John Curtis is primed to make a run at another undefeated season with several starters returning from last year's state championship squad, including (left to right) Malachi Dupre, Kenny Young, Mattrell McGraw, Raekwon James, George Moreira, Terrance Alexander, Abby Touzet.
Photo by Roddy Johnson
The accolades for the
John Curtis (River Ridge, La.) football program are almost incomprehensible.
In the school's 50 years the Patriots have rattled off 13 unbeaten seasons, captured 25 state titles and, as of last year — one national championship.
The Patriots enjoyed a truly special season in 2012. This fall, despite losses to graduation, head coach J.T. Curtis and his squad will still be very good.
Plenty of firepower returns on offense, led by wide receiver
Malachi Dupre and running back
Raekwon James.
Last season Dupre made 36 catches for 816 yards and 15 touchdowns, and he could improve on those numbers as a senior.
Junior quarterback
Abby Touzet also returns. He helped lead the team to a state title as a freshman but played as a backup last fall. He's experienced, but will line up behind a largely inexperienced offensive line.
Receiver Malachi Dupre
Photo by Roddy Johnson
Defensively, however, the team will be more experienced, especially in the secondary.
Terrence Alexander and
Mattrell McGraw form a pair of returning starters. Alexander will line up at cornerback while McGraw can double as a safety if needed.
Prine Lewis, a fellow senior, and
Hunter Dale, a highly-touted junior, should place the John Curtis secondary among the nation's best.
See the entire Preseason Xcellent 25Linebacker
Kenny Young, yet another top recruit in the school's 2014 class, is primed for a monstrous senior season.
Up front, the line will be young. Sophomores
Devin Savwoir and
Malik Lacouq have a chance to make an impact.
Local outlook: "J.T. Curtis won't let his team rest on its laurels and on last year's national championship. As usual, Curtis comes back reloaded. They don't lose much on offense as Malachi Dupre still holds down one WR spot and Raekwon James and George Moreira take the RB reigns. Two years ago, quarterback Abby Touzant led the team to a state championship as a freshman when last year's quarterback Patrick Morton was out with a knee injury.
Curtis can duplicate last season's national championship performance if they are able to run the table again. And despite the national games, all of the local buzz surrounding Curtis centers around the Patriots' game with Edna Karr, who many think could have beaten Curtis last season."
- Andy Lopez, The Times-Picayune
