Louisiana Football Magazine 2026 Class 1A Football Preview (Written by Lee Brecheen)

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District 2

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Delhi Bears

Head Coach:Tim Puckett(2^nd year)

2025 Record:1-9

Signees Colleges:OT Zion Hogan(Coffeyville Kansas JC), and QB/Athlete Devin Myles(Bellhaven).

2026 Non District Games:Week 1 Lincoln Prep HS (Home), Week 2 Magnolia Excellence HS (Away), Week 3 Delhi Charter HS (Home), Week 4 North Vermillion HS (Away), Week 5 Rosepine HS (Home), Week 6 LaSalle HS (Home), and Week 7 Pine Prairie HS (Away).

Team Outlook: “Our motto this year as a program is: We have work to do,” said coach Puckett. “Small school but recently combined with the middle school and will have more players overall finished the 2025 season with just 24 players and should have around 40 to 45 players in the Fall.

The Offense will have a new starting Quarterback in Jamarquise Richardson, a Wide Receiver and Linebacker in 2025 at 5'11" 170 pounds, who had a great Spring and Summer. Last year's Quarterback will be more of an Athlete to help the team, Keymarrio Banks 6'2" 160 pounds, CB/WR in 2026.

More players to watch in 2026 are WR/Safety Dezmian Wilford 5'10" 160 pounds, WR Tylynn Jones 5'11" 175 pounds, who also will play some DB, OL/DE/DT Joshua Washington 5'10" 215 pounds, 3-year starter, leader, OL/DL Dillyn Anderson 5'10" 228 pounds, OL/DL Noah Loyd 6'3" 275 pounds, LB/TE ZaMaurion Jiles 6'0" 185 pounds, LB/OL/HB Kendarian Jiles 5'11" 165 pounds, RB J'Mari Perkins 5'8" 175 pounds, and DT/OG Ethan Day 5'10" 260 pounds.

Special Teams: Tylynn Jones will return as the starting Kicker. Long Snapper and Punter were still open after Spring practice.

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General Trass Panthers

Head Coach:Toriano Wells(11^th year)

2025 Record:5-5.District 3-1

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to West St. John HS

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Richwood HS (Away), Week 2 Rayville HS (Home), Week 3 Vidalia HS (Away), Week 4 Madison HS (Home), Week 5 Bastrop HS (Away), Week 6 H.L Bourgeois HS (Away)

Team Outlook: “Getting back to fundamentals as a team this past Spring,” said coach Wells. “We will have a nice size Senior class coming back in 2026.”

The program under Head Coach Toriano Wells has been stable and consistent, and coach always finds a way to win and develop players with different strengths every year and does a great job.

This year's team will be led by its strong unit of Running Backs and Linebackers. Players to watch are LB/RB Larry Stewart 5'8" 205 pounds, power and speed, All-District in 2024 and 2025, RB/LB Dondrell Powell 5'8" 165 pounds, LB Kason Campbell 5'7" 165 pounds, RB/LB Kourtezz Moore 5'10" 165 pounds, 4.6 speed in the forty, RB/DB Khorrey Mackey 5'7" 150 pounds, and RB/WR Jayce Weaver 5'10" 162 pounds.

The Panthers have 2 really good Quarterbacks to compete and both will play all year in Fletcher Johnson 5'7" 165 pounds, one of the most talented players on the team, and QB Ammorian Thompson 5'8" 155 pounds.

More key players to watch are TE/OC Messiah Wilson 5'10" 180 pounds, DT/OL Ke'Lon Turner 6'4" 295 pounds, SR, DB/WR Amarea Reynolds 5'9" 155 pounds, 4.5 speed in the forty, OL/DL Freddie Fletcher 6'3" 285 pounds, OL/DL Kaden Lane 6'3" 290 pounds, WR Jashawn Smith 5'7" 145 pounds, DB Jakobe Powell 5'8" 165 pounds, TE/DE Jakoveon Collins 6'3" 175 pounds, 4.6 speed, and more young players competing for time playing varsity for the 1st time for depth.

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Ouachita Christian Eagles

| John Gaumnitz

| Photo provided by John Gaumnitz

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| Adler Edwards

| Photo provided by Adler Edwards

| Cole Volion

| Photo provided by Cole Volion

| Tristan Raymond

| Photo provided by Tristan Raymond

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| Jude Turner

| Photo provided by Jude Turner

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Steven Fitzhugh(29^th year)

2025 Record:10-2. District 6-1

2025 Playoffs: 2^nd Round beat Southern Lab HS and Quarterfinals lost to Riverside HS.

Signees Colleges: Kicker/Punter Gavin Polk (ULM), Ridge Coats (ASU Three Rivers U in Arkansas Baseball), QB Luke Vidrine (East Texas Baptist U)

2026  Non District Games:

Team Outlook: “Entering our 50^th season at Ouachita Christian High School,” said coach Fitzhugh. “Legacy, how are you going to leave your mark? Intangibles, character, love go a long way in life and perseverance.” “ How are you going to be remembered?” “We have a new starting Quarterback in 2026 but we do return most of the Offensive Line which will be a strength for us.” “Four years in a row we have only given up 1 Sack on the Offensive Line.” 

One of the best coached programs in the last 28 years in Louisiana has been Ouachita Christian High School, led by Coach Fitzhugh and his devoted staff, to a very disciplined program with a great culture of young men always prepared to play a football game. I am truly amazed how every year Coach Fitzhugh is able to find ways to win games with or without experience as a team. Coach Fitzhugh is also the school's head Boys Track coach for Ouachita Christian High School.

The Offense, like coach said above, has a new starting Quarterback in Tristan Raymond 6'2" 185 pounds, a very skilled, athletic kid with a good arm and good feet who can run if needed. Raymond will have a chance to hand off to one of the best Running Backs in all of Louisiana, in my opinion, senior Jude Turner 5'11" 210 pounds, of power, speed, and determination. You don't want to try and tackle him in the open field or straight up as a defender. Turner is a 3-year starter and plays the game old school with toughness and always seems to find a way to score inside the 20-yard line. He's automatic. Turner reminds me of a former RB from Evangel Christian HS, Jacob Hester, in running style and build.

More skill players to watch for both Defense and Offense are WR/DB, talented Glen Luke Edwards 6'2" 180 pounds, FS/WR Aaron Eldridge 5'11" 175 pounds, Safety Abram Parker 5'10" 180 pounds, sleeper FS/WR/QB Cole Travis Volion 6'3" 185 pounds, CB Brooks Jones 6'1" 180 pounds, WR Bo Devinney 5'8" 150 pounds, SS/CB Isaac Raley 6'0" 180 pounds, CB/Safety Barrett Layne Freeland 5'9" 155 pounds, and new starter Hunter Lane Ogelsby 6'0" 170 pounds.

The Offensive Line has a chance to be the strength of the team in 2026, led by OT John Grady Gaumnitz 6'6" 260 pounds, OT Adler Edwards 6'5" 240 pounds, Center Trevor Tate Kitchens 6'3" 230 pounds, OG Hunter Canal 6'0" 260 pounds, and OL/DL Ruffin Spires 5'11" 225 pounds.

The Defense will have a few new starters but still a very talented group overall, with some younger players mixed in, led by LB D'siah Bradshaw 6'2" 214 pounds, gifted player, DT Hudson Weems 6'0" 235 pounds, DE Andrew Barrett Copeland 6'2" 220 pounds, LB/DE Brock Ables 6'2" 210 pounds, new starter LB Bishop King 5'9" 175 pounds, new starter LB Joseph Post 5'11" 190 pounds, and newcomer LB/TE Carter James Russell 6'4" 185 pounds. The Eagles will not have senior LB Cooper Thomas in 2026 because of an injury, but he will be there on the sidelines still being a leader for the guys on the field.

Special Teams lost to graduation one of the best Kickers and Punters to ever play for Ouachita Christian High School, Gavin Polk, who signed with ULM of Monroe locally, but his brother Garrett Polk will take over the punting and kicking duties, and he also has a great future for OCS.

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St. Frederick Warriors

| Warner Thompson

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Preston Cain and Head Coach Tony Osborne

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Tony Osborne(2^nd year)

2025 Record:6-6.

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round beat Cedar Creek HS, and 2^nd Round lost to Hamilton Christian HS.

2026 Non District Games:

Team Outlook: “I am excited moving forward now being in the program over a year and we have come a long way,” said coach Osborne. “I think the future is bright. We have a few players back with experience both sides of the football and still need to develop some depth with younger players. Especially with our Lineman where we lost 6 players to graduation Offensive and Defensive Line from the 2025 team.” “I am also excited we are getting a new improved Football Coaching Office and improvements on campus for our sports facilities are much needed and most updates should be ready before the Fall season and will help us move forward.” “We also have a big Freshman class coming in which will bring stability to this program for a few years.”

The program returns a gritty Quarterback who competes at a high level in Michael Malloy 6'0" 185 pounds and gives his team a chance to win every week with a good arm and 4.6 speed in the forty and can run when needed.

There are several skill players that are coming back or are new in RB/LB Luke Rocconi 6'0" 190 pounds, CB/WR Stephen Austin 6'2" 170 pounds, RB/CB Colby Remington 5'10" 165 pounds, 4.6 speed in the forty, WR Charlie Marsala 5'11" 160 pounds, WR/CB Grady Guerriero 5'8" 130 pounds, gritty, tough Athlete, Athlete Harrison Tarver 5'10" 160 pounds, Safety Archer Ashbrook 5'11" 180 pounds, newcomer RB/SS Drew Johnston 5'9" 165 pounds, WR Bryce Stevenson 5'11" 160 pounds, and WR Harrison Rutz 6'0" 170 pounds.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back and new are returning starter James (JP) Guerriero 6'0" 190 pounds, tough leader, DE Layton O'Quinn 6'0" 190 pounds, DE/TE Warner Thompson 6'1" 195 pounds, athletic player, OL/DL Tanner Shepard 6'2" 220 pounds, OL/DL Jacob Johnson 6'0" 290 pounds, A.J. Verhagen 5'7" 180 pounds, OL/DL Ryan Southwell 5'8" 180 pounds, OL/DL William Lyles 6'2" 230 pounds, OL/DL Ayden Jacola 5'11" 180 pounds, OL/DL John Simone 5'8" 225 pounds, LB/DE Will Hardwick 6'1" 185 pounds, and OG/DE Edward Fahkre 6'1" 220 pounds.

Special Teams: Starting Kickers will be William Ritter Benedetto 5'4" 115 pounds and Harrison Rutz for both Extra Points and Field Goals. Long Snapper will be Andrew Trahan 5'10" 185 pounds, a new starter.

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