Jesuit HS of New Orleans kicked off their Louisiana HS league season with a workmanlike 27-5 defeat of new team Captain Shreve Saturday in New Orleans.

Photos by Hudson Ellis.

For Captain Shreve this was the opening move in a completely new single-school program. They came up against an experienced Jesuit team that, despite losing USA U19 lock Will Waguespack to graduation, looks to be picking up where they left off (last year they made the Deep South/Louisiana HS final).

Head Coach Adam Massey said he wasn’t blown away by his Jesuit team’s performance, but added that this is the earliest his team has started league play, and they haven’t had much time to work together.

“I was pleased with how prepared we were given the early start,” said Massey. “But we were also glitchy in a number of areas.”

One of the key issues for Jesuit was how the players made decisions when they got a penalty called in their favor. Whether to tap and run, kick for a lineout, or kick for points, it took a while got the team to figure out what to do.

That’s fixable, said Massey, and the team has the experience to fix it, especially in the backline. While Massey’s son, Gabe, was injured training with the USA South team, the rest of the backline returns from last year. Flyhalf Case Ellis put Captain Shreve under pressure with his boot, punishing the Shreveport team when they didn’t cover deep, and Ellis scored a try on a brilliantly-executed chip-and-chase, as well.

Senior wing Nate Beech battled illness to make the starting lineup, scored a try, and pretty much had to be dragged off the field afterward.

“The backs won the game for us,” said Massey. “Give us a few more weeks, and the forwards will find their rhythm.”

Those forwards include two new locks in Josh Gaspard and Charles Lebrano. They are juniors well over six feet, and have helped add some heft to the Jsuit engine room.

They will need it going forward. Jesuit takes on the New Orleans Barbarians next week.