Entering his junior season, Ascension Catholic’s John Rob Daigle had to make a decision.

Would he continue playing football or stick to just baseball?

Coach Taylor James knew Daigle had plenty of reasons to hang up his cleats and stay focused on the diamond. When James took over the football program in 2025, he became Daigle’s third different coach in as many seasons.

“He was at that point as a high school kid where he was like, ‘Golly, I’ve got to prove myself to another coach over again,’” James said. “He was at a crossroads. Luckily, he decided to stick with it.’”

That decision has paid off for both Daigle and the team. In 2025, the linebacker totaled 160 tackles and the Bulldogs reached the Division IV select title games. This year, Daigle, now a senior, has 87 tackles and the team is 7-0.

“I told him when it happened,” James said. “I said, ‘Dude, I hate to break it to you, man, but you’re a great baseball player, but you’re an even better football player.’ He’s an unbelievable player. In the old school terms, he’s a beast out there.”

Defensive leader

Daigle is the "Mike” linebacker on defense. The responsibility for making sure everyone is lined up correctly before a play is placed on him every play.

“It’s a hard task,” James said. “A hard ask for a high school kid to be responsible for somebody else because most of them still get woken up, and they have to remember to brush their teeth in the morning.

He understands the challenge of asking a young player to take on that challenge, but he knows Daigle can handle it. James likened Daigle to players in college and the NFL who have a green dot, which signals which players have radio communication with coaches.

“He’s an extremely smart and savvy football player,” James said. “He is very aware of what everybody is supposed to be doing, and it all goes around him.”

Another wrinkle for Daigle is tweaks to the defensive scheme to better fit the team’s personnel. Another challenge James said he’s met head-on.

“I think that speaks volumes for him, and his willingness to do whatever it takes to be successful,” James said. “He’s about as steady of a competitor as you can imagine.”

Daigle said he’s continued to add speed and agility to his skill set. Balancing his own job on defense and making sure everyone else is where they need to be can be a lot on one player. For Daigle, that’s just how he likes it. Whether it’s giving rides to practice for teammates or aligning the defensive line, he’s there for his team.

“I like being a center where I can guide and help my teammates,” Daigle said. “I like that accountability.”

Rewriting records

After Daigle’s decision last year to play football, James was grateful to have him on the team, but told him he’d still have to earn his spot like everybody else.

He remembers during that 2025 offseason when Daigle missed a practice because of baseball.

“My rules are my rules, and he started with the twos that day,” James said. “Fortunately, he plays really well, but he’s as good as he is; he wasn’t there very long.”

Daigle continued to prove himself every day. James continues to watch him improve every single day. His 320 career tackles have also vaulted him toward the top in the school’s history. His numbers have the team combing through record books to find out where he sits, but he’s already surpassed legends in the program like Camille Poirrier (284) and Bubba Gautreau (282).

“For his name to be mentioned at the top as about to break the school’s all-time tackle record is nothing short of awesome for him,” James said. “There’s one thing that you can guarantee is that No. 1 in purple and gold is going to show up every single day and he’s going to give you all he’s got.”