Edna Karr vs. Destrehan spring game eye-catchers

Two of Louisiana's perennial powers, Destrehan and Edna Karr, met again this week in what has become one of the state's premier spring showcases.   The match up between the Wildcats and Cougars and their talented rosters drew coaches from dozens of colleges around the region to see the likely dozens of eventual college players in the scrimmage.   Here are notes on some of the prospects, ranging from the 2025 to 2027 recruiting classes, who stood out.     [player_tooltip player_id='913897' first='Corey' last='Adams Jr.'] — 6-4, 240 DL — Edna Karr (2025)   The Cougars' highly recruited and versatile defensive lineman was quick and disruptive in the trenches, shedding or slipping past blockers and making tackles near and behind the line. Adams said he plans to zero in on a college decision prior to his senior season, which should make him one of Louisiana's top recruits to monitor this summer.   [player_tooltip player_id='291158' first='Arsenio' last='Bolds Jr.'] — 6-0, 210 LB/DB — Edna Karr (2025)   Bolds was in midseason form with his vocal leadership and sideline-to-sideline range in the middle of the Cougars' defense, flying around and racking up tackles all over the field. UCF, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Tuskegee have been the programs most heavily recruiting him heading into this summer with Ole Miss also in touch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1598152' first='Tyrik' last='Brigalia'] — 5-11, 180 DB/LB — Edna Karr (2025)   Another of the Cougars' rising senior leaders and another linebacker/safety hybrid who flew around the field making hard-hitting stops near the line of scrimmage and sideline to sideline, including an early highlight along the sideline with rising junior safety [player_tooltip player_id='401932' first='Aiden' last='Hall'].   Blake Brown — 5-8, 150 DB — Destrehan (2025)   The Wildcats are replacing another strong graduating class of defensive backs, but the senior corner looked like one of the players ready to step into and make the most of the opportunity. Brown made one of the evening's top defensive highlights on a play on which he quickly identified a screen, shed an attempted block and blew up the pass-catcher behind the line.   [player_tooltip player_id='426960' first='TaRon' last='Francis'] — 6-1, 190 WR — Edna Karr (2025)   The LSU commit had the highlight of the night on a short catch in the middle of the field that he turned up and made multiple defenders miss, including an in-stride hurdle of one attempted tackler, and then even powering for further additional yardage at the end of the run. Francis made catches all over the field from an acrobatic catch down the sideline in double coverage to quick hits on which he showed the ability to rack up YAC with both his speed — fresh off his outdoor track season — and physicality — consistently proving himself difficult for any single defensive back to bring down.   [player_tooltip player_id='710970' first='Hayward' last='Howard Jr.'] — 6-1, 160 DB — Edna Karr (2026)   The corner transferred to Edna Karr after previous stops that included Destrehan, and he looks poised to be an impact player in a Cougars secondary that often tends to be among the best in the state. Howard played his part in coverage in helping keep Destrehan's passing attack fairly out of rhythm and also added a pressure highlight with a corner blitz on which he and Adams met at the quarterback.   [player_tooltip player_id='1356161' first='Jermond' last='Macklin'] — 6-0 RB — Edna Karr (2027)   The rising sophomore was somewhat of a breakout star on the evening with his hard running through contact and burst to the outside, including getting to the sideline on one of his early carries and beating defenders' angles all the way to the end zone. Macklin looked like a notable prospect to watch in Louisiana's promising 2027 class.   [player_tooltip player_id='1348420' first='Anthony' last='Thomas'] — 5-7, 150 WR — Edna Karr (2026)   The rising junior receiver consistently created space and became a go-to target for [player_tooltip player_id='920629' first='John' last='Johnson'], including an early touchdown on one of the junior quarterback's best throws to the front pylon on perfect time for a sliding Thomas.   [player_tooltip player_id='710272' first='Jhase' last='Thomas'] — 6-2, 170 ATH/DB — Destrehan (2025)   After previous experience at a variety of positions, the son of former New Orleans Saints defensive back Fred Thomas appears to have settled nicely into role at safety where his hard-hitting patrolling the middle of the field was among the biggest highlights Wednesday as he jarred multiple potential completions free with his physical play.   [player_tooltip player_id='1221216' first='Shane' last='Ward'] — 5-8, 180 RB — Destrehan (2025)   The Wildcats went right to Ward on a screen he popped for a huge gain, working patiently behind his blocks and then bursting free into the open field. The rising senior running back, who stepped up well this past fall to help shoulder a bigger role in the absence of an injured teammate, figures to lead the backfield this season and looked the part Wednesday as both a ball-carrier and smooth pass-catcher when called upon.

Two of Louisiana's perennial powers, Destrehan and Edna Karr, met again this week in what has become one of the state's premier spring showcases.