Gridiron greatness

BASILE -- Dreaming of playing football like your brother is an experience a lot of younger siblings can really relate to.
For Isaiah Ceasar, this year’s Evangeline Parish Offensive MVP, that experience is one known all too well.
“I had an older brother and a cousin that played for Basile and I always wanted to be just like them,” stated Ceasar. “When I would go to the high school games as a kid, we would watch them play and then a bunch of us would go on the practice field while the game was going on and have our own game. I dreamt of playing on that same high school field and of trying to be better than they were.”
But, when Ceasar got into junior high and donned the gear on for the first time in a real game situation, he did not believe he had what it took to be a great football player. The major reason for that was his size.
“I didn’t play any pee-wee football, so the first chance I had to actually play the game for real was my seventh grade year,” said Ceasar. “I really wanted to play, but I didn’t think I was very good because I was so small and it was the first time I had played organized football. But, it was fun and it helped me get better for when I went to high school.”
And did Ceasar get better. By the time the tiny kid that played football for fun with his friends got to his sophomore year, he had entrenched himself as a starter for the Bearcats.
Last year, Ceasar’s junior year, was a breakthrough season for the all-around player. The talented do-it-all athlete showed his skills enough to be named to the all-district second team as a wide receiver and a defensive back.
“I knew after my freshman year if I wanted to be better and hear my name being called out on the PA system, I had to work twice as hard as I ever had,” commented Ceasar. “One of my good friends, Andre Reed, and myself would go online and watch videos on drills and then go out and do those drills. By him making me work harder, it made me better, stronger and faster.”
That hard work really paid off this past season. Not only did Ceasar rush for right at 1,500 yards this past year, he also became a better defensive player, earning first team all-district honors on the offensive side of the ball and a second team spot on defense.
With all the personal success that Ceasar has had over his career and with the fact that his team has enjoyed the fruits of their labor, making it to the quarterfinals three out of four years, the superior student-athlete does have a favorite moment he will never forget.
“Probably my best moment in high school came this year when we beat Haynesville in the second round of the playoffs,” stated Ceasar. “There weren’t too many people that gave us a chance to go over there and beat them, but we believed for sure. To make it back to the quarterfinals for the third time was a great accomplishment for us.”
That game saw Ceasar not only score the final touchdown of the game with 45 seconds remaining on the clock, but it also saw him run in the two-point conversion to seal a 28-27 win over the Golden Tornado.
Ceasar hopes to continue his playing career on the next level and has been talking to a few programs that are interested in his talents. The senior is also a great student in the classroom, carrying almost a 4.0 GPA.
One thing is for sure, whoever decides to pick him up, they will be getting one of the hardest workers they have ever seen.