ST. MARTINVIILLE — St. Martinville Senior High has reloaded its football roster after making a run to the 2020 3A quarterfinals.

The Tigers welcome back 17 starters, but coach Vincent DeRouen is concerned about overall depth.

“I’m definitely happy with our starters,” DeRouen said. “It’s our backups and our depth that I’m worried about. We lost some kids to both injuries and virtual learning. That hurt us a little bit. We didn’t lose any starters, but some of our backups.

“We only have a small senior group with maybe six playing on the field. We do have some good size. But after the starters, if we lose a fingernail, we’re in trouble.”

Dual-threat quarterback Tanner Harrison (6-2, 195, Sr.) is one of three four-year starters for the Tigers.

“Tanner was all-district the last two years,” DeRouen said. “We’re definitely expecting some great things from him. He has a good football IQ and is a fierce competitor. We can put him anywhere on the field and he’ll master that.”

The top two rushers also return in Steven Blanco (5-10, 205, Soph.) and two-way player Mandrel Butler (5-11, 190, Sr.).

“Blanco had a great breakout season,” DeRouen said. “I think he ran for over 1,300 yards as a freshman. He improved as the season went on. In the spring, we thought he was one of the most improved players. His upside is definitely positive. He’s about 205 pounds. He runs well and carries his weight well.

“Mandrel Butler will still get carries if he can stay healthy. Last year, he started off carrying some of the offensive load but injuries caught up with him and hampered him some.”

The Tigers have four veteran receivers in Harvey Broussard, Cullen Charles, Kyrin LeBlanc and tight end Phalijah Alexander (6-3, 195, Sr.).

“We just got Kyrin LeBlanc back,” DeRouen said. “He broke his leg on the first day of spring practice. I think he’s played four games in his high school career, but he’s going to pass the eye test. He’s a leader. We have Harvey Broussard, a returning all-district player who is a ‘Mr. Everything’ on the field.

“Cullen Charles does some outstanding things at the receiver spot. They have explosive, big-play potential. We just have to be more consistent. I don’t want to have to rely on explosive plays. I want to sustain drives so we can get our defense off the field as much as possible.”

Led by 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior tackle Javin Griffin, the offensive line is big, physical and experienced.

“The offensive line has big, strong kids,” DeRouen said. “All of them return from last year except for one. Dillan Phillips is a sophomore who will be a new starter. We’re proud of that group. It’s a hard-working bunch. If anybody goes down with eyelash trouble, though, we’ll be hurting.”

The defensive line returns three of four starters, including senior Quinton Butler (6-1, 265). The secondary, which brings back four of five starters, is led by Mandrel Butler.

“Quinton and Mandrel are cousins who are both four-year starters,” DeRouen said. “They are very much into strength and conditioning. They both started as freshmen on the undefeated team that went to the 4A quarterfinals.

“I think they want to take it a step further along with Tanner, who started as a freshman receiver on that team. Their leadership qualities are a good sight to see for the younger guys.”

Other key defenders include linemen Ahman DeRouen and Trashawn Brown, linebacker Kelton Marshall and defensive backs Lakavin James and Karon Jeanlouis.

“Jeanlouis did a great job last year,” DeRouen said.. “He led us in interceptions. He did an outstanding job and saved us in a couple of games. Lakavin James is also a returning starter. Both had interceptions in key games. In the Green Oaks playoff game, they both had big-time picks that changed the game.”