Reserve Christian roared to its fourth consecutive Class C title. Monroe Richwood won its fourth Class 3A crown, but its first since 2005 after losing in the finals last season and the semifinals in 2007.
Monroe Ouachita won the Class 5A championship after having lost in its three previous trips to the finals. Salmen Slidell claimed the Class 4A trophy for its first state title in six trips to the Top 28 tournament. Zwolle reversed the outcome of last year’s Class B state championship.
Metairie Country Day won the Class 1A crown after two consecutive runner-up spots, while Springhill took the Class 2A title.
Class 5A: Late surge lifts Ouachita
Ouachita used a strong fourth-quarter performance in topping Hahnville, 70-53, for its first state title.
The second-seeded Lions never looked back after scoring the first 10 points of the final period to snap a 42-42 tie. During the run, Nick Haywood hit back-to-back 3-point shots and Mike Shaw scored twice inside.
Shaw made five 3-pointers overall en route to a game-high 21 points. Shaw added 18 points, including 12 of 18 from the free-throw line, He also collected 14 rebounds. Jeremie Mitchell’s 16 points led Hahnville, which as the No. 12 seed was the lowest seed to qualify for the state tournament.
After its fast fourth-quarter start, Ouachita never led by less than eight points the rest of the game.
Class 4A: Salmen dominates again
In winning its first state title with a 61-46 victory over Bossier, Salmen never trailed in a performance indicative of the Spartans’ playoff production. Sixth-seeded Salmen won its five postseason games by an average of 16 points.
Ninth-seeded Bossier tied the score once at 17-17 before Salmen responded with eight consecutive points. Daron Populist and T.J. Price each made 3-pointers in helping Salmen to a 25-17 halftime lead.
Salmen twice led by 19 second-half points, with Isiah Tate scoring 12 of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter. Tate finished 11-of-18 from the field and had 10 rebounds. Price added 11 points.
Joseph James and Tevin Hall each scored 14 points for Bossier. Jalen West chipped in with 10.
Class 3A: Carter carries Richwood past Vidalia
There was little LaDon Carter didn’t do in helping Richwood turn back Vidalia, 75-61.
Carter made 9-of-15 field-goal attempts to finish with a game-high 19 points. He had seven rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals. He also scored six points during a 14-2 run that snapped an early tie.
Fittingly, Carter received Outstanding Player recognition. He had plenty of help, too, with Marceis Davis scoring 17 points and LaDarrin Williams adding 15 points and nine rebounds.
Vidalia twice closed to within four points in the final five minutes but hurt itself at the free-throw line, where it made only 7 of 21 fourth-quarter attempts. Vidalia’s Torrey Dixon finished with a team-high 18 points, while Gary Stewart had 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Class 2A: Springhill holds off Many
Springhill took advantage of Anotonious Markray’s accuracy, and Many’s lack of it, to claim a 70-66 victory in the finals.
Markray scored five of his game-high 26 points in the final 1:30, including a putback that gave Springhill a 69-64 lead with 59 seconds left. Many had pulled to within 66-64 with 1:55 remaining but then missed its final nine shots.
Many shot only 32.5 percent for the game (26 of 80), including 1 of 17 from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, Markray was named Outstanding Player for his efforts that included 14 rebounds. Mardarius Frazier also had 14 rebounds. Ledarien Wilson scored 14 points.
Many’s Dantrell Thomas scored 17 points with D.J. Palmer, Rod Davis and Nic Jacobs all finishing with 14. Jacobs also had 16 rebounds.
Although Springhill trailed after the first quarter, 20-19, the Lumberjacks took a 33-23 halftime lead and led throughout the second half.
Class 1A: Like father, like son for Country Day
Metairie Country Day beat Arcadia, 67-47, with Matt Derenbecker scoring a game-high 31 points.
It was a case of history repeating itself considering that Derenbecker’s father, John, was an All-Top 28 Tournament pick on Country Day’s first state-championship team in 1977. Country Day hadn’t won a state title since 1980.
The younger Derenbecker made 11-of-17 field-goal attempts, including five 3-pointers. Three came in the final nine minutes.
Eddie Ludwig added 19 points and 15 rebounds, as he and Derenbecker combined for 42 of the Cajuns’ first 50 points. Korey Abney scored 14 for Arcadia, which has yet to win a state championship after six Top 28 appearances.
Korey Abney had 14 points and Kourtney Roberson contributed 13 along with eight rebounds for Arcadia, which is still seeking its first state title in six tournament appearances.
Class B: Zwolle overcomes itself, Rapides
Despite making only 1-of-7 free throws in the final 1:07, Zwolle held off Lecompte Rapides, 55-53.
Top-seeded Rapides missed two shots and had a turnover in the final 25 seconds, but Zwolle’s poor free-throw shooting kept the outcome in doubt until Antonio Holmes missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Zwolle, which won its 12th state title, atoned for a 69-67 loss to Rapides in last year’s title game. Zwolle has won three of the last four state championships.
Rapides’ Holmes earned Outstand Player honors after scoring 17 points. Teammate James Barfield finished with a game-high 25. Darias Montgomery scored 15 for Zwolle and Joevoskie Mitchell added 14.
Mitchell also was the repeat Outstanding Player on the All-State team. Simpson’s Mike Charrier was named Coach of the Year
Class C: Reserve Christian romps again
It was fitting that Reserve Christian crushed Athens in the final, 108-79. After all, the Eagles averaged 101 points in five playoff games and won by an average of nearly 47 points per game.
They set Class C state tournament records for total points in two games (207) and field goals in two games (85). Reserve Christian and Athens also combined to set a Class C state record with 187 total points in the final.
It was an all-too familiar outcome for Athens, which has lost to Reserve Christian in the finals of the last three Class C title games. Reserve Christian also won Class B state titles in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
Ricardo Gathers and Ed Gallina sparked the Eagles’ latest triumph with 22 and 20 points apiece. Gathers also grabbed 14 rebounds in earning Outstanding Player honors. Gallina made four 3-pointers. Bobbin Tobin and Devarius Criton each scored 21 points for Athens, which twice trailed by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter.
