The Washington-Marion Charging Indians have their sights set beyond a 10-game regular season. They want to end their six-season playoff drought.

“It’s been a while since they’ve been to the playoffs,” new head coach Dio Bernard said. “That’s my whole goal.

“As I came in, I told the seniors that only 40 quarters were certain. By them being seniors, 4 quarters a game, 10 games being certain. The seniors said ‘No coach we’re going for 44’. So the seniors, they want to get back to the playoffs.”

The last postseason game for the Charging Indians was in 2017, which was the last year of Freddie Harrison’s eight-year tenure as head coach. Since then, the Warriors are 11-37 with just one winning season in 2021 (5-4). They went 1-9 last year.

“I keep saying restoring the roar, which is an acronym for responsibility, ownership, accountability, and when you get those three, you’re going to get the respect,” Bernard said. “We’re just trying to get the respect back within Southwest Louisiana football.”

W-M will be strong up front on offense with three returning starters, including two all-district players in guards Aidan George and Quentin Miller. There will be no seniors on the line. Miller along with new starters Michael Synder and Davian Flagg are sophomores and George and Adonis Cannon, a returning starter, are juniors.

“I feel good about my starters, o-line especially,” Bernard said. “I’ve got some guys that played a lot last year for Coach Jules (Sullen).

“They were real, real, real, real high on my list. Watching them on film, they played with a mean streak. They played with intentions. That was big for me as a coach trying to set the standard of what type of football we want to play.”

Junior Monte Farmer returns at quarterback after seven games under center in 2023. He threw for 972 yards and five touchdowns.

The backfield will be all underclassmen with sophomores Daniel Godfrey and Tyson Boullard and junior Craig Tillman. There will be a pair of senior wide receivers Ashton Savoie and John Chavis, who played defense last year.

“Offensively, we’re going to try to focus on getting the ball around to a lot of our guys — John Chavis being the main guy,” Bernard said. “He played last year, but he didn’t have a great role on offense. We’re going to use him this year for the receiver, wing-back, running back, just all over.”

He looks to make big changes to the defense. He has coached on the defensive side in 15 of his 18 years of coaching and is confident he can improve a group that allowed 39.2 points a game last year.

“You’re definitely going to need them to perform early,” he said. “The kids always ask, ‘Coach, why we don’t spend so much time on defense?’

“Because I have faith in my ability to get the kids to play fast and play hard. I’ve been doing it for 15 years and they haven’t failed me. So, I feel really, really good about defense this year with the team.”

Four senior starters return on the defensive side in end Davante Galmore, tackle Prince White, linebacker Andrea Shillow and Chavis at free safety. Transfer cornerback Dre Bernard, who earned second-team all-county honors last year at Fort Bend Bush (Texas) will add needed experience to the secondary.

“He’s a real good cover guy,” Bernard said. “He has a high IQ for the game. Right now, he’s throwing some good interest from UL-Lafayette and Southern University.”

New starters on the defense include tackle Jeff Thomas, end Hearnest Arvie, linebacker Jajuan Hicks, strong safety Braylon Hardy, rover Joey Simmons and cornerback R’Lon Porter.

WASHINGTON-MARION

Mascot: Charging Indians.

District: 3-4A.

Playoff division: Select Division II.

Head coach: Dio Bernard.

Head coach career record: 0-0.

2023 record (Dist.): 1-9 (1-7).

Last time in playoffs (round): 2017 (Bi-district)

Returning starters (offense/defense): 5/4

Key players lost: Markel Senegal (WR), Ashlone Thomas (WR), J’myric Roane (DL), Grayson Boulard (DB).

Top returners: Ashton Savoy (TE), John Chavis (FS), Adian George (OL), Quentin Miller (OL), Andrea Shillow (LB), Monte Farmer (QB).

Schedule

Sept. 6 at Abbeville

Sept. 12 vs. South Beauregard (Thurs.)

Sept. 20 vs. Westlake

Sept. 26 at St. Louis Catholic (Thurs.)

Oct. 5 at Peabody (Sat.)

Oct. 11 vs. LaGrange*

Oct. 18 at Iowa*

Oct. 25 at Leesville*

Nov. 1 vs. DeRidder*

Nov. 8 vs. Eunice*

*District 3-4A game