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John Curtis and Landry-Walker Ready for an Early Test

By
Jeff Palermo
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Another thrilling 2018 prep football season in Louisiana gets underway Thursday night August 30th, when two New Orleans-area powerhouses meet at historic Behrman Stadium.

This matchup of championship caliber teams kicks off GameTime’s coverage of Louisiana high school football on YurView.

Click here for the full schedule

It also marks the start of the 50th season for legendary football coach J.T Curtis, who is the winningest active coach in the country. Curtis’ record is 569-64-6 and in five years could surpass John McKissick of Summerville, South Carolina, who retired in 2014 with 620 all-time wins.

Curtis has led the Patriots to 26 state championships on the field, but they haven’t won a title since 2013. Last season, John Curtis reached the Division One title game, but lost to the Catholic Bears 20-14.

The Patriots are expected to get back to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome again this season and they have the right quarterback to do it.

Collin Guggenheim led Curtis to 11 victories last season, as he accounted for over 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. Guggenheim has shed some weight, so he’s faster this year, but just as tough. He played in last season’s championship game with a broken finger.


The pieces around Guggenheim are different. There are several new running backs, tight ends and wide receivers in the Patriots veer offense.

But Curtis likes the speed he has in his backfield with Corey Wren, Ma’khi Smith and Choncee Crum.


The offensive line returns three starters, Robert Pizzolato, Rudolph Bolds and Preston Guedry.

On defense, the Patriots return six starters, led by Tulane commitment Colby Orgeron, who will anchor the defensive line.


Angelo Anderson is moving from the D-line to linebacker while three-year starter Donald Clay leads the secondary. The SMU commitment can play either safety or cornerback.

Landry Walker at John Curtis WYNTK

Last year, John Curtis beat Landry-Walker 27-18. But Chargin’ Bucs Head Coach Emmanuel Powell feels better about his quarterback situation this year, compared to last year.

In 2016, Mr. Football in Louisiana, Keytaon Thompson, led Landry-Walker to its first state championship in football putting up astronomical numbers from the quarterback position. In 2017, the Bucs struggled to find consistency from that position.

They still have not settled on one signal caller, but they at least have experience at the position this season. Tony Cargo will start, as he’s improved a lot in the offseason. The shooting guard on Landry-Walker’s state runner-up championship basketball team has better knowledge of the offense this season.

The Bucs will also have a package of plays for Ja’Quan Dorsey. Both QBs are athletic and can throw the football. When Dorsey is not behind center, he’ll also play running back and safety.

The man who really makes Landry-Walker’s offense go is three-year starter at running back Chad Alexander. The New Mexico commit is just five-foot-eight, but he’s very fast and rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season.

Coach Powell also likes the development of Jajuan Jones and Johnkeem Mosley, who had a touchdown in the jamboree. Mosley will also line up in the slot and is a returner as well.


Landry-Walker has to replace four-star recruit Devonta Jason at wide receiver. But Coach Powell is high on Dywan Griffin, who is receiving interest from LSU.

The Bucs return three of their five offensive linemen from last season, but just one player on defense. That’s defensive back Demond Johnson. Coach Powell says defensive end Corey Chairs is an emerging stud on the defensive side of the ball, who has a motor that doesn’t stop.


Landry-Walker’s defense will have its hands full trying to stop the Patriots veer offense, while John Curtis’ will have to keep up with the athleticism the Bucs put on the field.

Coverage will begin at 7 PM on Thursday night on YurView Louisiana and YurView.com.

john curtis vs landry walker

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