Calvary Baptist Cavaliers

By Lee Brecheen

Head Coach: Rodney Guin (7th year)

2022 Record: 9-3 (District Champions, State Quarterfinalists)

Class & District: Class 2A (District 1)

2022 Playoffs: 1st Round Bye, Defeated Northlake Christian 52-0, Lost to Dunham High School 50-35 in Divsion III (Select) Playoffs

Calvary Baptist RB James Simon (Photo provided by Grant Chachere)

Calvary Baptist head coach Rodney Guin has led the program to a state title in 2020. He also took the team to the semifinals in 2021. Before Guin came to Calvary Baptist, he coached for several years at Haughton where he mentored QB Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) and many others in ball. This will be Guin’s 41st year as a coach.

“The spring was good for us as a team,” Guin said. “We're excited for this upcoming season. We have 18 starters back and we are really excited that we have a lot of players coming back with experience.”

The offense for Calvary Baptist has been on cruise control ever since Guin took over seven years ago. The offense will not blink again with a talented QB back in Abram Wardell, who completed 70% of his passes and threw for 30 touchdowns with just three Interceptions in 2022. Wardell will go into the 2023 season's second year as the starting quarterback and those numbers might even go up this year.

Calvary Baptist Offensive Linemen Layton Terrell, Heath Gross and Jimmy Wright (Photo provided by Layton Terrell)

There’s a lot of firepower and speed around the Wardell which helps a lot. Let’s start with gifted junior RB James Simon (6-1, 205) who is one of the top running backs in the country for the class of 2025. Simon is in position for a monster year and rushing for 1,500 yards or more is not out of the question in 2023. There’s also RB/WR/OLB Julius Moss (5-9, 180, 4.5 speed), who they don’t consider a backup in any way because he’s talented and starts on defense as well. There’s All-State WR Aubrey Hermes (6-2, 185) has 4.45 speed, soft hands and will be a fourth-year starter, second-year starter WR/DB Christopher Jackson (6-0, 190) who has 4.6 speed and is a starter on both sides of the football big-time player, WR Kolby Thomas has great hands and speed 4.5 or better and runs like routes. There’s also James Simon’s solder brother WR John Simon III (5-11, 180, Sr.) who has both great hands and speed(4.5 forty). He was the most improved player in the spring/summer on the team and will be another big-time playmaker on this team.

The offensive line will be led by fourth-year starter senior Jimmy Wright (6-3, 265) who has good feet and is a leader for this team. The rest of the starters going into fall on the O-Line are senior OG/MLB Heath Gross (6-1, 215), senior center Layton Terrell (6-3, 295), Ethan Sands (6-3, 260) and second-year starter OG Hayden Darner (6-0, 245).

Calvary Baptist DE/OLB Tre Houston (Photo provided by Tre Houston)

The defense will be bigger in 2022 and still have a lot of team speed. The front seven is led by senior DE/OLB Tre Houston (6-2, 225) who has 4.65 speed and has a chance to dominate in 2022. There’s also new starter LB Cole Miller (6-1, 185) and senior FS Landon Sylvie (5-11, 170) who is a team captain with 4.5 speed and is a playmaker on defense. There’s also senior CB Tre Davis (6-0, 170) who is a three-year starter with 4.59 speed, FS/SS/LB fourth-year starter Hutch Grace (6-2, 220, 4.6 speed) who is a team captain and fantastic player, DT/OL Ethan Sands (6-3, 260), CB Chaz Whitaker (5-10, 160) who moved over from running back and has 4.5 speed, and second-year starter DE Cayden Markray (6-1, 220).

On special teams, the Cavaliers have two great young kickers in freshman AJ Johnson and sophomore Ty Knight. Both can kick field goals from 45 yards our already and can punt as well.

WR Aubrey Hermes' dad (Justin Hermes) played wide receiver for Kentucky. The Simon brothers' dad, John Simon, played HS ball at Southern Lab HS and Louisiana Tech and is on the coaching staff at Grambling. Julius Moss is the grandson of former LSU starting WR Tony Moss.

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