Entering year three, former LSU National Champion and New Orleans Saints linebacker Harry Coleman has gotten the Peabody Magnet High School Warhorses in position to compete for a district championship and a playoff run in 2024.
After a winning season in 2023 in which the Warhorses finished with a 7-5 record including a playoff win against Booker T. Washington High School (New Orleans), the team is at a really good spot to take the next step this upcoming year.
“We always want to win district. That’s been the goal since day one when we walked into the weight room. This is our district championship year.”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
The Warhorses will have to replace 16 seniors including four that recently played in the 2023 Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game. The offense will also have to replace the District MVP from last season in Gridiron Football All-American Dartavin Depass, who scored 30 touchdowns last season, and is now playing at Grambling, but according to offensive coordinator Dwaylen Spain, there are still plenty of dynamic playmakers that will get this Warhorse offense going including a three year starting All-State quarterback and an All-State wide receiver that has scored 35 touchdowns in his prep career.
“Last season, we had Dartavin Depass, who was one of the best running backs in the state and had 30 touchdowns, but we have Terry Hullaby, who is one of the best wide receivers in CenLa and perhaps one of the best in the state. I will take him over everybody. My quarterback Larry Roberts is coming back in year three with the program. On offense, everybody is mostly coming back. Tru Martin is a guy that is going to step up for us so a lot of our guys are coming back. We are just ready for the next task.”
Peabody Magnet OC Dwaylen Spain
The passing game is going to be one of the best in the CenLa area and will always give the Warhorses a chance to score on any given play, but led by a defensive oriented head coach in Coach Coleman, the defensive philosophy will match its aggressive offensive identity.
“Coach Martin is my defensive coordinator and he likes to get after it. We like to play man and get after people. I think we have the corners to run with them so we are going to see a lot more man. Up front, we are multiple. Whatever the offense does, we adjust to that.”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
The Warhorses will have plenty of confidence in their secondary led by All-State cornerback Jordan Veal along with Coach Coleman’s son Corren Coleman, Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game commit James Lucas IV, who is going to play multiple positions on both sides of the football, and even offensive star Terry Hullaby will get some reps on defense if needed.
The key for the Warhorses this season is getting stronger and more physical in the trenches. After a busy offseason, Coach Coleman believes that his team got better over the spring and summer heading into fall camp.
“The whole month of June, we have been doing a lot of strength and conditioning, a lot of 7v7, and a lot of team bonding. In July, it is basically just strength and conditioning. We had our spring game against Avoyelles and we got after it a bit. I believe we tied them 14-14. We kept our guys busy and wanted to see how physical they were.”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
Not only does Coach Coleman want to see his team get better physically, but mentally as this year, he has scheduled more away games so that they can handle big games in an opposing team’s stadium.
“We have more away games because last year, we had to travel and we didn’t travel that well. It showed in the playoffs when we lost to LCA. If we can get accustomed to traveling and being on the road more than at home, then that will help us in the playoffs and beyond.”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
The Warhorses will start the season with their first four games all being on the road against LaGrange, Northwood, Fontainebleau, and Franklin. The Warhorses’ first home game is actually going to be the team’s homecoming game on October 5th against Washington Marion. With Class 4A power Neville out, the Warhorses will play in a district that features Wossman, West Ouachita, Franklin Parish, Grant, and Tioga.
The team’s homecoming game and a specific early road non-district game are certainly on the radar for not only Coach Coleman, but also for Coach Spain and the rest of the coaching staff.
“For us and the coaching staff, the Franklin game is huge because that is where we are from. My mom is seven miles from the school so that’s going to be a big game, but homecoming is always a big game. The atmosphere is great and you have people flying in. Homecoming at Peabody is a big event.”
Peabody Magnet OC Dwaylen Spain
The atmosphere around the school and community has been nothing but support for Coach Coleman ever since he took the job back in 2022. That has been another reason why the Warhorses’ football program is trending upward.
“It’s great. People are always coming to the school and asking whatever they need to do to help out. They are giving us donations in order for us to allow what we do and the community has been backing us ever since we have been here going into year three. It is nothing but love from everybody.”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
As a player, Harry Coleman has been around successful coaches and programs from LSU where he won a national championship and being on the New Orleans Saints’ roster a year after they won the Super Bowl in 2009, he knows the key attributes to what makes a team successful and is trying to apply that at Peabody.
“This whole summer has been built on brotherhood and building that bond. It’s mainly a brotherhood so if you love on another and that’s your brother, then you are going to go 110% for each other. We are preaching brotherhood, togetherness, and discipline.”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
The Peabody Magnet Warhorses are on the verge of having a big season and Coach Coleman wants to continue to see what was built all the way from the product on the field to the support from the fans either at home or on the road.
“Continue to support us. Come out and support us. We enjoy the love that you give us and Go Warhorses!”
Peabody Magnet Head Coach Harry Coleman
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