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

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District 6

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Baker Buffaloes

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Demetric Rogers(1^st year)

2025 Record:3-7

Team Outlook: “Working hard the 1^st day I was hired I started work outs with the team,” said coach Rogers. “We will run a 4-2-5 Defense alignment and we will be very young at Linebacker as a group on Defense.” “I was coaching at Madison Prep HS in 2025 and also spent time coaching at Shreveport/Woodlawn,St.Helena Central High School in Greensburg,LA.” “We should have close to 50 players out for Football come Fall.”

Baker High School has three Quarterbacks competing for the starting job in Stevenson Claiborne 6'0" 170 pounds, who has started two years in the program at DB/WR; Trey Walker 5'8" 165 pounds, who has 4.5 speed in the forty; and Major McFarland 6'0" 170 pounds, who has a good arm and is a very good athlete. All three players, if not at QB, will play somewhere in 2026 to help this program win games.

More players to watch are RB Jesse Green 5'9" 178 pounds, who ran for over 1,000 yards in 2025 with 4.59 speed in the forty and is a leader; WR/CB/Safety Orlando Scott 6'0" 185 pounds, a 2nd-year starter; WR/CB Anthwez Curry Jr. 5'9" 170 pounds with 4.5 speed in the forty; WR/CB Mordakye Singelton 5'10" 170 pounds, the best DB on the team; OL/DL Tristan White 6'0" 260 pounds, a 2nd-year starter; OL/DL Devin Joseph 6'7" 344 pounds; OL/DL Sean Banks 5'10" 240 pounds; DE/OLB Jeremiah Billy Jr. 5'10" 205 pounds; DE Bradley Youngblood 5'10" 215 pounds; DE Briceson Youngblood 5'10" 215 pounds; LB/RB Devoris Cotton 5'11" 195 pounds, leader; LB Antonio Profit 5'9" 210 pounds; OLB James Allen Jr. 5'8" 165 pounds, tough with 4.6 speed; Safety Frederick Oliney 6'2" 200 pounds with 4.6 speed; and Safety Justin Triplett 6'0" 190 pounds, a talented 2nd-year starter.

Special Teams at both Kicker and Punter were still open after Spring practice.

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Belaire Bengals

| Jayden Jackson

| Photo provided by Jayden Jackson

| Kemryon Robinson

| Photo by Lee Brecheen (Louisiana Football Magazine)

Head Coach:Larry Metiva(3^rd year)

2025 Record:6-6

2026 Playoffs:1^st Round beat Baker HS,2^nd Round lost to Loyola Prep HS

College Signees:LB/RB Ja’Corey Freeman(California Junior College), and WR Chris Vick(Louisiana Christian)

Team Outlook: “2025 won 1^st playoff game for the program since the 2004 season which is huge for this program,” said coach Metiva. “We work on all three to be successful, Special Teams, Offense and Defense.” “2025 Special Teams and Defense carried the program.” “We are looking forward to another good year in 2026.”

The Offense and Defense will return some key skill players as starters mixed in with some talented young players. Quarterback Keontre Brothers 6'0" 160 pounds returns as the starting QB and team leader and should have another great year.

More key skill players back are WR/SS Jerrion Powell 6'1" 172 pounds with 30 tackles and three fumble recoveries in 2025 as a two-way starter who also plays some OLB; RB/WR/SS Kemyron Robinson 5'9" 155 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader with legit 4.5 speed in the forty; DB Waylen Kemp 6'1" 165 pounds; WR/DB Ryan Ellis 5'6" 145 pounds; WR Trenton Johnson 5'9" 150 pounds; CB/Safety Tommy Johnson 6'1" 165 pounds; Athlete Omarisa Blair 5'7" 145 pounds; WR/DB/OLB La'Terris Riley 6'0" 180 pounds; WR/DB Tyreese Boykins 6'0" 155 pounds; WR/OLB Pre'darrius Stevens 5'6" 140 pounds; RB/LB Elijah Brown 5'8" 196 pounds; and WR/Safety Rodrick Bradley 6'1" 175 pounds.

Key Linemen, Tight Ends, and Linebackers back are TE/DE Keon Jackson 6'1" 212 pounds; OLB/DE/FB Destin Collins 5'8" 170 pounds; DE Brandon Watson 6'1" 195 pounds; OT/DT Jayden Jackson 6'3" 250 pounds, leader and 3-year starter; OL/DL Chad Gomez 6'1" 265 pounds; LB Antron Causey 5'11" 185 pounds; OL/DL Austin Walker 5'7" 225 pounds; OG John Roy Miles Jr. 5'11" 230 pounds; Center/DT Lucien Cheneall 6'1" 321 pounds, new starter; OL/DL Christian Fontenette 6'1" 285 pounds, a 3-year starter who coach thinks is the best football player on the team and a leader; and TE/LB/HB J.C. Carter 6'1" 195 pounds.

Special Teams: Starting at Kicker will be John Myles, who will also handle punting. Myles has a very strong leg and is the returning starter. Brandon Watson can also kick for the team. In the return game, both Kemyron Robinson and Waylen Kemp run under 4.5 in the forty and give the team playmakers on Special Teams in 2026.

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Glen Oaks Panthers 

Head Coach:Byron Wade(1^st year)

2025 Record:3-8

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to Catholic New Iberia HS

Team Outlook: “We have a new Offense/Defense install for the 2026 season,” said coach Wade. “We need to develop depth skill spots and lack depth on the Offensive Lineman.” “We will be a run heavy team and we have overall quality athletes in the program.”  “We expect anywhere from 46 to 50 players in the Fall and that’s a good number for us considering we only have about 500 kids in the school.”
 

Like the coach said above, the skill talent is there, and if they can stay healthy and find some linemen this Summer and early Fall, the team has a shot to be competitive.

The Offense does return starting Quarterback Jyrus Reado 6'0" 165 pounds, who has a good arm and experience in Class 3A football now.

More key skill players to watch are WR/DB Javelle Buckels 5'10" 155 pounds with 4.5 speed in the forty; RB/OLB Romello Stevenson 5'11" 180 pounds with 4.45 speed in the forty; RB/WR/CB Cardarieous Jackson 5'8" 160 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; RB/DB Car'Tez Cain 5'9" 165 pounds, a 3-year starter; RB/WR/DB Jeremiah Smith 6'1" 175 pounds, a 4-year starter; Safety Dylan Murdock 6'0" 155 pounds, new starter; Safety Melvin Tickels 6'2" 170 pounds, new starter; and RB/OLB Javon Isadore 6'0" 180 pounds, new starter.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back are OT Preston Bell 6'4" 310 pounds, a 3-year starter and the anchor of the Offensive Line; LB Trayvion Whitehead 6'1" 210 pounds; OL/DL/TE Triston Cox 6'3" 255 pounds, new starter; DE/OL Kennedy Ambrose 6'5" 245 pounds, new starter; DE/TE/FB Dwayne Freeman 5'10" 225 pounds, new starter; and OL/DL Demetrius James 6'1" 380 pounds, a new starter.

Special Teams: The kicking and punting jobs are open after Spring, but in the return game the program is strong with Javelle Buckels back for punt and kick returns, and Cardarieous Jackson can also do both as a playmaker and leader for the team.

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Helix Mentorship Academy

Head Coach:Claude Coleman(1^st year)

2025 Record:4-6

2026 Non District Games: Week 1 Broadmoor HS(Away), Week 2 McKinley HS(Away), Week 3 Tara HS(Home), Week 4 Beau Chene HS(Away), Week 5 Collegiate BR(Home),Week 7 East Feliciana HS(Home).

Team Outlook: “We are coming to play and win some football games," said coach Coleman. “The last 5 years have been teaching and coaching at Baker middle school.” “We will be a very young team but talented overall.” “We lost a huge senior class to graduation.” 

The program will be led by new starting Quarterback Tahji Thomas 5'10" 165 pounds, who has a strong arm and is already impressing the coaching staff with the Offense.

More players to watch and lead this young team are DT/OT Frank Pullins 5'9" 275 pounds, a 4-year starter; LB/TE/Safety Ronnie Hawkins 6'4" 230 pounds, a 4-year starter and leader; OG/DT McKenzie Barber 6'0" 275 pounds, captain and leader of the team, a 4-year starter; OL/DL Mike McDonald 5'11" 268 pounds; RB/LB Terrell Wilkins 5'10" 180 pounds; WR Adam Bradford 5'11" 170 pounds; WR Chance Johnson 5'9" 150 pounds; and WR Jeremiah Square 6'1" 190 pounds.

Istrouma Indians

Head Coach:Brian Glover(2^nd year)

2025 Record:5-6

2025 Playoffs:1^st Round lost to B.T.W Shreveport

Team Outlook: “Excited for me to have a full off season with the program for the 1^st time,” said coach Glover. “Everywhere I’ve been in the 2^nd year is when the players start to get the schemes and grow in the program.” “We are having a really good growth spurt and I like where we are right now.” “We will have a big senior class of kids in 2026.”

The Indians will be as skilled as any team you will see in Baton Rouge with experience. The Indians are led by Quarterback Isaac Jackson 6'1" 185 pounds, a big-time athlete, leader, tough as nails, and one of the better players on the team.

More skill players to watch are WR Tyrik Patin 5'9" 160 pounds; CB/WR Trey Davis 5'8" 160 pounds, a big-time playmaker for the program and All-District in 2025; CB/RB/WR James McCray IV 5'11" 170 pounds, a 3-year starter and leader; TE/FB Elijah Parker 5'11" 235 pounds, a 3-year starter with good feet and a good blocker; RB/OLB Jeremy Veals 5'8" 175 pounds; RB Marcus Williams 5'9" 180 pounds; and RB/OLB Rylan Cotton 6'0" 210 pounds, who has tons of upside with 4.6 speed in the forty and power as both a runner and linebacker.

Key Linemen and Linebackers back are OL/Center Travis Shepard 5'9" 255 pounds, a leader who is tough as nails; LB/WR Brayden Jean 6'1" 190 pounds, leader of the defensive front; DE Joseph Higgins 6'4" 240 pounds; OLB Sam Polk 6'1" 210 pounds with 4.65 speed in the forty; OLB Josh Williams 5'10" 170 pounds; DT Ahmaud Bowie 5'10" 250 pounds; Center/DT King Hayes 6'1" 310 pounds; Center/DT Zavier Gardner 5'11" 295 pounds; OG D'Anthony Juge 6'1" 305 pounds; and OG/OT Arthur Eackels 6'4" 365 pounds, who is recovering from an injury. The team hopes to get him back before the season is over, as he is one of the best linemen on the team and a 3-year starter.

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