by Lee Brecheen
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| St. Thomas More Seniors |
May 18, 2010 - Every time I travel the state covering football people ask me all the time, “Lee, why do you go to so many High School games and practices.” First of all, I tell them I have a passion for this, and I always want to see for myself first hand who the best players are in Louisiana, so I can give the public and college coaches a true overall opinion of the potential of these kids. Secondly, I say that there’s nothing like spending time seeing great talent in front of your eyes in this great state we live in called Louisiana.
This past Saturday was a great afternoon for Football at St. Thomas More High School for their spring game. The weather was perfect for game time, the kids took pictures before the game with their parents, and there were no serious injuries which is always a great thing. I really believe the bond these kids have at St. Thomas More is a major advantage when they hit the field. Most of these Cougar football players have played football as teammates since they were in Catholic school as young as nine or ten years of age. I really enjoyed meeting a lot of the parents from, as they call the school in Lafayette, STM, and seeing the coaching staff before the game. Head Coach Jim Hightower will go into his 25th year as the head guy of STM, and he is the second winningest, active coach in the state of Louisiana, behind J T Curtis of John Curtis HS. This California native who played college football for Cal Davis in 1967 to 1970, is one heck of a guy and runs a first rate program. He has a chance to hit 330 wins in his career by the season’s end.
The talent at St. Thomas More is really good. There’s a good mix of young and old. St. Thomas More will have almost thirty seniors or more every year, and the younger kids usually get to play in a few games in the rotation so the team never really starts over from year to year from an experience stand point.
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| Sam Scofield (#10), Rees Gideon (#98), and Brandon Schmidt (#55) with Coach Jim Hightower |
The best recruit on the team, I feel, upside wise is a tie between SS/OLB Sam Scofield, who stands all of 6-2 and 185 pounds and hits like another former STM DB Rocky Scelfo who played baseball at LSU and ULL Ragin Cajuns. Sam has been offered already by Tulane, and I really believe this kid can play for anyone in America after watching him in the spring game. He’s much improved from his junior year. TE Evan Tatford (6-5, 220) can run like a deer, and catches everything in sight, which impresses me the most. It’s hard to find a TE with great hands. Evan, to me, is also a National recruit.
DT Rees Gideon, who is 5-10 and some change and 250 pounds, can really get after the QB. There were a couple of plays where he chased the QB out of the pocket to create havoc, and another play at the snap where he came outside to hit the RB in the backfield, which was very impressive. He’s not tall but a football player to watch for the smaller schools in state and out of state. He’s a player who’s tough and quick off the snap. I think this kid is quick enough to play some FB if needed. Rees would make a great IAA nose guard or an Ivy League star.
OT Ben Reed (6-3, 265) and LB Brandon Schmidt (5-10, 220) are all out players who have potential to at least play at a small college. Ben is a big kid who could have a big year. Brandon is tough as nails, and looks like the perfect Div 3 MLB or IAA Tops MLB for college.
I was also able to run into the dad of Grant Fleming (6-3, 235), a stud Senior LB for the ULL Ragin Cajuns, who will be the best player for ULL on defense in 2010. Grant has a brother who starts for STM on the offensive line, Paxton Fleming, a senior, who stands 6-4 and very lean. Grant played at STM as a FS and weighed about 210 pounds coming out of High School. Grant will have a chance to get drafted high in the 2011 NFL draft.
Both Tulane and ULL had coaches there watching the game.
I would like to thank Head Coach Jim Hightower for letting me have full access to the spring game, and thanks to all the parents in the stands for providing humor and talking football.
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