10 new(er) eye-catchers from Lafayette Kiwanis Jamboree
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Prep Redzone Louisiana had the chance to catch a couple matchups at this past week’s Lafayette Kiwanis Jamboree at Cajun Field on the Louisiana (Lafayette) campus. Carencro and St. Thomas More topped Notre Dame and Acadiana, respectively, in a pair…
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Continue ReadingPrep Redzone Louisiana had the chance to catch a couple matchups at this past week’s Lafayette Kiwanis Jamboree at Cajun Field on the Louisiana (Lafayette) campus.
Carencro and St. Thomas More topped Notre Dame and Acadiana, respectively, in a pair of games that featured some of the state’s perennial powers — each of whom has won at least one state championship in the past five years for a combined seven in all.
The group naturally boasts some relatively well-known college talent, but here are a few notes on 10 newer, younger or less heavily covered names.
Cashmire Batiste Cashmire Batiste 5'9" | 175 lbs | RB Carencro | 2024 State LA | 5-8, 165 RB | Carencro (2024)
The senior running back provided a great complement to 2026 star Chantz Babineaux Chantz Babineaux 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Carencro | 2026 State LA as Carencro mounted its final go-ahead drive on the shoulders of that duo taking turns churning through contact, including breaking through for a couple bigger plays.
Cole Bergeron Cole Bergeron 6'4" | 210 lbs | QB St. Thomas More | 2026 State LA | 6-4, 195 QB | St. Thomas More (2026)
The sophomore quarterback was arguably the biggest storyline of the first evening of the Lafayette Kiwanis Jamboree in the way he stepped up when senior starter Sam Altmann Sam Altmann 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB St. Thomas More | 2024 State LA exited, worked through admitted early nerves and made the necessary plays late against a tough opponent with a stout defense. Bergeron, one of Louisiana’s top early prospects at the position for the 2026 cycle, said he knew his time would come, but not necessarily so soon. But he showed some poise and grit to get the job done.
Khaleb Celestine | 5-11, 185 LB | Carencro (2024)
and Ja’Kalyn Roy | 6-1, 185 LB | Carencro (2025)
Add this duo to the growing list of Golden Bears defenders catching our attention throughout the offseason and preseason lead-up. Celestine and Roy lived in the box and helped largely contain the Notre Dame rushing attacks setting the edge, controlling their gaps and making a physical, highlight stuff or two each at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Peyton David | 6-1, 185 DB | St. Thomas More (2024)
Acadiana struck first, but St. Thomas More shut the Wreckin’ Rams out the rest of the way. The Cougars played extremely soundly as a unit, and one of the leaders was the senior safety who played physically in the box and also came away with some nice coverage plays that included the final diving break-up late to ice away the win.
Adam Guidry Adam Guidry 6'3" | 200 lbs | DL St. Thomas More | 2024 State LA | 6-3, 200 DL | St. Thomas More (2024)
The Cougars’ impressive defensive performance started up front with a group that helped contain Acadiana’s bread-and-butter veer. St. Thomas More was consistent in its discipline and physicality, and its big senior defensive end helped highlight the effort with a couple of emphatic tackles for loss when the Wreckin’ Rams tried to get outside.
Shamarius Harris Shamarius Harris 5'11" | 215 lbs | LB Acadiana | 2024 State LA | 6-0, 215 LB | Acadiana (2024)
As mentioned following the Wreckin’ Rams’ scrimmage, their defense has a solid group of linebackers that quietly appears poised for a highly productive fall. Harris seemed to lead the charge this week with disruptive plays that made life difficult much of the evening, especially early on, for three different quarterbacks leading the high-powered St. Thomas More offense.
Matthew Mixon | 6-0, 180 DB | Notre Dame (2025)
The secondary is one of Notre Dame’s bigger areas of uncertainty entering 2023 after graduating a few notable seniors, including all-state safety Tripp Mixon. But his younger brother Matthew played well in the Pios’ dressed rehearsal with good size and a willingness to crash down and play physically, but also covering ground quickly on the back end and breaking up some seemingly promising Carencro pass attempts downfield.
Joseph Quebodeaux | 5-9, 190 RB | Notre Dame (2024)
The thickly built, tough-running back was the bell-cow for his Pios’ offense, working with quarterbacks Jackson Link and Parker Faust in the backfield, and showed some quickness to get defenders off-balance and create some angles to the perimeter and reliable hands catching a couple swings out to the outside.
Landon Strother Landon Strother 6'0" | 160 lbs | WR St. Thomas More | 2024 State LA | 6-0, 170 WR | St. Thomas More (2024)
Credit to Bergeron for stepping in and helping lead the offense, but also to his playmakers who held up their end of the bargain. Strother did a nice job creating space in key moments, including the Cougars’ final touchdown to stretch the lead on which he got wide open for the pass and then broke a tackle and darted to the end zone.