Kinder, Welsh headline All-Decade Small Schools team

Published 6:00 pm Monday, May 4, 2020

Two programs stood above the rest in the past decade of Southwest Louisiana small schools (Classes 2A and 1A) football, with the Kinder Yellow Jackets and Welsh Greyhounds combining for fives trips to the state championship game and three titles, with Kinder winning two 2A championships in three trips to the Superdome, while Welsh earned one title in a pair of trips to New Orleans.

Not surprisingly, those schools dominate the American Press All-Southwest Louisiana Team of the Decade.

The team was chosen by American Press staff and based on productivity during the 2010-2019 football seasons.bryce-bakerbryce-baker

Kirk Meche/Special to the American Press

Kinder leads the way with eight players, followed by Welsh with seven. Leading the Kinder selections is Defensive MVP Bryce Baker, a two-time first-team Class 2A all-state selection at linebacker and two-time all-area team Defensive MVP. The linebacker led Kinder to back-to-back 14-1 seasons in 2013 and 2014, with the Yellow Jackets winning the 2013 state title and finishing runner-up in 2014, when he made 148 tackles. Baker went on to play at Louisiana College.

The offensive MVP is Elton running back Marcus Lemoine, who twice was the leading rusher in Louisiana, including a 2014 senior season in which he ran for 2,515 yards and scored 40 touchdowns. Lemoine set the school rushing record despite starting two seasons, and was the Class 1A Offensive MVP on the all-state team. He played college football at Arkansas-Monticello.Bret-Fuselier(Rick Hickman / Special to the American Press)

Bret Fuselier brought Kinder High its first state championship since 1979.

The Coach of the Decade is Kinder’s Bret Fuselier, who became the first small schools coach to win three consecutive American Press Coach of the Year awards, taking the honor from 2013-15, his first three years as Kinder head coach. The ‘Jackets won the Class 2A title in 2013 and 2015. In seven years at Kinder, Fuselier has led the ‘Jackets to a 21-5 playoff record with at least one playoff win each season. In addition to the three championship game appearances, the ‘Jackets have reached the quarterfinal round three times. Four of the five playoff losses were to eventual state champions.

Joining Baker on the defense are linemen Isaiah Wheeler of Hamilton Christian, Rosepine’s Scott Wisby, Welsh’s John Daigle and Kinder’s Joey McNeely.

The linebackers are Barker, Lance Frank of Oberlin, Basile’s Andre Reed and Kinder’s Seth Langley. The defensive backs are Jordan Cordova of Kinder, Vinton’s Anfernee Dixon, Grand Lake’s Brayden Richard and Elton’s Keyshawn Lyons. The utility players are Garrick Gray of Welsh, Hamilton Christian’s Julian Marcantel and Oberlin’s Colin Chatman.

The punter is Kinder’s Raul Barrera. The kick returner is Basile’s Kendrick Ceasar, who joins Frank as the only two small school players to make four all-area teams.

Joining Lemoine at running back are Kinder’s Taylor Johnson and Oberlin’s Cedric Skinner, who ran for more than 3.600 yards and scored 49 touchdowns in the 2010 season.

The quarterback is Kinder’s Welles Cooley, who guided the ‘Jackets to a pair of state championship games, winning one. The receivers are Welsh’s Da’Ren Zeno and Brandius Batiste and Oakdale’s Darion Dunn. The tight end is Welsh’s Pearse Migle.

The linemen are Kinder’s Casey Edwards, Basile’s Gage Johnson, Hamilton Christian’s Easton Massey, Welsh’s Caleb Gary and Oberlin’s Mackenzie Carrier, who earned Class 1A first-team all-state honors on offense and defense.

The athletes include Welsh’s Zach Hayes, quarterback of the 2017 state championship team, Elton running back/linebacker Micah Lavan, who earned an all-area MVP award on each side of the ball; and Lake Arthur RB/LB Trey Hargrave.

The placekicker is Jose Castillo of South Cameron.