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It’s not often that a prep football team can boast that it has just about all of its starters back from the previous season.
But that’s the luxury that Houma Christian enjoys in 2014 as the Warriors look to build on last year’s 5-5 season.
Led by elusive quarterback Drake Battaglia and anchored by a bigger, larger roster that now has 30-plus players, the small, Houma-based private school is hungry for playoff success as the Warriors continue to build their program from the ground-up in the infancy stages of their young program, which started playing in the 2010 season.
Technically, the Warriors have 20 starters back as they lost one senior (who started both ways) to graduation.
“This whole process is great,” Battaglia said. “When we first decided to add the sport, a lot of people were puzzled and didn’t think that we could do it. But we have pride. We feel accomplished to be a part of this. It makes us feel good knowing that we’re helping put this school on the map. We just want to keep that going and keep building. That’s our goal this year – just keep building on that base that we’ve already worked to establish.”
Battaglia will be at the base of the Warriors’ efforts in 2014. A dual-threat signal caller, Battaglia’s highlight tape resembles that of a Johnny Manziel. By that, we mean that the young quarterback has that rare ability to scramble out of the pocket and make something out of nothing on a given down.
Houma Christian’s coach knows all too well how good Battaglia can be in a given game. That’s because the Warriors are led by Drake’s father, coach Chuck Battaglia – the team’s headman since their inaugural season.
Chuck Battaglia said the coach/father dynamic that he shares on Friday nights is difficult but added that Drake makes it easier by being a good leader and teammate for the Warriors’ offense.
“It’s fun to do and tough to do at the same time,” the Warriors’ coach said. “It’s exciting because I get to be here with him every day, but it’s just hard to make sure that the dad in me doesn’t come out and that I’m both fair to Drake, but that Drake also respects me as his coach. It’s a good dynamic. We make it work.”
Adding to the family reunion for Houma Christian is the fact that Drake Battaglia’s younger brother Devin Battaglia is arguably the Warriors’ top receiving threat. He will be joined by senior John Broussard and freshman Ja’Coire Ward to make up what Houma Christian believes will be a lethal receiving corps.
“We’re really looking to open it up,” Chuck Battaglia said. “We’re looking for big things out of that receiving group. We think they have the talent to make a big jump and have a really nice year.”
The Warriors’ quarterback agrees and said that having all of his weapons back is a big boost.
Broussard agreed and added that the continuity will be big to the Warriors.
“Everything just is so much more at ease now compared to when we first got here,” Broussard said. “Being an older player takes away all of those nerves and it just gives us a chemistry. We know what to do and we know how to do it now.”
In the trenches, the Warriors will be bigger and stronger than they were last year. Because Houma Christian has a smaller roster and most of their players play both ways, a big-time onus is on right tackle/defensive end Abram Miller and offensive lineman/defensive tackle Jonah Albares to have big seasons.
They think that they have what it takes to get it done as the Warriors’ most experienced linemen.
“I think we’re all bigger and stronger now,” Albares said. “I think that we’re going to be able to get a bigger push because we have that extra size and that extra experience.”
“I know that we’re ready,” Miller said. “We’re hungry. We had a nice year last year, but we think that we can do more this year. Anytime that you play with the same, exact players that you played with last year, it gives you a lot of confidence and a lot of chemistry. We put the work in, so now it’s just time to go out and have a strong season.”
But for the Warriors, what’s possibly more important than the returnees are the newcomers into the program.
Chuck Battaglia said that Houma Christian has 35 players on its team – the highest numbers that they’ve ever had in their program’s existence.
That roster increase will enable the Warriors to give some players a break at times – something they haven’t always been able to do in years past.
“It’s hard having so many guys go both ways,” the coach said. “But that’s what makes conditioning and the work we do so important. It’s hard because we can’t really coach them up much because we can’t scrimmage. And in the games, we don’t ever see them because they are on the field all game. So having that little bit extra depth always helps.”
“We think this can be our best year yet,” Broussard added. “Now it’s just time to go out there and prove it.”
The Houma Christian football team has a luxury that most squads don’t – vast experience. The Warriors return 20 starters from last year’s squad, including (from left) Abram Miller, Drake Battaglia, John Broussard and Jonah Albares. The Warriors hope to win a playoff game in 2014 after last year’s first-round exit.
