Tigers have a dozen returning starters
– St. Martinville Senior High School opens the 2025 football season at home on Friday against parish rival Cecilia High under first-year head football coach Garrett Kreamer with a talented group of players hungry to get back to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2024.
SMSH had been to the playoffs for nine straight years under coach Vincent DeRouen, who resigned in the spring. Kreamer, whose father Michael served as principal at SMSH for several years, took over after leaving Lafayette High.
Offensively the Tigers get a boost from the return of senior quarterback Khyrie Francisco, a 6-foot-1, 215-pounder who missed most of last season after being injured in the second game of the year.
The Tigers will run a spread/no-huddle offense under Kreamer. The team will run some zone power and counter run plays, and throw the ball with screens and drop-back pass plays, with Francisco a key component in the passing game and the run game.
“We rely on him to make a lot of correct reads, whether it’s to hand the ball off or throw it,” Kreamer said of his senior signalcaller. “We do give him some freedom in making a couple of checks at the line, so he’s got to be a true quarterback and make the right play and get us into the right situation. So far he’s done that really well, and he’s going to continue to get better.”
Senior wide receiver Kervin Fontenette (510, 160), three-year starter, and sophomore receiver Jamion James (5-8, 155), who started as a freshman in 2024, and senior tight end Zyrian Johnson (6-1, 200) return to starting roles. Fontenette earned first-team All-District honors in 2024 as an athlete on offense, while James was firstteam return specialist. Johnson earned firstteam All-District honors at defensive back.
On defense, SMSH will be multiple with some three-down linemen sets and some four-down linemen sets, and mix a couple of different pass coverages in.
“At the end of the day we want to be simple so our kids can just go out there and execute and play fast,” Kreamer said.
Returners on defense include Johnson, who will be at linebacker, along with senior Kohen Clues (6-1, 210), who earned second-team All-District honors in 2024.
Senior defensive llinemen Christian Cleary (6-0, 215) and Ja’Tyran Boudreaux (60, 250), senior linebacker Payton Nelson (5-8, 150) and senior strong safety Colton Bonin (59, 160) also return to starting roles.
The coach said he’s been pleased with what he’s seen of the team and its efforts over the summer.
“I’m proud of our guys for showing up every single day,” Kreamer said. “We’ve been pumping iron in the weight room, practicing hard on the field in the sun, so we’re hungry to go and play against somebody else now. I just want to see our best effort every single day — play hard and play Tiger football.”
OFFENSIVE LEADERS – Key St. Martinville Senior High offensive players in 2025 include, from left, senior lineman Jaylen Turpeau, senior receiver Kervin Fontenette, senior quarterback Khyrie Francisco, sophomore receiver Jamion James and senior lineman Bobby Harris. (Chris Landry)
