An early look at the new districts; how they’ll finish

    There is no reason to break out the black armbands just because the Catholic League is void of enough teams to continue to play as a unit.
    High school football will hold just as much interest as was prevalent when there was just one city league made up of both Catholic and public schools.
    It will be particularly interesting to see how the publics and non-publics will fare against each other for district championships as well as power points.
    My guess is that the publics will win very few titles in most every common sport against the more talented and prepared Catholic schools. And I’m not just talking football or just men’s sports.
    I could be wrong. Remember, I once voted for Jimmy Carter. And I’m not demeaning either public school athletes or coaches. History just seems to  continue to repeat itself when the two factions meet each year in the various arenas.
    What the fans will see this season is a fresh group of rising stars teamed with a returning contingent of solid veterans in all of the prep football teams in the Archdiocese of New Orleans as we look at the new districts.

District 9-5A
    After seeing all three former Catholic League teams – Brother Martin, Archbishop Rummel and Jesuit – I believe it would be foolhardy to pick them 1-2-3.
    What I will predict: The  fourth- and fifth-place teams will be West Jefferson and Chalmette, respectively.
    Brother Martin will not find a running back the caliber of All-State Dante Butler, a 2,000-yard rusher who is now a Tulane Greenie. But senior John West will give the Crusaders size (6-1, 190) and a solid punch at that position.
    Julien Obioha (6-4, 255)  and Chris Williams (6-1, 256) will head the defensive line and will be backed by a secondary that has both size and speed, led by baseball standout Rivers Frederick (6-2, 195).
    Rummel will feature the most experienced quarterback in the district in Damien Williams, a returning starter in his junior season.
    Behind him is 5-6 J.J. Brown, whose speed and cutting ability make him an elusive target for defenders, and bolstering the line are tackle Dominick Bilich (6-3, 290) and center Dylan Manale (6-1, 262).
    Linebacker Keith Accardo and lineman Scott Migliore are solid defenders, and the secondary will feature safety Cyril Grayson, a state middle-distance champion, and John Curtis transfer Jordan Frost, a senior.
    At Jesuit, which shared the 2010 Catholic League crown with St. Augustine, look for a well-balanced team whose offense will feature a healthy Austin Duncan (5-10, 196), twin tight ends who can block and catch the ball, and a dual-quarterback system that head coach Wayde Keiser hopes will keep the defense off-balance. Tackles Todd Jacquet (6-5, 270) and Matt Andry (6-5, 285) will anchor a solid line of blockers.
    Nebraska signee Deion Jones is an All-State linebacker and reigning district defensive MVP, and Ralph Freibert is the returning 5A All-State placekicker.
    West Jefferson will feature a fast team that will display a wide-open offense, but it will be missing one key ingredient: the graduated Sea Hoye Jr., one of the state’s total offense leaders of 2010.
    Grace King will participate in most district sports, but will play as an independent in football. I don’t criticize that decision. The school has never had a winning season on the football field.

District 6-5A
    I give the nod to defending champion St. Paul’s over the six public schools in this Northshore district. Why? Start with 12-year veteran coach Kenny Sears and his excellent coaching staff. They have the ability to prepare their players well.
    The Wolves lost many talented players but will feature such standouts as fullback Dylan Long, a returning 1,000-yard rusher, and backfield mates Markel Powell and the versatile Kris Brumfield on offense and DB Dane Stubbs and linebackers Brandon Delahoussaye and Mitchell Blaise on defense.
    How they’ll finish – 1. St. Paul’s, 2. Mandeville, 3. Ponchatoula, 4. Covington, 5. Northshore, 6. Slidell, 7. Fontainebleau.
    Of note: Former Archbishop Shaw head coach, Hank Tierney, will take over as head coach at Ponchatoula.

District 9-4A
    Archbishop Shaw jumped out of the Catholic League into a district that will be one of the most hotly contested in Class 4A. And the Eagles will be in the thick of another playoff hunt.
    Of the six teams, five will likely make the state playoffs. Belle Chasse may be the odd-team-out because it returns the least experienced of this lot.
    Shaw is back in Class 4A after two years in the 5-A Catholic League in which Scott Bairns­father’s Eagles made the playoffs in both 2009 and 2010.
    Shaw will be without 1,000-yard tailback Laurence Breaud and will field a rather young  offensive backfield. The Eagles’ strength will be its defense, which features such standouts as ends Stephen Gibson (6-3, 235) and Ryan Brown (6-4, 240), linebacker Jovan McGrew (6-2, 195) and backs Robert Mitchell and  Jarvis Aultman.
    Shaw has to stop the speed of  three of the state’s top offensive powers over the years – Edna Karr, O. Perry Walker and McDonogh 35.
    How they’ll finish – 1. Edna Karr, 2. McDonogh 35, 3. Archbishop Shaw, 4. O. Perry Walker, 5. Helen Cox, 6. Belle Chasse.

District 10-4A
    For the first time in the post-Hurricane Katrina era, St. Augustine and Holy Cross will meet as district rivals. That was made possible by the Purple Knights dropping down from Class 5A and Holy Cross moving up from 3A. And you can bet these two will be at the top of this district.
    If he remains healthy, the rushing numbers sophomore tailback Leonard Fournette (6-0, 210) adds to his 1,683 yards as a freshman could be staggering for the Purple Knights. He has been timed at 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
    Most of the talented offense has departed, so Fournette will be the main target for opponents.
    St. Aug lists many quality athletes, but back are offensive guard Justin Payne (6-2, 270) guard Alvin Dillon (6-1, 28), tight end Kelan Chairs (6-2, 210) and a pair of quality wide-outs in  Lorenzo Doss and Sydie London, who stands 6-4.
    Defensively, the Knights look to LB Justin Doucette (5-8, 225), DB Roscoe Bienemy (5-7, 165) and DT Eric Burt (5-11, 290) to give the lesser experienced  starters the leadership to point the way to a title.
    At Holy Cross, coach Barry Wilson is optimistic about his team’s chances of winning this district. The Tigers are deep in returning veterans, and although quarterback Ryan Deemes is gone, young Tucker Herzog may prove to be a better runner and passer. And he’ll have two prime targets – the speedy Joel Pichon (6-0, 180) and Wardell Robinson (6-0, 170).
    Linebacker Trey Hooper (6-2, 210) and safety Ed Eagan (5-11, 180) are the best of an experienced defensive unit.
    How they’ll finish – 1. St. Augustine, 2. Holy Cross, 3. East Jefferson, 4. Warren Easton, 5. Riverdale, 6. Ben Franklin.

District 10-3A
    De La Salle is part of a small district, and even though the Cavaliers are few in number, they may do well in this league.
    Size and speed make McMain the early pick, but the Cavs  have a few key players that may have an impact, including DB Troy Thomas (6-6, 190) and tackle Jack Mervin (6-6, 260).
    How they’ll finish – 1. McMain, 2. De La Salle, 3. Lusher, 4. McDonogh, 5. Reed.
    Next week: Districts 7-3A (St. Charles Catholic), District 8-2A (Pope John Paul II) and District 7-1A (Archbishop Hannan).
    Ron Brocato can be reached at [email protected].