The Grant Cougars are looking at the 2024 season with a new sense of optimism. After winning their first two games, the Cougars lost eight of their next nine games last season. Because of that, head coach Jarvous Felton is focused on getting his team better not only physically, but mentally.
“We are just getting our mindset focused on the season. The main focus from the previous year is our mindset and learning how to finish ballgames. There are a lot of games that we weren’t able to finish so our focus is mindset. Last week, we had somebody from the National Guard get them through an obstacle course and test them mentally, physically, and try to teach them the game of life and how to translate that into football.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
Entering his second season as the head coach, Coach Felton is a Grant Cougar through thick and thin after graduating from there and previously being an assistant coach there as the team’s defensive coordinator when Dillon Barrett was previously leading the program.
As an All-District playmaker in high school, Felton knows how important it is to develop the program from the junior high level and from the other sports programs.
“Our junior high team was not tied in altogether, but we have the resources of being with those kids since they are right there. We have it to where if they are an 8th grader, they can come over in the spring.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
“We did have spring, but a lot of our kids play other sports because we are at a small school. A lot of the kids play baseball and run track. When you look at our roster, we were stuck with offensive linemen and tight ends during the spring. We didn’t do much during the spring. Luckily, we got the last two weeks of graduation and was able to go outside and were able to install our new offense.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
The Cougars will run a spread offense while the defense runs a multiple defense with a three man front and a four man front.
Despite the loss of Gridiron Football All-American LB Kaden Chandler, the defense will return three core leaders that have been All-District players for the Cougars the last couple of years.
“We have our linebackers coming back in Landon Fredieu and Gavin Borland. Our cornerback Isaiah McKinney is coming back and he’s returning. They are our leaders on defense.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the football, there are some talented playmakers that can do some damage with the ball in their hands. They will be led by one of those multi-sport athletes under center at the quarterback position.
“At quarterback, Myles Futrell is a baseball kid that got to play football so he can sling the football around a little bit. Ahmad Sykes is one of those guys that we expect to step up. He got hurt last year in our first district game when he broke his foot so he didn’t really get to finish out the season. He played four games last year. You will see him and he is going to step up this year. At receiver, we have Keith McKinney. He is going to be a key player for us. We have Jaiden Moore at tight end. He is a great kid and he does a lot of things that are special. You guys will be seeing a lot of him in the future. On the offensive line, we have Madden Blalock at center. He is back and we have a young team. We have Ty Brown at tackle and he returns as well.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
When it comes to the schedule, there has been some change in the district part of the schedule while on the non-district side of the fence, there are some familiar teams that the Cougars are looking forward to face.
“We open up with Montgomery. It is our parish pride game and it’s great for the parish and the community. We’ll have everybody come off work for that. In Week 2, we have Buckeye High School. We’re both in a rural area and a lot of the kids hang out with each other so that’s a good game that we play against each other. In Week 3, we have D’Arbonne Woods High School. They had a huge shift in their program there. In Week 4, we have Vidalia High School. They’re very athletic and doing well over there. In Week 5, we have Bolton Academy. They changed their school’s name. The district has a huge shift. We had Neville in our district this past year and now, they are going up to 5A. Now, we gained Wossman and West Ouachita, which we played West Ouachita this past year so we are familiar with each other. We also have Peabody, Tioga, and Franklin Parish in our district. Last year, we slipped up and lost by two against Franklin Parish so we have a grudge for that and looking for some revenge there.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
Coach Felton has been around the positive change in the program as the Grant Cougars have become a consistent playoff team over the last six years. Because of their success of making the playoffs, the administration has been fully on board.
“It’s been a tremendous change. When you look at the past six years from where we started pre-COVID to where we are at now, the fans are excited and we’ve had the most fan support I’ve seen in a very long time. They’re excited about winning and they want to see us win. Now, everybody wants to be on board.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
“Our previous principal has moved on and now works for the state of Louisiana now. Our secondary supervisor is now our principal. She supports us 100% in anything I ask and knock on wood, she hasn’t said no yet. I came in and told her that I support in anything that she needs out of me or out of the boys. We set the example so anything that I can do to help she has supported us and everything that we want to do she backs us. As long as you have an administration that backs you, you got a lot of things going.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
Now that the Grant Cougars have been consistent in making the playoffs, the next step for Coach Felton is to instill confidence in his guys that they can compete for high school football’s biggest prize.
“Our main goal is to try and make the playoffs. We’ve made the playoffs consecutively the last six years, but now is to actually win in the playoffs. It is making these kids understand that this could be you and that you can be in the Dome if you just put your mindset to it. We are just trying to instill those things in these guys. They are a great group of kids that work hard and they will run through a wall for you. I am truly thankful for that as a coaching staff.”
Grant Head Coach Jarvous Felton
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