Many of the top players from the 2022 & 2021 class in Louisiana were able to showcase their talents at the “Statement Session” in Lafayette, Louisiana in front of a bevy of college coaches. It’s evident many of these kids raised their stock which caught the eye of some college programs. 

1.) 2021 6-2 Jon’Quarius McGhee (Opelousas High School) *committed to Nicholls St* : Plays with a chip on his shoulder & has a confidence about himself on the court. McGhee was by far the most athletic guard at the Statement Session. Is very good getting in the lane finishing with either hand & plays through contact very well. Does an excellent job setting his teammates up & is a really good on ball defender. Nicholls St. will have their hands full fighting off other schools before it’s all said & done. 

3.) 2021 6-4 Derrick Tezeno (North Central High School) : Tezeno was one of the best two-way players in the building. His ability to guard multiple positions makes him very valuable as it translates to the next level. He was definitely one of the best athletes & showed it time & time again

4.) 2021 6-7 Will Allen (Bonnabel High School) *committed to Louisiana Tech* : There wasn’t a better post player here that played better than Allen. He controlled the glass against anybody & was able to  finish through contact well. One of the things that stood out too about Allen is his ability to knockdown the mid range consistently throughout the day.

5.) 2022 6-8 Kyran Ratliff (Booker T. Washington High School) : Ratliff might have the most upside of all the players that were in attendance. He was definitely the best rim protector there & he showed great touch around the goal.

6.) 2021 6-4 Da’Tayvius Gabriel (St. Martinville High School) : Gabriel is very long & rangy, which makes him a tough cover for most guards. He shot it as well as anybody there & he displayed that he’s a very good athlete.

7.) 2021 6-0 Tawasky Johnson (Port Allen High School) : Johnson gets downhill fast & scored it at a high rate no matter who was covering him. He showed that he has very high IQ for the game on both ends of the floor. ​

8.) 2022 6-0 Rayshun McCullar (Huntington): McCullar does a great job of letting the game come to him & knowing when to attack. He shot it really good & finished in the lane over a lot of length throughout the day.

9.) 2021 5-11 Daniel Ortiz (Calvary Baptist) *committed to the University of North Alabama* : Ortiz is a very savy guard that does a great job of getting to his spots on the floor. He creates separation better than almost anyone, which allows him to knockdown his lethal jump shot. He’s also a tough nose defender.

10B.) 2022 6-3 Lance Waddles (Evangel) : Waddles was the best pure shooter there & he knocked down consecutive three point bombs on a number of occasions. Did a good job of getting in the lane & scoring as well. 

To see the highlights from the "Statement Session" just click the link below!

Story written by Kyle Valdez

Madison Prep Academy will enter the 2020 season on a positive note following a productive scrimmage vs Scotlandville on Friday. The Chargers' 2019 season was highlighted by a nine-game win streak in which they finished with an 11-2 record, an impressive District 7-3A title, and a Class 3A quarterfinals appearance. Madison Prep owned one of the most talented rosters in the class 3A last year led by UGA safety Major Burns and Kentucky defensive back Joel Williams.

​This year's roster is still stacked with talent and head coach Landry Williams is excited to compete against a solid schedule that includes West Feliciana, University High, Parkview Baptist, and Southern Lab.

"We've been known for always playing top-notch programs. If you want to be the best, you have to play some great teams, but we're are up for the challenge" said Williams. "It's so fun to work with these guys. Once you start getting close to game time, you get a different energy."

The Memphis University commit Tyrell Raby will play both ways for the Chargers at cornerback and receiver. Junior Zeon Chriss will have the opportunity to improve on a  sophomore campaign where he accounted for 47 touchdowns. The 6-2, 197-pound quarterback has picked up an offer from Memphis.

Some other names to keep a lookout for are OL Troy Porter, LB Andre Haynes, DE Quency Wiggins, RB Benjamin Stewart, and DB Nylen Jones. 


Pictured below is LB Andre Haynes & DE Quency Wiggins. This is the first year of football for junior Quency Wiggins because basketball was his primary focus his freshman & sophmore year. At 6-foot-5, 241 pounds, it's only a matter of time until he's a hot commodity on the recruiting trail especially with his athletic traits.  

ReplyForward

Story written by Kyle Valdez

 The Hornets are trying to improve on an impressive 2019 campaign when they finished 8-4 with an appearance in Division 1 quarterfinals. After the LHSAA getting approval to begin the season, the excitement to finally start the season is here.

"It's extremely exciting. With the kids coming out here every day, to get an opportunity to do what they love, prayed for, and worked so hard for this whole offseason is surreal" explained by head coach Lester Ricard. "I was cautiously optimistic, but once you started seeing college football happening and some of the restrictions loosening, we had the feeling we would get an opportunity to play."

After losing much depth to graduation, Scotlandville will rely on many new faces to fill roles. One of the bigger roles will be sophomore Czavain Teasett. At 6-3, 180 pounds, Teasett showed much potential last year splitting time at quarterback; he's picked up offers from Ole Miss and Southern Alabama this offseason.
​

“I watched him last year as a freshman. Now he’s even bigger and stronger this year; now, it’s about controlling it, being accurate, and being smart with the football. Not to put too much pressure on himself and trusting the guys around him. We’re big and physical upfront and have possibly the two best running backs in the state.”

​The two running backs Ricard mentioned were juniors Chance Williams and Marlon Gunn Jr. Williams is listed at 5-10, 180 pounds, and impressed as a sophomore: rushing for 20 touchdowns on 8.0 yards/carry and 1308 yards. The other back is Marlon Gunn Jr. At 6-0, 187 pounds, Gunn rushed for 13 touchdowns and 1087 yards. Williams has attracted offers from Alcorn St. and Southern Alabama, but expect both of their recruiting to grow in the future.

The receiver core of Marlon Thomas and Reginald King (Prarie View A&M commit) to complete the offense is special too. The offensive unit that Scotlandville rolls out should worry opposing defenses. Scotlandville will return one of the better defenses in the state. After giving up 19.3 points/game last season, this side of the ball is as solid.

​

​Led by Michigan St. commit Jah’von Grigsby at DB in the secondary; Bryce Cage, Braelon Hobson, and Jamall Franklin Jr., and Michael Brown (McNeese St. commit) headline a talented group for the Hornet defense.

Nicholls St. head coach Austin Claunch & his staff added another student-athlete to his 2021 recruiting class.

​Combo guard Jon’Quarius McGhee of Opelousas High School announced that he was committing to the Colonels via social media. 

The talented combo guard had a lot of interest from schools like Southern Miss, Northwestern St, Texas Southern, Xavier(LA), & LSU-Alexandria. 

“I built a strong relationship with Coach Deloach & Coach Claunch early on,” McGhee explained. “They been telling me that I was probably the most underrated player in the state. And when they offered me that really let me know that they believe in me.”

The uptempo style that the Colonels like to play makes this a terrific fit & probably the biggest steal in Louisiana for the 2021 class. 

“Nicholls has been a really good program over the last few years,” McGhee said. “They beat Pittsburgh, lost to Illinois in overtime, & went down to the wire with LSU. Then with them being second in their conference showed me that this somewhere I really want to play.”

​McGhee was definitely a player that was unknown coming into his junior season & before summer AAU. This past season he averaged 19.4 ppg & 4.4 apg. He really caught a lot of buzz after his performance in Jackson, MS playing with Louisiana Elite, a big time Under Armour shoe circuit team. 
Soon after that weekend a lot of coaches began to inquire about the 6-foot-2 combo guard. 

“I was so disappointed when Covid hit because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to go show what I could do on the Under Armour circuit,” McGhee said. “I knew this was my last chance to show coaches that I was one of the best players in the state.”
With McGhee’s commitment out of the way to start his senior year, he has mind set on a few other things before he takes his talents to Thibodaux. 

“My main focus right now is to help my team win a state championship & bring more exposure to our area,” he said. “A lot of people from Opelousas don’t sign scholarships. We have a lot of players that’s really good & I’m just trying to put us in a position where my teammates can get seen like I did. I feel like if we make it to the top 28 & win state that’ll show that we have a lot of talented players that can play on the next level.”

Checkout Jon'Quarius McGhee Junior film below ​⬇️⬇️

Jay Smith came to the Privateers in 2019 after serving as the head coach of Wiley College for the past two seasons. He helped the program to their first NAIA tournament win in 49 years, second most wins in school history (22) along with being ranked No. 10 in the country at the end of the 2019 season, & produced two All-Americans. 

​Prior to Wiley College, Smith was the lead assistant at LSU-Alexandria where he played e a major role in helping the Generals go 86-9 in his three seasons. 

Smith also spent eight seasons at Comeaux High School in Lafayette. 

​Coach Smith did a zoom interview with G-Sportz discussing his vision for the UNO program, his experience coaching on the Under Armour circuit, & much more.