Internal Flame: Push for perfection drives Erath’s Jack Landry to high standard
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
It’s an almost unquenchable thirst, the pursuit of perfection that energizes Erath quarterback Jack Landry.
Should the plays that are run in practice not go according to plan, expect Landry to be part of a group of the team’s skill players to remain afterward and polish up the details to shine on Friday. He’s a straight-A student, a candidate to be his class valedictorian, who’s still never reached 100 on his coach’s postgame grades.
“I keep pushing him hard, keep grading him hard because I know he wants to be great,” Erath head coach Eric LeBlanc, who is in his eighth season and also serves as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
LeBlanc inputs data into his computer, taking into account run and pass plays for Landry, his decisions and mechanics on each play, as well as his reads on passing plays.
For the season, for undefeated Erath (8-0) the state’s seventh-ranked team, Landry’s averaged 91% – a jump over his season-opening 85% mark. He understood his lapses and, like his team, has shown an increase in performance with grades that have been as high as 97%.
“Coach said we’re human, we’re never going to be perfect,” said Landry, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder. “It’s the idea of perfection that drives me. That keeps burning inside of me, keep fighting to be better than you were the day before.”
Erath’s on a path no other team in school history has navigated. The Bobcats, who close out the regular season with District 5-3A road games against Vermilion Parish rivals Kaplan and Abbeville, are attempting to become the first team to complete a regular season with an undefeated record and district title.
The Bobcats, who were 7-0-1 in 1958, won the school’s seventh league championship last season at 9-1, earning Division III’s No. 2 seed in the state playoffs, where they were upset in the regional round by Loreauville.
“That’s definitely one of my motivations,” Landry said. “We talk all the time about how we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves … Our community, the brother on the side of you. That’s kind of a driving factor.”
Erath visits Kaplan at 7 p.m. Thursday and Abbeville on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. The Bobcats have won previously won five outright district titles and shared in the last more in 2019 with Kaplan and St. Martinville, and against Kaplan in 1998.
“We had that taste in our mouths until Week 1 of this year when we put it to them,” Landry said of a 34-19 victory over Loreauville. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we could be 8-0. We had a goal set in the summer, and we said we’re going to do something that no one in Erath’s ever done.
“This year we wanted to have a better regular season than last year and make it past the second round of the playoffs,” Landry said. “We keep setting standards for ourselves, and we try to top those standards.
Landry’s part of a five-member two-sport group that was part of Erath’s chase for a state championship in baseball in May.
The Bobcats enjoyed their best season with a trip to the Division III non-select state championship best-of-three series.
Landry is part of a football team with five players who were part of Erath’s baseball team that finished with a state runner-up finish against Sterlington.
The state’s top two seeded teams – Sterlington No. 1, Erath No. 2 – divided the first two games of the series with the Bobcats staving off elimination with a 7-6 victory to force a third and deciding game that went to the Panthers, 5-3.
Landry believed the same mentality could transition to this year’s football team; a veteran group of players committed to the same level of hard work and dedication to bringing a state championship home to their beloved community of less than 2,000 people.
“That’s our mindset,” Landry said. “It definitely fed our competitive spirit, not only in baseball, but in football. We’ve got a group of guys this year that love to go get it. We love the grind. We like the fight. That’s set our fire.”
Erath’s fourth-year baseball coach, Jeremy Picard, has watched the evolution of Landry into a staple in right field and in the team’s batting order. He’s become an unselfish leader that teammates embrace.
“We’ve had seniors that had been leaders for a couple of years,” said Picard, the state’s Class 3A Coach of the Year last season. “This year, we’re looking for Jack to be a leader. The way he processes things and goes about his business off the field will continue to allow us to do some good things. That will be led by a couple of seniors, and Jack will be one of the main ones.”
Landry was a middle-of-the-order batter who started in all 39 of his team’s games. He batted .333 with a .509 slugging percentage with seven doubles, four homers, and 25 RBIs. He was also a steady hand on defense with only two errors in 66 total chances for a .970 fielding percentage.
“Jack’s picture should be right next to the word teammate,” Picard said. “He’s one of the most unselfish kids I’ve ever coached. First one to practice, last one to leave. He’ll do everything and anything it takes to win. He’s a winner. Whatever it takes to make the team successful, he’s willing to do and go above and beyond.
“He’s a take-charge kind of kid, he’s vocal but also leads by example,” Picard said. “Very seldom you find kids such as Jack that are not afraid to put in work. His success is because of his off-the-field work. The moment’s never too big for him. He got big hits for us all through the playoffs and in the finals that helped propel us in Game 2. He’s got a calm demeanor, a level-headedness, and just goes about his business the right way.”
Landry’s debut in Erath’s offense was the result of an injury to the team’s starter in 2023.
He bided his time with the junior varsity until being summoned to the Bobcats’ starting lineup in the seventh game of the season. He flashed a big right arm, completing his first pass for a 60-yard touchdown in a 16-13 setback to Kaplan, a 2-8 season filled with plenty of lessons to gain from.
“He came in and performed well,” LeBlanc said. “When the starter got healthy in Week 10, we rotated them in the game.”
Erath finished with a 68-42 win over Donaldsonville, signifying the start of Landry’s career as the team’s full-time starter in 2024.
The Bobcats began 3-0, lost 41-34 to eventual Division IV select state champion Vermilion Catholic, and closed with five consecutive wins capped by 17-14 and 42-28 triumphs over Kaplan and Abbeville.
Landry credited his growth to quarterback Lynkon Romero, a senior when he was a sophomore. In addition, his work with Cole Delcambre, who worked for a local athletic training company, was key to his development.
“Lynkon helped me a lot in understanding the offense and defenses,” he said. “Coach Delcambre also helped me a lot. They set me up for a great future, and I’ve been carrying what they taught me.”
Landry completed 58% of his passes (113 of 194) last season for 1,704 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions, earning the district’s offensive MVP honor as the first team quarterback. His team’s second-round playoff loss (28-7) lit the fire to come back and lead the Bobcats to greater heights.
“He wants to be perfect,” LeBlanc said. “He’s hard on himself. He holds his teammates accountable. People understand that things need to be done in order for us to be better.”
Landry’s approach to the offseason wasn’t much different than any other. The advancement of the baseball team to the state championship series limited his spring football presence before he turned his attention to summer conditioning and 7-on-7 time with his teammates.
He was also a mainstay for Team Louisiana’s travel ball team, creating a balance between two sports he’s managed since first playing football in the seventh grade.
“I honestly don’t like to have an offseason,” he said. “I like to be gone, doing as much as I can to be with my teammates, just competing and getting out there and getting after it.”
Landry mixed in time on the college camp circuit, working to improve his game under the watchful eyes of college coaches who have remained non-committal on scholarship offers. He attended seven camps and has developed a line of communication with coaches from McNeese State and Northwestern State, and has been invited to a Nicholls State game this season.
“I’m going to weigh my options,” Landry said, between a future in football or baseball. “If someone gives me the opportunity to play both, that would be a dream come true. If it comes down to it, I think I’ll see what God puts on my heart and tells me which one is best for my future.
“I’ve talked with the (Erath) coaches all the time,” Landry said. “After this football season, I think my answer will become more apparent. I love football and baseball. I want to be the best at both, and why not give myself an opportunity to play at the next level at either one? I’m having fun with it and going out and ball. It’s the love of the game that drives me to play both.”
Landry said he was once told he was too competitive, a claim he strongly disputes.
“I’m a competitor, and it doesn’t matter what I do,” he said. “There’s no such thing as being too competitive. I want to be the best at everything I do.”
Landry’s never-satisfied approach opened his eyes toward becoming a better leader in his final year.
There were a couple of instances during the ’24 season that resulted in a lack of focus, giving Landry the opportunity to develop better habits, trying to improve each play and not reflect on previous negative results.
“I want to improve,” he said. “My game’s never good enough. I tell myself I want to be a better general on the field. Last year I found myself in a couple of situations, and I wasn’t as level-headed as I’d like to be. In the offseason, I took it to heart. This is what I’m going to focus on, this is what I’m going to do.”
The increased postgame grade reports are an example of Landry’s progress for a team outscoring its opponents by an average of 32 points a game. The Bobcats are one of two undefeated teams (the other is Jewel Sumner) in Class 3A and are No. 5 in the latest Division III non-select power rankings.
“He’s controlling the ship,” LeBlanc said. “We’re not having to lean on him right now to throw the ball. Whenever it’s his time to throw it, he’s making the right checks, he’s making the right reads. He’s putting the ball where it needs to get thrown. He’s doing the right thing with the ball in his hand. He’s put us in a position to win ball games.”
Landry trails his numbers of a year ago – 1,009 yards with 15 touchdowns on 60.3% passing (67 of 111) – but couldn’t care less. The Bobcats surround him with a veteran offensive line and balanced running game that has lessened the pressure on him and allowed him to focus on running an efficient offense with both his experience and leadership.
“I’m always for winning and guys hearing me on the field,” he said. “I can get the guys hyped. I like to be loud. I love seeing the blue and white win. If I have to hand the ball off, then resort to passing, I’ll do whatever it is. I love seeing my guys succeed.”
Three of Erath’s offensive linemen are seniors with left tackle Cohen Benoit, left guard Jayden Bagley, and right tackle Zachary Broussard. The Bobcats also have sophomore center Cohen Landry, right guard Lane Goutierrez, and a trio of rotating tight ends in junior Landen DeRouen, along with seniors Koah Copell and Cade Francis.
They’ve paved the way for a rushing game that features the 1-2 punch of seniors Aiden Bourque and Jahlil Charles, and senior Landon Lemaire.
“We’ve run the ball because it’s put us in the position to win ball games,” LeBlanc said. “Whenever we need to throw it and the defense is giving us great looks, they have to respect our run game and our passing game. It’s been a good mix for us, and Jack’s leading the way in both areas.
“We’re not 8-0 for a reason,” LeBlanc said. “We’re not going to re-invent the wheel and come up with some new strategies to throw the ball. It’s going to be the same stuff that’s gotten us here. We’re just going to get better at what we do.”
LeBlanc said it’s common to see Erath rely on its wildcat package that completely takes Landry off the field.
“Whatever I have to do, I’m all for it,” Landry said. “As long as we win on Fridays.”
Erath’s in the midst of its most dominant stretch this season. The Bobcats have outscored their last three opponents, 142-0, and have been playing with a running clock in the second half.
The Bobcats are nearing the end of a spectacular regular season, ending with Kaplan and Abbeville, where offseason aspirations are coming closer into focus.
“It’s surreal to be able to put on the blue and white,” Landry said. “This is something I knew our guys could do since the first week of summer. I knew we had it in us. We’ve got leaders all over the field. We’ve got that want to, to go get it, and won’t stop for anything to go get a 10-0 season.
“I’m confident about our next two weeks,” Landry said. “Yes, we have two parish rivals. Those are teams that we’re capable of beating, and I know our guys are going to get it the next two weeks.”