Brother Martin Crusaders | Spring 3-2-1 Spotlight

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brother Martin reached its first state championship game since 1989 this past December.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And while the Crusaders have graduated several standout senior leaders from that roster, the returning players said their lessons of perseverance and staying the course are carrying over to a new-look, versatile roster with young talent developing into their roles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brother Martin garnered an early stop on Prep Redzone Louisiana's spring practice tours and a series of "Spring 3-2-1" spotlights looking at three key returning standouts, two notable breakout candidates and one underclassman to know sooner than later.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 WELL-KNOWN RETURNERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='677669' first='Jaxon' last='Ducre'] — 6-3, 260 OL — Brother Martin (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big left tackle is one of the Crusaders' returning starters — along with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1336884' first='Caleb' last='Smith']</strong> and <strong>Balpreet Parmar</strong> — in an offensive line room that graduated some notable veterans from the rotation. Ducre earned playing time as a sophomore and a more prominent role as a junior and has started to hear from some colleges as a potentially versatile prospect for the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cz0px2y3n7s","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"embed-handler","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cz0px2y3n7s </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jordan West — 5-8, 175 RB/WR — Brother Martin (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='914027' first='Sidney' last='Harris'] — 5-9, 205 RB — Brother Martin (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Workhorse running back Torey Lambert heads to college after a highly productive postseason run. But the Crusaders' offense appears poised to be notably versatile with depth and interchangeable weapons at the skill positions with an upperclassman running back duo providing some key experience, including West who in particular expected to also be involved from the slot and in the return game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/QYZg3DBqj1s","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"embed-handler","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/embed/QYZg3DBqj1s </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jeremy Turner —&nbsp;5-11, 180 DB — Brother Martin (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='710275' first='Jadon' last='Weber'] — 6-0, 200 LB — Brother Martin (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The graduation of decorated veteran linebacker Rylon Johnson — and, for that matter, a few notable 2022 linebackers and defensive backs —&nbsp;will leave a lot of plays and tackles to be made, and returning upperclassman backers Weber, <strong>Will McKevitt</strong> (2024) and <strong>Jackson Chachere</strong> (2025) and the versatile Turner should be chief candidates to step up in that regard. Weber finished his sophomore season with his team's Outstanding Player honors in the title game racking up tackles against the John Curtis veer option. Turner, who has worked as both a linebacker and as more of a physical nickel-safety, is the younger brother of former Holy Cross, Arizona State and Nicholls State running back and outfielder Tre Turner and former Brother Martin and Arkansas and current Toledo corner Nick Turner. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2 BREAKOUT CANDIDATES</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='145340' first='Peyton' last='Michel'] — 6-2, 185 WR — Brother Martin (2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Michel is somewhat quietly a prime breakout candidate this fall after popping onto the radar as an intriguing young pass-catcher at St. Paul's earlier in his high school career before transferring to the south shore and sitting last season. Michel provides the Crusaders' quarterbacks one of their biggest targets with good athleticism in a deep receiving group that includes <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='936593' first='Camden' last='Buras'] (2025)</strong> the 2026 duo of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='695357' first='Brodie' last='DuMontier']</strong>, who played well as a freshman, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='920627' first='Rowan' last='Lipscomb']</strong>, the younger brother of former Jesuit and Vanderbilt star Kalijah Lipscomb, among other notable names near the top.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='914019' first='Chase' last='Chesser'] — 6-5, 250 DL — Brother Martin (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>Nathan Malek — 5-9, 225 DL — Brother Martin (2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similarly to replacing Johnson in the linebacking corps, Brother Martin will have big shoes to fill on the defensive front with all-stater Brenden LeBlanc and fellow four-year starters Kai Brown and Dakota Berns. And a couple of the expected leaders there include tall, long multisport standout [player_tooltip player_id='914019' first='Chase' last='Chesser'] and stout, strong wrecking ball Nathan Malek, the younger brother of graduated tight end Nicholas Malek.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1 UNDERCLASSMAN TO KNOW</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='723579' first='Easton' last='Royal'] — 5-9, 160 WR —&nbsp;Brother Martin (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='734706' first='Hudson' last='Fields'] —&nbsp;5-11, 165 QB — Brother Martin (2027)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brother Martin has a long list of notable underclassmen in promising 2026 and 2027 cohorts. In addition to the aforementioned receivers, the "Easton-Fields" tandem figure to be fixtures on Elysian Fields for years to come with each player already competing in his respective position group as rising freshmen. For Fields, the younger brother of Louisiana (Lafayette) quarterback Chandler Fields, that quarterback room includes not only <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1221235' first='Seth' last='Dazet'] (2025)</strong>, but also <strong>Donnie Lawrence (2026)</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='723774' first='Kennon' last='Russo'] (2027)</strong> — which whatever players aren't taking the snaps also in the mix to potentially play elsewhere on the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->