For a program that has won four consecutive state championships, the temptation might be to measure every new season by whether another trophy is added to the collection.
John Paul the Great Academy Head Coach Barrett Richard is looking for something deeper from his 2026 team.
“I want these boys to realize how good they can be,” Richard said. “To make that happen by hard work, and then to, from that, love it.”
The four-time defending champions are coming off of a 58-8 victory over Southwest Louisiana Homeschool opener. They return with plenty of familiar faces, a proven system and a head coach entering his 17th year at John Paul the Great. But Richard’s message to his players is not about what they have already accomplished. It is about gratitude, commitment and continuing to improve.
That next opportunity comes Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at Broussard Sports Complex, where the Guardians will face the First Baptist Christian School Eagles.
Plenty of Experience Returns
John Paul the Great enters the season with 24 players, including five seniors — a relatively large senior class for the small program after the Guardians had only one senior a year ago.
Among the veterans returning are quarterback Daniel Charpentier, league MVP Riley Lormand, Maximus Stewart, brothers Dominique and Luke Cramer, and running back Luke Salvatierra. Stewart was an All-State defensive tackle last season.
The Guardians also return a sophomore class that received unusually extensive varsity experience as freshmen. Richard singled out Jude Richard, Samuel Richard and Noah Hensgens as members of that group who should contribute this season, particularly on defense and along the offensive line.
Anthony Fridell is one of the newcomers stepping into a significant role, taking over a starting tackle position.
“We got a lot of guys back,” Richard said. “Our freshman group last year … was the group of freshmen that got the most playing time ever on our team because they earned it. They earned it at practice.”
Opponents hoping John Paul the Great will abandon the formula that produced four straight championships are unlikely to get their wish. There are no major changes coming to Richard’s offense. “Not too many changes, as you would guess,” Richard said. Instead, the focus is on what he calls the “low-hanging fruit” — better steps, sharper execution and making everything a little more crisp.
The Guardians will continue operating Richard’s under-center, run-oriented offense, forcing defenses to account for the quarterback while remaining disciplined against a system John Paul the Great has refined over years.
Richard will continue calling the offense. Athletic Director Jacob LeJeune coordinates the defense, while Richard works directly with the defensive line. Defensively, the Guardians are more willing to change their approach from week to week. “Our offense ain’t going to change a lot, but our defense can change a lot,” Richard said. That flexibility does not change the underlying philosophy: John Paul the Great wants to control the line of scrimmage.
Richard has spent years refining offensive-line technique, and this offseason he has devoted additional attention to defensive-line play. Conversations with coaches from other programs have focused on everything from stance and hand placement to hip movement, one-gap versus two-gap responsibilities and the mechanics of coming off the football.
“We’re believers, as you would guess, in controlling the line of scrimmage first,” Richard said.
Four consecutive championships inevitably create expectations, but Richard isn’t defining this team’s success simply by whether it wins a fifth. His goal is for his players to discover what they are capable of and then put in the work necessary to reach it.
“I don’t feel like they’re playing up to their potential right now,” Richard said. “As a coach, you always see low-hanging fruit that you hate to walk by. … I want these boys to realize how good they can be.”
That includes learning something Richard believes extends far beyond football: commitment can precede passion. “You can be committed to something, and then because of your commitment, you grow to love it,” he said.
Richard acknowledged that the Guardians are not yet “clicking on all cylinders” and need considerable improvement. But he said the process itself is more important than where it ultimately leads.
“If we do that, and even if we wouldn’t win a championship, I’d be happy.”
Football as a Privilege
In his 17th season, Richard’s motivation increasingly centers on what his players will take with them after their football careers end.
One of the central lessons this year is gratitude.
“Football is not a right to play. Football is a privilege,” Richard said. “If you get to step on the football field and compete against another team, living in the United States of America … you already won the lottery.”
His challenge is getting teenagers to recognize the opportunities they have been given and then channel that gratitude into effort.
“For them to realize how fortunate they are, and then to channel that gratitude towards fulfilling their potential, I always feel like I need to do a better job at that.”
That philosophy reaches into the seemingly mundane parts of football — another practice, another repetition and another hot August afternoon when a player would rather be finished than hear his coach tell him to run the play again.
For Richard, those moments may ultimately matter more than the scoreboard.
“Showing up every day and doing things that seem mundane with enthusiasm and purpose is a big deal,” Richard said. “It’s a big deal as a football player. It’s even a bigger deal as a father.”
He wants his players to understand that “consistent, intentional work” is preparation not simply for football, but for someday leading and providing for a family.
The lesson also involves accountability. “You start resting on your laurels; it will get you,” Richard said. “That’s life.” And eventually, he hopes his players discover something else: the work itself was part of the reward. “At some point, realizing, man, the fun part was putting in the work,” Richard said. “That’s what made it all fun.” There is a different satisfaction in taking the field knowing the performance was earned through weeks and months of preparation. “I’m out here playing well because I’ve been putting in work,” Richard said. “That makes it exponentially more enjoyable for everyone — and formative, of course.”
First Baptist Awaits Thursday
John Paul the Great’s first test comes against a familiar opponent Thursday night. Richard expects the Eagles to present a challenge, particularly with their passing game.
“I hear First Baptist has a real good quarterback,” Richard said. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about him, and that he can throw it really well and is a good athlete. So I think we’re gonna have our hands full Thursday night.”
The matchup provides an early measuring stick for a John Paul the Great team carrying the weight — and opportunity — that comes with four straight championships. Richard’s four senior captains — Lormand, Charpentier, Cramer and Stewart — represent an experienced core that knows what championship football requires.
But Richard does not want them living off what previous teams accomplished. The Guardians’ challenge is to show up again. Practice again. Execute the mundane details again. Appreciate the opportunity again. The trophies from the last four seasons are already won. What Richard wants to find out now is what this team is willing to earn.
John Paul the Great Academy vs. First Baptist Christian School
Thursday, August 13 — 6:30 p.m.
Broussard Sports Complex
J. Christian Lewis/AI assisted