ST. MARTINVILLE – St. Martinville Senior High football coach Vincent DeRouen has a problem most coaches would love to have.

There are simply not enough footballs to go around for all of the Tigers’ skill position players.

At the top of the food chain is junior running back Steven Blanco, who has rushed for an area-best 1,823 yards with 23 TDs.

Blanco, who went for 230 yards and three TDs in last week’s win at Abbeville, is averaging 11.3 yards per carry with four games of 200-plus rushing yards.

Then there are receivers Harvey Broussard and Cullen Charles.

Broussard, a 6-foot-4 senior, has four 100-plus yard performances with a season-best six catches for 184 yards and three TDs in a Week 5 loss to Lafayette High.

Charles has had two 90-plus yard efforts, and the junior is averaging a touchdown every four catches.

“It’s hard to spread the ball out,” DeRouen said. “They all let me know they want the ball. Every time they come up the sideline, they tell me that they’re open, and that this route will work.

“It’s hard to keep all of them happy.”

The offensive line, composed of tackles Raylan Cox and Dorien Porter, guards Javon Turpeau and Dylan Phillips, and center Willie LeBlanc has done the dirty work for the skill players and quarterback Kaden Zenon.

“The offensive line has done a tremendous job,” DeRouen said, “and Zenon has real arm talent and a high football IQ. He’s been managing games well and making plays when he needs to.”

The Tigers (5-4, 3-0 District 5-3A) can finish the regular season with their fifth straight win by knocking off Crowley (1-9, 0-3) at home on Friday.

SMSH, which is No. 9 in the Division II power ratings, will encounter some Class 4A programs once the playoffs begin.

No. 1 Opelousas (8-1), No. 2 North DeSoto (9-0), No. 6 West Feliciana (9-0), No. 7 Plaquemine (9-0), and No. 8 Lutcher (8-1), which the Tigers took down in last year’s quarterfinals, are all Class 4A schools.

“We played Class 4A and 5A teams all through the pre-district schedule, so I think we’re ready for that part,” DeRouen said. “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem or question. I think the physical teams we played early got us ready for that.”

“We played against some defending state champions in front of some rowdy crowds. We played seasoned teams, the type of teams we’ll see in the playoffs.”

DeRouen feels that his team turned a corner in the 44-41 Week 5 loss at Lafayette High that saw the Tigers trail 37-13 at the half.

“It let our guys see that even though we’re down in a game, we’re not out of it,” he said. “In some of the previous games, we kind of shut it down once we got behind. We came out in the second half and made a game of it, and I think our guys appreciated it about themselves that they didn’t just shut it down and quit.”