News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days: D’Iberville Warriors
Dreams really do come true at stop number 16 on News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days where the D’Iberville Warriors enter a new era, being led by one of their own who definitely isn’t offering swimming lessons to the opposition.
Head Coach Josh Ladner said, “It is my dream job. I wouldn’t trade coaching spots with any other coach in the world, including Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, it doesn’t matter. So, I love where I’m at. I plan on dying here as the coach, and I know that sounds kind of crazy, but the ultimate dream – I just want to be clear – is not just to become the head coach, it’s to win a state championship as the head coach of D’Iberville.”
The pride of D’Iberville High School class of 2002 state champion Josh Ladner finally realizing his full circle journey as a first-year head coach at his old stomping grounds where he’s been an assistant for the last 15 years. “A lot of it has impacted my life greatly throughout my entire life. And that’s what drives me every day with these kids, is that I want them to experience the same thing.”
Ladner says he tries not to harp on the glory days too much, instead focusing on the unique journey ahead for the 2022 Warriors.
After featuring the largest senior class of any team we’ve seen on 25 Teams in 25 Days last year, they bring back the fewest returning starters of any team we’ve seen on 25 in 25 this year: one, leaving 21 spots completely up for grabs. Running back/ inside linebacker Kaleb Booker said, “That is crazy but that’s not going to stop us, man. We work hard for this.”
Running back/ long snapper London Adams said, “Yeah, we’ve got to keep on working because we’re the underdogs this year and we’ve just got to show everybody what we’re made of.”
Left tackle/ defensive end Davari Kemp said, “We graduated 35 seniors, so once all of them left, you just saw guys that we didn’t think would emerge, kind of just blossom. It’s been really good seeing my teammates step up, get bigger, stronger, faster.”
“I don’t know if there’s ever been a situation – maybe you could tell me – where it’s been 35 seniors, I have zero returning tacklers, I have zero returning guys that have scored a touchdown and we have one returner and he was out six games from a collarbone injury.”
If you could choose one position to have experience the Warriors at least have that going for them.
The lone ranger being senior Quarterback Gage Peterson who, now healthy, opens up a world of possibilities for predominantly Wing-T offense that also has the ability to whip it all over the field. “Gage, throwing dimes left and right.”
“I think that he’ll emerge as one of the top throwers in the South, and I think that Gage has the talent to be as good as anybody.”
Peterson one of 22 seniors this season, alongside the likes of Aziyon Abraham, London Adams, Devari Kemp, and junior Kaleb Booker, leading the way by committee.
All they know is success, having seen the last three D’Iberville teams post a combined mark of 29-6 under the recently departed Larry Dolan.
Perhaps the only real blemish, a playoff record of just 1-3 during that stretch, including a pair of one-point losses to Northwest Rankin in 2020 and Warren Central in 2021. “I do remind them of that. Now we’ll go back to scenarios like Northwest Rankin. We lost to Northwest Rankin because we couldn’t get a first down on offense. Or I may say, like against Warren Central, we were on a drive to score. We were getting eight, nine yards a carry, gashing them and we fumble the snap.”
“That fuels us. Like Coach Ladner, we had a speech earlier, telling us like, do we want to end up like those guys, or do we want to have a new legacy where we don’t just go to the first round of the playoffs and lose, or do we want to make it past the second round and possibly be the next team to win state for D’Iberville?”
“All we do is win. That’s all we’re going to do. We shouldn’t be able to take a loss into account. That’s not what we have to do. So, for us, it’s either state or it’s a disappointment.”
Last season, D’Iberville’s only other loss coming at the hands of eventual Region 4 Class 6A champion Ocean Springs, two weeks after handing Picayune its only loss en route to winning the 5A state title, leaving the Warriors with an overall record of 10-2 and a second-place district mark of 6-1. Still not good enough for the Black and Gold and their sink or swim mentality. “Dragging the teams to the deep end. That’s what Coach Ladner always says.”
“Just dragging the other team to where – places they’ve never been before. Just being the most conditioned like he said. We condition like crazy, so we’re going to be a team to see this year.”
“Deep water, man, it’s uninviting. It’s uncomfortable. It’s cold. Sometimes it hurts. You don’t know where you’re at. Sometimes you’re feeling your way around. And so, if we can be more comfortable there in the deep end – because everybody is heading there – the fourth quarter is the deep end. And so, when we get there, are we more comfortable than the other team is? And ultimately, that’s one thing I can guarantee we will be.”
D’Iberville kicking off the 2022 season with a home game against St. Stanislaus on August 26th.
Here are some more coach picks, Josh Ladner going with Café New Orleans as his favorite D’Iberville meal and then how can you say no to Mississippi native Jerry Rice as favorite all-time player and the obvious choice on favorite championship moment is his 2002 Warriors winning it all in Class 4A.
