Heart of Lions: Ouachita realizes potential in time to play for first state title in 31 years
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Alexandria Senior High football coach Thomas Bachman wanted to share more than just pleasantries with his counterpart and good friend, Benjy Lewis of Ouachita Parish, following their Oct. 31 matchup in District 2-5A play.
There were two teams headed in different directions with one game remaining in the regular season. The Trojans were 8-1 following their 28-21 road win, sending the Lions to a 5-4 record and a difficult seed in the upcoming state playoffs.
“He stopped me after our game,” Lewis said of Bachman. “He said, ‘Y’all are fixing to rip through the playoffs and hurt some feelings.’ That’s what has happened.”
Ouachita stopped a four-game district losing streak with a 56-0 victory over Pineville, sparking a postseason run that has included three straight upsets of lower-seeded teams, and moved the Lions back to their first state championship appearance in 30 years.
No. 14 Ouachita (10-4) opposes fellow District 2-5A foe, top-seeded Ruston (11-2), in Saturday’s Division I non-select state championship in the Caeser’s Superdome at noon.
The Lions find themselves in exclusive company during their historic run. They’re the highest-seeded team remaining among the final 16 teams and can become the third highest seeded team to win a Division I/Class 5A state title (Acadiana was No. 27 in 2010 and No. 15 in 2014). They’re also the first team to advance to a state championship game after finishing in fifth place in district play.
“We took some tough losses where we were either up, tied, or it was decided on the last play of the game,” Lewis said. “You could hear the talk. Those guys’ heads were hanging, and I walked into a meeting with them on Sundays and could tell them to get ready to take on the next challenge.
“The resolve of these young men has probably been the most inspiring thing for me,” Lewis said. “Just the desire and belief in each other, and in our program and what we’ve built through these playoffs. It’s been uplifting and inspiring to see that out of them because the talent has always been there.”
Just like Ouachita’s razor-thin average margin in defeat of 7.3 points in district, the Lions have made a living in postseason play with a 5.8 average margin of victory. They’ve sandwiched an opening-round 24-21 win over St. Amant with last week’s 14-7 state semifinal triumph at No. 2 Neville.
Ouachita won its lone state championship in 1989 under coach Mike Vallery when the Lions (13-1) defeated Brother Martin, 35-7.
“In kind of in a weird way we kind of needed to lose those games to see what was going on,” Lewis said. “How were we losing things that we had a favorable advantage in? We’ve been in those situations several times in the playoffs, and we’ve seen that we’ve been able to appropriately respond now instead of letting it get away from us. We’ve been able to find ways to win instead of finding ways to lose.
“We haven’t taken the route of blowing teams out early or late in the playoffs,” Lewis said. “One of our coaches said that we’ve played very complementary football. Our offense runs the ball well, and when we get in a game late where we have a lead, we feel like we can grind that thing out, hold onto the ball, and manage the clock and win it.”
Lewis, a native of West Monroe, has spent the past five years of his 23-year coaching career at Ouachita. He was the defensive coordinator for two seasons until his promotion to head coach in 2023. He’s also coached for three years at Jena and 10 at Neville, with eight of those as the defensive coordinator.
During his introductory news conference, Lewis, then a special education teacher, referenced his objective for a program that had won six playoff games over the previous nine seasons and reached the quarterfinals once in 2021.
“I was definitely not a geography teacher, but I knew from the parking lot of Ouachita High School to Poydras Street is 275 miles,” Lewis said of the distance to the Superdome in New Orleans. “For a trip like that, you’ve got to plan and prepare for it. We spent three years doing that to take a 275-mile trip. It hadn’t been done here in so long. People called it crazy.”
Ouachita was 6-6 with a regional loss to Ruston before Lewis’ first season, where a large number of sophomores were starting and would become the foundation of Ouachita’s success this season.
The second season of Lewis’ plan to revive the Lions’ program opened with a 21-20 win over Archbishop Rummel. The season took on a substantial amount of water the following week when the team’s starting quarterback sustained a torn ACL in a walk-through practice the day before the Neville game, playing a part in a 3-8 record that included a 48-14 setback to Class 2A power Ouachita Christian.
“We didn’t have another quarterback,” Lewis said. “We had tight games with West Monroe (31-21 loss) and had Neville on the ropes (16-14 loss). They got beat by OCS, and there were a lot of things spoke negatively about them.”
Year 2 under Lewis was more competitive. The Lions wound up 4-7 after a first-round setback to Destrehan, but the Lions, who defeated Sterlington and Franklin Parish in non-district play, took solace in losses to Ruston (22-21) and West Monroe (15-13).
“We went 3-1 in non-district, scored with three seconds to go, and had an extra point blocked against Ruston,” Lewis said. “I went for it five times on fourth down against West Monroe. It was a war. I was hoping we could get it in field goal range in the second half and just couldn’t.”
Lewis liked the mindset coming out of the team’s postseason meeting, a group of sophomores three seasons ago that were talking in such confident tones about the prospects for 2025.
“This group of seniors had been together since eighth grade and had always talked about winning championships,” he said. “It’s rare you see groups like that. Expectations were high. Everyone talked about doing their part; they were going to play great in November and early December. That was kind of the goal.”
Ouachita’s 5-0 start this year included a pair of wins over Sterlington, a Division III non-select finalist, and Franklin Parish, which advanced to the II non-select regionals. The Lions embarked on District 2-5A play – arguably the state’s most rigorous district that would send three teams to the state semifinals and produce both teams contending in this year’s Division I state final.
The first Ruston-Ouachita matchup featured plenty of drama throughout. The Bearcats returned a blocked punt and Ahmad Hudson – the nation’s top-ranked tight end in the Class of 2027 – caught a pair of touchdowns with his go-ahead score taking place in the fourth quarter for a 21-14 win.
“We both blocked a punt,” Lewis said. “Theirs bounced the right way, they picked it up and scored. Ours bounced to the side. It was a defensive war.”
A 39-25 loss at West Monroe turned out to be the Lions’ biggest setback in district play.
“After the West Monroe loss, I fully expected to see them come in, because there was just a lot of (outside) noise and really be downhearted and kind of give up,” Lewis said.
A week later, a home game with Neville proved to be extraordinary. The Tigers were able to make a living on special team breakdowns by the Lions for 24 of their 38 points in a one-point win.
Quarterback Montrel Conner Jr. completed 15 of 27 passes for 361 yards and five touchdowns, with two of those scores going to wide receiver Cameron Brooks.
Lewis said a discussion to go for two points originated before the team’s final touchdown with four minutes to play. When the two-point conversion failed, the Lions still had all of their timeouts and faced a key third-down play on defense that Neville broke for a key first down, enabling the Tigers to secure the victory.
ASH extended its halftime lead to 21-7 in the third quarter when Ouachita, which had five starters benched in the first quarter for a violation of team rules, rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns on a TD pass from Conner to Brooks, and a rushing score from Macario Dade. He led the Lions with 144 yards on 28 attempts.
The Trojans closed in the final minute of play with a touchdown pass for the 28-21 victory.
“We had to do a lot of work,” Lewis said of public scrutiny surrounding his team’s 6-4 record. “It’s hard separating public perception. We had to tell them pretty plainly, the only people that know what we are or in this building every day working with us. Other than that, opinions don’t really matter. We’re just as good as we when we were undefeated.”
Ouachita began its playoff run with a 26-member senior group with one playoff win to its credit in 2022.
Dade provided his team with a big spark with a 221-yard rushing effort and a touchdown, and Conner added 65 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in a 24-21 triumph over St. Amant, which ended the team’s season three years ago.
No. 3 Destrehan, which had twice ended Ouachita’s seasons in 2024 and 2022, provided a lengthy road trip for Ouachita. Behind another strong effort from Dade, who gained 138 yards with a touchdown, the Lions opened a 21-12 lead in the third quarter and secured a 21-19 victory.
No. 6 Parkway hosted the following week’s quarterfinal, and Ouachita’s rushing attack was responsible for the Lions maintaining possession of the ball. The Lions ran 69 plays compared to 35, and Dade had another 100-yard effort with 152 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, while Conner added 119 yards and a score on 21 attempts, in a 28-22 win.
“Destrehan may have been the big hurdle in most people’s eyes than Parkway just because of their nature of being in the quarterfinals or deeper every year,” Lewis said. “When they went down and did that, they felt like they were on a roll.”
Six weeks after their one-point disappointment at home against Neville, Ouachita made the 10-mile trip for the all-Monroe semifinal, where the Lions took a 14-0 lead into the fourth quarter. Conner accounted for both scores with a TD run and a scoring pass to Seneca Battle.
The Lions’ defense, which dodged a bullet in the second quarter when De’Andre Mansfield punched the ball out from a runner nearing the goal line, allowed one touchdown, but relied on constant pressure for six sacks and kept the Tigers to 195 total yards, including just 54 rushing on 18 attempts.
Strong safety Orlando Freemont and cornerback Wydell Clark each had five tackles, with Dylan Berymon, Cayden Powell, Ja’Marcus Jacobs, and Larry Cooper adding four each. Ray Jones had two of his team’s six sacks, and Ray Smith added one to help hinder Neville’s final drive that ended with an incompletion for a 14-7 win.
“Our kids were fired up,” Lewis said of the rematch with Neville. “We were finishing up at Parkway, eating our meal, and we heard they won, 42-0. It was a lot of excitement and a laser focus when they came in Sunday to prepare for that game.
“Our defense was the epitome of their best output,” Lewis said. “The biggest thing was getting pressure on Neville’s quarterback (Parker Robinson). We had six sacks and hurried him five to six times more. He was really off of his mark and run wise, we did a tremendous job.”
Ouachita traveled 386 miles in three road playoff games to earn the opportunity to cover the 275 miles they coveted.
“This is a religious group, they’ve said it’s a God thing,” Lewis said. “He’s given us the two teams that beat us out the previous two years. He’s lining it up to allow us to have an opportunity for success. We thank him for the opportunities we’ve got. We look forward to this.
“We haven’t run off from anyone,” Lewis said. “We can score. With our seeding it kind of mandated that we started seeing pretty good teams right from the get-go. We didn’t have the benefit of seeing those lower seeds because where our record had left us. It’s made it even more special. Every game we’ve had to really grind out.”
Ouachita’s offense, which averages 32 points, is directed by Conner, who has accumulated nearly 3,000 total yards and 45 touchdowns. He’s completed 111 of 214 passes for 2,002 yards with 31 TDs and six interceptions. He’s also the team’s second-leading rusher with 985 yards and four scores on 178 carries.
The 5-foot-5, 160-pound Dade has defied his perceived lack of size with the ability to make a living between the tackles, leading the Lions with 1,705 yards and 8 TDs, and hasn’t fumbled in 284 carries this year.
“I would put him against some of the top backs in the state,” Lewis said. “He runs so tough, runs much bigger than his size and stature. He has a Lion’s heart. With his speed (track sprinter), you wouldn’t think he would run between the tackles as well, but he gets in there and mixes it up. He doesn’t go down on first contact.”
Conner’s top two receivers are Clark, a standout two-way starter, with 24 catches for 533 yards (22.2 yards per catch) and a team-best 10 touchdowns, and Brooks with 24 receptions for 526 yards (21.9 yards per catch) for 9 TDs. The team’s third-leading receiver, Kevon Whitlock, suffered a torn ACL in the team’s playoff win over Destrehan.
Clark also impacts the team’s return game with a 22.6 average on kickoffs and a 27.1-yard average on punts.
The Lions’ offensive line, which has paved the way for 219 yards rushing per game, is led by three-year starter CJ Williams (6-0, 270, Sr.). They also have multi-year starters in Jordan Pleasant (5-10, 209, Jr.) and Marcus Jacobs (5-10, 288, Sr.), with first-year starters AJ Washington (6-0, 330, Sr.), a former defensive lineman, and Julian Treadway (6-0, 290, Sr).
Senior noseguard Dylan Berymon, a former Texas commitment, is the team’s headliner on defense with 49 tackles, 21 stops for loss, six quarterback hurries, and four sacks. The Class 5A first team All-State selection last season is the nation’s 26th-ranked defensive tackle and the state’s No. 6 prospect according to On3.
Lewis said Berymon, a 6-2, 330-pounder, has reopened his recruiting process and is considering Cal, LSU, Nebraska, and Purdue.
“His performance last week is a testament to when he doesn’t want to be blocked, he won’t be blocked,” Lewis said.
With 85 tackles, Mansfield is the team’s leading tackler for the second straight season. He also has five tackles for loss, three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries, with senior linebacker Brandon Bruce following with 68 tackles, 9 TFLs, and three sacks.
Senior defensive rush end Jeremy Jones has 59 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 5 QB sacks, followed by Berymon and Freemont’s 49 tackles with 9 TFLs, 2 QB sacks, and 7 QB hurries.
“Orlando is our unsung hero,” Lewis said of his senior strong safety. “He wears No. 0, which is a big deal for us. That’s the guy that represents Ouachita. He’s the quarterback of our defense. He’s almost an extension of me on the field with the way he relays information from the things he sees. He’s really playing very unselfish football.”
That unit, which has allowed 18 points per game, has been at the heart of Ouachita’s playoff run and has limited its playoff opponents to 20.3 points per game – nearly half of what they averaged in the regular season.
Moreover, the Lions have built a sizeable advantage in turnover ratio with a plus-14 with Mansfield’s three interceptions with Jones adding two fumble recoveries.
“We’ve known, not just this year, that we’re fully capable of playing with not just people in our district but anyone in the state,” Lewis said. “The season has gone in three phases. Our offensive coordinator (Leonard Ceaser) said we were undefeated in September, completely defeated in October, and undefeated in November. We hope to go undefeated in December. It was a beautiful thing to see them realize it.”