Lafayette Christian Academy Knights

By Lee Brecheen

Head Coach: Hunter Landry (1st year)

2022 Record: 10-4

Class & District: Class 4A (District 4)

2022 Playoffs: Runner-Up in Class 4A State Title Game.

Lafayette Christian Academy Head Coach Hunter Landry

The Lafayette Christian Academy football program has been in the State Title game 6 years in a row and is looking to go for seven years in a row in 2023. The program has four state titles in those six years.

LCA will have a new head coach in Hunter Landry. However, Landry isn’t new to the school as he has been on the staff since 2019 as the team’s offensive coordinator and helped the Knights win two state titles in 2019 and 2020. Once upon a time, I covered him as a starting quarterback for Breaux Bridge High School. I remember him as a gritty, all-out quarterback, and as a coach, he’s the same.

“I’m excited about the key spots that have come back but we lost some game experience veterans too,” Coach Landry said. “We are keeping things the same offense and defense coaching-wise, which I think is good for our program.”

Lafayette Christian Academy QB Ju'Juan Johnson

The Knights offense returns two of the best playmakers in all of the state & Lafayette area in QB/ATH Ju’Juan Johnson and WR Trae Grogan (6-2, 208, 4.5 speed). Johnson is an LSU commit as a defensive back and is an incredible player in space and with his arm as he threw for 4,000 yards passing with 300 yards rushing and 60 touchdowns total last season. In the 2022 Division II (Select) State Championship game, Johnson amassed 585 total yards and five touchdowns in a thrilling 52-48 game in which the Knights lost to division rivals St. Thomas More. Johnson is the heart and soul of this program and will begin his fourth year as a starter on this team. Grogan is in his first year as a starter for LCA after coming over from Cecilia High School had over 1,000 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns.

The rest of the offense also has back RB/WR Treanders Marzel (5-10, 185, 4.39 speed, Sr.), RB Jalen Noel (5-9, 175) who lettered in 2022 and other young players will be in the mix to make this offense one of the best in Louisiana again in 2023. The offensive line has fourth-year starter OT Trevor Jeffrey (6-4, 240, Sr.), second-year starter OL Brett Miller (6-3, 230), OT Kaleb Campbell and some younger linemen battling for spots.

Lafayette Christian DL Melvin Hills

The defense returns one of the best defensive linemen in Louisiana DT Melvin Hills (6-3, 285) who is a Texas commit, three-year starter DE/OLB Sandy Lewis (6-2, 235, Sr.) who is a very talented kid, DT Jeremiah Jackson (6-3, 260, Sr.) who is a second-year starter with good feet and DT John Leday (5-6, 250) tough inside. The linebacking corps includes MLB Seth Alford 5-10 215 lettered in 2022 leader, leader LB Sam Taylor (6-1, 218, Sr.) and new starter LB Brice George (6-0, 190) who is a new starter with upside. The defensive backfield returns SS/CB Ty Lee (6-1, 185, Sr.) who is a three-year starter with 4.5 speed, SS/OLB Cooper Martin (5-11, 185, Sr.) who is a new starter but lettered in 2022 and talented CB/SS Sky Ryan (5-11, 160) begins his varsity career as a starter.

On special teams, the kicker will be freshman Lincoln Aragona.

Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen, and click on the bell to be notified whenever we release a new episode. If you want to listen on the go, follow us wherever you get your podcasts! We have a show three times a week where we interview coaches and recruits statewide in both football and baseball. If you click/press on the logo below, it will take you directly to our YouTube channel!