JEANERETTE — After several seasons where football has been down, 2021 could be the season that the Jeanerette High School Tigers make a statement on the field.

The Tigers got through last season even if things didn’t quite go as planned.

“COVID was a game-changer,” Jeanerette High coach C.C. Paul said. “I think we came out OK despite not being able to consistently work out. The kids did the best they could with what was dealt to them.

“But I think that this year the kids are excited because we were able to come back and do the things that we need to do.”

Last season, Jeanerette finished 3-4 overall with a couple of games lost to the pandemic, and went into the playoffs where it fell to District 7-2A rival Loreauville.

“We got a lot stronger during the offseason,” Paul said. “We lived in the weight room and worked on speed training since January.

“We did a lot of teaching in the classroom as well. With a lot of our football team coming back, we should win the games we are supposed to win and we are going to surprise a lot of people. This is not going to be the same old Jeanerette team.”

Paul said that he lost only six seniors off last season’s 44 players on the roster. He said he lost two starters on on offense and three on defense.

“I have my entire offensive line back from last year back and my entire defensive line back with one exception,” Paul said.

Offensively, the Tigers are running a version of the single wing out of the spread formation.

“We’re going to do what we do best,” Paul said. “We’re going to use the big boys up front to lean on people and let our backs pick the holes they want to run through.”

The biggest change for Jeanerette is that Richard Lumpkin, last season’s quarterback, has been moved to a swing position where Paul can take advantage of his running and receiving skills.

“We have a true freshman quarterback, Zyon Colar, who has the big arm, can make the reads and run the ball,” Paul said. “We’re just going to see how he can handle the competition as a first-year starting quarterback.”

Paul said that he has no qualms putting a freshman at starting quarterback.

“We put Richard back their last year with no starting experience,” the JHS coach said. “Zyon quarterbacked in peewee and middle school, so he has the experience, just not at the varsity level.”

As for Lumpkin, Paul said that he is going to play multiple positions, including quarterback, so that defenses are going to have to gameplan for him.

Jaylon Charles, who played last season as an eighth-grader, returns to the backfield along with a number of young running backs coming up with good speed.

“Cody Waters and Lon Viltz are my two seniors that are going to anchor the offensive line.” Paul said. “I have three younger players, who return as well but they all played last year for us on the line, so we have experience coming back there as well.”

Defensively, Jeanerette will run multiple fronts to try to confuse the opponents. Paul said Lamar Francis, the bell cow of the defense, is back.

“He’s back, he’s healthy and he’s bigger and stronger as well,” Paul said. “I moved Ja’Vyntri Harris to inside linebacker and Julius Hawkins to outside and a couple of others I can rotate on the outside as well.”

Paul said the defensive secondary may be the most skilled players who have ever played at Jeanerette.

The longtime coach feels that this could be the year that Jeanerette breaks through on the field.

“We have the talent,” Paul said. “We have the skill, the knowledge and the experience, I feel that we can be very good this year and make a run in the playoffs.”