Carr driving Ouachita in right direction

In John Carr's first season at Ouachita Parish High School, the Lions - fueled by a wildly successful no-huddle shotgun offense - advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1994, and although five players from that team recently signed college scholarships, Carr has some aces left up his sleeve.

After Ouachita endured a ho-hum season and first-round playoff exit in 2004, Carr was hired to resurrect a program that produced the 4A (then largest) state champ in 1989 and the runner-up in 1994.

The Lions certainly responded well to Carr, going 10-3 and advancing to the semifinals. Ouachita's thrill-a-minute playoff run including a stranger-than-fiction finish in the quarterfinals.

Ouachita lost to eventual 4A state champ Bastrop both in Week 10 for a share of the District 2-4A title and in the semifinals. District 2-4A accounted for an amazing three semifinal teams, with Neville comprising the third team.

After wins over Peabody and Carroll in the first two playoff rounds, Ouachita faced the task of taking on undefeated Zachary on the Broncos' home turf during Thanksgiving Week, and the game turned out to be a dandy, with Ouachita sprinting to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. Zachary rebounded with its option offense and led late in the game, only to see Ouachita's Jimmy Young set up a last-second game winning TD with a 66-yard reception, which came on a short pass that Young broke loose for long yardage.

Young, who caught 40 passes during the regular season for 585 yards and three TDs, committed to Louisiana Tech, but eventually signed with Texas Christian University. As the season wore on, Young saw more and more action on both sides of the football.

"He's a physical kid who did a lot of different things for us," said Carr. "He was 6-foot-1, almost 200 pounds - hard to tackle. But his blocking at WR is what caught the eye of the TCU coaching staff."

Keldrick Johnson (5-6, 150) led the state in rushing during the regular season (1,654 yards, 22 TDs), but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 10 versus Bastrop, and that had something to do with Johnson signing with Division II Ouachita Baptist, according to Carr.

"Arkansas State (Division 1-A school) offered him midway through the season," Carr said, "and by Week 10, several Sun Belt schools were looking at him, as well. Arkansas State said they'd stay with him after the injury, then they called in mid-January and withdrew the scholarship.

"He's only 5-foot-6, plus he had that injury. Colleges were scared of him, But Ouachita Baptist got a steal. He has great vision and despite his size, I think he has the ability to take the pounding on the D-1 level."

Both Young and Johnson were named to the 4A all-state first-team.

Defensive lineman Chris Drummer earned honorable mention all-state honors and signed to play with Grambling State University.

"At 6-foot-1, 265 pounds, Chris Drummer is a big physical kid with a great motor," said Carr. "He's soft-spoken and mature, and although he's not academically eligible yet, I think that he's mature enough to be able to handle that and take care of his business. He had JUCO offers from out of state but wanted to stay close to home."

Two additional Lions - CB Larry Wiley (5-7, 163) and WR Aaron Stringfellow (6-1, 185) - signed to play college football. Wiley inked with D-II Arkansas-Monticello and Stringfellow with Ranger Junior College in Texas.

"Height was the knock on him," said Carr of Wiley. "but everyone liked the way he played. He understands leverage and is a good man-to-man player. He's also a good student."

"Aaron really came on at the end of the season," Carr continued. "He's a strider with good hands. He struggled academically early in his high school career and opted to go JUCO, where he's going to try to get his grades right and then try to sign."

Carr, who was the offensive coordinator at East Mississippi Community College before taking over the Ouachita job, lost a handful of good players to the next level, but don't feel sorry for him yet, because he has a quartet of very talented players returning this fall.

Probably the most high-profile of those players is QB Josh Strong (5-7, 150), who will be entering his third year as Ouachita's starting quarterback and his second year at the helm of Carr's thrill-a-minute offense that spreads the field and keeps opponents guessing.

"Josh has an exceptional, quick release, and we try to use him as a mobile quarterback," said Carr, who lamented that Strong will probably be recruited at another position by colleges.

"His best bet in college is probably at CB or WR," said Carr. "He'll probably be recruited as an athlete, but he's a valuable player for us at QB."

Strong has plenty of options available, as WR Quinton Morris (5-8, 161), RB Tremaine Graves (5-5, 155), FB Chris Brown (5-9, 190), and TE Tyler Edwards (6-3, 218) return. Morris will be a senior, as will Strong and Graves. Brown and Edwards will be juniors.

"Morris is our most electrifying player," said Carr. "He's an explosive 4.4 guy with exceptional hands, and he's going to make someone a good WR collegiately."

Graves, who rushed for 145 yards on only 14 carries in the semifinal loss to Bastrop, burst on the scene after Johnson was lost to injury.

"Tremaine actually took the majority of the snaps at RB in the spring because Keldrick had a nagging injury at the time," said Carr, "and that definitely benefitted him. He's a slicer who is tough to get a hand on."

Brown has a physique that's not typical of your average, everyday sophomore football player.

"He's a power guy," said Carr, "and we'll probably go to more two-back sets so we can get him touches. He's a hard-nosed runner that had some fumble problems early last season."

Edwards is a downfield threat at tight end, having caught two touchdown passes in a second-round playoff victory over Carroll.

"We're going to find ways to get him the ball," said Carr. "The thing people forgot last year is that he's still a pup. He's a young guy that has a chance to be the next big-time recruit from around here."