Manale, Blue Jays ready for Catholic League, Division I challenges

In his first opportunity as a head coach, Ryan Manale passed with flying colors, raising a struggling program at De La Salle to a pair of state championship game appearances, growing the numbers, the quality, quantity and perception of the football program in dramatic fashion, serving nine seasons from 2012-20, posting a 79-23 record.

Now, Manale takes on the challenge of coaching in the storied Catholic League at a storied program in Jesuit, against a host of top programs and top coaches.

The Blue Jays have won eight state championships, eighth most in Louisiana prep football history.

Manale is well prepared for the challenge.

As a student-athlete, Manale played at Archbishop Rummel and went on to serve as an assistant coach at his alma mater under a great coach in Jay Roth from 1998-2011.

Manale will get the chance to measure himself and his program against his alma mater, along with all of the other outstanding programs in District 9-5A.

At Jesuit, Manale inherits a program which is always competitive but a program that has not won a district title since 2011 and has not threatened in Division I since winning the state championship in 2014. That was the last time Jesuit had a winning record in district play.

“The transition has been great,” Manale said. “The young men we deal with here are elite. They are first class young men, raised well. I prided myself being the first one at work at De La Salle and we had a great program and great kids. At Jesuit, I am never the first one there. Someone is always there when I arrive in the morning working out. It’s been fun. I’m very pleased.

Jesuit was 5-5 last season and lost a heartbreaking 36-34 decision to Brother Martin in the quarterfinals after whipping St. Paul’s 35-6 in the regional round.

The Blue Jays return eight starters from a year ago but only three on offense.

Fortunately, the veteran group starts with senior quarterback Jack Larriviere (6-3, 200).

“Jack is special,” Manale said. “When I took the job, I sent him a message about meeting up on the offense, which is going to change. He responded immediately and we met on the offense changing. He’s a special leader, on and off the field. I couldn’t ask for a better start than to have a guy like Jack be my quarterback year one. He is stronger. He’s answered every bell.”

There are a host of options with players competing at running back.

Junior Jaron Duplessis (6-0, 190) may start while sophomores Patrick Berrigan and Landon Garcia will be in the mix.

“Running back is a committee,” Manale said. “Jaron will get the first crack. Berrigan and Garcia will play. We have a baseball player in Gates Barre’ who will be added to the mix, along with Harry Reinhardt. We really have a stable of guys. It is a competition to see who steps up. Jesuit has not had that prime running back in a few years.”

At wide receiver, junior Jace Larsen (6-0, 150) returns to help offset the loss of star Luke Besh to graduation. The other receivers are senior Matthew Reeder (6-3, 185) and Jason Thompson (6-0, 165) while the tight ends are senior Chance Whitfield (6-4, 230) and junior Hollis McDaniel (6-3, 205).

“Jace Larsen had a great summer,” Manale said. “We have a couple of big tight ends that could line up all over the place in Whitfield and McDaniel. Reeder is a senior who will. We have Keith Pittman who is coming from baseball when they are done with American Legion. Thompson is a junior who will play. We also have Jack Lo (6-1, 175) from basketball who has come out.”

Up front, the Blue Jays have a pair of returning starters in junior Roland Waguespack (6-3, 250) and senior Joshua Berault (6-4, 280).

The other starters are senior Jack Gasquet (5-11, 260), along with juniors Jonathan Rouse (5-10, 230) and Dondi Davis (5-10, 235).

“We have to build depth up front,” Manale said. “Berault is a senior who has the size and ability and he gets better every day. Waguespack will be the other tackle and he has been developing nicely. Rouse is our center while Gasquet and Davis will play guard. We have to continue to get stronger. We need to really focus on this area if we are going to be successful.”

There is more experience on the defensive side of the ball with five starters back.

Up front, senior Andrew Besh (6-2, 210) returns and he will be joined by seniors Parker Peyronnin (5-11, 180) and William Pouyadou (6-4, 215). Sophomore Spencer Lanosga (6-0, 275) was good as a freshman and has a great future.

“Spencer has been gone most of the summer with wrestling,” Manale said. “We know he can play. We expect things from him. Otherwise, we have hard workers but a bit undersized by Jesuit standards but they are well coached. Besh, Joseph Barnett (6-1, 240) and Christian Jackson, Peyronnin and Pouyadou are seniors who will play. Senior Braden Helm will also play.”

Linebacker is the strength of the defense, with all three players who started games a year ago back from last season, led by seniors Dennis Dougherty (6-1, 230) and Jake Cannizaro (5-10, 185), along with junior Dominic Loguidice (6-0, 205).

“We have great leadership at linebacker,” Manale said. “Dougherty is a veteran leader while Loguidice is a leader. Cannizaro will play outside. Those guys are leaders of our program. They are strong physically and are well coached. That is a group ready to contribute at a high level.”

Tyler Autin (5-11, 195) is the lone returning starter in the secondary, and the junior will be joined by senior Will Graham (6-0, 160), along with juniors Nick Jacobs (6-0, 175) and Nicholas Foley (5-11, 174).

“Jacobs has moved from safety to cornerback,” Manale said. “We like his length and we like the way he moves. Foley has moved from safety as well and we like him. Senior Caleb Tolbert (6-0, 160) will compete there. Autin is working very hard and is a great guy. Graham is a senior and senior Alex Valdes will also see time.”

The kicking game is solid as junior kicker Aidan Corbello (5-9, 160) and junior punter William Hudlow (6-0, 200) return.

Jesuit opens the season on the road at Woodlawn of Baton Rouge on Sept. 3 before hosting a rematch with St. Paul’s at Tad Gormley Stadium. The Blue Jays play in Metairie against Riverdale week three.

“We are worried about the athleticism of Woodlawn,” Manale said. “They have special athletes. St. Paul’s is always tough and we beat them in the playoffs when they were coming off COVID so we know they will be ready for us. We expect Riverdale to be capable.”

Catholic League play begins on Sept. 24 against Brother Martin before the annual Great American Rivalry against Holy Cross.

Jesuit will then host St. Augustine and will travel to take on John Curtis Christian.

The Blue Jays travel to Archbishop Shaw in week eight before hosting H.L. Bourgeois in a non-district contest in week nine. The regular season finale finds Jesuit hosting Archbishop Rummel on Nov. 5.

“St. Aug is a wild card, as talented or the most talented of any team,” Manale said. “Brother Martin and John Curtis, I think they are on top this year. Rummel is young but they have great young players and they are always a quality team. Holy Cross is getting stronger physically. Shaw beat us in 7-on-7 this summer,” Manale said. “They are much improved. We will have to be efficient, disciplined.”

Manale relishes the challenge of the league, having been shaped by a pair of great coaches.

“Being back in the Catholic League is special,” Manale said. “My growth as a coach came under Jay Roth at Rummel. Moving to De La Salle, I learned and grew as a coach.”

Outside of Roth, one other coach helped Manale become the coach that he is now.

“The best thing that happened to me was being thrown into a league with Frank Monica at St. Charles Catholic,” Manale said. “His team was always able to expose you. They were so well coached. We took butt whippings early on and then got even with them and I grew as a coach from it. This league has nothing but great coaches and programs.”

What will it take to get Jesuit to return to winning big?

“It is back to grass roots, we’re not there yet but I’m very pleased with the kids,” Manale said. “It’s going to be a process. We’ve got to get stronger. We’ve got to build some depth in the trenches and we have to find a primary running back.

With a lot of new starters and a new coach, it appears Jesuit may have a learning curve but with an excellent tradition and excellent coach, expect the Blue Jays to be competitive and don’t be surprised if Jesuit surprises many observers with its results.

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