Patriots lead attack with powerful line

Coaches preach controlling the line of scrimmage as the starting point to success.

The Ellender Patriots believe they have the muscle to do just that in 2008 season.

“We’re going to be pretty big on both lines this year,” said Patriots head coach Tawaskie Anderson, entering his seventh year at Ellender High. “We have four seniors returning on the offensive line and we have a lot of size on the defensive side.”

In 2007, the Patriots made the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, losing to Eunice in the first round.

Anderson knows his team will have to improve on its 4-6 (2-3 District 8-4A) record if they want to return to the playoffs this year.

Ellender perpetually has one of the smallest rosters, but they compensate for that in other ways.

“Our way to combat everybody else having numbers is with speed,” Anderson said.

“Us being small has nothing to do with how good we play,” linebacker Carl Verdin said. “Everybody on this team has a lot a heart. Just because we’re small doesn’t mean you can underestimate us.”

On offense, the Patriots will continue to employ multiple looks, but they are a run first, pass second team.

Ellender lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad to graduation – quarterback Hosea Chatman and running back Jesse Turner (Nicholls), wide receivers Jamal Nixon and Bradford Matthews (Hines Community College and Northwestern State, respectively)

Leading the way this season is an offensive line that has been playing together for three years. Seniors Keyon Metoyer, Chris Boudreaux, Kendrick Fitch and Barry Chatman, and junior Jacob Guidry helped Ellender rush for almost 2,300 yard last year.

“The last two years, we had a 1,000-yard rusher,” Anderson boasted. “So we feel anyone we put back there or group of guys – we have running back by committee – we should produce over 1,200 yards from our backfield. We just need to get 3.3 yards a play.”

Metoyer, who was All-District second team last year, and Boudreaux are getting serious looks from colleges, including Nicholls State, Southeastern Louisiana, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and University of Louisiana at Monroe.

However, the two linemen prefer to spotlight the unit as a whole rather than focusing on individual accomplishments.

“The offensive line, we’re like brothers,” said Metoyer, who has also peaked the interest of Penn State. “We love each other, hang out, eat and go do stuff together.”

Tight end Joshua Harding is the other returning starting senior on offense. Senior Jeremiah Robertson and sophomores Drake Eschete and Glenn Fitch will play running back by committee. Replacing Chatman at quarterback is junior Justin Billiot.

“He doesn’t have to win the game – just don’t lose it,” Anderson said.

With six returning starters in the lineup, Anderson expects the defense to be a little bit better than the offense.

Three 300-pounders anchor the line – returning junior nose tackle Ardale Burns and new starters senior tackle Barry Chatman and sophomore end Ryan Billiot.

The other end is returning senior Rakesh Naquin. At only 200 pounds, he may seem like the obvious target of the opposing offense’s running game, but Anderson is not concerned.

“We have enough team speed to compensate for that,” he said. “I’m looking for those guys to dominate on that side of the ball.”

The real strength of the defense is the returning seniors at linebacker and safety.

Linebackers Verdin, who was All-District second team, and Clint Cotton were first and third on the team in tackles last year. Safeties Leonard Folse, an All-District first team selection, and Tyrone Folse were second and fourth in tackles in 2007.

“We’re looking for Leonard to repeat and make some more plays than he did last year,” Anderson said. “He’s also going to playing running back at times for us.”

Leonard and Tyrone are cousins who have playing on the same teams since they were 8 years old. They are as close as brothers and are as competitive with each other as their opponents.

“Since I made All-District, I know he is going to step his game this year. That’s the way he is,” Leonard said.

“I didn’t play as well as I could, so I plan to make first team this year and (Leonard will) be second team,” Tyrone chided.

On special teams, Verdin is again the punter. Kicking field goals and extra points is senior Megan Cressoine, who was All-District first team for Ellender girls’ soccer team last year.

“Coach (John) Haslitt asked me ‘Do you want to play football and be our kicker,'” she said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah, sure. That’ll be cool. I thought it would be cool to be a kicker.”

Ellender only attempted one field goal last season (a miss) because Anderson had nobody with a strong enough leg.

“We’re happy to have her on the team because we really needed a kicker,” he said. “We had to go for it on fourth down a lot because we didn’t have a field goal kicker.”

Cressoine’s experience has been positive so far. How she will react in her first real game may a different matter.

“I’m going to be nervous, but it will be good,” she said. “I’m going to make it.”