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

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District 4

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Lakeside Warriors

| Eric Jones

| Photo by: Riley Bates

Head Coach:John Ware(3^rd year)

2025 Record:4-6

2026  Non District Games: Week 1 Jonesboro Hodge(Home), and Week 2 Waskom,Texas(Home).

Team Outlook: “We only graduated 4 players in the program. Offense will still be young but the Defense will be strong and numbers of players in the program are up. We are still building the program," said coach Ware.

The program will be led by two really experienced players in LB/RB Eric Jones 6'0" 210 pounds, a 3-year starter, and Caleb Barber 6'0" 260 pounds OT/MLB, a 4-year starter. Both players are leaders and big-time players for the program.

More players to keep an eye on are OT/DT Peyton Lewis 6'3" 310 pounds, a 3-year starter, TE/DE/K/P Gage Williams 6'0" 240 pounds, a 2nd-year starter, CB Collin Walker 6'0" 160 pounds, a 4-year starter returning from an injury after missing most of the 2025 season, LB/FB James Roberson 5'10" 178 pounds, 2nd-year starter, QB Levi Bogdan 5'10" 165 pounds, 2nd-year starter leader, runs the Wing-T Offense really well, CB/RB Dy'kyshiun Banks 6'1" 160 pounds, 2nd-year starter, RB Jaden Clark 5'11" 185 pounds, missed last year, is back, OG/DE Peyton Campbell 5'10" 230 pounds, missed most of last season with an injury, back, CB J'Quon Shee 6'1" 150 pounds, 2nd-year starter, Center Bryson Finley 5'9" 220 pounds, 2nd-year starter, FB Malik Thorn 5'8" 170 pounds, new starter, LB Nohlin Keen 5'10" 170 pounds, 2nd-year starter, and rotating in OLB Stanley Owens 5'8" 155 pounds.

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Mansfield Wolverines

| Kendrick Wyatt

| Photo by: Mic Morgan

| Jordan Hamilton

| Photo by: Nic Turpen

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Head Coach:Darrell Barbay(5^th year)

2025 Record:10-3

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round beat Winnfield HS,2^nd Round beat Marksville HS and 3^rd Round lost to Jena HS.

Team Outlook: “Mansfield High School 1^st time to the Quarterfinals since 1993,” said coach Barbay. “We won the District in 2025 but in 2026 we will have a small senior class of football players.” “I’m excited for the future of the program with the younger kids coming up with 20 or more players in each class which will help the program long term.”

The program does return some experience to build around for 2026 in QB J.J. Howard 5'11" 160 pounds, a 3-year starter, TE/DE Tamajah Carroll 6'4" 210 pounds, 4-year starter, CB/RB/Safety Lavel Claudio 5'8" 148 pounds, 3-year starter, and LB/TE Kendrick Wyatt 6'2" 220 pounds, might be the most gifted of all the players, returning for his 3rd year as a starter.

More key players to watch are RB/CB Zayvon Sanders 5'10" 160 pounds, 4.5 speed in the forty, DT/OG Jayden Bryant 6'2" 245 pounds, returns after missing the 2025 season, LB/RB Jordan Hamilton 5'10" 235 pounds, 2nd-year starter, LB Jordan Maxie 6'1" 215 pounds, 2nd-year starter, RB/DE Jayden Hamilton 5'8" 165 pounds, 4.5 speed in the forty, DB Adam Davis 5'9" 150 pounds, 4.45 speed, OC/DT Taverus Wells 5'10" 200 pounds, OT Knowledge Fuller 6'2" 235 pounds, 2nd-year starter, and OL/DL Kayden Richmond 6'0" 290 pounds, 2nd-year starter.

Special Teams: Starting Kicker will be Jordan Hamilton, and the starting Long Snapper will be Jayden Hamilton.

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Many Tigers

Head Coach:Tyler Hassell(2^nd year)

2025 Record:6-6

2026 Playoffs: 1^st Round beat Red River HS, and 2^nd Round lost to St. James HS

2026  Non District Games: Week 1 Logansport HS (Home), Week 2 DeRidder HS (Home), Week 3 East Beauregard HS (Home), Week 4 Catholic Pointe Coupee (Home), Week 5 Leesville HS (Home), and Week 6 Avoyelles HS (Away).

Team Outlook: “Team motto in 2026: Be a Detailed Team,” said coach Hassell. “We want to focus on breaking bad habits. We were in some close games in 2025 and the difference needed to be more detailed in everything was the difference as a team.” “I feel like being detail oriented we can really grow this program to new heights  with more growth as a program.”

The Tigers will have a 3-Quarterback battle in 2026 among Breece Booker 5'11" 160 pounds, Lucas McCarty 6'0" 165 pounds, and Aiden O'Brien 5'9" 150 pounds. All 3 Quarterbacks will be given a chance to win the job. The Offense will rely on 4-year starter Daniel Thomas at RB again after having a monster season for the program in 2025 with 2,249 yards rushing on 323 attempts carrying the rock. Also at RB you have returning J.J. Stills 5'10" 180 pounds to give the program a great one-two punch for the run game. The Offensive Line will rely on OL/DT Gage Sanders 6'0" 270 pounds SR, OL James Tullis Jr. 6'1" 285 pounds, and OT Tre McCormic 6'3" 245 pounds to lead this team in 2026. In the passing game, the two main Wide Receivers will be Keelan Maxie 5'8" 145 pounds and 2-way starter WR/LB Camdyn Bell 5'10" 150 pounds, both really good playmakers for the program. At FB/HB/TE on Offense you have Matthew Sepulvado 5'11" 200 pounds, tough blocker and SR.

The Defense will be a young group led by LB Bentley Aldredge 6'1" 200 pounds, SS Rodney Waller 5'9" 170 pounds, DT Gage Sanders, LB Camdyn Bell, LB Dermarion Sepulvado 5'9" 175 pounds, LB Elijah Williams 5'9" 185 pounds, and DB Tatum Manasco 5'10" 150 pounds, lettered in 2025.

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Red River Bulldogs

Head Coach:Travis Gary(2^nd year)

2025 Record:6-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round beat Oakdale HS and 2^nd Round lost to Many HS 35-27

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Tioga HS (Home), Week 2 St.Mary’s HS (Home), Week 3 Parkway HS (Away), Week 4 Green Oaks HS (Home), Week 5 Logansport HS (Away), Week 10 Loyola Prep HS (Away).

Team Outlook: “Building great young men through the game of Football,” said coach Gary. “I think Football is the ultimate sport in life for these kids.” “Teaching discipline and doing the right things on and off the field.” 

There might be 2 different players under center in 2026: one of the leaders of the team, Landon Wilson 5'11" 185 pounds, also a WR/Safety, can play QB, and then you have newcomer Ashton Johnson 6'0" 185 pounds also for the QB starting job. Wilson will start at WR/Safety when not at QB.

More key players to watch are RB/WR/CB Lathan Lewis 5'11" 175 pounds (squats close to 400 pounds), WR/FS Trajalen Demery 6'4" 190 pounds, OL/DL Jacolby Caldwell 6'2" 255 pounds, WR/CB Emmanuel Scott 5'7" 140 pounds, leader, 3-year starter, OT/DT Jamarion Iverson 6'3" 210 pounds, a 3-year starter, DB Ethan Lopez 5'11" 170 pounds, LB Brent Danzey 5'10" 205 pounds, brings a lot of energy to the Defense, started all 12 games in 2025, leader, RB Brenton Wynn 5'10" 185 pounds, RB Kindscon Martin 5'6" 135 pounds, newcomer, OT/DL Landen Clark 6'2" 245 pounds, and OL/Center Ty Cole 5'9" 250 pounds.

Special Teams Kicker and Punting jobs are open after Spring. Coach told me they might go on 4th down a lot instead of punt or kick in 2026.

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Winnfield Tigers

Head Coach:Byron Keller(2^nd year)

2025 Record:3-8

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round loss to Mansfield HS(Played Mansfield also in the Regular Season).

Signees Colleges:DE Tavarius Lindsey(Arkansas Monticello).

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Glenbrook HS(Away), Week 2 Arcadia HS(Home), Week 3 Jonesboro Hodge HS(Home), Week 4 Jena HS(Away), Week 5 St.Mary’s(Away), and Week 9 Jennings HS(Home).

Team Outlook: “Excited I have a year under my belt as the head coach full calendar year,” said coach Keller. “Kids have bought into the off season program and the kids are vocal to win and showing that fire we want to see from them.” “We are excited about the Lineman we have back with experience and all of our Offensive and Defensive Linemen have a 3.7 or better GPA in the classroom proud of that for the program too.” “We will run the Wing-T Offense in 2026 and there will be strong competition from 2 Quarterbacks with both players will be a huge part of our program.”

The 2 Quarterbacks are Chandler Baker 5'8" 155 pounds and Nickalas Mockosher 5'10" 175 pounds, started a few games in 2025. Both kids can start at WR or even DB if not at QB to help the team win. More skill players to keep an eye on are RB/DB Kenneth Richard 5'8" 180 pounds, RB/OLB Preston Wilson 5'9" 175 pounds, RB/LB Braylen Butler 5'9" 175 pounds, CB/WR Centhis White 5'9" 165 pounds, Safety Colby Pray 5'8" 155 pounds, CB/WR Detavious Williams 5'10" 185 pounds, 4.45 speed in the forty, a leader and 3-year starter, and RB/DB/WR Richard Williams 5'9" 168 pounds, All-District in 2025 with big-playmaker ability again in 2026 with 4.5 speed in the forty.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back are OL Caven Blackshser 6'0" 250 pounds, DE/FB David Brown 5'9" 215 pounds, DT Khobie Breda 5'8" 230 pounds, LB Logan Adams 5'10" 190 pounds and some FB, OLB Tucker Lang 5'9" 170 pounds, tough leader, OL Bradley Taylor 6'3" 275 pounds, OG/DT Jacob Crosley 6'3" 290 pounds, TE/FB Gabe Wren 6'0" 205 pounds, really good hands, and OG Joe Lewis 6'3" 315 pounds, strong kid, benches over 310 pounds.

Special Teams: Starting at Kicker will be Jacob Crosley. Punter will be Gabe Wren. Long Snapper will be Cade Womack 5'9" 200 pounds as a returning starter.

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