Lafayette Christian knew the strength of its team early on would be the defense.

And rightfully so, considering the amount of experience they returned on that side of the football.

However, in time, the Knights were confident the offensive side of the ball would become a strength as well once they gelled.

But what Knights head coach Matt Standiford didn’t foresee happening is LCA becoming elite on special teams.

“I'm going to be honest, I was hoping that we would be solid enough to flip the field on punts,” said Standiford, whose Knights will play host to Loreauville at 7 p.m. Friday. “Wyatt (Whitney) is one of the better punters in our area and I think he showed that throughout his season last year.

"So, this year, I was honestly just hoping we would be adequate enough to not get us beat. But his group has exceeded my expectations. It has been a collective effort and I'm super, super proud of those guys.”

Whitney has been as solid as expected as he’s averaging 35.3 yards per punt, has downed four of his 18 punts inside the 20 and has a long of 50.

Kicker Jude Fairchild is 3-of-4 on field goals with a career long of 34 yards and is 19 of 23 on PAT’s.

But the biggest impact the Knights’ special teams has had this year has been on punt and kickoff return.

The Knights (5-2) have returned four kicks for touchdowns - two punts by Caine Veillon and two kickoffs by Sky Ryan Alexander and Kaden Ledet - so far this season.

In addition to the returns for touchdowns, the Knights have also blocked five punts - one recovered and returned for a touchdown by Braylon Lemaire - and one field goal.

“So, it’s been a collective effort from all the coaches,” Standiford said. “The guys have really bought in and that's been a game changer for us, especially as of late. So our special teams has been a bright spot for us.”

Standiford said the Knights’ dominance in special teams isn’t something that has happened by chance. It’s an area Standiford and his coaching staff dedicate a lot of time towards.

“We have meetings every Monday during lunch. We watch film as a group, just like we do on offense and defense,” Standiford said. “We try to put as much time into it as possible because we understand the impact that it makes on a Friday night.

"On our kickoff team, we have only one starting defensive guy that runs down on it. So, the other dudes - who are capable of playing for us - have found a spot to be able to bring something to the table.”

In addition to those who have scored on special teams, Standiford credited players such as long snapper Aiden Fa Kouri, Major Derouen and Tyler Cook for being vital parts of the unit.

“Aiden has really stepped into our long snapping role on field goals and PATs. Ironically, the one game he missed is the, the one game we had a bad snap,” Standiford said. “He's actually leading our group in tackles on special teams. Then you have guys like Major and Tyler, who are backups on their respective sides of the ball.

"But they put their egos aside and have been some of our best special teams' guys. They understand that they can change the game without the ball in their hands or they can change the game without playing every single snap on defense. It has been a really selfless group.”

Standiford hopes his special team's unit continues to be as special as they’ve been against the Tigers.

“Special teams is going to be a huge factor in this game,” Standiford said. “That's one area that we have seen on film. I think there's some things we can exploit. We have to see if we're up to the task.

"They kick some onside kicks, and they do some different things with their group, so we have to make sure we're prepared. I wouldn't be surprised if special teams is the difference in the game.”