By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
ÿ
New Orleans-Area Powers Thriving
ÿ
Hurricane Katrina's deadly and costly tear through the Gulf Coast in late August 2005 is well-documented. It was the third-largest hurricane ever to hit the United States, taking the lives of nearly 2,000 people and causing, according to some estimates, as much as $81 billion in damage.
ÿ
New Orleans was the center of the storm's fury, and as coverage of the event unfolded in the national media, some predicted the historic Louisiana city would never be the same, perhaps even uninhabitable.
ÿ
In some ways, New Orleans won't be the same, but resilient citizens began the rebuilding process almost immediately, and some of region's proudest traditions are back and stronger than ever. One of those is high school football.
ÿ
"I don't think the country really can grasp the devastation that was brought upon this community," legendary John Curtis Christian head coach J.T. Curtis told MaxPreps' Chris Stonebraker in October.
ÿ
Ask anybody in Louisiana's lower half, and they will tell you the area plays some of the best high school football in America - before or after Hurricane Katrina. It's hard to argue.
ÿ
Last week, six Louisiana teams appeared in the MaxPreps/National Guard National Top 100, including four from the New Orleans area, led by John Curtis (10), East St. John (14), St. Paul (57), and Destrehan (91).
ÿ
John Curtis is garnering much of the attention - and rightfully so. The Patriots knocked off Alabama juggernaut Hoover, 28-14, Sept. 29 on the ESPN network, and feature one of the nation's premier playmakers in senior wide receiver/defensive back Joe McKnight.
ÿ
"We were fortunate in that our school had minimum damage," coach Curtis said. "We were still standing, which is not like a lot of places. Some places were not. We were back in school four weeks later. We tried to open our doors and say, `Let's get back to our community and let's get back to work.'"
ÿ
The Patriots will be seeking their 21st state title this season under Curtis, who has amassed a remarkable 437 wins in his 36-year run at the River Ridge school.
ÿ
Just up the road in Reserve, East St. John capped its first unbeaten regular season in 26 years by thumping previously-undefeated Destrehan, 42-7. The Wildcats have their own standout in defensive back/linebacker Stefoin Francois, who was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January, 2007.
ÿ
Head coach Larry Dauterive's squad is 19-2 over the past two seasons and was the last team to beat John Curtis, doing so in the third game of their Katrina-delayed 2005 campaign.
ÿ
St. Paul, located across the Pontchartrain Causeway from New Orleans in Covington, and Destrehan both entered their regular season finales unblemished, but went down to Fontainbleau and aforementioned East St. John, respectively.
ÿ
The list of New Orleans-area teams experiencing great years on the field doesn't stop there. Marrero schools Archbishop Shaw and Higgins are a combined 17-2; New Orleans' Karr is 6-2 after having its entire 2005 season wiped out; Metairie's Archbishop Rummel is 8-2 and headed for the postseason after playing just five regular season games a year ago.
ÿ
Undoubtedly, one or more of these schools will be crowned state champions at the end of the season. It won't be unexpected given the talent and tradition many of the schools possess, but it may just mean a little more this time around.
ÿ
"When you lose something the way these kids lost their school and lost their team, you have a deeper appreciation for it," Curtis said. "I think the kids really appreciate the opportunity to be with their teammates, on their team, participating, trying to compete, and being back together."
ÿ
New Orleans: Pipeline to the SEC
Eight of the 12 teams in the Southeastern Conference - arguably college football's best - feature players from the New Orleans area. There are 50 student-athletes in all playing in the SEC alone, and dozens more spread out at Division I-A schools across the country. Here is a look at the SEC's crop of New Orleans-area players;
ÿ
Arkansas (2): Stephen Parker (Mandeville/St. Paul), Darius Vinnett (St. Rose/Destrehan)
Auburn (3): Alonzo Horton (New Orleans/Abramson), Patrick Martyn (New Orleans/Jesuit), Patrick Trahan (New Orleans/St. Augustine)
Georgia (1): Jonathan deLaureal (New Orleans/Newman)
Kentucky (2): Dicky Lyons, Jr. (New Orleans/Holy Cross), Lamar Mills (Slidell/Archbishop Rummel)
LSU (31): Rahim Alem (New Orleans/St. Augustine), Craig Davis (New Orleans/Walker), Leo Desselle (New Orleans/Archbishop Shaw), Ricky Dixon (LaPlace/East St. John), Jai Eugene (Destrehan/Destrehan), Marlon Favorite (Harvey/West Jefferson), Ace Foyil (Mandeville/Mandeville), Sean Gaudet (New Orleans/Jesuit), Ryan Gaudet (New Orleans/Jesuit), Josh Graham (Covington/Covington), Chris Jackson (River Ridge/John Curtis), Tyson Jackson (Edgard/West St. John), Quinn Johnson (Edgard/West St. John), Sammy Joseph (Marrero/Archbishop Shaw), Steven Korte (Mandeville/Fontainbleau), Matt Laudun (Slidell/Slidell), Cole Louviere (River Ridge/Archbishop Rummel), Josh McManus (New Orleans/Brother Martin), Chris Mitchell (Marrero/John Ehret), Ryan Perrilloux (Reserve/East St. John), Carlos Rachel (New Orleans/Shaw), Chris Reed (Covington/Fontainbleau), Mark Snyder (Kenner/West Monroe), Jason Spadoni (Kenner/John Curtis), Craig Steltz (New Orleans/Archbishop Rummel), Carnell Stewart (River Ridge/John Curtis), Josh Stoltz (Kenner/Rummel), Scott Ward (Covington/St. Paul's), Garett Wibel (Metairie/Rummel), Ryan Willis (New Orleans/Holy Cross), P.J. Zimmerman (New Orleans/Jesuit)
Mississippi (7): Ben Benedetto (Metairie/Brother Martin), Ryan Favret (Metairie/Jesuit), BenJarvus Green-Ellis (New Orleans/St. Augustine), Hayward Howard (New Orleans/Carver), Kendrick Lewis (New Orleans/Walker), Robert Russell (New Orleans/Landry), Mike Wallace (New Orleans/Walker)
Mississippi State (3): Derek Ambrose (New Orleans/John Ehret), Christian Ducre (Mandeville/Fontainbleau), Jeremy Jones (Harvey/West Jefferson),
Tennessee (1): Chris Brown (Destrehan/Jesuit)
ÿ
Team of the Week: DeMatha Catholic, District of Columbia
ÿ
Head coach Bill McGregor's Stags won their 20th-consecutive contest by cruising past Washington Catholic Athletic Conference rival, Good Counsel, Md., 42-13, Friday night.
ÿ
The DeMatha-Good Counsel series has provided plenty of drama over the past three years, but Stag quarterback Chester Stewart and running back Ashby Christian ensured there would be no theatrics this time around.
ÿ
Stewart completed 6 of 10 pass attempts for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Christian reached the end zone on runs of 3, 2, 4, and 2 yards. Stewart also added a score on the ground.
ÿ
The two schools have met five times over the last three seasons, and DeMatha had come away with one-point wins in each of the past three contests. Two of those wins gave McGregor's program the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title.
ÿ
A rematch is a distinct possibility two weeks from now in the WCAC title game. Good Counsel was 9-0 this season prior to Friday's loss.
ÿ
In addition to their streak of 20-straight wins, the Stags - ranked No. 45 nationally by MaxPreps - have won 31 of their last 33 games dating back to the 2004 season.
ÿ
Max Performer of the Week: Dequan Leak, Independence, N.C.
ÿ
Down 21-0 at the half against Butler, it looked like Independence (N.C.) High's historic 102-game win streak might be coming to an end.
ÿ
But Patriot running back Dequan Leak wasn't quite ready for that happen.
ÿ
The 5-11, 205-pound senior responded in a dire situation by tallying 170 yards and four touchdowns in the second half to lead Independence all the way back for a 30-24, double-overtime win in front of 15,000 fans.
ÿ
"We wanted to show how much pride we have," Leak told the Charlotte Observer. "We weren't going to give up this streak that the other guys created."
ÿ
Leak scored on a pair of short runs in the third quarter, a 26-yarder early in the fourth quarter, then provided the game-winner in the second overtime following a Butler turnover.
ÿ
For the game, Leak totaled 32 carries for 193 yards with the four scores, helping his Patriots to consecutive win No. 103.
ÿ
Special Mention
ÿ
Tyler Ethridge, Richland Springs, Texas: In the world of Texas six-man high school football, Tyler Ethridge is Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Michael Vick all rolled into one.
ÿ
The junior quarterback threw his 149th touchdown pass in a 96-0 win over Eden Friday night - breaking the national record for career touchdowns passes at the six-man level.
ÿ
Ethridge brought his total to 151 later in the game - which ended at halftime. The Richland Springs signal caller is also deadly on the ground, accumulating over 3,000 yards and 57 touchdowns.
ÿ
Ethridge and the Coyotes are averaging 68 points per game in 2006.
ÿ
Looking Ahead
ÿ
The possibility of a Southlake Carroll-Lufkin showdown in the Texas 5A playoffs has been a hot topic in the Lone Star State since August when both teams began showing up near the top of nearly every preseason national top 25.
ÿ
In Texas, teams at the 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A level are split into two divisions for the state playoffs based on enrollment. That system produces two state champions in each classification.
ÿ
A year ago, Euless Trinity captured the Division I title, while Southlake Carroll repeated in Division II. This season, it appears Southlake Carroll (enrollment 2,408) is a lock for Division I, with smaller schools in Grapevine (2,242), Justin Northwest (2,210), and Richland (2,103) still in the District 5 postseason picture.
ÿ
As for Lufkin, things aren't quite as simple. According to Texas high school football expert Carl Padilla, Conroe Oak Ridge must beat The Woodlands College Park Friday for John Outlaw's Panthers to be included in the Division I party.
ÿ
Lufkin currently leads District 15 at 4-0, with The Woodlands second. College Park and Oak Ridge will battle for the third spot, and ultimately decide Lufkin's fate.
ÿ
Regardless of who goes where, it should be a wild postseason in Texas' 5A ranks. Eight teams remain unbeaten - Southlake Carroll, Euless Trinity, Westfield, Cedar Hill, Lufkin, Katy, North Shore, and El Paso Coronado.
ÿ
Bulletin Board
ÿ
- Immokalee, Fla., head coach John Weber to the Fort Myers News-Press after completing a 10-0 season that won't be rewarded with a trip to the postseason due to sanctions levied against the school from infractions committed during the 2005 season:
ÿ
"If it's not one of the best teams in Southwest Florida history, something's wrong. I would play anybody in our class, any place. I think this club could play with anybody in the nation.''