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

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District 10

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Booker T. Washington Lions

| Edward Randall

| Photo by: btwilsonsphotography

Head Coach:Wayne Reese Jr(12th year)

2025 Record:0-10

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Cohen (Home), Week 2 McDonogh #35 (Home), Week 3 Mamou HS (Away), Week 4 Springfield HS (Away), Week 5 Carver HS (Away), Week 6 Bogalusa HS (Home), Week 7 Young Audiences HS (Away).

Team Outlook: “We are turning the page from the 2026 season where injuries were so common for us we were down to our 4^th team QB during the season,” said coach Reese. “We have started concentrating on the 2026 season with a good Spring Pratice.” “Ready to get the ball rolling, players are also ready to give it their all on the field for the 2026 football season.”

The Offense will return a new starting Quarterback for the 2026 season, but a QB who got a bunch of playing time because of injuries in 2025. Legend Rivera 5'9" 165 pounds did a good job and looks to take his game to another level in 2026.

More skill players to watch on Offense and Defense are leader RB/LB Saul Fernandez 5'8" 180 pounds, a 3-year starter; RB/LB Kevin Clark 5'10" 205 pounds, a 2nd-year starter; WR/DB Kenike Jackson 5'10" 175 pounds with 4.45 speed, a 2nd-year starter; WR/DB Jeremiah Smith 6'2" 175 pounds, a 2nd-year starter; RB/CB Edward Randel 5'9" 185 pounds, a 2nd-year starter and starting CB for the team; WR Garrell Davis 5'9" 185 pounds; DB Tahj Harrell 6'1" 170 pounds; DB Giovanni Reese 5'10" 185 pounds; and WR/DB Ahmad Ricks 5'11" 185 pounds, a newcomer with great upside.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back to lead this young team are leader and 3-year starter OL/DL Amir Willingham 6'3" 265 pounds; OLB/TE Frank Edwards 6'2" 220 pounds, a 3-year starter; MLB Jeloni Taylor 5'11" 215 pounds, senior, with 4.6 speed in the forty and a 3-year starter; Safety/OLB Kayden Daniels 6'0" 185 pounds, one of the best players on the team, a 2nd-year starter with 4.59 speed; OL/DL Bobby Johnson 6'2" 250 pounds; OL Wayne Mitchell 6'3" 360 pounds; OL Kellie Bermodez 5'11" 245 pounds; Center Fabian Drummond 5'9" 250 pounds; DT/OL Darren Williams 6'2" 240 pounds, a new starter; and OLB/Safety Jayden Ricks 5'9" 190 pounds, a 2nd-year starter.

Special Teams is wide open for starting jobs going into the Summer.

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De La Salle Cavaliers

Head Coach:Chad Mahaffey(1^st year)

2025 Record:5-7

2025 Playoffs:1st round beat Episcopal HS, and 2^nd round loss to Notre Dame HS

Signees Colleges:Athlete Devin Barbarin(Millsaps), DB Brenden Guidroz(Coffeyville,Kansas JC), LB Johnathan Saul(Millikan U), OL Shamar Bridges(Louisiana Christian), OL Cedric McDonald(Louisiana Christian), FS Malakhi Jackson(Butte California JC), DE/LB Jayden Pollard(Butte California JC), RB Robert Lewis(McDaniel College), and DT Amir Thomas(Mississippi Valley State)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Covington HS, Week 2 Northshore HS,Week 3 St, Paul’s HS,Week 4 St. Charles HS, Week 5 Willow and Week 7 Jefferson Davis County Mississippi.

Team Outlook: “Anytime you have a new staff biggest hurdle getting everyone used to a routine with new schemes and systems to learn and there’s a human element to that,” said coach Mahaffey. “ From what I've seen in my 2 months the pieces are here on the Offensive Line, skill players and Defensive Backfield and really happy with what the team has come back to build from.” “De La Salle High School has a lot of tradition and it wasn’t too long ago they were competing for Championships and playing for State Titles.” “The potential is there.”

New Head Coach Chad Mahaffey is an offensively gifted mind, and he won State Titles at University High and came close to getting Walker High School to a State Title game. I think this was a home run hire and a great fit.

The Offense returns a Quarterback with half a year's experience starting in 2025, Alereicq Valetine 5'10" 175 pounds, and coach has been impressed with Valetine so far to lead this team in 2026 with a strong arm.

Skill talent for this team will still be strong, led by RB Eamon Williams 5'7" 180 pounds, senior leader who will also play some WR and maybe some Wildcat QB again, a 3-year starter; WR Garen Lewis 6'1" 178 pounds, leader of the WR room and a 3-year starter; WR/DB Josiah James 5'11" 165 pounds; WR Giovoni Sanchez 5'9" 165 pounds, recovering from an injury and should be back at some point in 2026; RB/Safety Charles Irving 5'9" 185 pounds; Safety/CB Makhi Jones 5'9" 180 pounds; and WR/CB Drake Joseph 6'1" 170 pounds.

Key Linemen, Linebackers, and Tight Ends back are OT/OG Gavin Blanchard 6'4" 275 pounds, leader; OL Grant Johnson 5'10" 250 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; TE/FB/DE Aden Castro 6'2" 220 pounds, a 3-year starter; OG Gerald Daniels III 6'2" 285 pounds, a 4-year starter, leader, and tough kid; DT Kenyon James 5'10" 230 pounds; TE/DE/FB Dylan Ward 6'2" 205 pounds, a very good blocker; DE/OLB Tahj Fouchea 6'2" 205 pounds; DT Ronald Crawford 6'4" 350 pounds, still recovering from an injury, and the team hopes they can get him back at some point in 2026; and three Linebackers all competing to start: LB Caden Taylor 5'11" 210 pounds, Sam Garcia 6'1" 185 pounds, and LB Mason Cooper 5'9" 185 pounds.

Special Teams: Punter, Kicker, and Long Snapper are spots still open to win going into the Summer and Fall.

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Haynes Academy Hornets

| Brady Cribby

| Photo by: Leah Stewart

| Carter Sternberger

| Photo by: Sean Jarzemkowski

Head Coach:Phillip Sprunk(2^nd year)

2025 Record:7-5.District 4-1

2025 Playoffs:1st Round beat Abramson HS, and 2^nd Round lost to Archbishop Shaw HS

2026 Non District Games:

Team Outlook: “Return 16 starters,” said coach Sprunk. “Strong senior class back.” “Set culture in 2025.” “Establishing that will make a huge difference going into this year in 2026.” “We are also proud of our academics with the football team's lowest GPA is 3.9 on the team and the average ACT score is a 27.” “We will run a 4-3 Defense in 2026.” “We should also have a bigger roster from 49 players in 2025 to 64 to 65 players in 2026.” 

The Offense returns a great leader in 4-year starter RB Brady Cribby 5'9" 172 pounds, who ran for 2,000 yards, 25 Touchdowns, and 2,200 total yards in 2025.

The Defense will be led by Team Captain Linebacker Carter Sternberger 5'10" 190 pounds, who had a school-record 119 tackles in 2025, earned All-State Honorable Mention honors, and is a big-time leader.

More key players to watch are FS/SS/CB Hudson Walker 5'9" 165 pounds, a 3-year starter; CB Jeremy Dvorin 5'9" 160 pounds; DE/TE/LB Farris Eslaih 6'0" 220 pounds, a 3-year starter; WR/FS Gabriel Estevez 6'2" 180 pounds, All-District in 2025 and a 3-year starter; DT/OL Timothy Cagle 6'1" 250 pounds, leader and 3-year starter; LB Jason Marino 5'9" 185 pounds, new starter; LB Devin White Clark 6'0" 180 pounds, new starter; RB Darrell Brouillette 5'10" 175 pounds; OL Adam Brown 6'2" 290 pounds; WR Sebastian Gonzales 6'0" 175 pounds, playmaker; WR Ryan Gleeson 6'2" 190 pounds, new starter; and DE Ryan Aucoin 6'0" 200 pounds, a converted Linebacker now playing Defensive End.

Special Teams will be a strong point for the team, returning Kicker Bennett Nelson 6'0" 180 pounds, who made a 39-yard Field Goal in a game in 2025, and Punter Bradley Perry 6'0" 245 pounds, a 3-year starter who also plays Offensive Line and had a 72-yard punt in a game during the 2025 season.

Sarah Reed Olympians

Head Coach:Devon Francois(6^th year)

2025 Record:5-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to George Washington Carver HS

Signees Colleges: RB Pierre Eskine(St.Olaf), Safety Greg Milton(St.Olaf), Athlete Bryant Hutchins(St.Olaf), CB Darrell Logan Jr(St.Olaf), LB Charles Jackson(Texas College), LB Rashad McKendall(Texas College), CB ChrisJohn Peterson(Texas College), Safety Natory Isidore(Texas College), Kicker Ivary Mejia(Texas College),and OL Travis Liles(Maine Maritime).

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Abramson HS(Home), Week 2 L.B. Landry(Away)(Away), Week 3 Ellender HS(Away), Week 4 George Washington Carver HS(Home), Week 5 McMain HS(Home) Week 6 South Plaquemines HS(Away), Week 7 Abbeville HS(Away)

Team Outlook: “Taking the name of Sarah T. Reed High School in 2026 will help us a lot for the community with Alumni since 1988 New Orleans East area,” said coach Francois.” “We are proud of what we did with Livingston Academy and again happy with the future of Sarah T. Reed High School.” “I am excited about the 2026 season coming up and really love our QB being experienced and the Wide Receiver room we have for a high school program. There's depth and speed there to help us.”

The starting Quarterback returning for his 4th year to lead this program will be Courtney Tennessee 5'10" 180 pounds. He has over 4,000 passing yards combined from the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Like coach said, the WR room will be talented with depth, led by WR Clifton Franklin 6'2" 180 pounds, senior, with 4.5 speed in the forty; WR Jurrell Reddick 5'10" 180 pounds with 4.5 speed in the forty; WR Jabrill Jones 6'0" 170 pounds, a big-time athlete; WR Brice Perry, who had a great Spring with his hands and 4.5 speed in the forty; and WR Jermaine Harvey 6'2" 180 pounds, rotating in.

The run game will be led by 3-year starter Bernard Adams 5'6" 185 pounds with 4.59 speed, bringing really good power and experience back.

The Offensive Line has some size and experience back, led by OL Brandon Risin 6'2" 305 pounds, bigger and stronger in 2026; OG Isiah McCland 6'1" 290 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; OL Keon George 6'0" 235 pounds; OT Calvin Watkins III 6'0" 265 pounds, a 3-year starter who had a great Spring; Center Willie Brown 5'9" 250 pounds; and OL Jeremiah Harvey 6'0" 235 pounds, rotating in.

The Defense will be really talented overall and led by the front seven of OLB Xandrian Howard 6'2" 180 pounds; LB/DE Quallion Louis 6'2" 220 pounds, a 4-year starter and leader; DT Luiz Moreno 6'0" 250 pounds, a 4-year starter and leader; DT Nelson Bacchus 6'2" 280 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; DE Prince Griffin 6'3" 220 pounds; and DE Jameall Owens 6'1" 210 pounds. Rotating in will be DT Ennis Shorts 5'8" 270 pounds; LB Kanye Morgan 6'0" 185 pounds; and DT Ta'Juan Boyd 5'10" 305 pounds.

The Defensive Backfield is also talented with experience, led by Safety Da'Myran Milton 5'9" 175 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; Safety Davon Bryant 6'0" 185 pounds; CB Javell Marsailes 6'1" 165 pounds, a 2-time All-District player with 10 career interceptions; CB/Safety Kendrick Harrison 5'11" 180 pounds; and CB Myson Effron 5'9" 165 pounds.

Special Teams: Starting Kicker and Punter will be Alberto Bermudez-Connor 6'3" 180 pounds, back for his 3rd year as the starter. The Olympians also have three more Kickers that can help on the roster. The return game has several options of players who run under a 4.6 forty to choose from for kickoffs and punt returns.

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Morris Jeff Pelicans

| Wendell Etienne

| Photo by: vinn828

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Head Coach:Reggie Byarse(1^st year)

2025 Record:4-6 (JV and Independent Schedule)

2026  Games:Week 1 East Jefferson HS(Away), Week 2 Higgins HS(Home), Week 3 Fisher(Away), Week 4 Ellender HS(Home).

Team Outlook: “We will play a Non District Schedule again in 2026 as an Independent program," said coach Byarse. “We will be super young. We will have just 4 seniors in 2026 that will play. Going to hit the ground running and work really hard as a team.” “This will be our 1^st year to play a full varsity 10 game schedule because in 2025 half the games were JV games and half varsity games.” “Excited that Morris Jeff High School will have a new Stadium built for the 2026 Football season and will be used by several of our Sports programs at the school.”

Key players to watch in 2026 are QB/DB Wendell Etienne 6'0" 165 pounds, a returning starter and leader; OL/DL Colby Sears 5'10" 215 pounds, a 2nd-year starter; RB Rashad Cormier 5'8" 189 pounds, who lettered in 2025; WR Tylen Sanborn 5'11" 160 pounds; WR Sylis Morgan 5'6" 150 pounds with 4.65 speed in the forty; OL/DL John Celius 6'3" 248 pounds; DB Maddox Demmer 6'0" 155 pounds; DB Damyri Hayes 6'1" 160 pounds; and WR/OLB John Sanchez 5'8" 170 pounds.

Special Teams has a few players battling for both the Kicker and Punter positions throughout the Summer.

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