Cook, Griffin, Link headline All-Acadia Parish team

CROWLEY – A coach who hit yet another milestone, a running back who was a nightmare for opposing defenses and a defensive lineman who opponents tried their best to avoid headline the 2014 All-Acadia Parish Football team that was released today.
Topping the list is Notre Dame head coach Lewis Cook, this year’s Acadia Parish Coach of the Year.
Cook, in his 40th year of coaching, recorded his 300th career victory on Sept. 11 when his Pios defeated Breaux Bridge, 51-21, at Gardiner Memorial Stadium.
That victory made Cook one of just seven - only three active - high school coaches in Louisiana history to win 300 games. The only other active coaches are J.T. Curtis of John Curtis and Jim Hightower of St. Thomas More.
Now 307-80 in his career, Cook guided his 2014 team to its 15th district title in 18 seasons, during which the Pios coasted through District 6-3A with an unbeaten record and earned the No. 4 seed in the Division II playoffs. The Pios advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs where they were ousted by No. 1 seed and eventual state champion University Lab.
Ty’Von Griffin, the Offensive Player of the Year, was a key contributor in the Crowley Gents’ success in 2014, accounting for the bulk of the team’s offense in a season that saw CHS take runnerup honors in league play behind champion LaGrange.
During his junior campaign, Griffin racked up 1,688 yards rushing on 263 carries. He also led the parish in scoring with 27 touchdowns. In addition, he had nine receptions for 88 yards and two kickoff returns for 87 yards and a touchdown.
He also filled in at linebacker late in the season due to a rash of injuries on the defensive side of the ball and recorded two sacks and a handful of tackles.
Defensive Player of the Year Nate Link, a UL-Monroe commitment, highlighted a Pios defense that gave up seven or less points six times, including three shutouts.
In league play, the ND defense surrendered just two touchdowns. The senior recorded 52 tackles (20 assists) and had 17 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He also logged 11 sacks for minus 42 yards and had 26 hurries, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
The remainder of the team is also loaded with standouts.
On the offensive side of the ball, Griffin is joined by CHS teammates Pate Broussard, Terrell Thomas, John Marcheaux and Marshall Wilbert.
Broussard, a junior quarterback, made the team at the athlete position. He completed 100 passes for 1,419 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 164 yards and one touchdown.
Thomas, a junior, was the Gents’ second-leading receiver with 29 receptions for 393 yards and three touchdowns despite missing three games due to injury.
Marceaux, who is also a junior, is the team’s tight end. He hauled in 15 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns.
Wilbert, a senior, made the team on the offensive line.
The quarterback on this year’s squad is Notre Dame’s Brad Stoma. The senior, who was named the District 6-3A Offensive MVP, completed 74 of 118 passes during the regular season for 1,154 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also picked up 197 yards and five touchdowns on 52 carries.
Also in the All-Parish backfield are Rayne’s Deontrey Wilridge and John Michael Besse, Church Point’s Christian Veronie and Notre Dame’s Damon Comeaux.
Wilridge and Besse accounted for the bulk of the Wolves’ offense in 2014.
Wilridge, a sophomore, rushed for over 1,000 yards in the regular season, carrying 202 times for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns while also hauling in nine passes for 122 yards and two more scores.
Besse also went for over 1,000 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He had 127 carries for 1,089 yards while also pulling down 27 passes for 338 yards and four more touchdowns.
Veronie, a senior tailback, rushed for over 1,200 yards. He scored 17 touchdowns on the ground and also had three receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Comeaux, a senior, emerged as the Pios’ top running back following an injury that sidelined Lance Bertrand for several weeks. He went on to rack up 782 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had seven receptions for 70 yards.
Joining Wilbert on the offensive line are Rayne High’s Nick Dore and Grant Abshire, Church Point’s Trae Lavergne and Layne Matte and Notre Dame’s Reese Besse and Jacob Vicknair.
Making the team at wide receiver along with Thomas are Notre Dame’s Boedy Borill and Rayne’s Trevon Fontenot.
Borill finished his junior campaign with 19 receptions for 357 yards and five touchdowns while Fontenot, a senior, led the parish in receiving with 29 catches for 574 yards and seven touchdowns.
Church Point nailed down both special teams spots in kicker Kian Richard and return specialist Frederick Williams.
Richard, a senior, connected on 47 extra point attempts and made four field goals, his longest from 38 yards. He also had 52 of his 67 kickoffs go for touchbacks.
Williams, a junior, returned nine punts for an average of 29.67 yards, including two for touchdowns. He had nine kickoff returns for an average of 30.9 yards and had one returned for a touchdown.
Williams was also a threat in the Bears offense with 861 yards and 12 touchdowns rushing on just 67 carries. He also had eight receptions for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
Defensively, Link is joined on the line by teammates Connor Kirsh and Logan LaGrange as well as Crowley High’s JaJuan Delco, Church Point’s Jacob Fontenot and Rayne’s Desmond Cole.
Kirsch followed Link with 51 tackles (14 assists) and had 20 tackles for a loss of 102 yards. He led the team in sacks with 13, had 21 hurries and forced three fumbles.
LaGrange totaled 40 tackles (22 assists) and had 10 sacks. He also forced and recovered two fumbles.
Delco, the District 6-3A defensive MVP, recorded 33 tackles (28 for a loss), six sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Fontenot logged 58 tackles, four for a loss, and two sacks and Cole had 44 tackles, eight for a loss and four sacks.
The linebackers are Notre Dame’s Shea Zaunbrecher, Crowley’s Edward Yokum and Church Point’s Logan Lavergne and Alex Higginbotham.
Zaunbrecher had 51 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble while Yokum recorded 42 tackles, eight for a loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception. Lavergne posted 109 tackles with three for a loss. He also caused two fumbles and had one interception and Higginbotham had 73 tackles, two sacks and one interception.
Church Point’s Tyler Wheeler and Trey Babineaux made the team at defensive back along with Crowley’s Jacq’Co Price and Notre Dame’s Hayden Bourgeios.
Wheeler had 22 tackles, 11 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception. Babineaux logged 78 tackles, one sack, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one interception.
Price had 15 tackles and nine pass breakups. He was a multiple threat for the Gents after hauling in 28 passes at receiver for 453 yards and four touchdowns while also returning 17 kickoffs for 426 yards and one touchdown.
Bourgeois had 32 tackles as well as five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, and two sacks. As a returner, he averaged 7.1 yards on punts and 23 yards on kickoffs. He returned one kickoff for a touchdown.
The team’s punter is Notre Dame’s Dustin Reiners, who averaged 44.4 yards per punt and had five inside the 20-yard line.

ALL–ACADIA PARISH TEAM

OFFENSE

Pos. Player School Cl.

WR Boedy Borill Notre Dame Jr.

WR Terrell Thomas Crowley Jr.

WR Trevon Fontenot Rayne Sr.

TE John Marceaux Crowley Jr.

OL Jacob Vicknair Notre Dame Jr.

OL Marshall Wilbert Crowley Sr.

OL Nick Dore Rayne Sr.

OL Reese Besse Notre Dame Sr.

OL Grant Abshire Rayne Sr.

OL Trae Lavergne Church Point Sr.

OL Layne Matte Church Point Sr.

QB Brad Stoma Notre Dame Sr.

RB Damon Comeaux Notre Dame Sr.

RB Ty’Von Griffin Crowley Jr.

RB Deontrey Wilridge Rayne So.

RB Christian Veronie Church Point Sr.

RB John Michael Besse Rayne Sr.

PK Kian Richard Church Point Sr.

ATH Pate Broussard Crowley Jr.

RS Frederick Williams Church Point Jr.

DEFENSE

DL Nate Link Notre Dame Sr.

DL Connor Kirsch Notre Dame Sr. 

DL Logan LaGrange Notre Dame Sr.

DL JaJuan Delco Crowley Sr.

DL Desmond Cole Rayne Sr.

DL Jacob Fontenot Church Point Sr.

LB Shea Zaunbrecher Notre Dame Jr.

LB Edward Yokum Crowley Jr.

LB Alex Higginbotham Church Point Jr.

LB Logan Lavergne Church Point Jr.

DB Hayden Bourgeois Notre Dame Jr.

DB Jacq’Co Price Crowley Jr.

DB Tyler Wheeler Church Point Sr.

DB Trey Babineaux Church Point Fr.

P Dustin Reiners Notre Dame Sr.

OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER

Ty’Von Griffin, Crowley

OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER

Nate Link, Notre Dame

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Lewis Cook, Notre Dame

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Crowley - Christian Breaux, Andrew Simon; Notre Dame - Ethan Smith, Alan Zaunbrecher, Landon Johnsey, Hans Roy, Lance Bertrand, Joe Faulk, Tyler Binder; Rayne - Hunter Adkins, Donovan Cormier, Hunter Keely, Jaylon Reed; Church Point - Jacque Wimberley, Troy Matte, Aaron Bergeron, Deion Monroe, Tyler Elliott, John-Wyatt Treme; Iota - Tyler Bushnell, Tim Lunson.