Broncos go for 3-0 start
But face last year’s Week 3 stumbling block
<p class="indent">Sam Houston is off to its second 2-0 start under head coach Chad Paulk in as many seasons. Now the plan is to keep it going this time.</p><p class="indent">Last year the Broncos suffered a 42-14 loss at home to Iowa and will look to turn the tables this week when they travel to face the Yellow Jackets at 7 p.m. today.</p><p class="indent">“When I got here, we were 1-9 and then we started off 2-0,” Paulk said. “What we want to do is keep the foot on the pedal.</p><p class="indent">“We are not satisfied with 2-0. We have higher expectations for this program. We are going to continue to compete every Friday night to the best of our ability to win that Friday. We are not going to get too caught up with 2-0.”</p><p class="indent">Injuries to key defensive starters last year hurt the Broncos against Iowa.</p><p class="indent">“They were 2-0 and life was great,” Paulk said. “We lost our free safety, Brett Fournet, at the end of the Cecilia game the week before. He was the guy that called the secondary for us. It made it a tough week going in to play a very good Iowa team.</p><p class="indent">“In the Iowa game, we had kid go out with a concussion, another defensive starter. In football you have to be lucky and avoid injury. If you can avoid injury you can do some special things.”</p><p class="indent">Sam Houston is looking to keep its 41 points per game offense going.</p><p class="indent">“We expect to go in this game and be able to control the line of scrimmage,” Paulk said. “Anyone likes to control the line of scrimmage, and if you do that you have an opportunity to win the game. But We understand that Iowa is a well-coached team.”</p><p class="indent">Limiting turnovers will be key. Iowa scored on a fumble and interception return last year.</p><p class="indent">“We need to go in there and have a clean game, eliminate turnovers and play as tough as Iowa,” Paulk said. “Especially in a game like this, turnovers could be the outcome of the game. We are trying to push that into our kids’ skulls every day.”</p><p class="indent">Sam Houston has used two quarterbacks with junior Kyle Bartley and freshman Luke Yuhasz each getting a start. Bartley will start this week, but Paulk said both could be on the field at the same time with one possibly playing wide receiver or running back.</p><p class="indent"><strong>St. Louis at Barbe</strong></p><p class="indent">The Barbe Bucs are 2-0 for the third consecutive season and this week cracked the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A poll at No. 10, but they are not letting their guard down this week against St. Louis Catholic.</p><p class="indent">Barbe will host the Saints at 7 p.m. today.</p><p class="indent">St. Louis led Barbe District 3-5A rival Sulphur 3-0 early in its preseason jamboree game, using big plays like a 42-yard pass from Jaleel Goodwin to Benji Chatters to set up Andrew Kilpatrick’s 37-yard field goal.</p><p class="indent">In Week 1, the Saints had another 3-5A school on the ropes. They led Sam Houston 21-17 in the third quarter before losing 35-21.</p><p class="indent">“They are a good football team,” Barbe head coach Mike Cutrera said. “Coach (Chad) Lavergne has come in and done a good job.</p><p class="indent">“Those kids are coached up and his staff is doing a good job. They have very good technique and good athletes over there. They go out and compete and play hard. They play well together.”</p><p class="indent">Barbe has avoided turnovers, and Cutrera said he wants to keep it that way.</p><p class="indent">“We have to hold on to the ball,” Cutrera said. “That is the key in just about every game — limit the turnovers.</p><p class="indent">“We haven’t (had many), which is good and hopefully we continue to keep control of the ball.”</p><p class="indent"><strong>Elsewhere</strong></p><p class="indent">The Lake Area’s other two 5A programs will head to North Louisiana this week.</p><p class="indent">Sulphur (1-1) lost at home last week to Carencro 39-14 and will face C.E. Byrd at 7 p.m. today. The Tors will be play without senior running back Jaiven Creary, who was hurt early in the first quarter last week and will likely miss the rest of the season, said Tors head coach Jeff Wainwright.</p><p class="indent">LaGrange (0-2) will be looking for its first win when it visits Ferriday.</p>