Rivals Patterson, E.D. White to meet in Thibodaux Friday

Patterson and E.D. White have a long and storied history on the gridiron.
The latest chapter, Friday in Thibodaux, has District 8-3A championship and playoff implications.
Patterson, E.D. White and Erath are unbeaten in district play with four games remaining in the regular season.
“We talked to them (players) about the significance of this game in the district and going forward,” Patterson Coach Chad Blanchard said. “We’re both unbeaten in the district, so it’s a big game. We also made them aware of the rivalry, and these kids usually feed off that kind of thing.”
E.D. White (4-2, 2-0) also knows the importance of Friday’s game.
“We all know that the district champ usually comes from this game,” E.D. White Coach Chris Bergeron said. “I don’t think these kids need me to remind them that it’s Patterson week.”
Patterson (4-2, 2-0) has won four games in a row, including a 55-7 victory against Berwick last week.
Nehemiah Augustus scored four touchdowns to lead the Lumberjacks to the lopsided win. He opened the scoring with a 39-yard touchdown run with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter.
Then, the senior returned an interception 60 yards for a score with 3:39 left in the first quarter.
Augustus scored again on a 19-yard pass from quarterback Sirbatian Charles with 6:16 remaining in the second quarter, and he concluded his scoring spree with a 49-yard pass from Charles in the third quarter.
The ’Jacks’ led 28-0 at halftime and pulled the starters early in the third quarter.
Patterson rolled up 510 yards (226 passing, 284 rushing) of total offense. Charles was 13-of-17 passing for 244 yards and four touchdowns. The senior signal caller has completed 72-of-109 passes for 1,111 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has carried 73 times for 374 yards and two scores.
Senior Tristen Ausama has carried 75 times for 352 yards and six touchdowns.
The top receivers are Augustus with 19 catches for 358 yards and four touchdowns, while Brennan Gouaux has 12 catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
“Patterson’s offense is explosive as usual, so it’s no secret that we will try to control the ball, limit their possessions and not give up the big play,” Bergeron said.
The Cardinals run the Wing-T but can pass when needed.
“They also run some veer stuff, too,” Blanchard said. “The quarterback does a good job of controlling tempo, and (Jeremy Rounds), (Nik Shanklin) and (Brandon Legendre) are all good runners.”
Quarterback Benjamin Sposito has completed 34-of-41 passes for 519 yards with seven touchdowns and an interception.
The top receivers are Scott Ford with eight catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns, while Allen Taylor has eight receptions for 106 yards and two scores.
Rounds is E.D. White’s leading rusher with 45 carries for 454 yards and five touchdowns, while Shanklin has rushed 93 times for 448 yards and four touchdowns.
E.D. White comes into Friday’s game after a hard-fought 21-20 win against Thomas Jefferson in New Orleans last week.
Trailing 21-14 late in the game, Thomas Jefferson scored and went for a two-point conversion and a victory instead of kicking an extra point to tie the game.
But E.D. White stuffed the two-point run and held on for the win.
E.D. White led 14-8 at halftime.
As for Friday’s game, in recent years, the home team has had an edge.
“We know it’s a tough place to play,” Blanchard said. “They play really well at home, but we have to overcome all of that to get to where we want to be.”
Friday’s kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Additional reporting by www.bayoupreps.com.