Wildcats Vie For All-State, All-District

by Woody Jenkins, editor

CENTRAL — The Central Wildcats dropped a heart-breaker 38-20 to Mandeville in Round Two of the State 5A Playoffs Friday, ending their season with the Bi-District Championship and a 10-2 record.

But a number of Central players are still in the running for post-season honors, including All-District, All-Metro, All-State, and participation in the Army Red Stick Bowl.

Leading the field of possible honorees are last year’s All-State athlete Gary Triplett and quarterback Brett Courville, a possible All-District and All-State selection.

Other offensive players in the running for post-season honors include

• Hunter Edgens

• Devon Gales

• Thomas Garcia

• Lamonte Janeau

• Jake Myer

• Conner Raiford

Defensive standouts who could earn All-District, All-Metro, or All-State honors include

• Paul Broussard

• Thomas Eddlemon

• Kevin Henry

• Dalton Holdman

• Sean Parker

• Tony Ragusa

• Ashton Stokes

Another player who has been mentioned for post-season honors is Central punter Greg Noel.

All-District, All-Metro, and All-State teams will be announced in December and January.

In each district, the coaches meet to select an All-District team.  An athlete’s own coach can nominate the player but cannot vote for a member of his own team.  The All-Metro team is selected by the sportwriters at The Advocate.  It cuts across all class and district lines.  There are two  All-State teams — one selected by the coaches and one by the voting members of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

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A Look Back at the Mandevile Game. During the 2012, the Central Wildcats were as close to a turnover-free team as you are likely to find in high school football.  But that changed Friday night against Mandeville.

It is unclear whether Mandeville or Central has the better team but the truth is, key turnovers by the Wildcats Friday night cost them the game and a spot in the 5A quarter-finals against arch-rival Catholic High, which beat New Iberia, for the other spot.

“It was a bad time for the wheels to off,” Central head coach Sid Edwards said, “but that’s what happened.”  Coach Sid pointed to a botched punt and a key interception as particularly harmful.  “I felt we would be in the running with seven or eight minutes to go.  I hoped we’d be a touchdown ahead or three points behind.  That would allow us to make our final run and pull ahead.  Instead, we had put ourselves in a hole, and we were down 38-20.”  During the 2012 season, Central had 15 fewer turnovers  than their opponents.  But against Mandeville, the Wildcats committed four turnovers in a single half.  “That is uncharacteristic for us, and it is hard to overcome,” Edwards said.

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A Tremendous Season. Coach Sid Edwards congratulated his Wildcats and the coaching staff for a highly successful season — their 5th straight District 5A Championship and a 10-2 record.  They were ranked No. 4 in the state entering the playoffs.

Coach Sid said, “I hate to lose but most of all I hate the fact that we won’t be working with this same outstanding group of young men.”

“Of the 32 teams that enter the state playoffs, only two will make it to the finals, and only one will win the championship.  Everyone else will lose.  There’s a finality to losing in the state playoffs, and it’s not fun.  You want to stay with this team and see it through to the Dome.”

Coach Sid has won two State Championship in high school football and one State Championship in high school basketball — all at Redemptorist.

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Something Special. Coach Sid said, “There’s something special about the sound of cleats on the locker room floor.  Some kids are superstitious.  They’ll wear the same socks every week or eat the same thing every Thursday night.  After Friday’s game, one player sat in the locker room for 45 minutes not wanting to take his helmet off, because he knew he would never again wear that helmet.”

Of Central’s 33 seniors, only four or five are likely to play college football.  Two have already received offers — Brett Courville and Jeremy Anderson.  Several others are likely to get offers as well.

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Persistence Pays Off. One Central High graduate (Class of 2009) proved that last Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

Louis Covington was a defensive back for the Central Wildcats when Coach Sid Edwards first came to Central in 2007.  His family resided in the inner city of Baton Rouge.

“They told me Louis wouldn’t be able to play for us and that he wouldn’t graduate.  But he did a good job for us, and he did graduate,” Coach Sid said.  “Then they told me Louis would never be able to play in college. And he didn’t have an easy time of it.  But he found a home at Fullerton State College in California, where he played for two years.  This May, Louis made a commitment to Ole Miss!”

“Last week, Louis started for Ole Miss against Vanderbilt.  Then Saturday night, Louis Covington of Central High started for Ole Miss against the LSU Tigers in Tiger Stadium!”

During the LSU-Ole Miss game, Louis played a key role.  In the 3rd quarter, with Ole Miss ahead 21-17, LSU was threatening to score.  With 3rd down on the four-yard-line, Louis tackled LSU star Jeremy Hill for a three-yard-loss, forcing the Tigers to settle for a field goal, which left the Rebels ahead 21-20.  He was named Ole Miss Student Athlete of the Month.  Not bad for a young man who stands 5’9” and weighs only 162!  Persistence really does pay off!