Yesterday I went to the Catholic High Bears’ football practice. That makes Mass count for double.

But the radio shows of Coach Barrett Murphy and Coach Fred Allen taught me Catholic High’s place in Louisiana’s SportsNation.

If ESPN has SportsNation, then this is SportsCajun.

Here’s why it is awesome.

Let’s Go. Let’s Go. Let’s Go.

It was 5 p.m. and hot as a postal worker’s Netflix. My feet were getting bit by ants, and I was the only girl waiting at an all-boys high school football practice.

“You here to get your brother?” one guy asked me. Practice had to be done soon.

But Coach Dale Weiner reset the field. “Let’s go. Let’s go. Let’s go,” he said into the bullhorn. The players did not look tired!

Like a bowl of Rice Krispies, the team snapped and snapped. Catholic was prepping for its game against Denham Springs.

The defensive coach ran over. “Come on!” he yelled. “We’re getting beat inside!” he said, as a speedy back crashed through his line.

The truth of the matter was that Catholic was driven. Their next game with Denham Springs was Catholic’s first in-district. The year before, they’d lost to Denham, and the score was 7-6!

I talked to Coach Weiner after practice, wondering if his team was ready for Denham this year.

Does a Bear go to Catholic? Of course they were ready.

“We always set it as a goal,” said Coach Weiner.

He wasn’t kidding. Catholic has five league championships in the last six years, according to MaxPreps.com.

I asked Coach Weiner whom to look for in the future. Catholic High Bears often go on to college football, professional football, and world domination.

The 2009 class is no exception. “These guys are all possible recruits,” said Coach Weiner. “There’s Brad Nelson, and he’s a receiver. Jovhan Jilbert is a receiver and a defensive back. He’s the only guy starting on both sides. Also, Richard White at running back. On defense, John Paul Luckett (he’s a linebacker on defense), lineman Sanders Davis, and Christian King, a defensive lineman.” Later, while we were walking out, Coach added lineman Tyler Duval to the list.

So, Catholic High could make recruiters take Catechism. But it’s not the only school in the state…

Coach and Coach

On a Friday night, I learned about the other schools by going to a radio show.

“You are listening to the Papa John’s High School Scoreboard Show, here at the Surgical Specialty Center,” said Coach Barrett Murphy. He was live on 1150 AM, WJBO.

Coach Fred Allen spoke, too. “Please give us a CORRECT score and not a PHONY score if you’re gonna call.”

This was, as Coach Murphy said, in the lobby of the Surgical Specialty Center here in Baton Rouge. The place offers a free clinic for in-game injuries, so I parked my Jeep away from the doors.

At the bridge-shaped desk, the coaches had their radio team. There was Angie, who got real-time scores from the internet, and Shawn Nelson from the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

Shawn is a Canadian Football League commentator/former player originally from Louisiana. He was visiting the show and calling the next day’s Montreal/Winnipeg game from his home.

Last, we had the best spread of Friday night food a grad student like me could ever hope for. My notebook got covered with pizza grease.

Coach Allen had come in straight from his daughter’s high school homecoming. He’d worn a suit.

“For the first time in his life,” noted Coach Murphy.

“He came looking ready for confession!” said Shawn.

“I thought he looked ready for the pine box!” said Coach Murphy.

“That’s right, we are CASKET FRESH here on the scoreboard,” said Shawn. And he proceeded to read the latest scores.

Catholic was leading 10-7 in a big game with St. Thomas More. STM had beaten Catholic three years running, so this one was key for the Bears.

Elsewhere in the state, upwards of 5,000 people were attending the game between Hahnville and Lutcher (at Hahnville). The game was tied at 34.

“They got the swamp rockin’!” said Coach Allen. “I’m surprised alligators don’t walk up on the field!”

Coach Allen and Shawn were reading from the giant wall of monitors in front of us. Angie was using a state-of-the-art football computer that downloaded scores from a tiny yardage sensor inside each ball  … and if you believe this, then you might need some sense of your own, because all the coaches had were pencils and charts. There was no war room and no monitor wall. Angie and a few callers were all they needed.

Only one player made a visit to the free clinic that night. I think it was for something minor, because his mom and two little brothers were far more into the food.

The cool thing was that they were in from the Woodlawn/Redemptorist game. “It was a good game!” said Mom. She couldn’t stop smiling.

There was only one way to tell what really happened that night – what made the scores change on the monitors in my head. The next morning, I rejoined the coaches at WSKR for the Real Deal High School Sports Show.

“I don’t see Catholic losing two games in a row,” said “Darren from Walker.” It was true – Catholic lost! STM had made a comeback win, and the Bears lost 14-10.

The win happened on the feet of reserve running back Joseph LaPrairie, who ran 55 yards to get the final touchdown of the game.  STM rushed like FedEx, and Catholic had been ravaged by penalties.

“[The officials] threw a penalty on us because we were crowding the field!” Coach Weiner later told me when we spoke.

Coach Murphy and Coach Allen were busting a move, however, to “Y’all Ready for This?” – the dance anthem from Bring It On.

“We’re back!” said Coach Murphy. “And on the phone is Coach Tim Detillier of the Lutcher Bulldogs! WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?!” The music changed over to “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

Detillier was celebrating a big win. His team had been leading Hahnville 34-24 in the 4th quarter, but Hahnville’s quarterback Alfred Blue scored a touchdown on a 5-yard run. Just beating the clock in regulation, Brion James kicked a 41-yard field goal. Hahnville had tied the game.

The teams battled through one OT, but in the 2nd OT, it was Lutcher who prevailed. Quarterback Gavin Webster’s running TD with a 2-point conversion pass to Jarvis Landry was what let the dogs out!

“I estimate seven or eight thousand people were in attendance last night!” said Coach Detillier.

“Looks like you really give people their money’s worth!” said Coach Murphy.

“We shoulda collected on the way out!” said Coach Detillier.

Later, “Glen” called about Woodlawn and Redemptorist. It had been an extreme offensive clash, in which both schools combined for almost 800 yards. Redemptorist was leading 43-41 in the 4th quarter, and Ulyse Godfrey sacked Woodlawn’s quarterback Kendall Barnes, who was attempting a two-point conversion.

Redemptorist stood with their two-point win, but the coaches also talked about Woodlawn. “They’re all big plays,” said Coach Murphy. “That little quarterback can chunk the ball!”

What you may not realize about Louisiana high school football is that it’s the best in student athletics. College football has conferences and divisions, and Louisiana has classes and districts.

ESPN’s College GameDay will give you the picture as the games happen, and so will the Papa John’s High School Scoreboard Show. SportsCenter will give you the recap and highlights, the same as the coaches do on Saturdays.

A caller named “Mason” even commented, “I don’t know of any other state that has a show like this.”

“Maybe someday we’ll be ‘Coach and Coach’ like ‘Mike and Mike!’” said Coach Murphy.