Sacred Heart Football Preview

"Fear not. I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10
The first two words from Isaiah was the motto for the Sacred Heart Trojans a season ago in Josh Harper's first season as head football coach at the Halls of Troy. He admits his first season here was disappointing but sees some things that were successful last year. "I thought the kids did buy into what we were doing," he said. "Offensively we probably ran about 50% of what we could have run just for the timing. But I thought the kids' attidudes were good, and I thought they bought into what we were doing."
Now in his second season, much has changed on Trojan Lane from new coaches on the staff to the motto itself. Harper admits, "The biggest thing from last year to this year is you can't replace the knowledge of what Coach Glen Lafleur knows."
In Lafleur's stead the Trojans brought in three more coaches. Joining the staff are Dusty Collette who played quarterback at Teurlings and coached at Notre Dame, Brett Doucet who played at McNeese, and Chuck Monier who won a national championship at Univeristy of Louisiana-Monroe. "I think we brought in a lot of knowledge," said Harper of the additions to his staff. "We brought some youth in, so I think the kids have responded well."
Another change from last season is having a summer camp for the first time and big gains in the weight room. In a word Harper describes the summer as "awesome." According to Harper, "I think it's attributed to where we are right now compared to where we were last year going into fall camp."
The roster has changed from a year ago and has brought in a freshman class strewn about with players who have won Dixie Youth championships and competed in the Dixie Youth World Series. Harper credits these kids for having a winning attitude and says, "They're coming into a program where there hasn't been a lot of success in the last few years, and hopefully these kids bring a winning tradition and a winning mentality which carries over to others."
The motto has changed as well and is now "Be strong and courageous." This phrase is found three times in the Book of Joshua and "goes in line to what we preached this summer in the weightroom and being mentally strong and physically strong and being strong and courageous in everything you do" according to the head coach.
As the eyes of the Trojans turn from summer camp to the season ahead, a better product will emerge onto Soileau-Landry Field. "I think going out there we'll be better prepared," commented Harper. "We're going to be mentally tougher and physically stronger than they were last year, and the product on the field will be better this year than it was last year."
The starting quarterback this year is Wesley Launey who his coach calls "a competitor" and "a gritty kid." Harper went on to say of his signal caller, "He gives us a running option at quarterback and throws the ball very well. He's just a good all around athlete."
Protecting Launey is an offensive line that is coming together because of new kids playing different positions, but again Harper said they are buying into the process that all starts up front. As far as the the the rest of the offense, the skill players at running back and wide receiver such as J.T. Harper, Julian Vidrine, Daniel Scully, and Brandon Fontenot are the strength of the team according to Harper. But as the head coach puts it, "We just got to get better up front."
Defensively the Trojans will have players who play both sides of the ball like many other 2-A schools in the area. In spite of this, Harper says he has seen success. "They're starting to grasp what we are doing and now just putting it into play and just being physical."
Josh Harper knows he is at a small school in a small community but says, "The supporters and the boosters and the fans do a great job giving us the tools and everything to win, and we just need to get better."
The team opens up the season at home against Iota September 2, 2016.
The schedule includes non-district games at Port Barre on September 8, 2016, and home against Houma Christian on September 16, 2016.
District play begins September 23, 2016, as the Trojans travel to Jeanerette.
Homecoming is scheduled for October 21, 2016, as the Trojans welcome district rival West St. Mary.
The regular season ends on November 4, 2016, with a game against Delcambre.