BOBBY ARDOIN Editor/Consulting Writer
A pair of all-district and all-parish offensive linemen who blocked last season for state champion Opelousas High now have opportunities to perform at the college level, after signing to play with separate state football programs.
Seniors Joseph Milton and Keegan Moten announced last week that they will continue blocking for offensive backs during a brief ceremony inside the school gym.
Milton, a 6-foot-2, 285 pound guard, confirmed that he has signed a college letter of intent to play at Northwestern State.
Moten, who is 6-5 and 275 pounds, said that after being pursued by a couple of in-state programs that he chose to sign with Grambling State.
Joseph Milton
Milton said that he expects to play either guard or center for Northwestern, who recently hired head football coach Blaine McCorkle away from Belhaven University.
NSU announced the signing of 15 scholarship players last Wednesday.
“I think they could play me along the d-line, but right now I think the coaching staff is looking at me as a guard or center,” said Milton.
Milton said he was impressed with the coaching staff that McCorkle has assembled for 2024.
“I like how they treat their players and how they teach them about the game. When I went there (for a visit), it seemed like it’s a big family. I know they are serious about trying to win a conference title,” Milton added.
Milton said he also had interest from McNeese State and Nicholls State.
Opelousas High head coach Jimmy Zachery, Jr., said Milton had an obvious upside.
“He is someone who has been in our program since he was a freshman. I can’t say enough about him. He comes from a great family, an anchor on our line and a big part of our success,” Zahery said.
Keegan Moten
Moten expects to play right tackle for Grambling.
It’s a position that he is familiar with, since he was a fixture there for Opelousas during the last two years.
Moten said he was influenced to sign with Grambling after the program there hired head coach Mickey Joseph.
“I don’t think there is a question that I won’t be playing tackle. I think (Joseph) is going to come in there and change a lot of things and I decided that I would like to become part of that. The attitude (at Grambling) right now is like the one we have here, and that’s the attitude of wanting to win,” Moten said.
Moten said there were also several in-state programs that showed interest in signing him.
Zachery said Moten has played two years in the Opelousas High program after transferring from Beau Chene.
“(Moten) has had only two seasons of football. He came (to Opelousas) for basketball and then came out for football after sitting out a year because of the transfer. When he got into football, he demonstrated a great work ethic and he has really developed. Teams began looking at him,” Zachery said.
