The Ferriday Trojans will begin the 2024 season with a new head coach leading the way in Walter Johnson. For those in North Louisiana that may have heard the name, Walter Johnson was a Louisiana Tech legend as a two time All-American. The Louisiana Tech Hall of Famer also spent time in the NFL with the Houston Oilers as well. His experience of being one of the greatest players in Louisiana Tech history and making it to the NFL is certainly valuable when it comes to coaching and teaching young men.
“He brings it everyday. He wants the best out of these kids. He tells the kids all the time that he has been there and he has done that. There are no excuses because if the coaches have excuses, the players will definitely have them.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
Somebody that understands what Coach Johnson is coming from is one of his assistant coaches in Devante Scott. After coaching with Cleothis Cummings the previous couple of seasons, he now joins forces with Coach Johnson. Coach Scott was an incredible local legend himself at Ferriday High School where he ended up going the JUCO route to Copiah Lincoln Community College before transferring to Southeastern Louisiana University.
Entering his third year as an assistant coach on the staff, the Trojans have improved their record each year. After winning two games in 2022, the Trojans had a more productive season finishing with a 5-7 overall record including a playoff win against Jonesboro Hodge before losing to Kentwood in the second round of the LHSAA Division IV Non-Select Playoffs. Although the score was lopsided 46-8, the Trojans decided to take on the same opponent that ended their 2023 season this past spring and the results turned out much better.
“We are just hitting the weight room hard and making sure that everybody is there on time. We have done three 7v7s and we got one more coming next week before we head into the season. In the spring, we scrimmaged against Kentwood. They beat us down in the playoffs last year, but we handled ourselves a lot better against them in the spring.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
Just a couple of years ago, Ferriday High School was on top of the Louisiana high school football world when the Trojans won their first state championship in 63 years back in 2019. Now, just five years later, Coach Johnson, Coach Scott, and the rest of the coaching staff is trying to lay the groundwork to make sure that the community does not have to wait that long again for another state championship run.
“We are trying to bring everybody back. On that 2019 state championship team, those guys really had a brotherhood together. This year, we are going to see who wants it the most. We are going to lock in for two a days and we are going to bond.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
What made that 2019 team so great was the numerous amount of playmakers that was on that squad and the good news for Trojans fans is that there are some guys that are expected to make a lot of noise this upcoming fall including QB/DE Caleb Ellis, C/DT Jordan Smith, WR/CB Desmen Jefferson, CB Andrew Foster, WR/CB Paityn Collins, LB Lionel Scott, OL/DL Dillan Scott, OL Tristen Allen, OL/DL Salmond Davis, WR Zy Alexander, and WR/TE Robert Taylor just to name a few.
The playmakers are there and whatever is the best way to get them the football is what Coach Scott is going to do when calling the plays.
“We got some talent coming in that is going to do some good stuff. We are going to try and be a balanced offense. You never know what you are going to see from us. You got running backs that want the ball. You got receivers that want the ball. I am not going to tell you how we are going to do it, but its going to get done.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
On the other side of the football, the message is just as simple.
“As far as defense goes, we are just trying to get to the football. Our defensive coordinator KJ Jones is versatile with it. He likes to game plan with what you want to do.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
The Trojans coaching staff is not only focused on wins and trying to get their first winning season since the 2020 season, but they are also focusing on getting the community more involved with the football program.
“We are building and trying to get all the support from the community back. It’s been a couple of down years for us. We are trying to get our social media built up, get the parents involved, the school involved, and everybody involved not just in football, but basketball, track, etc.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
One of those people in Ferriday’s corner that does a great job of promoting the community and getting its players’ names out there is Carla Wyatt. Mrs. Wyatt is one of Gridiron Football’s top supporters as she has helped the junior high program out by sending 12 of Ferriday’s junior high players to the 2023 Gridiron Football Junior High All-American Bowl Game. Seeing plenty of Ferriday junior high Trojans at the last two Gridiron Football junior high bowl games just shows the talent and the potential of the young players coming in.
“Mrs. Carla Wyatt is like our team mom. All the stuff that we don’t want to do she does it. Whatever we need done she does it. She is a go getter. For a couple of those guys that played in the junior high bowl game for Gridiron, they are transitioning into high school. Zy Alexander is going to be a big freshman for us who can play. Dillan Scott, Tristen Allen, and Salmond Davis, who won Defensive MVP at the bowl game, are all going to be big for us.”
Ferriday High School OC Devante Scott
The future looks incredibly bright for the Ferriday Trojans, but so does the present with exciting young players already on the roster led by a energetic, confident coaching staff.
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