Entering year four with the Archbishop Hannan Hawks, Corey Bordelon is optimistic about the season ahead as he has high praise and expectations for this year’s group. After installing his system with his guys the first three years during his second stint with the school, this will be Bordelon’s first senior group that has been with him the whole duration of the time since he was hired prior to the 2020 season.
The Hawks will be returning 20 lettermen including nine starters on the offensive side of the football and seven starters on the defensive side of the football. With the experience and the confidence shown from his team, there is no wonder why Bordelon is anxious to kickoff the season.
“This is a tough, great group of kids. They have worked their tails off from the spring. This is my first full class bringing those guys in. The guys that you will talk to today are all four-year players. They are all great leaders and captains on our team. It’s just been a very fun year. Honestly, this has been the most enjoyable spring that I have been a part of. The attitude is great and the leadership is great all the way down to the young kids. We’ve got 8th-12th grade on our campus so the young kids got a great glimpse of what it should be like. It’s been genuinely fun.”
Archbishop Hannan Head Football Coach Corey Bordelon
What makes it more fun is that the Hawks will be returning some good talent at the upperclassmen level. In fact, the four players that Coach Bordelon brought with him to the inaugural Gridiron Football Media Day have all been invited to participate in the Gridiron Football All-American Bowl Game at the end of the year. The four seniors that made the trip from the Northshore to Denham Springs are RB/MLB Cartez Brown, OL Nolan Byers, center Cole Piot, and defensive lineman Corey Charleston.
Leading the offense is Cartez Brown, who is a team captain that recently received his first offer from Louisiana Christian. The 6’0, 200 pound running back is a powerful runner that is coming off rushing for 720 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 2022. The state runner-up in powerlifting has big goals heading into his senior season as he is hoping for a 1,000-yard rushing season while also trying to get an offer from Nicholls State.
“I am most definitely a power runner, but once I get in the open field, it is full steam ahead. As far as the recruiting process is concerned, I am not sure how well it would go for me, but I actually just got an offer from LC in Alexandria. It’s been a great summer. One school that is looking at me right now is Nicholls so it definitely would be great to get an offer from them. My message to them is why not recruit a player like me.”
Archbishop Hannan High School 2024 RB/MLB Cartez Brown
Two guys that will help lead the way for Brown to get to that 1,000 yard season is senior center Cole Piot and offensive guard Nolan Byers. Like Brown, Piot is very strong as also part of the state powerlifting runner-up team and has also received an offer from LC. Meanwhile, Byers has been a standout player throughout his prep career as the 6’1, 305 pound guard is a two-time All-District and All-Parish performer. Byers has also set the Division II squat max record with a 715-pound squat max at the state meet and has received Southland Conference offers from Southeastern and Nicholls State. As two leaders of the team, they want to set the tone for a physical ground and pound approach.
“I am definitely coming in with a chip on my shoulder, but I just want to help my team have a good season. We have definitely come a long way from where we started and we are looking forward to a good season this year.”
Archbishop Hannan High School 2024 center Cole Piot
“We want to ensure that we help guys like Cartez move the ball and score touchdowns and be the best group of guys on the field. We eliminate all the mental mistakes. We work together and just bully everybody else.”
Archbishop Hannan High School 2024 OG Nolan Byers
The Hawks’ offensive line may be one of the best groups in the area as not only two experienced, proven players like Byers and Piot lead the way, but Will Gallien, Jason Meibaum, and Jack Nolan are also veteran seniors as well that have been a part of the program. Defensively, Corey Charleston is a two-time All-District selection himself and makes sure that the offensive line is ready for the upcoming season.
“We make sure to hold them accountable. It keeps both of us honest in what we do and we make each other better every day.”
Archbishop Hannan High School 2024 DL Corey Charleston
Having senior players holding each other accountable and making each other better on the lines of scrimmage everyday in practice is another reason why Bordelon likes this year’s team so much.
“Expect a tough, gritty ball club on both sides of the ball. We are led by the offensive line and the defensive line. I think our running game is going to be pretty good. Out of the four players I brought today, three of them are linemen and the other is a running back/linebacker. You will get a good idea of our identity when you get to be around those young men. They have high character, are driven, and very tough. Like I said, they have been with the program for four years and they know what is expected and they live it everyday.”
Archbishop Hannan Head Coach Corey Bordelon
There is no doubt what the Hawks’ identity is on the field, but when the Hawks need a play, they will look to Cartez Brown, Brennan Obey, who is also a two way player at running back and safety, Xavier Brown, Thomas Tyner, Hayden Alonzo, Preston Richardson, and Tripp Arcement to make plays for quarterback Brody Smith, who makes the transition to quarterback after leading the team in receptions as a receiver and interceptions as a defender.
The experience will help the Hawks, especially early in non-district play before they play in a very tough district in Class 4A consisting of Franklinton, Lakeshore, Loranger, Pearl River, and Salmen.
“Week one is a traditional game for us. We play Chalmette. It’s a huge game not only for the two schools, but for the alums on both sides. That is going to be a fun game and looking forward to that. The rest of our pre-district is very difficult. We play a tough schedule to get ready for district, and every team on the schedule is a tough ball club year in and year out so we will be tested.”
Archbishop Hannan Head Coach Corey Bordelon
The Hawks also have a great supporting fan base that will be there to cheer on this experienced squad in making sure that they have the type of season that the team has worked on trying to achieve in 2023.
“The high school motto is that “Charity Leads To Perfection”, and I feel that our school really emphasizes that from our principal Nancy Baird all the way down to every student. It’s just a really good atmosphere and the emphasis of the school is to be a servant leader, to assist others when they need it, and lead through the services of the school, community, and wherever need be.”
“If you ever come to a game, it is a great atmosphere. The parents tailgate early. It is a really cool experience. At the end of the game, our boys all gather together in prayer and for wins, we ring the bell at the center of the courtyard and it is all surrounded by moms and dads. It’s a very nice experience.”
Archbishop Hannan Head Coach Corey Bordelon
After two straight losing seasons, the Hawks are indeed hungry to start the season and Coach Bordelon is looking to bring his team back to the success he achieved in his first season back in 2020 where the Hawks won six games including a quarterfinal finish in the playoffs. Still, regardless of the opponent or the experience that is on the Hawks’ roster, the philosophy and the mentality remains the same.
“We are going to play every game until the last whistle. Every kid has great attitude and gives great effort. You are going to see a game regardless of outcome and score that nobody is going to quit and they are going to follow through everything that they have to do. It is really a great group of kids and a great attitude.”
“We got a great administration. We’ve got good families, and we’ve got great kids that buy into what we are teaching and what we are doing. Our kids show up everyday. They are consistent in their efforts and attitude. We are just going to continually get better as we go along.”
Archbishop Hannan Head Coach Corey Bordelon
The coaches, players, and the administration look to have the perfect combination in 2023 in order for the Archbishop Hannan Hawks to get lots of opportunities at ringing the bell throughout the course of the season.
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