Eyes on the Prize: North DeSoto’s Kenny Thomas wants more than school rushing record, college scholarship
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
When he was in middle school, North DeSoto running back Kenny Thomas came across the sobering numbers of high school athletes trying to live out their dreams on Division I teams.
“I did the research, and it was less than 1-2%,” said Thomas, the school’s career rushing leader. “That’s when I said I always wanted to be in that 1-2%. Now it’s a surreal feeling that I’m part of that 1-2%.”
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Thomas beat the odds, putting together the greatest rushing career at North DeSoto with 4,634 yards, and will sign with Louisiana Tech in the school’s gymnasium at 2:55 on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period. He will be joined by record-setting quarterback Luke Delafield, who will sign with Northwestern State.
Two days later, after the celebration dissipates, Thomas and Delafield are part of a 24-member senior class that’s gone 45-5 and will make their final home appearance when top-seeded North DeSoto (12-0) hosts fifth-seeded Plaquemine (12-1) in the semifinal round of the Division II non-select state playoffs at 7 p.m.
The Griffins are trying to remain in contention for the school’s first state championship, having advanced to the Caesers Superdome during the freshman seasons of Thomas and Delafield in 2022, falling to Lutcher, 25-22.
“I’m more excited about Friday than Wednesday’s signing day,” said Thomas, his team’s leading rusher with 164 carries for 1,403 yards and 20 touchdowns. “I’ve got forever to sign. You only get a shot at high school football to play in and win a state championship. It’s just so rare and can be such a fulfilling moment. “We don’t want our last home game to be a loss in the playoffs to end the season. We want to do what we can to win Friday.”
Delafield’s deservingly garnered his share of headlines throughout his four-year career, helping spark North DeSoto’s ascent in Division II. His career total of 10,527 passing yards is among the Top 10 totals in Louisiana high school history, and with the opportunity to play two more games, could land at No. 5 ahead of the total of 10,770 by Lafayette Christian’s JuJuan Johnson.
North DeSoto coach Dennis Dunn, who coached the state’s No. 1 passer Brock Berlin at Evangel Christian Academy (13,902 yards), didn’t hesitate when asked about the level of production Delafield and Thomas have reached as teammates.
“They’re even better kids, and that’s what makes it so much fun,” Dunn said. “The fact that we can run the football has taken pressure off of Luke, and I think made him the quarterback that he is. The passing lanes are more open because people have to load the box with those two backs. He’s such an accurate passer. It’s really been a good marriage.”
Thomas said he’s enjoyed watching Delafield taking more of a role as a runner this season, putting his shoulder down when challenged for additional yardage.
“We love watching each other play on the field,” he said. “He’ll say it’s fun to watch me run the ball from back there. Before he hands me the ball, he’ll say, ‘Kenny, go house it.’ I’ve told him it’s even more fun to watch him run than pass. We both hype each other up and encourage each other.”
Despite his stature, Thomas has never backed down from a challenge and is motivated to deliver the fight to unsuspecting opponents.
“When people try to tackle me, or I’m taking people on a blitz, they kind of underestimate me because of my size,” he said. “I’m really powerful. I lift a lot of weight in the weight room. When I hit them the first time, they know they’ve got to take me seriously.
“It’s kind of an underdog mentality when it comes to pass pro(taction) or normal things that big backs are good at like breaking tackles,” he said. “I wanted to improve myself, and I’ve given that extra effort, knowing that people are doubting me, thinking that there’s a weak point in my game.”
A pair of 1,000-yard rushers in John Lewis (1,431) and Brian Banks (1,095) gave North DeSoto a formidable running game, enabling Delafield to progress at his own pace during the Griffins’ state runner-up run.
“They carried the load during the Dome year,” Dunn said. “They were two really special backs.”
Thomas’ path to the field didn’t need any additional push, developing on the team’s junior varsity team. He picked up beneficial habits from Lewis and Banks, both on and off the field, and wound up with 21 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman.
“I got to learn how to be unselfish, which is what (fellow running back) Braelyn (Latin) and I are, cheering on each other,” Thomas said. “I had to learn how to handle the ups and downs. I saw how they reacted when they made mistakes, how they would take coaching. Coach Dunn will get on you and how they were leaders on the team, not just verbally, but body language-wise, if things weren’t going a certain way in the game.”
Dunn saw the strides Thomas made on the JV team. The Griffins’ coaching staff witnessed the raw speed and tremendous change of direction, leaving them feeling confident about the future of the position.
“He did some things that left us saying, ‘wow’,” Dunn said.
With projected starting running back Trysten Hopper, a member of the baseball team that made a deep run in the state playoffs, Thomas was the beneficiary and received the majority of the repetitions during spring training.
“It was very evident at that point that we had something special,” Dunn said.
With Delafield passing for a career-high 3,219 yards and 38 touchdowns, North DeSoto’s offense once again featured two 1,000-yard rushers in Thomas (166-1,269, 16 TDs) and Hopper (201-1,120, 20 TDs). The Griffins were eliminated in the state semifinals by Opelousas (28-20), the eventual state champion.
“He was very small as a freshman and then hit a growth spurt,” Dunn said of Thomas. “He’s not a big guy now, but he did grow between his freshman and sophomore year. He rotated with Trysten most every series where he broke out, and as a junior, just became our feature back.”
Thomas was a sprinter for North DeSoto’s track team and added to his frame with additional work in the weight room. He advanced to the Class 4A state Outdoor Championships in track and field meet this past spring, helping the Griffins’ 4×100 relay unit to a runner-up finish to Westgate. He also posted a time of 10.8 in the 100 meters.
He continued the process of making himself into a standout running back, following the examples previously set by Lewis, Banks, and Hopper, blending with his natural abilities of quick feet, balance, and change of direction.
“Just making cuts at the second and third level,” he said. “Making people miss, along with my size.”
Dunn said Thomas is one of the sturdier players on the team.
“He’s explosive in the weight room,” he said. “Pound for pound, he may be the strongest guy we have. His change of direction is phenomenal. He’s got the gear. When he breaks into the open, he’s got another gear.”
Thomas compiled his best year at North DeSoto in 2024, recording 11 games with more than 100 yards, including a pair of 200-yard efforts. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry with 240 attempts for 1,932 yards and 31 touchdowns.
He was named the District 1-4A Offensive MVP, first team All-Area, first team Class 4A All-State by the state’s coaches, and honorable mention Class 4A by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Thomas’ biggest game was in the Griffins’ quarterfinal loss to eventual state champion Cecilia (57-40) with 203 yards, two touchdowns on 30 attempts.
That result became the motivation needed for this season, which is now a step shy of a state championship game appearance.
“We’ve really been talking about this since we lost last year in the quarterfinals to Cecilia,” he said. “Just getting back and finishing the mission.”
Thomas’ leadership has been evident during the success he’s shared with Latin, developing the type of camaraderie he enjoyed with Lewis, Banks and Hopper. Latin, a similarly built back, was the team’s second-leading rusher behind Thomas with 683 yards and 9 TDs on 135 attempts.
“I look back on what those guys taught me, especially when people are watching,” Thomas said. “Being in my position, there’s going to be a lot of people looking at me, a guy with a school record. Don’t let the pressure get to you and remember you’re a leader.”
Thomas’ objective for his senior season was a state championship and 2,500 yards rushing. When he missed three games in October with an injury, he didn’t move off his team’s goal.
“I had no other goals than to win a state championship,” he said. “Instead of worrying about the stats, I wanted to enjoy every moment of my senior year. It was tough missing those games. I had a different role where I could support the guys on the sideline, be on the headset. It was sad not playing, but happy to see the game from that perspective as kind of a coach. I really encouraged Braelyn during those three weeks. I was right in his corner.”
North DeSoto’s unbeaten season has been a collection of offensive highlights with stout defensive play.
The season’s first signature moment was Sept. 19, rallying from a 28-17 halftime deficit at West Monroe for a 39-28 victory. Thomas had his first 100-yard performance of the season with 197 yards and 3 TDs on 34 carries.
The Griffins began District 1-4A play at Northwood, leading 24-20 after three quarters, before exploding for a 28-point fourth quarter in a 39-28 triumph. Latin had a team-high 161 yards and 3 TDs on 28 carries, while Thomas added 91 yards and a TD on 23 attempts.
Thomas was then sidelined for the next three games, finding himself in a support role for the team and more importantly, Latin who amassed 429 yards and 8 TDs on 47 attempts during that span. The Griffins comfortably won each game, extending their record to 7-0, and got a healthier Thomas back for the team’s important stretch run.
“He’s been steady,” Dunn said of Thomas. “This has really been the only time he’s had an injury. We knew down the stretch we were going to need him, and Braelyn Latin needed reps. In any other offense in our area, Braelyn Latin would be the featured back.”
A 62-12 demolition of Woodlawn-Shreveport set the stage for a showdown with undefeated and high-scoring Loyola Prep on Oct. 31.
North DeSoto took a 35-28 lead at halftime and expanded that margin to 49-35, going into the fourth quarter for a 63-49 victory. Thomas rushed for a career-high 276 yards and 4 TDs on 22 carries.
“Every touchdown was pivotal,” Thomas said. “We knew they had a real good offense, and we knew we had to score almost every drive, be almost perfect as an offense, which is hard to do in high school football. We had to score almost every drive to beat them.”
“He just had an absolute monster game,” Dunn said.
North DeSoto closed out its 17th consecutive regular season win with a 56-3 rout of Bossier, earning a first-round bye this postseason.
The Griffins had also celebrated Thomas’ feat of becoming the school’s career rushing leader following his effort against Loyola. He was presented with the game ball after reaching 4,181 yards to eclipse the mark of the previous record holder, Delmonte Hall, a 2016 graduate.
“It’s a big achievement,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of good running backs before me. My freshman year, we had two really good running backs and also Delmonte Hall. Aubrey Scott was someone who was recruited by a lot of schools. It’s a surreal feeling to pass those guys who were really good. It’s really humbling.”
His 182-yard, 2-TD performance was part of North DeSoto’s 56-13 regional victory over DeRidder, helping the Griffins advance to the quarterfinals last week, a 51-37 win over Franklinton, last year’s state runner-up.
Thomas was never better during the first half, which featured 67 combined points. The Griffins encountered difficulty with turnovers, with Thomas giving his team a 37-30 halftime lead on a touchdown run.
Latin added 19 carries for 101 yards, increasing his season totals to 1,199 yards and 23 TDs on 154 attempts.
“We made some mistakes early in the game that kind of kept Franklinton in the game,” he said. “They’re a very good football team, but we knew we were better if we executed properly. We had a couple of turnovers that helped put them back in the game, and they went up by a point. My offensive line had been clearing out big holes all night. When I got one of those holes, I knew I had to score, and I just turned on the jets all the way to the house.”
There’s become an expectation that when Thomas breaks through the line, he’ll end up in the end zone, Dunn said.
“There’s a good chance he’s not going to be tackled,” he said. “That’s been his M.O. for the last two years. His speed is phenomenal. His football speed, too. He’s a track runner, and there’s a football speed on the field because of change of direction. He can change direction on a dime and be back at full speed as quick as anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s a Division I back.”
For nearly nine months, Thomas has waited to make that official.
He received interest from in-state schools LSU, Tulane, and UL, but it was kind of attention from La. Tech that made Thomas feel truly special and put the Bulldogs over the top.
“They were the school I could tell that looked at me as more than a football player,” Thomas said. “The biggest emphasis they showed was that they wanted to develop me as a man who will eventually go into the world and raise a family. Ruston’s a small town like Stonewall, it’s close to home, and I’ve been wearing red for a long time.”