CCHS Eagles have experience, depth in 2015

Experience and depth.
Those are the two characteristics that describe the 2015 Central Catholic Eagles as the team returns 16 starters from a year ago and features a squad that has enough players available to allow for a minimum amount of athletes to see time on both sides of the ball, a rarity in Class 1A football.
“You can see in the way we’re practicing that there’s a lot of retention from last year,” Central Catholic head football coach Tommy Minton said. “We’ve been able to move faster as far as installing things, and we’ve been able to actually get to some things that we couldn’t get to last year at all.”
Central Catholic finished the 2014 season with a 9-3 overall mark, falling in the Division IV quarterfinals to Ouachita Christian School.
While the squad suffered some losses, most notably on the defense where District 7-1A Co-Defensive MVP Garret LeBlanc, an honorable mention Louisiana Sports Writers Association All- State selection and now a walk-on at Nicholls State, as well as
Charlie Barron, a first-team Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State defensive back and second-team Louisiana Coaches All-State selection, were lost to graduation, the squad does return a plethora of experience.
That includes senior Stefano Guarisco, a second-team Louisiana Football Coaches Association All-State running back. He, along with senior defensive lineman T.J. Ruffin, were honorable mention Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State selections a
year ago.
That duo, also first-team All-District 7-1A selections, is joined by five other returning first- or second-team all-district selections.
The Eagles will be a multiple spread offense that will feature four wide receiver sets at times and even when they are in the I-formation, still feature three wide receivers at most times.
Defensively, the Eagles will be running a 3-4 defense.
The Eagles’ coaching staff this season features Minton, who also will be the offensive coordinator, Tyler Jensen (running backs and outside linebackers), Tarence Calais (wide receivers and defensive backs), Zach Vorenkamp (quarterbacks and defensive backs), David Irwin (offensive and defensive lines), Coby Minton (offensive line), Larry Lombardo (defensive coordinator and defensive line) and Keith Thibodaux (inside linebackers and wide receivers).
Below is a position-by-position look at the Eagles this season:
Quarterback
Junior Blake Byrne will return to his starting role as the Eagles’ quarterback, where he first saw action as a sophomore.
His start a year ago, Minton said, marked the first time the longtime coach ever has started a sophomore at quarterback.
“He didn’t even have the luxury of playing a JV schedule as a freshman in this offense,” Minton said. “He was thrown right in, and you can see that this year he understands things a lot better. … There’s no substitute for experience, and the experience
he got last year made him a lot better.”
Backing Byrne up will be sophomore Damarcus Mitchell, who Minton said is a good athlete with a strong arm who is beginning to perfect the position’s mechanics.
“Quarterback is a position where I feel like we got some depth,” Minton said. “We got another sophomore, Tyler O’con, who played a ballgame for us, a big district game last year against Ascension Episcopal and helped us to a big win.”
Running back
Guarisco returns to his running back position after a banner season a year ago, and Minton is looking for another solid year from him.
“He’s been a big part of what we accomplished offensively last year, and he’s put on a little bit of weight (and he’s gotten) a little bit stronger,” Minton said.
The Eagles also have sophomore Chris Singleton, who received playing time a year ago and had some success.
“It’s his second year in the offense,” Minton said “He’s looking a lot more comfortable, and he has the ability to make big plays and be a big part of what we do this year also.”
Also set to see time at running back is junior Sydney Holder, who will start on defense.
When a fullback is necessary in the Eagles’ I-formation sets, the Eagles will utilize junior Bailey Badeaux.
Wide Receiver
Central Catholic returns a pair of first-team all-district wide receivers in juniors Samarick Paul and Jalen Johnson.
“Their route-running ability, their catching the ball with their hands has improved dramatically, and they both could be in store for big years,” Minton said.
The Eagles will be breaking in two new starters at slot receiver in junior Greg Leger and Badeaux.
“Both of those kids are capable of making big plays,” Minton said.
Also providing depth at any of the wide receiver spots are freshmen Brooks Thomas and Bryce Grizzaffi and sophomore Cade Minton.
When a tight end is necessary, the Eagles will look to junior Blake Hidalgo and senior Tanner Wiggins.
“Both of those guys are experienced football players that can block and catch the ball for us,” Minton said.
Offensive Line
The Eagles return four starters on the offensive line in junior D.J. Hebert at center, junior Thomas Garber at right guard, senior Cole Baker at right tackle and junior Mitchell Lemoine at left tackle. The new starter will be junior Jesse Fontenot at left tackle. Garber and Baker were second-team all-district selections in 2014.
“Last year we were kind of inexperienced up front, and those guys went through a whole season,” Minton said.
He is hopeful the stronger, more experienced line can be a strength for the squad in 2015.
Defensive Line
Minton said he has four guys he can rotate at the nose tackle and defensive end positions in
Ruffin, junior Harold Ganaway, Hidalgo and sophomore Dominic Skipper, who Minton said he considers all as starters.
“All four of those guys bring a good combination of quickness and explosive power, and I think we can move them around some and create some confusion and some blocking schemes up front because of the type of athletes that they are,” Minton said.
Adding depth on the defensive line will be Fontenot and sophomore Ethan Whittington.
Linebacker
At outside linebacker, the Eagles will feature returning starter, senior Charlie Solar, and Singleton, who also started a year ago. Leger also will see time at linebacker.
“Those three guys are all rangy, they run well and they give us the element to be able to blitz a lot and also cover,” Minton said. “They give us the best of both worlds.”
Others providing depth at outside linebacker are sophomores Thomas Mire and Braxton Alcina.
At inside linebacker, Wiggins will man the Mike linebacker position, moving over from his spot at the Will linebacker to replace LeBlanc. Wiggins was a first-team all-district selection in 2014.
Replacing Wiggins at the Will linebacker position will be Mitchell, while Badeaux and sophomore Cooper LeBlanc will play inside and outside linebacker, depending on the defensive front the Eagles are playing.
“They give us great depth and great flexibility at the linebacker position,” Minton said. “It’s a position I really feel like we’re really, really got good numbers at and good football players at.”
Others providing depth at inside linebacker are freshmen Mitchell Mancuso and Hunter Daigle and sophomore Tyler Longman.
Secondary At cornerback, the Eagles feature Holder, a returning starter, as well as freshman Dede Gant.
“Both of those kids are athletic,” Minton said. “They have long arms. They should give us good coverage ability.”
At the safety positions, Johnson will be the team’s free safety.
“He is a real explosive tackler,” Minton said. “He can cover a lot of ground, and I think he’s going to be an impact player on the … backside there for us.”
At strong safety, the Eagles will feature O’con.
Others vying for time are junior Drake Angeron at both safety positions and Minton at cornerback.
Special Teams
Central Catholic comes into this season having to replace senior kicker Matthew Barbier, a first-team all-district selection.
Angeron sewed up that spot in preseason practice.
“That was one of my worries coming in in the fall camp was the kicking position, but Drake’s come in as the extra point position and done a good job,” Minton said.
At punter, Garber is first string, while Solar is on his heels.
“Both of those kids are fighting it out,” Minton said.
Schedule
Central Catholic will play Division IIII runner-up Catholic High- New Iberia in the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette Jamboree Aug. 28.
Its nondistrict slate includes St. John of Plaquemine, Class 2A Opelousas Catholic and Ascension Catholic.
“We get to see quality teams, (Division III) state runner-up Catholic High New Iberia in the jamboree and a (Division III) state quarterfinalist, Opelousas Catholic, the second week of the season, so I feel like we’ve put some quality teams on the schedule that’ll test us and help make us better,” Minton said.
In district, the squad will return the same lineup as last year in Gueydan, Ascension Episcopal, Hanson, Highland Baptist, Lafayette Christian and Vermilion Catholic, but also will add Centerville.
Minton said Vermilion Catholic has been the top team in recent years, while Ascension Episcopal has been improving.
“They’re going to be really tough also, I believe,” Minton said of Ascension Episcopal.