Takeaways from Louisiana state championships

NATCHITOCHES, La. -- Nine LHSAA state championship games were played at Northwestern State University, which naturally lent itself to notable performances and new names on the radar.

Rivals was on hand for the entire week in Natchitoches with notable 2021, 2022, 2023 and even 2024 prospects front and center, including commitments and even signees of LSU, Stanford and Memphis, among others.

Here's 10 takeaways from the notable performances and observations from the title games.

MORE: Walker Howard reflects on state title and future at LSU

Catholic ran past Byrd in the Division I title game with a well-balanced rushing attack and some big-time plays made by 2023 wide receiver Shelton Sampson.

Sampson clocked multiple sub-4.4 40s during a virtual combine over the summer, which led the 6-foot-4, 181-pounder to land offers from Mississippi State, Florida and LSU, among others. Sampton was having a quiet sophomore campaign until the postseason, which was a coming out party of sorts for the 2023 prospect. Sampson caught three passes in the championship game, including a 12-yard touchdown where he showed off his vertical ability and his ability to create mismatches out wide.

With his size and skill set, Sampson plays a lot like former Michigan State standout Plaxico Burress. He’s establishing himself as the top in-state receiver in the state with his strong close to 2020.

Lafayette-area powerhouse Acadiana held on for a 35-34 thriller. The hero was Rivals250 cornerback Laterrance Welch, who snatched a two-point attempt with one minute remaining to preserve his team's lead. Welch, who shadowed four-star wide receiver Quincy Brown -- now at TCU -- in last year's championship game, was playing in only his second game back after undergoing knee surgery in July.

Welch jumped the route on the game's decisive play and was excellent in coverage throughout. He stuck with receivers downfield and timed his defense accordingly and nearly snagged another interception along the way. Welch showed some rust against the run, but continued to pitch in.

"He's a great football player and he made a great football play in that situation," Acadiana coach Matt McCullough said of Welch, who was cleared to play after Week 13, the third round of the playoffs. "We wanted to hold him out and take care of him. He's gonna be a big-time college football player. In situations, he looked 100 percent and played well the last two weeks of the year."

Oklahoma and Alabama are some of the teams that are after Welch, who is also drawing interest from the in-state Tigers.

For Alexandria, there wasn't much Stanford signee Shield Taylor didn't show. The soon-to-be Cardinal tight end also saw spot duty at H-back, receiver and started the second half playing defensive end as well.

Taylor was used to cancel out Louisiana defensive end commitment Cam George. He kicked out and sealed throughout the night as a moveable blocker, then set the edge on defense. Taylor also managed two receptions -- and nearly a third -- showing great hands and feet and plenty of physicality.

"A lot of people ask why we don't get Shield the ball. We laugh," Alexandria coach Thomas Bachman said. "It's all built around Shield. The things we're allowed to do, not just catching the football, but the versatility, the intelligence, the small, subtle things within the scheme. To lean on a guy as intelligent as Shield, to know Shield is gonna make it right and make those subtle changes."

Walker Howard put an exclamation point on his first season as St. Thomas More's starting quarterback with a state championship and resounding performance against a quality defense in De La Salle. Howard completed 18-of-26 for 381 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning 22-yard pass with 3:52 left on the clock.

Howard, who plays with confidence and competitiveness, pushes the ball downfield with a live arm and excellent velocity. He attacks the seams and makes difficult throws both in and outside the numbers. There isn't a throw he can't make at this stage.

Howard completed passes moving to his left and right. He also showed off his ability to buy time in the pocket and extend plays before letting it rip downfield, showcasing that enormous arm.

"The sky's the limit for Walker," St. Thomas More coach Jim Hightower said. "He has a tremendous release. The ball really takes off and we've been gifted a lot of good quarterbacks at St. Thomas More, but the way the ball leaves Walker's hands ... the ease in which he makes those throws and how the balls take off ... I think he's above all the rest."

Howard's No. 1 option in the passing game, four-star LSU signee Jack Bech, put a bow on a historic senior campaign. Bech's 10 catches for 232 yards was one shy of the Louisiana record for most receiving yards in a state championship game.

Bech earned most of those yards with his playmaking ability after the catch. A workout warrior, Bech's physicality shined as he ran over would-be tacklers in the open field and cut well in space. He was absolutely brilliant on contested grabs. He has special hands and body control to be open even with defenders in his face.

"Jack's a pretty special player and he has been for a long time," Hightower said of the MOP. "What a competitor. He works hard in practice, every day, he loves the physical aspect, he loves to block and he could be an All-State guard if we let him. He's pretty valuable where he is and we're gonna see a lot of things from Jack in the future."

If the De La Salle-St. Thomas More tilt had a different outcome, then three-star De La Salle running back Montrell Johnson would've had a clear case as MOP. The all-time leading rusher on The Avenue, Johnson used his muscular frame to punish defenders. The one-time Arizona pledge ran downhill and consistently gave second and third efforts. He doesn't have game-breaking speed, but Johnson is an old-school back that could be a late add for several in-state programs.

"I thought he was arguably the best player on the field," De La Salle's Ryan Manale said of Johnson, who rushed for 187 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. "He's unselfish. A lot of big-time backs aren't like that. He shares carries, and it's not something you see in high school -- for the star like Montrell Johnson to share carries -- but he's a humble, quiet young man, and emotional, but he's unselfish ... and you don't see star running backs like this."

Rivals250 wide receiver Aaron Anderson was the best player on the field for the first half of the Karr-Carencro showdown. The speedy slot receiver caught two touchdowns and on both grabs, he beat two defenders.

Anderson was dynamic after the catch on screens and showed his speed on end-arounds. From the slot, he stretches the field vertically and so difficult to hang with. Anderson finished with seven receptions for 172 yards and three total touchdowns.

Anderson had a claim to MOP honors in Karr's 4A title victory a year ago, but was also responsible for some drops and fumbles. An offseason of correcting those issues has led to a spectacular junior season with outstanding production.

Class of 2022 outside linebacker Masey Lewis has enjoyed a productive postseason. Lewis notched 2.5 sacks, 10 total tackles including three for loss, and even more quarterback pressures throughout the contest against St. Charles. The junior sacked St. Charles' quarterback in the end zone to seal the victory for his squad, too.

At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Lewis has the ability to line up with a hand in the dirt or as a stand-up linebacker. He set the edge in the run game consistently and effectively and showed upside as a pass-rusher with an array of moves and a nice blend of power and quickness. Tulane joined South Alabama and Kansas as early offers for Lewis, whose stock is rising.

If the name Quency Wiggins rings a bell, he's a 2022 defensive end from Madison Prep that recently took to the sport. A great basketball player, Wiggins quickly picked up playing on the edge. Earlier this year, he showed a high motor pressuring the quarterback and his length made him all-the-more effective.

Wiggins displayed another dimension of his game against Union Parish's power run game. He was able to take on multiple blockers and battle through double-teams and easily dispose of linemen and wrap up Trey Holly, which is no easy task. More on Holly to come soon.

Wiggins is enormously athletic and was very productive in his first season on the football team. He's taken to private training while continuing to stay in shape with hoops. It wouldn't be surprising at all if Wiggins elevated his game to new heights by next fall. Several SEC teams already have his attention.

"It's his first year of playing varsity ball and we're trying to teach him technique and tell him you should be able to do that, and then we said, 'Son, go out and play. You're 6-6, 275, we're gonna let you play and work with you from there,'" Madison Prep coach Landry Williams said. "He works real hard and he has a lot of talent and does anything you ask him to. If you believe in yourself and the people around you, then good things can happen for you."

Treyveon Holly was limited to 114 yards on 23 attempts, which is a rare slow day in the office by this 2023 running back's standards. Holly is the focal point of the Farmers' offense and finished the year with 48 rushing touchdowns and ranked fourth-most in rushing yards with 2,595.

Although the Madison Prep defense was up to the challenge. Still, Holly managed to churn out tough yards and stay on his feet and evade tacklers. He has good feet, was elusive in space, bounced off defenders and gained yards after contact. Purdue recently became his first Power 5 offer.

The battle over the Division IV crown resulted in not one, but two record-setting performances from the quarterbacks on both sides. Hunter Herring, a 2021 Louisiana signee, set the all-time yardage mark in a championship game (480), while 2022 Calvary Baptist quarterback Landry Lyddy accounted for 464 yards through the air, another all-time single-game mark in a title game, to go with four touchdowns.

Herring suffered a leg injury midway through the second quarter after two touchdown runs from 64 and 47 yards out. Herring re-entered the game in the final ticks of the half and tossed an 84-yard touchdown off one leg, eventually limping off the field at the break and playing the entire second half.

At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Herring is a wildly intriguing dual-threat that moves well and can launch it downfield. He threw well rolling to his right and evading rushers in the pocket. Accuracy is spotty, but Herring also has a unique ability to make the special play -- a lot like Josh Allen.

Safety Brayden Hermes reeled in two first-half interceptions for Byrd and led his team with a game-high nine tackles. Byrd coach Mike Suggs called the third-year starter the "quarterback of the defense." At 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, he was excellent in coverage and capitalized with two picks. He was also active in the run game, flying down into the box for stops and packing some punch in each of his tackles.

Class of 2022 defensive end Walter Bob came through with three big plays for Acadiana. He's long (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) and plays with a high motor. Bob rushed from inside and off the edge and flew down the line of scrimmage on occasion. Arkansas State was first to offer Bob.

Class of 2022 wide receiver TJ Johnson earned a profile. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound is a big target in the passing game and saw snaps inside and outside, flashing speed downfield and willingness to catch passes in the middle of the field. Johnson had four grabs for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Caden Jones, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound 2023 tackle, played a key role in De La Salle's power run game. He has size and strength, and as he fills out his frame and spends an offseason in the weight room could be a major player to watch.

Class of 2024 Calvary wide receiver Aubrey Hermes caught three passes for 89 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to give Calvary the lead. Hermes has good size already with superb hands and showed his ability to accelerate after the catch on the touchdown.