By Dave Moormann
MaxPreps.com
Even when not at its best, the Slidell Salmen boys basketball team is too strong for its District 9-4A competition.
Having yet to lose during its two years in district, Salmen disposed of East Jefferson, 54-44, despite some woeful free-throw shooting.
The Spartans missed 10 of 17 second-half free throws, including the front end of three one-and-ones down the stretch. Despite that, Salmen ran its winning streak to 10 games with all those victories having come by double figures.
Salmen ended the first half of district play at 5-0, while running its overall record to 22-2.
“I thought we were very, very scrappy on defense, and that allowed us to win the game,” Salmen coach Jay Carlin said. “On offense, we weren’t very efficient. We’ve been able to rise to the level of every good team we’ve played, and this was a good team.”
T.J. Price led Salmen with 11 points. All of them came in the first half and eight in the first quarter. As a football player on a team that went deep into the playoffs, Price didn’t join the basketball team until Christmas.
Blake Hicks led East Jefferson with a game-high 14 points.
More Boys Basketball: Johns on target in record performance
Dean Johns was uncannily accurate in tying his school’s scoring record in Shreveport Southwood’s 83-71 non-district victory over Cotton Valley.
Johns was 18 of 23 from the field, including 10 of 14 from 3-point range, in scoring 52 points. He also made 6 of 7 free throws in matching Paul Marshall’s scoring mark.
Nick Parish led Cotton Valley with 30 points.
Wrestling: Catholic finishes first again
Even without several injured starters, Catholic had no trouble winning its seventh consecutive Greater Baton Rouge City Championship.
The Bears produced six individual champions in scoring 255 points to 155.5 for second-place Brusly.
Catholic’s Blake Savoie (119 pounds), Ben Carroll (145) and J.P. Luckett (171) repeated as individual champions. Savoie earned his third city title with a technical fall over Garrett Minard of Live Oak.
Savoie also was named outstanding wrester in the lower divisions. Brusly’s Joey Hood, the 215-pound champion, was outstanding wrestler in the upper divisions.
Catholic’s Patrick Bourgoyne won a title on his 17th birthday, as did Luckett. Bourgoyne enjoyed a 14-4 victory over Baton Rouge Istrouma’s Jason Rucker at 160 pounds.
Catholic’s two other champions were Chase Fresina at 125 pounds and Collin Durrett at 130.
The Bears will begin defense of their Division I title when the state championship opens Feb. 13 in Kenner.
More Wrestling: Huntington makes it three in a row
Huntington won six individual titles in claiming its third consecutive Shreveport city championship.
Huntington scored 182 points in outdistancing a field that included Byrd at 160 and Evangel Christian Academy at 124. They were followed by Northwood at 102, Calvary at 77 and Loyola with four points.
“In my mind…Jeremiah Thornton in the 189-pound class…really stepped up,” said Huntington coach Perry Moss. “My first-year heavyweight, Anthony Gardner, is the second one who really stepped up. I’m just proud of this group of young men.”
Filling in for an injured wrestler, Thornton won his weight class. Gardner was a champion at 285 pounds.
Also winning for Huntington were Tessy Steadman at 135, Courtney Johnson at 145, Jerry Davis Jr. at 152 and George James at 215.
Winning city championships for Byrd were Caleb Prothro at 112, Taylor Liesmann at 125, Daniel McDonnell at 140, Dylan Rothell at 160 and Aaron Smith at 171.
Bowling: Denham Springs gets off to fast start
The four-time defending state champion Denham Springs girls gave indication that they could make it five in a row with an impressive start to their season.
Denham Springs swamped Central, 26-1, with Olivia Goodman rolling a series-high 523. Goodman’s performance included a personal-best game of 197. Teammate Jessica McLin produced a single-game high of 198.
Kay Rawls had Central’s best single game at 186.
Soccer: Historic seeding system set in motion
The Covington St. Scholastica girls received the top seed in Division I-Class 5A, as state coaches seeded playoff teams in their respective divisions for the first time ever.
St. Scholastica was to play 32nd-seeded West Jefferson in a bi-dstrict game later in the week. Second-seeded Mandeville Fontainebleau was scheduled to face 31st-seeded Baton Rouge Woodlawn in its first-round game.
Houma Vandebilt Catholic drew the top seed in Division II-Class 4A, with 16th-seeded Leesville as its bidstrict opponent. Second-seeded Shreveport Parkway was to face 15th-seeded Alexandria.
Top-seeded Lake Charles St. Louis Catholic, and No. 2 New Orleans Sacred Heart, drew byes in Division III-Class 3A and below.
Rather than place teams in pre-drawn brackets, as was done in the past, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, recently passed a rule that allowed for playoff seeding.
Coaches went online to rank teams. Once they finished, the LHSAA office computed the results and created brackets based on seeding. The same process was to be used for the boys.
“This was a important step for soccer in Louisiana,” said Baton Rouge High coach Sheila Achee, whose team was seeded fifth in Division I Class 5A. “It may not have been perfect, but it’s a good start. I think It will get better as we continue to do it.”
Football: Zachary hires head coach
Neil Weiner will return to the head-coaching ranks after having been tapped by Zachary to lead the Broncos next season.
Weiner, 32, will join Zachary from Central after having spent four years as head coach at Catholic of Pointe Coupee. Catholic is a Class 1A program, while Central belongs to Class 5A.
“Across the state, I know Zachary is recognized as the top school district,” Weiner said. “Zachary has an incredible reputation and great leadership.”
Weiner replaces Bob Howell, who was relieved of his duties in January after leading the Broncos to the Class 4A quarterfinals. Weiner will now be in the same district as his father and veteran Catholic coach Dale Weiner.