gear Drives & Drive Shafts
•Temporary Material Storage
106 E. Russell Ave.
HWY 90 • Welsh, LA 70591
(337) 734-2101 (337) 734-2104 FAX
welshirrigationequip@yahoo.com
•Irrigation & Drainage Systems
•Lo-Lift Pumps
•Auto Parts
•Farm & Home Hardware
2011 Welsh High School Schedule
Sept. 2 at Merryville
Sept. 9 at Rayne
Sept. 16 South Beauregard
Sept. 23 at Kinder*
Sept. 30 Rosepine*
Oct. 6 at East Beauregard*
Oct. 14 Lake Arthur*
Oct. 21 DeQuincy*
Oct. 28 at Vinton*
Nov. 4 Pickering*