Belaire High School is entering a new era this year after Byron Wade left to become the offensive coordinator at Istrouma High School with Larry Metevia as the new head coach of the Bengals.
For Coach Metevia, his main goal this offseason has been bringing the team closer together not only on the field, but off the field as well.
“This summer, it has been good bringing them to morning workouts. We have a solid group coming in and the conditioning has been really good. We have also been able to install with some kids and finding their role. We are also having the kids hang around each other. We are trying to get them to realize that this is a fraternity and that we are brothers. We always have to look out for the betterment of the family. If one person is not here and slacking, what are you going to do about it and find out about what’s going on. If there’s something wrong, what can we do to help and if he is not here, what can we do to make sure that he is an important part of the team.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
Bringing in a new head coach and after graduating a big senior class of 19 players, the team is using this offseason to build team chemistry and their rapport with one another. Coach Metevia was promoted as the head coach in late May, but he has been the team’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach the last four years with Coach Wade so he already knows what he wants from his personnel in order to get them better on the field.
“We are installing a new defense and also a new offensive philosophy. It was more about the kids getting a feel for what we are doing. It wasn’t about two hours before the spring game and me and my coordinator and athletic director were talking and we said that there were only about five kids that have played varsity football.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
There is some inexperience on this roster, but there is also a lot of talent on this Belaire team that can make things interesting within the district especially after making the playoffs last season.
“We have basically a whole new offensive line, but the quarterback has some experience. We have some receivers sprinkled in there, but overall, the spring, I was pleasantly surprised with having five new offensive linemen that we were able to run the ball. I do think we were able to run the ball because we have one of the best kept secrets in the state with a kid by the name of Caleb Joseph. I can’t say enough about the kid. I am going to stand on the table for this kid. Came out of the spring game and averaged six yards per carry. He is a downhill runner and a real physical kid. He has the body type and the mentality. He is the type of kid that is an on the field talent and off the field talent.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
“We have another kid in Jaden Banguel, who transferred in from Broadmoor. He plays cornerback and wide receiver. He stood out to me and this kid will be able to give us a lot. He can make plays on defense, but also play on offense.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
“Jcorey Freeman is a H-Back/tight end and also plays linebacker. Linebacker wise, he reminds me of Brian Urlacher, but over the summer during 7v7, I saw how dynamic he was in catching the ball and he is physical. He is going to be a talent for us.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
“We have another young lineman coming up in Jacorian Newman and we have Otis Locue and Emanuel Williams coming up. We have a great young kid coming up as a sophomore in Jayden Jackson. Coming from an offensive lineman background, this kid has the potential to be one of those guys that we are going to see playing the next six to seven years.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
“Ja’Kyron Profit is a great track kid and has been out there working everyday on his hands. He meets me at practice and I am trying to get there early and I see him walking out there or sitting before. We have a lot of great kids that are coming in and trying to buy in our culture.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
The Bengals play in a competitive district that features Plaquemine, St. Michael, West Feliciana, Brusly, Istrouma, McKinley, Tara, and Broadmoor while they will open their 50th year of being a school on Thursday, September 5th against Glen Oaks.
“Our district pretty much stays the same. The schedule was already made for me when I came on as the head coach. Coach Wade already established the schedule. We are playing Baker. We are playing Glen Oaks and we are going to play them on a Thursday night to start the season. I already talked to Coach Anthony and also being our 50th year anniversary of our school, we are going to try and allow our alumni to get them involved. We want to show what we are and show what kind of kids we have. We also have a great staff backing us and have one of the top media programs in the whole state. We want to highlight the whole school and the whole community.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
Metevia has been around some great coaches going up the ranks as he played for Mike Roach at Southern Lab and then for Morehouse College and former Super Bowl winning quarterback Doug Williams at Grambling. He also got the chance to coach for current Grambling Head Coach Mickey Joseph at the now-defunct Desire Street Academy. His father Larry Metevia Sr. was a member of the Grambling Hall of Fame and played for one of the greatest coaches in college football history in Eddie Robinson. Being around these great coaches has allowed him to pick up a lot about coaching along the way.
“I have been blessed to be around some great coaches like Michael Roach, Mickey Joseph, and Doug Williams. Coach Williams was actually one of the first people to call me when I was done playing and tell me that I would make a great coach. Burton Burns was also one of my mentors. God is going to put opportunities in your path and it is not going to be when you are ready for it. My dad played for Eddie Robinson and me and Dad worked on Coach Robinson’s house and we were up there everyday at Grambling. Coach Robinson told me that there’s only going to be one champion every year, but you have an opportunity to have 50-60 champion men every year. Eventually, when you do that, you will win a championship, but you are going to base your career off of if your guys are going to talk to you 20 years from now. Did you put them in a 20 year plan or did you put them in a four year plan that benefited you? When I thought about that, God has really given me an opportunity to learn that stuff and to build around these people is my duty.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
With that being said, Coach Metevia is focused on building upon Coach Wade’s recent success with the program after leading the team to the playoffs three times in four years and he is looking to do that in the classroom first before the achievements on the field.
“I don’t deserve to be the head coach of Belaire, but I am here because people helped put me in the position like Byron Wade, Coach Batiste, Coach Turner, the staff, Mrs. Boudreaux, Mr. Wright, etc. Anything that they want to do with the football team, they do it. I have a vision of Belaire being a Madison Prep Academy, a Catholic, a Zachary. I ask the players why we don’t have it here and it’s on us for us to go ahead and put forth the effort to grab that and carry ourselves with it. It starts in the classroom. When you come to the school, the first thing they come through is the tenant’s office. Then, they go through the the administrative office and then, they go through the counselors. If you notice, all our sports are in the back so if a college coach is going to come through, they are going to ask if you are at school or if you are doing the things that you are supposed to do at the school and in the classroom. If you pass all those checks, I can come talk to Coach. If you don’t, I can’t talk to Coach.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
Larry Metevia Jr. compares building a football program to a long vacation drive and making sure that the people in the vehicle are focused on reaching the same destination. That is what he wants to accomplish
“I compare it to a trip from Baton Rouge to Los Angeles. There are a lot of cities that you can get off of I-10 and have a good time. You can go to Austin. You can go to Dallas. You can go to Las Vegas, but you will never get to your destination. We know that we are going to LA so I know my path is there. All these other options look good, but the only thing that it’s going to do is waste time that I don’t have. Time is the only resource that we can’t replace. What we are willing to control to make sure that it is leading to our 20 year plan.”
Belaire High School Head Coach Larry Metevia
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