When you talk about the top quarterbacks in the state, Rickie Collins is a name you better get real familiar with. The 6-foot-3, 185 pound dual-threat quarterback from Baton Rouge, Louisiana has been the starter since his freshman year. He’s coming off of an impressive sophomore campaign where he threw for 1,445 yards & 16 touchdowns in only five games. The Memphis Tigers has taken notice of the talented signal caller giving him his first official offer of his high school career. “It’s real exciting to get my first offer from a program like Memphis,” Collins said. “Their offense is always pretty good & I noticed this past season how much success their quarterback had throwing for over 3,000 yards & over 30 touchdowns.” The 2023 quarterbacks in Louisiana is a deep class led by Newman’s Arch Manning along with Zachary’s Eli Holstein, Denham Springs’ Reese Mooney, & Scotlandville’s Zae Teasett. All of these quarterbacks had been offered before Collins before today, but Collins expressed how it fueled him. “It’s tough when you see quarterbacks throughout the state in your class getting multiple offers & you’re not getting any,” Collins said. “I don’t take it personal though, I just let it fuel me to keep working on my craft. I know what I can do & what I’m capable of so I just have to focus on what I can control.” The three-sport athlete has also excelled in basketball & baseball. He also had a great showing in Miami on the 7v7 circuit with Louisiana Elite. On the hardwood this season he’s averaging close to 19 ppg to go along with some eye popping dunks every game that sends the crowd into a frenzy. And on the diamond Collins batted over .300 as a freshman. “I consider myself a real athlete,” he said. “I love competing & trying to be the best at every sport that I play. When you love to compete at everything that you do, it brings the best out of you. And playing with Louisiana Elite 7v7 is preparing me for college because of the type of talent I'm surrounded around. We have an elite group & and it's super competitive, so I'm looking forward to going all over the country throwing to guys like Aaron Anderson (LSU commit)." The same day Collins receives his first offer, he also received an invite to the Elite 11. Founded in 1999, the Elite 11 is the premier quarterback event in the nation, bringing together the top quarterbacks in the country. The Elite 11 event alumni include 24 of the 32 current NFL starting quarterbacks, and 13 of the past 14 quarterbacks who have hoisted the Heisman Trophy. “Getting the Elite 11 invite is something I’ve always wanted, so it’s a dream come true,” Collins said. “I can’t wait to go out there & showcase that I’m one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
0 Comments
Written by Kyle Valdez Madison Prep last lost came when they fell to Rayville 78-69 0n December 30. Since then they've been on a 8-game winning streak. During this winning streak, the Chargers has had impressive wins over No. 2 Opelousas and a undefeated Carver team who is No. 1 in 4A & undoubtedly emerged as Louisiana's most entertaining team this year. Entering this past Saturday night matchup at Madison Prep in Baton Rouge, the Rams put their perfect record (15-0) on the line once again. Unlike the teams' previous matchup, which ended 60-55 in favor of Carver, Madison Prep came out on top. The Madison Prep Chargers found a rhythm and used the home crowd to run away with a 62-45 win. Deziel Perkins scored 29 points on seven 3-pointer's to lead MPA, while Jaylen Williams and Percy Daniels added 10 points each. Versus No. 2 Opelousas, the Chargers came out on top with 55-34 win with freshman guard Jayce Depron leading the way with 18 points The Chargers game vs was a chippy, back-and-forth first half with multiple lead changes, Carver eventually took a 25-23 lead into intermission. When it felt like Carver would settle in and run away with the game in the second half, the exact opposite transpired. A daunting dry spell to start the half for Carver placed themselves in a hole too deep to escape. MPA went on a 13-3 lead to open the half. Perkins knocked down shot after shot and finished with 17 points in the third frame alone. With 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter, MPA took a 44-32 lead "Coming into these games, I knew we had to do whatever we had to in order to get the job done," Perkins said. "By knocking down shots, I was doing my job." The fourth quarter consisted of more of the same. Every time Carver got a stop and scored, MPA always had a response. Truly one of the best atmospheres in Louisiana this season, the Chargers continue to run the table at their home gym. The Chargers took the show on the road Monday night & defeated a scrappy Zachary team 51-46, Southside 68-41 Tuesday night, and Southern Lab 73-47 Wednesday night. To checkout highlights & interviews from Madison Prep vs Opelousas click the link below!! Written by Kyle Valdez The Carver Rams are 14-0 & currently ranked No. 1 in 4A along with a No. 12 nationall ranking according to Max Preps. Their last three games have all been on the road versus St. Augustine, Slidell, & Ellender who is ranked No.5 in 4A. Carver's formula for success this season has been the highly-touted junior duo of Dorian Finister and Solomon Washington. However, Deion Ware caused the most problems for Ellender with 24 points. The sophomore wing torched the Patriots with five 3-pointers and 16 points in the first half. Finister played his part: chipping in 11 points and playing excellent defense in the half-court. Fredrick Price added 8 points. Despite an abundance of early giveaways from Ellender, their energy was unmatched. Thomas let his presence be felt from the opening jump: scoring 7 points in the first frame to help Ellender take an early 15-14 lead. In the second quarter, Carver found their rhythm and took off for a 9-0 run to take a 23-15 lead with 6:02 left in the half. Ware led the Rams in the frame with 10 points and 2 shots from beyond the arc. Both teams kept pace to enter intermission with a 36-31 Carver edge. Ellender trimmed the lead to 1 multiple times in the third quarter but was denied from ever taking the lead. Carver took control with a 15-3 run to begin the final quarter to take the victory. Both teams had the opportunity to win. Ellender's turnovers were hard to overcome, considering the talent in the open floor for Carver. However, the real problem was the substandard free-throw shooting by both teams. Both teams successfully attacked the paint, but neither team could hit free throws. Carver shot 27% from the charity stripe, going 11-41. Ellender slightly outdid the Rams, going 12-31 (39%). But the Rams would hold on to win 68-62. Dionjahe Thomas totaled 26 points, 13 boards, and four blocks to lead the Patriots. Preston Bourda added 10 points. Despite the gritty game, Carver continues to prove themselves as Louisiana's composite No. 1. Playing in games similar to this game will prepare both teams for those chippy playoff games down the road. The ability to grind it out and have others contribute shows how well-built Coach Nate Roche's squad is this season. Click the link below for full highlights!! Carencro won their first state title since 1992 with a 35-19 over the defending champions Edna Karr. The Bears came into the came in as the #1 seed, but they seem to still be the underdogs. After a scoreless first quarter from both teams, senior running back Traylon Prejean scored from two yards out on fourth down for the Bears to make it 7-0. The Cougars came back the very next possession with a 37 yard touchdown pass from A.J Samuel to Aaron Anderson *LSU commit* to tie it at 7 in the second quarter. The same two would hookup again for a 39 touchdown scoring strike to go up at halftime 13-7. The Bears struck first in the third quharter with a halfback pass for a touchdown from Traylon Prejean to Jaylon John to take a 14-13 lead. Senior Tavion Faulk would help extend the lead with a 9 yard touchdown pass to Ryan Perry to go up 22-13 in the third quarter. Junior receiver Aaron Anderson would score his third touchdown of the game on a 10 yard run off of a reverse for the Cougars to make it 22-19 in favor of the Bears with just under four minutes in the third quarter. Senior running backs Kendrell Williams & Traylon Prejean put the game away with one touchdown a piece to cap off a huge game for the Bears. Williams amassed 139 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries while Prejean had 25 rushes for 115 yards. For full highlights from the game, click the link below!!The George Washington Carver Rams has made it clear that they have some unfinished business after losing in the top 28 last season. They are off to a 12-0 start with some big wins over No. 9 Helen Cox in 4A, No. 2 Madison Prep & No. 4 Sophie B. Wright in 3A, No. 2 Scotlandville & No. 3 St. Augustine in Division I. The Rams are led by two of the best prospects in the state with juniors Dorian Finister & Solomon Washington, but head coach Nate Roche has done an excellent getting key contributions from sophomore Deion Ware, freshman Laurence Nathan, & senior Fred Price. The Rams will put their undefeated streak on the line Monday night on the road versus the No. 4 team in 4A, the Ellender Patriots who is led by 6-foot-7 junior big man Dionjahe Thomas. To checkout the highlights from the Carver versus Madison Prep matchup, click the link below!! Written by Kyle Valdez For the eighth time in 4 years, the hyped-up matchup of Warren Easton and Edna Karr took place. Similar to the previous 8 games, Karr reigned supreme as they used a big first half to drown the Eagles in the Class 4A semifinals. The 35-13 victory at Harold Memtsas Stadium sets up No. 2 Karr to face No. 1 Carencro for the state championship. Karr, the four-time defending state champions, fell down 7-6 in the first quarter, but found a rhythm and took a 28-7 lead into halftime. Quarterback AJ Samuel threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns on 17-25 passing. The sophomore also rushed for a 2-yard touchdown run. Destyn Hill finished with four receptions and an early touchdown grab for 109 yards. Although Easton's offense was contained, Texas signed receiver Casey Cain reeled in nine catches for 149 yards and Alfred Luke caught 5 passes for 99 yards. Sophomore quarterback Kendrick Connelly threw 23-49 for 291 yards. Easton found the scoreboard with a 57-yard screen pass from Connelly to Alfred Luke for a touchdown. The touchdown reception gave Easton their first (and only) lead of the night at 7-6 with 6:46 left in the first score. From that point forward, Karr dominated every aspect of the game. The Cougars reeled off 29 consecutive points to punch their ticket to Natchitoches. Touchdown receptions of 34 yards to August Banks and 14 yards to Collin Lampkin, as well as a quarterback keeper, headlined a productive second quarter. Before the half, Karr's defense came up with clutch fourth-down stops. On one of the plays, from the 2-yard line, officials came together to rule Easton short of breaking the end zone plane for a turnover on downs. Despite Karr convincingly handling business, the Cougars were without playmaker - and newly LSU committed - Aaron Anderson due to a first-half personal foul where he supposedly threw a punch after an exchange with an Easton player. The top side of the bracket showcased No. 1 seed Carencro dominating No. 4 Neville 49-7 and No. 8 Plaquemine 81-14. Karr's quest for five straight state championships will be on the line once again on Dec. 29 at Northwestern State. For the full highlights from the game, click the link below!! Written by Kyle Valdez The Catholic High Bears outscored the Brother Martin Crusaders 49-31 in the Division 1 semifinals at Tad Gormley Stadium Friday. The win advances Catholic to their fourth straight title game. Shelton Sampson led the Bears with 6 receptions, 3 touchdowns and 168 yards. George Hart rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries, while Jackson Guest ran for 98 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Daniel Beale threw 9-16 for 143 yards and 3 touchdown passes. Brother Martin's Austin Jackson broke loose for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns on 6 receptions. Quarterback Garrett Mmahat threw for 314 yards on 14-21 passing. On the first play of the second quarter, running back Hart hit Sampson for a 56-yard trick-play touchdown to give Catholic a 21-3 lead. With their backs on the wall and the season on the line, Brother Martin displayed lots of grit and mental toughness for the remainder of the first half: the Crusaders reeled off 21 consecutive points to take a 24-21 lead with 1 minute to go in the second quarter. Austin Jackson scored two of the touchdowns in that span. One from 72 yards out and the other from 16 yards. Catholic would score a crucial touchdown before the half when Sampson came down with a 43-yard jump ball in the end zone. Catholic took a 28-24 lead into halftime. "The jump ball to Sampson was a sprint out play where we felt like we could get him singled up because of some of the routes and where the safeties were," Catholic head coach Gabriel Fertitta said. "I think they had some trouble guarding him all game. He's such a big, dominant force there." The second half of the action was all Catholic. Austin Jackson showed off some speed in the open field to score a 71-yard touchdown to give the Crusader's their final lead of the game at 31-28. However, from that point on, Catholic would reel off 21 straight to seal the deal. Catholic put together two touchdown drives, to go along with a pick-six score for Connor Stewart to finish out the fourth quarter. The final score was 49-31. Brother Martin, the No. 1 seed, suffered their first loss this season to finish at 8-1. Catholic improved to 8-2 and will play No. 3 C.E. Byrd in two weeks at Northwestern St. in Natchitoches. Byrd, who's turned some heads over the past two weeks, beat St. Augustine 31-14 and John Curtis 14-13 to make a state final appearance. For full highlights & interviews click the link below!! Written by Kyle Valdez The Scotlandville Hornets and G.W. Carver Rams squared off at Loyola Saturday as part of the HoopFest's Big Time Classic. Carver won 49-39 to hand Scotlandville their first in-state loss since last December against Bossier. Dorian Finister led the Rams with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. Solomon Washington looked impressive; he scored 9 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had several big-time blocks in the second half. Fredrick Price added 11 points. The first quarter of action was slow for both teams as each team missed a lot of good looks. Washington picked up 2 early fouls: forcing him to sit until the second quarter. Deion Ware finished two shots around the rim to give Carver a 10-8 advantage after the first quarter. The second quarter was back-and-forth with each team scoring 14 points in the frame. Both teams were in the bonus, but couldn't capitalize from the stripe. The score at halftime was 22-20. Carver separated themselves in the second half by outscoring Scotlandville 12-7 in the third quarter and taking multiple double-digit leads throughout. Finister blocked multiple flip shots around the rim and made the right passes in transition to hurt any chance of a Scotlandville comeback. Carver pulled away even more with the interior defense from Finister and Washington blocking shots and forcing missed layups. Carver put an exclamation mark to conclude the fourth quarter with big dunks from Washington and Finister. Emareyon McDonald scored a team-high 12 points for Scotlandville, while Rayvon Smith added 9 points. "We're a program that's trying to keep building," Carver head coach Nate Roche said. "It's all about establishing a healthy culture. It's a good win for the program; we want to keep moving forward and working to get better." Carver, who recently completed 14 days of quarantining, brought their record to 7-0 on the season. Coming off a Class 4A semifinals trip last season, the Rams appear to prove themselves as one of the best teams in 4A yet again. "It feels great because we were missing it," Finister said. "Fourteen days is a lot for a basketball player. Just to get out here feels good; we know we still got it. Scotlandville is a great team. I'm glad me and my team fought, and we knew what to do." East St. John Holds Off Ehret To Advance To The Quarterfinals For The First Time Since 200612/10/2020 East St. John came into the game as the No. 18 seed in Class 5A & advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2006. Ehret entered the game as the No. 2 seed & unbeaten until running into East St. John. On the opening kickoff, the Wildcats muffed the return giving the Patriots the ball at the Wildcats’ 32 yard line. A few plays later Royal Falgout would score a 5 yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead with less than three minutes into the game. The Wildcats would answer back with a 23 yard pass from Marcus Jackson to Kylon Harris on a post route to tie the game at 7-7 in the second quarter. Jackson would take matters into his own hands on a 10-yard keeper to give the Wildcats a 13-7 lead with 6:15 left in the second quarter. On the first play of the second half, Andrew Jones turned on the burners for 64 yard touchdown to give Ehret a 14-13 lead. Ehret extended the lead to 17-13 on a 27 yard field goal from Oscar Avalos with 11:06 left in the game, setting up a classic finish for the Wildcats. Jackie Marshall *Baylor commit*, ran for 33 yards while breaking a few tackles & dishing out a nasty stiff arm knocking the Ehret defender to the ground & getting to the Patriots’ 20 yard line. On third & 2, Cortez Fisher showed excellent vision to score from 11 yards out. The two point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Wildcats with a 19-17 lead with 1:28 left in the game. Marcus Jackson, who is also the team’s kicker, converted a perfect sky kick toward the East St. John sideline. Travis Turner raced down and fell on the ball sealing the game for the Wildcats. For full highlights & interviews from the game click the link below!! |
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
November 2020
Categories |