School Spotlight: Bunkie High School (Bunkie, LA)

A new powerhouse has arrived in central Louisiana, and this is the year to prove that they are here to stay.

The buzz around the program at Bunkie High School is well-warranted after a pair of seasons that are among the most successful in the program’s history. Head Coach Jimmie Hillman started in 2023 and the sky has been the limit since, as the team has gone an incredible 21-3 since his arrival. After a great start in 2023 where Bunkie went 9-1 but got upset in the 2nd round of the playoffs, they came back with a magical undefeated regular season in 2024, making it all the way to the semifinals for the first time since 1988. Now in 2025, Bunkie is tasked with keeping the momentum going and showing the success wasn’t just a blimp on the radar. If they can put together another successful season, Bunkie could be here to stay as a state contender for years to come.

When I first got here, I saw the vision of what we could be. We have learned a lot since, and the success we have had solidifies what we are doing here. The proof is in the pudding now. This is what we can do, this is what we are capable of. Now a lot of the players that made that happen have left, and guys that were role players will now fill in to become starters and key players. Some of these guys have only been here for 21-3, and now it is there turn to keep this thing going.

Bunkie Head Coach Jimmie Hillman

Regardless of what happens this year, what Bunkie has done in the last two years is impressive. It’s been achieved through a slow process of building a culture and mentality of toughness and consistency for the program.

We have developed a standard of how we operate all year long. We stay true to our standards even when it means making difficult decisions. Schematically, this is a game that can be played in a lot of different ways. If there was one right way to do it, everyone would do that. We want to be more physical than the other team. We work towards being as physically and mentally tough on that field, limiting those little mistakes that end up costing you football games.

Bunkie Head Coach Jimmie Hillman

There are a number of hurdles to overcome for Bunkie to remain successful. The two biggest stars of their team last season have moved on to college ball. Two-way superstar WR/DB Kyle Johnson is now at Mississippi St, and Gridiron Football All-American QB Dillon Compton is playing at Southern. Losing two D1 talents will always leave a big hole to fill, but Coach Hillman is optimistic about what the team can still do after their departure.

There is a lot of opportunity for guys coming up, that’s for sure. Kyle’s not really one that you replace – you’re just thankful when you have him, and try to do what you can to replace him statistically. It’s always a challenge to replace a quarterback, but it’s especially tough when he was really efficient with the football. We know what we’re getting from our defense and run game, but we need a signal caller who can take care of the football and have good decision making. We need to win football games. We’re not trying to recreate Dylan’s season, we are trying to recreate the efficiency the offense had.

Bunkie Head Coach Jimmie Hillman

Bunkie had their first chance to start filling those holes in the spring, where they played Mamou and Northside in a three-way scrimmage. They are replacing three players on both sides of the trenches, and getting those lines right will be the key to the team’s continued success. The other big story of the spring was the QB battle between senior Brady Wright and sophomore Austin Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has the leg up coming out of spring, but the battle will continue into the summer and fall, and either could be the week 1 starter.

We had a good spring. We have a lot of question marks up front, and we checked off a few in the spring. We return six on both sides of the ball, and we have some seasoned guys defensively, so we just need to plug in a few guys to allow those guys to play the way they have in the last two years. The guys are working hard right now, the guys stayed healthy through the spring, and our freshman class is looking really good so far. We have the talent, the guys with the ability, it’s just a matter of seeing what comes out on Friday night.

Bunkie Head Coach Jimmie Hillman

Luckily for Coach Hillman, the quest to fill those holes has been competitive. The Panthers dressed 64 players in the spring, a solid number for a 3A school, and it gives the team plenty of valuable depth going into the summer. There are still plenty of position battles going on, but Bunkie feels confident that even the losers of those battles will be ready to play.

There is some good competition, it’s a good thing to have some depth. When we have two guys fighting for a spot and we can’t choose between one or the other, it’s a good problem to have. We know if this guy goes down, we have another guy who can come in and replace him to be just as good if not better.

Bunkie Head Coach Jimmie Hillman

The players filling into the new starting spots on the team will be there to supplement the stars that have already developed on the team, and there are quite a few.

The biggest returning name is 2026 RB/LB Zion Lee, who made every touch count in the backfield for Bunkie last year. He usually got between 12 and 14 touches last year, but he will be the engine that this offense leans on this season. He already has offers from Nicholls and all of the service academies, and his power and elite contact balance will lead a run-first offense as their premier weapon.

In the passing game, both potential QBs will have the luxury of leaning on a trio of returning senior WRs. The leader of that group is unquestionably Cain Milligan. His 3 TD performance in the playoffs against Amite began his ascension to becoming the top weapon of the team in 2025 and earned him Gridiron Football Player of the Week honors.

The back end of their defense is littered with talent, starting with 2026 LB/DB Lucas Mose. He was first team all-state as a LB, and fits into the defense as a hybrid player. Whether he’s in man coverage, getting pressure via the blitz, playing end to end LB, Mose can do it all. He’s had two straight 100+ tackle seasons, and is looking forward to his 3rd year starting in this defense as its centerpiece.

Fellow 2026 LB Luke Normand is even more of a tackling machine, as he is set to break Bunkie’s career total tackles record this year (the record is 353 and he’s over 300 going into the year). He’s one of the smallest players on the field at 5’5″ 165 lbs, but he’s always at the scene of the tackle on every play. At times, the LB core of this team is Normand, Zion Lee, and Lucas Mose, and it can’t get much scarier than that.

2026 DB Ron Patterson is possibly the best overall player on the team. He has made an impact on multiple occasions for this team, most notably in the quarterfinal game against Jewel Sumner, where his 88 yard Pick Six made the difference in the game that sent Bunkie to the semis for the first time in 36 years.

2028 WR/DB Kayden Dobbins stands as a big breakout candidate for the season, as he is fighting for playtime at a young age amongst a group of veteran skill position players despite his relative youth.

The offensive line has a lot to replace including Gridiron Football All-American JD Smith, but JD’s brother 2027 OL Ethan Smith is stepping in to lead the young group now. He played center last year, but will kick out to RT for 2025. On the other end at LT is young rising star 2029 OL Thomas Welch. He still has much to work on, but at 6’3″ 260 lbs, there is so much promise already from him. His exciting spring only added fuel to what he can do as early as this year.

Bunkie has gone from the hunter to the hunted now that they have found success. Now it’s up to this team to continue that success in 2025, and we can’t wait to see where it takes them.