A 24-hour rule keeps the undefeated West St. Mary football team grounded.

Coach Kendall Mouton, who has guided the Wolfpack to a perfect 3-0 start to the season, isn’t sure when the program won its last three games to start the season, and it doesn’t matter to the first-year coach, who gives his team 24 hours to celebrate each win, and then it’s on to the next.

“After 24 hours, we get right back to work,” said Mouton, whose team hosts undefeated Jeanerette Sr. High on Friday at 7 PM. “We’re slept on. We’ve always had the players. We had to get them coached up.”

The Wolfpack rolled to three easy wins to start the season: taking the show on the road at Berchmans Academy (38-0 win) and Thrive Academy (44-6) before a 44-16 shellacking of Jefferson Rise Charter for homecoming.

“Against Berchmans, we had a good showing, a good team effort,” Mouton said. “We played good complementary ball by forcing turnovers. Another stellar defensive game against Thrive Academy. We really got after the quarterback, and we got on a roll offensively.

“We wanted to put a good product on the field for our fans last week. I’m really proud of our guys. We’ve stayed the course and trusted the process.”

The Wolfpack’s Week 2 game vs. Centerville was canceled due to Hurricane Francine. This week’s rivalry game is the final non-district tune-up. Two home games vs. Houma Christian and Franklin Senior High will precede road contests at Delcambre, Catholic High and Loreauville.

“People are glad to see that West St. Mary football is back,” Mouton said. “We want to earn our respect as a program. Our student body and admin are behind us. (Winning) has become an expectation.”

Terroni Dominick has carried 28 times for 358 yards with three catches for 62 yards and four TDs. Charles Robertson has added 210 scrimmage yards with three scores. QB Tyshon Jackson has run for 273 yards on 22 carries and completed 20 of 32 passes for 325 yards and eight total TDs. Senior J’Kaylon Carter is the second-leading receiver and has accounted for four TDs.

“Tyshon is spreading the ball around,” Mouton said. “Terroni is a freshman. Robertson has been dynamic. Dominick Jackson (junior) and Markayden Gabriel (sophomore) have been big on the defensive line. Carter is a two-way starter.”

Alanza Brown, Cameron Moore and Carter each have an interception. Robertson leads the team with 13 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. Miguel Martinez has eight solo stops and two sacks. Gabriel leads the team with four sacks.

WSM has registered 27 tackles for loss with seven sacks. Mouton expects the battle in the trenches to be much more difficult this week against the Tigers, who he said have “tremendous bigs up front.”

“Jeanerette has a great team and a great coach,” he added. “I have much respect for Coach (CC) Paul. I look at their program and where they’re taking it – compared to where it was in the past – and look at it for motivation. That’s where we want to get.”

Before Mouton and his team can get to that level, they have to defeat a Jeanerette team that is flying high and outperforming even last year’s stellar season.

The Tigers notched a Week 1 win over Patterson, defeating the Lumberjacks 40-0 before cruising to an impressive 48-14 win over a White Castle team that went 8-2 in the regular season last year with an appearance in the second round of the Division IV Non-Select playoffs.

Behind seniors Zyon Colar (QB/DB), Andre Sonnier (SS/RB), Levi Boykin (WR/DB), Tyrae Lively (T/DE) and Zyre Colar (WR/DB), the Tigers overcame sloppy play against Loreauville to best a traditional boogeyman program to move to 3-0 on the season.

Colar heads into Friday’s matchup with 311 passing yards and two touchdowns to complement 117 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Sophomore Devine Duhon, the Tigers’ hidden gem of the season, sits at 477 yards and six rushing touchdowns plus an additional 69 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

According to Jeanerette head coach Clifford Paul, the close geographical nature of the two schools naturally leads to players, coaches and fans knowing each other well, but he has no plans to take it easy on his little brothers from Baldwin.

“We are just trying to make sure we keep our emotions under control and stay focused,” he explained. “ When that ball is down, it’s just a game that one of us has to win. I think our preparation is going to be the same. We’ll treat it like a game where we have to stay focused and do what we have to do to stay on task. In the end, hopefully we win.”

Despite a belief that he brings the better team to the field, Paul did offer some positive words to Kendall in his first year.

“He’s facing a lot of adversity, coming from a situation where they didn’t have a winning record to be doing what they’re doing now shows a lot of positives.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4 at West St. Mary High School.