JOURNAL STAFF
There’s a common denominator for those selected for the top honors on the Shreveport-Bossier Journal All-Metro team.
It’s not a physical characteristic or a statistic. It goes way beyond that and may be the biggest reason why they were chosen.
Airline coach Justin Scogin said quarterback Ben Taylor spent his junior year in 2023 challenging himself to get better every game.
Evangel coach Denny Duron said star defensive lineman Gabriel Reliford challenged his teammates in everything they did before, during and after the season.
Calvary’s Rodney Guin knew the Cavaliers had all the makings for a special season, but he challenged his team to be as good as it could be before the season even began.
Consider those challenges to be met, as Taylor (Offensive Player of the Year), Reliford (Defensive Player of the Year) and Guin (Coach of the Year) were chosen for the top awards.
Taylor had an outstanding sophomore year in 2022 (2,730 yards), but took it to another level this season, throwing for a state-leading 4,189 yards in leading the Vikings to a 9-1 regular season and spot in the quarterfinals.
He completed 319 of 432 with 49 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. He had eight 300-yard games and two 400-yard games.
“He’s improved tremendously from last year, both on the field and leadership-wise,” Scogin said. “He’s a great player, but an even better kid. He never stops learning. I think that’s the biggest thing for him. He’s always trying to figure more stuff out and always has questions. He’s never satisfied with what he’s accomplished.”
Reliford’s presence on the Evangel defensive line is well known, but Duron says it’s more than just tackles (122) and quarterback sacks (9).
“He checks all the boxes,” Duron said. “He challenged his teammates on the field and in the classroom. He’s the hardest worker we’ve ever had on this campus.”
Reliford is an early enrollee at LSU after signing his letter of intent on Wednesday. On his last day at Evangel, when no one would have noticed if he had skipped out that day, Reliford was the first one there for a meeting with the team.
“In whatever virtue you choose, he’s an 11 on a 1 to 10 scale,” Duron said. “Loyalty, leadership, competitiveness … your name it, that’s who he is.”
Guin led the Cavaliers to a perfect season, winning the championship in a dramatic win over St. Charles in the Superdome, and did it with a very challenging schedule. Calvary also won the title in 2020, but Guin often mentioned how his 2023 team never had a bad game or a bad practice the entire year.
“Good things happen when you have good players and assistant coaches,” he said. “This season was special with going undefeated and with a wonderful group to be around. A super enjoyable year.
But Guin also believes the success will go beyond 2023.
“The relationships on this team are so strong and I think that will last a lifetime with the players and the coaches,” he said.
ALL-METRO DEFENSE – see Wednesday’s edition.
ALL-METRO DEFENSE – see Thursday’s edition.