Family and Football: OCS father and son trio take sidelines together

Monroe, La. (KTVE/KARD) — Football has always formed unforgettable bonds bringing family and friends closer together, and there is no bigger example of that than the Vidrine family at Ouachita Christian School. Three generations from one family hold a place on a single football team is rare to see, but for this trio it’s just the norm.

Ouachita Christian School Eagles junior quarterback is coming off a spectacular season after starting as the team’s lead signal caller in his sophomore season with his father, Ouachita Christian School offensive coordinator Drew Vidrine, calling his plays along the way. This season the family ties will get stronger with the addition of his grandfather, Sonny Vidrine, coming aboard as the defensive line coach

Father and son coaching is nothing out of the ordinary for this crew; Sonny coached Drew when he was a player for the Eagles and Drew said being able to do the same for Luke has been nothing short of amazing.

“It’s fun, it’s really fun to be able to experience that with him [Luke] and to just see how he’s grown. We kind of threw him in the fire last year as a sophomore, but Luke was just great. He came in and picked everything up, “said Drew Vidrine. “I was a ball boy for him [Sonny], and Luke was the ball Boy for me here, so he’s just been around the game for so long that he just jumped in and picked up almost exactly where Landon left off and we were able to do a lot of the same stuff. It made it really fun.”

Playing for the Eagles has almost become the tradition for this family, but it has never been a hard choice. The school has given them the chance to experience something that is hard replicate anywhere else and to put it plain and simple it’s just where home is for them.

“It’s really special and we all have a special love for Ouachita Christian School football, and it just means so much to us,” said Luke Vidrine.

The rush of emotions Drew feels having all three coach and play under the same roof of one program can only be summed up in one way.

“Ouachita Christian School has made a tremendous impact on my life just being around not only my dad but also a bunch of coaches that love Jesus and help point us to him, and that’s just been a blessing to being able to be involved not only as a player but also as a coach and do the same thing right alongside coach [Steven] Fitzhugh. The whole time I’ve been here he has been with me as a player and a coach. Gratifying is a good word, but blessed is probably the best word to be able to do the same thing here as a coach as I did as a player and get to experience it with my son as well,” said Drew Vidrine.

Teaching also comes with the territory of coaching. Instructing techniques and developing players comes with the job, and Sonny said that is an aspect that he has learned to love along the way.

“Kids have not really changed a whole lot, they really haven’t. They are looking for someone to love on them and guide them and teach them the right things and as long as you do that, I think everything else is gravy. it’s all good.”

Drew also made sure to pick up a few tips from his father and found out that being willing to learn is also an underrated trait to have in the coaching field.

“It seems like you can coach kids as long as you love on them, and I watched him love on his kids when he coached them and because he loved on them so much, he was able to push them. I try to do the same thing, if you love on them and show how much you care they’ll want you to push them and challenge them and see if you can make them the best they can be. That’s what I learned from him, and I don’t know if I’m as good at it as he was but that’s what I try to do,” said Drew Vidrine.

The countdown now begins for the start of a new season for the Eagles, and a new chapter in life for the Vidrine family.