Presenting the 2023 Clarion Herald Elite Football Team

Above, left,  Outstanding Player – Cole Canatella, Holy Cross; right, Outstanding player – Kyle Cannon, St. Charles Catholic

*****

Ron Brocato, Sports
Clarion Herald

Selecting an all-star team from among the finest high school football players in the Archdiocese of New Orleans is a painstaking labor of love.

There was such an abundance of individual talent among the 11 schools that fielded teams, choosing the best of the best is an unenviable task.

With the help of the coaches under whom these men played and from careful observation, the Clarion Herald offers its Elite Football Team for the 2023 season.

The most outstanding of the players on the two units are Holy Cross senior quarterback Cole Canatella on offense and defensive standout Kyle Cannon of St. Charles Catholic. There was no splitting hairs in these picks.

In passing for 2,309 yards and 25 touchdowns, Canatella triggered a high-powered  offense that accounted for 464 points  in 12 games (the school’s most since 2010).

Utilizing three sure-handed targets, Canatella completed 150-of-217 passes with just seven interceptions.

A trio of receivers – Koby Young, Krosse Johnson and Derrick Johnson – collectively caught 121 of his throws: Young (59-708 yards, 7 TDs), Krosse Johnson (36-778 yards, 9 TDs) and Derrick Johnson (26-404 yards, 5 TDs).

In a district dominated by champion Edna Karr, Holy Cross finished with a 9-3 record.

On the other side of the line of scrimmage is the menacing hulk of senior Cannon, whose defensive numbers are mind-boggling.

The 220-pound middle linebacker personally accounted for 135 tackles (15 for negative yardage), 9.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and recoveries, 2 blocked kicks, 2 safeties, and he created further havoc by intercepting five passes.

His work in leading the Comets’ defense into the Select Division II championship game left no doubt that he was the No. 1 defensive player in the archdiocese.

Five coaching staffs are deserving of special recognition for their contributions to their teams’ success.

Holy Cross alumnus Scott Wattigny returned to his alma mater and made an immediate impact.

Wattigny’s staff gave the school its most victories (9)  in more than a decade. Its crowning glory was a pair of victories over perennial rival Jesuit by the resounding scores of 30-0 and 42-0.

Since Wayne Stein has been at the helm of St. Charles Catholic, the Comets have won two state championships and were the 2023 Division III runners-up, all accomplished while performing double duty as athletic director.

Since Ken Sears became the head football coach at St. Paul’s in 1999, the Wolves have performed at a high level. The 2023 team gave the school its 11th district championship and an impressive 10-2 record as the only Catholic school in a district with seven public schools.

Directed by 200-win club veteran coach Hank Tierney, Archbishop Shaw repeated as the District 10-4A champion. The Eagles completed a 10-3 season as a semifinalist in the Division II playoffs.

And hats off to Pope John Paul II head man Philip Pigott, who led the Jaguars to the District 7-2A team title with a sweep of their five opponents and a fine 8-2 record.
 

OFFENSE

POS    Name, school                            Hgt.      Wgt      Class

WR     Koby Young, Holy Cross                 6-1       175      Sr.

WR     Krosse Johnson, Holy Cross         5-10     170      Sr.

WR     Ben Buisson, St. Paul’s                   5-10     180      Sr.

OL      Christopher Bourg, Jesuit               5-10     205      Jr.

OL      Cayden Arnold, St. Paul’s                6-4       280      Sr.

OL      Caleb Houston, St. Charles Cath.   5-9       280      Sr.

OL      Ja’Mard Jones, Abp. Rummel         6-3       218      Jr.

OL      Ian Fields, De La Salle                       6-3       260      Jr.

TE       Matt Gowan, St. Paul’s                     6-4       245      Sr.

HB      Derrick Johnson, Holy Cross           6-4       204      Sr.

QB      Cole Canatella, Holy Cross               5-9       173      Sr.

RB       Jason Banks, De La Salle                5-10     200      Sr.

RB       Jaidyn Martin, Abp. Rummel           5-8       173      Sr.

RB       Jeremiah Wills, St. Charles Cath.   5-10     160      Sr.

RB       Jasper Parker, Abp. Shaw               6-2       185      Jr.

PK       Drew Talley, St. Paul’s                      5-7       1145    Jr.


 

DEFENSE

Pos      Name, school                                 Hgt.   Wgt.   Class

DL       Jakeem Stewart, St. Augustine     6-6      270    Soph.

DL       Jaden Breaux, St. Charles Cath.    6-2      180      Sr.

DL       Chester Malek, Bro. Martin             5-9      224      Jr.

DL       Kilas Francis, Abp. Shaw                 6-2      312      Sr.

LB       Keidrick Richardson, De La Salle    5-1      230      Sr.

LB       Kyle Cannon, St. Charles Cath.       6-2      220      Sr.

LB       Jadon Weber, Bro. Martin                5-11    203      Sr.

LB       Cale Daigle, St. Paul’s                       5-11    195      Jr.

DB       Robert Vaughn, Abp. Rummel        5-11    195      Sr.

DB       Logan Barrios, St. Charles Cath.     5-6      130      Sr.

DB       Derrick Irvin, De La Salle                   6-1      175      Sr.

DB       Louis Foster, Abp. Shaw                   6-0      175      Sr.

DB       Mikey Strain, Pope John Paul         6-0      175      Sr.

ATH    Brady St. Pierre, St. Charles Cath.   6-0      175      Sr.

P          Henry Zelaya, Abp. Shaw                  6-0      150      Jr.

Ret.      Kaden Foster, St. Charles Cath.       5-10    150      Sr.