For the second time in three years, a player from Louisiana has been named as the Gridiron Football Player of the Year, and for the second time in a row, the fans got to decide who the Gridiron Football Player of the Year is. After two weeks of voting, it was decided that Riverside Academy (Reserve, LA) running back Dedric Lastie would be the 2024 Gridiron Football Player of the Year winning by a wide margin. In fact, Lastie received 75,031 votes over the final week of voting to clinch the award.
“I was amazed about the number of votes. I want to thank everybody that supported me, loves me, cares for me, and I want to thank everybody that has voted for me.”
Riverside Academy RB Dedric Lastie
Lastie not only won the popular vote, but his play on the field speaks for itself. At only 5’6, 150 pounds, the star Rebels’ running back showed that size is only a number. Lastie was a human highlight reel throughout his prep career including leading Riverside Academy to a state championship runner up finish as a junior, but he saved his best for his senior season.
All in all, Lastie accounted for 2,096 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns. Whether it was in the running game, the receiving game, or on special teams, he was always a threat to score.
“Going back to Dedric’s sophomore year and our first year as a staff, we had a good running back in Elijah Davis, who is now at UL playing running back there. I remember whatever role Dedric can get on the field, he was good and he just wanted to play football. He’s a young guy with a lot of energy and was always excited to get to work. He is just fun to be around and has a contagious personality when he walks into a meeting room or practice.”
“That year, he started in the slot and I remember Elijah graduating and the question mark being at running back. I called him and asked him if he was ready to be the guy that next year at the running back position. He stepped up to that challenge his junior year and finished with 2,500 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns. That’s a great four year career and he did it in his junior season. We made that run to the state championship his junior year and to come back as a senior where everybody knows you and circles you and to still go for 1,800 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns while only losing two regular season games one with the storm and one with a forfeit so those numbers could have been even better. I can’t ask for more for what he has done production wise and the last two years, the offense went through him. He set the tone for what’s to come.”
Riverside Academy HC Lee Roussel
Lastie also played his best when the lights were the brightest and against some of his biggest peers at the running back position. He became a Gridiron Football Player of the Year candidate after winning the Week 6 Player of the Week award after setting a school rushing record 534 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 30 carries in a 76-37 win over St. Martin’s Episcopal. Lastie was the best player on the field that night while also outpacing the number one running back in America in Harlem Berry while doing so.
“He (Harlem Berry) brings all the cameras. When we got into that game, everybody had it in their minds that they were going to play their best game. I was surprised by the exact numbers that I had in that game. I thought I was only at around 300 yards. It was incredible.”
Riverside Academy RB Dedric Lastie
Dedric Lastie’s incredible football playing career does not end in Reserve as he recently signed to contine playing football at Nicholls State University, which is where his high school coach recently coached college football at before taking the Riverside job.
“To be honest, Nicholls just felt like home. The coaches understand me and they care for me. A prime example is Coach Lee (Roussel). I love the coaching that he does. He’s a tough coach. He knows when to get on you, when to help you up, when to leave you. Those are the characteristics that I saw with the coaches at Nicholls.”
Riverside Academy RB Dedric Lastie
Dedric Lastie now joins previous Gridiron Football Player of the Year winners now in Lutcher High School (LA) QB D’wanye Winfield (2022) and Westwood High School (TX) QB Kavian Bryant.
For winning the Gridiron Football Player of the Year, Lastie will receive a special letterman jacket patch from us next week that he can put on his letterman jacket.
If you are a high school coach that is interested in getting your player to be a Gridiron Football Player of the Year nominee for the 2025 season, make sure contact Jace LeJeune at ja****************@gm***.com!
Previous Gridiron Football Player of the Year Winners:
Lutcher High School QB D’Wanye Winfield (2022)
Westwood High School (Palestine, TX) QB Kavian Bryant (2023)
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