By Kyle Roberts
NEW ORLEANS — Feet on the Superdome floor.
It was the only way it could have ended for these Ruston High seniors — a trip to a fourth state championship game in New Orleans, solidifying arguably the great senior class in history at a school with as rich of a football tradition as one can find in a state full of it.
These young men have lived something Ruston alums could only dream about when we walked the halls of the “Firmly Founded”: a punched-ticket to a championship game every year. To them, and on behalf of Bearcat Nation, I say “Thank you.”
Today’s outcome was not what they wanted, but ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Because during this span they’ve done the following:
- Beat West Monroe for the first time in 30+ years
- Won multiple district titles
- Earned first-round byes in all four seasons
- Beat Ouachita and West Monroe for four seasons in a row in the regular season — something unthinkable 10 years ago
Now, they’ve all left an indelible mark on Ruston High School. And this community celebrates you, and you’ll forever be cemented as the greatest football class from freshmen to seniors that’s put the Bearcat uniform on.
This past week, I had the chance to talk to senior Alex Hunt in Nick Brown’s class. I asked him if he truly understood what the 2026 graduating class has done and if that’s hit him yet. He went quiet — looked at the gound.
“Not yet,” said Alex. “And I don’t know when it will.”
Rightfully so, because there was still more work to do before today. Just a little more. But coincidentally, Nick Brown pointed out that Thursday day was also the last school session where Hunt and the rest of the seniors would be active football players. Quite a momumental statement.
It had to be a lot for these guys to take in. We can’t ignore the work that it’s taken to get to this point. Nobody plays in four straight championship games by accident. And, interestingly enough, this was probably the first Ruston team in half a decade that was all but written off in the preseason as a “rebuild year.”
Rebuild, my behind. Not with this senior class.
So let’s all raise a toast (of Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice, of course) to Miles, Trindon, Caleb, Zaterrion, Lander, Darius, Alex, Cullen, Jacob, Kam, Jeremiah, Andres, Kenny, Vincent, Brooks, Kayden, Jackson, Brock, Cole, Ra’Keem, Keegan and Cade.
Thank you for what you’ve done, but more importantly, thank you for being Bearcats. Put Saturday in the rear view and look at the totality of your work.
Your class will forever be carved into legend.
Once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat.
