Louisiana Football Magazine 2026 Class 3A Football Preview (Written by Lee Brecheen)

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District 10

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Amite Warriors

| Jaylen Haywood

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Head Coach Zephaniah Powell 

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

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Head Coach:Zephaniah Powell

2025 Record: 9-4.District 4-1

2025 Playoffs: 1^st Round beat Jewell Sumner HS, 2^nd Round beat Cohen HS, and Quarterfinals lost to Lafayette Renaissance HS

Signees Colleges: WR Lajarhen Cyprian (College Basketball), LB Osvaldo Razo Jr (Bellhaven), and Athlete Franklin Morgan Jr (Louisiana Tech)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 St. James HS (Away), Week 2 Bogalusa HS (Home), Week 3 Franklinton HS (Away), Week 4 Livonia HS (Away), Week 5 Parkview Baptist HS (Away), Week 6 Salmen HS (Away), and Week 7 Sophie B. Wright HS (Home)

Team Outlook: “Staying healthy leaning on the Offensive and Defensive Lines for our success for this year,” said coach Powell. “Most of our experience will be our lineman to start the season on both sides of the football.”

The Offense will lean on the Offensive Line in the beginning, led by Jalen Haywood 6'7" 370 pounds, a senior and 4-year starter, OL/DL Vincent Wilson 6'2" 300 pounds, a senior, 3-year starter, leader, OL Kentarrioius Rhymes 6'5" 330 pounds, a senior, OL Stephen Finn 6'0" 265 pounds, Larry Burton 5'10" 200 pounds, OL Remarian Slay 6'1" 255 pounds, OL David Foster 6'2" 230 pounds, and OL Jordan Davis.

The starting Quarterback will be Jamyron Dillon 5'10" 180 pounds, who played last year as a starting OLB and some RB. Dillon will bring a dual-threat skill set to the Offense with the ability to be a 1,000-yard rusher as a QB in 2026.

More skill players to watch on Offense are WR/CB Ty'darrius Holland 5'10" 180 pounds, 4.45 speed, a 2-way starter, playmaker, new starter in the program, WR/CB Braylen Taylor 5'10" 165 pounds, a 2-way starter with 4.5 speed, playmaker, WR Kyle Ard 5'6" 155 pounds, WR Ulysses Powell 5'10" 155 pounds, WR Mekhi Webb 5'11" 165 pounds, TE/WR Brylin Riley, LB/RB Semaj Pounds, WR Zaylon Foster 5'11" 150 pounds, WR Dre Moore 5'9" 170 pounds, and 2-way starter RB/DB Lionel Perkins 5'5" 155 pounds, a tough kid with some power as an RB at times.

The Defense front seven will have a chance to be really good, led by DE Zarion Zanders 6'3" 225 pounds, DT Vincent Wilson 6'2" 300 pounds, DT Alijah Williams 6'2" 285 pounds, a 3-year starter, DT/DE Lakedrick Bean 5'8" 210 pounds, LB Semaj Brumfield 5'9" 170 pounds, LB Kedrin Tillman 5'11" 165 pounds, LB Akia Edwards 5'9" 172 pounds, LB Colston Gant 5'10" 180 pounds, LB Marcus Richardson 5'11" 190 pounds, LB/DE Richard Casanave, DE Joseph Hunt, LB/Safety Julius Walker, LB Semaj Pounds, and DE Kymani Muse 6'0" 175 pounds.

The Defensive Backfield will have shutdown CB Ty'darrius Holland, DB Lionel Perkins, CB Cedric Burise 5'11" 170 pounds, FS/SS Amari Moore 5'10" 160 pounds, CB Damarion Taylor, and CB Xavier Johnson.

Special Teams returns starting Kicker and Punter Colin Adamson 5'6" 170 pounds.

Independence Tigers

Head Coach:Sam Messina(2^nd year)

2025 Record:2-8

2026 Non District Games:Week 1 Bogalusa HS(Home), Week 2 Varnado HS(Away), Week 3 Loranger HS(Home), Week 4 Albany HS(Home), Week 5 Istrouma HS(Away)

Team Outlook: “The kids have been really responsive to the development we are putting in front of them," said coach Messina. “I think we made a lot of strides last year with a limited roster of only 24 kids.” “I am excited because we know have the Middle School at the High School under one roof and we picked up 17 new 9^th graders for the Fall to improve our number which is now 48 players compared to 24 in 2025.” “We will still be young but having more players is a big time improvement for this program.” “I am also happy we had a good Spring playing Jewell Sumner HS and looked really good as a team.” 

The Tigers will have two Quarterbacks in newcomers Dakota McAllister 5'10" 190 pounds, who has a lot of upside to throw and run the ball for this team in 2026, and talented Kadarrius Harris 6'0" 170 pounds. Both will also play some Linebacker for the Defense.

The rest of the skill players to watch are WR/FS Kyson Garner 5'10" 170 pounds, WR/SS Malcolm Brider 5'11" 165 pounds, RB/LB Brandon Strickland 5'9" 175 pounds, 3-year starter, leader, RB/LB Jordan Leonard 5'10" 175 pounds, RB/LB Dallas Sellers 5'8" 170 pounds, WR/CB/Safety Johavon Brown 6'1" 170 pounds, and newcomer CB Chris Banks 5'10" 160 pounds.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back are DT/Center Luis Carrion 5'10" 240 pounds, OL/DL T.J. Foreman 6'2" 210 pounds, OL/DL Jordan Cambor 5'11" 240 pounds, OL/DL/TE/RB Jimarion Young 6'2" 240 pounds, TE/DE Nakia Knighten 6'2" 185 pounds, and DE/TE Jayden Schopin 5'11" 180 pounds.

Special Teams: Starting at both Kicker and Punter will be Victor Ochoa 5'9" 145 pounds.

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Northlake Christian Wolverines

| Head Coach James Willis

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

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Head Coach:James Willis(8^th year)

2025 Record:7-4.District 3-1

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Dunham HS

Signees Colleges:OL Landen Luparello (Maritime,Massachuetts), WR/DB Jordan Willis (Delta State), LB/RB Kameron Casnave (Norfolk State), and OL Wyatt Perritt (Millsaps)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Pope John Paul II(Home), Week 2 Episcopal HS(Away), Week 3 Archbishop Hannan HS(Home).

Team Outlook: “We graduated 20 starters from the 2025 and many of those started on both sides of the football team," said coach Willis. “We are in a complete rebuild with younger players.” “We only return 3 players that even played football in 2025.” “We will not know our starting 22 till Fall because of so many new younger players competing in the program.” “We have always had big Linemen in the program and in 2026 we will be small in the trenches too.”

The Offense has 2 young Quarterbacks competing for the spot, Nathan Krone 5'8" 140 pounds and QB John Sampson 5'8" 140 pounds. Both will probably battle all the way up to Fall, and both kids will start somewhere if not at QB in the end.

The team only had 19 players out for Spring Practice, and here were some players that are coming back that should start in 2026: WR/DB Reid Ledet 5'6" 125 pounds, LB/FB Foster Lagarde 5'9" 165 pounds, DT/OL Leonard Tridico 6'3" 270 pounds, a 3-year starter and now leader of the Offensive and Defensive Lines, WR/DB Max Gray 5'7" 135 pounds, and LB Avery Cannata 5'7" 210 pounds.

The rest of the starters, like coach said, will be young players to build the program back with no experience.

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Pine Raiders

Head Coach:Bradley Seal(15^th year)

2025 Record:7-4

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Kaplan HS.

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Varnado HS(Away), Week 2 Pope John Paul II(Away), Week 3 Franklinton HS(Home), Week 4 Pearl River HS(Home), Week 5 Loranger HS(Away).

Team Outlook: “Happy with Spring with the team,” said coach Seal. “We put in a new scheme on Offense and we just need to keep teaching the players going into the Fall.” “Defense we will also be more 4 down Lineman 4-2 and in 2025 we were 3 man front.”  “We will have a small senior class in 2026.”

The program for the 1st time in 2 years will have a new starting Quarterback in Cooper Thomas, who can run a legit 4.6 in the forty with also a good arm. Skill players in the program to keep an eye on are RB/DB Braxton Newman 5'8" 150 pounds, 2nd-year starter, WR/DB Tyre Bernard 6'2" 175 pounds, 2nd-year starter, WR/RB Isiah Matthews 5'6" 155 pounds, quick and fast, WR/DB Brayson Pittman 5'8" 150 pounds, newcomer, 4.4 speed in the forty, DB Steven Daniels 5'9" 165 pounds, new starter, and TE/FB Jacob Bennett 5'11" 205 pounds.

Key Linemen and Linebackers coming back are DT Kade Knight 6'3" 250 pounds, 2nd-year starter, OL Beau Bickham 6'1" 240 pounds, 2nd-year starter, OL Brayden Bickham 6'1" 240 pounds, OLB Jabori Robinson 6'0" 205 pounds, 2nd-year starter, OL Hunter Martin 6'3" 250 pounds, new starter, OL Beau Davis 5'9" 210 pounds, new starter, DE Willzavon Hebert 5'10" 215 pounds, 2nd-year starter, MLB Brody Thomas 5'11" 185 pounds, and LB Colt Knight 6'0" 190 pounds.

Special Teams will have a new Kicker in Cesar Cobon 5'10" 180 pounds. Long Snapper is Brayden Bickham, and Punter is open after Spring.

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St. Helena Academy Hawks

| Tj Dorsey

| Photo by: brycevisuals

Head Coach:De’Carlos Holmes (2^nd year)

2025 Record:6-5

2025 Playoffs: 1^st Round beat Avoyelles HS, and 2^nd Round lost to Jena HS

Signees Colleges: Athlete Aderrion Baker (Pearl River Mississippi JC), Athlete Jamiwren Robertson (Arkansas Baptist), and Athlete Jamirion Robertson (Arkansas Baptist).

Team Outlook: “Team and program 2026 motto: Believe the Impossible. Thats our mindset in 2026, trust the process and anything is possible in the end for this team and program,” said coach Holmes.

The Hawks have, I would say, one of the tallest and biggest, size-wise, teams in all of Class 2A you will see in the state of Louisiana, in South or North Louisiana overall.

The Offense returns a great talent in Quarterback A'myron Baker 6'5" 190 pounds with a cannon arm and great feet. When flushed out of the pocket, he can run too. There's also plenty of skill talent on this team with players like WR Tim Dorsey 6'6" 200 pounds, WR/CB Taz Chandler 6'0" 195 pounds, WR/DB Ja'varius Taylor 5'10" 195 pounds, WR Jaiden Gavin 6'4" 185 pounds, RB Jeremiah Gray 5'10" 185 pounds, CB/WR Anthony Baker 5'11" 150 pounds, WR/Safety Jaron Forbes 6'0" 160 pounds, RB/DB/SS Delasta Martin 5'10" 195 pounds, new starter, DB/WR Devontae Hurst 6'1" 190 pounds, WR Christian Coleman 6'0" 150 pounds, RB Jamar Variste 5'6" 160 pounds, 4.5 speed in the forty, SS Keshun Self 6'2" 190 pounds, WR/DB Jai'Marius Hamler 6'4" 195 pounds, 4.5 speed, and DB Markel McGee 5'9" 185 pounds.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back are MLB Euralquontan Brumfield 6'2" 220 pounds, big-time leader for this team, Center George Taylor 5'11" 315 pounds with great feet, 3-year starter, DT/OT Ladarious Taylor 6'4" 250 pounds, DE Jawuan Cook Forbes 6'4" 220 pounds, OLB Dorian Page 5'10" 215 pounds, DT Khai Muse 6'3" 365 pounds, OL Raval Martin 6'5" 280 pounds, OL/DL Dawhan Clark 6'5" 355 pounds, MLB Tristen Burton 6'2" 215 pounds, DE/OT Da'Myrion Cohn 6'5" 225 pounds, LB Trendon Cornish 6'2" 220 pounds, and OLB Creigh Johnson 5'6" 150 pounds with 4.5 speed in the forty.

Special Teams: Starting Kicker will be Euralquontan Brumfield in 2025. In the return game, there are several options for playmakers to make this a strong spot for the team again in 2026.

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St. Thomas Aquinas Falcons

| Juy Eskano

| Photo by: Sienna Deluca

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| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Boomer Nunez(2^nd year)

2025 Record:0-10

Signees Colleges:Kicker Chase Oalman (Southeastern),and Long Snapper Parker Roubigue (Southeastern)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Central Private HS (Home), Week 2 Albany HS (Away), Week 3 Patrick Taylor HS (Away), Week 4 West St. John HS (Home), Week 5 Archbishop Hannan HS (Away).

Team Outlook: “This was my 1^st full off season after being hired back in June of 2025,” said coach Nunez. “We started building the culture in 2025 and it is starting to pay off in 2026 with over 70 players for Fall up from 64 players in 2025.” “We are also a stronger and bigger team with more numbers thanks to having a full time Strength and Conditioning coach.” “We are still mostly a young team but the standard is heading in the right direction.” “Last year we brought energy to our games by hiring a Drum Line to play which was awesome along with fans tailgating which was good to see that for our program and fan support being more involved helps the program moving forward.” 

The Offense will be led by a new starting Quarterback, Brycelyn Young, a kid already starting to show leadership and has the ability to become a great player.

Skill players in the program to keep an eye on are RB/LB Jaylon Davis 5'9" 185 pounds, RB Graham Gares 5'10" 175 pounds, WR Cash Plaisance 5'9" 165 pounds, WR Colin Bordelon 6'1" 170 pounds, WR Grant Forest 6'4" 180 pounds, Safety Juy Eskino 5'9" 180 pounds, CB Elijah Sims 6'1" 175 pounds, CB Stiles Whittington 5'9" 170 pounds, FS Chase Jordan 5'9" 175 pounds, Safety Colten Boudreaux, who led the team in tackles in 2025 with 112 total tackles, and rotating in Safety Cohen Boudreaux 6'0" 165 pounds, senior.

Key Linemen, Tight Ends, and Linebackers back are TE/DE/DT Aiden Brown 6'1" 220 pounds, TE/DE/OLB Kaden Lee 6'1" 230 pounds, DT Jace Lemark 5'9" 230 pounds, LB Kaden Jones 6'1" 195 pounds, DT Braeden Pierre 6'2" 250 pounds, TE Tate Soileau 6'0" 200 pounds, TE Zach Ogelsby 6'5" 230 pounds, LB Brady Patti 5'10" 230 pounds, OL Brantley Patti 6'0" 270 pounds, OT Elijah Dillon 6'4" 260 pounds, OL Branton White 6'0" 240 pounds, OL Braylon Ruffin 6'5" 290 pounds, and OL Riley Jackson 6'4" 280 pounds.

Special Teams: Starting at Kicker will be Jax Enmon 6'2" 165 pounds, and the starting Punter will be between Graham Gares and Jax Enmon. Long Snapper starter will be Andrew Clark 5'9" 180 pounds.

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