Metairie Archbishop Chapelle defeated Lafayette, 47-25, for its first Class 5A title, while Baton Rouge St. Michael used a familiar scenario to defeat Houma Vandebilt Catholic, 43-40, for its second consecutive Class 4A championship.
Class 3A went to Baton Rouge Capital again with its 63-41 victory over Lake Charles St. Louis Catholic. River Ridge John Cutis stopped South Beauregard, 51-41, to win its second Class 2A title in a row.
Block edged Metairie Park Country Day for the Class 1A crown, 47-46. Fairview was an 82-59 winner over Zwolle in the Class B final, with Saline outlasting Pleasant Hill for the Class C title, 57-55.
Class 5A: Hot shooting propels Chapelle
Archbishop Chapelle shot a blistering 58.3 percent from the floor (21 of 36) to overwhelm Lafayette. Olivia Grayson scored a game-high 12 points to earn Most Valuable Player honors. Gabby Carroll added 10.
Chapelle held Lafayette to 28.2 percent shooing (11 of 39). Sedreka Plummer led Lafayette with eight points and five rebounds. Lafayette made its first appearance in the final.
Class 4A: History nearly repeats itself
A year after hitting a game-winning shot to beat a team from Houma, St. Michael junior guard KK Babin did it again.
This time, instead of beating Ellender as was the case in 2008, Babin canned a 3-pointer from the left corner with 30.6 seconds to defeat Vandebilt Catholic.
“Right place, right time,” Babin said. “I did it once, but never in my life did I think I could do it twice. I did it for our seniors, our team.”
Jasmine Scott led St. Michael’s balanced scoring with 12 points, Babin added 11, and Carol Lee Constantin and Jeanne Kenney each scored 10. St. Michael finished with a 38-1 record.
Vandebilt Catholic’s Theresa Plaisance scored a game-high 21 points with 14 rebounds. Bethany Gregory added 10.
Class 3A: Capitol adds to legacy
In beating St. Louis, Capitol won its third state title in four years and its sixth in the last nine. St. Louis was making its first title-game appearance since winning the Class 2A championship 20 years ago.
Dominique Robinson led Capitol’s three double-figure scorers with 31 points. She also grabbed 13 rebounds. Naketa Roberts scored 11 points to go along with a game-high 16 rebounds. Kishaun Williams produced 11 points, as well.
Paige Gauthier topped St. Louis with 16 points. Jazzmin Smith chipped in 11 points. It marked the fourth consecutive year in which Capitol has beaten St. Louis in the playoffs.
Class 2A: John Curtis rolls to victory
Kristi Bellock clearly deserved MVP honors in scoring 11 points, grabbing eight rebounds, blocking eight shots and handing out four assists in John Curtis’ victory over South Beauregard.
Shenocka Lewis added 13 points for John Curtis, which led by as many as 22 fourth-quarter points. Whitney Gathright followed with 10. South Beauregard’s Jenna Diakos scored a game-high 14 points.
Class 1A: Late free throw the difference
Tyra Jefferson made one of two free throws with 17.9 seconds left to lift Block past Country Day for its first state title.
“Ask me again next week, maybe I can tell you something,” jubilant Block coach Kristy King said after the game. “I can’t take it all in.”
Jefferson finished with 17 points in earning Most Valuable Player honors. Country Day’s Ariel Bartholomew matched Jefferson’s point total.. Block’s Arnesha Beard added 13 points, while Alex Waguespack had 10 for Country Day.
Block trailed throughout the first half but had taken a one-point lead by the start of the fourth quarter.
Class B: Fairview continues domination
Most Valuable Player Taylor Maricle scored a game-high 32 points for Fairview, which won its fourth state title in five years. Maricle made 13 of 23 shots, including 6 of 12 from 3-point range. Teammate Brittany Maddox produced 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Julie Maze paced Zwolle with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Rinesha Frazier had 16 pints and eight rebounds, while Broneisha Maze contributed 10 points and 16 rebounds.
Class C: Free throws spell difference
Jermini Malone scored the final three points from the free throw line to carry Saline past Pleasant Hill. Malone made 5 of 10 free-throw attempts in the final period.
Malone scored a team-high 15 points, but it was teammate KeAnna Rainwater who earned MVP honors after scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Pleasant Hill’s Sabrina Sanders scored a team-high 17 points.
Soccer: All-state teams chosen
State finalists, and their coaches, were well represented on the all-state teams as chosen by the Louisiana High School Coaches Association.
Captain Shreve lost to New Orleans Jesuit in the Division III-Class 5A boys championship game, but Captain Shreve earned the top two honors on the all-state team. Forward Brennan Randel earned MVP honors and Matt Smith was named Coach of the Year.
The Division I girls title went to Covington St. Scholastica, as did the MVP and Coach of the Year awards. Senior forward Tricia Johnson won the former and Mike Ortner the latter.
After beating Shreveport Loyola Prep for the Division II-Class 4A boys title, Lafayette Teurlings Catholic also secured the top spots on the all-state team. Forward Michael Hollier was the MVP and Lance Peltier the Coach of the Year.
Houma Vandebilt Catholic beat Teurlings Catholic in the Division II girls final and also boasted of the MVP in senior forward Cayla Chatman and the Coach of the Year in Philip Amadee.
New Orleans Isidore Newman outlasted Baton Rouge University High in four overtimes for the Division III-Classes 3A and below title thanks in large measure to MVP forward Matt Savoie and Coach of the Year Matt Jacques.
After winning the Division III girls crown with Lake Charles St. Louis Catholic, Natalie Ieyoub received MVP honors. In the only leading award to go to a non-finalist, Monroe Quachita Christian‘s Bruce Deaton was named Coach of the Year.
