By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Since Calvary manhandled a shaky Huntington team in the season opener, the highly-regarded Cavaliers faced no challenges in their next three games until Loyola’s high-scoring Flyers rolled into Jerry Barker Stadium last Friday night.
By halftime, they had established control, leading 21-8 on the way to a 52-24 victory which moved Calvary to 5-0, and kept them as the unanimous No. 1 in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal and LSWA Class 2A top 10 polls.
“We thought we needed to control the clock with our run game, which we did, and get some pressure on the quarterback, which we did, and we tackled very well, too, so they didn’t get a lot of big plays on us,” said a raspy-voiced Calvary coach Rodney Guin.
The Cavs’ performance has earned them Week 5 SBJ Team of the Week recognition as they tune up hoping to stretch their 71-game district winning streak Friday night at Homer.
Calvary’s run to last year’s Select Division III state championship game was a surprise considering significant graduation losses. While some valuable Class of 2026 seniors departed after last season, a trip back to the Prep Classic has unquestionably been within reach since January’s offseason workouts kicked off.
But that success is not something that can be spoken into reality. It’s got to be earned. Halfway through the regular season, Guin likes the Cavaliers’ trajectory.
“We’re pleased. We’ve actually gotten a little better every week,” he said. “That’s what you want to do.”
Calvary’s physicality was the overwhelming factor in taking command against Loyola. The Cavaliers were superior up front.
“Defensively, I knew we were gonna be good. We’ve got four new starters on the O-line, so we’re really, really pleased with that group, the way they’ve progressed,” he said.
Guin cited ninth-grader Jackson Coffey, starting at right tackle, who “probably played his best game of the year Friday. He did really, really well.”
Sophomore center Grayson Powell is in his first year of football and quickly earned his spot in the lineup, also excelling against Loyola.
The Cavs’ defensive front is led by DeLancey Street and Braylen Wesley, and “all those guys just been very good,” said Guin.
Special teams play has been another strength, with newcomers stepping in. Soccer player Preston Walton joined the football squad this season and handles kickoffs and punts. Jackson Abraham is the scoring kicker on extra points and field goals and “is having a great year, too,” said Guin.
“We’ve been lucky to fill in with some good guys,” he said.
They knew what they had to spark the offense – some prime-time skill position talent.
The Cavaliers have a collection of offensive weapons headed by big-play receiver Braylun Huglon, explosive running back Z’Ryan Miles and strong-armed quarterback Hudson Price, who has several other targets to consider in an offense that carries a 54-point average.
“They’ve gotten better,” said Guin, “and they’re so unselfish. They don’t get the ball as much as probably they should, or I know what they would like, but they have done a good job catching the football and running routes and blocking for each other, blocking for the run game, especially,” said Guin.
What makes the Cavaliers progress in district play, sandwiched around a Week 8 trip to New Orleans and a matchup with last year’s Select Division II state runner-up Archbishop Shaw?
“We just gotta keep adding stuff to the offense and having the defense keep tackling well and playing hard. I don’t really worry about them a whole lot,” said Guin.
“Offensively, we just gotta stay consistent running the ball, and Huddie’s gotta keep getting better like he is,” said the winningest coach (223-79, 26 seasons) in local high school football history. “I think we’ll have a chance.”
There’s one shortcoming he can’t influence — coach getting his full-throated voice back from its recent lull.
“That would be nice, for me anyway,” he said, chuckling ruefully. “I don’t know if the kids will like it or not.”
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com