Woodlawn defense a bright spot in football season-opening loss to University Lab

Sep 2, 2022

Woodlawn High’s defense provided a bright spot in a long, frustrating night overall Thursday to open football season.

The Panthers struggled to find offensive consistency, including three turnovers, and stumbled to a 25-0 loss to University Lab in the opener, which they hosting at East Iberville.

“The defense played lights out — I should start there with the pros,” coach Marcus Randall said. “The defense was in bad situations pretty much throughout the game, but stood tall and forced field goals when given short fields or turnovers on downs. They did a great job.”

Senior defensive lineman Mark Fielder led the way with two sacks, four other tackles for loss and another quarterback hurry.

Senior defensive lineman Devin Boyd and junior defensive lineman Joe London chipped in tackles at or behind the line.

Junior linebacker Chris Cooper navigated traffic well to square up multiple sure tackles near the line to contain the U-High rushing attack.

And senior defensive back Dezaray “D.J.” Delmore broke through the U-High line to block an extra-point attempt.

“(Fielder) played stellar,” Randall said. “The whole defense did, but that front was really able to shut their run down. That’s what we came in to do. And we knew they were gonna try to use multiple backs to run the football, and I will say Mark Fielder and the rest of the defensive linemen stood up strong on the inside.”

Woodlawn held the Cubs to just 132 yards, but repeatedly started backed into its own red zone because of two long punt returns, two interceptions, a fumble and a blocked punt.

The Panthers managed just 86 total yards total — 35 on the ground and 51 through the air and didn’t gain a first down until the final minute of the third quarter.

LSU-committed quarterback Rickie Collins completed five of his 17 passes for 51 yards as he scrambled from constant pressure by U-High.

And Louisiana (Lafayette) running back commitment Jay’veon Haynes finally gained 34 yards on back-to-back fourth-quarter runs to supply nearly the entirely of the rushing production with the game already out of reach.

“Obviously the offensive line struggled today as we saw they did in the scrimmage game,” Randall said. “Those five guys there, they’re trying to get their continuity down, and we just couldn’t get anything going. They sent the blitzes and a lot of good stunts in there, and they were able to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback. Special teams, we’ve got to tighten those up as well. We didn’t give up scores, but we gave up a lot of field position on a couple punts there that set up scoring drives.”

The Panthers will attempt to regroup quickly as they face a challenging schedule with little let up.

Woodlawn will visit perennial power Lafayette Christian, winners of four straight state championships from 2017 to 2020, next Friday.

“So we’ve got to get back to the drawing board on all those things right there as we move to another state championship-caliber team,” Randall said. “We’re back on the road, and we’re back to work.”

Senior-led Woodlawn kicks off football season with state title aspirations

Sep 1, 2022

Rickie Collins stood outside Panther Stadium four days before Woodlawn High’s first day of classes and stared at the nearly three dozen newly raised senior banners lining either side of the entrance.

“Maaan,” the star quarterback said, himself almost in awe of the team’s deep and decorated 2023 class and their journey this far. “We’ve got to go to the Dome this year.”

The Panthers officially kick off their football season Thursday, a day earlier than scheduled, against crosstown foe University Lab.

Woodlawn will “host” the Cubs at 7 p.m. on East Iberville’s turf because of the constant August rain’s impact on its own field conditions and further storms forecast for Friday night.

But, those adjustments aside, the opportunity coach Marcus Randall and that senior group see for themselves in the months ahead is one they consider already three or more years in the making since arriving together in 2019.

“Having a plan of putting Woodlawn on the map and changing the culture around here not only on the football field, but around the school, I think that was some of the things we wanted to do,” Randall said. “And we’ve seen those changes… and obviously we’ve started winning some ball games. We were district champs last year in 5-5A, and that was one of our goals. And now we want to take that next step forward in being state champs.”

Those players helped lead the Panthers to five wins in their final seven games last season, including the program’s first playoff victory since 2010.

But Collins and company have remained hungry for loftier goals as they attempt to further cement their legacy.

“I think about it every day,” LSU commitment said. “Because our whole plan from jump was coming in here and leaving it better than what we found it. And I think we changed it around, but we didn’t get to the ultimate goal yet, and that’s to win a championship. So I feel like that would leave a good legacy for us, for this class.”

Collins and Tennessee-bound cornerback Jordan Matthews lead a group already with five college commitments and more almost certain to follow.

Running back Jay’veon Haynes, offensive lineman Roy Brackins III and defensive back Dezaray “D.J.” Delmore Jr. have pledged to Louisiana (Lafayette), Louisiana Tech and Southeast Missouri State, respectively.

The players recognize the target on themselves that arrived — largely — with a message-sending 35-28 stunning of Catholic (Baton Rouge) last October and has increased with each recruiting headline the past several months.

But they point to the sting of their season-ending losses the past two postseasons as all the lesson they needed to understand how thin the room for error can be against top competition.

Reigning Division-II champion U-High marks the first test of a challenging nondistrict slate that also features Lafayette Christian, G.W. Carver, E.D. White and St. James before even reaching a new-look District 4-5A that includes reigning champions Zachary and Catholic.

“We’re coming with it,” senior defensive lineman Jaydan Moulds said. “Every team, no matter who it is. We’ve got a tough schedule this year, but we had a tough schedule last year. We’ve got the toughest schedule in the state. So we don’t underplay any game.”

Fellow lineman Devyn Jones pulled teammates together following a frustrating scrimmage showing two weeks ago against Denham Springs and scolded for a lackadaisical performance before coaches even had a chance to do so.

After Randall’s postgame address to the team, Collins asked to follow and further underscore the circumstances at hand and ahead.

“I feel like we’ve been competing every day in practice with high energy and high competition level,” Matthews said. “We got off to a shaky start in the scrimmage, but I feel like we’ve already progressed and are working through some kinks. The (lightning-canceled) jamboree was gonna be a test to see where we were, but I feel like that extra week of practice is going to prepare us even more.”

Senior defensive lineman Mark Fielder recently asked Randall how these Panthers compared to the star-studded Southern Lab teams he coached to Division-IV state titles in 2015 and 2016.

The Kittens suffered their own share of playoff heartbreaks in the years prior before finally breaking through for dominant trophy runs.

“Every team is different,” the coach said. “Every team has its own identity. So I think this is a unique team. This is the first group since I’ve been coaching that I’ve been able to be around for four years. I was two years at Southern Lab, three years at Scotlandville, two years at Tara. This is my fourth year here, so this 2023 class is very, very special to me, because they all came here with me to start the process with me. And they’ve done some great things here. But now we need to finish this thing off.

“This class actually does remind me of that group that we had over there. But we’ll see. It’s still unique. A lot of these guys have played on a higher level. That was 1A, and this is 5A, so the challenges have been a little bit greater. And I think that this group has taken on those challenges and exceeded them already. And we need to take it to the next level.”

Former Southern Lab stars such as linebacker Damone Clark, who went on to LSU and now the Dallas Cowboys, have kept in touch and shared their support.

And Fielder and Matthews both emphasized how meaningful the Woodlawn players, many of whom grew up admiring members of those teams, consider those comparisons and connections.

But the Panthers’ seniors are also as quick as anyone to point out that their work toward the same status remains unfinished.

“It’s a great feeling because a lot of those guys went on to play in college and some even in the NFL,” Matthews said. “And some of them I know personally and they tell me, ‘Y’all are building something special at Woodlawn, and that’s gonna prepare you guys to even do it in college.’ So I think we have the talent to make a championship run. It just all depends on our player leadership and how great we execute on the field.”

Woodlawn DB Jordan Matthews shocks recruiting world with Tennessee commitment

Aug 15, 2022

Jordan Matthews thanked a long list of family, teammates, coaches and other supporters Monday afternoon, then motioned to the back of a jam-packed and loud Woodlawn High gymnasium.

“Y’all ready!?” he smiled, then emphasized, “Are y’all ready!? Bring it in, bring it in!”

An armed East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Department officer brought a large metal case the 80-plus feet up a center aisle between hundreds of people on the hardwood court and to the entire Matthews family at the heavily decorated purple-and-white table.

The Panthers’ senior standout unlocked the container to reveal first a bright, glowing light and then an orange hat a few shades brighter than many coaches or fans anticipated.

Jordan Matthews speaks to reporters after announcing his commitment to the University of Tennessee.

“As you all know we’ve been to Texas about five times now, so everybody kind of guessed it was Texas,” he explained following the dramatic commitment announcement. “But I had a change of heart. And I feel like when I went to Tennessee, it was my best visit. And I feel like in my heart that was the best school for me and my priorities for picking a school, and ultimately it came down to it.”

The highly ranked 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback had left all three of his finalists in the Volunteers, the Longhorns and Michigan all sweating and uncertain as he headed into the live ceremony.

“Maaaan, you had everybody fooled!” laughed Woodlawn coach Marcus Randall, admitting himself in that count as well.

Matthews, a consensus four-star and top-200 prospect nationally, chose Tennessee out of a list of 33 total scholarship offers.

His parents, Roshaun and Nicole, and siblings, Joshua and Lauryn — among the few in the know — joined him in unveiled Tennessee shirts and hats to celebrate the moment.

As with the commitment’s secrecy and execution, the timing of the event had been a carefully threaded scheduling needle to ensure the entire Woodlawn High student body and Matthews family would have the opportunity to attend.

“My team and my family, of course, are two of the most important factors that got me to where I am today,” Jordan Matthews said. “So without them being there, I felt like there would’ve been a piece missing. So I’ve got to thank those people. That was really important to me.”

As was sewing up his recruiting process prior to kicking off his senior season for the Panthers.

“Me and my parents, from when I first started being recruited, I always wanted to commit before my senior season,” he said. “Just to have it less hectic during the season and more focused to win a state championship with my brothers.”

Matthews became the fifth member of Woodlawn’s talented 2023 football class to commit to a college entering the season.

He joins running back Jay’veon Haynes, offensive lineman Roy Brackins III, quarterback Rickie Collins and defensive back Dezaray “D.J.” Delmore Jr. in their pledges to Louisiana (Lafayette), Louisiana Tech, LSU and Southeast Missouri State, respectively.

“It’s been great,” he said. “We’ve always known since our middle school days, in eighth grade when we all went to the same middle school, that we were gonna be legendary wherever we went. And we became more of ourselves and all started to get noticed everywhere. It’s been great.”