TigerTalk111016

Neville will play Woodlawn on Friday

Tigers march toward history

Marbles to face future teammate

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Neville begins its march to history against Woodlawn ADAM HUNSUCKER AHUNSUCKER@THENEWSSTAR.COM

There was no getting around the obvious ramifications hovering around Neville High School entering this season.

And to his credit, Mickey McCarty — the 15th-year head coach who long ago learned to live with the expectations on Forsythe Avenue — wasn’t about to try.

A third straight state championship, an unprecedented feat at Neville, would place this group of Tigers (9-0, 5-0) on a level never before seen in the history of one of Louisiana’s blue blood prep football programs.

McCarty reminded the team of what was at stake come playoff time before last week’s regular-season finale with Franklin Parish. But that’s it.

Neville won’t be hearing anymore about a possible run at history, or its 35game winning streak, as it gets set to open the playoffs against No. 32 Woodlawn-Baton Rouge as the top overall seed in Class 4A. “They’re well aware of it and I don’t want to put any more pressure on them than needs to be there,” McCarty said.

“That is such a rare accomplishment that one of the reasons I think it hasn’t happened before is maybe some folks have put too much emphasis on the target.

“We’re going to approach it that way and stick with what got us here, so that won’t be discussed in our locker room again from me.”

McCarty’s personal ban on any and all references to the now no-longer-to-bementioned “three-peat” has also rubbed off on Neville’s players, who are mimicking their coach’s one-at-a-time mindset.

“We aren’t really talking about it or looking ahead. Our focus is on keeping everything in front of us,” said senior quarterback Jaiden Cole, who ran his gaudy record as a starter to 23-0 last week.

“We just need to pick up that energy we left on the field last Friday and keep it there for the rest of the playoffs.”

After getting a look at Woodlawn on film, McCarty saw a team he felt was better than its record indicated. The Panthers (3-7, 2-3) fell short of a third straight winning season, but one could attribute that to a schedule that includes the likes of Destrehan (9-0), St. Amant (9-1), Hahnville (8-2) and Plaquemine (7-3).

Woodlawn’s visit to Bill Ruple Stadium — where Neville hasn’t lost a playoff game since 2008 — also marks the first time area fans will get a look at three-star running back Javin Myers, a ULM verbal commitment.

HANNAH BALDWIN/THE NEWS-STAR

Neville running back Josh Diarse (3) runs for a 28-yard touchdown in the Tigers' 58-14 win over Franklin Parish last Friday at Bill Ruple Stadium.

Myers chose the Warhawks in March over an offer from Tulane and also drew outside interest from Texas, Missouri, Louisiana Tech and UL Lafayette among others.

“When you’re facing a player like that it just comes down to everyone staying focused on the field and doing their job,” defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis said.

Neville closed the regular season with the sense of urgency McCarty wanted to see in a 58-14 win over Franklin Parish.

The offense was its normal potent self, while the Tiger defense and special teams also contributed to the point total.

Linebacker Robert “Pokey” Williams returned a punt that was blocked by Ma-

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“It was fun to watch them play with a lot of energy and fly around, but as a coach, you also hope there’s another gear there,” McCarty said. “We know Woodlawn will come in excited about this opportunity and we’ll see who the better team is on Friday night.

“This is a get your job done or go home kind of affair (in the playoffs). There aren’t any second chances from this point on.”

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Neville caps off unbeaten season JIMMY TOUCHET SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-STAR

HANNAH BALDWIN/THE NEWS-STAR

Neville quarterback Jaiden Cole (7) tries to avoid the Franklin Parish defense in the regular-season finale for both teams.

The Neville Tigers scored in all three phases of the game to put the explanation mark on another undefeated regular season with a 58-14 victory over the Franklin Parish Patriots at Neville’s Bill Ruple Stadium on Friday night.

Neville (9-0, 5-0) took the opening kickoff and started its first drive at its 32-yard line. It only took seven plays for the Tigers to strike first when quarterback Jaiden Cole called his own number for an 11yard touchdown run. Neville kicker Lincoln Sanders added the extra point to give the Tigers the early 7-0 lead with 9:17 remaining in the opening quarter.

Following a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that Neville recovered at the Franklin Parish 17-yard line, the Tigers quickly took advantage marching down to the Patriots’ 5yard line where running back Josh Diarse scored on a 5-yard touchdown run.

Cole scored the 2-point conversion on the swinging gate to put Neville up 15-0 with 8:03 remaining in the first quarter.

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the first quarter, Cole exploded through the Franklin Parish (3-7, 3-2) defense for a 41-yard touchdown run. Again, Sanders added the extra point kick to give the Tigers the 22-0 lead.

The start of the second quarter saw much of the same as the Neville Tigers marched down to the Patriots’ 5-yard line where Cole found Craig Turner for a 5yard touchdown pass.

Cole’s 2-point conversion pass was incomplete so the score remained 28-0 with 9:48 remaining in the first half.

On the ensuing kickoff, Neville was able to pin Franklin Parish back inside its 5-yard line. The Tigers made the Patriots pay when defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis sacked Franklin Parish quarterback L.T. Major for a safety.

Neville added another 28-yard touchdown run by Diarse with Virgil Carter scoring on the 2-point conversion to give the Tigers a 38-0 lead with 7:49 remaining in the first half.

The Neville special teams got into the scoring action when linebacker Mahlon Markle blocked a Franklin Parish punt and Robert Williams picked it up and returned it 9 yards for a touchdown.

Franklin Parish would find its way to the end zone when Major hooked up with T.J. Pleasant on a beautiful 43-yard touchdown pass. Franklin Parish kicker Kenyon Major missed the extra point kick so the score remained 45-6 in favor of Neville with 3:40 remaining in the first half.

Neville added another touchdown with 17 seconds remaining in the first half when Turner scored on a 5-yard touchdown run.

Sanders added the extra point kick to give Neville the 52-6 halftime lead.

With 8 minutes remaining in the game, Franklin Parish scored on an 11yard touchdown pass from Major to Pleasant with Gary Fletcher successfully converting the 2-point conversion run to cut the Neville lead to 52-14.

Neville closed out the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run by Anthony Greely as kicker Gordon Wilson’s extra point kick was blocked to make the final score 58-14 in favor of Neville.

Cole finished the night with 11 carries for 103 yards with two touchdown runs while completing 2for-2 passing for 39 yards with one passing touchdown to Turner. Diarse was second on the team in rushing with six rushes for 67 yards with two touchdowns.

Franklin Parish was led

by Major who completed 6 of 13 passes for 91 yards with two touchdown throws to Pleasant (43yard and 11-yard touchdown receptions). Pleasant led the Patriots receiving corps with five catches for 79 yards with two touchdowns while Neville was led by Tavis Butler who had one catch for 33 yards.

With the victory, Neville should enter the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 4A playoffs as the top seed while Franklin Parish will play the waiting game to see their playoff fate.

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Neville's Marbles to go head-to-head with fellow ULM commit ADAM HUNSUCKER AHUNSUCKER@THENEWSSTAR.COM

Kenderick Marbles has yet to cross paths with Woodlawn-Baton Rouge workhorse Javin Myers.

That changes on Friday when Marbles — Neville’s interception machine of a free safety — and the rest of the Tiger defense meet up with the three-star running back on Friday night inside Bill Ruple Stadium.

Marbles and Myers will be on opposite sidelines for this Class 4A playoff excursion, but that won’t be the case down the road after Marbles committed to ULM on Oct. 18.

Myers was the first 2017 verbal commitment for ULM coach Matt Viator and the Warhawks back in March.

“I don’t know (Myers) yet but I’m going to find him after the game,” Marbles said. “That’s my future teammate on the other side but Friday it’s about my current team and focusing on getting a win.”

Myers ran for 162 yards and scored four touchdowns — one being a 97-yard kick return — earlier this season in a 49-31 win over Lafayette High.

As the pied piper of ULM's 2017 class, Myers has taken it upon himself to organize the 16 other Warhawk pledges into a group message on Twitter. Usually the guys send each other good luck before their respective Friday night games, but it’s a safe bet Marbles and Myers are on social media silence for the rest of the week.

“I’m just looking forward to it. I know Neville is a good team and we’re the underdogs, but I think we can play with them,” said Myers, who attended ULM’s season-opening win over Southern.

“I’m using this as an experience to see what kind of player (Marbles) is and see who I’m going to be playing with.”

Head-to-head matchups between ULM commits in the LHSAA playoffs have been a rare thing in recent years. The number of in-state signees dwindled from five in 2013 to just one — Sterlington’s Cody McGuire — in the 2014 class.

ULM signed eight Louisiana prospects in 2015 and six last February in coach Matt Viator’s first recruiting class. The Warhawks have seven in-state commitments at this point in the recruiting cycle.

“That’s the fun part about high school ball when you get an opportunity to play against guys you may play with in college,” Neville coach Mickey McCarty said.

“The unique thing about sports is how before and after games at the college level they’ll seek each other out if they’ve played together or against each other in high school.”

Marbles continued his ball-hawking ways in Neville’s 45-7 win over district rival West Ouachita on Oct. 29 by returning an interception 79 yards for a touchdown.

The latest in Marbles’ collection of picks gave him seven on the season.

“I guess it’s just natural ability. The ball seems to always find me for whatever reason,” Marbles said.

USA TODAY NETWORK

Neville's Kenderick Marbles (11) joined Woodlawn-Baton Rouge running back Javin Myers in ULM's 2017 recruiting class after giving his verbal commitment to the Warhawks on Oct. 18.

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