15 standouts from Acadiana vs. Alexandria scrimmage

One of Louisiana's higher-profile scrimmage matchups this past week featured a rematch of a thrilling 2020 Class 5A state championship game.   Acadiana hosted Alexandria in a tune-up that itself featured a couple ebbs and flows. But the home-standing Wreckin' Rams started fast, held off the Trojans' push and then pulled back away with explosive plays on both sides of the ball.   Here are a few notes on nine of the standout performers from the evening.   <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/JDkR2mn2htw </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1644812' first='Tayden' last='Collins'] | 5-9, 170 RB | Acadiana (2025)   and [player_tooltip player_id='710087' first='Jonah' last='Gauthier'] | 5-7, 170 RB | Acadiana (2025)   The Wreckin' Rams received a strong 1-2 punch at running back to help set the tone on offense. "TC" provided the early highlights on a long touchdown run on which he shook free of an attempt tackle down around his ankles in traffic near the line of scrimmage and accelerated off to the races and then a second score on which he pushed his way just enough through the pile at the goal line. Gauthier meanwhile took the bulk of the pitches to the outside where he showed power through and over opposing defensive backs and eventually some nice speed up the sideline for a longer score.   [player_tooltip player_id='913931' first='Caden' last='DiBetta'] | 6-0, 195 QB | Acadiana (2025)   The Wreckin' Rams carried some of their momentum in the passing game from a strong summer of 7-on-7 into the scrimmage with DiBetta in his second season as starter and a dynamic receiving corps appearing poised for a notable aerial component in their offense to go with their traditional veer running reputation. DiBetta connected with at least four different receivers for nice gains downfield and showed his athleticism to pull the ball and take off for yardage with his legs when his targets are covered.   Omari Dupas | 5-6, 140 WR | Acadiana (2024)   The aptly nicknamed "Speedy" earned a starting role as a junior, but was hampered by injury. He appears poised for a big senior season, though, as he carried his explosive playmaking ability from a strong summer into the scrimmage with a pair of long touchdown catches. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='426961' first='Russell' last='Babineaux'] is the Rams' most well-known receiving threat with his long list of offers, but the health of Dupas and emergence of freshman [player_tooltip player_id='934589' first='Collin' last='DiBetta'] — plus a nice catch-and-run in the scrimmage from senior Tourean Campbell — to provide [player_tooltip player_id='913931' first='Caden' last='DiBetta'] more options and pressure opposing defenses with more difficult choices is a notable reason for the optimism in the team's passing attack.   <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/ulmzXCrPfdA </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1221079' first='Dajon' last='Francis'] | 5-8, 175 LB | Acadiana (2025)   and [player_tooltip player_id='1203214' first='Shamarius' last='Harris'] | 6-0, 215 LB | Acadiana (2024)   and [player_tooltip player_id='901033' first='Amir' last='Hill'] | 6-1, 185 DB | Acadiana (2024)   The star power of the Acadiana defense comes up front with the heavily, nationally recruited McKinley brothers, both of whom made big plays during the course of the night. But that unit is strong at every level, and the linebacking corps — including Hill, the intriguing star/hybrid athlete who appears poised for a breakout senior year as a college prospect — flew around and made several big, hard-hitting stops behind the line of scrimmage, particularly in the Trojans' early possessions to take control of the scrimmage from the start. Francis, Harris and Hill seemed to rack up the highest tackle totals, with junior defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='913922' first='Keeman' last='Thibodeaux'] and junior linebacker Keldrick Francis among others heavily involved at that level.   Jaquarian Frazier | 5-6, 140 DB | Alexandria (2026)   and Ja'Kyrin Griffin | 5-6, 150 DB | Alexandria (2027)   A pair of young defensive backs made big impact plays during second-team drives that should be nice confidence-boosters and encouraging signs for the years to come as they provide some depth and successors to veterans such as senior Jason Blackwell, who had a near-intercepted pass breakup among his highlights. Frazier came away with a pair of sacks rushing off the edge. And Griffin, who will play JV and freshman ball this season, intercepted a pass.   [player_tooltip player_id='913926' first='Dalyn' last='Lewis'] | 5-10, 155 DB | Acadiana (2025)   The Wreckin' Rams look like they're cloning solid cornerbacks to create a deep room around senior leader [player_tooltip player_id='901116' first='Maurice' last='Brown']. The junior duo of "D-Lew" and [player_tooltip player_id='913924' first='Braylon' last='Noel'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1684265' first='Taveian' last='Landry'] are all listed at 5-10 and between 150 and 160 and all stood out from pregame warm-ups as good-looking high school corners. Lewis and Noel hit the Prep Redzone Louisiana radar this spring, and Lewis had the group's biggest play of the night with an over-the-shoulder interception on a nicely covered route downfield.   [player_tooltip player_id='914208' first='J.T.' last='Lindsey'] | 5-11, 190 RB | Alexandria (2025)   Even against a salty Acadiana defense, Alexandria's junior running back showed some flashes of why he's considered among the top prospects at the position in central Louisiana. Lindsey ran physically from start to finish, lowering his shoulder and powering through contact — often multiple tacklers on the same play — for any yardage he could grind out, including the highlight-reel play on the longest of his touchdown runs on which he ran through contact and broke away for the end zone.   [player_tooltip player_id='421603' first='Dominick' last='McKinley'] | 6-7, 270 DL | Acadiana (2024)   The big defensive tackle, largely considered Louisiana's top 2024 prospect, held up in the middle of the Rams' defensive front to help free up teammates, including younger brother [player_tooltip player_id='920606' first='Darryus' last='McKinley'] on the end and the aforementioned linebacker crew to consistently make big plays at and behind the line of scrimmage. And late in the evening, the older McKinley snatched an attempted Trojans screen — a play he has shown a knack for making — and began dashing the other direction toward the end zone.   <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/2KB5DZJ9VU0 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='139511' first='Amyrion' last='Mingo'] | 5-11, 170 WR/ATH | Alexandria (2024)   Even as they finish sorting through a quarterback battle, the Trojans managed some explosive plays in the passing game by getting the ball to Mingo and fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='1202570' first='E.J.' last='Scott'] on quick screen hits for big runs. Mingo, a versatile potential three-phase guy, was involved in a variety of ways on those types of plays, tries deeper downfield and as a threat on some sweeps across the backfield. Regardless of the passer leading the offense, "MyMy" should be a nice safety blanket working primarily out of the slot. Junior Kirkland Bates, listed at a tall and lean 6-2, also had a nice red-zone catch as a bigger target in the receiving corps.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204699' first='Aayden' last='Walker'] | 6-3, 245 DL | Alexandria (2024)   and Jeremiah Wright | 6-2, 270 DL | Alexandria (2024)   The senior duo, both of whom looked the part, helped lead the the Trojans' defensive front with Wright in the middle and Walker making plays on the end. They were, by the nature of the Acadiana offense, around the ball the bulk of the night. Wright held up well inside and got some good push on a few plays, including a red-zone play on which he ended up chasing the quarterback backward, and Walker was involved in a few more disruptive plays off the edge on stops and pressures behind the line.   <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/iK2cGWr1gOI </div></figure>

One of Louisiana's higher-profile scrimmage matchups this past week featured a rematch of a thrilling 2020 Class 5A state championship game.