– A new year with new challenges hasn’t changed the goals that Cecilia High School’s standout running back Braylon Calais has set for himself.
The Bulldogs have had a challenging start to the 2025 season, coming off two straight appearances in the Division II Non-Select state finals in the Caesars Superdome, including the 2024 state championship that was the first state title for the program since 1994.
Cecilia has faced four teams in its first four weeks that were unbeaten at the time they played the Bulldogs, including a resurgent St. Martinville (currently 2-2), Northside (3-1) and a pair of Class 5A teams, St. Amant (40) and Central High of Baton Rouge (4-0) in its first four games this year.
Calais still looks to reach some lofty goals this season, however.
“For the team, definitely we’re always going to set the standard high,” Calais said before the season. “We’ve got to go back to the ’Dome and win another ring. That’s for us as a community, the team, and me as a person.
“Taking anything out of it, I just want to become the best athlete I can be.”
Calais already is a standout both on the field and off it, firstyear head coach Cody Champagne said.
“He’s a kid that in the classroom is going to do everything right,” Champagne said. “In the school he’s going to do everything right. In the weight room he’s one of the hardest workers in there. He helps out with the locker room, and then when you put him out there on the field, he’s just different.
“It’s all the intangibles that he has that makes him the person he is, the player he is.”
Calais said that the Bulldogs getting back to the Superdome for a third straight year would be a huge deal.
“The biggest thing is making sure we reach the standard and raise the standard as much as we’ve been doing,” he said. “Just staying consistent and getting better every day.”
Calais has again been a standout for the Bulldogs after rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season during the team’s championship run. He’s played running back, receiver and a few snaps at quarterback and has returned kicks for CHS as the team works to get him the ball in a variety of ways.
In the first four weeks, Calais has run 64 times for 339 yards (5.3 yards per carry) with seven touchdowns, caught 13 passes for 318 yards (24.3 yards per catch) with two TDs and gone 5-for-5 for 103 yards passing with a touchdown. He’s also returned a kick 88 yards for a touchdown with a 47yard kick return as well.
“We’ve got to use him a lot of different ways, whether he’s going to be playing quarterback, running back or receiver,” Champagne said. “He has a skill set that’s unmatched by a lot of kids. We’ve got to make sure we’re using that.”
Calais said he’ll play where he’s needed.
“I would prefer wide receiver, but if they need me somewhere else, I’d be willing to play to learn,” Calais said. “Mostly coming up as a kid, I played quarterback.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound junior has picked up more than 15 college scholarship offers, largely as an athlete or receiver, including one from LSU in May. Other schools offering scholarships to Calais include Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Miami, TCU, Texas A&M, Tulane, UCLA and Southern California. Ohio State, the 2024 national champion, also has made a push to get him to sign with the Buckeyes.
Calais shows leadership for the Bulldogs in many ways, his coach said.
“He understands what has to be done, not just football wise but the whole scope of a football program,” Champagne said. “That’s him”.
“He’s getting a lot of attention right now, but thank God he’s the kid he is because he understands how to handle that.”
Calais is playing some safety this year as well for the Bulldogs.
“Basically third down, red zone, just the big stops that we need,” Calais said of his defensive snaps.
