Antoine headed to Houston

The lethal offensive combination of versatile RB Randall Antoine and dual-threat QB (but recruited as a WR) Jared Mitchell made the going tough for 5A defenses that faced Westgate last fall.

Westgate High School, which has been open for only a few years, is located on the outskirts of New Iberia. The Tigers have made a name for themselves as a force to be reckoned with in a short span of time, having achieved a large measure of success in the three major Louisiana sports - baseball, basketball, and football.

This past fall, the football team enjoyed its best season ever and there is no doubt that Antoine and Mitchell were a crucial piece of the puzzle.

If you look at last season's schedule, Westgate had one of those rare seasons where a team is tested virtually every week. The Tigers lost four close games and were capable of playing with any team in the state when they were on.

Respect for Westgate was certainly earned after back-to-back road victories to open the playoffs (32-22 win over highly-ranked and undefeated St. Paul, 14-12 win over Higgins. There's no doubt - you have to earn a playoff win in the second round on the West Bank.

Antoine, with 4.4 speed and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield with ease, had his share of schools to choose from - Southern Miss, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Army, Navy, and Houston were all jockeying for his signature.

"In the beginning, it was overwhelming," said Antoine. "I wanted to give everybody a shot." Antoine was deemed "Louisiana's Reggie Bush" on numerous occasions by fans down on the bayou.

"Houston eventually became the best school for me because of a family situation," Antoine said. "They also lost their first and second-string RB" (the Cougars run a one-back spread offense).

Southern Miss was definitely in the mix until the end for the slippery all-purpose RB, who boasts a 3.4 GPA.

"Southern Miss was a good school. They were here watching me every week. They came over here every week like a truck driver," he laughed.

Antoine figures that the spread offense favored by the Cougars fits right in with his style.

"I like to mix it up," he said. The charismatic Antoine left no doubt that he can both run and catch the ball from his RB position.

"I'm not one of those RBs that has trouble coming out of the backfield and catching passes," the four-year starter stated.

When asked about his exemplary GPA, Antoine was quick to respond.

"My mom's a school teacher," he said.