Tigers pursuing dreams and goals under Dartez
St. Martinville – James Dartez wants the first football team he coaches at St. Martinville Senior High to chase its dreams and goals regardless of how unrealistic they might seem to people outside the building.
“I tell people you’ve got to be a little delusional to have dreams and goals,” Dartez said. “We want to get better every week. We want people to leave a game saying ‘those kids played for each other. Those kids were locked in. They were a disciplined ballclub. And they hit and went at each other for four quarters.’
“That’s the mark we want to leave in a foundational year.”
Dartez, an Opelousas native who previously was head coach at Baker High School before taking time away to help care for his ailing father, took over the team in June after coach Garrett Kreamer left the Tigers following one season to take the reins of the football program at Vermilion Charter Academy.
“You know, I got here in June,” Dartez said. “And the fact that the kids have taken to the coaching, have taken to both sides of the ball, taken to our personality so fast, that’s a tremendous hat’s off to them.
“We tell them we can’t fast forward anything. This is not a microwave process. There’s no magic wands to success. We have to put in the workday in and day out. If we can get better every single day, if these guys can earn the ins and outs of the defense and play for each other, that will be a successful season.”
Dartez said the summer conditioning program went well.
“Everything I threw at these guys, they handled it with no griping, no pushback,” he said. “This is one of the hardest- working teams I have ever been around. These kids have worked tirelessly all summer long.
“And I’ve thrown some things at them. When we get out on the field, it’s business. We work for two hours. I’ve thrown so many things at these guys and they say, ‘coach, that’s what you want us to do?’ And they get right to it. This is a hard-working ballclub.”
Dartez said the offense will look to run the ball on offense first.
“We’re going to run the football first and foremost, but we also want to put our athletes in space,” Dartez said. “We want to make sure that we’re getting the ball to our playmakers in advantageous positions, and we want to make sure that my system is tailor-made to the strengths of our offense.
“I’m never going to put a square peg into a round hole. We want to make sure we’re putting our guys in the best position to succeed, because at the end of the day, this is their time. We want to make sure that they enjoy their four years of playing in the purple and gold.”
The offensive line, led by senior guards Sam Coleman and Ja’Tyran Boudreaux and returning sophomore tackle Eli LeBlanc, also features junior center Harry Williams and freshman tackle Arthur Ledet.
Junior Trae Williams is set at tailback and senior Torien Hebert is the halfback. Quarterback Christian Gedward, a junior, was a standout starting defensive back last season and is expected to bring leadership and a strong throwing arm to the offense.
A deep group of receivers includes returning junior starter Jamion James along with senior Myles Martin and sophomore Landon Guye.
The defense returns starting seniors Torien Hebert and Ja’Tyran Boudreaux along with senior Sam Coleman on a three-man front.
Linebackers include senior Torrian Jones and juniors Terrian Simon and Aiden Savoy.
The secondary is expected to feature senior Myles Martin and junior Darrell Harris returning to starting roles along with sophomores Harlon Potier and Landon Guye and freshman Harlon Potier.
“Defensively, we want to play sound, assignment football,” Dartez said. “We want to be tough and hard-nosed. I think we want to be a pack of wild dogs. Every time the ball is snapped, I need six purple jerseys near the football. I need the other five on their way there. And the guys have taken to that. We do our pursuit drills. We do our rabid drills where everybody’s flying to the football a hundred miles an hour. And as a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”
Earlier this summer, Dartez said he wanted to “Restore the Roar” to St. Martinville football.
“Just let the fans of St. Martinville and this community know that they’re going to have a product that they can be extremely proud of,” he said. “We want them to come out and support them in full force.”
(Chris
DEFENSIVE STARTERS – The St. Martinville Tigers’ defensive starters this season are expected to include, from left, Harlon Potier, Darrell Harris, Myles Martin, Terrian Simon and Andon Smith. Landry)
James Dartez
