Parish products set for college football season
The high-school football season is set to begin next week with the playing of jamborees across the state.
Ascension Parish teams will officially begin their journeys that they hope will end with district and state championships.
However, the season isn't just around the corner for high-school players from Ascension. It's also close by for the many parish players that have gone on to play college football.
Here is a quick look at some of the Ascension products that will be playing at the next level this upcoming season.
Representing Ascension Catholic will be sophomore linebacker Bubba Gautreau at Louisiana College. He is joined by another former parish standout in Dutchtown alum Kyle Sarrazin. Sarrazin is a junior defensive lineman.
Another Bulldog playing at the next level will be incoming freshman defensive lineman Dillion Davis. Davis is joined by a plethora of former Ascension Parish players that are now with Nicholls.
Other than Davis, Nicholls will have two other incoming freshmen from the parish with Dutchtown defensive back Jordan Jackson and St. Amant running back K.J. Franklin.
Former Donaldsonville stalwart Tahj Brown will be a redshirt freshman with the Colonels this season. Brown transferred from Houston. The Cougars changed head coaches during the offseason as they fired Major Applewhite, who recruited Brown, and hired Dana Holgorsen.
Another former Ascension Parish player that is now at Nicholls following a transfer from a bigger school is Alonzo Craighton. The former Dutchtown Griffin defensive back played two seasons at Minnesota, before joining the Colonels last season.
This will be Craighton's senior year.
There are three former Ascension Parish players at LSU.
Most notably, Dutchtown alum Lloyd Cushenberry is set for his redshirt junior year with the Tigers. He will be the team's starting center for the second straight season. He started all 13 games at the position last year.
Coming into the season, Cushenberry has been named to the first team of the preseason All-SEC squad, and he is on the Remington Trophy watch list. That award goes to the best center in the country.
Donaldsonville's Stephen Sullivan recently graduated from LSU. He is now set for his final year with the Tigers.
In 2018, he was the team's second-leading receiver as he finished with 23 catches for 363 yards and two touchdowns.
Head coach Ed Orgeron said that Sullivan will be transitioning from wide receiver to tight end this season.
Also, East Ascension offensive tackle Cameron Wire is ready for his redshirt freshman campaign with the Tigers.
At Southern, former Donaldsonville Tiger Tyler Brown is set for his senior season. Brown is a wide receiver for the Jaguars.
His former high-school teammate Davon Wright will be a sophomore at Tulane this upcoming season.
Wright played in every game as a freshman defensive lineman. He ended the year with 18 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Another Donaldsonville Tiger playing at the next level is Tyarise Stevenson. Stevenson is a redshirt junior at Tulsa.
In 2018, the defensive lineman started 11 games and finished with 24 tackles.
Former St. Amant Gator Briggs Bourgeois will be in his junior season with Southern Miss.
For the past two years, Bourgeois has been the Golden Eagles' kickoff specialist. In 40 kicks, he had 24 touchbacks in 2018. He was also 2-2 on field goals.
Another former East Ascension Spartan playing at the next level is Kade Waguespack at Air Force. Waguespack is a senior tight end.
In his junior year, he started all 12 games and came up with nine catches for 137 yards and three touchdowns.
There are five other former Dutchtown Griffins playing college football this season.
It will be Ricky Thomas' senior season with Kansas. The cornerback joined the Jayhawks last season, after transferring from Blinn Community College.
Jonathan Hodoh will begin his redshirt junior campaign with UL-Monroe. Hodoh is a wide receiver.
Another redshirt junior will be defensive back Coney Durr at Minnesota. Last season, Durr started nine games for the Golden Gophers and came up with 36 tackles, five pass breakups and two interceptions.
Also in the Big Ten Conference, Jared Sparks is all set for his redshirt junior season with Purdue. Last year, Sparks started nine games and registered 28 catches for 274 yards.
His younger brother Adam is a true junior at Missouri. The cornerback missed the last five games of 2018, after sustaining a leg injury, but he still ended up finishing the season with 38 tackles and one interception.