Class 1A Powerhouse Logansport Tigers Already Look State Championship Form Halfway Through Regular Season

by Jace LeJeune

Logansport senior ATH Madrid Johnson Jr. (Property of LAFM)

The Logansport High School Tigers have been a dominant 1A powerhouse over the last couple of seasons especially the last two. From 2016 to 2017, the Tigers won an incredible 28 straight games, two district championships, a semifinal finish, and a Class 1A state championship. The Tigers' dominance runs through Head Coach Kevin Magee, who has also won a state championship at Logansport as a player back in 1995. Three year starter Austin Edgar has nothing but high praise for his head coach.

"Coach Kevin Magee has been the main reason for our success," Edgar said. "He is always on us about everything. At times, he sounds like a broken record, but the biggest thing is that he always wants great attitude and effort from us. Also, what helps us is our weight room. We get bigger and stronger over the summer in order for us to beat the man in front of us in the fall."

If Coach Magee is the coach on the sideline, then Edgar must be more of a coach on the field for the Tigers. As a three year starter, the 5-11, 180 safety/running back has been one of the many vocal leaders on the team. At the same time, he is a really good player as well. Edgar was named 1st Team All-District two times and was on the cover of this year's North Louisiana edition of our magazine. Still, with all the honors playing football, he has not received as much attention as the other sport he plays in.

"So far, I have had more visits and offers in baseball than football," Edgar said. "Right now, I have to go with baseball, but it depends on what comes my way in football."

Even though Edgar may be a little underappreciated in recruiting, there are other players on the Tigers' team that are still trying to get attention as well especially Logansport's X Factor Madrid Johnson. According to Louisiana Football Magazine's recruiting expert Lee Brecheen, Johnson is one of the best playmakers in his region.

Logansport senior LB Devin Gabriel (Property of LAFM)

"Madrid Johnson is one of the strongest small skill players in North Louisiana," Brecheen said. "Johnson has started since his freshman year. He has the power, speed, and moves in the open field. He is a DI sleeper running back at the next level.”

Johnson has done almost about anything that you can do at the high school level. As a five year starter ever since eighth grade, Johnson has made All-District three times and has won a state championship. Still, Johnson has received no offers.

"I have received no offers so far, but Grambling, Louisiana Tech, ULM, and Texas State have contacted me," Johnson said.

Even though Johnson is a playmaker with the ball in his hands, it is the defensive side of the football that Johnson enjoys playing the most.

"If I had to choose one position to play, it would be safety," Johnson said. "That's where my idol Sean Taylor (Miami/Washington Redskins) played before his death. He made me want to become a safety."

With great athletes like Johnson and Edgar back playing centerfield, nothing hardly goes past them. A lot of times, opposing offensive skill players have a tough time getting to the second level especially with Logansport senior linebacker Devin Gabriel standing in their way.

Logansport senior RB Tresmin Brown (Property of LAFM)

"Devin Gabriel is a manchild for the team," Brecheen said. "Gabriel is built like a defensive end, but move like a linebacker. I do not understand why he is not a national recruit. He runs a 4.7/40 at 210 pounds even though he is 6-1, 245 pounds."

Logansport senior QB Landon Moon (Property of LAFM)

The four year starter has offers from Arkansas Tech and Itasca Community . On paper entering the season, the defense showed that it was going to be good and the group has backed it up by only giving up less than 12 points over the last three games. While the defense is being very effective, the offense is producing at a similar level with a balanced attack that features a 1,000 yard rusher and All-District performer in Tresmin Brown as well as a very impressive transfer quarterback named Landon Moon from Grandview High School in Texas. At 6-2, 200 pounds, Moon has had plenty of success at the high school level in Texas throwing for an impressive 5,000 yards and rushing for 500 yards in his sophomore year. Even though Moon has had great success this year as a senior, the move, at first, was not easy.

"I would say the toughest part was leaving all my friends and the people I grew up with, but I knew this was the right decision to move here," Moon said. "Logansport has really taken me in and has treated me like I have been here my whole life."

Moon was not the only player affected by his decision to transfer. Before the season started, Logansport senior Dayton West was going to be named the starting quarterback. However, that was before Moon announced that he was going to transfer to Logansport. Still, West has become a great teammate and has accepted his role on the team as the backup quarterback and as a starter on many other different positions that the team might need him to play. In order for a team to have the success like Logansport has had, the players must buy into the system and West is the perfect example of that.

"I've mostly been a backup quarterback throughout my high school career, but I have filled in any spot that my coach needs me to play," West said. "I stand out more on the field than in the stat sheet. I don't have any offers due to lack of film my first few years, but I work hard and I try to be a coachable kid that is willing to do what's best for his team."

Logansport senior QB/OLB Dayton West (Property of LAFM)

Like his distant relative Dak Prescott (Haughton/Mississippi State/Dallas Cowboys), West does whatever it takes for his team in order to win. Not only West is like that, but the whole team has the same motto. As a team, it does not matter who does what compared with each other. All that matters is that the team is there together in the Superdome at the end of December. For Edgar, who started in the Tigers' state championship win in 2016, he would like nothing more to end his high school career playing in the Mercedes Benz Superdome one more time.

"You can feel the atmosphere once you get in the stadium," Edgar said. "You can tell that there is something in the air and has something extra to it."

As only a one year player, Moon is trying to accomplish something that only Dalton Shaw and his head coach have done before.

"My main goal by the end of this year is to win the state championship," Moon said.

That is everybody's goal, but it seems like the Tigers are living up to their goal as of right now coming into this week with a perfect 5-0 record. According to West, they are embracing the hunger of not being satisfied with the previous week's performance regardless of how well the team played.

"The past couple of years, including this year, has been the result of great coaching, summer workouts, and just as one of our coaches would say "Attitude and Effort," West said. "They give us something to enable us to be an elite team, but to keep the success we've had to just keep wanting it more and more."

As the more the team plays, the more confidence the team will have at the end of the regular season. If that progress goes along, the nobody would want to play the Tigers especially at the 1A level.

Hey football fans. Like our recruiting interviews, stories, and other content on our website? Click on our website daily to view articles on recruits, coaches, and so much more at our website: http://www.lafootballmagazine.com/. Also, we have exciting news that for the second straight year, we will have our North and South LA issues and both are now out! Both issues will continue to cover all the Louisiana s as well as all the high schools in state, but there will be 16 pages that will focus on North Louisiana as well as South Louisiana. For more information, please check the following link to where you can find the magazine in a store near you. Also, below are the two covers as well as where you can order both magazines on our website.

Stores Link: http://www.lafootballmagazine.com/news/c48-recruiting/2018-louisiana-football-magazine-north-and-south-editions-now-available-in-stores-near-you/

North Cover: South Cover:

North Link: http://www.lafootballmagazine.com/product/la-football-magazine-2018-annual-preview-north-edition/

South Link: http://www.lafootballmagazine.com/product/la-football-magazine-2018-annual-preview-south-edition/