Vote: Who Should Be The Louisiana High School Football Offensive Player of the Year

Here are 18 candidates for your voting consideration

Eagles quarterback Jonathan Dartez 1 throws a pass as Vermillion Catholic takes on Breaux Bridge football. Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The coaches and sportswriters have released their all-state football teams. Now it's time for you to decide the Louisiana High School On SI Offensive Player of the Year. Listed below are more than a dozen candidates for your consideration. 

Voting concludes Jan. 17 at 11:59 p.m.

Peyton Houston, QB, Evangel Christian

The sophomore amassed 5,170 yards (4,430 yards passing, 690 yards rushing) with 45 touchdowns for a team that began the year 1-5 and won five of its last six. The Eagles are back on the national map with a blue-chip quarterback, the same way the program originally rose to prominence with John David Booty and a line of successors.

John Johnson, QB, Edna Karr

The Cougars wrapped up a perfect 13-0 season with a rout of undefeated Alexandria in the Division I select championship. Johnson, a junior, passed for 3,400 yards and 34 touchdowns and rushed for 900 yards and 14 scores. 

Jonathan Dartez, QB, Vermilion Catholic

Dartez and the Eagles went undefeated and won the Division IV select state title. Dartez ran a school record 371 yards at Riverside and finished the season with 2,761 yards on 348 carries with 44 TDs. He passed for 1,638 yards and 23 TDs with four interceptions and scored 268 points.

J.T. Lindsey, RB, Alexandria

The LSU signee ran for nearly 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns and added six receiving scores for a Trojan team that made its first appearance in the Superdome. Lindsey registered six 200-yard rushing performances and was named Class 5A Outstanding Offensive Player by the LSWA.

Owen Trosclair, QB, Covenant Christian

Trosclair, a junior, guided the Lions to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the Division IV select quarterfinals, completing 121-of-157 passes for 2,071 yards and 28 touchdowns. 

Ben Taylor, QB, Airline

Taylor led the Vikings to a perfect regular season and completed his senior campaign with 4,357 yards passing (325-of-447) and 47 touchdowns with six interceptions. He averaged more than 363 yards passing/game.

Abram Wardell, QB, Calvary Baptist

The senior threw for 42 touchdowns vs. four interceptions while racking up 3,324 yards passing with a 72% completion rate for a Division III select semifinalist. Wardell was the first team quarterback on both the LSWA and coaches' Class 2A first team all-state squads.

Xavier Ford, RB, Leesville

Ford sparked the Wampus Cats to the Division II select semifinals with an unbelievable workload. The senior, who was named Class 4A Outstanding Offensive Player by the LSWA, rushed for 3,467 yards with 52 touchdowns on 332 carries and added 239 yards receiving and four scores. 

Dezyrian Ellis, QB, Franklin Parish

The LSWA Class 4A first team all-state signal caller led the Patriots to a 9-1 regular season record. The junior had a 99-yard touchdown run in a win over Calvary Baptist and finished the season with 2,189 yards passing (31 TDs) and 827 yards rushing (10 TDs).

Jamarcea Plater, RB, Captain Shreve

The junior ran for 2,234 yards and 32 touchdowns on 222 carries and averaged over 200 yards rushing per game. He averaged 10.1 yards per carry and made Class 5A first team all-state on both the sportswriters and coaches' lists.

Dillon Compton, QB, Bunkie

The Panthers went undefeated made their first run to the semifinals since the 1980s. Compton, who was named LSWA Class 3A Outstanding Offensive Player, threw for nearly 2,300 yards with 28 TDs and rushed for 568 yards and 13 scores.

Elijah Haven, QB, Dunham

The five-star sophomore was named LSWA Class 2A Outstanding Offensive Player after leading the Tigers to an undefeated regular season and runner-up finish in Division III select. He completed 193 of 321 passes for 3,093 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushed for 925 yards and 19 scores.

Tyrese Mosby, RB, Plaquemine

Mosby ran for 1,732 yards on 159 carries with 27 TDs in the regular season and went over the 2,000-yard mark in the playoffs, punctuated by a 200-plus yard outing in the Division II nonselect quarterfinal win over defending champion Opelousas. 

Diesel Solari, QB, Cecilia

Solari shined in the playoffs after taking a few weeks to recuperate from an ankle injury in the regular season. He led the No. 18-seeded Bulldogs to five wins away from home for the Division II nonselect state title. Solari, who made LSWA Class 4A first team all-state as a return specialist, rushed for over 1,000 yards and passed for more than 1,500.

Nate Sheppard, RB, Mandeville

Sheppard was on fire before an injury in Week 8, pacing the Skippers to an undefeated record with 1,340 yards on 120 carries and 22 touchdowns. He also had two receiving touchdowns with four scores on returns.

Jasper Parker, RB, Archbishop Shaw

The University of Michigan signee, who was LSWA Class 4A first team all-state as an athlete, ran for almost 1,600 yards with 22 touchdowns for the Division II select state champions. Parker ran for 174 yards on 19 carries with a TD in the title game vs. E.D. White.

Sy Austin, RB, Franklinton

Austin topped the 2,000-yard rushing mark for the top-seeded Demons, who finished as Division II nonselect runner-up to Cecilia. He totaled 166 yards with three touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the title game. 

Luke Landry, QB, Catholic New Iberia

The senior passed for just under 2,900 yards with 39 touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the Panthers to a 13-1 record and the Division III select state title. He helped No. 7 seed Catholic to wins over the No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1 seeds.