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 Florida head coach Dan Mullen visited Terrebonne High School late last week checking in on 4 star prospect Ja’Khi Douglas, but before he left he offered sophomore defensive tackle Maason Smith. The 6-5 280 pound prospect is a rising prospect throughout the state & coach Mullen waisted no time letting Smith know that he has home in Gainesville. Smith expressed how ecstatic he was to get his first SEC offer especially with him being just a sophomore. “It’s huge being that the University of Florida is my dad’s favorite college football team,” Smith said. “He was so happy for me but told me it will be my decision when that time comes.” Smith put himself on the map this past summer after great showings at Ole Miss & LSU camps. Although, he didn’t leave with an offer both coaching staffs were raving about Smith’s performance. “It’s always been a dream to play for LSU since I been a kid,” Smith said. “Both coaching staffs showed me a lot of love at their camps this past summer & I plan on going back to compete at their camps this coming summer.” I think Smith’s recruiting will continue to pick up & a number of schools are on the verge of offering him soon. The University of Virginia has been monitoring Smith all season & the coaching staff loves what they’ve seen from him this year. The Cavalier coaching staff is in Louisiana this week for the state championships & a offer could come Smith’s way by the end of the week. Other schools that are monitoring Smith closely at the moment are Notre Dame, Tennessee, TCU, & Colorado. Smith already hold offers from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette & Southern Miss, which he picked up last summer on the camp circuit. The sophomore d-lineman was selected to compete at the Army All-American camp in January which will be against the best prospects in the nation. Smith can really raise his stock if he has a good showing & tests well at this camp in a few months. “I’m excited to go compete & get better at this camp,” Smith said. “I know a camp like this is going to bring out my competitive nature. I’m looking to work on my speed, my get off, & my hands so hopefully I can learn a whole lot.” This kid is one of the most intriguing prospects in the state because of how well he moves at 6-5 280 pounds. Of course he is still raw, but you can’t help but see the upside in this kid which is why his name is a hot topic among some big time programs. 
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 Thibodaux looked pretty impressive in their matchup against Ellender on Tuesday winning in convincing fashion 87-61. The Tigers full court pressure defense gave a young inexperienced Ellender team fits early & it led to starting the game down 20-4 in the first quarter. Thibodaux sophomore Rashad Winslow had a stellar game leading all scorers with 17 points to go with 8 rebounds. Winslow showed his versatility to be able to score in the paint & shoot it well from outside. Thibodaux senior Marvin Robertson made a impact as the second leading scorer with 15 points & 4 steals. The Tigers had five different players score in double figures which showed this team can get points from a bevy of different players. Big man Frank Robinson was the lone bright spot for Ellender finishing with 19 points.  Zachary came into last Friday’s playoff game as slight underdogs, and part of that was because of the reinstatement of Hahnville quarterback Andrew Robison after week 9. It was no doubt that Hahnville wasn’t your typical 22 seed & many thought the reigning 5A state champs could be on upset alert. Zachary seem to come out with a chip on their shoulder wanting prove that they are destined to make another run at the dome no matter who stands in their way. The Broncos defense definitely set the tone all game holding Hahnville’s potent offense to 0 points until 8:35 left in the 4th quarter. The physicality by the Broncos front seven led by Caleb Jackson & Wes Brady gave quarterback Andrew Robison all game. The Broncos defense picked off Robison three times & held him to just 155 yards passing. Zachary cornerback Sean Burrell was big time accounting for two of the interceptions with one of them going back for a pick six. Zachary offense was just as impressive as the defense accumulating over 400 yards of total offense. The Broncos running back R.J Allen ran wild all night rushing for a 146 yards & 4 touchdowns. The senior receiver Chandler Whitfield made a ton of explosive plays all night finishing the game with 205 yards receiving & a touchdown. I think it’s to say the Broncos look poised to make another trip to the dome this year & defend their title. The road gets tougher this Friday though as they travel to Acadiana to get a chance to advance to the semifinals.  The 6-5 295 pound offensive tackle made it official on last week by giving his pledge to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Rathcke wasted no time realizing where he wanted to spend his next 3-4 years after getting offered by the Razorbacks on his visit October 27th. “One of the main things that stood out to me about Arkansas was the people,” Rathcke said. “I loved seeing how well the coaching staff works together & how genuine they are. The whole staff is very organized & the facilities are amazing there.” Arkansas gets it’s second commitment from a Louisiana prospect in the last two weeks after 4 star cornerback Devin Bush committed to the Razorbacks on his official visit this past weekend. The 3 star offensive tackle has continued to take his game to another level each year, which led to a number of schools offering after his junior year. “I’ve been blessed to have great coaches & trainers from youth football all the way to high school,” Rathcke said. “They all taught me a great foundation. I’ve never had a offseason & each year I set new goals for myself. After every season I watched film on myself to see what I was weak at & then I would focus on that for the upcoming season.” Rathcke currently holds offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Colorado St, Tulane, Southern Miss, UAB, & a host of others. Rathcke is one of many from University Lab that will be taking their talents to a power 5 school come next fall. Most notable (Jordan Clark - Arizona St, Christian Harris - Texas A&M, Michael Hollins - Virginia, Byron Constantin- Clemson, Makiya Tongue - Georgia). “Going to U-High was best decision me & my family could’ve ever made,” Rathcke said. “The people at U-High are amazing educators & coach Mahaffey demands your best on & off the field. We produce a lot of talent & college coaches know there’s always going to be talent here. I really owe my success & all the exposure I’ve gotten to U-High.” Rathcke possesses NFL size already & it’s going to be interesting to see how much bigger this kid gets once he gets to Fayetteville. “My biggest goal when I get to Arkansas is to get bigger in the weight room,” Rathcke said. “I can’t wait to use those facilities so I can work with coach Carroll to get stronger & faster. Coach Carroll told my parents that they won’t recognize me in 5 months.” And with three senior offensive lineman leaving after this year, Rathcke will have all the opportunity in the world to play as a true freshman & contribute.  Destrehan showed why they are regarded as one of the better programs in the state after an impressive 49-20 win over a undefeated Terrebonne team. The Wildcats came into the game trying to secure the school’s 21st district championship in the history, but head coach Stephen Robicheaux made it clear that a 5A state championship is really what his team is out to get. Destrehan 5 star running back John Emery put his imprint on the game finishing with 179 all purpose yards & 3 touchdowns. Destrehan quarterback Harold Blood was probably more impressive than Emery finishing the game 15-16 for 239 passing yards & 5 total touchdowns. The Wildcats only punted once the whole game, which came with less than two minutes left to go in the game. Destrehan goes into the playoffs as the #2 seed & will host Hammond in the 1st round of the playoffs. Terrebonne was handed their first loss on the season, but senior running back Chaz Ward was the lone bright spot finishing the game with 153 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, & 1 receiving touchdown. The Tigers go into the playoffs as the #7 seed & will host Chalmette in the 1st round of the playoffs. If Terrebonne & Destrehan both win the first two rounds, both will meet up again in the quarterfinals.  This game lived up to all the hype & then some. Between the pregame festivities & the actual game, I’m sure folks got their money’s worth on this night. Karr pulled out a gritty win over arch rival Warren Easton 21-20 after stopping Eagles quarterback Lance Legendre on a 2 point conversion try with 48 seconds left in the game. Karr started the game off hot going up 13-0 in the 1st quarter but Easton would answer back when running back Ashaad Clayton took it 33 yards for a touchdown cutting the lead to 13-7 in the 2nd quarter. Warren Easton would eventually take the lead in the 4th after Ashaad Clayton took another run 96 yards for a touchdown to put his team 14-13 with 11:33 left in the game. Karr running back Ronnie Jackson would put his team back up after a touchdown from 2 yards out to go up 19-14. Easton shot themselves in the foot after the ball would go over their punter’s head out the back of the end zone for a safety. Karr would go up 21-14 with 6:13 left in the game & ultimately would be the nail in the coffin. Karr has beaten Warren Easton 10 out of the last 11 times they’ve faced off & I think it’s safe to say we’ll see another rematch between these two stellar programs in the Super Dome December 8th.  Ronnie Jackson made it official this past weekend committing to the University of Texas-San Antonio. The talented senior is one of the better running backs throughout the state & it’s no doubt that head coach Frank Wilson understands the significance of landing a player of Jackson’s caliber. “Coach Wilson & his staff made me feel welcomed,” Jackson said. “The UTSA program reminds me of Karr so much & that was big to me. I feel like this is a place where I could succeed on & off the field.” Jackson was very sought after by many programs, but ultimately UTSA made the biggest impression on him of them all. The senior running back currently holds offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Southern Mississippi, Houston, ULL, & many more. Jackson emphasized about how he was thankful to receive a scholarship from any school let alone multiple schools. “I’m blessed to be in the position to be able to go to college for free,” Jackson said. “I get a chance to escape the rough streets of New Orleans & go do what I love to do. When I step on the field I just let out all the stuff that I’ve been through, that’s why I play so hard like that.” Yet again, the Edna Karr program sends another student athlete to play on the next level. It’s evident that Jackson has been impacted in so many ways since he set foot on 3332 Huntlee Drive. “I thank the Edna Karr program a lot,” Jackson said. “I don’t know where I would be in life right now if it wasn’t for Karr. Being at Karr changed me because I was a bad child running around Algiers getting into trouble all the time. Coach Brice, coach Nick, & all the other coaches have done so much for me on & off the field that they are the reason why I went from being a bad kid to “Action Jackson”. I don’t take for granted how much this program has impacted me as a young man & I’m going to use these same values when I get to college.” Jackson is set to lead Karr to another state championship with the playoffs approaching. This season, the senior running back has 1,064 yards rushing & 13 touchdowns. In his junior year, Jackson finished the year with 1,127 yards & 27 touchdowns. Jackson makes a living punishing defenders, especially when he gets to the second level. His violent running style is the reason why he has accounted for 40 touchdowns the last two years. UTSA seems to be the best situation for Jackson, & it’s no doubt coach Frank Wilson will get this kid to reach his full potential on and off the field.   |
Jeremiah Gray, Owner"GSportz is an independent, integrated sports media outlet that prides itself as a grassroots organization, which covers players, high schools and college sports across the state of Louisiana." Archives
October 2018
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