2024 Catholic League Football: Battle for Supremacy in a Stacked District – Part One
by: Mike Strom // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
The Catholic League is set for an intense season with four powerhouse teams vying for dominance. Edna Karr, the reigning champions, return a stacked roster aiming for a third consecutive title, led by standout QB John Johnson and LSU commits Taron Francis, Richard Anderson, and Aiden Hall. John Curtis looks to its strong defense to carry the team while breaking in new offensive starters. Rummel, with dynamic QB Generald Buggage, aims to capitalize on its experienced roster for a deeper playoff run. Meanwhile, Warren Easton, reloading after a tumultuous 2023, is eager to prove its mettle with a young but talented squad. The Catholic League promises to be a battleground of elite talent and fierce competition.
EDNA KARR
The reigning champions are vying for a third consecutive crown, something last accomplished in the Catholic League in 2018 when Curtis won the last of three straight titles. But as a six-time state champion with no titles in its first two seasons as a member of Class 5A, the Cougars are shouldering loftier goals as well.
Though unspoken publicly, the feeling inside the General Meyer Avenue school is that this year’s Cougar squad is the program’s best under Brown, who directed Karr to four consecutive Class 4A state titles from 2016-19 followed by trips to the finals and semifinals in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
The Cougars return nine starters on offense, and seven on defense from a 10-2 team that went 5-1 in league play to earn a No. 6 seed and advance to the state quarterfinals. They also play host to Curtis Nov. 1 in a Week 9 showdown set for the West Bank and Morris Jeff Stadium.
Karr’s lone loss in the 2023 regular season came in Week 10, a 41-7 drubbing by Curtis, that deprived the District 9-5A champions of going undefeated. Defeat No. 2 came in the state quarterfinals where the Cougars fell to eventual state champion Catholic-Baton Rouge, 38-35, on the road.
Play-makers still abound, with junior quarterback John Johnson, senior wide receivers Taron Francis, Oliver Mitchell, and Daejawn Smith and senior running back Bryant Sanchez being featured offensively, across from rugged defenders like ends Lyric Hawkins and Corey Adams, junior Richard Anderson and senior Avant Lewis at the tackles, senior inside linebacker Arsenio Bowles and junior safety Aiden Hall.
Photo courtesy of Karr High School.
Francis, Anderson, and Hall are LSU commits and returning All-District selections. Adams is an Ole Miss commit and returning All-District player.
Johnson accounted for 35 touchdowns in passing for 2,659 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 169 of 258 attempts with three interceptions. The 6-foot, 180-pound junior also rushed 74 times for 465 yards and 6 touchdowns.
“I expect the offense to play with great tempo and execution,’’ Karr offensive coordinator John Johnson, father of the Cougars’ quarterback, said. “We have a lot of experience back and we really feel like that’s going to translate into success on offense.’’
Impact players abound on defense as well led by the dynamic duo of Anderson and Adams at end and tackle and backed up by Bowles at linebacker and the blue chipper Hall at safety.
“Defensively, we had a good offseason,’’ Karr defensive coordinator Taurus Howard said. “The kids really worked. We expect to be physical and play fast. We just want to improve every day.’’
JOHN CURTIS
The Patriots will look to a defense that returns seven veteran starters to carry the day until the offense regroups following the graduation of quarterback Dagan Bruno, running back Marlon Prout, and wide receiver Michael Turner. Bruno and Turner now are at Tulane and LSU.
Compounding the challenge is that Curtis also must replace four of five starters in the offensive line with right tackle Willie Bolden being the lone returnee from 2023’s 8-3 team that went 4-2 in 9-5A good for a three-way tie for second behind Karr.
“Our inexperience is going to be on offense,’’ J.T. Curtis said. “So the offense is going to be where we have to mature and grow. Where we’ve got to mature is in the offensive line. We have a tight end (senior JoJo Fagin) and a tackle (Bolden) back. So those guys (Fagin and Bolden) are going to have to carry a load until these young guys mature into their positions.’’
Senior Reggie Johnson and junior Drake Mason open the season with the inside track at quarterback. They have three tested skill position players to distribute the football in returning starters: running back A.J. Smith and receivers Juan Washington and Xavier Brown.
Defensive linemen Tyre Gordon and Logan Barnes are the leaders up front back by active inside linebackers in juniors Jeffrey Curtis and Jamari Horton and outside linebacker Ben Barron. The secondary features a four-year starter in senior Jason Curtis at safety and nickel and senior Kien Franklin and junior Trey Brown at the corners.
“Our defense really needs to carry us early and give us a chance to mature (offensively),’’ Curtis said. “I think we’ll run well (on defense). We’re not big, but we have good speed. That will be what we have to rely on.’’
What could prove to be a district championship showdown looms on Nov. 1 when the Patriots travel to Algiers to face Karr at Morris Jeff Stadium. Curtis is the lone district team to defeat Karr in Catholic League play, recording a stunning 41-7 victory last season on the 10th playing date to deprive the Cougars of an undefeated regular season.
“A big factor, too, is going to be health,’’ J.T. Curtis said. “Can you stay healthy through this district because it’s going to be a very physical district? I do think this, that coming out of this district, you’re going to be well-bowed for the playoffs.’’
RUMMEL
Photo courtesy of the Rummel High School yearbook staff.
The Raiders are another team carrying high aspirations and deep in returning talent with 16 position starters back, split evenly across offense and defense, following an injury-plagued 7-7 campaign in 2023 dominated by six season-ending knee injuries, a bone fracture, and a labrum tear.
“It’s a good group as far as guys coming back who have played a lot of snaps,’’ said Monica, who is in his sixth season as head coach. “But we’re playing 10 difficult games, so it’s difficult to say how we’re going to do.
“No doubt that we’re going to be competitive. What that means in terms of (the won-loss) record, I don’t know. Our record might not reflect how good of a team we have.’’
Dynamic senior quarterback Generald Buggage returns for his second season as a starter to direct a Pro-Style attack that also is expected to feature play-making wide receivers Kendrick Joseph and Evan Burg, promising sophomore receiver Mark Shezbie, and tailback Norman Taylor. Taylor returns to the offensive backfield after starting at safety last season. But a huge key will involve how much the offense can get the ball to the electrifying Joseph.
Equally huge for a team that caught fire following a 4-6 regular season to win three straight playoff games on the road against higher seeds before losing to eventual state champion Catholic-Baton Rouge, 28-16, in the semifinals again on the road is that four of the five starters return in the offensive line. Tackles Ja’Mard Jones and Eddie Conerly IV, center Armando, Reyes and guard Wes Dubuc are those veterans Jones, a nimble-footed, three-year starter, is a Nicholls State commit.
“We like our offensive line, our stable of running backs, and our quarterback, so we should be able to run the ball,’’ said Monica, who directed the Raiders to a Division I state championship in 2019 in his first season as head coach. “If we’re able to run the ball, that should mean we’re going to be good on offense. If we can’t run the ball, then how good will we be?’’
Lamar commit Fred Banks and Phil Leze are the ringleaders upfront defensively at tackle in the Raiders’ multiple packages while junior Carlin Kinchen leads a linebackers corps that expects big things from freshman Kingsley Barconey. But it is the secondary where the Raiders are strongest with four returning starters in cornerbacks Lennis Finister Jr. and Mitchell Harris Jr. and safeties Lester Johnson Jr. and Keiron Jackson.
“Our defense is very similar to our offense in that we’ve got a lot of guys coming back,’’ Monica said. “But we don’t start a lot of seniors. So we need to develop some leadership over there. We always hang our hat on having good leadership. Whether it’s making plays or getting us lined up in the right positions, we’re going to need some guys to step up.’’
Plus, Monica said, pointing to three opening non-district games against Lafayette Christian, University, and arch-rival Shaw that set the table for the demanding Catholic League. “With this type of schedule, we have to stay healthy. Week in and week out, we have to show up with our A game or it is not going to go well.’’
“I think every game is going to be highly competitive,’’ Monica said. “I don’t think you’re going to be surprised by anyone beating anyone. Talking to the coaches in this district, these eight teams are probably among the top 15 teams in the state, and not all of them are going to make it to the playoffs.’’
WARREN EASTON
The Eagles, as usual, do not lack talent, but Coach Jerry Phillips’ squad is reloading, however, following a disastrous 2023 in which Easton was ruled ineligible for championship honors prior to the season due to illegal recruiting.
Things got worse during the regular season when the Eagles had to forfeit five games, including two season-opening victories on the road against eventual state champions Ruston and Catholic-Baton Rouge due to the use of an ineligible player. The culmination came in Week 7 when a fight during a 45-0 victory against Frederick Douglass resulted in Easton’s final three games being cancelled and ruled forfeits to end a 4-6 season that included a 2-2 mark in District 10-4A.
“With what happened last year, we’re not focusing on anything that’s not in front of us,’’ said Phillips, who has directed Easton to three Class 4A state finals, three other Class 4A semifinals, and a quarterfinal appearance in his first seven seasons as head coach. “We’re not taking anything for granted. We’re just looking forward.’’
The Eagles must replace a staggering 17 of 22 starters following the departure of 27 seniors, but the talent is present, albeit inexperienced, Phillips said.
Junior left tackle Jalan Chapman, an LSU commit, senior center Kenneson Jefferson and junior wide receiver Davon Edwards are the returning veterans in the Cougar’s Spread offense where juniors Carl Reed and Thomas Vaughn take over at quarterback and tailback respectively.
Stellar junior Narco Dunn and senior Jamal Lacaze at inside linebacker are the lone returning starters defensively with Dunn being a true impact defender. Junior end Marcus Jasmin, senior Jackson Chachere and junior Jaedon Phillips at outside linebacker, and junior cornerback Miles Torres are noteworthy newcomers to the starting lineup.
“We are eligible for everything this year,’’ Phillips said in dispelling local speculation that Easton again had been ruled ineligible for championship honors. “I think we would have won it all last year. We had good guys at every spot on the field. I think we would have competed.’’
Fast forwarding to the future, “We have to get some experience,’’ Phillips said. “We are really talented. But we lack experience. It looks good in practice, but when the (game action starts) flying, we’re going to see who stands up.’’
Offensively, “Carl (Reed, 5-foot-9, 160 pounds) is undersized,’’ Phillips said. “He’s the smallest quarterback we’ve had since I’ve been here. But he might be the smartest quarterback that we’ve had. He’s been playing quarterback all of his life. He knows the offense. He’s small, but he’s tough as nails. He doesn’t back down from anybody.’’
Defensively, Phillips said, “We’re talented, the same thing as on offense. We lack experience. We’re fast. We have speed. We’re tough. We’re going to get better with every game we play.’’
Overall, Phillips said, “This is the hardest we’ve had to coach since I’ve been here. It’s not because the kids aren’t talented. It’s because they lack experience. So we’ve been coaching our (behinds) off.
“My ’25 (senior) class feels disrespected because of last year,’’ Phillips added. “So my ’25 class has a chip on their shoulder, which is a good thing. They’ve been leading the team and it’s been a good thing to see.’’
With L.B. Landry, John F. Kennedy, and Slidell providing the non-district competition in weeks 1-3, the Eagles have ample opportunity to build momentum for league play. And one more thing, the Eagles are determined to move forward from 2023.
“With what happened last year, I’m enjoying everything that’s happening this year because you never know when something can be taken away from you,’’ Phillips said. “Every practice, every meeting, every film session, I’m taking it all in and loving it. I’m just excited to be coaching football. Nothing gets me down after last year.’’