Raise The Bar: Bunkie on Verge of First 10-0 Regular Season in 15 Years with Rivalry Game Against Marksville

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

More than a month after his Marksville team closed the 2022 season with a 47-6 loss to Bunkie, head coach Jimmie Hillman stood in front of his new team in red and black gear spreading his vision for winning. 

Bunkie had just hired Hillman following a 1-9 record, including a 41-point defeat in his final game, to resurrect its program. The Panthers hadn’t had a winning season in seven years, and it was probably understandable to believe players were somewhat perplexed at the sight of Hillman standing before them and the words coming out of his mouth.

“They had just beat the brakes off of us,” Hillman said of District 2-3A rival Bunkie. “I came in and was announced as the head coach and let them know that I was coming here to win games. There was going to be a lot more expected out of them than what had been happening and how things were going to go. 

“I remember specifically looking those guys in the eyes and letting them know of my plan,” Hillman said. “That we were going to win games, and we were going to be successful. They were kind of looking at me crazy, wondering, ‘Didn’t you just go 1-9? What are you talking about? The ones that bought in and trusted understand now.”

The 17-mile venture within community schools in Avoyelles Parish has been a smooth one for Hillman who has guided Bunkie to an 18-2 record and state playoff berth in his two seasons. The Panthers have already won a share of the District 2-3A championship, are one of 15 undefeated teams statewide (1 of 2 in Class 3A), and ranked No. 1 in this week’s Class 3A statewide poll by the Louisiana Sportswriters and No. 2 by GeauxPreps.

Bunkie (9-0, 3-0 in 2-3A) looks to close out its first perfect regular season since 2009 and 16th district championship with a trip to Marksville (5-4, 2-2) in the 73rd Annual ‘Catskin Game’ at 7 p.m. Friday.

“We want to finish this thing out 10-0,” Hillman said. “We break the season into three phases – non-district, district, and postseason. Now it’s not really about being 10-0. We’ll celebrate that when the time comes. It’s about finishing the district season undefeated. That’s our goal. That’s what we’re focusing on now. They’re (Marksville) going to come out swinging and we have to be ready to play.”

Changing the Program’s Fortunes

Hillman, a native of Iota who played wide receiver at Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian), spent the first seven years of his career at Marksville where he served as offensive coordinator. He was promoted to head coach in 2022 and won one game before being presented with a prospect to move south and join his wife (Katelyn) who was already the softball coach at Bunkie.

“I really enjoyed my time there,” he said of Marksville. “I saw an opportunity at Bunkie. After that first season there, you saw guys like Dillon Compton and Kyle Johnson and kind of what they could accomplish. The opportunity came open and it was a good fit and the rest has been history.”

Bunkie endured seven non-winning seasons between 2015-22 with the Panthers going 4-6 and failing to reach the playoffs in ’22. The Panthers had a rich football tradition that included five state semifinal appearances with the last one taking place in Class 2A in 1988.

Hillman quickly rejuvenated a program and town of more than 3,000 with a 9-2 season in 2023. The Panthers began the season 7-0 until a 38-22 defeat to Jena and following an opening-round bye in the Division III select state playoffs, were eliminated by Episcopal of Baton Rouge, 38-14.

Bunkie’s best season in 20 years, coupled with the rise of a pair of talented seniors in Compton at quarterback and Johnson, a two-way standout and Houston commitment, have done plenty to raise the profile of the program.

“It was a good year,” Hillman said. “To get the kids to buy into the system, and some of the core values of the program and have success, was good to see. We were 9-2 and felt if the ball bounced a couple of different ways we could have won those games. Our showing in the playoffs against Episcopal was not a strong showing. We went into the offseason feeling like we were kind of close but still had to improve in some areas. We still had to get better and the leaders on our team had a really great offseason. That’s why we’re kind of position we’re in now.”

The town’s ardent fan base has shown up early for home games and given the team a true homefield advantage. 

“They’re on fire since I’ve been here, and it’s been great,” Hillman said. “They support us all the way. They pack “The Grove” every home game. About 4:30 until 11 p.m., they’re out there tailgating, cheering, and supporting. The community’s been great. To win as much as we have these two seasons, obviously, we’re going to get a lot of people in the stands and come out to watch.”

The scene for the 2024 season was set with a talented foundation of sophomores that counted as many as 11 starters by the end of last season.

Bunkie had 16 starters back, a roster of 65 players with core players such as Compton, Johnson, and senior guard John David Smith, a four-year starter, who all landed on the Class 3A All-State honorable mention list in ’23.

They were all implored by Hillman to: ‘Raise the Bar’ in 2024. 

“To get those sophomores back, a year older and with that experience was key,” Hillman said. “And we had this (10-member) senior class that’s been playing a lot since they were sophomores. It’s really an experienced group. It’s a good group of kids that have bought in and come to work. It’s a lot of fun to win games, but it’s also a lot of fun to coach kids that want to be there too. That helps a lot.”

Not Leaving Much Room for Doubt

In one word, Bunkie has simply been dominant this season.

“We have,” Hillman agreed. “It’s a credit to our defense. The way those 11 guys play, and the type of defense we play. There’s not a lot of hiding what we’re going to do. You know what we’re going to do and where we’re going to be and just go out there and play. Those 11 guys on that side of the ball lead us every step of the way. We’ve had some opponents that we felt were some good tests for us.

“We tried to get some more private schools on our non-district schedule this year, with us being on the select side of the brackets to have some more experience playing against those guys,” Hillman said. “We’ve got some guys on offense that can really go and make big plays. I’m an offensive coordinator, so I love it. It’s fun. I love scoring touchdowns and scoring points. But the way our defense has played all year long, against different looks and different styles of offense, they just bring it every single week.”

Bunkie’s never trailed in 432 minutes of football this year. The LHSAA’s mercy rule (running clock) has been enacted in six of the Panthers’ games where their average margin of victory has been 42 points.

Bunkie’s first-team defense has allowed three of six touchdowns, shut out three opponents and the Panthers have outscored their district competition, 212-6.

“From a district standpoint, it’s a tough district,” Hillman said. “There are three really good teams, and we’ve passed every test so far. I continue to hear from different people that we haven’t played anybody, hadn’t been tested. You have to play the teams that are on your schedule and go win those games and we’ve managed to do that throughout district.”

Bunkie, the No. 5 team in the Division III select power rankings, is also the state’s top-ranked team in its classification for the first time in 26 years.

The Panthers were No. 6 in the preseason and made the gradual climb from No. 4 to No. 2 and when top-ranked University High was upset, they garnered eight of 12 first-place votes and 139 total points. 

“It definitely matters,” Hillman said of the LSWA’s top billing in Class 3A. “We know that it doesn’t have any weight in Friday’s game or in the playoffs. It doesn’t make us better. We definitely pay attention to that. The respect we’ve been getting this season, and what those guys have worked on, just shows the work they’ve put in is not going unnoticed. The games that they’re winning, and the way that we’re winning our games, the way that we’re playing football, doesn’t go unnoticed. That’s great. They’ve watched those polls religiously.”

Bunkie began with a 39-6 victory over St. Mary’s at Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches. The Panthers continued to flex their muscle with a 23-point triumph (26-3) over Central Catholic of Morgan City their narrowest margin of victory thus far.

There have been wins for parish bragging rights against Avoyelles (47-6), Winnfield (50-14) and Buckeye (64-0), but none bigger than a 41-0 district win over Jena on Oct. 25 – stopping the Giants’ 20-game district winning streak.

“That game was huge for our kids,” Hillman said. “They were excited to get another opportunity to play that caliber of program. It was good for our program to turn the corner and say we can win these type of games, we can be in these big spots. We were in two big spots last year and we weren’t able to come out with a win. To be in a “big game” with a lot on the line, and you go out and perform and kind of turn the corner shows that we belong in those types of games. That’s a quality team. It was a good night for football.”

High-Powered Offense, Dominant Defense Lead Way

Hillman’s timing of taking over the Bunkie program coincided with the career ascent of two of the greatest players in school history.

Compton and Johnson have been a potent 1-2 combination that has rewritten a portion of the school’s record books for quarterbacks and wide receivers.

The 6-foot, 195-pound Compton has thrived in Hillman’s spread system, completing 204 of 382 passes for 3,438 yards, 9 interceptions, and 48 touchdowns. He’s also added 1,905 yards on the ground on 205 attempts and scored 26 touchdowns for 5,343 total yards and 74 TDs.

He’s the school’s career leader in passing yards and touchdowns and his rushing yards are 15th best and touchdowns are No. 4 all-time.

“He’s really evolved into the offense in terms of the way he commands the offense, throwing at a high percentage, running effectively by design and scrambles,” Hillman said of Compton, who has received offers from Navy as a wingback and wide receiver, Lamar, Louisiana Christian, Lamar, and Centenary. “To have him back there commanding the offense takes pressure off me as a play-caller. We know he’s going to get us into the right looks.”

Compton accounted for 2,500 total yards last season with a then single-season school record 16 touchdowns passing which he’s already surpassed this season with 22. He’s eighth in the state with 1,757 yards (89 of 131) – 195.2 per game – and he’s the team’s third-leading rusher (79-454, 2 TDs) with a per-carry average of 9.27.

Johnson, a four-star prospect who’s being pursued by Mississippi State, has established career marks at the school for catches (108), yards (1,905), and TDs (26). He’s fourth in the state this year with 33 receptions for 927 yards (28.09 yards per catch) and 9 TDs and his 10 scores last season were a single-season school mark.

“He does it all for us,” Hillman said. “Offensively is where it shows up the most in terms of the stat sheet. Defensively, when we’re getting ready to put together a game plan, we find a receiver we want to take out of the game, and we say, ‘Kyle he’s yours. Wherever he goes, you go’. He’s done that all year for us at a real high level. He’s also been a phenomenal return guy.”

Bunkie averages 445 yards and 45 points a game behind an offense that relies on contributions from its entire unit. 

Smith is one of three returning seniors on an offensive line that also features left tackle Julian Eves and right tackle Bryce Francois. Left tackle Dominic Palermo is a junior and one of the team’s captains, and sophomore center Hayden Smith is the younger brother of John David.

“They’re a solid group,” Hillman said. “They’re a little undersized which is typical for Bunkie football. We average 220-230. They’re smart, a good group of guys and they’re mean. They’re going to give you everything they’ve got.”

Junior running back Zion Lee, also a starting linebacker, is the team’s leading rusher in his first season at the position with 74 attempts for 718 yards (9.7 per carry) and 12 TDs followed by junior Jateren Gaines (68-565, 6 TDs.

While Johnson may be the headliner, the Panthers are deep at receiver with junior Cain Milligan (22-336, 5 TDs), junior Amare Perry (22-300, 5 TDs) and freshman Kayden Dobbins (10-144, TD).

“Zion moves well and is a big thumper,” Hillman said of his 225-pounder. “He’s given us that boost in between tackles and our offensive line doesn’t have to make a ton of space. If you can get him in an arm-tackle situation he’s going to fall forward. To have those two backs and have Dillon complement them really gives us balanced attack.”

The heart of Bunkie’s aggressive 3-4 defense is rooted in its junior linebacker corps of Luke Normand, Lucas Mose, and Lee. The Panthers are allowed 95.7 yards and 5.0 points per game with 50 tackles for loss, have forced 13 turnovers (8 interceptions, 5 fumbles), 12 sacks, and scored four defensive touchdowns.

“We’ve got a great box,” Hillman said. “We’re going to play man coverage across the board. We’ve got some great DBs that are able to take receivers out of the game. That allows our D-line and inside linebackers to really focus on the run game and get to the quarterback and put a lot of pressure on the football. That’s the way we like to play. We’re going to force the quarterback to throw into tight coverage and trust our DBs to make plays when that time comes.”

Normand has 82 tackles to lead the way and is tied for second with junior Kenterrius Franks (39 tackles) with seven tackles for loss and three sacks.

Mose has 76 tackles and is tied for the team lead with junior Ron Patterson with three interceptions. Lee is third with 61 tackles followed by Franks and Patterson (28 tackles, 4 forced fumbles) and senior lineman Johnkeist Lavalais (26 tackles, team-high 8 TFLs).

“We’ve said it every step along the way and every mile mark,” Hillman said. “I tell them we’re not done yet. That’s kind of been our focus. A lot of these things are great. To be 10-0 and district champs would be great, but we’re not finished. We still feel like we’ve got a lot to prove, especially in of terms how the playoffs went last year. We’ve done some good things but until we put this postseason run together, we’re just not satisfied.”