State of the Program: Houma Christian football looks to return to playoffs with new coach
Houma Christian School completed one of the best football seasons in recent school history in 2022, capped with a trip to the LHSAA playoffs.
Houma Christian will be led by a new coach in 2023, however. When longtime head coach and athletic director Chuck Battaglia retired after the 2021 season, assistant coach Butch Theriot was named his replacement for both positions — but resigned from coaching football after one season. Theriot tapped Terrebonne offensive coordinator Jamar Celestine as head coach, and Celestine will lead the Warriors as they try to return to the playoffs in Class 2A District 9.
The tradition
The 2022 playoff berth snapped a four-year postseason drought for Houma Christian, and represented the next step in a rebuild for a team on a streak of 17 losses in 18 games two seasons prior. The 2022 season was also the first time in five years the Warriors finished with a winning record in the regular season, winning three straight games to finish the regular season at 5-4.
Houma Christian is led by senior Joseph Landry Jr., an all-district performer on offense, defense, and special teams a season ago. While Landry will lead the offense as a running back — one of two positions, along with returner, where he was named to the all-district second team — he's best defensively, as he was named to the all-district first team as a safety.
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The challenge
The 2023 schedule does Houma Christian no favors. Of ten regular season games, six are against playoff teams from a season ago. The toughest stretch comes from Week 4 to Week 9 with five games against 2022 playoff teams in six weeks, including two in district play.
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Houma Christian will also be playing this season with a new offense, as the run-first wing-T under Theriot will be replaced by a much more pass-heavy spread under Celestine. Any new playbook can be difficult for players to learn, let alone a change of this size.
Expectations
If Celestine could keep 2022's positive momentum going, don't be surprised if Houma Christian is playing football in November again.
The schedule
Sept. 1: vs. Highland Baptist
Sept. 8: @ Covenant Christian
Sept. 15: vs. Ascension Christian
Sept. 22: vs. Riverside Academy
Sept. 29: @ St. John
Oct. 6: @ South Plaquemines*
Oct. 13: @ Riverdale
Oct. 20: vs. Jefferson Rise Charter*
Oct. 27: vs. Thomas Jefferson*
Nov. 3: vs. Fisher*
*Class 2A District 9 game
This article originally appeared on The Courier: State of the Program: Houma Christian looks to return to playoffs
