District 3 Class 4A

By Lee Brecheen

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DeRidder Dragons

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Head Coach: Brad Parmley (10th year) 

2023 Record: 7-5

2023 Playoffs: 1st Round beat Lakeshore HS 28-21, and 2nd Round lost to North Desoto HS 63-21. 

2024 Playoffs: Non-Select

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Key Players Graduated: TE/DE Jayden Aswell (Butler KansasJC), DE/TE Kenias St. Romain (Kilgore Texas JC), DT K’Veion Williams (Oklahoma Panhandle State), RB/LB Trey Bynum (Louisiana Christian) 

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Team Outlook: “Good Spring against Kinder HS Spring game. Lee We’ve had 23 players sign college scholarships DI or IAA in the last 15 years from DeRidder HS so we are always having to replace good players. We lost 8 starters from our Defense in 2023 which is what we need to work on over Summer to find some depth,” said coach Parmley.

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The Offense will be led by 2nd year starting QB Tanner Davis. Davis is a SR (5-11, 175) with a good knowledge of the playbook and good Athlete. the run game has a few players to share the ball in RB/DB Jatari Harris returning starter SR, RB/WR/DB Javaughn Fairley, RB/Safety Dylan Vines tough kid, starting RB Reed Williams ran for 1, 300 yards in 2023 in only 7 games, and you have RB Connor Rushford a ball of fire coach says tough kid. There’s also 4 year starter WR Uriah Wade (5-10, 160) SR 4.55 speed playmaker. The Offensive Line has some new faces but talented group again OL Hunter Gill (5-11, 240) SR, OT Nicholas Rochelle (6-0, 260) SR lettered in 2023, TE Jacob Hernandez one of the best TE’s in Lake Charles area SR (6-5, 245), TE/FB Kaleb Foye (6-0, 215) 2nd year starter, and Center John LeSaux (5-11, 240) tough leader. The Defense does have a lot of new faces in LB Xavier Watson (5-9, 200) missed 2023 season recovering from an injury, LB/SS DeMarco Watts (5-10, 180) SR sleeper, SS Dylon Rhodes (5-11, 195) SR 4.5 speed 2nd year starter, DE Amari Willis, SS Grant Cooper 2nd year starter, DT/DE Deacon Shirley (6-0, 240), and both Jatari Harris and Javaughn Fairley will get minutes on both Offense & Defense. 

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Eunice Bobcats

Head Coach: Andre Vige (5th year) 

2023 Record: 7-4

2023 Playoffs: 1st Round lost to Breaux Bridge HS 35-19. 

2024 Playoffs: Non-Select

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Key Players Graduated: QB Christian Andrepont, WB/LB Isaiah Thomas, LB Lathan Kennedy, OT Joseph Johnson, WR/CB Jared Thomas.

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Team Outlook: “We only return 4 starters on Defense. We lost a lot up front and we need a lot of bodies. On offense we return 5 starters. We have to replace a veteran Offensive Line. This team will be young but will compete. Question marks are the OL and DL. If they can be effective then the team will be successful. The Secondary will be young and talented. The Running Backs can carry this team if holes are made. If we can find a WR to go along with the running game, the Bobcats could control the ball,” said coach Vige. 

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A lot of Offensive production is back in 2024. The leaders back on Offense are Bryan Allen FB/LB (5-7, 185) ran for 538 yards with 7 touchdowns and 91 tackles in 2023, RB/Safety Tyler Collins (5-9, 150) 371 yards rushing in 2023 with 6 touchdowns, RB Thaddeus Godfrey (5-8, 175) SR ran for 561 yards with 10 touchdowns in 2023, RB Trent Gallow (5-9, 180) SR ran for 506 yards with 6 touchdowns, and returning QB Montana Brown had 850 yards passing with 12 touchdowns and ran for another 5 touchdowns. The Defense has back Zyon Fontenot (5-9, 170) SR 83 tackles in 2023, 2nd year starter Safety Xavier Hebert (5-9, 165) SR 60 tackles in 2023, OG/DE leader Chris Malbrough (6-0, 200) SR 12 TFL and 5 Sacks in 2023, TE/DE Cameron Carrier 3 touchdowns really good blocker and LB Parker Pedigo (5-6, 180). More players who should start or play in 2024 are DL DeAndre Reed, DL/OL Liam Schouest, DL Andrew Fontenot, OL/DL Wyatt Moreau, OL Tyler Coward, OL Xavier Thomas, OL Austin Sittig, WR Derrick Jackson, RB Jaquan Calloway, and RB Aiden Lejeune. The program also is hoping new player Brighton Laday will be cleared in time to play in 2024 WR/CB with big time talent. Special Teams you have a really good 2nd year starter in Omar Gonzales as the Kicker. 

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Iowa Yellow Jackets

Head Coach: Tommy Johns (8 years) 

2023 Record: 9-4

2023 Playoffs: Quaterfinals lost to North Desoto HS

2024 Playoffs: Non-Select

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Key Players graduated: LB Tyler Lavergne, QB Josiah Bushnell (Air Force), TE Cole Corbello (College Baseball LSU-Eunice), Safety Joe Natali, TE Luke Guillory (Air Force), OL Kain Fulton, DT Austin Latour, P/K Matthew Vest (Lyon College), OL Damien Reed (Southeastern). 

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Team Outlook: Looking forward to seeing who's going to step up for our program in 2024. We have to fill some holes. Excited about our group of players coming back. Spring/Summer we will find out depth,” said coach Johns. 

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The QB will be a battle between Reed Dupre (5-10, 165) SR who's been in the system and lettered in some game in 2023. There’s also RB/WR Jonathan Walker runs a 4.55 will also play or can play QB for the program. Skill spots many new faces and some returning in RB/WR/FS Cohen Charles (6-0, 170) 4.6 speed, RB J’vien Adams, and WR Jeremiah Bushnell a up and coming grat player All District in 2023. The Offensive Line lost some players but return some leaders too in SR 3 year starter Aiden Gubancsik (6-0, 215) SR, OL Jude Guillory (5-11, 225), OL Cole Fulton (6-2, 285), Center Drue Winfrey, 2nd year starter (5-11, 230) SR, and OL Gavin Brown (6-0, 215). The Defense lost some great players but returned leaders in DE Andre Duhon (6-3, 215) 4.7 speed, DT Ethan Desjardine (5-11, 220) SR, FS CJ Bellow 2nd year starter SR, CB Jamar Deville (5-8, 155) SR, DE JaMarcus Jones (6-1, 198) SR, MLB Hayden Leblanc (5-9, 210) 3 year starter leader, LB Bryceson Fontenot, DE rotate in Landon Joseph, and DT Ryan Arcenant (5-9, 200) leader SR. Special Teams was wide open for Kicker & Punter after Spring. 

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LaGrange Gators

(photo credits from the school)

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Head Coach: Idaihi Oganga (2nd year) 

2023 Record: 1-9

2023 PLayoffs: None

2024 Playoffs: Non-Select

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Key Players Graduated: DE/LB/RB Braylan Handy, WR/DB Jordan Lewis, RB Keyshawn Doucet, RB/LB Larry Ballard, OL Francis Turner

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Team Outlook: “Very optimistic. We return most of our starters in 2024. Most skills, most OL/DL are back. We are excited this year much improved players are committed and our players work hard,” said coach Ogbanga. 

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You will see some players play both sides of the football like RB/WR Dylan Bertand 4.5 speed, WR/RB/DB James Butler 4.45 speed, DB/WR David Martin (6-1, 170) sleeper recruit, WR/RB Kyren Richard, DE/TE Marvin Chatman (6-5 200) big time Athlete 4.6 speed, Safety/WR Tay’Sean Harris (5-11, 170) SR All District in 2023, LB/RB Tarrant Boone (5-9, 195) SR tough, RB/Athlete Dillon Green strong kid and fast 4.6 forty. More key players back are QB 2nd year starter Patrick Bertrand, DT Jayvon White (5-10, 315) SR, OL Ke’Lynn Tanner big time player, OL Royale Stewart (6-3, 265), LB/SS Skylar Captain (5-8, 185) SR, DE/DT Braydon Williams (6-2, 250) SR All District sleeper leader, WR Daniel Williams (5-5, 145) SR, Center Armald Leday, OLB/DE Markus Spiller (6-2, 200) SR All District in 2023 with 4.6 speed, DE/DT Dayven Lee and some younger players will play to add depth. 

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Leesville Wampus Cats

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Head Coach: Robert Causey (9th year) 

2023 Record: 8-3

2023 Playoffs: 1st Round lost to Opelousas HS. 

2024 Playoffs: Select

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Key Players Graduated: QB Corbett Robbins, LB Rashad Johnson, Safety Evan Combs, LB Jeremiah Lee, WR Izaiah Farley and WR Jackson Bealer

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Team Outlook: “We are going to be under the radar. Losing a big Senior group (25 seniors) a big bump to overcome I like our group of kids coming back though. We do have 20 seniors coming back. I think highly of these players. Good kids, they believe in our system,” said coach Causey. 

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The program seems to always have a great RB and this year they return 3 year starter RB Xavier Ford (5-11, 205) SR has all the intangibles to join a long list of great Wampus Cat RBs. The QB spot was open during Spring practice, but the Offense also returned WR Bryce Cunningham (5-9, 150) SR hard worker good hands, WR Michael Davis Jr with 4.6 speed really good Athlete, and WR Damire Davis (5-7, 165) SR tough kid that coach likes a lot. The Offensive Line though young does return three senior leaders in OT Kenneth Ingram (6-4, 230), Center Andrew Lewis (6-0, 240) SR, and OT Jaythan Hurd (5-10, 280) SR. The Defense though young returns some great leaders back in DE/FB/LB De’Andre Herron a 3 year starter (5-11, 210), SS/OLB DeShun McNeely (5-10, 190) SR 2nd year starter covers and can run, OLB/DE Vernon Stewart (6-2, 200) SR big time hitter for program, CB/FS/SS Taj Jackson (6-0, 172) SR 4.59 speed, MLB Jacob Pajinag (6-1, 210) tough kid, LB Ra’Zion Taylor (5-7, 175) SR tough kid, CB Jordan Patterson (5-7, 150) SR tough hitter, CB/SS/FS Chris Leonard Jr (6-2, 185) gifted player, and FS/CB/SS Jaylen Tucker (5-9, 155) 4.65 speed tough player. Special Teams Kicker/Punter like QB is wide open after Spring. 

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Washington Marion Indians

(photos taken by Tory Ozane)

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Head Coach: Dio Bernard (1st year) 

2023 Record: 1-9

2023 Playoffs: None

2024 Playoffs: Select

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Key Players graduated: QB/CB Grayson Boulard, RB Joshua Smith, WR/DB/RB Daylon Williams, WR/DB Markel Sengal, DT Mark Robinson

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Team Outlook: “Now run a different Offense RPO’s. We have a new Defense 3-3-5 or 4-2-5 multiple. Standard right now is (restore the roar) is what we say here. A lot of history at the school try to restart that history,” said coach Bernard. 

The program has two QB’s that can play in Monte Farmer, and Damon Bellard sat out 2023. Farmer started in 2023 and can play WR, and Bellard will get minutes too. Both will start when the other is at QB. The run will rely on RB Ashlone Thomas (5-8, 180) SR for over 1,000 yards in 2023 great back for the program and has a shot at 1,500 or more in 2024. There’s also RB’s Daniel Godfrey has power and speed, and Andrew Shallow a SR leader (5-9, 180) also a LB for the team. The team also has two way starters who will get the ball some in RB/SS Kendrick Ryan 2nd year starter Safety, and CB/RB Craig Tillman a big playmaker. The WR group has some depth too in Monte Farmer, 2 way starter WR/DB John Chavis (6-0, 185) SR 4.5 sleeper leader of the team, WR/TE Ashton Savoy (6-3, 190), and RB/CB Tillman will get some reps at WR. The Offensive Line and Defensive Line mostly are the same players DE/TE Kayden Herman, OL/DT Andonis Cannon a 3 year starter leader, OL/DT Quinten Miller, OL/DE Aden George leader of the Offensive Line, DT/OL Prince White (5-11, 240), DE/ Devante Galmore (6-0, 215) and DT/OL Jaymric Lambert (5-7, 290). The rest of the skill and LB spots coming back to start after Spring are Safety/CB Braylon Hardy a big time player with 4.5 speed, LB JaJuan Hicks 2nd year starter had a great Spring game with a interception pick 6, and LB Kedrick Buckney also the teams Kicker. Special Teams you have Kicker Buckney and great return game with John Chavis who is electric in the open field as a Punt or Kick Returner for the team.

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