Ruston Matherne: New Orleans Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week

Lutcher coach Tim Detillier advocates a strong start, and in recent games the Bulldogs have obliged by scoring on the opening possession. Lutcher exceeded itself last week with senior quarterback Ruston Matherne throwing a 41-yard touchdown pass on the game's first offensive play in a 55-0 victory over Belaire (Baton Rouge).

"You can't do any better than that," Detillier said.

Neither can you get much better than Matherne, at least not as far as the Bulldogs are concerned.

"As Ruston goes, we go," Detillier said. "He's our offensive leader. He makes all the calls. He gets us out of bad plays."



So far, so good, with Matherne having helped lead Lutcher to a record of 7-0 overall, including 5-0 in District 6-4A. Lutcher has outscored its district competition 207-6 thanks in large measure to Matherne and a defense that has pitched four shutouts. The Bulldogs will play their final non-district game Friday when they entertain Assumption (Napoleonville).

For his latest performance, that included a second touchdown pass of 54 yards, Matherne has been named the New Orleans Capital One Bank High Yield Student Athlete of the Week.

"You could pick him as player of the week every week," Detillier said.

It doesn't take honors and awards for Detillier to recognize the talent he has in the 6-foot, 175-pound Matherne. His rise to prominence began in the sixth or seventh week last season, Detillier said, when something changed.

"The light bulb went off. He gained the confidence he lacked and he understood the (spread) offense. He took over. This year, from the start, he's picked up where he left off."

He blistered Belaire by "making all the right reads," Detillier said. Matherne's two touchdown passes went to Spencer Roussel, who is one of three receivers with at least 300 receiving yards and four touchdown catches.



Matherne is quick to spread the wealth and doesn't need to post gaudy numbers for Lutcher to excel. A case in point was the rout of Belaire. Matherne completed 8 of 13 passes for 200 yards with an interception, but a 21-point first-quarter barrage began with Roussel's touchdown catches and left Belaire in a hole from which it could never escape.

Matherne rushed only three times for 4 yards, but it wasn't necessary for him to tuck the ball and run. His latest figures belie the numbers he's produced in the past. For the season, Matherne has completed 117 of 168 passes for 1,334 yards and 15 touchdowns. He's added 420 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 70 carries.

His career statistics are even more impressive — Matherne has completed 310 of 458 passes for 3,830 yards and 56 touchdowns. He's rushed 283 times for 1,490 yards and 27 touchdowns. Under Matherne's guidance, Lutcher reached the Class 4A semifinals last season.

"He's like having a coach on the field," Detillier said. "You know the old adage, ‘Take what the defense gives you.' He makes sure we take advantage of what we can."