By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Maybe the Calvary Baptist Cavaliers are a year ahead of schedule, having to replace 17 starters this season after a dynamic senior-studded 2024 team fell one onside kick recovery of reaching the state championship game.
But here they are again, in the Select Division III semifinals for a third straight season and for fourth time in six years.
Players change, but the Cavaliers’ leadership has not. In his ninth season, head coach Rodney Guin is 90-21 (.810), with two state championships (2020, 2023) and nine playoff trips, all to at least the quarterfinals.
More relevant this week is his career win total, adding the 126 victories in 16 seasons at Haughton. Last Friday’s upset 14-7 victory at previously undefeated, third-seeded Jewel Sumner in Tangipahoa Parish raised Guin to 216-88 (.704) overall in 25 seasons – and drew him even with the legendary Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame coach Lee Hedges atop the Caddo-Bossier career coaching wins list.
Hedges was 216-92-5 (.698) in 28 seasons at three Shreveport public schools, starting the programs at Woodlawn and Captain Shreve and guiding them to state championship contests (1965 runner-up for the Knights, 1973 state championship for the Gators) after leading Byrd into the state finals in 1956 as a first-year head coach. The stadium on Shreve’s campus, used for home games by the Gators and Byrd, is named for the legendary coach, who passed away last summer.
Guin shies away from comparison to Hedges, but quickly spreads credit for his success to administrators, supporters, coaching colleagues and players.
“I’ve been blessed to be at two great schools, surrounded by great people and great players,” he said. “We’ve been able to do pretty good.”
Friday night, as a sidebar to the Cavaliers’ semifinal visit to Crowley to face Notre Dame for a state finals berth, Guin can surpass Hedges’ win total. But to do that in 2025, he’ll need his team to beat another Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame coach – and a friend, to boot.
It’s rare these days that Guin can look across at the other sideline on game night and see an older opposing coach.
Lewis “Louie” Cook Jr. was enshrined in the LSHOF in 2018 and continues to coach at age 74. His 10-2 Pioneers have raised his career win total to 417 in 41 years as a head high school coach at Rayne, Crowley and the last 28 seasons leading Notre Dame.
Guin, seemingly much younger than 65, and Cook go back. Way back.
“Louie was coach at Crowley (in a 1989 state playoff game, on the Gents’ way to his first state crown) when we were at Haughton and we played, before I was the (Bucs) head coach. Since I’ve been at Calvary (arriving in 2016), I’ve gotten to know him.
“What a guy. We visited 45 minutes today, just about our coaching careers, where we’ve come from. We’ve talked all week long and it’s been fun,” said Guin.
“He’s one of the greats – Red Franklin (Haynesville) class, Jim Hightower at St. Thomas More, J.T. Curtis. Louie’s in that group. I’m really looking forward to getting down there, visiting some more, and playing the game against a legend himself. He’s the real deal.”
Guin unabashedly says Cook (417-103, .802 overall; 317-58, .845 at NDHS) is a role model for all high school coaches.
“Guys like him, and Red, and those others, they’re what guys like us say, ‘man, I hope when I’m done people think about me like they think about them.’
“It’s a privilege to go play against them,” said Guin. “I’m looking forward to getting down there and visiting more Friday afternoon.”
They share lots of common ground – emphasis on “ground.” Both favor the running game. The Pios will run it 75 percent of the time. The Cavs are more diverse, but it starts with the run at Calvary, too.
“He hasn’t changed a whole lot over the years. He’s adapted some on offense and I have, too,” said Guin. “Heck, I learn from our coordinator every week when we put in new stuff. He’s been able to change with the times and still be effective.”
The most important shared trait has little to do with Xs and Os.
“You can tell he relates to those kids so well, that they love him and love playing for him,” said Guin. “I hope our kids love playing for me. That’s the key to the whole thing, I think.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com