At NDHS, Cook’s legacy grows even stronger

When describing the style of Notre Dame High’s successful football teams over the years, one could easily pull an article written following the team’s last state title in 2009.
Adjectives and descriptions such as “chemistry”, “cohesiveness” and “fundamentally sound” have been used when discussing the successful Pioneer teams of the past. Perhaps the reason for that is the one word you rarely hear associated with the program’s athletes — “star.”
While, of course, the school has produced several college players (and a few players are being looked at by colleges this year), it’s hard to remember anyone ever saying, “You’ve got to see this kid play,” when describing the Pioneers.
The Pioneers won their state title this year the same way they won the past three under Head Coach Lewis Cook — they simply outworked everybody.
Cook appeared somewhat weary when The Post-Signal interviewed him Monday. Coaching Friday’s title game (which was described as being “extremely physical and tough”) along with the numerous interviews and other appearances that surely followed that victory would explain that.
However, when he discusses this year’s championship team, he seems to get a jolt of energy.
Asked to compare this year’s championship to the titles he won with Crowley High in 1989 and with Notre Dame in 2000 and 2009, he paused for a second.
“For some reason, this one feels really special,” said Cook. “They’ve all been gratifying and satisfying. In 2009, we finally won one after losing in the title game the previous few years so that was like getting a monkey off of our backs. But the feelings that we have for this team are tough to match.”
So was this year’s defense.
The Pioneer’s defense held opposing teams to a grand total of 1,340 yards this season — including the teams they faced in the playoffs. They had eight shutouts. They held their opposition to only 60 first downs all season. And they came through in the clutch during the first half this past Friday when Notre Dame had to overcome two botched punts and a turnover which left the Riverside Rebels in good field position each time.
Each time the Pio defense rose to the occasion and held them to only three points during this span.
An offensive spurt just prior to halftime gave the Pios 13 points. As it turned out, it was all they needed.
“Riverside was a great team,” said Cook. “A lot of people thought we would lose that game.”
Cook recalled the 2009 team as having a great defense, but he didn’t mention any other teams that he’s coached that had a comparable defense to the one the Pios fielded this past season.
“These guys worked so hard and were so coachable,” he said. “They were a bunch that was on a mission. They weren’t going to let anything get in their way.”
In fact, just prior to taking the field against Riverside on Friday, Cook, who was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year, had some special words for his team that had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.
“I told them that win or lose, no matter what the score was, that the only disappointment I would have is knowing that we wouldn’t be taking the field together on Monday,” he said.
When asked how long he would celebrate this year’s state title before getting back to work, he smiled and said, “I’m already going over the depth chart for next year.”