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Acadiana Kickoff Tour 2022: Opelousas Catholic

Opelousas Catholic AKT 2022.jpg
Posted at 11:09 PM, Aug 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-16 00:09:09-04

Opelousas Catholic Vikings

2021 Record: 9-2
District: 6-1A
Head Coach: Thomas David
Note: The Vikings have 15 starters returning

Opelousas Catholic has won 8 or more games, 3 of the last 4 seasons.

But during that span, the Vikings have only had one playoff victory. And their last deep run came in 2005, when OC reached the state title game.

The Vikes are hoping that this year is the end of their postseason woes.

"I make it known everyday. We can't go out sad no more, you feel me?" Vikings Senior Cornerback Christian Brown explained. "Because we (have to) make our city look good. Everybody look at us like we're the best in the city or the parish. So we can't go out sad anymore. We gotta make it to the state championship."

"It means a lot to me to be something different than what's been in the past" Vikings senior linebacker John Michael Jarrell added. "So I'm making sure everyone else on the team, underclassmen, whether you're a freshman or a junior, that it means a lot to our senior class. So we gotta go deep. We gotta do something special. We gotta turn OC around."

Opelousas Catholic will know early on how they stack up within the state, as they face contenders like Southern Lab and Ascension Catholic in non-district play.

The Cikings have a lot of reason for optimism though with 15 starters returning, including 8 on offense. They also bring back the reigning District 5-1A Defensive MVP in Christian Brown.

OC feels that their veterans are the key to any deep run.

"Typically in 1A you don't always find yourself in the situation we're in, where you bring back that many starters," Opelousas Catholic Head Coach Thomas David said. "When you do, hopefully it's a good thing. Coming off the year with the success we've had, you're hoping it snowballs."

"I feel like this group has all the potential in the world," Vikings senior defensive back Markaas Daugherty expressed. "We have some great guys returning on both sides of the ball. Some experience on both sides of the ball. I feel like this year could be the one, if we all put the work in and stay 10 toes."

Junior quarterback Mark Collins also returns for his 2nd year under center, after earning 1st team all-district honors in 2021.

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