With Clement gone, EDW turns to young talent

For the first time in a couple of years, things were quiet around E.D. White Catholic High School this offseason.

It’s a huge contrast from last year’s bustle. The program was inundated with college suitors, all salivating to recruit District 7-3A Defensive Most Valuable Player Chase Clement.

This summer, head coach Kyle Lasseigne and the Cardinals were able to get through the summer workouts and practices virtually unnoticed.

The summer was just about football, and the coach would not have wanted it any other way.

“We don’t have a whole lot of things going on other than football,” Lasseigne said. “It’s nice for a change to focus on getting ready for the season. It was nice to have Chase around. It was a great experience and I don’t know when we are going to have another one like that. But we’re moving on as a team.”

Of course, the E.D. White coach doesn’t expect his team to fly under the radar, either.

The Cardinals finished last season 8-5 (3-1 in District 7-3A) and made it into the playoffs as an 11th seed. After taking out Loranger in the first round, E.D. White defeated Rayville High, a heavily favored foe, before losing to eventual state runner-up Westlake in the quarterfinals.

It was the closest the Cardinals had come to reaching the Dome in years, and it’s something the team hopes to build on this year.

“We snuck up on those guys,” Lasseigne said. “I think the fact that we went three games deep into the playoffs suggests that we are going to be solid year in and year out. How far we go has a lot to do with staying healthy and getting a few breaks here and there. Our kids look back on last year and realize how close we were to being in the Superdome. We’d rather be that way.”

No question, the team has the talent, the head coach contends. And the experience – a number of last year’s backup players comprise this year’s starting roster.

Lasseigne said coming into a starting role shouldn’t be a shock for any of the new guys because they have already seen a little playing time last season.

“We have a lot of guys coming back who saw some action but weren’t full time starters, so they are not accustomed to knowing what it takes game in and game out,” he said. “They’ve had a chance to get a little experience.”

First Team All-District and All-State return specialist John Daigle returns to the Cardinals for his senior year. With last year’s learning curve under his belt, Daigle said he’s ready for the next step.

“Last year gave us the confidence to know that we can compete with the other teams out there,” he said. “We lost a lot of players last year, but we have a good senior class. We have team unity, so I think we’ll be all right.”

On offense, the Cardinals have one returning starter: offensive guard Beau Arceneaux. The 6-foot, 240-pound senior is joined by classmate and starting quarterback Tyler Duplantis.

Duplantis is stepping into the shoes of Nicholls State signee Drey Trosclair, leading the Cardinals’ offensive charge. He says he’s ready for the challenge.

“We did a lot of good things in the offseason,” Duplantis said. “Our receivers did a good job of running their routes and the offense as a whole is coming together. We are going to be a little more balanced than we were last season.”

Defensively, seniors Dylan Frederick and Michael Andolsek (linemen), Guy Steib (linebacker), Jordan Arcement and Chris Callahan (safeties) and junior Josh Jennings (also a safety).

Lasseigne’s Cardinals aren’t looking to fill Clement’s void on defense; they’re just expecting a couple of guys to step in and contribute.

“It’s hard to replace somebody as talented as him, but I think we’ll have a couple guys step in,” Callahan explained. “Our defense is about being disciplined, so I think we’ll be able to do it.”

Lasseigne is banking on his returning starters emerging as leaders and his younger players adjusting quickly and early. He fully expects his team to be competitive in its quest for the district crown and another playoff berth.

“We have some guys that haven’t played a whole lot that have to raise their game a little bit,” the coach said. “We have some seniors that have produced for two and three years. It’s about how they step on the field and react on Friday nights that is going to determine how successful we are.”