Four Bearcats earn LSWA All-State honors

The postseason accolades continue to roll in for the Ruston Bearcats as four impactful players earned Class 5A All-State honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association on Friday. 

Sophomore tight end Ahmad Hudson, senior offensive lineman Sam Nations, senior linebacker

Zheric Hill, and senior defensive back Aidan Anding finished 2024 as All State selections after they each left their mark on a historic season for the Bearcats, one that saw the program make the state championship for a school-record third year in a row. 

Nations, a four-year starter in the trenches, helped Ruston’s offense average 6.4 yards per carry and 234 rushing yards per game this season as he primarily started at center on an offensive line that faced injury challenges throughout the year. Nations, a Northwestern State signee, showed versatility in his varsity career to play both guard and center at times and played through injury himself over the course of the year. 

RHS head coach Jerrod Baugh was happy to see his veteran lineman get statewide recognition to end his high school career. 

“Very seldom to see a freshman have the physical and mental maturity to where it lends itself to where you can go into a quarterfinal playoff game as a freshman like he did. That doesn’t happen. For Sam, that says a lot about his maturity level at a young age and being able to handle that and progress from there is not common. He’s started at center and guard over his time here and really did a good job with both,” Baugh said. 

“It’s a lot to ask someone to know what we do in terms of fronts and calls and checks in the run game, and Sam always got us straight on what we needed to do and helped us run the ball as well as we have the past three years.” 

Ruston’s offense has been centered around Nations and a strong host of tailbacks during this recent run of success but moving forward, the style may feature the name ‘Hudson’ more and more in the passing game after the standout sophomore led Ruston in catches (39) receiving yards (754) and receiving touchdowns (6) this year.  

Hudson, rated as the No. 2 tight end nationally in the Class of 2027, had back-to-back games over 100 receiving yards in wins over Stephenville and Ouachita to go with a 5-catch, 93-yard outing against Neville to lead a highlight-filled season. 

Baugh credits Hudson’s All State honors to a better understanding of his role on the field and comfortability in using his large frame for leverage in critical down and distances. 

“I think with him it was a better comfort level and maturity,” Baugh said. “Last year, it was kind of like a deer in headlights at times as a freshman out there with all these people who have played more football. This year, he became a football player. We put pressure on him to make plays for us and he did. And as the years go on, he’ll need to do more of that for us to be successful. And I think he accepts that, and he likes that.” 

Waiting behind an all-time Ruston great in Jadon Mayfield forced Zheric Hill to fly under the radar in his varsity career as far as All-District and statewide accolades. But in his senior year, Hill, a Louisiana Tech signee, made it count with 108 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass breakups – earning District 2-5A Defensive MVP honors as well. 

Despite 339 career tackles, 23.5 TFL, 8 sacks, and 5 INT, this is Hill’s first time making the All-State team after earning All-State Honorable Mention in 2022 and 2023. 

“It’s pretty special for him,” Baugh said of Hill’s honors. “Playing alongside Jadon all these years, he probably was in the shadows somewhat of another really good football player. We needed him to take up some of the slack from Jadon being gone and he absolutely did that.” 

It was a quick two-year high school football career for Aidan Anding, but he sure left an undeniable legacy in Ruston’s defensive backfield. A two-time All-State selection in his two seasons playing varsity football, Anding will look to carry over his success as a Bearcat to LSU next fall after he officially signed with the Tigers in December. 

He had 33 tackles, 5 INT, 2 PBU and a sack on defense this season to go with a 45-yard punt return TD, a 67-yard punt return TD, and an 86-yard kickoff return TD on special teams. In his two seasons, Anding totaled 9 INT, 12 PBU, and 67 tackles. 

“Just like I’ve said all along with Aidan, whenever he first came out there the summer before his sophomore year, we knew he was a really good athlete. He was a good junior high football player. But I don’t know too many that have immediately come out and done the things he’s done with basically no prior high school experience. It’s pretty remarkable, honestly,” Baugh said. “He and Zheric are alike in a lot of ways from the standpoint of their work ethic. They want to be the best and they work that way.” 

Ruston also had three players earn All-State Honorable Mention in senior running back Jordan Hayes and senior defensive lineman Payton Bell and senior kicker Jack Elliot.

Hayes led Ruston in rushing yards (1,110) and rushing TD (16) while Bell led Ruston in TFL (13) and sacks (6) this fall. Elliot went 64-65 on PAT and went 3-3 on field goal attempts. 

ASH running back J.T. Lindsey, an LSU signee, was named 5A Offensive MVP while Edna Karr defensive lineman Corey Adams was named 5A Defensive MVP. Central head coach David Simoneaux earned LSWA 5A Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to their second state championship in school history. 

OFFENSE

Pos player school ht. wt cl.

WR Kenny Darby, Airline, 6-1, 175, Jr.

WR TaRon Francis, Edna Karr, 6-1, 205, Sr.

TE Ahmad Hudson, Ruston, 6-7, 230, So.

OL Ervin Smith, Catholic-BR, 6-2, 285, Sr.

OL Lionel Prudhomme, Captain Shreve, 6-3, 295, Sr.

OL O’Ryan Mosely, Terrebonne, 6-3, 295, Jr.

OL Sam Nations, Ruston, 6-2, 287, Sr.

OL Leon Noil, Edna Karr, 6-4, 275, Jr.

QB Ben Taylor, Airline, 6-1, 185, Sr.

RB J.T. Lindsey, Alexandria, 5-11, 185, Sr.

RB Nate Sheppard, Mandeville, 5-10, 190, Sr.

RB Jamarcea Plater, Captain Shreve, 5-9, 180, Jr.

PK Asher Murray, C.E. Byrd, 5-11, 160, Jr.

ATH Peyton Houston, Evangel Christian, 5-11, 185, So.

DEFENSE

DL Corey Adams, Edna Karr, 6-4, 250, Sr.

DL Richard Anderson, Edna Karr, 6-4, 320, Jr.

DL DK Mays, Central6-5, 255, Sr.

DL Dylan Berymon, Ouachita, 6-3, 305, Jr.

LB KD Mays, Central, 6-0, 195, Sr.

LB Zheric Hill, Ruston, 6-0, 220, Sr.

LB Xzavier White, Alexandria, 6-1, 220, Jr.

LB Damari Drake, Evangel, 6-0, 215, Sr.

DB Jayden Reed, Neville, 5-11, 175, Jr.

DB Aidan Anding, Ruston, 6-0, 170, Jr.

DB Jacob Bradford, Catholic-Baton Rouge, 5-11, 190, Sr.

DB Aiden Hall, Edna Karr, 6-2, 185, Jr.

P Creighton Wilbanks, Mandeville, 5-10, 170, Sr.

ATH Keeman Thibodeaux, Acadiana, 5-9, 175, Sr.

RS Ja’den Williams, Chalmette, 5-9, 160, Sr.

OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER: J.T. Lindsey, Alexandria

OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Corey Adams, Karr 

COACH OF THE YEAR: David Simoneaux, Central 

Honorable mention

Eric Anderson, Chalmette; Cole Austin, Benton; Chantz Babineaux, Carencro; Russel Babineaux, Acadiana; Drew Bailey, Sam Houston; Ayden Baker, Airline; Juelz Baptiste, St. Augustine; Payton Bell, Ruston; Taden Bingham, Terrebonne; Brayden Blade, Neville; Arsenio Bolds, Edna Karr; Chris Bourg, Jesuit; Blaine Bradford, Catholic-BR; Jiwaun Brock, Covington; Joshua Brown, Holy Cross

Xavier Brown, John Curtis; Julian Burns, Neville; Thomas Campbell, Neville; Alvin Celestin, Terrebonne; Wydell Clark, Ouachita; Derrick Collins, Southside; Darrell Cottonham, C.E. Byrd; Jeffrey Curtis, John Curtis; Malachi Dabney, Destrehan; Jarvis Davis, Airline; Trez Davis, West Monroe; Caden DiBetta, Acadiana; Nick DiGerolamo, Holy Cross; CJ Dudley, Parkway; Kaleb Duncan, Evangel; Luke Dutil, Southside; Jack Elliot, Ruston; Zyron Forstall, Jesuit; Jax Gallier, Parkway; Ty George, West Monroe; Rida Ghazzali, Riverdale; Myd Gilbert, Destrehan; Syre Gilmore, St. Augustine; Jaxson Granier, Thibodaux; Sam Greer, C.E. Byrd; Jordan Hayes, Ruston; Caden Heck, Covington; Royuan Jackson, Huntington; Jacob Jeffrey, Hahnville; Lester Johnson, Rummel

Cayden Jones, Walker; John Johnson, Edna Karr; Jamard Jones, Rummel; Bennan Keim, St. Paul’s; Dan Lane, West Monroe; Luke Leger, Barbe; Jabari Mack, Destrehan; Nate Malek, Brother Martin; Camaro Mayo, Parkway; Darryus McKinley, Acadiana; Zaccheaus McNabb, Central Lafourche; Noel Mora, Holy Cross; Jakobi Morris, Alexandria; Malik Myles, H.L. Bourgeois; Jaylon Nichols, Neville; Drew Poche, East Jefferson

Dylan Post, St. Paul’s; Steven Ranel, Central; Chase Ravain, St. Paul’s; Tyler Roark, West Monroe; Warren Roberts, St. Augustine; Easton Royal, Brother Martin; Cam Riley, Neville; Davekio Ruffin, Zachary; Braxton Scriber, Acadiana; Ramon Singleton, Southside; Calvin Smith, Hahnville; Daejawn Smith, Edna Karr; Drew Talley, St. Paul’s; Norman Taylor, Rummel; Keeman Thibodeaux, Acadiana; Parker Todd, West Monroe; JQ Turner, West Monroe; Witten Van Hoy, Benton; Thomas Vaughn, Warren Easton; Brennan Villa, St. Paul’s; Darius Washington, Alexandria; Jamarion Washington, Huntington; Jadon Weber, Brother Martin; Tyler Welch, Huntington; Zane Wyss, Captain Shreve.