Point After Podcast S2 E1

Alex and Jeff talk about the start of local high school football.

What is KTBS: #3Fever Point-After Podcast?

KTBS 3 Sports and Jeff Harper present the #3Fever Point-After Podcast, a local show highlighting high school football in the ArkLaTex. Alex Anderson and Bossier Offensive Coordinator Jeff Harper give you a weekly look at teams to watch, interviews with some of our area's top recruits, and all the information you need to be prepared for the Friday night lights . Join us every Thursday morning wherever you get podcasts for the KTBS #3Fever Point After Podcast.

And it has been
a long time since we've heard that sound.

But thank you for joining us for season
two of the three favorite point

after podcast.

I'm Alex Anderson, joined again
this year by my co-host.

New job title for him.

It's Natchitoches Central
offensive coordinator Jeff Harper.

Coach, so glad to have you back
for another season to be here

talking ball with you. Each week.

How you been?

It's been a long time since we talked,
but I kind of wanted to do it that way

so we can kind of catch up here
on the pod.

Absolutely.

Well, number one, I'm excited to be back
talking ball with you.

You know,

rocking and rolling down in Natchitoches,
making that trek from Bowser every day.

It's not it's not as bad as I thought
it was going to be.

And getting to work with the guys
that just brought with him for me.

And, you know,

I got to bring three guys with me
from two guys with me from from Red River.

And so we've got a really good staff
and a good group of kids.

And I'm excited about
what we're building down in Natchitoches.

You know, it's funny

when all this kind of started
to take shape with with just Curtis

going to Mack and to Central,

something we've talked a lot about
in our countdown to Friday football fever.

You know, remember the last episode
last year we had un we had Jess on with us

and you two, I mean, it was
I was kind of just sitting in the back

letting you all go.

And it was so great to see that chemistry
and to see it

now kind of come in, come to fruition
in this new thing.

And A-Kid is central.

What's it been like
working with Coach Curtis?

And I'm sure a lot of change
for you personally and for the Chiefs.

Well, just

it's got more energy
than anybody that I've ever been around.

He is he is full tilt from the minute
he walks on campus.

He's usually got him a large

cup of coffee, multiple shots.

He is.

He is He's just one of those guys

that he gets everything out of you.

And the kids love him
and he demands a lot.

Now, I will say I've never seen a coach
demand as much as he does

from his players, from body language
to the way they respond

to, you know, little things
every single day to how they approach

the weight room to, you know, workouts
outside, whatever it may be.

He demands that they do things
a certain way.

He's changed the mindset.
He's changing the culture.

You know, we had over 125 kids
go through summer workouts, which is,

you know, has happened in a long time,
if ever, in that condition.

So there's a lot of excitement.

I mean, we had over 800
people meet the Chiefs,

the first ever meet the chiefs
that Coach Cryer put on.

And so when I tell you,

there is nothing like him
that I've never been around

anybody like him
and the staff that he's brought with them.

There's
a reason that Manny was a powerhouse

and he's trying to bring that to now
condition.

So I'm just happy to be a part of it
and learn what I can every single day

that it's going to make me a better coach
and at the same time,

just there's not a dull moment in the day.

There's a whole lot of laughs
and a whole lot of cutting up.

But when it's time to get real serious is

it goes from funny to scary serious
very fast.

And I love it.

Yeah, I think anyone who's been

on the sidelines
covering the game with with Jess

have seen that side from time to time,
especially when you know,

when things aren't going
the way he would like out there,

whether it be the officials
or the players or whatever.

So, man, I'm just so excited to see
more of this, to see your first game.

I'm just so happy for you,
you know, as a friend,

to have this opportunity
to have you two come together.

I feel like it was something
we actually talked about a while ago,

how cool it would be,
and we're finally here.

It's just incredible.

I'll ask you one last question
about the Chiefs and then we'll move on.

One thing that would
be noticeably different from what Coach

Curtis did at Manny to what you do
is that style of offense.

I know you don't want to give away a lot
and or anything, really, but

take me through that.

How how different?

Who is really budging more?

What's the offense
going to kind of look like?

They're in Natchitoches?

Well, you'd be surprised.

Just got a style all that he wants

and he wants to be able
to establish the line of scrimmage

and he wants to be able
to move people in the box.

He wants to be physical and run the ball.

And, you know, being not

being a run and shoot guy, you know,
we want to run the ball, too.

And so but having a pass game
built off of it with the ability to add,

you know, play actions and, you know,

screams and all that kind of stuff,
you know, jazz is all for that.

At the same time, being able to RPO.

We've kept, you know,
some under center stuff that he likes.

And in I brought some of the stuff that I

like to do from

from under center so there hasn't
really been any push back from him.

He made it clear to me that I'm bringing
you here to do what you do.

Here are the things that I would like
for you

to be able to incorporate in your offense,
because it kind of fits

what we're wanting to do as a as a program
in the way he plays defense.

He needs an offense
that can control the ball.

And so it's worked out really well.

And so far, you know what what we're doing
right now, we've got a lot of new faces

up front and, you know, added Big Joe
into the mix on offense and what else you

you know, he is he's as dominant
as you're going to find, but,

you know, added some pieces around him.

You know, they're new to the spots.

And so, you know, the run game will come,
but they're really good at it.

You know pass protection
we got skill guys,

a lot of them
that can just get a lot of skill guys.

And so I don't think I've ever
had this many skill guys,

you know, this deep, you know,
two or three deep at each spot.

So that's exciting.

And we're young, so,
you know, just as he's got what he wants

and we're building

a we're building a new look offense,
but it's got just a stamp all over it.

That is awesome.

I can't wait to see it
and I'm not going to wait much longer.

The reason I texted you yesterday

to find out
where your game will be on Friday

is because that's the game
I'm going to shoot

because I got to see it in action
firsthand.

And I feel like we've it's
almost become a tradition.

I shoot your first game every year.

This is like four years in a row
now that we've done it this way.

I love it, man.

I think it's awesome.

Yeah, it's fantastic. I'll come by.

Be sure to say hello.

I did want to ask before we moved on
to some other football stuff,

just because I know if anyone's

been listening to our show
and invested in us and everything.

I wanted to ask how Eli was doing over
in southern Arkansas.

Oh, man, he's doing great.

He is learning how to be a college athlete

and he's got a lot of guys
that he's learning from up there.

There, you know, Coach
Smiley's rebuilding a program

and they've got a lot of talent,
so he's glad to be a part of it.

And every day he's

getting to learn from some guys
that have been doing it for a long time.

So, you know, he's excited,
he's doing well.

And and it's same time
he's he's figuring out how to manage

his time and manage all the new things
that he's got on his plate.

And so every week we hear
some of the highs and lows of college

life with, you know,
my wife and I sit back and laugh.

You know, it's just
we told you it was coming.

So it's just it's been it's been fun.

He's doing great.

Miles. Love to hear that.

A former Griffins player of the week,
Elijah Harper, there, too. So.

Well, we've caught up again.

Just so nice to be back here
talking with you.

We have so much to really go through.

Obviously, you guys being one
of the bigger stories In one five day,

we got some huge games in week one,
but I wanted to first talk about,

you know, we know
teams that a lot of people are looking

at being very good you know
your airlines not to Sotos Calvary.

I was wondering if you had a couple teams
in mind that maybe not a lot of people

are talking about now, similar
to maybe north DeSoto a year ago.

When we get down to the end,
this is going to be a squad

that everyone's talking about.

Well, I think you have to have Huntington
in that conversation.

Coach Dennis has done a really good job
with this guys.

He's got L.J.

White, who's been sitting behind Big Cam
in the last few years.

And so a lot of skill guys.

Caleb Tucker,
one of his receivers, is a stud,

so they're a team that you really need
to pay attention to.

You know,
But I don't think it's really a surprise.

But I think Evangel, it's
got a bunch of guys that have been start

since they were freshmen.

They're not really going
to sneak up on anybody.

You know, the little E on the side of
the helmet is iconic in our area.

It's going to be the more iconic now

with faith, family, football
coming out on the first.

And so I think they're going to
be they're going to be good.

You know,

I think that, of course, your
your blueblood teams like Ruston

and those guys are still really,
really good.

So I don't really know
if you're going to see

a bunch of teams
sneak up on anybody as much as

you know, you're going to hear you
hear a lot about some of these programs

that have kind of been in conversations
that we've had each and every year.

I think you're going to see them

take that next step and be pushing
for deep runs in the playoffs.

It actually was funny.

You kind of used the two teams that I was
going to talk about there at Evangel.

I was out at their practice
a couple of weeks ago, a6am practice.

You know, they're slow to start.
Obviously, we all were.

It was six in the morning, but man,
when they got going, it was like, wow,

this is the evangel
that we're more accustomed to seeing.

They got Gabe Rella fired on the defensive
line Texas A&M commit.

He is a stud.

I mean, he was just running over everyone
out there and that's just in practice.

Yeah.

You love the full gym connection
quarterback and wide receiver.

But what I thought was interesting

about that quarterback wide receiver
connection is when we interviewed Peyton,

he said, you know, I feel like, ah,
he admitted that he felt

he was going to his brother
too much, that he was relying

way too heavily on him
and teams were figuring it out.

When he drops back nine times out of ten,
that's where he's looking.

And we talked about that for a minute.

And Gabe came up

and he he kind of stood there
and he was like, Man, I need a minute.

I've never heard him say that.

That was so great to actually hear him
acknowledge that.

And and what a leader

to admit his faults and to and to,
you know, be open about that.

So that was pretty cool.

And, you know,
they've got a couple of wide receivers

that are going to complement now Parker

and they look scary good and you did also
call it Faith family football.

It's actually called God family football.

But faith, family, football
would have been a slam dunk.

That's another faith coach.

Hey, you know, I didn't really know
the name of it.

I just know that
that's kind of their moniker. Right.

And so, you know, we listen to Coach

Blackmon over the years, and as you know,
those are the three that stood out.

But I do know that that's
going to be a big, big thing for them.

At the same time,
it gives you a, you know, peek

behind the scenes of what
it's like to play at Evangel.

And, you know,
those guys have been playing those that

this senior class, they've been starting
since they were freshmen.

And I really do think that
all of those reps are going to pay off

and I think they're going to be really,
really good.

And I mean, that district
and those are Huntington evangel,

they're both from that district
with Northwood, with North DeSoto.

I mean, Northwood, they've only lost one
district game in three years.

And that was not to North DeSoto,
it was to Huntington last year.

So that league is so interesting
and I think that's where we can start

when we're talking about our games
this week, because our game of the week,

I think it was an easy choice

with Louisiana kicking things off
North DeSoto, an airline.

I mean, these have to be two teams,

obviously the Griffins
after what they did last year,

but these have to be two teams
that are thinking,

you know, this is a year where we have
a strong chance to make a long run here.

Absolutely.

And listen, I think airlines loaded,

you know, they've had a group of kids

that have been playing
since they were freshmen as well.

And so now they're going into,
you know, this year where they

they've really seven and run in district
and, you know,

early an early departure from the playoffs
in the first round last year.

I know that they haven't gotten over
that building around Ben

Taylor
this offseason getting to train him.

You know he is
extremely extremely sharp and prepared.

And so they're going to be
they're going to be good.

And here's the deal about airline.

Not only not only can they throw it,
but they can run it.

Right.

And then you've got North of Sota
that's that's

coming off a dome appearance and really,
you know

should have won that ballgame if you
you know, I was there I watched it there.

They're as good as you're going to find.

You know, Delafield can spin it.

He's got four wide receivers
that are really good in a good run game.

And so they're going to be
salty on defense.

So that game is a game.

And I was I was telling one of our coaches
this this morning,

you know I almost feel like it's
that that game it's

almost like how I feel about,
you know, wanting to watch a college game.

Yeah.

Since I can't be there to see it,
I can't wait to get my hands on the film

or go back and watch it in that chess
or whatever, because that that is

probably if not, it's the biggest game
up here in northwest Louisiana for sure.

But it's one of the biggest games
since it's our state

with the type of teams
that that you get in week one.

Right.

And you know, last year
it was a matchup of two teams

that we thought they would be improved,
but we did not see.

I don't think any of us saw what
they ended up doing coming in that season.

And so now here we are.

A lot of those for a lot of those
rosters are back from the teams

we saw a year ago.

And you know,
I was thinking that same thing

with North DeSoto, Delafield
and his weapons.

We had them in the Jamboree
this last week on Friday, football fever.

And just in my head

when I'm calling the highlights, I'm like,
Oh, they have that too.

Oh my gosh, they have that kid to wow.

And then Cole Corey

makes the number one

play of the week with this incredible
catch off of a tip off of his helmet.

I mean, they are like you said, they're
about as loaded as you can be an airline.

You mentioned them running the ball.

Trey Jackson's back.

He is such a dynamic player.

We saw him all year last year
really making highlights.

And it is going to be a lot of fun.

And I'm so excited that we have
Daniel headed out there.

I mean, what a what
a way to kick off week one in Louisiana.

That brings me to another game
that kicks off the year,

and it's almost kind of an opposite story
to me.

Two teams with older guys, but guys that
maybe didn't play as much getting here.

And I don't know what to make of it.

Northwood and Benton
always a heck of a game to start the year,

but two teams with two quarterbacks
that are very similar

in terms of their stories,

I think this game has the potential
to be another really, really good one.

Oh, absolutely.

And I think, you know, Benton
Benton is going to be one of those teams

where you really don't

have to figure them out early
because they are replacing so many guys,

especially, you know, a three year
starter at QB.

You know,
I really believe, you know, arguably

the best receiver graduated
best receiver in the area last year.

Pierce Russell

So you know those
those are big shoes to fill

but they had some pretty good offensive
linemen too.

So you know in a really salty defense,
Well now you're replacing all those guys.

You got a new scheme,
a new defensive coordinator.

You know,

in the same time you look on the other
side in north where they got a new center.

Nikola mason Well, now Kilgore
and you know, they've got

they get some new pieces

and you don't know
which way it's going to go,

but you know, it's
going to be one of those games

going to be fun to watch
and you're going to see well-coached,

you know, scheme
on both sides of the ball.

So I don't know which way that leans.

I've seen film on both both teams.

And I got to be at spring game
when they play Calvary.

Jeffrey King is one of the best guys
in the area that nobody's talking about.

Yeah, he's got a huge arm.

I mean, he's got a huge arm.

Maybe the strongest arm in the area,

you know, big javelin thrower,
unbelievable athlete.

He can run it, He can spin it.

The thing is, can they protect him?

You know, they got guys that can catch it
like they like

they want to be able to throw it,
you know?

So that's going to be
the interesting part for them.

And how well do they adapt
with the new scheme?

All those questions will be answered,
you know, sooner than later.

But that is going to be an interesting
ball ball game for sure.

Yeah, I'm excited for that one.

And you mentioned Jeffrey King
when when I interviewed

Coach Reynolds Moore at their practice,
another 6 a.m.

practice. I'm just pat myself on the back
at this point. I forget. Not that

he said the exact same thing you did.

He said, Man,
he has got an unbelievable arm.

Coach Moore said it was the best
arm he'd ever coached, so

but he echoed that same thing

that a lot of people know that
not a lot of people have seen it,

and they're going to be blown away
by what this guy is able to do.

And you mentioned the running.

I thought one thing that was funny
that Coach Moore said is, you know,

Jeffrey's a lot different than Gray.

Gray was a much skinnier guy.

Coach didn't have to tell Gray
to run out of bounds or slide.

He was he was going to do that.

Jeffrey is trying to put the shoulder down

and and go headfirst into the into action.

So they're going to have to
according to coach, they're going

have to real him in a bit
when it comes to that

because he played wide receiver

much like Northwoods
quarterback Hudson Heron,

who is our Griffin's Player of the week
this week.

So a couple of athletic guys, but really,

I assume you've at least worked with them
or seen them in some capacity.

Two guys that really are

I think are going to be great quarterbacks
for us here this year.

No question.

No question.

And Jeffrey King is one of those guys
that he is he is bigger than great.

I don't know if he's as fast as gray,
but I know he's as good an athlete

and he is scared of nothing.

And at the same time,
the heron kid is, too.

He's the same way.
I mean, we got some film,

you know, of Northwest against somebody
I can't remember.

I watched a little bit of it
and he he was putting his shoulder down

running dudes over.

So I love to see that.

I love,
I love when quarterback's not afraid

to make contact and drop the shoulder
and run over somebody.

I love it.

Yeah.

And I just man,
I don't know how they do it at Northwood.

Mason is one of the nicest kids ever.

Just every time you see him in public,
he's just so awesome.

And, you know, Hudson's just right there.
You know,

Hudson told me they're best friends,
and they are two peas in a pod, man.

They are just great, great, great dudes.

And always fun to to chat with them.

Every time I see Mason,

he always calls me Hollywood, which
I just think is hilarious, You know that?

Very. I might know it, man. I'm.

I'm from Houghton Blanchard.

Pretty much the same thing.

So it's it's very, very relatable to me.

So the Northwood Falcons in that regard,
I'm just looking through our list of games

we're covering.

Another interesting one,
you know, two teams that obviously

you know well, one thing
you know a lot about Parkway at Mendon,

I think Mendon is going to be a lot better
this year, too.

And Parkway, you know, they got
two sophomores in the offensive backfield.

They're going to be an interesting team

to see how this kind of unfolds for them
as the season goes along.

Yeah, but I think

that they're going to be a whole lot
better than people give them credit.

And and I'm sure that's kind of where
we probably want to be like

he's not on everybody's radar, you know,
he doesn't have to worry about that.

But I got to see
see their fall scrimmage against West.

I watched those big Fast and Parkway
played with them and even, you know,

get a couple of, you know, big, big play
swing their way for them

to pull out, you know, a victory
in that game late in the time quarter.

So I think Mendon

they've got some they've always got really
good athletes they're going to be big.

They're going to be fast.

That game could go either way.

They rattle they can rattle Parkway
offensively, you know, they could make it.

They can make it interesting. Parkway
defense is good.

In fact, I'd probably put Parkway
Defense up there with anybody

in northwest Louisiana.

They get a lot of guys back.

You know, they got big B.J.

up front and then they've got Kamara

Now that's going to try to lock down
your best, your best receiver. So

that doesn't mention, you know,
I'm not even talking about,

you know, chip minutes and safety
and some of those other guys.

So Carter Wells out there, you know
they get some they've got some pieces

they're going to be very, very good
on the offensive side hard to score on

and they got the best special teams
guy in the area. Yep.

I was going to say two things about
Parkway Camaro Mayo, unbelievable player.

Best name that I've seen so far
in pre season and then Aaron Burrell.

I mean, my goodness,
I don't know if we've ever seen a kicker

or a special teams weapon
quite like this in our area.

Coy was telling me season
they're talking about 6570 yards.

They might actually consider
letting him try that.

I mean,

have you ever really in high school
seen a kicker with this type of ability?

Well, you're going to find this hilarious.

But I held off

for Craig Oberlander,
who was the SRO at Parkway.

He was the best kicker I've ever seen.
Okay.

They keep like a 5556 yarder.

I held it.

We were an independent stadium in 96
and he could boom it.

He was a soccer player.

All world
soccer player could go to kick D-1.

Yeah, I think he had schools like Arkansas
and other a couple of SEC schools

looking at him.
I can't remember who they were.

I'd be lying if I said I knew him,
but he decided to play soccer in college.

And so I watched him kick it, you know, on
top of the ticket booth every day

practice year.

He was unbelievable.

Best kicker I've ever seen.

Ever seen it until I saw Burrell.

And Burrell has no idea.

Hambro has no idea.

He goes to school every day with a guy
that in high school could could kick it

like he could kick it.

Now, I don't think that I don't think
Oberlander could kick it 70 yards,

but I know he could kick it six yards.

And so that's what what Burrell can do.

It's just it's mind blowing.

I watched him there in warmups when they
play this week, two at Red River.

He was kicking in a
65 yard order in warmups,

and that was last year.

So he's bigger, stronger, a year older.

But I wouldn't be surprised if he if
he hit something 65 or better this year.

And that's why we have you on the show.

I mean, that's an unbelievable
history lesson,

something that I don't think anyone knows
and maybe perhaps a story for the future,

because that's some pretty cool stuff
and I'm sure a lot of respect.

Craig
Oberlander Put respect on the man's name.

The dude was unbelievable.

Well, Craig Oberlander,
there's your shout out, brother.

Love it.

Now, would he, would he agree that
the hold was just as good as the kick?

It doesn't matter.

He made the kick the end of the day.

Laces were out and he made it.

Get the laces out, laces out.

Any Ace Ventura fans out there
certainly know what that's all about.

I did want to ask about a team

that unfortunately
we didn't get to cover in the countdown.

And I really wanted to because of where
their new head coach comes from.

That's Bozer and Gary Smith.

You know, we've talked about him
a lot on this show.

We've featured Houghton's
offense plenty of times,

and he's the leader there, him
getting this head coaching job now

at Bozer,
a place that, you know, it's been tough.

It's been tough for us to have sustained
success there with the Bearcats.

I don't know how much,
if any, you've been able

to see of what he's been able to do
in his short time there.

But I'm sure this is a guy
and a team that maybe

you should be excited for now
as we move forward into the future.

Well, I got to work with

Gary's quarterback this offseason
and I got to be around him a little bit.

He's he's put together
a really good staff.

He's got Andy Pentecost
coming out of retirement.

These guys are,
you know, local legend and coach and DBS

and in the South
Asia area Parkway for years.

You know Guy was my offensive coordinator

when I was in high school,
a freshman, sophomore year or so.

And he's one of the best of the best.

And now he's going to be coaching over
there.

He's got Mike

Manno coaching his offensive line,
who was with me at Red River last year.

He's really put together good staff.

C.J. Morgan is O.C.,
who does a really good job.

Young coach is on fire,
you know, really smart, sharp guy,

played at Mississippi State,
so he's building it, right?

And he you know, he's
got people in the community and he's got

an alumni backing
him and people investing in that program.

He's done a really great job
coming in and fixing the weight room.

He really wants to build that
that program, you know,

around a really strong
strength conditioning program.

And he's done that.

So Boze was always going to have talent.

You just got to get those kids out
to play football.

And I think I think he's
going to be able to do that.

And they're going to
they're going to be solid on defense.

They're going to come down hill
and poppy in the mouth

and and I believe
that people will give him the opportunity,

which he's about to love.

I mean, he's got he's
got the backing of the community.

But if people can be patient, he can

he can turn that thing around
and make them a winner year in, year out.

He's one of the best
defensive guys around.

And now he's back in the saddle
as a head coach.

And I'm really excited for him
and excited for that Boger community.

You know,
I'll do a little peek behind the curtain.

He did message me about something
going on at Bajaur a couple of months ago,

and the first sentence was, Hey,
I know it's not Horton, but.

And Mike up. Come on, man, you work there.

I love all of our all of our schools
equally there.

But I just thought it was funny.

I love when people kind of
come at me like that at first, as if

to say, Well, I know it's not hard,
but you should care.

I always care. This is what I'm here for.

I went to school at heart
and I love those guys.

But look,

I mean, I'm sitting here

talking on a podcast with the Parkway guy,
so, I mean, what are you going to do?

Well, very, very true.

Yeah, of course.

I mean, I have more on the Parkway
have for the past two years too.

But maybe that will change this year.

That's a topic for another time.

Look, man,
I think we've gone here about 30 minutes.

I think that's all we got.

The history lesson about the parkway
kick was unbelievable.

What was the man's name? One more time?

Craig Oberlander He is the current SRO
at Parkway High School.

Matt is just a fantastic story.

I'm going to remember that

and luckily hopefully we've recorded this
so it'll be there for everyone

to remember.

But Coach, unless you've got anything else
to add, I think we should sign this off.

Man. What do you say?

I think we're good, man.

Glad to be back for another year.

Oh, it's so great to be back.

And I do love this time
just to sit and catch up with you.

And, you know,
I know we're both pretty busy

with what we got going on, but

it's nice to take some time once a week
to sit down in our stand up and

and talk to you about the sport
in the sport we all love so much. So.

Coach Harper, offensive Coordinator,

Atlanta Central,
thank you for joining us for another week.

Well,

we'll figure out a guest for next week so
we can get someone else on here with us.

But until next week, you're listening
to the Three Fever point after podcast.

We'll see you Friday
night for Friday Football fever.