East St. John ready for another deep run in playoffs

The 2022 season was outstanding for East St. John.

The Wildcats won 10 games and advanced to the Non-Select Division I quarterfinals, taking eventual state champion and district rival Destrehan to the limit in a 21-20 loss.

Now, Brandon Brown, a proven winner, has a program with a winning culture poised to continue that trend in 2023 for a program that won a state title under Phil Greco in 1980.

“We are very excited about what we have back,” Brown said. “The offseason was fueled by that brutal loss. It motivates us. We have a lot of key players back. We believe we can be very good.”

East St. John must replace quarterback Yashua Mitchell, running backs George Martin and Cortez Fisher and key defenders Devin Davis, Kaden Henderson, Freddie Jones and DaKari Joseph. Mitchell was brilliant last season, passing for 3,109 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 313 yards and nine scores.

The Wildcats return 14 starters, including seven on each side of the ball.

One key spot to be decided is the quarterback position, where seniors Kairian Smith (5-11, 155) and Lorenzo Zeno (6-2, 190) are competing. Both could see action.

“We are going to operate with a two-quarterback system,” Brown said. “Both have done an excellent job. Mitchell was terrific last year.”

At running back, senior Elijah Frank (5-10, 220) is a physical runner who will try to make up for the 1,102 yards and 12 touchdowns Martin produced last season.

“We made the transition with Frank from outside linebacker to running back,” Brown said. “He is our guy this year. He’s done a good job for us thus far. He has shown good leadership. He’s a great locker room guy who does everything the right way, in the classroom, in the community and on the field. We feel Martin’s brother Jorell, a sophomore will be very good.”

There is a wealth of talent at wide receiver, including seniors Dkhai Joseph (5-11, 160), Koyal Joseph (5-10, 165) and senior Koyal Gray (5-10, 160), all of whom had terrific seasons in 2022.

Dkhai Joseph, a Southeastern Louisiana commit, had 62 catches for 1,271 yards and 19 touchdowns while Koyal Joseph had 46 receptions for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gray had 46 catches for 1,120 yards and nine touchdowns. The fourth starter is junior Kendall Walker (5-10, 155).

“We return two guys who put up big numbers last year so that will help us in breaking in a new quarterback,” Brown said. “They are productive, great kids who run good routes. Walker has really stepped up to give us another option.”

The tight end is junior Aaron Sanders (6-6, 230).

“Aaron hasn’t quite figured it out yet but when he does, he has all the tools,” Brown said. “He has a chance to be special. He just has to be more consistent. He could be a matchup problem for a lot of teams.”

The offensive line features a pair of seniors in right guard Denario Scott (6-2, 285) and right tackle Develle Crouch (6-2, 280). Junior Gary O’Neal (6-1, 285) is the left guard while junior Davien Fobb (5-11, 240) handles the center spot. There is competition at left tackle between juniors Lyndell Wilkens (6-2, 250) and Ro’Jae Preston (6-1, 270).

“We feel really good about our offensive line,” Brown said. “Develle returns as does Scott, O’Neal and Fobb. That’s pretty special. We feel good there, one of the first times we’ve felt good about our offensive line entering a season. We hace experience and talent.”

The defensive line features a pair of returning stars in seniors Ky’Van Fobb (6-1, 265) and Jamarion Zeno (6-2, 275). Fobb had 48 tackles, including 11 for loss with four sacks last season at his end spot. Zeno recorded 42 tackles, including 10 for loss with six sacks at tackle. Sophomore Christopher Cage (6-3, 285) is the other defensive tackle. The other defensive end spot will be manned by juniors Jaquese Mashia (6-1, 240) and Jaylin Sharlow (5-10, 205).

“We like our defensive line,” Brown said. We feel it one of the strongest points on our team. Fobb and Zeno return and Jerry Phillips is another. Cage is a big young man who is strong and explosive. Mashia is a good one as well. We have size and depth.”

At linebacker, five players will see time at the three spots, including seniors Darryl Robertson (5-10, 190) and Bryan Young (5-10, 210), along with juniors M’Kylen Manuel (6-2, 205), Jerry Phillips (6-1, 190) and Kyle James (5-10, 180).

“We have Young and Robertson who have been part of the program and now have their shot to play,” Brown said. “They are bigger and faster than the guys we had last year.”

In the secondary, senior Dwayne Brown (5-10, 185) returns at strong safety after a junior year of 62 tackles with three interceptions, including two for touchdowns. He is joined by senior Jahyi Jones (5-11, 170) at free safety. The corners are seniors Charles Rayfield (6-3, 180) and Bryan Warren (6-1, 175).

“Brown was the heart and soul of our defense last year and of our team,” Brown said. “He is our emotional leader. He takes so much off us coaches with his ability to relate to the guys. Jones is a returning starter. Warren is a returning corner. Rayfield is tall and rangy and can run and hit. He’s a basketball guy who has fallen in love with football.”

The schedule opens on the road at St. James and Carver before a home game with Landry.

“St. James is a perennial powerhouse,” Brown said. “It’s a rivalry and we go there. We picked up Carver and we know they will be talented and fast. Landry is much the same. They have speed and physicality. We have to start fast to be the team we want to be.”

District 7-5A play opens at home against Thibodaux and Hahnville before road games at H.L. Bourgeois and Central Lafourche. The Wildcats then host Terrebonne before the regular season closes on the road at Destrehan and Holy Cross.

“This is big-time football in our league,” Brown said. “I feel the league we play in, when everyone is at their best, it is very good football. Destrehan is the defending state champ. Hahnville has a storied tradition. Terrebonne is talented. Thibodaux is good. No week is a down week. We have to be ready to play every week.”

Brown has done an excellent job building the East St. John program after doing the same at St. Helena. With a ton of talent and experience, the Wildcats could make a deep run in the playoffs again this season if the quarterback position is stabilizes.

“After the tough loss to Destrehan, our kids took it personally,” Brown said. “We were so close. They won the title. We talk about building it brick by brick. We left a brick or two out last year. We want to build the foundation with those bricks this year and get past being one play and just two yards away. We are close but that is not good enough. We can get there.”

Click here for more CCS Prep Football team previews (including archives of past season previews).