Former Westlake assistant coach and 2003 McNeese State graduate Dwight Hudler, top, now has taken the reins in Longville after Shawn Demeritt left in February for the Westlake head coaching job that opened up when Max Caldarera retired. (Karen Wink / American Press)
South Beauregard tasks Hudler to lead football
Last Modified: Thursday, July 19, 2012 8:26 PM
By Rachel Whittaker / American Press
Last year, South Beauregard’s big challenge was moving up to a new class.
This year, the Class 3A Golden Knights hope to improve upon their 4-6 campaign from 2011, and they’ll have a new coach leading the team.
Former Westlake assistant coach and 2003 McNeese State graduate Dwight Hudler now has taken the reins in Longville after Shawn Demeritt left in February for the Westlake head coaching job that opened up when Max Caldarera retired.
Hudler served in the roles of offensive and defensive coordinator in his four-year tenure under Caldarera at Westlake, and Hudler said he’s ready to build South Beauregard into a perennial contender in Class 3A.
“I’m looking forward to all the stuff that comes with trying to establish a program over here and making the transition,” Hudler said. “In the second year in 3A, (we’re) trying to get it to a respectable and winning and consistent program every year.”
South Beauregard finished fifth last season in District 4-3A, but the Golden Knights did have a 1,000-yard rusher in sophomore Joe Ledet and a 1,000-yard passer in junior Zack Brady.
However, Hudler acknowledged one big hurdle they’ll have to overcome this year.
“Probably our only negative is numbers — we don’t have a ton of kids,” Hudler said. “So that’s always going to be an issue. But as far as overall talent, I feel like we can play with anybody in our district.”
Hudler is a Dallas-Fort Worth native who played on the offensive line at McNeese before starting his coaching career as a LaGrange assistant for four years before moving to Westlake.
Caldarera wasn’t too shabby for Hudler to have as a mentor either.
“Coach Max is a consummate professional,” Hudler said. “Coaching for 40 years, he’s got his ways of doing things, and I learned a lot from him just in how to handle a staff and certain situations be it with parents or kids or anything. So he’s helped me a lot in my development.
“So I’m actually going to implement a lot of the same things he did there over here.”
With the first official football practice just 17 days away, South Beauregard will know soon what’s in store with Hudler at the helm.
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