2024 Results: 13-1 overall record, District 2-5A champions, lost to Edna Karr in the Division I Select championship game.
Biggest Strength: The Trojans return eight starters on defense and have depth and talent at every level, but the biggest strength is in the middle of the second level at middle linebacker. Senior Xzavier White (6-1, 235), a first-team all-state selection last year, led the Trojans in 2024 with 188 tackles, but the unsung hero is junior Jackson Townsend (6-2, 195). In his first season as a starter in 2024, Townsend made 106 tackles, but his intelligence and ability to quickly diagnose plays are major assets for the Trojans.
Biggest Question: Who replaces JT Lindsey? Lindsey rushed for nearly 2,500 yards last season, earning Most Outstanding Offensive Player on the Class 5A all-state team and winning the prestigious Warrick Dunn Award as the state’s top player. But he’s off to LSU this fall, and his backup, Vaughn Darbon, also graduated, leaving a massive hole in the Trojans’ backfield. A pair of sophomores, Noble Williams (5-10, 190) and Kason Williams (6-1, 180), are competing for carries, and coach Thomas Bachman said the Trojans likely will use a platoon system with the two of them.
Key Returners: Jr. QB Karsen Sellers (6-1, 185), Jr. WR Alex Fontenot (6-2, 190), Jr. OT Peter Lofton (6-4, 295), Sr. DE/TE Grayson Thibodeaux (6-1, 245), Sr. DT Peyton Hobbs (6-2, 295), Sr. MLB Xzavier White (6-1, 235), Jr. MLB Jackson Townsend (6-2, 195), Sr. CB Jay Frazier (5-8, 160), Jr. CB Jaytun Terry (6-0, 185), Jr. FS Ja’Kyrin Griffin (5-10, 175), Sr. SS Kerrick Gaines (5-10, 170).
Breakout Candidate: Alex Fontenot was the Trojans’ No. 3 receiver as a sophomore, catching 27 passes for 472 yards and 5 TDs, but with the graduation of seniors Darius Washington and Jimmie Duncan, Fontenot enters 2025 as the unquestioned No. 1 receiver. He has gotten noticeably bigger and stronger, and with the Trojans expected to pass more this year following Lindsey’s graduation, Fontenot could be a candidate for a 1,000-yard season.
Newcomer to Watch: Junior Bryson Phoenix is expected to make a massive impact in his first season on the Trojans’ varsity defense. After tearing his ACL in the jamboree of his freshman season two years ago, Phoenix transferred from Pineville to ASH and sat out last season while he rehabbed his injury. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Phoenix is the best physical specimen on the Trojan defense, and he is expected to be the team’s top edge rusher.
Top College Prospects: The Class of 2026 has several prospects, led by middle linebacker Xzavier White, who holds offers from Lamar, Central Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello and Louisiana Christian entering his senior season. However, the Class of 2027 is loaded with college prospects. Defensive tackle Jaden Bayonne (6-5, 280) and edge rusher Bryson Phoenix are the prizes of the class, but it is deep with solid prospects like QB Karsen Sellers, WR Alex Fontenot, OT Peter Lofton, OG Jaden Everett (6-1, 260), FS Ja’Kyrin Griffin, CB Jaytun Terry and FS Letravious Williams (5-7, 160). Bayonne and Fontenot both received offers from Louisiana-Lafayette this summer, while Sellers picked up his first offer from Louisiana Christian.
Key Game: The Trojans get an early road test at Destrehan in Week 3, but two of the toughest tests come in the final three weeks with a road game at Ruston in Week 8 and a trip to Neville in Week 10. The Trojans defeated Neville, 42-16, to win the district championship last season, and if everything goes according to plan for the Trojans in 2025, the two teams will meet again in Week 10 with another district title on the line.
Coach Quote: “We feel good. We are looking forward to getting out there and competing each and every day. The external expectations, we can’t worry about. Our internal expectations are pretty consistent. What is our best? We want to chase our best.” – Coach Thomas Bachman
Player Quote: “The roles are reversed this year. Last year all the pressure was on the defense, and now everyone is wanting to see what the offense is going to do this season. I don’t think we need to change anything to get back to the Dome. We know what it takes to get to the Dome. Now we are coming back 10 times harder to leave the Dome with a ring.” – junior safety Ja’Kyrin Griffin
