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

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District 11

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Jefferson Rise Blazers

Head Coach:Chris Current(2^nd year)

2025 Record:1-9

Team Outlook: “2025 did not go as planned but the team fought hard and leaders have emerged holding teammates accountable,” said coach Current. “The strength of the team will be the Offensive Line that returns all 5 starters and we only have 5 seniors for the 2026 season.” “We are close to competing for District Titles at Jefferson Rise High School.”

It all starts and ends for the Blazers with the Offensive Line, as they have everyone back, and those five players will lead this team: OL/DL Cody Encardes 5'10" 250 pounds, All-District in 2025; OL Jeremy Santos 6'0" 270 pounds; OL Javier Garcia 5'10" 230 pounds; OL Javquan Jones 6'3" 250 pounds; and OL Patrick Blair 6'3" 330 pounds.

The Quarterback position will have a new starter in Jaylen Randall 5'7" 140 pounds, one of the best athletes on the team. A converted Wide Receiver from the 2025 season, he has a lot of upside for this program.

More players to watch are WR Avan Richardson 5'8" 150 pounds, All-District in 2025; FS/WR Justin Kelly 5'10" 150 pounds, a big-time playmaker; DE Larell Perkins 6'3" 185 pounds; WR Kevarie Section 5'9" 145 pounds; LB Elijah Hensley 5'8" 155 pounds, All-District in 2025 and leader of the Defense; new starting RB Brandon Simms 5'9" 155 pounds, a converted Linebacker from the Defense; LB/DE Lance Ancar 5'10" 180 pounds, returning starter; and several other young players competing over the Summer and early Fall to add depth to this young program and team. 

Lord Beaconsfield Landry Buccaneers

Head Coach:Byron Addison(1^st year)

2025 Record:5-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Northside HS

Signees Colleges:OL/DL Kevin Mays(Nicholls State)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Carver HS(Away), Week 2 Sarah Reed HS(Away), Week 3 Young Audience HS(Home), Week 4 John F. Kennedy HS(Home),and Week 5 St. James HS(Home)

Team Outlook: “ We will be Small but mighty as a team in 2026,” said coach Addison. “We don’t have the numbers for players and are small in size as a team.” “We also just graduated 27 players from last year's 2025 team and lost most of the starters to graduation.” “We should have about 33 to 34 players in the Fall but most of those players will be Freshman and will build toward a strong future with those players.”

The best player from the 2025 team does return for his senior year in RB/CB/SS Akiree Hogan 5'11" 185 pounds, a leader, and the program will rely on him for his leadership and talents in 2026.

More players to watch will be OLB Kalani Griffin 5'11" 185 pounds, returning starter; Safety King Willis 5'8" 175 pounds; Safety Jay Johnson 6'0" 190 pounds; new starting Quarterback Malik Bartheleny 5'8" 175 pounds; RB Keon Peters 5'9" 195 pounds, new starter; WR David Williams 6'1" 180 pounds; and DT/OG Thomas Mitchell 6'0" 240 pounds with 4.89 speed, who will be the leader for the team in the trenches in 2026.

Patrick Taylor Tigers

Head Coach:Kenny Bourgeois(7^th year)

2025 Record:5-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Belaire HS

Signees Colleges:DT/OL Jackson Norwood(Tulane)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Willow HS (Away), Week 2 Ben Franklin HS (Away), Week 3 St Thomas Aquinas HS (Home), Week 4 Kenner Discovery HS (Home), Week 5 Fisher HS(Away)

Team Outlook: “The program improved a lot in 2025,” said coach Bourgeois. “We have a big senior class in 2026.” “We have 22 to 23 players with a lot of experience on both sides of the football.” “I am optimistic and excited.” “We will still run the option, plus modern looks too. And on Defense we’ll be more of a 3 man front. We like the 2 back Offense and power.”

The Offense returns two of the best players in the District in big-time leaders QB Parker Marks (passed for 867 yards with 11 Touchdowns and ran for 331 yards with four Touchdowns) and RB Logan Rogers 5'11" 200 pounds (ran for 1,661 yards with 19 Touchdowns and was the District MVP on Offense in 2025). Both of these kids are incredible football players.

Skill players to keep an eye on in 2026 are All-District WR Jalen Patterson 6'0" 175 pounds; WR Benton Bruner 5'6" 150 pounds; WR Noah Cordero 5'9" 160 pounds; RB Xavor Harlan 5'11" 190 pounds; CB Imran Habib 5'9" 165 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; CB Ryne Reaves 5'8" 165 pounds, a 4-year starter and leader; Safety Duyanh Nquhen 5'9" 175 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; Safety William Schmidt 5'9" 165 pounds, returning starter; DB Tanner Harang 5'7" 165 pounds; and DB Aydin Sayyad 5'8" 165 pounds, rotating in.

Key Linemen and Linebackers returning are OL Bryce Berthelot 6'1" 260 pounds, All-District in 2025 and a 3-year starter; LB Kairon Dufrene 6'0" 185 pounds, a 3-year starter; LB Aksel Kallies 5'11" 180 pounds, returning starter; DE/DT J'Shad Paddio 6'1" 225 pounds; LB Luke Felder 6'3" 190 pounds, returning starter; LB Antonio Barthelemy 5'11" 180 pounds, All-District leader; DT Bryce Brazier 6'1" 320 pounds, returning starter; OL Smaran Tamidella 6'0" 245 pounds, returning starter; OL Luis Reyes 5'9" 242 pounds, a 3-year starter; DE Dylan Hulbert 5'10" 185 pounds; OL James Dwyer 5'9" 225 pounds, returning starter; and OL Tyran Thompson 5'8" 230 pounds, returning starter.

Special Teams: Maro Hihar 5'11" 170 pounds returns as the starting Kicker and Punter and does a great job with extra points.

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Thomas Jefferson Jaguars

Head Coach:Michael Ford(1^st year)

2025 Record:5-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round loss Holy Savior Menard HS

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Pope John Paul II HS(Away), Week 2 Fisher HS(Home), Week 3 Kenner Discovery HS(Home), Week 4 Haynes Academy HS(Home), Week 5 St. Martin’s HS(Away)

Team Outlook: “Challenges are what makes Superheroes not wins," said coach Ford “ We should be at 35 to 40 players come Fall and have 30 players during Spring.”

New Head Coach Michael Ford was on the cover of our magazine, Louisiana Football Magazine, when he was a big-time recruit as a RB at Leesville High School. He then played football for LSU in Baton Rouge. Coach Ford was the Running Backs coach for Patrick Taylor High School in 2025. I think he will do a great job in his first head coaching job. Coach just needs time to build depth and bring in his system.

The Jaguars lost 16 starters to graduation from the 2025 season but do return some good players to lead in WR/Safety Charles Turner 5'11" 175 pounds; OT/DL Brady Fay 6'0" 205 pounds; RB/LB Cash Gasper 5'10" 215 pounds; new starting Quarterback Vincent Wypyszinski 6'0" 185 pounds, already becoming a leader; OL/DL William Irving 6'1" 225 pounds; DT/OL Mario Johnson 6'3" 258 pounds; DT/OL Payton Washington 6'2" 228 pounds; WR/CB Khaleel Badra 5'10" 150 pounds; and WR/DB Stevan Ringo 5'11" 140 pounds.

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Walter L. Cohen Green Hornets

Head Coach:Robert Kelly(2^nd year)

2025 Record:2-8

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Booker T. Washington HS (Home), Week 2 St. John HS (Away), Week 4 Abramson HS (Away), and Week 6 Haynes Academy HS (Home).

Team Outlook: “Still building the foundation of the program and team currently,” said coach Kelly. “We want to win but still need to change the culture and we’re still building block by block and it’s a process.” “ “We should have between 35 to 40 players out for the Fall and that will be a big improvement from last year in 2025.”

The team and program will build around Quarterback/Athlete Jordan Burse 6'0" 175 pounds, a senior who will be one of the leaders for the 2026 season.

More players to watch are RB/LB Jrea Paul 5'10" 170 pounds, leader; RB/Athlete Cam Woods 5'7" 155 pounds; WR Ja'Marius Smith 5'7" 165 pounds, a big-time playmaker; WR Chad Washington 5'7" 145 pounds; DB/WR/CB Jami Phillips 6'4" 168 pounds, a 2nd-year starter; OL/DE Freddie Estelle 6'0" 200 pounds; OL/DL Marte Robinson Jr. 5'9" 215 pounds; OL/DL Demarius Tueno 5'9" 235 pounds; LB Nicholas Brown 5'10" 190 pounds; CB/Safety Keithyn Lewis 5'10" 165 pounds; and DB Damarius Johnson 5'6" 140 pounds, a tough kid with a nose for the football.

Special Teams: All spots are open going into the Summer and Fall.

Sophie B. Wright Warriors

Head Coach:To be determined as of us writing our preview for the District.

2025 Record:1-8

Team Outlook: The program still is in the phase of rebuilding for numbers and total players. Below are some kids that deserve their name to be mentioned. I covered them in 2025. We did not talk to any coaches because the job was open when we wrote this. I am only going off of the players I saw play in 2025 for the program.

Key players to watch are DE/OT Kordea Young 6'6" 250 pounds, a 4-year starter and senior; CB/Athlete Zamon Delmore 5'11" 195 pounds, a 4-year starter; WR/DB Asmar Clark 5'8" 167 pounds, a 3-year starter with 4.5 speed; WR/RB/DB DaQuan Adams 5'8" 165 pounds with 4.5 speed; QB Jamih Miller 6'1" 185 pounds; LB Jecori Abdullah; RB K'ron Josey, a power runner with speed, a determined runner, and a 3-year starter; and OT/DT Zakhi Pleasant.

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