Louisiana All-Prep Classic Teams | Small Schools Offense
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The LHSAA’s Prep Classic state championship event provided nine title games’ worth of dozens of memorable performances to wind down Louisiana’s high school football season. Prep Redzone will recognize the best — including several record-setting efforts — during the next…
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Continue ReadingThe LHSAA’s Prep Classic state championship event provided nine title games’ worth of dozens of memorable performances to wind down Louisiana’s high school football season.
Prep Redzone will recognize the best — including several record-setting efforts — during the next couple days with its first Louisiana All-Prep Classic Teams.
A Small Schools Team representing the Class 1A, Class 2A, Division IV and Division III levels and a Large Schools Team representing the Class 3A, Class 4A, Class 5A, Division II and Division I levels will each feature 40 players: 20 on offense (12 by position, one flex and seven honorable mentions) and 20 on defense and special teams (14 by position and six honorable mentions).
Small Schools: Offense | Defense
Large Schools: (Released Thursday and Friday)
PREP REDZONE
LOUISIANA ALL-PREP CLASSIC TEAM
SMALL SCHOOLS OFFENSE
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (5)
OL: Fitzgerald West Jr. — 6-2, 310 OL/DL — Lafayette Christian (2022)
The biggest member — physically — of that talented 2022 class for the Knights caught everyone’s attention on the recruiting trail as a freshman defensive tackle, but his performance on the other side of the ball the second half of this junior season has opened a lot of eyes to his potential on offense, as well. And coach Jacarde Carter praises the two-way lineman again this past week as one of the few offensive bright spots in an overall defensive slug fest that Lafayette Christian survived, 12-7, to win a fourth straight state championship.
OL: Kade Klink — 5-9, 255 OL — Oak Grove (2021)
Oak Grove hangs its hat on tough, physical football won in the trenches as much as any other program in Louisiana. And, this year, Kade Klink was a clear senior leader on the offensive side of that equation. The Tigers rushed the ball 43 times for 366 yards, easily the most of any of the 18 teams in action at Turpin Stadium. And all that success started up front with Klink and company.
OL: Zeke Toups — 6-2, 270 OL— Calvary Baptist (2022)
The Cavaliers’ left guard was a consistent presence all year for his junior quarterback Landry Lyddy who said, “especially in the state game.” Lyddy said he didn’t know that Toups had made a mistake all year. And that level of confidence in an offensive line is critical in putting together the type of record-setting performance as Calvary Baptist did in Division IV. Lyddy completed 26 of 36 passes for 464 yards and four touchdowns, and senior Joseph Wilson Joseph Wilson 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Calvary Baptist | 2021 State LA found much of his rushing success behind Toups.
OL: Landon Mayeaux — 5-11, 200 OL — Calvary Baptist (2022)
On the other side of the Cavaliers’ center, a gritty two-way lineman in Landon Simmons manned the right guard and played well. Toups’ and Lyddy’s fellow junior also recorded four tackles, including half a sack, on the defensive side of the ball.
OL: Andy Weatherford — 6-4, 295 — Ouachita Christian (2022)
The Eagles rushed 34 times for 197 yards for an average of 5.8 yards per attempt and allowed just two sacks despite attempting 48 passes. And as much credit for those efforts as can go to the actual senior quarterback of the offense, the junior quarterback of the offensive line played well in the center and in an active role pulling to the perimeter to help set the stage of that success, as well.
TIGHT END (1)
TE: Dalton Allen Dalton Allen 6'4" | 235 lbs | TE Oak Grove | 2021 State LA — 6-4, 250 TE — Oak Grove (2021)
The big Southern Miss commitment was an excellent sixth blocker up front for the Tigers’ physical rushing attack that rolled to 366 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries. And Allen also chimed in with Oak Grove’s lone reception of a the day, a 9-yard touchdown for the senior.
WIDE RECEIVERS (3)
WR: Joseph Wilson Joseph Wilson 5'10" | 180 lbs | ATH Calvary Baptist | 2021 State LA — 5-10, 175 ATH — Calvary Baptist (2021)
The Air Force commitment scored four touchdowns in his Cavaliers’ record-setting offensive performance. Wilson took eight passes from quarterback Landry Lyddy for 89 yards and one score and served as the team’s primary presence on the ground with 12 carries for 38 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned three kickoffs for another 36 yards.
WR: Jordan Wallace — 5-9, 145 WR — Calvary Baptist (2021)
Wilson’s fellow senior partner-in-crime on the perimeter caught a team-high nine catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns, rushed once for 23 yards, returned a kickoff 24 yards and booted a Class 1A and Division IV record 64-yard punt to highlight a four-kick afternoon that totaled 192 yards for a 48-yard average with two downed inside the Ouachita Christian 20-yard line and another for a touchback as one of the week’s most impressive performances at that position as well.
WR: Tristan Wiley — 6-2, 185 WR — Ouachita Christian (2022)
On the other side of that shootout, Ouachita Christian’s top receiver caught more passes than any player ever had in a Division IV or Class 1A state championship game. Wiley hauled in 13 receptions for 218 yards — just 15 shy of the yardage record at that level — and a pair of touchdowns. He also recorded a tackle.
RUNNING BACKS (2)
RB: Ron Craten — 5-10, 230 RB — Oak Grove (2021)
No other running back in the Class 1A, Class 2A, Division IV or Division III championship games held a candle to Craten’s 191-yard, two-touchdown performance en route to Most Outstanding Player honors in his second straight Class 1A state championship. The senior busted a 37-yarder in the second quarter to spark his team’s first touchdown drive and appeared to get stronger over the course of his 30-carry afternoon.
RB: Deuce Clement Deuce Clement 5'11" | 180 lbs | ATH Oak Grove | 2021 State LA — 6-0, 180 ATH — Oak Grove (2021)
The Tigers’ do-everything athlete during his high school career primarily played quarterback his senior season. But his performance in his final game deserved recognition despite the record-setting performances by both passers in the Division IV contest. Clement rushed for more than double any running back in the Class 1A, Class 2A, Division IV or Division III matchups other than his teammate. The Oak Grove star complemented Craten’s performance with 158 yards of his own and one touchdown on just eight carries and completed a 9-yard pass for another score.
QUARTERBACK (1)
QB: Landry Lyddy — 6-0, 190 QB — Calvary Baptist (2022)
The bell of the explosive Calvary Baptist ball. Lyddy dropped back and threw darts to Wilson, Wallace and everyone else in a Cavaliers’ uniform to the tune of 26 completions in 36 attempts for 464 yards and four touchdowns. No other quarterback at any classification or division level has ever thrown for more passing yards in an LHSAA state championship game, and no other in Class 1A or Division IV has ever completed more passes. The junior standout had compiled the majority of those numbers by halftime and could have realistically run his totals up even farther had a few takeaways by the Calvary defense not provided some cushion in the scoring margin.
FLEX/ATHLETE (1)
FLEX: Hunter Herring Hunter Herring 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Ouachita Christian | 2021 State LA — 6-5, 210 QB — Ouachita Christian (2021)
Ouachita Christian received a record-setting Most Outstanding Player performance from its own quarterback across from Lyddy’s for Calvary Baptist. Herring dueled admirably despite being slowed by a hit he took in the second quarter and actually finished with a composite record for yards of total offense thanks to his dual-threat ability. The Louisiana (Lafayette) signee completed 26 of his 45 pass attempts for 328 yards and three touchdowns of his own and also rushed 15 times for a game-high 152 yards and two scores.
Honorable Mentions:
Tylan Ceasar — 5-7, 190 RB — Kinder (2022)
Landon Graves — 5-10, 180 ATH — Ouachita Christian (2023)
Elijah Fountain — 6-3, 185 ATH — Grand Lake (2021)
Aubrey Hermes — 6-1, 150 WR — Calvary Baptist (2024)
Zequarrius Rhone Zequarrius Rhone 6'3" | 185 lbs | ATH Many | 2021 State LA — 6-2, 188 ATH — Many (2021)
Caemon Scott — 5-8, 160 WR — Lafayette Christian (2021)
Terrence Williams Terrence Williams 6'1" | 215 lbs | RB Many | 2021 State LA — 6-1, 228 RB — Many (2021)