Nick Haywood of Monroe Ouachita and Olivia Grayson of Metairie Archbishop Chapelle received Outstanding Players honors on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 5A All-State basketball teams.
Both earned the recognition after leading their respective schools to their first state titles last month.
Hahnville’s Brian Lumar, whose team finished second to Ouachita, was named boys Coach of the Year. Casey Delhomme of Lafayette was the girls Coach of the Year. Lafayette finished as the state runner-up at 29-5 after its first trip to the Ladies’ Top 28.
Haywood, a 6-foot senior, averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. Grayson finished as Archbishop Chapelle’s all-time leading scorer with 2,180 points. As a senior, the 5-6 Grayson averaged 13.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 3.2 assists per game.
Class 4A: Baton Rouge produces top individual players
Two Baton Rouge juniors received the top individual awards on the Class 4A All-State teams.
Brian Williams of Glen Oaks was voted Outstanding Player on the boys team, while Jeanne Kenney of St. Michael won the same honor for the girls. Bossier’s Jeremiah Williams (no relation) was chosen boys Coach of the Year, while Sheryl Madison of Carroll was the No. 1 girls coach.
“It’s an honor, but this also means I’ll have a target on my back for next season,” Brian Williams said. “I need to get back in the gym and work even harder than I have before.”
Williams averaged 25.9 points, 13.6 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots per game this past season, but top-ranked Glen Oaks lost in the semifinals of the state tournament.
“Our goal was to win a state title. a we didn’t quite make it that far,“ he said. “But it was a great year in which we all worked hard as a team. It wasn’t just about me.”
Kenney’s statistics weren’t as impressive, but they were plenty good enough to help St. Michael to its second consecutive girls state championship. Kenny averaged 14.8 points, 6.2 assists, five rebounds and three steals per game. She also made 47 percent of her 3-point attempts.
“I didn’t expect anything like this,” she said. “It’s an honor, and it’s one that really belongs to the whole team because we were in it together. The way we pulled together as a group made what we did possible.”
Jeremiah Williams guided Bossier to three road playoff victories before Bossier finally fell to Slidell Salmen in the state championship game. Bossier finished 36-7 overall.
“It's always exciting to get individual honors,” Williams said, “but it’s really a credit to the people of the community, the school, and the program as a whole. I'm just happy for Bossier High to get the recognition."
Madison led Carroll to a 28-2 record and a spot in the state semifinals.
Class 3A: Capitol, Vidalia sweep top awards
It’s little wonder Baton Rouge Capitol’s Dominque Robinson was named Outstanding Player on the girls Class 3A All-State team.
After all, Robinson has led the Lions to two state titles and a runner-up finish in the past three years. Her 31 points in the recent state title game brought the Lions yet another state championship. She finished the season averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds per game.
In leading Capitol to its fourth state title in the last five years, Alvin Stewart was chosen Coach of the Year. Capitol finished 28-4 this past season.
Vidalia produced both the boys Outstanding Player and Coach of the Year. Gary Stewart was voted the top player after averaging 16.4 points per game. Robert Sanders earned the coaching honors after guiding Vidalia to a 30-2 record and into the state title game for the first time since 1979.
“All I was in it for was the wins,” Robinson said. “My goal was for the team to win a state title, and once we did that I figured that was a great way to finish my high school career.
“It’s a surprise … and an honor. There are plenty of other people out there who stepped up their game this year, too. To win a title and be recognized is great..”
Stewart called his award “a blessing….To be recognized for something like this is something you have to appreciate, and I do.”
"This was the best season we've had since I've been here," Vidalia’s Gary Stewart said. "Individually, this season was very different for me because I didn't shoot nearly as much as I did in other years. We had several good players who could score, so we all tried to come out and play like a team."
Stewart normally played the post but was used at every position, including point guard.
“I think he is deserving,“ said Sanders, in his 18th year at Vidalia. “It came as quite a surprise, but he has worked very hard. He meant a lot to this team. When we played against some teams, we used him as a point guard, and he was able to score over their personnel and distribute the ball effectively.”
Baseball: Benton’s Alex Saunders fires gem
Not only did Alex Saunders reach perfection in Benton’s 15-0 over Bossier, but the senior right-hander also had two hits in three at-bats.
In throwing his perfect game, Saunders struck out 12 in the five-inning game. He upped his record to 2-1, while the Tigers improved to 13-3 overall.
Benton scored 13 first-inning runs in its District 1-4A victory.
Football: Longtime assistant coach makes surprise move
After spending the last 30 years at Baton Rouge Catholic High, Gerry Garidel will be leaving to work for the son of his former boss.
Garidel was both Catholic’s long-time head baseball coach and football assistant and once worked as defensive coordinator for Dale Weiner.
At Zachary, Garidel will serve as defensive coordinator for Weiner’s son, Neil.
“I guess Coach Garidel is the one that surprises people the most,” Neil Weiner said of his four recent hires. “Some people think it’s his son, Jamin, that we hired, and then I tell them no it’s Gerry, Jamin’s dad. I think he (Gerry Garidel) is looking forward to a new challenge.”