by Malcolm Butler
With the start of fall practice just over a week away, Cedar Creek head coach William Parkerson sat down with me to talk about the upcoming season for the Cougars. Below are some of the nuggets that came from our one-on-one conversation.
Report Date: The Cougars will report on August 4 and will start practice on August 5, according to head coach William Parkerson.
“We are going to go just helmets the first week,” said Parkerson. “I think technically we could pad up on that Thursday if we wanted to, but we aren’t planning on it.”
The Cougars start fall practice a week earlier than most schools since they didn’t utilize spring practice.
“Small school,” said Parkerson. “The majority of our kids are either in track or baseball. Most of our coaches are coaching either track or baseball. We want to ease into it as opposed to (in the spring) the state track meet is on Friday, and then let’s start spring football the next day.”
New Addition: Although there is plenty of time for the number to fluctuate one way or the other, Parkerson believes his report numbers will be in the low thirties. Last year the Cougars were at 27. One newcomer will be senior Mason Wooden out of Riverfield Academy.
“He will play linebacker and slot for us,” said Parkerson. “He will be a good addition.”
Wooden will help fill a hole at linebacker left by the departure of Alex Simpson, who will be at North Desoto High School this year.
Year No. 2 Mentality: As Parkerson enters his second season at the helm of the program, he said he hopes to see the culture he is trying to create continue to grow within his players. Cedar Creek won six games last season before falling in the first round of the Select School Division IV playoffs 42-0 to Catholic Pointe Coupee.
“I want to see if the that mentality and culture that we are trying to instill in them … are we going to see that on Friday nights,” said Parkerson. “You can see it in the weight room. You can see it on the practice field. They are starting to develop the traits we want them to have, but now are we going to get that to carry over and play like that on Friday nights.
“Are we going to play with reckless abandon. We are going to be the wild man out there. Some of the things that we are trying to instill in them for us to be successful. We have to play to extreme. We want people to say, ‘I haven’t seen a bunch of kids play this hard before.'”
“They are starting to walk around with more self confidence. We want to be the aggressors. We want to turn the game into a fist fight. There is nothing finesse about what we do. It seems like they are starting to buy into that and embrace it.”
Preseason Action: The Cougars will scrimmage Lakeside this year on either August 22 or 23, a game that will be played in Ruston unless it rains. Parkerson said Lakeside has turf so if Mother Nature happens to intervene in the terms of rain, the scrimmage would be moved to Lakeside.
“If we see that weather is coming in, we may flip it,” said Parkerson. “But it should be at Cedar Creek.”
The Cougars will then face OCS at Bayou Jamb on August 30, before opening the regular season at Delhi Charter on September 6.
Adding a Game: The Cougars are currently have a bye in week two of the season due to a contractual mistake, but Parkerson said he is trying to fill the open date. The Cougars were supposed to play Bolton in week No. 2.
“The coach in charge of signing (game) contracts stepped down around Christmas,” said Parkerson. “He had signed a contract for them to play Overland. But no one told the new coach. So the new coach and I agreed to a contract to play that week. Then two weeks later he calls and says we have an issue.”
Parkerson said the LHSAA ruled that the initial game contract between Bolton and Overland took precedent due to it being signed first. However, Parkerson is trying to sign a contract with Delhi.
“We have sent a contract to Delhi to play in week two,” said Parkerson. “If not, we will be open.”
If Creek is able to add the game against Delhi, then it would take the Cougars up to a 10-game schedule with four non-district and six district contests. The district games are against Lincoln Prep, Jonesboro-Hodge, Arcadia, Glenbrook, Haynesville and Plain Dealing. The non-district games currently on the schedule are Loyola, Delhi Charter and Delta Charter.
Stepping Up as Leaders: With the graduation of a senior class that included some experienced leaders, Parkerson is looking for a new group to fill that role in 2024.
“James Myers and Landon Hall are our two seniors that return with the most playing experience,” said Parkerson. “They have done a good job of leading.”
Parkerson also said he has had conversations with certain juniors to help in the leadership role this season as well.
“I have told the juniors they need to step up,” said Parkerson. “So in addition to James and Landon, I have been talking to Blake Robinson, Logan Canales and Bryce Martin. That’s three juniors that all started from week No. 1 last year. Even though they aren’t seniors, I told them I need them to step and take on leadership roles this year.
“You don’t have to play all the time to be a leader, but that’s who the guys … especially the young ones … they are going to look to the guys who they see on the field. Those five are the returning guys who have the most equity in a Cedar Creek football uniform.”
Meche heads to West Monroe: Former Cedar Creek coach Bryce Meche has departed the school to take a coaching and teaching position at West Monroe High School. Meche was penciled in to help Jacob Angevine coach the Cougars defensive line as well as the junior high team this upcoming season.
“We probably won’t fill it teaching wise, but if we can find a coach to fill it as a CCP we will do it,” said Parkerson. “It’s kind of late in the game to fill it.”
Biggest Concerns: Quarterback and cornerback are the two biggest question marks entering this season for the Cougars, according to Parkerson. With the graduation of Ladd Thompson and the decision by Kade Lukar to not play football this year (due to focusing on baseball), it means the Cougars are extremely inexperienced under center.
“We don’t have one kid on our roster that has ever taken a varsity snap at quarterback,” said Parkerson. “We will see who steps up.”
Defensively, cornerback is the biggest question marking entering the fall.
“We have no varsity experience at cornerback,” said Parkerson. “If we played today, it would be Nolan Martin and Micah Taylor. Nolan is a senior that has played basketball, but it’s his first year of playing football. He would be at one corner. And then a freshman in Micah Taylor would be at the other. If we played today, those would be our two starters.”
Remembering Robinson: Cedar Creek will honor Owen Robinson, the Cougar alum who tragically passed away in a one-vehicle car crash on July 7. The team will wear helmet stickers this year with the initials O.R. on it as a way to remember Robinson, whose younger brother Blake will be a one of the top players for the Cougars this coming year.
“Owen would have been a sixth or seventh grader when I was coaching varsity on my previous time at Cedar Creek,” said Parkerson. “He was a young man who was in the football program from the seventh grade through the 12th grade. His family has strong ties in our football program. His dad (Jeff) still helps us with stats and obviously Blake is a big part of our team now. We just want to do something to honor him this season.”
