Football standouts to watch at 2024 track championships | 3A
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Three days of state championships this week punctuate the LHSAA’s outdoor track and field season. Top athletes from around the state will compete Thursday, Friday and Saturday at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium. And many of the events include notable football…
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Continue ReadingThree days of state championships this week punctuate the LHSAA’s outdoor track and field season.
Top athletes from around the state will compete Thursday, Friday and Saturday at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium.
And many of the events include notable football standouts, including some college-bound signees in their final high school events.
Here are several individual events to monitor Friday as Class 3A helps continue the busy weekend.
———————————— CLASS 3A ————————————
(Complete Class 3A heat sheet)
JUMPS (AND MORE)
A crew of football standouts enter the weekend as the favorites in the Class 3A jump events.
Southern-signed St. James wide receiver Kobe Brown Kobe Brown 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR St. James | 2024 State LA and Glen Oaks athlete Christopher Jackson — also among the top triple jump contenders (43-08.00) lead the long jump field with matching 22-03.75 qualifying marks.
Port Allen hoops star Aries Lewis, also with some football background at wide receiver, tops the high jump list at 6-02.00.
And Bogalusa standout Desmond Ramirez is the favorite in the triple jump (44-11.50), followed by Jennings’ Zae Douglas (44-00.00) and E.D. White’s Benjamin Rodrigue (43.11.50).
Rodrigue (20-08.25) is also among the long jump field chasing Brown and Jackson — along with Lake Charles College Prep’s Cameron Hill Cameron Hill 6'2" | 165 lbs | DB Lake Charles College Prep | 2024 State LA (21-08.00), Glen Oaks’ Darius Gross Darius Gross 5'7" | 145 lbs | ATH Catholic (Baton Rouge) | 2025 LA (21-07.75), Northwest’s Ty Sam (20-09.00) and St. James’ Jakias Villanueva Jakias Villanueva 5'6" | 140 lbs | WR St. James | 2026 State LA (20-07.00).
Iowa teammates Josiah Bushnell Josiah Bushnell 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Iowa | 2024 State LA , an Air Force quarterback/athlete signee, and Clement “C.J.” Bellow are among the top challengers to Lewis in the high jump with matching 6-00.00 qualifying heights, with Berwick’s Namon Bennett (5-10.00) also in the mix.
And the defensive back trio of Lake Charles College Prep’s Cameron Brazzle (43-02.50), Ville Platte’s Jarian Leday Jarian Leday 6'1" | 155 lbs | DB Ville Platte | 2025 LA (42-09.50) and Jewel Sumner’s Jayden Perry Jayden Perry 6'2" | 165 lbs | DB Jewel Sumner | 2025 State LA (42-07.50) help round out the triple-jump competition.
Kaplan’s Andre’ Marceaux (12-01.00) and Berwick’s Daniel Vasquez (12-00.00) are among the leading contenders in the pole vault, with Iowa’s Harley Touvell (11-06.00) and E.D. White’s Brayden Gros (11-00.00) also in the mix.
HURDLES
Iota’s Dylan Callahan is the favorite in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles with qualifying times of 15.33 and 39.85 seconds, respectively.
Union Parish tackle machine Tyquereis Wilson Tyquereis Wilson 5'11" | 170 lbs | LB Union Parish | 2025 State LA (16.37 and 41.55), Berwick cornerback Austin Geisler (16.16 and 42.33) and John F. Kennedy defensive back Tyler Morrison (16.21 and 42.62) are among other competitors in both events.
Jennings’ Zae Douglas (41.06), mentioned above in the triple jump, and Tulane-bound University Lab standout Seth Gale Seth Gale 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR University Lab | 2024 State LA (40.91) are among top 300-meter contenders, along with Lake Charles College Prep receiver Kalen Antoine (41.09), North Webster edge rusher Avante Curry (41.87) and St. James linebacker Nolan Zenon Nolan Zenon 6'0" | 170 lbs | LB St. James | 2026 State LA (42.63).
Louisiana (Lafayette)-bound Erath standout Christian Pillette Christian Pillette 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Erath | 2024 State LA (15.55), South Beauregard’s Cooper Cole (15.50) and Glen Oaks’ Jamarcus Young (15.85) will compete in the 300-meter.
SPRINTS/RUNS
Along with the aforementioned Kobe Brown Kobe Brown 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR St. James | 2024 State LA of St. James, John F. Kennedy receiver Kingston Jones Kingston Jones 6'0" | 175 lbs | WR John F. Kennedy | 2025 State LA and Bunkie defensive back Kyle Johnson Kyle Johnson 6'0" | 170 lbs | ATH Bunkie | 2025 State LA are the biggest names in Class 3A running events.
Jones boasts the top 200-meter qualifying time (21.49) and third-best 100-meter (10.84), with Johnson challenging in both events (22.53 and 11.01) and Brown in the 100-meter (10.94).
Glen Oaks’ Na’Ryan Delone enters the meet with the best 100-meter (10.62) and 400-meter (48.26) qualifying times and second-best 200-meter (21.66).
Lake Charles College Prep freshman teammates Ayden Carter (10.83 and 21.89) and Kai Fontenot (10.92 and 21.83), E.D. White’s Nathaniel “Nate” Thompson (10.97 and 22.03) and Iota’s Jayvon Allison (11.10 and 22.77) are among other athletes competing in both the 100- and 200-meters.
Carroll’s Peja Roberts (11.14) rounds out the 100-meter field, and Iota’s Jacob Cormier (22.62) and St. James cornerback Garry White Garry White 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB St. James | 2025 State LA (22.68) will compete in the 200-meter.
Delone’s competition for the 400-meter crown includes Glen Oaks teammate Catron Hargrove (48.79), Kaplan’s Ja’varion Landry (48.76), John F. Kennedy receiver Cash Williams, Sophie B. Wright athlete Dallas Hughes, Northwest receiver Dillon Guilbeaux, St. James safety Mikese Wilson, North Webster athlete Xaeliin Gladney (52.33) and Sterlington receiver Nathaniel White (52.36).
The 800-meter run includes Lake Charles College Prep’s Khel Arvie (1:58.41), Church Point’s Bryce Lejeune (2:04.15), Wossman’s Prestavion Washington (2:07.56) and Richwood’s Rodney Ross (2:08.25) among its football names to know.
Lejeune (4:54.87) and Ross (5:06.98) are also among a few football athletes competing in the 1,600-meter run, including Carroll’s Racari Jones (4:57.84) — also in the 3,200-meter (11:23.97) field — and E.D. White’s Noah Diedrich (4:55.49).
Several of those athletes will also compete in their schools’ various relay teams, including Johnson and quarterback Dillon Compton Dillon Compton 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Bunkie | 2025 State LA together on Bunkie’s 4×200-meter; Wilson and White on St. James 4×400- and 4×200- and White, Brown and Villanueva on the 4×100-meter that include several other notable football standouts such as quarterback Brayden Williams Brayden Williams 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB St. James | 2024 State LA , safety Jarrell Williams Jarrell Williams 6'1" | 190 lbs | DB St. James | 2025 State LA , safety Jye Blain Jye Blain 5'10" | 160 lbs | ATH St. James | 2027 State LA , athlete/running back Derrick Pittman Jr. Derrick Pittman Jr. 5'8" | 145 lbs | ATH St. James | 2027 State LA and running back Kani King-Young to name a few; and Jones and Cash Williams on 4×100- and 4×400-meter relays that include another speedy John F. Kennedy receiver in James Evans James Evans 5'9" | 140 lbs | WR John F. Kennedy | 2025 State LA .
University Lab’s talented relay teams also include high-profile football prospects Keylan Moses Keylan Moses 6'2" | 215 lbs | ATH University Lab | 2025 State LA and Jayden Gloston Jayden Gloston 5'11" | 175 lbs | DB University Lab | 2025 State LA in the 4×100 and 4×200, and Amite’s 4×100-meter team includes multiple football standouts, including senior Brandon Coleman, junior Marcus Briggs and ranked underclassmen Braylen Taylor Braylen Taylor 5'9" | 150 lbs | WR Amite | 2027 State LA and Franklin Morgan Jr Franklin Morgan Jr 5'10" | 160 lbs | DB Amite | 2026 State LA .
THROWS
The Class 3A shot put field includes several notable football names, led by college-bound St. James offensive lineman Jarmaine Mitchell Jarmaine Mitchell 6'8" | 310 lbs | OL St. James | 2024 State LA (51-06.00) as the favorite.
The all-football field also includes Northwest defensive lineman Curtis Harrison (49-06.00), Jewel Sumner two-way lineman Desmond Collins Jr., highly touted University Lab two-way lineman Lamar Brown Lamar Brown 6'4" | 260 lbs | OL University Lab | 2026 State LA (48-08.50), Northwest running back Ja’Vain Reese (47-09.00), University Lab linebacker Alec Haynes Alec Haynes 6'2" | 210 lbs | LB University Lab | 2025 State LA (47-07.25), Patterson two-way lineman Tyron Morales (45-05.50), Bunkie running back Kenterrius Franks (44-07.50) and Southeastern Louisiana-signed Iowa offensive lineman Damian Reed Damian Reed 6'2" | 270 lbs | OL Iowa | 2024 State LA (44-04.25).
Harrison (140-08.50), Haynes (139-09) and Morales (128-07) will also be among the challengers to favorite Kevin Small (149-02) of Kaplan in the discus.
E.D. White’s Cooper Blades (136-05), Sterlington’s Nicholas Crumley (135-06.50), St. Louis Catholic’s Colton Guillory (133-05), and E.D. White’s Thomas Rosado (128-07) will also compete in the event.
Bunkie senior linebacker Huxley Pias (178-09) is the favorite in the Class 3A javelin.
A pair of 2025 quarterbacks in Berwick’s Evan Crappell (164-07) and Iota’s Peyton Renfro Peyton Renfro 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Iota | 2025 State LA (163-09) and Port Allen junior tight end and defensive end LaDerrien Burns (164-00) are among the top challengers.
University Lab quarterback Garrett Graves Garrett Graves 6'2" | 185 lbs | QB University Lab | 2024 LA (160-05), Bunkie defensive lineman Johnkiest Lavalais (158-06) and Pine athlete James Owens (133-07) are among other football names to know in the javelin.