Back for more? Opelousas Prepared to Defend Crown after Offseason of Turmoil
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
The 2023 state championship trophy that adorns the trophy case upon the entrance to Opelousas High School stands as a symbol of more than the school’s first state title.
The Tigers became the fifth school team in the history of St. Landry Parish to win a state championship, but the celebration was tempered by a four-month tussle before officially being recognized for their grand achievement.
“It means everything,” Opelousas head coach football coach Jimmy Zachery, a former player and 2001 graduate of the school, voted last season’s Class 4A Coach of the Year. “When I took this job, I told the panel that my purpose was different. I was here to save kids’ lives and I wanted to win a championship.”
“I wanted to win multiple championships,” Zachery said. “To actually accomplish that through hard work, being consistent, and giving everything you’ve got, is unbelievable. To see that all come to fruition sells your program and the buy-in is unbelievable right now.”
Opelousas (12-3), the No. 12 seed, had every reason to hold its head high after defeating District 5-4A counterpart Cecilia, 26-13, in last Dec. 5’s Division II non-select state championship game. The Tigers made the school’s third appearance in a state final, the first since 1956, a successful one when quarterback Zack Malveaux, the game’s Most Outstanding Player, and running back D’Shaun Ford, each scored two touchdowns and helped reverse a loss to the Bulldogs in district play.
Adding to the team’s achievement was Opelousas, which upset three higher-seeded teams, and became the sixth double-digit seed to win a state championship. Because of ongoing difficulty with the team’s home field, the Tigers played eight road games – including all five in the playoffs which resulted in more than 1,800 miles of travel, Zachery said.
Two months after hoisting the state championship trophy on the floor of the Superdome, the LHSAA released findings from a probe into Opelousas’ use of ineligible players. They voted to strip OHS of the state title and all of its wins and suspend Zachery from coaching for one calendar year.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Zachery said. “Shoutout to my wife (Tamieka Zachery). She sees the stuff that people don’t when I’m at home. She was my calm in the storm. It was a roller-coaster. One minute you’re on a high and feeling proud of what you did and what you accomplished. Then the next month, here we go.
“It didn’t stop for me … to see your name splattered in the news, and then to see people talk about you,” Zachery said. “The silver lining there was a lot of people I thought was in our corner and had our best interest at heart. They were the ones coming in on me on social media. Now the slate’s clean, and we’ve moved forward with a clear mind and a clear conscious.”
Zachery also found two sources of comfort during his tumult: a dedicated coaching staff to help keep the program moving forward, and a community that reciprocated its love for their homegrown coach who went to great lengths to stand up for their children.
“They’ve meant the world to me,” Zachery said of his staff. “From keeping everything going to keeping a positive mindset and fighting throughout it all. We had a united front as coaches, keeping the kids’ minds positive and on the right things. I can’t say enough about them. They held it down for me.
“The community support, the ones that were really there with you, has been great,” Zachery said. “Everywhere you went, ‘coach we believe in you. We’ve got your back. Thank you for fighting for our kids.’ It was encouraging words to see people behind you. That’s the type of people you want around you. They’re like, let’s get ready to go do this again. I think it brought us closer as a team, as a coaching staff, and as a community.”
Plenty of Talent, Motivation to Repeat
Opelousas, which will remain a non-select school in the playoff bracket, will attempt to become the first repeat state champion in the Class 4A/Division II non-select bracket since Karr ran off a stretch of four consecutive titles (2016-19).
The Tigers appeared equipped for such a journey with a roster that boasts three of the state’s top senior players.
“That’s the goal,” Zachery said of player development. “If you buy into what we’re telling you, you’re going to go to the next level. That’s a part of the evaluation when they’re (college recruiters) looking at you. They’re looking at the talent, but also the way you execute the technique you’re being taught. Those guys have been executing at a pretty high level. It’s just a blessing.”
The biggest concentration of experience will be on defense with the return of eight starters, led by Ole Miss linebacker commitment Corey Amos. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound four-star prospect by Rivals selected the Rebels over scholarship offers from Alabama, Miami, Michigan, and Tulane.
Zachery said the heartbeat of the unit pumps through senior linebacker/edge Travis Esprit, the team’s signal caller, and Class 4A All-State honorable mention choice. He combines to form a solid front with senior ends Jamarion Daughtery and Jonathan Ford, and senior tackle Jacobian Ardoin.
Ford was the MVP of the LHSCA’s Class 4A All-State team and a Class 4A All-State honorable mention selection, punctuating that honor with seven tackles and a sack in the state championship game.
Three-fourths of the Tigers are also back with senior cornerback Landon Hammond, a three-star prospect with offers from Arkansas, Georgia Tech, and Central Florida, senior free safety Kyran Moore, and senior strong safety Justin Washington.
Moore and senior linebacker Kylen Young each registered nine tackles in last year’s state title game.
“We’ve got a lot of experience, a good core, and know what to expect,” Zachery said. “The standard is the standard. I’m a defensive guy by heart. I’ve played it and been a defensive coordinator for a long time. I take it personally and I want to be the best. That’s the goal this year. I’ve told them I want to be the best defense in the state and that’s how we’ve been practicing.”
The 6-foot, 225-pound Ford, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards a year ago and gained 146 yards with two TDs in the title game, maybe the team’s biggest star. The four-star prospect, a first-team Class 4A All-State choice, is the nation’s No. 47 rated player and No. 5 running back according to Rivals.com and is expected to decide in December between offers from Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M.
The Tigers also have star power in Malveaux who’s received offers from Southern, Grambling, and Prairie View. He passed for more than 1,600 yards and totaled 204 yards and two TDs in the state championship game. Senior wide receiver Korey Fontenot, a 1,000-yard receiver last season, has received offers from Southeastern, Southern, Grambling, and Prairie View.
“We’ve to grow up a bit on the O-line,” said Zachery of the unit that averages 278 pounds per player. “But we do have some veterans like (senior guard) Bryson Lewis and (senior center) Chris Rideau back. I think with a veteran at quarterback, running back and receiver, we’re going to be fine.”
Monster Schedule to Prepare for the Long Haul
If you need any evidence of Zachery’s expectations for this year’s team, check out his schedule.
Opelousas, which hosts Northwest in its jamboree on Aug. 29 at 8 p.m., opens the season with Division II select semifinalist Teurlings Catholic (now in Division I), Division select quarterfinalist Alexandria, Division III select quarterfinalist Lake Charles College Prep, Division I select semifinalist Karr and Division I non-select runner-up Zachary. They also face Division I non-select foe Natchitoches Central.
The Tigers begin District 4-4A play at Livonia on Oct. 18 and host Cecilia on Oct. 25.
“That’s something I learned under some great head coaches like Joe Spatafora (Union Parish) and Darnell Lee (formerly of East Ascension and now of Donaldsonville),” Zachery said. “I believe in testing ourselves early and seeing where we’re at. I want to match apples to apples early and once we get into district and playoffs, we’ll be able to roll. I think our schedule has helped us out in past years.
“I told these kids when they were freshmen the same message,” Zachery said. “I told them we were going to schedule tough because it’s only going to make you better. They called me crazy. We went to Monroe to play Ruston in the Bayou Jam(Jamboree). It only made us better. They know what to expect. I’m going to schedule tough and they’re up for the challenge.”
The view from the top of Division II is one of immense pride. After going through four coaches in four years and winning three games during his playing career where he was a teammate of former LSU and New Orleans Saints wide receiver Devery Henderson, Zachery returned to his alma mater after it had won 17 games in the previous nine seasons.
“It was in shambles,” he said of the program he inherited.
Opelousas went 0-5 during the 2020 season, Zachery’s first year at the school, but improved a year later with a 6-6 mark that ended with a loss in the Class 4A regionals to Warren Easton.
The Tigers’ ascension continued to 9-2, falling again in the 2022 state regionals to Lakeshore, 35-34, when Zachery and a coaching staff with four other Opelousas High graduates successfully navigated a season to remember. They made the school’s first state title appearance in 67 years a memorable one by stopping a seven-game losing streak to Cecilia with Ford sealing the game with a 14-yard score in the final 1:13.
“We have a rich history of guys that played here and want to pour into kids,” Zachery said. “It hits different when it’s your school. Your pride is different. You’re going to take extra pride in the way you coach, and what you want the outcome to be. They’ve had a lot of great coaches that came before us. For us to be the guys to turn it around and win a championship, means everything to us.”