LOUISIANA GRIDIRON
FOOTBALL COACHES CORNER
TIPS FROM LINDSEY COX
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH High School Standouts
MCNEESE ON THE RI SE WI TH
JAMES TABARY
contents june 2018
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DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Paul Phillips Perry Ganci Liam Rowan Aaron Benfield Dylan Rathcke Terry Matthews Jordan Clark Cameron O’Brien Brennan Patterson Thomas DeLoach Mike Hollins Christopher Sehring Landon Burton Brandon Legendre Joshua Carter Andrew Robinson Anthony Echols Jarius Monroe
JAMES TA B A RY
MCNEESE ON THE RISE
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COACHES CORNER TIPS FROM COACH LINDSEY COX
UPCOMING ISSUES
Tailgating Super Issue J U LY NFL Preseason AUG College Preseason SEPT Season Updates OCT - DEC All - Louisiana Team JAN LA Players in the Draft FEB College Recruiting MARCH
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KEVIN EMPEY
Dear Readers, This month is especially exciting here at Louisiana Gridiron Football. We have a fantastic interview with the quarterback from McNeese State University including nineteen diamond in the rough articles. A diamond in the rough article is an interview where we talk one on one with a high school player who wants to play at the next level. We work with all types of players, but many of them aren’t on any team’s radar. We look at the player’s game film to ensure that they are capable of playing at the next level. To date, every diamond in the rough player has received a college offer from a college or university. We are consistently blown away with the support and excitement around these articles. At Louisiana Gridiron Football, we believe that helping one young man go to college and play football can change not only his life but the whole community that he comes from. Football is an enriching sport that teaches many life lessons that help mold young players into better men in the community. We hope that you enjoy getting to know our diamond in the rough athletes. Enjoy, Andy Bryson
IN THE COMMUNITY
Dear Mr. Andrew Bryson: I am the Iota High School librarian. As a librarian, I am always looking for new ways to spark reading interest in students. We want all students to feel welcome in their library. Some students are hesitant to come to the library because they are not “readers”. We have a very successful reading program that requires students to read for their English, Science, and Social Studies classes. Students can also engage in puzzles, games, and complete assignments on the computers. I am always looking for ways to increase the number of students that read for pleasure. By high school, the love for reading has been established in many students. However, there are some students that do not like to read. To encourage reading, I have set up a reading area, away from the book shelves, for students to read newspapers and magazines. One of my goals has been to increase the number of students that read the magazines. Over the past few years I have felt like I am purchasing magazines for the library that are not being read by the students. Therefore, I am always looking for magazines that interest students. This year, when I asked the teachers if they would send me a list of magazines that they would like for me to purchase for the library, Coach Ray Aucoin sent me the request for Louisiana Gridiron Football. I am excited to say that it was well received by the students. They really enjoy reading and discussing the articles in this magazine. As you know, one of our students, Kameron Aucoin, was recently interviewed for an article in The Louisiana Gridiron Football magazine. His article is on display in the library, along with the other issues of the magazine. I couldn’t ask for a better way to encourage reading. I would like to thank you for working with me to get the magazine delivered promptly and for providing reading material for high school students. It was nice to meet you and your staff. You are always welcome to visit our library at Iota High. Sincerely, Becky F. Istre Librarian Iota High School
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Diamond in the rough
Paul Phillips
University Laib school Baton Rouge, Louisiana Paul Phillips is a 6’3 260lb Center from University Lab High School in Baton Rouge, LA. Paul is very physical and powerful at the point of attack and finishes off blocks really well. He has great size, a good frame and uses his hands well to get inside leverage. He maintains his blocks and drives defenders downfield. “Mean Streak” type player who can block in space and get to the next man or level on a screen. Paul was selected to 1st team All-district and 1st team All-metro for his Junior season.
What do you love about football? I love football, I love the brotherhood of it and the feeling like a family. I also love the contact, being able to hit people, and bringing people to the ground to finish the play. What are your strengths? One of my strengths would be how I bring leadership to the offensive line. I can pick up my teammate if a mistake is made. I always put the work in and go the extra mile. How did spring practices go? My spring, I feel like I did well. The team hasn’t left off from last season. We still are a very good football team. I get to practice against the best defensive line with players like Donald Berniard, Jaquelin Roy and playing against them makes me a better player.
After winning a championship last season, teams will want to beat you even more. Are you using that as motivation for the season?
Height
6’3
Weight
260
ibench
225
squat
375
gpa
3.0
Without a doubt, we all know we have a target on our backs. We all are looking forward to go out there and try to win another championship. In practice we always say how hard we need to work so we can go back to back. What have you improved on this off-season? Some things I’ve been working on are my hips, my speed, trying to get stronger, and finish blocks more often. And also, I’ve been trying to get my weight up.
What would your coach say about you? He can always put me in to push lineman back more, or to call on me to get that extra yard. He would say that he can always count on me to get that final play to win the game.
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JAMES TABARY VYING FOR A N AT I O N A L CHAMPIONSHIP By: Josh Sibley
We recently sat down with McNeese Quaterback James Tabary, who is currently listed as the number two all-time single season passing leader with 3,036 yards, and also set single season school records for most completions (249), most attempts (415) and most 300-yard passing games in a season (4). He did all these things in his first year at McNeese, after transferring in from Arkansas State where he started in three games as a freshman and played in eight. In 2016 James was named the South Land Conference Newcomer of Year, the Louisiana Newcomer of the Year, and the R.L. Cline Sr. Team MVP, and his accomplishments have continued to grow. After a 6-5 campaign in 2016, James helped lead his team to an overall record of 9-2 this past season, 7-2 in conference play, they ultimately did not make the playoffs due to a 3735 loss at Nicholls. Since the end of the 2017-18 season James says he has been training harder and believes this team has what it takes to get back into playoff contention, and is vying for a spot in the National Championship. If his past two seasons are any indication of what is to come, then McNeese could be on the verge of an undefeated season.
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