Written by Lee Brecheen
| Tuesday, 26 August 2008 09:06
|
Prep Football News
Patterson High School is a sleeper school that never gets mentioned with the elite of prep programs for producing quality college talent over the last 30 years. Patterson should get its due more often among the best public schools in Louisiana for winning in football year-after-year. As Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis is fond of saying, "just win baby!" That's what Patterson does.
Patterson is located between Morgan City and Franklin - a hot bed of talent for high school football. You can get to Patterson by car in less than 30 minutes from Lafayette and Houma and about an hour from Baton Rouge. When you think of great Louisiana coaches, you can start with the legendary Head Coach Jack Andre who went 59-24 in seven years at Patterson high school, then left Patterson to coach future NFL running back Eddie Fuller and future NFL Hall of Fame center Kevin Mawae at Leesville. Tommy Minton is the current Head Coach. He has won over 80% of his games going into his 10th year. Minton has coached over 30 Division One or I-AA football players that signed college football scholarships in those 10 years. He took Patterson to the Superdome in 2002, where they finished runner-up in the state championship game to Sid Edwards and Redemptorist, losing 31-19 in a really good game.
Former Head Coach Jack Andre led Patterson to the state championship game in 1979 and finished runner- up to John Curtis, losing 28-0. Running back Dalton Hillard was on that team, and when you say that name in Patterson, its like saying the President of the United States. Everybody of all ages in this city knows his name. Dalton Hillard was a one-man wrecking crew in that put Patterson football on the map in 1979. Hilliard was lightly-recruited by everyone one in Louisiana and no one nationally during his senior season at Patterson until then Head Coach Jerry Stovall of LSU took a chance on the future legend. The rest is history as Dalton set many records at LSU and became a star in his first LSU game at home against a good Oregon State football team, rushing for over a 100 yards. Fellow true freshman running back Garry James of West Jefferson, who was highly recruited, also ran for over a 100 yards in the same game as the tandem became instant stars.
Hilliard was the main reason that LSU beat the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant and Alabama in his freshman season. He scored a huge touchdown in the game. Hilliard and James led LSU to the Orange Bowl, where they lost to a very talented Nebraska team which included Roger Craig, Mike Rozier, Tom Rathman, Turner Gill and Irving Fryar. Hillard later got up to over 200 pounds and played eight seasons for the New Orleans Saints before earning induction into the Saints Hall of Fame. His son Dalton Hilliard, Jr. is presently a senior running back Brother Martin and stands 5'8 165. He looks like his dad in stature and is very productive for the Crusaders.
Dalton Hillard wasn't the only Hilliard to come out of Patterson High School. There was Ivory Hilliard, who later went on to play for LSU as a defensive back. Ike Hillard in became an All-American for the Florida Gators, where he made one of the most incredible plays in the Sugar Bowl against Florida State for the National Championship. He caught a pass, stopped, changed direction and sprinted for a touchdown. Ike is Currently going into year 12 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Corey Hilliard came out in 2005, and was a pretty good athlete as well .
Other former big-time players to play college or pro ball were defensive tackle Mark Hall, who signed with LSU but finished at USL. He played many seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Linebacker Mike Calais played for LSU and was a big-time player and hitter in his day. Fullback Anthony Skinner played for LSU only two years and had all the potential in the world. Athlete Kerwin Jones played for Tulane as a key defensive back and was a true leader. Linebacker Trone Triggs played for ULM, defensive back Michael Griffin was a key player for the Nicholls State Colonals and linebacker Derace James played one year for LSU. In 1989, there was lineman Scott Estay, who signed with USL. In 1997, there was the talented athlete Kenneth Dangerfield, who could run a 4.6 forty and signed with the Miami Hurricanes and, played linebacker for them.
Patterson has some very good current college players with a lot of potential for the next level. Defensive back Tremane Vaughns, who stands 5'9, 180 and runs a 4.45 forty, is a senior at Missouri. He is one of the Tigers' best players and has a shot at the NFL after this season. Linebacker Marcus Clark is a red-shirt freshman at Southern University. Clark sat out his freshman season because of an injury, and would have started in 2007. He will start in 2008 for the Jaguars. Defensive back Blair Irvin, who signed with LSU five years ago, elected to play five years of minor league baseball before attending a junior college in Kansas, making All-American. He will start for Kansas State this year.
Quarterback Brock Landry, who sat out the last four years rehabbing a hip injury, is finally 100 percent after originally signing with Southern Miss. He is now at Northwestern State. Brock was one of the best quarterbacks that I saw in 20 years in Louisiana at the time of his senior season at Patterson. Running back William Griffin recently transferred from Louisiana Tech to Northwestern State, and has a big-time future. Defensive back Terrance Calais is a sophomore at Louisiana Tech and has an NFL body and speed.. Kentrell Butler played running back and defensive end at Patterson. To me, he was a major steal for the McNeese State Cowboys in 2008. Running back Kendrick Smith, who started out at Southern Illinois, but has been at Southern University in Baton Rouge, for over two years and is a current senior, has all the ability in the world. He just needs to stay healthy.
Future recruits for Patterson that are currently seniors on the team are Terrance Johnson. He can fly and would make a great defensive back or wide receiver in college though he needs to bring his grades up. Defensive end Willis Verdine is 6'3, 245 and runs a 4.8 forty. He should weight about 280 in two years. Linebacker Landon Lightfoot is 6'2, 225 and runs a 4.7 forty. He has all the tools and his stock. Corner back Troy Watson is 5'9, 175 and runs track--he can really fly and could be as good as former Lumberjack Tremane Vaughns of Missouri. Defensive back Shalijaup Williams, 6'1, 195 is a late-bloomer who can hit and run with the best of them. He may have to start off at a junior college, but remember the name. FB-LB Grant Lagrange 6-0 220, can run a legit 4.5 forty and has gained over 25 pounds since his junior season. The kid already has a good ACT test.
Finally, there is running back Kenny Hillard, who stands 5'11 210, and can run a 4.4 forty and could be the next Hillard in the NFL if he keeps heading in the direction he is pointed in. He has God-gifted size and talent but is just a sophomore! He may end of up being the best player to ever come out of Patterson High School. He ran for over 1,400 yards as a 14-year old freshman.
Keep an eye out for these Lumberjacks. They have the talent to go to the Superdome for a third time in school history. They could very well bring home the state championship trophy in 3A. They have the speed, a great running back and a big and fast defense. With a little luck, this could be a year of destiny for the tradition-rich Patterson Lumberjacks.
