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

District 5

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Abbeville Fighting Wildcats

| Zalen Hopkins

| Photo by: Coach O Game Day GraphiX

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Head Coach:Brent Indest(1^st year)

2025 Record: 3-8

2025 Playoffs: 1^st Round lost to Franklin Parish HS

Signees Colleges: Athlete Cameron Samuels(Centenary College)

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Welsh HS (Home), Week 2 Marksville HS (Away), Week 3 ARCA HS (Home), Week 4 Holy Savior Menard HS (Away), Week 5 Loreauville HS (Home), Week 6 Notre Dame HS(Away), and Week 7 Sarah Reed HS(Home)

Team Outlook: “The program has won 3 games in the last 2 years," said coach Indest. “We don’t have many players but we have good athletes to build around for now and the future.” “Most of our players starting will be very young players and our depth.” “A lot of positions will still be won in Summer/Fall.” 

The best athlete on the team will be the new starting Quarterback Jacolby Campbell 6'1" 175 pounds. He has legit 4.45 speed and is a big-time playmaker for the program. He also can still play WR if someone else steps up between now and the Fall.

More key players to watch are CB/WR Treylin Grogan 5'11" 175 pounds; RB/Safety Joseph Gilbert 5'10" 175 pounds, newcomer, new starter; LB/RB La'Brahm Cormier 5'9" 180 pounds, new starter; RB Kerry Thomas 5'9" 170 pounds, 4.5 speed in the forty; OLB Chayson Gray 6'1" 215 pounds, a 3-year starter; DE/OLB Jazavian Briggs 6'3" 210 pounds, 4.6 speed; DT/OL Zalen Hopkins 6'1" 330 pounds, a leader and 3-year starter; OG/DE Daelon Levine 6'2" 230 pounds; DT/OL Ethan Villien 6'0" 345 pounds; LB Karson Huntley 5'9" 185 pounds; and CB/WR Tylaquan Baudoin 6'3" 172 pounds with 4.6 speed in the forty.

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Erath Bobcats

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Eric Leblanc(9^th year)

2025 Record:11-1.District 3-0

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round beat Bogalusa, and 2^nd Round lost to Union Parish 14-9

Signees Colleges: QB Jack Landry(Nicholls State), and OL/DE Kaiden Viator(Louisiana Christian)

Team Outlook: “2026 Young defense,” said coach Leblanc. “Excited about the new team.” “A lot of new Juniors and these kids on JV looked good in 2025.” “We will also have a new starting Quarterback leading the team in 2026.”

The Bobcats really had a special team in 2025 with a special senior group of players, and like coach said, will have to rebuild the Defense with some first-time starters.

The Bobcats will start former TE/FB Landen DeRouen at QB. The athletic DeRouen is 6'1" 210 pounds, has a good arm, and really good feet to run if needed in an Offense that fits his skill set.

More skill talent to keep an eye on Offense will be new Running Backs Ean LeBlanc 5'6" 150 pounds and Isiah Meadows 5'8" 155 pounds, both quick hitting the hole, and WRs returning with experience, including leader WR/SS Tate Collins 5'10" 155 pounds with 4.6 speed in the forty who can make plays, and WR Ayden Tallmore 5'9" 150 pounds, a returning starter with good speed in the open field.

The Offensive Line will return experience and good size in OG/OT Lane Goutierrez 5'11" 260 pounds, Center Cohen Landry 5'9" 230 pounds, OT Jackson Herrington 5'10" 250 pounds, a new starter, OG Jackson Turner 5'10" 245 pounds, and a couple of players battling to start or rotate in: OG/OC Bryce Nelson 5'10" 245 pounds and OL Jude Broussard 5'11" 240 pounds.

The Defense, though young, will return some starters to build around in DT/OL Jacob Hargrave 6'2" 300 pounds, a big-time player for the team; DT Jace Barton 5'10" 285 pounds; LB/DE Tylan Washington 5'10" 210 pounds; and DE/LB Cardin Nguyen 5'10" 185 pounds. More players who will be first-time starters or are battling to start include LB Jackson Stoute 5'8" 175 pounds, LB Jacob Richard 5'11" 180 pounds, Safety Carter Champagne 5'11" 165 pounds, CB Carter Boutte 5'9" 150 pounds, new starter; new starting FS Connor Toups 5'8" 170 pounds with 4.6 speed in the forty; and LB William Gardiner 6'1" 190 pounds, new starter.

Special Teams: Punter will be Carter Champagne, and Kicker will be between Andrew Barras 5'8" 160 pounds and Champagne, both really good on Special Teams. Long Snapper will be Jackson Stoute, a Linebacker and pretty good LSP.

Kaplan Pirates

Head Coach:Vinnie Bullara(1^st year)

2025 Record:7-5

2025 Playoffs: 1^st Round beat Pine HS 34-18 and 2^nd Round lost to Kinder HS 40-26.

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Ascension Episcopal HS (Away), Week 2 Assumption HS (Away), Week 3 Catholic New Iberia (Home), Week 4 Loreauville HS (Home),  Week 5 St.Louis HS (Home), Week 6 University HS (Home), and Week 7 Parkview Baptist HS (Away)

Team Outlook: “Our Summer Program is still trying to develop depth. I like the players that are coming back, talented, tough kids. “We are further ahead as a team getting stronger and faster, but we do have to replace most of the Defensive Line from the 2025 season.”

The Offense will have some really good playmakers back, along with the Defense, led by RB/LB/DE/FB De'Maurion Cormier 6'1" 185 pounds, a talented player with 1,500 offensive yards in 2025, bringing power with 4.5 speed in the forty; TE/FB Summit Saltzman 6'5" 265 pounds, a talented Offensive Lineman and blocker; TE/LB Jacob Devoltz 6'1" 215 pounds, a tough 3-year starter and leader; TE/LB Owen Marceaux 6'0" 190 pounds, tough kid; RB/SS Matthiew Breaux 5'10" 175 pounds, new starter; RB/FS Hunter Packard 5'5" 150 pounds, tough runner; WR/FS/QB Jeremy Roy 6'1" 190 pounds, big-time leader and returning starter; QB Jaiden Hargrave 5'9" 170 pounds, who ran for over 700 yards in 2025 and is a playmaker with his legs and arm; CB/WR Kodi Clement 6'2" 180 pounds with 4.5 speed in the forty; CB Rashad Boudreaux 6'3" 185 pounds, new starter; and OLB/RB Aiden Hargrave 5'9" 185 pounds, a really good athlete for the program.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back for the Pirates are OLB Van Guidry 5'11" 185 pounds; OL Grant Saltzman 6'0" 250 pounds, 2nd Team All-District in 2025; OL/OC Owen Theall 6'2" 275 pounds; LB Gage Guidry 5'10" 185 pounds, new starter and tough player; DT Ethan Campbell 6'0" 200 pounds, new starter; OT/DT Carter Hebert 6'6" 335 pounds, who had a good Spring/Summer and slimmed down a lot; and LB Jacob Devoltz, a two-way starter and leader.

Special Teams: Starting at Kicker will be Matthiew Breaux 5'10" 175 pounds.

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St. Martinville Tigers

Head Coach:James Dartez(1^st year)

2025 Record:3-7

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round loss to Jennings HS

Signees Colleges:Athlete Khyrie Francisco(Centenary),and Athlete Kohen Clues(Southern U).

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Franklin HS(Away), Week 2 Breaux Bridge HS(Away), Week 3 New Iberia HS(Away), Week 4 Cecilia HS(Away), Week 5 Northside HS(Home), Week 6 Woodlawn HS(Home), Week 7 Avoyelles HS(Home).

Team Outlook: “Future of St. Martinville High School is bright with a large group of young players with a foundation to build from for the next 3 years,” said coach Dartez. “We will only have 4 seniors in 2026.” “Since the day I walked on campus the players have been focused and working hard and we have players who can play multiple positions.” 

The Tigers do have three players battling for the QB job, but leading going into the Summer is Christian Gedward 6'1" 175 pounds, a starting Defensive Back in 2025 with a lot of ability to be the guy in 2026. If one of the younger QBs wins the job, Gedward will go back to playing Defensive Back.

More players to watch in 2026 are WR Jamion James 5'11" 170 pounds, playmaker and 3-year starter with legit 4.5 speed in the forty; WR/FS Myles Martin 6'2" 170 pounds, a 3-year starter and tough leader; OL/DL Torien Hebert 5'11" 200 pounds; OL/DL Samuel Coleman 6'2" 270 pounds, the strongest kid on the team (benches 405 pounds); WR/DB Landon Guye 6'1" 165 pounds; OL/DL Eli LeBlanc 6'2" 250 pounds; RB T.J. Williams 5'10" 170 pounds; Safety Aidan Savoy 5'11" 150 pounds; OL/DL Jayton Boudreaux 6'3" 260 pounds; and OLB/Safety Torrian Jones 6'0" 165 pounds, a new starter and leader.

There will be several young players starting or competing to start once Fall starts on both sides of the football.

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