Carencro Bears

By Lee Brecheen

Head Coach: Tony Courville (7th year)

2022 Record: 11-3 (State Semifinalists)

Class & District: Class 5A (District 3)

2022 Playoffs: 1st Round Bye, Defeated Acadiana 27-17 in 2nd Round, Defeated Warren Easton 29-26 in Quarterfinals, Lost to Brother Martin 55-24 in Semifinals of Division I (Select) Playoffs

Carencro TE Kameron Cyprien (Photo taken by Seth Dickerson)

Carencro High School is one of the smallest schools in 5A enrollment-wise in Louisiana right now. In the last three seasons, the Bears have won a state title (2020), advanced to the second round of the playoffs (2021) and advanced to the semifinals (2022). Head coach Tony Courville and his staff do a great job of having their kids ready to play with great development and focus year-to-year without much depth as they had about 60 kids total in fall, which is considered small for a Class 5A team. Carencro’s base offense is a Veer/Shoot/Gun. On defense, they will play a base 4-3.

“We had a great year in 2022,” Courville said. “We started the year off beating a really good Alexandria in Week 1, lost a tough game against Acadiana in Week 9 but we defeated them in a rematch in the playoffs after not playing a game in 22 days because we did not have a week 10 game. We are a tough and feisty but a big team for Class 5A standards. We have to be tough to be in this District week in and week out.”

Carencro center Darion Gabriel (Photo taken by Seth Dickerson)

The offense lost eight starters from the 2022 season. The offense will have some two-way starters for the Bears it worked in 2022 with a great season. The star of the Offense goes through talented second-year starting QB Chantz Babineaux who gives this team every week a chance to win. There’s also talented skill players back in second-year starter senior RB Cashmire Batiste (5-6, 160), three-year starter WR/RB Joni Martin (5-9, 145, 4.5 speed), All-District RB/LB Brian Amune (5-9, 160), WR Austin Dyson (6-3, 165),D1 sleeper prospect TE Kameron Cyprien (6-3, 220, 4.5 speed), TE Jaelan Roberts (6-2, 210), second-year sleeper WR/DB Kendrick Bernard (4.5 speed) and senior WR/DB Landon Norris (5-8, 165) who is a new starter .The Offensive Line has talent they just are not deep there. T

he offensive line consists of senior Dai’Jon Williams (5-10, 205) who is a leader on this team, Derrick Senegal (6-2, 240) who also starts at defensive end, senior OT Anthony Inirio Paulino (6-3, 265) new starter, senior center Darion Gabriel (5-8, 250) who is a second-year starter, OT Tonito Cole (6-2, 200). The rest of the O-Line on the team will have to come from young players with no experience in 2023. Gabriel is also the school’s student president. That’s four times out of the last five years that a football player has been the student president at Carencro High School.

Carencro kicker/punter Jude Doucet (Photo taken by Seth Dickerson)

The Defense has some of the players above mentioned but also some really talented new players too and some experience back. OLB Antoine Alexander is back after missing the 2022 season with an injury and can run a 4.5 forty when healthy. You also have back SS Coen Alfred 5-11 150 2nd year starter, DE Jakalyln Roy (5-11, 190) is the team’s best defensive player big time motor,DT Caleb Williams 6-1 310 new starter, DE/DT Kaiden Castille (6-2, 210) rotates in, senior DT O’Mario Savoy (5-11, 200), LB Brian Amune, second-year starter LB Khaleb Celestine (5-11, 190, 4.6 speed) and young players will need to step up here too in the fall.

The defensive backfield has CB Jeremy Lawrence (5-8, 170), CB Brian Angele Jr. (5-6, 145), Rontrelle Woods (5-6, 150) and second-year starter Lance Hayes (6-1, 170). QB Chantz Babineaux, WR Landon Norris will play a lot of DB too.

The special teams unit is always strong at Carencro as the Bears return second-year starting kicker/punter Jude Doucet.

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