Focused on present: Dutchtown turns attention to program taking next step
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Defensive end Josh Lewis is part of Dutchtown’s massive 38-member senior class that’s full steam on the road ahead, not glancing at last year’s season-ending disappointment in the rear-view mirror.
The Griffins were on the cusp of their first appearance in the Division I (Class 5A) state championship game, carrying a 28-13 lead over state power Zachary into the final minutes of the third quarter of last year’s state quarterfinal.
“We did all that we could,” Lewis said. “When you’re up, there was nothing to change. Coming back, we saw they had a different game plan, and it was hard to adjust. We still tried to play our best game, but it didn’t work out the way we wanted to.”
Dutchtown’s finest 34 minutes, which included a 15-point lead and a considerable amount of confidence and momentum, was placed on hold when Mother Nature intervened.
Heavy rain and lightning, which were in the forecast that Dec. 1 evening, barged into the Zachary area late in the third quarter and forced a delay. Ultimately the game was postponed before 11 p.m. and scheduled to restart on Saturday.
“I called (WAFB-TV meteorologist) Jay Grymes at 10:30,” Dutchtown coach Guy Mistretta said. “You need a 30-minute break in between lightning strikes, and he said he didn’t see one until 2 a.m. It turned out it would have been 2:30 a.m. before we could have started.
“We’re in small locker room,” Mistretta said. “They’re (Zachary) laid out, probably watching film already. We decided to go home, get some rest and come back. We would have loved to have taken a 30-minute break and come back out.”
Zachary, a four-time state champion, displayed its championship mettle a day later. They rallied after the reset with 18 unanswered points on a long touchdown run and interception return for another score. The Broncos won the game in overtime, 31-28, on a 25-yard field goal to reach the Superdome.
Dutchtown was left to pick up pieces. The Griffins were co-champions of District 5-5A, finished with an 11-2 record that included their best postseason finish in school history.
“Honestly it was a positive and the kids were more positive than me when it first happened,” Mistretta said of his team’s offseason. “They were very proud. That was the farthest we’d ever been. We already accomplished something and then the way the game went, we had them on the ropes. They’ve taken confidence from that, that they we can play at that level.”
Mistretta recalled a conversation with Zachary coach David Brewerton, a long-time friend, earlier that afternoon about the day’s weather forecast. A discussion of other teams in the area moving up their start times to avoid possible bumpy late-evening weather was prevalent, but the scheduled kickoff of 7 p.m. remained in place.
“We talked about it, but it was so close at that point, then you’re rushing,” said Mistretta, the 2023 Class 5A Coach of the Year. “We decided to play it as it is and see what happens.”
A potential signature win for the program dissolved in the fourth quarter and overtime. Instead of having such a moment lurk over the program, the Griffins went back to work with a vengeance, determined to return and dispel any notions they’re not equipped to flourish in such moments.
“We’re trying to get out of the stereotype where I feel people believe when Dutchtown gets into a clutch moment, or with a game on the line, we fold under pressure, lose a game or not come out on top,” Lewis said. “With us being there, it’s a positive. We just have to be the best version of ourselves that we can be and let the chips fall where they fall.”
Mistretta, who’s entering his 20th season as a head coach and seventh at Dutchtown, will have another formidable team in 2024 whose talent level expects to supersede any additional weight from the end of last season.
District 5-5A Offensive MVP Lekedrin Harvey, a second team LHSCA second team All-State choice, returns at running back to headline Dutchtown’s offense.
Harvey, a senior, led the Griffins a year ago with 115 carries for 907 yards and 13 TDs. The speedy 200-pounder was also second in the Division I state 100 meters (10.5) and third in the 200 (21.53) at last spring’s LHSAA state track and field championships.
He’ll have the luxury of running behind an offensive line with three returning starters that include senior guards Matthew Travis and Dawson Davis, coupled with the return of senior tackle Christan Gautreau from an ACL injury that cost him the entire ’23 season.
Six-foot-three senior Dylan Champagne, a reserve who passed for 155 yards and 3 TDs last season, will be the team’s starting quarterback.
“Dylan has a huge upside,” Mistretta said. “He’s fearless. We should be able to be a 50-50 (run-pass) type team.”
Lewis, a Missouri commitment, represents one of three returning starters from a defense that allowed 10 points a game.
The three-year starter had 48 tackles with three sacks and eight tackles for loss, while senior linebacker Mason Miles registered 61 tackles and 11 TFLs, and senior cornerback Laithon Riley had 22 tackles, an interception and two fumble recoveries.
“I have confidence in our DC coach (Chris) Harrell,” Lewis said. “I have confidence in the people coming into play this year. We have the chance at having another great year.”
Lewis said one of the benefits of a large senior class is having experienced players, albeit not starters, filling in at key positions with eight seniors in position to start this season.
The Griffins, who host Fontainebleau in their fall scrimmage and Prairieville in the jamboree, will also be experienced on special teams. Senior placekicker Corbin Roussel and senior punter Casey McCoy will handle the kicking duties with Harvey and Riley taking care of return duties on kickoffs and punts.
“Nobody cares about last year, the game that just happened or the play that just passed,” Lewis said. “It’s all about the next play, the next year. You can’t think about what happened last year or Zachary or that we should have made it, that it was our year and that we’re not going to do anything this year. We’re going to come back this year. We have a bigger goal.”