GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Cardinals hoping for more in 2007

The Saints are hungry for a trip to the Super Bowl, but E.D. White would settle for a trip to the Superdome – site of the LHSA Football Championships.

“The last time we made it to state title game was in 1982,” explained Cardinals coach Kyle Lasseigne. “The last time we actually won it was in 1969. One day, we’d like to get back there.”

Preferably sooner than later.

“You need a little luck and you need to stay healthy,” Lasseigne added, “but there’s no reason that you shouldn’t believe that you can’t get there.”

Any hope of reaching the championship would rest on the shoulders of several skill players who return to a lineup that captured the District 7 crown and advanced to the second round of the LHSA playoffs in 2006.

Headlining that group is senior Chase Clement, one of the most heralded tight ends in Louisiana.

Division I recruits have been salivating over his size (6-foot-6, 250 pounds) and unbridled potential. Clement recorded 12 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns last season in spite of the fact that he saw limited action.

“Chase wasn’t a full-time tight end last year and he probably won’t be again this year,” Lasseigne said. “He got a lot of attention at summer football camps. He lined up at tight end and caught the ball really well. He could be a good fit at tight end for a lot of (collegiate) programs.”

Last year, the Cardinals found him to be an even better fit at defensive end.

Clement recorded 79 tackles, three sacks and three fumble recoveries en route to earning district MVP honors on defense.

Lasseigne might move Clement to middle linebacker this fall.

“He (Clement) has a wide wingspan and he’s tough to throw over,” he said. “Chase is such a weapon.”

And he’s not the only one in Lasseigne’s arsenal.

The Cardinals look to get an offensive boost from senior Drey Trosclair, who returns at quarterback. Trosclair amassed more than 1,000 yards in the air and 400 on the ground for the Cardinals last season.

“Trosclair knows the offense because he’s been in it the past two years,” Lasseigne said. “He’s a threat as a thrower and a runner.”

Trosclair will have to develop a rapport with his receivers, who bring limited experience to their positions.

However, he’ll get support from returning starters Mike Olivier (halfback) and Jacob Knight (fullback), who moves over from free safety.

Olivier has great hands for a running back and Knight has adjusted to his new role quickly.

The offensive line will get a tremendous lift from Zach Ledet, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound All-District center. Ledet brings size, strength and a relentless work ethic to a unit that lacks experience.

“We have about seven to eight new kids competing for five spots on the O-line,” Lasseigne said. “We’re a little thin here.”

With the exception of Clement, they’re also a little raw on the defensive line.

Nevertheless, E.D. White looks to achieve balance through a strong secondary that returns safeties Drew Chiasson, Chris Callahan and Knight and cornerback Dale Ponville.

These athletes will play pivotal roles in leading the Cardinals through a formidable schedule that includes non-district powers Vandebilt, Assumption and Redemptorist.

“I think our tough non-district schedule will be good for us because it will get us ready for district play,” Callahan said.

E.D. White opens its season Friday at the Thibodaux Jamboree.