West St. John football seeks third state title in four years

By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

EDGARD – West St. John is used to having a football team that succeeds. Back-to-back state championships in ’03 and ’04, sandwiched with quarterfinals appearances in ’02 and ’05 have a way of doing that.

But they got a rocky welcome to district 1A when Hurricane Katrina canceled the second week of the season last year, and the Rams started off with five straight losses. After getting a handle on things, West St. John started a run of the more impressive sort and rode deep into the playoffs on a hot streak.

With a fresh start this season, Rams coach Laury Dupont would like to see the success continue.

&#8220We have been fortunate enough to have the athletes to have the type of success in football that we want,” said Dupont. &#8220You just have to keep your practice schedule and make a normal routine and get it all started up again. And that begins with conditioning.

Going on almost two decades as the head football coach at West St. John, Dupont has pretty much seen it all. He has been a regular staple in Edgard football, coaching fathers and sons alike on the west bank of St. John Parish.

But this season, WSJ must replace a senior class that fielded 15 seniors last season including Olajuwan Hall, Dana Stipe, Dehaven Butler and Tiarus Jenkins. Returning starter at running back Daron Barholomew should make that transition easier as he accounted for much of the offense last season.

&#8220We’re going to have that youth out there,” he said, &#8220but we’ll be alright. That’s the way it goes. They just have to get out there and get that experience. But we have some good quality guys returning.”

The season highlight should be back-to-back games against Riverside and St. Charles dead in the middle of the season.

&#8220We look forward to that,” Dupont said.