School Spotlight – Albany High School, Albany, LA

Established in 1924 as part of the Livingston Parish School District, Albany High School is defined by a resilient athletic tradition and a deep-rooted sense of community. Known for their “Hornet Pride,” the school’s football program competes in the LHSAA Class 3A and is recognized for developing gritty, two-way athletes who embody a blue-collar playing style at Hornet Stadium. While the team has seen significant modern success under coaches like Blane Westmoreland, the program is equally respected for its academic-athletic balance and consistent top-50 state rankings. A notable figure who has left a lasting mark on the program includes the legendary “Voice of the Hornets” Russell Hutchinson.

When did you start coaching football?

2008

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned while coaching?

Loving people first creates better results.

What do you hope to achieve next season?

Year in and year out, we are trying to maximize our potential and become 1% better than we were the day before.

Is there any room for improvement for you or your team?

We need to become better technicians as a team.

Do you have any future goals for the school’s football program?

We want to be a program that produces better men who are ready to contribute back to their community upon graduation. A program that understands that the norm should be district championships and playoff appearances.

What has been the biggest challenge in your coaching career, and how have you or will you overcome it?

The biggest challenge has been accumulating teacher spots to hire on-campus coaches. In order to run a program that is consistently in the playoffs, you have enough high-quality coaches that are on campus to build relationships with players and keep them heading in the right direction. You have to have guys who are on your campus and willing to put the work in. We have been very fortunate to build relationships with off-campus coaches that has been men of high character and football IQ.

Since there’s always room for growth, who would you choose to mentor you and why?

I have been fortunate enough to work with and work for some of the best college coaches in the country. Guys who, to this day, are always one phone call away. Having worked for and been mentored to this day by the University of Arkansas DC Ron Roberts, I don’t feel like there is anyone better, so if there is one, he is definitely the one. I owe an awful lot to him when it comes to both the game of football and life.

Keep An Eye Out!

Kaleb Smith-Hiley Class of 2027 #24 RB, MLB – 5’11” 190lbs

Jayden Lapine  Class of 2027 #2 CB, RB – 5’9″ 150lbs