Defending District 8-5A title will be tough, but coach says team is ready

H. L. Bourgeois has made the Class 5A playoffs three straight years. Unfortunately, they have zero playoff wins to show for their success.

“Every year I’ve been there, we’ve been one and done in the playoffs,” said Braves senior tailback Jereme LaGarde. “That’s not how we (seniors) want to go out.”

The Braves will need plenty of new starters to step up if they want to advance in the postseason. The team lost 17 starters from last year’s 8-3 (6-0 in district) squad.

First-year head coach Joe Reilly believes the new guys have enough playing experience so that there will not be falloff from the 2007 season.

“We have a lot of starters who saw significant playing time or were pertinent to our offense and defense,” he said.

After being a Braves assistant the past six years, Reilly and his players have adjusted to him as head coach.

“My relationship with the kids is the same,” he said. “As far as coaching, it’s a little different because now I’m responsible for 60 to 70 kids instead of just nine or 10 kids. It’s a challenge but it’s nothing I’m not willing to go up against.”

On offense, the Braves are replacing seven starters, including four of five linemen. However, they still have the best group of backs in the area with seniors Lagarde, wingbacks Caleb Williams and Sean Harvey and junior quarterback Josh Aleman.

The Braves hope to continue the Wing-T running attack that gained 3,677 yards last season.

“Sean will be the key to Caleb and Jereme getting off just like Caleb was the key to Christian (Williams, graduated and attending ULL) and Jereme’s success last season,” said Reilly. “If Sean does good like I know he will, then Caleb and Jereme will have another outstanding year.”

Aleman has shown remarkable growth since spring practices according to Reilly. But he has had to remind the first-year quarterback not to carry the burden of winning the game on his shoulders.

“I told him, ‘You don’t need to put that much pressure on yourself,'” he said. ” All we need him to do is not make mistakes and make the play when his turn is called.”

Senior center Kent Boudreaux is the only other returning starter. Helping him open the running lanes this year will be senior Akeen Johnson and Albert Blount to his right and juniors Ryan Ocker and Peter Verret IV to his left.

“The good thing about that is I coach the offensive line,” Reilly said. “The five guys I’m going to put out there are the ones that are going to get the job done.”

There are rumblings that the Braves defense could be better this season despite losing seven starters as well. Those losses include all-district linebacker Kerry Guidry and defensive back Tyler Lirette, who led the team in interceptions.

“We lost a couple of our good players from last year, but the replacements are just as good as them,” said senior linebacker Kaylon Nixon, last season’s district defensive MVP and team leader in tackles and sacks (85 and three respectively).

“I’m excited about our defense,” Reilly admitted. “We have big (305 pound junior) Damion Jacobs in the middle, (junior) Stanley Lyons in the secondary, (seniors) Shane Duplantis and Nixon at linebacker. Hopefully, we’ll do a good job stopping people because we want to make stops, get the ball back, eat the clock and score in the process.”

On special teams, Harvey will handle kickoff and field goals, while senior Vincent Stafford is the new punter. However, it is the returners that will have opposing coaches nervous.

“We’re dangerous. We’re going to put Caleb, Stanley and sometimes Jereme back there,” Reilly said. “We are going to force opponents to give us good field position or kick the ball deep to us.”

Unlike previous years, the Braves will not enter the 2008 season heavily favored to win District 8-5A. The battle for the district crown seems wide open. But do not tell that to Braves players.

“People are underestimating us right now, but we’re going to prove them wrong,” Williams said.

“If that’s how they want to put it, I love being the underdog,” LaGarde added. “There’s no pressure on you when you’re the underdog.”

Coach Reilly is not one for making proclamations. Instead, he wants to keep his team focused on the daily grind of practice.

“We don’t even talk about being district champions, but we know we have a good team at H.L.,” he said. “We’re not overlooking anybody. We just want to play Braves football.”