By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Centenary’s first official football season in at least a half-century kicks off Saturday at home on Kings Highway and finally we can see who will be playing for the Gents.
Coach Byron Dawson held his cards tightly throughout the summer and into preseason. But with the first game looming, the roster popped up on GoCentenary.com Monday afternoon, showing at least 62 of 77 players are Louisiana natives. There are 11 whose hometowns are not yet posted.
Not indicated: how many are transfers from other institutions.
There are only four seniors and 13 juniors listed. Centenary has 29 sophomores and 27 freshmen.
Among the 62 in-state competitors, 19 are from nine Shreveport-Bossier high schools.
Dawson stressed as he built the squad from scratch that he wanted a strong local contingent of players.
There are three Gents each from Airline (freshman kicker/punter Preston Doerner, freshman linebacker Champ Endris, junior receiver Trent Smith), Calvary Baptist (junior linebacker Tanner Hooker, freshman receiver Christian Jackson, freshman defensive back Chaz Whitaker), Captain Shreve (freshman offensive lineman Jeremy Duncan, junior defensive lineman Zyon Lilly, sophomore tight end Cam Randolph) and Southwood (sophomore defensive lineman D’Quavion Lemons, sophomore defensive back Corinthian Walters, junior running back Josh Ware).
Two are products of Evangel Christian (freshman receiver Ryan Liles, freshman defensive back Jacob Wilson) and Parkway (sophomore defensive lineman Kris Mesloh, sophomore offensive lineman Jake Morton).
One each hails from Byrd (sophomore linebacker Devon Strickland), Green Oaks (freshman defensive back Delarrious Marshall) and Haughton (junior defensive lineman Demetrus Gladney Jr.).
Centenary hosts Hendrix College (Ark.) Saturday evening at 7 to officially join the ranks of NCAA Division III football-playing institutions. The Gents kick off their Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule the following week at Texas Lutheran, beginning three straight road games.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com