Coach Dwain Jenkins of Lutcher High’s football team had an instinct he didn’t express aloud. Following their victory in the second-round playoffs, he silently recognized his Bulldogs could genuinely clinch the championship.
In the Division II nonselect playoffs’ initial round, the Bulldogs effortlessly outplayed Wossman. Yet, this triumph could have been a costly one. During that game, their star quarterback D’Wanye “Lunch” Winfield, who is committed to UL, sustained a high ankle sprain.
For the majority of teams, an injury to such a key player – the driving force of their offense – would have been devastating. But not for Lutcher. Winfield courageously persevered through his injury the next week. Trenton Chaney, the sophomore running back, stepped up, racking up an impressive 300 all-purpose yards during their second-round victory.
The Bulldogs triumphed over St. Martinville with a score of 49-33, avenging their previous playoff loss to the same team in 2021. After that victory, they were well on their way to securing their seventh state title. For their outstanding performance, The Advocate named them the Star of Stars boys team of the year.
“What you saw was the rest of the team come together and know that it was gonna be an uphill battle,” Jenkins said. “And you saw people step up, and you saw guys do things that they were probably always capable of doing but would never ask to do it
This achievement was possible thanks to the collaborative effort of a restructured offensive line. The lineup saw Donovan Arbuthnot, the sole returning starter, team up with three former defensive line members: Terryn Harris, Colin Rocques, and Reshad Sterling.
Their combined efforts played a critical role in Lutcher’s strategy, which heavily leaned on a powerful running game towards the end. They skillfully executed options and keepers aimed at creating opportunities for Winfield to exploit.
“We didn’t have a team full of guys who are college recruits,” Jenkins said. “We didn’t have a bunch of guys that were big in size. But what it came down to was, truly a team that loved and worked with each other and overcame a lot of obstacles.”