re: LHSAA Preseason Top 10 Polls 5A-1A

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I know what you mean beacause they were set up nice with the #1 seed last year to make a run. However, I'm an outsider when it comes to St. Pauls and from what I have seen of them so far in their scrimmages they may be more talented this year than last. Their D line is bigger and the Gaines kid is older and will get more carries with Long being gone. The Gaines kid could be special. I don't see Karr beating them. We all know schools like St Pauls have an advantage over schools like Karr early in the year.

I'm a fan of all of the northshore teams and am looking forward to this season.

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I hope you're right. I am a former St. Paul's player (graduated 2007) and I continue to follow the team every year. I am amazed that they have been able to sustain success after my class graduated. When I was a freshman, St. Paul's was the laughing stock of the district (coming off 3-7 and 2-8 seasons, respectively, in their first two seasons in 5A) and several of my classmates started on the varsity team. We ended up going 5-5 and shocking Fontainebleau in the season finale, but were kept out of the playoffs because of a weak predistrict schedule (which again was our achilles heel the next season). We went 6-4 the next year with 3 of our losses coming in results of 10 points or less and were again outed on the playoffs because of the same predistrict opponents.

The following year (my junior year), was shortened by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.. our first 4 games were cancelled. However, we shocked the district and won all 6 of our regular season games and drew the 6th seed in the playoffs, where we faced 4-5 Westgate (who was deceptively seeded at 27). Jared Mitchell single handedly beat us in the first round and they ended up making it to the quarters, where they lost to eventual state champ WM, I think.

My senior season, we returned the majority of the team, except for the entire DL, which proved to be our achilles heel against the two opponents who beat us (Fontainebleau and Acadiana). We could score on anyone if we had the ball, and we were effective against pass-happy offenses, but didn't have the meat in the middle to plug up bruising RBs and big OLs.

When my senior year was done, 17 starters and 24 seniors graduated, I thought our short run to the top was over, yet the next year, they were able to go 8-2 (7-0 in district) and reach the state quarterfinals.

Since my junior season, St. Paul's has had at least a share of the district championship 6 out of 7 years. Pretty impressive. If all goes as planned this year, it should be 7 for 8.

I have followed this district very closely for the last 10 plus years and I remember when St Pauls was the laughing stock. I'm a northshore public school guy so I can't say that I like St Pauls but I am very impressed that Sears has been able to keep to pump out the regular season's that he has. I keep waiting for them to stumble and they haven't yet. I've heard rumors that the Mandeville semi-final run has put more pressure on Sears to do well in the playoffs. Don't know how true though, the guy has made 3(?) quarter-final runs.

Gaines reminds of MHS's BJ Sams. I think Gaines could end up being one of the best skill guys in the district in the last 12 years. He may end up there with Sams, Forte and Ponchy's Ronald McClendon. During St Pauls' run the last few years they have not had a skill player as good as him, he may be what they need to make a deeper run in the playoffs.

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I'm a northshore public school guy so I can't say that I like St Pauls

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No other schools do, I'm used to it.

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but I am very impressed that Sears has been able to keep to pump out the regular season's that he has. I keep waiting for them to stumble and they haven't yet.

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I was ready for them to fall back down to irrelevance a year or two after I graduated, but the system they have put in place is outstanding. My freshman year, the seniors went to Sears and advocated for a change in the summer workout and conditioning program. We started working out with Kurt Hester at Pelican Athletic Club (Hester is a renowned trainer on the national level. He trained LSU's baseball teams in the 90s).

The seniors from that year (class of 2004) were really the class that started it all (they may not have been as talented as subsequent classes, but they deserve credit for turning the program around). They held themselves, as seniors, and the rest of the team to a higher standard, which has been ever-growing year after year. Coupled with the fact that we received an overhaul in the coaching staff, including, in my biased opinion, the best offensive line coach in the state, Joe Dickens, who was key to our offenses success.

I'm not blind to the fact that recruiting allegations have surfaced. Personally, I think St. Paul's definitely steers talented athletes from bad neighborhoods into its welcoming arms. Do I approve of it? I'd say I'm on the fence. If the number of less fortunate non student-athletes let into St. Paul's on a yearly basis was proportionate to the number of less fortunate student-athletes, how could anyone have a problem with this? The school is a great environment for fostering and facilitating success. However, it seems that the less fortunate students St. Paul's accepts "just so happen to be great athletes." It was not nearly as prevalent when I was there. It only took a few years in a row of beating Covington to get some of their constituents to cross over.

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I've heard rumors that the Mandeville semi-final run has put more pressure on Sears to do well in the playoffs. Don't know how true though, the guy has made 3(?) quarter-final runs.

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I would hope so. I love Kenny to death, but he was notorious for under-preparing for playoff games. I really hope last year's first round exit lights a fire under him and he comes back with a vengeance.

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Gaines reminds of MHS's BJ Sams. I think Gaines could end up being one of the best skill guys in the district in the last 12 years. He may end up there with Sams, Forte and Ponchy's Ronald McClendon

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He is the fastest player at St. Paul's since Nilo Silvan (class of 92), who went on to play for the Tampa Bay Bucs for a few seasons as a KR. He has the lateral quickness and change of direction to play big time college ball, if he only grows a little. He's generously listed at 5'7 155.

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During St Pauls' run the last few years they have not had a skill player as good as him, he may be what they need to make a deeper run in the playoffs.

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I still say that Chad Keys was the biggest difference maker to play for St. Paul's during their recent run. He was unbelievable talented, as raw as he was, and could take over a game when he wanted to. Unfortunately, he was as lazy as they came off the field, and really did nothing to help his own recruitment. One of our teammate's father busted his butt to get Chad recruited, and he eventually signed with UCF, where he stayed for a year and transferred to McNeese, where he never suited up and eventually dropped out of school. Have no idea where he is now.

we're still on with berwick, but i hope they cancel bc it will be another boring mismatch

St. Charles Catholic is open... make it happen Tucker

Absolutely. Covington High has more talent walking in their halls than they do on the field on a yearly basis. I've heard they are in the running for the district title this year though. We shall see.

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Who all is in Covington's district? I watched the scrimmage Parkview Baptist 2 weeks ago and was not impressed at all.

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St. Paul's
Mandeville
Fontainebleau
Slidell
Northshore
Ponchatoula
Covington

St. Paul's is in a class of their own within the district. I think they may have lost 3 district games in the last 7 years.

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Yeah, Denham has improved vastly throughout the last few years. They have a RB (Kaleb Blanchard) committed to Arkansas and a OL/DL (Tevin Lawson) committed to LSU.

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Yup,we beatin Rummel this year.
And nobody is gonna be able to block Tevin this year.

West Monroe and Neville both at #1, NELA swag

LOL @ Marksville #8 they may win 5 games.