JOURNAL SPORTS
High school football in Shreveport-Bossier is known for high-scoring offenses and scoreboards that light up frequently on Friday nights.
So who are the high school coaches watching on Saturdays, for entertainment but also, for inspiration when it comes to game plans?
That’s the question in this week’s edition of the Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches Roundtable.
It won’t take long as you read for a trend to develop. Much of the admiration goes to offensive masterminds. But there are some defensive savants who bear watching by local coaches.
JUSTIN SCOGIN, Airline — “I’ve always been a big Lincoln Riley (USC) fan from his days at Oklahoma. Always enjoyed watching him manipulate defenses.”
AUSTIN BROWN, Northwood — “(Oklahoma’s) Brent Venables. Numero uno! Puts a high premium on intelligent defensive players. Genuine to a fault.”
ANTHONY JOHNSON, Magnolia School of Excellence — “I like Kirby Smart, University of Georgia. He’s my guy because he believes in fast, attack-style defense. It’s a pattern that I strive to implement in my defensive scheme.”
JAMES BRADFORD JR., Green Oaks — “What Kirby Smart is doing right now is amazing. Think they’ve won like 40-plus regular season games in a row. Always admired how Dabo Swinney (Clemson) runs his program and gives glory above.
“Locally I’m grateful to talk to Mickey Joseph (Grambling) and Byron Dawson (Centenary) occasionally . Those guys bring big energy and passion as they are building and rebuilding foundations for their programs. Those are some examples I look to model.”
COY BROTHERTON, Parkway – “This may seem like a homer pick because I’m a Georgia fan, but Kirby Smart. I think he’s similar to what (Nick) Saban did and that’s who he learned from. I love watching Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Josh Heupel (Tennessee), and Steve Sarkisian (Texas) coach. I think they are great offensive minds.”
GARY COOPER, Booker T. Washington — “I really think all these coaches in these high profile jobs are doing a great job. From managing their staffs to recruiting and retaining these high profile athletes; they are doing a great job. One that comes to mind immediately is Coach Sark at Texas. He has a Heisman Trophy candidate at QB and a generational talent as the backup.”
REYNOLDS MOORE, Benton – “As an Ole Miss alum, you know I love me some Lane Kiffin! Especially with his maturation. He seems to really enjoy coaching in a way he hasn’t before.
“We definitely model our tempo offense after Ole Miss and other teams like Tennessee.”
CHASE THOMPSON, North Caddo – “I really enjoy watching Ole Miss play football. Lane Kiffin is the best in the world at finding new wrinkles to get his best players the ball. They play their own original brand of offensive football and it is fun to watch!”
JOHN SELLA, Loyola – “This may not be a popular answer down here, but I like watching Lane Kiffin and Lincoln Riley just because what they do offensively is really good.”
MATTHEW SEWELL, Haughton – “This probably won’t be a popular response but I have always loved watching a Kyle Wittingham-coached team (Utah). You’re always going to get a true effort from them. They play great defense and special teams and can usually run the ball. Seems like they always overachieve.”