Union Parish Farmers

By Lee Brecheen

Head Coach: Joe Spatafora (18th year)

2022 Record: 12-2, District Champions, State Runner-Up

Class & District: Class 3A (Division 1)

2022 Playoffs: 1st Round Bye, Defeated Sterlington 34-14 in 2nd Round, Defeated Patterson 38-14 in Quarterfinals, Defeated Amite 28-8 in Semifinals, Lost to Many in Division III (Non-Select) Championship Game in new-orleans

Union Parish head coach Joe Spatafora has done a great job with this program as he has led the Farmers to a state title in 2013 and three straight state championship appearances from 2020-2022. If the Farmers want to go back for a fourth straight title game, they will need a lot of young players to step up because they have a small senior class this season. The Farmers have also lost three major contributors from last year’s team, including Trey Holly (signed with LSU), who is Louisiana’s all-time leading rusher in all divisions, ATH Cam Hill (signed with Louisiana Tech) and TE/HB Armani Shelbon (will walk-on to Louisiana Tech).

Union Parish QB Jordan Hill

“The kids are working hard, the seniors coming back will have played for 3 straight Titles in three years but it’s a small senior group,” Spatafora said. “We will have to play some young kids this year. A big part of what we do will rely on the trenches in the offensive & defensive line and I feel really good that will be the strength of our team. We will have 4 new young coaches this fall in 2023 helping us continue to get better. Many people don’t realize this but Trey Holly, who signed with LSU, who started for us for four years and broke the state record with 10,524 yards rushing, had 146 Rushing Touchdowns, 160 total touchdowns, and only averaged 17 carries a game in his career. So we do have some kids who got carries in 2022 and will return in 2023 with a lot of experience for the run game.”

The offense will miss Holly, but the team returns eight starters on offense led by a strong big offensive line with experience with players back like OG Josh Moy (6-1, 295), C.J Benson (5-8, 230), senior OT A.J Foster (5-11, 230), OT Marco Knighten (6-1, 400), OL Antonio Traylor (5-11, 265), T Ari Slocum (6-4, 270) and center Tamarrion Holley (6-1, 265).

I don’t think the run game will miss a beat for moving the ball with RB Derrick Dew back, who carried the football a lot in 2022 and they return experienced senior RB Jy’Marion Island (5-8, 170), who had 1,003 yards rushing behind Holley in 2022. Amite will return its QB Jordan Hill, who is a tough 5-11 200-pound senior who is built like a linebacker but is a very good athlete. Hill knows the offense well as he played in six games in 2022 and has a good arm too. The offense doesn’t throw the ball much but if they do they have talented senior TE/WR Tomarrio Bilberry (6-0, 170) who has 4.6 speed and will get the chance to show more in this offense.

Union Parish RB Jy'Marion Island

The defense returns 5 starters and has enough talent to keep this team at a high level in 2023. They are led by DT Tytravius Wallace, who is a three-year starter who, at 6-3, 275 pounds, has great feet and is strong. You also have DE/OLB Tyquerius Wilson, another three-year starter and one of the leaders on the team. Wilson made All-State in 2022 with 184 TACKLES and a motor that doesn’t stop as a tackling machine. There’s also DT Tyreon Traylor (5-10, 235), senior MLB/DE Charles Kendricks (6-2, 250), who is a new starter, second-year starting LB Kelan Nute, senior CB Omarion Thomas (5-11, 150) and talented young CB Braxton Patterson with 4.45 speed.

The special teams return a big-time player in kicker Ryan Reeder, who started as an 8th grader in 2022 and did a great job.

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