When Jerad Burkhardt and his family evacuated from their St. Bernard Parish home prior to Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, they were able to take some vital things with them.

Jerad’s baseball equipment, however, got left behind.

That, like everything else left behind before his family settled into a new home in Natchez, will have to be replaced. But Burkhardt, one of two new football players at Cathedral, will adapt to a new town, new school and a new sport until the time baseball comes around.

Burkhardt never played varsity football at Archbishop Hannan in Meraux, La. Neither has Russell Tipton, another addition to the Green Wave from Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, La.

&uot;I think they still said there’s three feet of water as of today,&uot; Burkhardt said of his previous home. &uot;We can’t go back yet. We’re not going to be able to go back for another week, maybe two. We’ll just have to rebuild. I like it (at Cathedral). It’s a little bit slow-paced, but I like it. I’ll be here the whole year &045; I’ll graduate here.&uot;

Burkhardt and Tipton will be immediately eligible to play for the Green Wave this week when it hosts Dexter. The MHSAA, MPSA and LHSAA waived transfer rules last week for students displaced because of the hurricane.

Schools across the Miss-Lou have welcomed additions to their football teams last week and this week. Cathedral has two, Natchez High has three, Trinity Episcopal has four, Ferriday has six, Vidalia has six and WCCA has two.

Cathedral’s two newest players arrived Wednesday of last week, and they may see action Friday night.

&uot;We made an announcement that if anybody wanted to play football to come see us,&uot; said Cathedral head coach Ken Beesley Sr., whose school welcomed 140 students. &uot;They said they wanted to play. They’re really just learning the game. They’re having to learn our system, and everything is new to them.&uot;

Yet it’s Tipton who may be learning the most since his arrival last week. A longtime soccer player, he’s worked some with extra points and may be able to relieve Murphy Hinson of some of the kicking duties since Hinson already plays both ways for the Green Wave.

&uot;I always played soccer, and I want to stay in shape since soccer hasn’t started yet,&uot; said Tipton, a junior. &uot;It’s fun. It helps playing soccer. Everybody has been real nice.&uot;

The Bulldogs dressed out three new players Friday against Vicksburg, and they expect more to come out this week. Timothy Joseph and Karlos Ferbos, both of McMain in New Orleans, and Joshua Gatlin of nearby O.P. Walker arrived last week.

All three are seniors who are staying with family in Natchez. Others may arrive this week as the Bulldogs host Jefferson County Friday night.

&uot;The kids have welcomed them,&uot; NHS head coach Lance Reed said. &uot;They seem to fit in real well. With the conditions going on around them, they have really come with a positive attitude and ready to move on.&uot;

Gatlin will see time at linebacker, while Ferbos played cornerback at his previous school. Gatlin, however, was quarterback at O.P. Walker and may move to receiver with the Bulldogs.

Four teenagers housed at the shelter at Parkway Baptist Church enrolled at Trinity and have suited up for the team. Newcomers Arthur and Jonathan Green from L.W. Higgins High School in Marrero, La., suited up Friday night in their win over Silliman, as did Elvis and Brandon Sellers from Salmen High School in Slidell, La.

The four played sparingly Friday night on special teams, head coach David King said, while Arthur Green &045; a senior who’s related to LSU running back Skyler Green &045; got in some at linebacker.

&uot;We’re just glad to have them out,&uot; King said. &uot;They’re very nice kids. Ten of our 16 kids go to Parkway, and they met them over there. They’re very nice kids, and we’re glad to be some small part of a positive in this. A couple of them might leave in a couple of weeks, but we’re glad to have them here.&uot;

Arthur Green has the most experience of the four while playing for Higgins, a 5A public school in Jefferson Parish. Elvis and Brandon Sellers have no varsity experience and are both juniors.

&uot;(Arthur) looks like he’s played some football,&uot; King said. &uot;He’s eager to work. He may be able to help us if he ends up staying.&uot;

Ferriday welcomed six players last week with others expressing interest to join the team, Trojans head coach James McFarland said. The Trojans received three brothers &045; Eric, Craig and Derek Harper, all from John Ehret High School in Marrero &045; along with Brandon Myers from Helen Cox High School in Marrero, Alfred Byrd of Bonnabel in Metairie and Clarence Sergent of Cohen High School in Orleans Parish.

Some of them are staying with families, while others are staying in shelters in Ferriday.

&uot;I talked with a couple (more) today,&uot; McFarland said. &uot;We’ve got some other things we’ve got to get straight on, but we need to know if they’re going to be here for a while.&uot;

Some of them got a taste of action Friday night. Sergent, a junior, got into the game, as did Eric Harper and Byrd, who recovered a fumble while playing on the defensive line.

&uot;They’ve been coming to practice, but they haven’t been here a full week,&uot; McFarland said. &uot;They’re good kids. I think they’ll be all right, but it’s too early to tell.&uot;

At Vidalia, six new players have suited up with five coming from the New Orleans area and one from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, head coach Dee Faircloth said. Jonathan Wilson of Pass Christian is the only junior among the remainder of sophomores and freshmen new to the program.

Others include freshman Dominique Johnson of Holy Cross High School, sophomore Roshad Smith of L.W. Higgins, sophomore Raymond Edwards of Alfred Lawless High School, sophomore Brandon Fitzhugh of Belle Chasse, sophomore Bradley Franklin of Northshore High School in Slidell and sophomore Corey Parker of John Ehret.

Most are suiting up for the junior varsity squad, but Smith played significantly Friday night in the Vikings’ loss to University at defensive back. Johnson may play in the secondary this week at Mangham.

At WCCA, school officials welcomed a number of new students but didn’t get their first football players until Monday when cousins Cody and Derek Campo arrived from Belle Chasse.

The Campos headed north and made the family hunting camp their home at least until Christmas, Rams head coach Paul Hayles said. Cody, a junior, played varsity football at Belle Chasse.