JOURNAL STAFF

National Signing Day produced a surprise in local high school football circles for the 2024 season when Captain Shreve’s highly-regarded junior standout, offensive lineman Devin Harper, announced on social media he was transferring to Calvary Baptist for the spring semester and will play his senior year for the Cavaliers.

Harper is a first-team Shreveport-Bossier Journal All-Metro selection who is the state’s No. 2-ranked recruit overall for the Class of 2025 (2024 recruiting cycle). He is rated as the nation’s No. 6 offensive line prospect next fall by the same prep football recruiting analysts.

Harper was a first-team All-District 1-5A pick at Captain Shreve who helped the Gators to a 9-1 regular-season finish and the 1-5A championship. The Gators broke some offensive school records, including single-game scoring (twice) and individual rushing yards in a game (junior running back Jamarlon Otis), as they reached the second round of the state playoffs for a second consecutive year.

“Gator Nation, what a ride it has been! I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to put on the green and gold every Friday night and being able to go to war with my teammates, who have become brothers to me,” Harper said in a Tweet following his headline announcement that said, “Thank you Shreve. I will be attending Calvary Baptist Academy for the rest of my junior and senior years in high school.”

His statement continued, “I will never forget all of the countless lessons and memories that were made.”  He thanked former Shreve head coaches Adam Kirby, who recently left to take the head coaching post at Magnolia (Ark.), and Bryant Sepulvado, who is taking over as principal after departing the football coaching position two summers ago.

Calvary won the Division III Select state title and returns plenty of juniors who will make the Cavs a heavy favorite to repeat their unbeaten season this year. That year included a blowout win in September over the Gators.