FERRIDAY — After being pounded by Washington-Marion in Week 5, a game in which the Trojans were tested by 53 rushing attempts by their opponent, the Ferriday defensive line demanded a change.

“I took that game personally,” Ferriday defensive end Dantrieze Scott said. “It had to be a wake up call.”

Since then, the Trojans have proved why they are arguably one of the best defensive lines in Louisiana.

Made up of some of the biggest kids around like 6-foot-8 Dare Rosenthal and 6-foot-7 Scott, the Trojans are used to having their way in the trenches.

“They are so big now, they’ve really outgrown the strength they should have,” Ferriday assistant coach Walter Johnson said. “By next year, their strength will catch up with their bodies and they’ll be even harder to deal with.”

Things start with senior Marquis Brown, who is the anchor of the line at defensive tackle. Brown said he has embraced the role as a leader, and knows that how he goes, so does the team.

“Everybody looks at me as a leader,” he said. “So if I go off, everybody else goes off.”

Brown pinpointed the front four as the catalyst for the rest of the defense, stressing the importance of them being able to do anything asked of them.

“All of us are capable of stopping the run and pass rushing,” he said. “We just have to do it all and it all starts with us, the front four.”

Next to him on the interior is Rosenthal.

An Alabama commit, the 15-year-old drops jaws nearly everywhere he goes.

“Sometimes it feels great,” Rosenthal said of all the attention. “But a lot of times, I don’t want it all on me, I want it on my teammates too.”

His attention to the team is obvious, especially when it comes to the defensive line.

“We are like brothers,” Rosenthal said. “My brothers, the front four, always tell me we have a game to win and can’t stop.”

On the outside, Scott and Sam Johnson hold things down for the Trojans.

“The biggest thing I’ve seen from everybody is from Dantrieze,” Johnson said. “He has that desire to play and to dominate. He wants to be the best he can be, and when you’ve got one guy doing that, the rest follow.”

Johnson, who can be overshadowed by some of his towering teammates, has continued to make plays for Ferriday on a consistent basis.

“Sam is steady,” Johnson said. “He always does the right thing, is never out of position and is as strong as a bull. He sets that edge.”

The Trojans will only have to deal with losing Brown next season, but Johnson said his presence will still be felt.

“Marquis has ensured we’ll have a good defensive line next season, even though he won’t be here,” Johnson said. “For a lot of young guys, you can’t talk to them, you have to show them, and that’s what Marquis has done.”

And as for the other three, the havoc will continue in opponents’ backfields for years to come.

“They are so good together that by the time they get to be seniors, it is really going to hurt us when they leave,” Johnson said.