Four of the five top-ranked football teams will look to end the regular season undefeated this weekend.
West Monroe of Class 5A, Lutcher of Class 4A and Notre Dame of Crowley in Class 3A, all sport 9-0 records. Defending Class 2A state champion River Ridge John Curtis is 8-0.
St. John of Plaquemine is the state's other No. 1 team at 8-1 in Class 1A.
None of the four undefeated teams experienced trouble in remaining unblemished through the penultimate game of the regular season.
West Monroe swamped Natchitoches Central, 56-7, Lutcher nearly duplicated that score in routing Houma Vandebilt Catholic, 54-7, Notre Dame blanked North Vermilion of Maurice, 21-0, and John Curtis overwhelmed Gretna Douglass, 52-6. For good measure, St. John defeated East Iberville of St. Gabriel, 62-6.
West Monroe will face Pineville this weekend, with Lutcher paired against Morgan City, Notre Dame risking its record against sixth-ranked Kaplan (8-1) and John Curtis taking on New Orleans Lusher Charter, which is coming off a 75-14 loss. St. John goes up against eight-ranked Edgard West St. John (6-3).
Teams get together at last
Though separated by less than seven miles in Livingston Parish, Denham Springs and Live Oak of Watson had never met in varsity football until last week.
The long-awaited, first-ever meeting proved to be anticlimactic, however, as Denham Springs rolled to a 20-0 victory. Paired in the same district for the first time, the Yellow Jackets further solidified a probable playoff berth by improving to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in District 5-5A. Denham Springs will play its regular-season finale against league foe Baton Rouge Scotlandville on Friday. Live Oak, which slumped to 4-5 and 2-3, will close out its season at home Friday against district-champion Central.
"The defense played great all night against an offense that had been putting up a lot of points," Denham Springs coach Dru Nettles. "Our guys came ready to play focused."
Despite rainy conditions, Denham Springs junior fullback Jaz Mitchell scored on runs of 3 and 4 yards. Senior fullback Austin Notariano added a 1-yard, second-quarter touchdown run, as the Yellow Jackets scored all their points in the first half. After a two-point conversion run failed after the first touchdown, senior kicker Blaine Dupuy converted two extra-point kicks to give him a school-record 20 in a row. That broke the old mark of 19 set by Ben McDonald, who also starred in basketball and baseball in the 1980s. McDonald became a standout pitcher for LSU before embarking on a Major League Baseball career.
Brawl ends game early
McDonogh 35 defeated O. Perry Walker, 29-8, in a battle of New Orleans teams, but both clubs could be losers in light of a sideline-clearing brawl that ended the game about six minutes early. When reached by phone, LHSAA commissioner Kenny Henderson approved the decision to stop the game early. The LHSAA will consider whether to suspend those who participated in the fight.
A fight broke out away from the play after McDonogh 35's Kendrick Banks recovered a Walker fumble on the Chargers' 4-yard line. Both sidelines emptied, and more fights ensued before order was restored. With the win, McDonogh 35 moved into sole possession of the District 10-4A lead with only a victory over winless Reed separating it from the title.
Volleyball: Possible state preview?
In what may have been a preview of the Division I-Class 3A final, two-time defending champion Baton Rouge St. Joseph's Academy entertained New Orleans Mount Carmel Academy in the regular-season finale for both teams.
SJA emerged with a 3-1 victory by scores of 25-8, 19-25, 25-21, 25-14. The Redstickers improved to 38-1 while dropping Mount Carmel to 36-5.
"What better way to get ready for the playoffs than to play the two-time defending state champion?" Mount Carmel coach April Hagadone said. "I think the thing that sets them apart is their experience."
SJA's Cori Martone, a Tulane commit, produced game highs with 18 kills and 15 blocks. Teammate Caroline May added 16 kills, 16 digs and 10 blocks. Pacing Mount Carml were Kaylynn Genemaras with 11 kills, Ashley Lala with 15 assists and Alex Pfefferle with 17 digs.
Hall of Fame: Five to be enshrined
Five people comprise the 2009 induction class that will be enshrined in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association/Louisiana High School Coaches Association High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Former Grambling basketball coach Michael Lyons will be joined by ex-DeQuincy four-sport letterman Donald Edward Ellis, Ruston High three-sport letterman Stephen Brad Laird, Florien basketball standout Bruce Williams and Sicily Island basketball official Bennie "Ben" Mahaffey.
Induction ceremonies will coincide with the LHSAA's annual convention scheduled Jan. 27, 2010 in Baton Rouge. It will bring the total of Hall of Fame enshrines to 240.
Lyons compiled a 1,191-211 overall record while coaching girls and boys basketball from 1979-99. He won six state championships, 41 district championships and numerous "coach of the year" awards on the district, state and national level. Ellis was a four-year letterman in football and basketball who enjoyed a standout career at Texas A&M before joining the U.S. Air Force.
Laird set numerous records in leading Ruston to state football titles in 1988 and 1990. He starred at Northwestern State University from 1991-95. Williams played varsity basketball for five years at Florien and scored 5,367 career points, which still ranks second in the NFHS record book. He was the first junior to reach 3,600 career points.
Mahaffey, a 1951 Sicily Island High graduate, spent 46 years as a high school official. He called 4,500 games in Louisiana, including 37 in the LHSAA's boys and girls state tournaments.
