All-State linebacker Xzavier White gives Alexandria’s defense plenty of bite
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Xzavier White’s love affair for football was a delayed romance.
Throughout his formative years in Alexandria, White played basketball and was even a goalie in soccer, until his mother, Latisha, finally relented, giving him the green light to play football for the first time in eighth grade.
“She really didn’t want me to play football,” said White, entering his senior season. “I finally convinced her to let me play, and then she kept letting me play. I ended up falling in love with the game.”
White’s given his mother, the Alexandria Senior High Community, and the Central Louisiana region plenty to cheer about with the rise of the Trojans’ football program and his ascent to one of the state’s best linebackers.
“She’s my biggest fan,” White said.
There are plenty of reasons to see why. Beginning with White’s evolution from a player with limited opportunities on the freshman and junior varsity teams, he’s become a two-year starter, highlighted by his selection to the Class 5A All-State first team in 2024, leading that all-star squad with 188 total tackles for an average of 13.4 per game.
“He’s just gotten better with every game he played since he started as a sophomore,” Alexandria head coach Thomas Bachman said. “He’s continued to grow going into his junior year. We need to see that growth. He should be at a different level his senior season.”
The work in the weight room will be noticeable where White, who is 6-feet tall, has increased his weight by 10 pounds to 237 pounds. Combined with his instincts and personality, where he’s earned the role of team captain on defense, he’s also earned his share of interest from colleges.
“Raw would be how I would describe it coming in,” Alexandria’s fifth-year linebacker’s coach Ryan Russo said of White. “He didn’t have a lot of junior high experience. The measurables were always there for his age group.
“During the offseason going into his sophomore year, he really progressed well athletically,” Russo said. “He improved in the weight room and ran well (conditioning). We were replacing some guys at inside linebacker. We gave him a shot, and he took it and ran with it. He did the most with it.”
White’s affinity for finding the football with 117 solo stops. He was also a disruptive force with 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 13 quarterback hurries, and 2 ½ sacks.
Just don’t expect him to rest on those numbers and accomplishments, which also includes White as the MVP on the ’24 All-CENLA team.
“You can always get better,” said White, ASH’s first Class 5A All-State first team linebacker in five years since Jermaine McNeal. “You should always want to do better for yourself, no matter what you’ve done. If you want to achieve greatness, you’ve got to continue to get it and don’t stop at one accomplishment. Find something else you can get better at.”
That goes for the entire program, one that enjoyed one of the school’s best seasons ever.
ASH recorded its first 10-0 regular season in its 56-year history and won its first District 2-5A championship – regarded among the state’s best – since 2012.
The Trojans’ run to the league title featured wins over a gauntlet of blueblood programs such as West Monroe, Ruston, and Neville.
Moreover, ASH’s deep postseason advancement included a quarterfinal winner Byrd (43-32) and semifinal triumph against John Curtis (24-13) before a 53-8 setback top top-seeded Karr in the Division I select state championship.
“I want to go back to the Caeser’s Superdome,” White said. “That’s the ultimate goal. Just the way we worked and prepared over the offseason, and we had a hard summer. It all ended up paying off for us.
“When it gets difficult, we’re willing to work, not stop, and get the best out of whatever it is,” White said. “Whatever coach says, we’re going to always strive to do our best and try and achieve greatness.”
White’s part of a 23-member senior class with a bigger voice, regardless of his position on the field.
The two-year starter, defensive centerpiece, and captain embraces a role he’s looked forward to since watching and learning from older teammates.
“I always want to see the best out of people,” he said. “I’m going to push them and get the best out of everyone. I feel that this defense has a lot of chemistry. We’re blood brothers. We love each other and we’re willing to go to battle for each other.”
The team’s admiration for White makes him a natural for a position of leadership, Bachman said.
“He’s one of the most respected guys in the locker room,” he said. “He’s got an incredible personality, he’s funny. He’s what the situation calls for when it’s time to be serious and when it’s about the ball. He understands that.
“But when it’s time to have a conversation and build camaraderie with his coaches, his teammates, whatever the situation calls for, X is a kid that does that really well,” he said. “He’s probably mature beyond his years in that regard.”
ASH was powered by an offense in ’24 that produced 407 yards and 43.1 points per game a year ago. The Trojans scored 40 or more points in 12 consecutive games until the semifinal round against John Curtis.
The strength of the ’25 version has the distinct possibility of shifting to a defense with seven returning starters – led by White – that limited the opposition to 236 total yards and 22 points a game.
“We set a goal for this defense that we’re not looking at last year,” ASH’s fourth-year defensive coordinator, Josh Mercer. “Last year’s group no longer exists; we’re solely focused on improving every day, scratching and clawing in practice. The potential’s there to absolutely be a dominant defense, but potential’s a dangerous word. If we’re not going to go scratch and claw, we’ll put ourselves in a bind. It won’t matter.”
White will be joined by returning starters weakside linebacker Jackson Townsend, noseguard Peyton Hobbs, nickelback Kerrick Gaines, free safety Jakyrin Griffin, and cornerbacks Jaytun Terry and Jay Frazier.
“X is a very respected teammate, the leading vote getter at captain with a great personality,” Bachman said. “He’s fun to be around, and he sets the tone. The kids respect him, and I think that’s very important.”
White made a substantial leap a year ago from his first full season as a starter. He closed in on the 100-tackle plateau with 95 stops, 9 TFLs, 5 sacks, 5 QB hurries, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.
“In the run game, he has his reads and gap he’s primarily responsible for,” Mercer said. “Based on the call and coverage is what he’s responsible for in the pass game. There are always areas for growth you can find on film where there’s a bust here or there.
“But the great thing about X is you’re never going to have to coach the effort out of him,” Mercer said. “It’s just going to be a mental mistake here or there, and then because of his experience, there’s a high level of conversation about ball you can have with him. There’s a foundation there that he can understand.”
Both Mercer and Russo said ASH’s defense, when the opposition faces long-yardage situations, can expect a heavy dose of White in the backfield that typically results in negative plays.
“Where he does a really good job, he makes the people around him a lot better,” Mercer said. “It’s not just his individual play. He’s really charismatic but knows when to turn it off. Practices are a lot more fun. He’s constantly the guy who’s bringing the juice. Just a really fun kid to coach and then goes and makes plays.”
“Our Mike (middle) position is given the opportunity to get after the quarterback with certain reads and calls,” Russo said. “He’s gotten that opportunity and he’s made the most of it.
“Coming in so raw, all he knows is what he’s learned in this program,” Russo said. “We didn’t have to spend time coaching bad habits out of him. Our terminology is the only one he’s ever known. He’s been a sponge. He can tell our freshman linebackers what to do, and that’s when you know a player’s bought in, understands the scheme and the philosophy behind what we’re doing.”
White’s mindset mirrors that of his teammates.
Last year’s 13-win season, the most wins in school history, and state runner-up showing have created the kind of synergy in the offseason to try and surpass those milestones.
White wants more, both for his team and his own individual play.
“I would like to make more tackles for loss, big stops,” he said. “Being more physical, attacking downhill, going and get it. That would pay off a lot. Being a great leader to lead by example so my teammates know what to do. Before you tell anyone else what to do, you’ve got to be able to do so they follow your actions.”
Playing beyond the high school level is something that’s on White’s radar.
“I pray about it,” he said. “If it’s for me, then it’s for me. I would like to play in college.”
Schools such as Central Arkansas, Lamar, Arkansas-Monticello, and nearby Louisiana Christian have extended scholarship offers.
Another solid season for both the Trojans and White is what holds the key, Bachman said.
“What we need to concentrate is on the things we can control,” he said. “Let’s play as well as we can possibly play. All that stuff’s going to sort itself out. The more success we have as a team, the more success he has as an individual, the more people that are going to take notice.
“Players want to continue their career,” he said. “Worrying about things we can’t control is wasted energy and wasted time. Let’s just concentrate on being the best player we can be, the best team we can be, and people will take notice and there will be opportunities to go play. It just takes one. I just want him to finish strong, and I think that will take care of itself.”
Featured Image Courtesy: Bret H. McCormick/One T Photography