All three Vernon Parish football squads closed the 2024 regular season with victories last week. Leesville blasted Lagrange, 33-0. Pickering closed strong in beating Plain Dealing,46-0, for their third straight win. Rosepine avoided a winless season, beating East Beauregard on the road, 20-6.
Leesville
Wampus Cat fans saw school history made in the win over Lagrange. Running back, Xavier Ford, became the all-time LHS career rushing leader, overtaking Cecil “The Diesel” Collins. Ford needed 305 yards to pass Collins’s record of 7834 yards. He had 197 of them at halftime and finished with 331 yards and three TD’s. Ford has amassed 7859 yards and 103 TD’s rushing in his time wearing the black and gold. This season Ford totaled 2727 yards and 42 TD’s.
In the first quarter of Friday night’s game, the Wampus Cats gambled on a 4th and four at their own 25- yard line but failed on the attempt. The Leesville defense held Lagrange out of the end zone and got the ball back. The offense methodically drove 85 yards for a 7-0 lead, on Trel Broom’s six-yard run. Ford’s first quarter TD was a 75-yard romp to make it 14-0. Leesville scored twice more before halftime, on a 27-yard pass from Broom to Mike Davis and a 44-yard Ford scamper.
Following a scoreless third quarter, Ford scored his third TD on a 51-yard run with four minutes to play in the game. He needed just three yards to break the school record. Leesville got the ball back with two minutes to play. On first down Ford was held to one yard, but a 25-yard run on second down gave him the record.
The Leesville offense is not all Xavier Ford. Sophomore QB Broom hit 9/14 passes for 69 yards and a TD to Davis. Ju-Ju Brown had four receptions. Broom has a bevy of young receivers to toss it to, and he has all year.
The Leesville defense was led by sophomore linebacker, Masyn Williams, with 16 tackles, one for a loss and one QB sack. The Wampus Cat pack registered four sacks against the Gators and six tackles for loss.
Leesville is ranked #7 in the LHSAA Division II Select school rankings and has earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs. They will play a home game Friday, November 22, in the regional round against the winner of #10 Loyola Prep of Shreveport vs. #23 Sophie B Wright. That game takes place this Friday in Shreveport. Leesville has a 12.20 Power Rating and a 7.70 Schedule Strength in the latest rankings.
On The Radio KJAE-FM/93.5 AND KVVP-FM/105.7
Pickering
The Big Red closed the season with three straight wins. Pickering started the 2024 campaign with a bang by beating Gueydan and breaking an over two-year losing streak. Following six straight losses and an injury to senior QB AJ Berry, the season looked in peril. Pickering hung tough and when Berry returned, the three-game winning streak began.
The Red Devils used a total team effort last week to beat Plain Dealing, 46-0. Everybody got in on the act. Berry hit two passes for 63 yards, including a TD pass to Ladarius Privitera. Privitera also scored a TD on a kick-off return. Berry chipped in with a 32 yard rushing TD and picked off a pass on defense. Braden Ford had 41 yards rushing and a TD. Ford also blocked a punt for a safety. Kenny Givens had a rushing TD of four yards and a punt return for a score. Bryan Dedios kicked two PAT’s, while Ricardo Sastre had three PAT’s and a short field goal.
Big tip of the hat to Coach John Daughtery’s players, his staff, and the fans, who watched the Big Red program rise from the ashes to finish 4-6 on the season. Make the most out of those memories.
Rosepine
The Eagles avoided a winless season with a 20-6 win at East Beauregard. Players and fans were upended when first-year head coach, Fred Rosegrant, agreed to step down before the Trojan game. David Weldon was named interim head coach for the night,
Rosepine had a bellyful of losing on the year and they responded Friday night. Brynnum Chaney had 115 yards rushing including a five-yard TD. Devin Janice had only 23 yards rushing but scored twice from 6 and 2 yards out. Gabe McMurtry carried only twice but totaled 64 yards. QB Gabe Mckee had a 34-yard toss to Rowan Embry.
The Eagles finished 1-9 on the year, 0-4 in District 4-2A. There has been no news from the school on who the new head coach will be in 2025.