Let There Be Football (The Richardson Report for the week of September 6th, 2024)

WEST MONROE, La. ( KTVE/KARD ) —

Week one is officially upon us here in Northeast Louisiana. I think we have all been waiting on this moment for quite a while now. We have been blessed with all sorts of football teases with scrimmages and jamborees and fall camp fun and now the real action is set to begin. Myself, Jeremy Bryant, Ayanna Bronner and Jesse Davis are excited to get back out on the field and bring you all the action on the gridiron this season.

This is The Richardson Report for the week of September 6th—Week One of High School Football. We will be here weekly throughout the entirety of the football season—talking all things…well…football. As this will be the first go-around for a column as such, my goal is to have this prepared and ready for publish each Thursday ahead of Friday’s games.

Weekly disclaimer: The opinions in this column are solely mine. They have no impact on collegiate scholarships, conference awards, etc. It is simply and form of entertainment for the great people in Northeast Louisiana. Agree, disagree, ignore them as you please. This is just a way for this sports-loving guy to kill time and talk sports. One thing I will make very clear is that anything in this column is not personal or an any way an avenue to tear down our young people. My intentions are to hype our young student athletes up and give them all the recognition they deserve. Again, this is just for fun everybody and I hope to provide something all of you can truly enjoy.

As the school year progresses, I am happy to introduce the S.T.A.R of the Week Award. This award will be weekly that will air each Thursday—highlighting high school seniors who not only succeed in their respective sports—but also in the classroom. Sometimes we get too caught up in athletics and don’t give enough recognition to those who are finding ways to balance athletics and academics and being really good at both. That is what the STAR of the Week award will highlight—Student’s Talents and Athletic Recognition. I am working on a form that will be sent out to each of our area schools to nominate the next STAR of the Week.

We are also excited to bring you the Top 5 plays of the week starting September 10th. Throughout the course of a season—we are blessed with all sorts of amazing plays from these young people. We will be finding those best plays and giving them their own moment of shine each week.

ZACH’S RANDOM THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK

1. West Monroe/Monroe—I am happy to call you my new home. I have now been here in Northeast Louisiana for just over two months now and you all have been amazing. The communities and people are simply incredible. I have always heard about Southern Hospitality, but when you get to experience it yourself—wow—it is simply amazing. Thank you for welcoming in this Missouri kid with open arms.

2. The hype surrounding Louisiana food is REAL. I think the first meal I had when I moved here back in June was crawfish. When I tell you it was life-changing—I am not exaggerating. But it is not just the seafood here. It is everything. The flavors here in the Bayou State are like no other.

3. Football is different down here. I grew up playing football and have seen many different types of football environments…but there is no comparison to Louisiana High School Football. I had a gentleman tell me it was God, Football and Family in that order and he was 100% correct. It is a joy to see communities rally behind their teams, bands, cheerleaders, dancers in such a positive way. I felt like a kid in a candy shop the first scrimmage I was able to attend. If that was any indication to what Friday nights will look like…this is going to be a lot of fun.

4. Bayou Jamb is such an awesome event. I have been a part of many football jamborees where you would play 12 plays of offense, 12 plays of defense and that was it. Bayou Jamb is the full experience. Patti Thurmon does such a great job with the entire week to truly make this a community event. Thank you to all the volunteers who spent countless hours to make this whole thing come together. I already cannot wait to do it all over again next year.

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FOOTBALL 2024

KTVE/KARD PRESEASON POLL

1. RUSTON BEARCATS

Week One Opponent: vs Acadiana

What We Know: The Ruston Bearcats are returning as the Division I Non-Select State Champs. They are looking to get back to the top and head coach Jerrod Baugh is putting his team in a great position to prepare by once again putting together one of the most difficult schedules in the state. Ruston will return a strong, athletic core on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Bearcats return Tulane commit Josh Brantley at the Quarterback position. You see his talent when you watch the tape—the ability to sling the ball all over the field as well as the ability to use his legs to torture any defense. When you see his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame in person, it really puts things into perspective. Alongside him in the backfield, the Bearcats will feature Jordan “The Jet” Hayes, a back who rushed for 465 yards and 5 touchdowns at 7.7 yards per carry in last season’s playoffs. Don’t be surprised when this young man has another big year. The Bearcats offense will also seek production from the top TE in the 2027 class—Ahmad Hudson who had some bumps and bruises this fall camp, but when he is on the field, he will be a major factor.

Defensively, LSU Commit Aidan Anding and Louisiana Tech commit Zheric Hill are leading the way. We have already seen a glimpse of Anding’s playmaking ability at the defensive back position and the advantage he brings to the Bearcat’s special team’s unit. As a junior, Hill tallied 114 tackles, including 9 for loss with 2.5 sacks and an interception. He has really stepped into a leadership role for the Bearcat’s defense.

Coming off their first state championship since the 90s, it’s a different fell for this group having this type of target on their back, but Baugh says they have adjusted and handled it well and are ready for the gauntlet to get back to the Dome.

2. OAK GROVE TIGERS (0-0)

Week One Opponent: at Calvary Baptist

What Stands Out: Oak Grove is coming off yet another state championship—making it four titles in the last five years. This year—the Tigers will be moving up a division, but the goal of another state title remains the same. The Tigers are loaded once again. Thet return Louisiana commit Jackson Bradley at the quarterback position who accounted for over 3,000 all-purpose yards. When you have a QB with Bradley’s talent and experience, you are in good hands. Up front, Oak Grove returns a ton of experience including seniors Baz McIntyre and Tanner Duff along with tight end JT Layton. The Tigers want to dominate the run game and the guys up front have grown over the years and have taken pride in that and it shows on Friday nights. On the outside for the Tigers, 5’ 11” senior Luke Simmons and 6’ 4” senior Brodie Stuart will look to give opposing secondaries issues in both the pass game and blocking in the run game.

Defensively, the Tigers remain stout with senior linebackers Isaiah Joles and Seth Ray in the middle and senior Tamarques Pritchard leading the secondary. Joles is one of the best defensive linemen in the area and has a great motor—constantly bringing pressure.

Head coach Ryan Gregory and the Tigers embrace the challenging early season schedule knowing it will only help them find their weak spots so when November/December rolls around—they will be ready to make another run.

3. NEVILLE TIGERS (0-0)

Week One Opponent: at Evangel Christian

Early Observations: The Tigers will be under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Collins and a will see first-year quarterback Parker Robinson leading the offense. The Tigers finished last season with an 8-2 record but saw their playoff push come to an end early. Neville will be playing in a loaded Non-Select Division I district.

The Tigers will lean on a loaded defense which includes TCU commit Brody Whatley at defensive line, but also a secondary who is full of promise. Cornerback Cam Riley, Safety Julian Burns and Strong Safety Robert Groves will be key players to watch on that defense. But it goes even further with that skills group.

The skills group for the Tigers on both sides of the ball will be dangerous on both sides of the ball. For the offense, it will all fall back on keeping things simple for Robinson—getting the ball to his playmakers and letting them go to work. Robinson has looked comfortable this offseason and Collins is confident in his QB1. The Tigers also return Jaylon Nichols at the tailback position who is poised to have a big year.

Toughness is the motto for Mike Collins and company and they will use that to prove they belong in 5A football.

4. STERLINGTON PANTHERS (0-0)

Week One Opponent: vs Tioga

What Stands Out: For Head Coach Lee Doty and the Panthers the only thing that has changed is a few positions on the team. The goals, the standards, and the expectations all remain the same. To address the elephant in the room, the Panthers will come into the season without two of their biggest offensive weapons from a year ago. Dylan Downs and his younger brother Devyn Downs left the program and transferred over to Bastrop. Some have questioned if the Panthers can replace that type of talent. Well—they have kept their goals in sight and controlling the things they can control.

On the offensive side, the big question heading into the season was who will step into that quarterback position. The Panthers had three players competing to be the starter week one which included senior J’Rob Breen, junior David Hickman and freshman Holdyn Herring—each one bringing something different to the table. But the Panthers have added Jeff Tannehill to their coaching staff who has been working with the QB group, which has looked solid all offseason. What will be a huge help with a new QB is a strong front line, which looks to be the group who will anchor the offense.

Seniors David Roach, Michael Bozeman, Nathan Riordan and juniors Gideon Ashley and Drew Whitlock will hold down the trenches for the Panthers and the room has even more talent to mix things up.

The Panthers return Gaven Evans, T.J Burch and Hagen Herring in the backfield. Herring was the team’s leading rusher last season with 451 yards and four touchdowns. As a position group, these three tallied over 1,000 yards on the season and dominated the run game.

Defensively, the Panthers may experience a few bumps along the way as they will have to fill some big shoes from last season’s unit, but they bring back an experienced secondary and linebacker core and that defensive line still has some dudes.

Grayson Gilmore and Ayden Lingefelt have proven over and over again their ability to cause chaos in the backfield and will make for some fun for those guys in the secondary.

The Panthers have a tough schedule early on, but it’s all about playing your best football when it matters most and Coach Lee Doty will have his guys ready.

5. UNION FARMERS (0-0)

Week One Opponent: at North Desoto

The Farmers are coming off a state title after being in that championship game three consecutive years and falling short. This is a group who knows how difficult it is to get to the top and now that they have tasted the glory, they are hungry to get back.

The Farmers will return many who were a part of that state championship winning team. On the offensive side of the ball, Union will have a new QB under center—Braxton Patterson. Patterson started as a freshman at safety and has made the smooth transition over to signal caller. He will be well protected up front a big line up front as well as playmakers like Chase Meeking on the outside at receiver. At the tailback position, the Farmers have shown they will still bring that mix of speed and power on the ground, which fits in perfectly with they are looking to accomplish.

Defensively, Tyquereis Wilson and Tyreon Traylor will be key contributors to getting the ball back into the hands of the offense. It is a defense that flies around and LOVES to hit. The Farmers may not be the biggest, but you will feel them when they hit you.

Joe Spatafora has his guys locked in and they are looking to make it five straight state championship appearances and back to back titles in the process, but first—they point their focus on perfecting the little things and having the right mindset each week and when if they take care of that, they will be right where they want to be.

ON THE BUBBLE

6. OCS EAGLES (0-0)

7. WOSSMAN WILDCATS (0-0)

8. BASTROP RAMS (0-0)

9. WEST MONROE REBELS (0-0)

10. WEST OUACHITA (0-0)

Each week, I, along with the rest of the team, will give our fearless predictions and throughout the season, we will keep track of who picks the most games correctly. You will be able to keep track of the results each week right here in The Richardson Report as well as on Friday Nights on Football Friday Night Xtra.

ZACH’S WEEK ONE PICKS: (take it easy on me now…I am still learning the area haha)

Wossman-32

Bastrop- 28

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Acadiana- 22

Ruston- 26

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Tioga- 16

Sterlington- 42

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Claiborne- 14

River Oaks- 62

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Huntington- 14

West Monroe- 35

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Richwood-26

West Ouachita- 42

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Lincoln Prep- 26

D’Arbonne Woods- 34

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Cedar Creek- 14

Delhi Charter- 12

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Beekman Charter- 20

Delhi- 16

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OCS- 42

Caldwell- 20

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Neville- 45

Evangel- 42

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Ouachita- 28

Captain Shreve- 32

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Carroll- 16

Parkway- 45

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Oak Grove- 42

Calvary Baptist 40-

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Franklin Parish- 28

West Jefferson- 12

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Mangham- 14

Jena- 35

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Ferriday- 20

Vidalia- 26

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Lakeside- 42

Arcadia-16

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Union- 34

North DeSoto-32

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Rayville- 20

General Trass- 16

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Winnfield- 26

Jonesboro-Hodge-14

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Madison- 20

Ringgold- 16

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Tensas- 14

Plain Dealing-6

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Block- 6

Buckeye- 28

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North Webster- 28

Haynesville- 42

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El Dorado (AR)- 34

Camden(AR)-28

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Parkers Chapel(AR)- 42

Gurdon(AR)- 14

JEREMY’S WEEK ONE PICKS:

Wossman 24

Bastrop 20

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Acadiana 21

Ruston 28

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Tioga 14

Sterlington 27

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Claiborne 21

River Oaks 63

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Huntington 27

West Monroe 21

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Richwood 14

West Ouachita 21

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Lincoln Prep 7

D’Arbonne Woods 28

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Cedar Creek 7

Delhi Charter 20

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Beekman Charter 7

Delhi 21

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OCS 56

Caldwell 13

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Neville 24

Evangel 28

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Ouachita 14

Captain Shreve 17

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Carroll 7

Parkway 27

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Oak Grove 35

Calvary Baptist 32

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Union 24

North Desoto 35

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Haynesville 40

North Webster 10

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Franklin Parish 32

West Jefferson 13

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Mangham 21

Jena 42

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Ferriday 24

Vidalia 6

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Lakeside 7

Arcadia 21

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Rayville 17

General Trass 13

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Winnfield 6

Jonesboro-Hodge 20

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El dorado -17

Camden -24

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Homer 21

Haughton-32

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Block

Buckeye -w

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Madison-16

Ringgold 20

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Tensas

Plain dealing -w

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Delta charter-w

Lasalle

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Parker chapel – w

Gurdon

AYANNA’S WEEK ONE PICKS:

1. **Wossman vs. Bastrop**

Prediction: Wossman 28 – Bastrop 14

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2. **Acadiana vs. Ruston**

Prediction: Ruston 31 – Acadiana 24

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3. **Tioga vs. Sterlington**

Prediction: Sterlington 34 – Tioga 21

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4. **Claiborne vs. River Oaks**

Prediction: Claiborne 27 – River Oaks 10

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5. **Huntington vs. West Monroe**

Prediction: West Monroe 42 – Huntington 17

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6. **Richwood vs. West Ouachita**

Prediction: Richwood 21 – West Ouachita 20

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7. **Lincoln Prep vs. D’Arbonne Woods**

Prediction: Lincoln Prep 30 – D’Arbonne Woods 13

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8. **Cedar Creek vs. Delhi Charter**

Prediction: Cedar Creek 24 – Delhi Charter 17

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9. **Beekman Charter vs. Delhi**

Prediction: Delhi 28 – Beekman Charter 6

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10. **OCS vs. Caldwell**

Prediction: OCS 35 – Caldwell 14

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11. **El Dorado vs. Camden**

Prediction: El Dorado 27 – Camden 21

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12. **Parkers Chapel vs. Gurdon**

Prediction: Gurdon 31 – Parkers Chapel 14

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13. **Neville vs. Evangel**

Prediction: Neville 34 – Evangel 20

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14. **Ouachita vs. Captain Shreve**

Prediction: Captain Shreve 28 – Ouachita 24

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15. **Carroll vs. Parkway**

Prediction: Parkway 38 – Carroll 14

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16. **Oak Grove vs. Calvary Baptist**

Prediction: Oak Grove 30 – Calvary Baptist 27

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17. **Union vs. North Desoto**

Prediction: North Desoto 31 – Union 20

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18. **Haynesville vs. North Webster**

Prediction: Haynesville 21 – North Webster 17

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19. **Franklin Parish vs. West Jefferson**

Prediction: West Jefferson 35 – Franklin Parish 14

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20. **Mangham vs. Jena**

Prediction: Jena 27 – Mangham 21

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21. **Ferriday vs. Vidalia**

Prediction: Ferriday 28 – Vidalia 17

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22. **Lakeside vs. Arcadia**

Prediction: Arcadia 24 – Lakeside 14

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23. **Rayville vs. General Trass**

Prediction: General Trass 35 – Rayville 20

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24. **Winnfield vs. Jonesboro-Hodge**

Prediction: Winnfield 28 – Jonesboro-Hodge 24

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25. **Homer vs. Haughton**

Prediction: Haughton 31 – Homer 14

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26. **Madison vs. Ringgold**

Prediction: Madison 27 – Ringgold 10

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27. **Delta Charter vs. LaSalle**

Prediction: Delta Charter 21 – LaSalle 14

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28. **Tensas vs. Plain Dealing**

Prediction: Plain Dealing 18 – Tensas 14

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29. **Block vs. Buckeye**

Prediction: Buckeye 28 – Block 17

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30. **North Webster vs. Haynesville**

Prediction: Haynesville 21 – North Webster 17

JESSE’S WEEK ONE PICKS:

Wossman-28

Bastrop-14

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Acadiana-27

Ruston-28

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Tioga-12

Sterlington-35

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Claiborne-42

River Oaks-78

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Huntington-28

West Monroe-7

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Richwood-21

West Ouachita-28

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Lincoln Prep-21

D’Arbonne Woods-14

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Cedar Creek-26

Delhi Charter-12

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Beekman Charter-6

Delhi-12

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OCS-35

Caldwell-6

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El Dorado-24

Camden-21

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Parkers Chapel-30

Gurdon-22

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Neville-21

Evangel-32

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Ouachita-20

Captain Shreve-14

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Carroll-6

Parkway-28

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Oak Grove-35(Overtime)

Calvary Baptist-28

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Union-21

North Desoto-7

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Haynesville-42

North Webster-28

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Franklin Parish-34

West Jefferson-13

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Mangham-42

Jena-21

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Ferriday-28

Vidalia-7

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Lakeside-49

Arcadia-12

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Rayville-0

General Trass-28

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Winnfield-14

Jonesboro-Hodge-20

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Homer-16

Haughton-38

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Madison-27

Ringgold-7

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Delta Charter-18

LaSalle-20

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Tensas-21

Plain Dealing-12

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Block-0

Buckeye-14