Undefeated DeQuincy has been blowing up the scoreboard and locking down opponents this high school football season.

The Tigers have risen to the No. 2 spot in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Non-select Division IV power ratings.

“You know, the kids have just been working their butts off … and it’s given them good results on the field,” DeQuincy head coach Tate Woodard said.

The Tigers are one of two undefeated Southwest Louisiana teams, along with Westlake, and were last 4-0 in 2009. Getting to 5-0 will be a tough task today at Grand Lake (2-1), which beat them 21-20 last season. And the Hornets are well rested after a bye week.

“That’s going to be a challenge for us,” Woodard said. “There’s some places that we don’t like our matchups, because, you know, Jeff (Wainwright) is a great coach.

“Hopefully we can go down there and just continue to do what we’re doing. They’re a good team, and they’re very well-coached. So we kind of want to go see if we can prove ourselves again.”

DeQuincy’s defense, led by the front four of M.J. Clark, Hayz Hext, Cameron Joyce and Bruce VanWinkle, hasn’t allowed a point in two weeks. The defensive line has combined for 22 quarterback hurries and 10 sacks.

Joyce’s brother, Landon Joyce, and cousin Lindsey Joyce, run the secondary. Lindsey Joyce scored on fumble returns in the last two games, and Landon Joyce had a key interception in the red zone to help the Tigers beat Lake Arthur in Week 2.

“Our technique’s not very good sometimes, we don’t have the biggest guys, we don’t have anybody that’s flashy, but we just play so dang hard,” Woodard said. “And I think that’s why we’re effective on defense.

“Even in areas where we should have matchup problems, like against Lake Arthur, who’s a much bigger, much more athletic team than we are, our kids play so hard. I think that’s why we’re able to put the numbers that we’ve been putting up to this point.”

On the offensive side, the Tigers haven’t turned the ball over and are averaging 41 points a game, led by quarterback Carson Rainwater (27-44-0, 398 yards, 7 TDs) and running backs Wyatt LaVergne (535 yds., 5 TDs) and Hext (175 yds., 6 TDs).

“Not turning the football over is the biggest thing,” Woodard said. “I think that helps us out a lot, especially to be more efficient offensively. We get the ball more often with our defense playing so well.

“So with not giving it back to them, that’s kind of been our recipe.”

Grand Lake is coming off a 33-21 loss at Oakdale in Week 3.

Woodard is preparing the Tigers for the Hornets’ ground attack that averages 240 rushing yards a game, led by running back Charles McFarland (342 yds., 3 TDs) and quarterback Brycen Guillory (143 yds., 5 TDs).

“The way they melt the clock and keep the ball from you,” Woodard said. “You know, we’re smallish on the defensive line, so I’m hoping our effort can bring us through on some of those matchups.

“We’re going to have to play a clean game. We’re going to have to continue to not turn the ball over, and we’re going to have to continue to have minimal penalties if we’re going to beat Grand Lake. I know they have a loss on their record, but they did everything they could to lose that game.”