By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
While Parkway High School has fielded strong teams with good success in the past three seasons, this year is shaping up as a very special one for the undefeated Panthers.
One of their best assets is the four Class of 2026 football players who are the starting linebackers. I watched last Thursday’s LHSAA Network telecast of the big Airline-Parkway game and was impressed with their leadership and football savvy – and their toughness.
I think Parkway has one of the best linebacking groups in Louisiana.
It’s not an overnight development. In the past three years, I have seen three of these kids really become very fine players. Their personal history goes way back. Their impact makes the Parkway football team a legit Division I Non-Select postseason threat this year.
The “Dirty Red” always are really good on defense, and they definitely have other talented players in their starting defensive alignment. But this very special LB group is the key and credit goes to head coach Coy Brotherton and linebackers coach Chris Kennedy for their development and coaching these kids every year.
My dad, a former coach, always told me, “if you have great linebackers, you will have a shot at championships. The best defenses are built around a great linebacking group.”
That’s what I saw in the black and red last Thursday night. They don’t look like a scary bunch until the ball is snapped. There are lots of LBs who are bigger, and faster, but very few teams have a group that plays together as well as Parkway’s LBs do.
The Los Angeles Rams of my childhood had a “Fearsome Foursome” up front, and the 2025 Parkway Panthers have that behind a very good defensive line. The playmakers at linebacker are Mark Copenhaver (5-8, 180) J.P. McGovern (5-10, 180), Brady Prine (6-2, 195), and Colby Lee (5-11,175).
What also really impressed me is all four kids are great students. Outside LB Colby Lee has close to a 3.0 GPA, the versatile (Will or outside LB and safety) J.P. McGovern has a 4.0, the strongside ‘backer Mark Copenhaver has a 3.6 GPA, matched by middle linebacker Brady Prine.
It’s always nice to have four seniors at linebacker, said Brotherton.
”Mark has been a starter since his sophomore season and was the district Co- MVP last year on defense. Colby Lee started several games last year and has had a tremendous start to this season. Brady Prine was All-District 1-5A in 2024 and is a throwback linebacker that plays downhill very well. And then you have J,P. McGovern, a new starter in 2025 who gives us exactly what we need to round out the position.”
Copenhaver said the group’s unity goes way back.
“Playing with this group of linebackers is very special. The chemistry is on a different level because we have been playing together since 6 years old,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade these guys for anything.”
Lee agrees: “This group is special just for the fact we have all played together for years and we have a lot of talent in the linebacker room.”
“It’s a lot of fun playing with these guys,” said Prine. “We have been playing with or against each other since B-Park so we understand each other very well.”
Copenhaver has some Division III offers and would like to major in project management in college.
McGovern has been offered by two D-3 programs, Centenary and Millsaps. He also plays on the Parkway golf team and would like to be a physical therapist one day.
Prine has talked to Stephen F. Austin, and went to Northwestern State camps over the summer. He would like to become a personal trainer or physical therapist.
Lee doesn’t have offers yet, but he has ambition. He would love the chance to play college football at some level and I believe there is some place where he will earn a spot.
But first, the Panthers have to control the explosive offenses in their remaining 1-5A games – notably, Captain Shreve and in Week 10, Evangel – to get the power ranking that will keep them home in the playoffs for at least two rounds.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
(Lee Brecheen is the longtime publisher of Louisiana Football Magazine, covering all of the state’s high school teams each year since 1997. He’s been tracking high school recruits since 1992. Free content can be found at the website lafootballmagazine.com. Lee hosts a podcast with guests from around the state — The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen, available on YouTube).