The two final teams standing this high school football season fittingly headline the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 5A all-state team.
Zachary coach David Brewerton and quarterback Eli Holstein earned Coach of the Year and Outstanding Offensive Player honors, respectively, for their leadership in the Broncos’ 15-0 state championship run.
Ponchatoula star Jacoby Mathews, who helped the Green Wave reach the title game for the first time since 1951, completed the trio of superlatives as Outstanding Defensive Player.
Holstein completed 204 of his 313 passes for 3,228 yards, 30 touchdowns and six interceptions this season and rushed 65 times for 518 yards and 14 more scores.
The junior, who committed to Texas A&M in the summer, capped the memorable season with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns in the title game, one rushing and one passing, to help turn a 20-14 halftime deficit into a 28-20 victory.
Mathews was an impact player in all three phases for Ponchatoula throughout the season, including 51 tackles, 14 pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns.
He also returned two punts for touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 121 yards and three scores.
The senior will announce his college decision next month from a long list of scholarship offers that includes LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida.
Zachary’s championship marked the program’s fourth — all in the past seven years and all under Brewerton’s guidance — and first undefeated.
The Broncos joined West Monroe’s five-year run from 1996 to 2000 and Evangel’s six-year run from 1999 to 2004 as the shortest spans to claim four Class 5A championships.
Brewerton earned Coach of the Year accolades for the first time to cap the perfect season.
Other candidates for the award included his title-game counterpart, Ponchatoula’s Hank Tierney, as well as Jesuit’s Ryan Manale and Ouachita’s Todd Garvin.
2021 LSWA CLASS 5A ALL-STATE FOOTBALL CHART
(Players from Acadiana are in bold)
OFFENSE
Pos. Player School Ht. Wt. Class
WR Charles Robertson Zachary 6-2 190 Sr.
WR Jamaal Levy Barbe 5-9 140 Jr.
WR Kendrick Law Jr. Captain Shreve 6-2 180 Sr.
OL Micah Scheer Ruston 6-3 290 Sr.
OL Emery Jones Catholic 6-5 340 Sr.
OL Joshua Berault Jesuit 6-4 280 Sr.
OL Jayson Montgomery-Scott Brother Martin 6-4 310 Sr.
OL Cam East St. Augustine 6-7 285 Sr.
QB Eli Holstein Zachary 6-5 220 Jr.
RB Dyson Fields Ruston 5-11 185 Jr.
RB Rontavious Richmond Parkway 5-10 190 Sr.
RB Braydon Johnson Ponchatoula 6-0 210 Sr.
PK Abel Peterman Alexandria 5-11 160 Sr.
ATH Rickie Collins Woodlawn 6-3 185 Jr.
DEFENSE
Pos. Player School Ht. Wt. Class
DL Kameron Hamilton Zachary 6-4 275 Sr.
DL Jermaine Vessell Catholic 6-3 210 Sr.
DL Walter Bob Acadiana 6-4 245 Sr.
DL Steven Walker Destrehan 6-2 250 Sr.
LB Carmycah Glass Ouachita 6-4 210 Sr.
LB Chauncey Lee West Monroe 5-9 206 Jr.
LB Jadon Mayfield Ruston 6-1 217 So.
LB Kolaj Cobbins Destrehan 6-4 200 So.
DB Jadais Richard West Monroe 6-2 199 Sr.
DB Kylin Jackson Zachary 6-2 190 Jr.
DB Jacoby Mathews Ponchatoula 6-2 204 Sr.
DB Justin Aaron Natchitoches Central 6-0 175 Sr.
P Kylan Dupre Catholic 6-0 210 Sr.
RS Jadun Colbert Southside 5-10 180 Jr.
OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER: ELI HOLSTEIN, ZACHARY
OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: JACOBY MATHEWS, PONCHATOULA
COACH OF THE YEAR: DAVID BREWERTON, ZACHARY
HONORABLE MENTION
Falon Short, H.L. Bourgeois; Ean Rodrigue, Thibodaux; Will McClain, Barbe; Da’Quan Watts, H.L. Bourgeois; Devian Wilson, Ruston; OL Jayden Woods, Ruston; Jaylon Jones, Southside; Wyatt Clement, Thibodaux; Jaylon Lawrence, Acadiana; Jaylen Kincaid, Ouachita; Amorion Walker, Ponchatoula; Shelton Sampson Jr., Catholic; Damontrell Osby, Ponchatoula; Braylon Finney, Captain Shreve; Landon Ibieta, Mandeville; Kylon Harris, East St. John; Zavion Thomas, John Ehret; Nate Green, West Monroe; Kaden Moreau, Pineville; Roy Brackins III, Woodlawn-BR; Stayge Bertucci, Chalmette; Jack Larriviere, Jesuit; Jarvis Newton, Alexandria; Caylin Demars, Natchitoches Central; Omiri Wiggins, Acadiana; Connor Wisham, Zachary; Royal Falgout, John Ehret; Torey Lambert, Brother Martin; Dylan Carpenter, St. Amant; Aiden Richard, Acadiana; James Jackson, Natchitoches Central; William Bryant, Destrehan; Preston Hickey, St. Paul’s; Riley Howard, Zachary; J’Mari Monette, Alexandria; Dennis Dougherty, Jesuit; Raymond Thompson, Chalmette; Connor Orgeron, John Curtis; Jerimiah Brown, Acadiana; Jordan Matthews, Woodlawn; Javon Davis, John Curtis; Tyrone Jones, Chalmette; Austin Roberts, Brother Martin; Elijah Winters, Ponchatoula; Javari Sanders, West Monroe.