High School Team Preview: Lafayette Commodores

The Lafayette Commodores have a history of winning. Since 2010, Lafayette has won 3 state championships, with the most recent being in 2016. This year, the team will look to seize new momentum in the region after losing their first round playoff game due to COVID-19. <em><strong>OVERVIEW</strong></em> Finishing the regular season at 7-3, Lafayette was given a pretty favorable seed to make a run in the 5A state playoffs last season. Unfortunately, the team was forced to forfeit the game due to COVID-19. This season, a loaded senior class will make the final push to get over the hump and end Lafayette’s state championship drought. This is a very talented team on both sides of the football. The offense will be led by senior quarterback <strong>Will Dabney</strong> this year. Dabney, a backup Q last season, spent time using his athleticism in the slot at tight end. Lafayette will rely on the 6’4" signal caller’s athleticism and throwing ability to repeat a lot of last year’s offensive success.  Dabney will have no shortage of weapons. Senior wide out <strong>Kylen Vaughn</strong> will hear his number called plenty of times this year. In 2020, the long receiver averaged 14.9 yards per catch. With his basketball background in hand, watch for Vaughn to be the go to player in the pass game. On the ground, senior <strong>TJ Woodall </strong>will look to carry the load this season. Woodall is also one of the premier players on this extremely talented defense. This Lafayette offense is set up for success. Watch for a big time ground and pound offense who takes shots in the play action game. The defense is the strong suit of this team. With Southern Miss commits [player_tooltip player_id="104438" first="DJ" last="Burgess"] and [player_tooltip player_id="104460" first="Mario" last="Wilbourn"], the front seven should have no difficult stopping rushing attacks or getting after the passer. Burgess, a senior, led 5A in sacks last season and will look to cap off a very impressive high school career. Wilbourn is one of the vocal leaders of the team and is an absolute tackling machine. These two guys are an opposing offensive coordinator’s nightmare. With the departure of former cornerback Brendan Toles, the Commodores will be looking for some of their younger players to step up at the defensive back position. Woodall, who was mentioned earlier, will look to be one of the premier secondary members who takes care of WR1s. He had 4 INTs last season and is a very fluid coverage player. Top to bottom, this is one of the most talented defenses in the entire state. Looking for this unit to take care of business and not allow many touchdowns this year. The age old saying has always been "offense wins games, but defense wins championships." This statement could not be more true for the Commodores. With their talented defensive unit and ground and pound offense, this team should make a long run into the 5A playoffs and be a serious contender for the state title. <strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong> <strong>Kylan Egerson</strong> | 2023 LB/DB Egerson is a physical player that Lafayette will line up everywhere. Last season, he took snaps at corner, outside backer, and safety. He brings a violent presence to the box and knows how to get off of blocks easily. Egerson is one of the team’s most effective tacklers and pursues the ball carrier quickly. He has great speed in the open field and can cover in space. Really love his versatility across the defense. Excited to watch where Egerson plays this season; this is a guy with a lot of college upside at a young age. <strong>John Dukes</strong> | 2022 OL At 6’3" 265, Dukes starts at left tackle for Lafayette. He shows great lower body bend and can get off the ball fast. In the run game, Dukes uses his impressive upper body strength to pave the way for his running back. He plays tenaciously and through the whistle every snap. In pass protection, Dukes has good pass set steps and a strong first punch. This is a hard guy to move around and will be one of the key players on this offensive line unit. <em><strong>MORE NAMES</strong></em> <strong>Desmond Burnett</strong> | 2023 ATH Young player who flashed on defense and offense last season. <strong>Jagger Stovall</strong> | 2022 LB Played great in his 5 games last season. Talented member of the front seven here. <strong>Jamari Logan</strong> | 2022 DL Anchor of this defensive line. Strong player up front. <strong><em>GAMES TO WATCH</em></strong> <strong>9/3 Horn Lake (A)</strong> - Non-district game for the Commodores, but an important one nonetheless. Lafayette won this one last season at home 21-6 and will look to make it two straight against one of the better teams in the state. <strong>9/17 Oxford (H)</strong> - This rivalry is one of the best in Mississippi. Lafayette comes off of a loss from last year and will try to get one back on Oxford this year. Tons of talent on the field. <strong>10/22 Cleveland Central (A)</strong> - This will be an absolute battle of the trenches. Cleveland Central brings a huge offensive line to the table that the Lafayette defensive line will have to be ready for. &nbsp;