by Lee Brecheen
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| Marcus Hall - St. Charles Catholic (photo property of Louisiana Football Magazine) |
June 2, 2011 - Since I’ve covered high school football dating back to 1992 in Louisiana, I’ve seen a few exciting skill players with the football in their hands. I said the word few; not many, not a lot, not a ton, just a certain number of kids that when you leave a high school football game you just shake your head with amazement asking yourself, “Wow, did I just see that happen from that kid with a football in his hands?”
Marcus Hall from St. Charles Catholic High School in Laplace, Louisiana, is one of those kids to add to the list. Get this. Like many former great players that are skill guys, he’s only 5-8 in height and 155 pounds in weight. I compare this kid in stature speed and quickness to another former Louisiana player who did not get any big time DI offers in former Destrehan High School skill player Damaris Johnson, who is currently at the University of Tulsa going into his senior season for 2011. He owns several records already in receiving, catches, punt returns, and kickoff returns and will dazzle again in 2011 as a Running Back sometimes for Tulsa.
Marcus only runs a hand timed 4.5/40, but when you see him play you would think he runs a 4.2/40. The way he cuts and turns while running with the pigskin in his hands is art form to watch. College coaches will probably ask to themselves, “Where do we play this kid in college?” Well, I have a great idea. Just get the ball in his hands and things will happen. He could be a slot back, return kickoffs or punt returns, a one back Running Back in a one back set in certain plays, and he has the soft hands to catch the pass in the flats to go all the way. Marcus could also line up in the now popular Wildcat in college.
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| Damaris Johnson (photo property of University of Tulsa) |
I’ve watched college football and high school football since 1979 intensely, and one thing I’ve learned from the game and from my dad Clyde Brecheen who was a former coach for many years at the youth level in the 1970’s is this - every team needs a weapon on offense that you have to defend and keep honest with a great supporting defense and a leader at QB. If you have those three you have a great chance to have a winning team and win a ton of games. Remember the old saying offense sells tickets and defenses win ball games. My dad would tell me that all the time growing up as a kid. Well Marcus Hall is the type of kid that will sell tickets in college because he’s so exciting and a weapon to defend and will be one just like Damaris Johnson currently at Tulsa. If you go back 4 years ago and read my article on NewOrleans.com with Damaris Johnson when he was being recruited you will find it’s just like this one that I’m writing today.
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| Phillip Livas (photo property of Louisiana Tech) |
Here are some other great skill all purpose kids that stick out from my days of watching high school football games in person: Ike Hilliard - Patterson, Eddie Kinnison - Washington Marion, Nilo Silvan – St. Paul’s, Warrick Dunn - Catholic of Baton Rouge, LeMay Thomas - Delhi, Phillip Livas - South Terrebonne, Tyrone Hughes - St. Augustine, Trindon Holliday - Northeast, Damaris Johnson - Destrehan, Jarrett Fobbs - Huntington, Troy Edwards - Huntington, Todd Kinchen - Trafton Academy now currently Dunham HS, Luther Ambrose – St. James, Joe McKnight - John Curtis, Levander Liggins - Leesville, Sammy Martin - DeLasalle, Skylar Green - Higgins, Larry Foster - West Jefferson, Shyrone Carey - Archbishop Shaw, Derrick Saulsberry - Thibodeaux, Sammy Williams - Baker, Jakori Williams – Plaquemine, Cary Koch - Dunham, Josh Reed - Rayne, Ronald McClendon - Ponchatoula, Tony Moss - Bossier, Ernest Celestie - Barbe, Kevin Faulk - Carencro, and currently Kedrick Banks - McDonough 35, and Tyree Bracken - White Castle.
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| Kedrick Banks - McDonogh #35 |
It’s amazing a lot of the big college football programs will not take a chance on a small kid like Marcus, but look at how great these players were in college for their teams and how much of a weapon these guys where to stop every year; Chris Rainey (5-8, 160 pounds) - Florida Gators, Dexter McCluster (5-8, 170 pounds) - Ole Miss, David Palmer (5-7, 160 pounds) - Alabama, Darren Sproles (5-6, 170 pounds) - Kansas State, Napoleon Kaufman (5-8, 165 pounds) - Washington Huskies, and Lionel James (5-6, 175 pounds) - Auburn. If I’m not mistaken Ole Miss was a lot better football team with Dexter, Kansas State was a lot better when they had Darren, Kaufman won a National Championship with Washington, Skylar Green and Trindon Holliday each helped LSU get a different ring, Johnson has helped put Tulsa on the map for DI football, Ike Hillard helped Danny Wuerrfell get one at Florida, and also Percy Harvin and Chris Rainey helped Tebow get two at Florida.
Go buy a ticket to a St. Charles game this year and check out this super talented kid named Marcus Hall. He’s not big one in size, but he’s special. You will leave the game loving the God gifted talent this kid has as a football player.
I hope you enjoy the interview below with Marcus Hall.
Interview by Taylor Williams
LAFM: You’re listed as an athlete; so what all positions do you play?
MH: I mostly play running back, and also some kick returner and punt returner.
LAFM: And do you see yourself being recruited primarily as a running back?
MH: Yeah I do, but honestly I want myself to go as a kick returner because of my size.
LAFM: Are you originally from Louisiana?
MH: Yeah, I was born around Metairie and moved to Laplace when I was a kid.
LAFM: Has anyone in you family played sports at the collegiate level before?
MH: No, not really; my brother and I are pretty much the only football players.
LAFM: So it’s not big in your family?
MH: No, but for me, I don’t have much loyalty to any team; I’ll watch anybody. If there’s a game on TV I’m watching it, doesn’t matter who’s playing.
LAFM: As a player, what is your biggest strength and what are you currently working most to improve?
MH: My biggest strength is probably my quickness, plus I have good hands. And to tell you the truth, I just need to get bigger and stronger. Those guys at the next level might look at me and think, you know, easy tackle, until they see me move. Plus a lot of my friends on the team are big guys and sometimes I just feel kind of bad standing next to them.
LAFM: Do you prefer to stay in state for college?
MH: No, I’m trying to get out. I’ll still be in touch with my family, but they kind of want me to branch out anyway.
LAFM: So what schools have you gotten looks from at this point?
MH: I have gotten letters from Oregon, TCU, a few from Miami, and a few from Texas A&M. ULL is pretty much the only school in state I’ve gotten anything from.
LAFM: And what’s your top choice?
MH: Man, I really like Oregon, that’s my first choice just because of how they carry themselves on the field and stuff. And I like TCU a lot, I went on their website and checked them out and liked everything I saw.
LAFM: Talk a little about goals for next season, both individually and collectively.
MH: Well, for me, to tell you the truth I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help the team as best I can. As for the team, we lost out in the semi-finals, so we’re hoping we can get to the Championship this year.
LAFM: Is that the furthest your team has advanced in your career?
MH: Yeah, semis both years; this year we lost to Evangel Christian and last year to John Curtis, two pretty good schools.
LAFM: What’s it been like playing for your head coach?
MH: He’s very strict and disciplined; that’s the one main thing, if you want to play for him you’ve got to be disciplined. I guess everybody just buys into that and everybody does what he’s supposed to do and that’s what makes our team better. We don’t have as many athletes as a lot of other schools, but we have that team mentality that keeps us in games.
LAFM: What are some memorable games and moments from your high school career?
MH: Well you know we’re right next to East St. John, so we played them the last two years in the Jamboree, and we always come up big as a team in that game. And for me personally, I always go off when we play Newman; this year I had like 250 [all-purpose] yards, and though I can’t remember last year, I know I had a good game.
LAFM: So Newman obviously gets you fired up, but what other rivalries draw big hype each year?
MH: Curtis, and especially Riverside, that’s the biggest rivalry in football.
LAFM: Do you play other sports, and if so, are you being recruited for them?
MH: I play basketball, but I’m not getting recruited for it, just a sport I love to play.
LAFM: Have you thought about what you might study in college?
MH: No, I’m still undecided.
LAFM: What camps have you been to or are you planning to attend?
MH: I plan on flying out to Oregon and going to the camp there, and I’ll probably go to the Miami one too. And I’d like to go to the Tennessee one just to see what its like. And oh yeah, I’ve been to the LSU camp twice.
LAFM: And finally, what are your current height, weight, and forty time?
MH: 5-foot-8, 155, and my most recent time was a 4.59, but I think that’s off. This was at a Nike camp and before that my coach timed me and I ran like a 4.5 flat. So I just have to do better on the days they have camps.
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