JPG Guardians Capture FIFTH Straight Football Championship With 38–6 Victory Over Southwest
BALL, La. — Five consecutive championships. Seven overall. And a senior class that John Paul the Great Academy head football coach Richard describes as perhaps the finest he has ever coached.
The top-seeded JPG Guardians capped another dominant season on Saturday, October 24, defeating the second-seeded Southwest Louisiana Homeschool Knights 38–6 at Tioga High School to claim their fifth consecutive league football championship.
The victory completed an 8–1 season for the Guardians, whose only loss came by forfeit when a scheduled game conflicted with the school’s annual student pilgrimage. Southwest finished 5–3, with all three losses coming at the hands of JPG.
The Guardians entered the championship game following a 78–6 semifinal victory over Mid-State on October 15. Southwest earned its championship berth with a hard-fought 38–34 semifinal victory over the First Baptist Christian School Eagles.
Although the championship score suggested another comfortable JPG victory, Coach Richard knew the Knights possessed an offense capable of challenging his defense, particularly behind quarterback Brad Terry and a talented group of receivers.
The Guardians answered that challenge with one of their finest defensive performances of the season.
Defense Sets the Tone
“I really liked the way we executed on defense,” Richard said. “I thought the defense played an incredibly good game.”
The Guardians controlled the line of scrimmage, tackled consistently and kept Terry under pressure throughout the contest.
“He never got comfortable,” Richard said of the Southwest quarterback. “We kept him under pressure, which we knew we had to do. He’s a good QB. If you give him time, he’ll hurt you, and they have good receivers.”
Richard credited his defensive backs for their coverage and defensive coordinator Jacob LeJeune for preparing a game plan that limited the Knights to six points.
“Our corners covered well. Just a great defensive effort. I was really impressed with our defense, and Jacob LeJeune, the defensive coordinator, did a fine job there.”
Offensively, the Guardians relied on the disciplined, physical running game that has become the program’s trademark.
“We went out, we ran the ball, got positive yards every play, never got behind the chains, and kept the offense on schedule,” Richard explained.
Just as importantly, JPG avoided the mistakes that can allow a dangerous opponent to remain competitive.
“You do those things, play good defense, keep the offense on schedule, you’ll have a good result more times than not at the end of the day,” Richard said.
A Complete Team Performance
Quarterback Nick Odinet, who assumed the starting role following senior Daniel Charpentier’s season-ending concussion problems, again impressed his coach with his athleticism and command of the offense.
“Nick played extremely well once again at QB,” Richard said. Even when blocking broke down on designed quarterback runs, Odinet’s speed and athleticism allowed him to make plays.
Riley Lormand continued his outstanding season, while the Guardians’ offensive line controlled the point of attack.
Richard particularly praised senior Maximus Stewart, a powerful presence on the right side of the line.
“He’s a load and hard to stop, and he gets low and he moves his feet,” Richard said. “He’s a big guy with good technique, so that’s double trouble.”
The coach also singled out Luke Salvatierra for an excellent performance and Bernard Latel for finding the end zone.
“All the running backs were contributing,” Richard said. “It was just a solid, very well-executed, complete ball game by the football team.”
The championship victory followed a semifinal contest against Mid-State in which the Guardians capitalized on unusual weather conditions.
Although there was no rain, strong winds disrupted Mid-State’s passing attack and even affected kickoffs. Richard recalled kicks that traveled only 20 or 30 yards before seemingly stopping in midair and dropping to the field, creating unexpected recovery opportunities for JPG.
The Guardians took advantage of numerous turnovers and extra possessions in the 78–6 victory, although Richard was quick to praise Mid-State as a good football team that he expects to remain competitive.
Five Championships, One Remarkable Senior Class
For JPG’s seniors, the championship celebration carried an additional emotion: the realization that their football careers with the Guardians had come to an end.
“It’s bittersweet for them, as it is for every senior,” Richard reflected. “They’re extremely happy that they won, but they can’t believe it’s all over.”
Some of the players had been with Richard since eighth grade. Lormand, in particular, accomplished something extraordinary: playing in all five of the Guardians’ consecutive championship victories.
“Riley, this is his fifth championship in a row,” Richard said. “He came out as an eighth grader on our team five years ago, and he’s played in every championship.”
Richard believes this senior class distinguished itself not merely through its athletic talent, but through its extraordinary composure, maturity and confidence.
“By far, the most unshakable group of competitors I’ve ever coached,” he said.
Other talented teams, he explained, sometimes became nervous when games tightened. This group seemed almost immune to that pressure.
“These guys, you couldn’t shake them. Sometimes they were more calm than me,” Richard said. “They always felt like, ‘Hey, we got this game in hand. Don’t you worry about it.'”
He went even further in assessing their place in JPG history.
“It might be the best team I’ve ever coached. They were very good.”
Senior Spotlight: The Guardians Who Continued a Dynasty
Five seniors leave the JPG football program having helped establish a standard of excellence that will challenge future Guardians teams to follow.
(standing left to right) Grant Thompson, Daniel Charpentier, and Riley Lormand
#7 Riley Lormand — Running Back / Linebacker
A gifted athlete and fierce competitor, Lormand has been one of the defining players of JPG’s championship run. His versatility and athleticism allowed him to contribute in multiple positions, while his five years of experience provided the team with invaluable leadership.
He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player and earned All-State recognition as a running back.
Coach Richard: “Amazing athlete. Gifted athlete. Athlete who loved to compete. Showed up on game day. You knew he was ready to play football.”
#12 Daniel Charpentier — Quarterback
Charpentier directed the Guardians’ option offense during three consecutive championship seasons before concussions prevented him from completing his senior year.
Richard expressed sadness that Charpentier could not finish his career on the field, while praising the quarterback’s leadership, intelligence and command of the offense.
The coaches had hoped to give Charpentier one final snap in the championship game, perhaps simply to take a knee, but the game ended with JPG on defense.
Coach Richard: “I don’t know if he knows how much the people around him admire him. He was a great leader on the football field, and knew what we wanted to do on offense. Great running the option, made great reads.”
#70 Elliot McCormick — Defensive Player
McCormick’s story illustrates the importance of perseverance and the contributions of players whose work is not always reflected in statistics.
Despite limited experience and injuries, McCormick continued attending practices, improving his skills and working toward an opportunity to contribute. His determination eventually earned him playing time in the Guardians’ defensive lineup.
Coach Richard: “One of the most improved players over the years. A guy who didn’t play a lot of sports and kept coming to practice, overcame some injuries, and was able to work his way onto the football field and be a contributor.”
#71 Maximus Stewart — Offensive / Defensive Lineman
Stewart provided the Guardians with a formidable presence on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Big, strong and aggressive, Stewart combined natural physical ability with a willingness to learn technique and accept coaching. Richard considers him a potential Division I talent.
Stewart earned All-State honors on both the offensive and defensive lines.
Coach Richard: “Big, strong, aggressive. Loves football, down to his core. I think he’s a D1 talent. He’s gonna be missed tremendously.”
#72 Dominic Cramer — Center / Defensive Lineman
Cramer exemplified the willingness to sacrifice individual preferences for the good of the team.
An exceptional athlete, he accepted the responsibilities of playing center on offense while becoming a dominant pass rusher on defense.
Richard said Cramer led both JPG and the league in sacks, earning All-State honors as a defensive lineman.
Cramer’s graduation also marks another milestone in a longstanding relationship between Richard and the Cramer family. Beginning with older brother Sebastian and continuing through Dominic and younger brother Luke, Richard has coached Cramer brothers for approximately eight to ten years.
Coach Richard: “Amazing athlete. Loves to compete. He’s a guy that played center for us, so he was unselfish, and we cut him loose on defense. And boy, did that pay dividends! Dom was a major disruptor coming off the edge.”
Guardians Earn Postseason Recognition
The Guardians’ championship season was also recognized through individual postseason honors.
Richard was named Association of Christian Educators of Louisiana’s Coach of the Year.
Lormand was selected as league MVP and All-State running back. Stewart received All-State honors at both offensive and defensive line, while Cramer earned All-State defensive line recognition. Odinet was selected All-State at cornerback.
Richard also praised several players who did not receive those honors, including Luke Cramer, Luke Salvatierra and cornerback Noah Hinskins, as deserving of recognition for their contributions.
Southwest quarterback Brad Terry received All-State recognition at quarterback, an honor Richard considered well deserved.
Richard expects the Knights, with Terry and their talented receivers, to remain a formidable opponent next season.
For Richard, the reward was watching his players recognize that their success represented the culmination of years of preparation, sacrifice and perseverance. Richard described players who had become so familiar with the system that they often anticipated his instructions before he gave them. “They already knew what I wanted them to do,” he explained. “And they knew, and they made a mistake, and they knew how we wanted to correct that mistake.”
Richard hopes his players carry that understanding into adulthood, recognizing that worthwhile accomplishments often demand sustained effort without immediate reward. “Years and years of hard work. You’re not going to see the result right away always,” Richard said. “You’ve got to work at things for maybe your whole life, our salvation for a whole life. So that’s an important thing.” By grace and blessings, the 2026 Guardians enjoyed overwhelming victories, their fifth consecutive championship and will be remembered as perhaps the finest senior class of Richard’s coaching career.
J. Christian Lewis/AI assisted.