Luke Barrilleaux is making a name for himself on the gridiron. The West Lincoln junior accounted for 14 tackles and a quarterback sack in the Bears’ 13-6 homecoming win against the Mt. Hermon, La. Yellowjackets.

     Barrilleaux’s performance on Perry Miller Field has earned him The DAILY LEADER’s Defensive Player of the Week honors.

     “Luke is A tough player who gives it all he’s got on every play,” said West Lincoln coach Willie Brumfield. “He practices hard and plays hard. He is very strong in his lower body.”

     In the weight room, Barrilleaux can perform a 400-pound squat. He bench presses 220.

     Barrilleaux, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound junior,  has helped West Lincoln (3-2) win three straight games. It’s their best-ever start in the 14-year history of the football program. The homecoming win was a first for the Bears as senior running back Deon Moore rushed 21 times for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns.

     Barrilleaux listens to a variety of music in the weight room and the dressing room before games. “I like anything that gets me fired up.”

     Mt. Hermon relied mainly on a rushing attack against the Bears. Barrilleaux said, “They tried to slam the ball; run the ball through us. We knew we had to block the hole.”

     Wearing jersey No. 54, Barrilleaux usually plays right-side tackle. “You find the guy who has the ball and get him down.”

     Barrilleaux is the 17-year-old son of John and Monica Barrilleaux. His mother is a Franklin County native. Their French name is pronounced Berry-O. Luke’s older brother, Landy, is a college student. Cam is his younger brother.

     A versatile player, Barrilleaux has played just about every position on offense, with the exception of quarterback. “Anywhere they put me on the line is fine. I play some fullback but most of the time I’m on defense.”

     The Bears have shown steady improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Barrilleaux credits Brumfield with the team’s progress. He replaced Chris Calcote who coached the Bears for four seasons.

     “Coach Brumfield is an awesome coach,” said Barrilleaux. “He motivates you. When you step on the field, you always expect to win.”

     Asked about WL’ s defensive unit, Barrilleaux said, “We have to keep on working hard to get better. We go downhill and attack anybody who has the ball.”

     He said the homecoming victory was special. There was a dance after the game but Barrilleaux didn’t attend. “I was too tired from the game.”

     In his spare time, Barrilleaux enjoys watching the Chicago Bears and linebacker Brian Urlacher. Another favorite player is linebacker Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.

     Barrilleaux is a member of the West Lincoln archery team. Like football, it requires straight shooting.  The helmet hits the bull’s-eye for a big tackle.