Louisiana Football: 2017 Season Preview of the Calvary Baptist Academy Cavaliers
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
Calvary Baptist Academy, located in Shreveport (LA), had an up and down season in 2016 finishing 8-4 advancing to the second round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers opened the year 3-3 with wins coming over Peabody (44-40), C.E. Byrd (34-14), and then a 54-27 destruction of North Caddo. Calvary Baptist then finished with four blow out wins over Red River, Lakeview, Lakeside and Jonesboro-Hodge to finish the regular season 7-3 winning their district. In the opening round of the 2A playoffs the Cavaliers edged past Opelousas Catholic, 56-47, to advance to the second round. Unfortunately, Calvary Baptist was shutout 21-0 by St. Charles Catholic to end their season 8-4.
After the 2016 season, there was a change at the top of the coaching staff as John Bachman Sr., winner of two Louisiana state championships at Calvary Baptist, left the school and Rodney Guin, who was a head coach for Haughton for 16 season, and former assistant of Bachman, was named the new head coach of the Cavaliers.
Coach Guin takes over an experienced team that has their eye of adding another trophy to the case at Calvary Baptist and continuing their winning tradition under a new head coach.
Offense
In 2016, the explosive Cavaliers offense averaged 43 points per game led by a two-headed machine that included Class of 2018 running Kordavion “DaDa” Washington and sophomore quarterback Cade Hart. Washington (5’9”, 180 pounds) rushed for just over 2,000-yards in his junior year and had 29 rushing touchdowns. In his freshman season, Hart completed 62 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,871 yards and 27 touchdowns. One of the young quarterback’s favorite targets will also return in 2017, and that is senior wide out Fred “Tank” Davis. Davis (6’0”, 170) snagged 44 passes for 893 yards and had 15 receiving touchdowns in his junior season.
Defense
Last season Calvary Baptist gave up on average 29 points a game but limited five opponents to 21 points or fewer. One of the leaders of this year’s defensive unit is senior linebacker Jack Tyndall. The 5’10”, 200 pound, playmaker had 102 total tackles including 8.5 for a loss and one sack in 2016. One of the players to watch in the Calvary Baptist secondary will be sophomore Cameron Thomas. Thomas had 63 total tackles and one interception in his freshman season. Another young player to watch will be sophomore linebacker Phillip Legler (6’2”, 190) who had 44 total tackles and three sacks in 2016.
2017 Calvary Baptist Schedule
8/31/17 at C.E. Byrd
9/8/17 at Union Parish
9/15/17 at Bastrop
9/22/17 Peabody
9/29/17 Sterlington
10/6/17 at Loyola College Pre
10/12/17 Lakeside
10/20/17 at D’Arbonne Woods
10/27/17 Mansfield
11/2/17 North Caddo
Calvary Baptist 2017 Schedule Breakdown
Calvary Baptist opens the new season with three tough road games against C.E. Byrd, Union Parish, and Bastrop. The Cavaliers will look to avenge a loss against Union Parish from last year. To finish out September, Calvary Baptist will host Peabody and Sterlington. On Oct. 6, Calvary Baptist will battle a young Loyola squad. In the final four weeks of the season, the Cavaliers play three games at home against Lakeside, Mansfield, and North Caddo with their final road test against D’Arbonne Woods on Oct. 20. The Cavaliers have the talent to once again battle for a district title and have the experience to make a deep run in the state playoffs.
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Photo credit: USA Today High School Sports; Calvary Baptist QB Cade Hart throws a pass to WR Mason Woodle