Sports
Special dedication by FSHS seniors. Sports. B8.
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the livingston parish news Sunday, February 19, 2012
High School GIRLS Basketball
Albany wraps up year unbeaten in home, no. 2 in state By Mike Dowty The Livingston Parish News
ALBANY – Champion of District 8-3A and undefeated at home for the season. No. 2 seed in the state with a 27-3 overall record and 9-1 district mark. Whatever happens next for a still youthful squad, one thing can be said for sure: The Albany Lady Hornets
Keith
Stewart
are back. Since 1985, Albany has won five state championships, but
recent years have been less than memorable for the traditional girls basketball powerhouse. That changed big time this season. Monday night the Lady Hornets capped off their campaign under first year head coach Justin Adams with a 67-44 rout of Independence. Led by versatile
junior Danielle Keith with 29 points, Albany struggled initially, taking a 16-12 first quarter lead before a barrage of three-point shots helped the home team pull away with a 39-23 halftime advantage. Sophomore Lauren Thompson nailed two of them, while senior Chloe Woods hit one of her pair for the game in
the first half and senior Tatlyn Costa another. Junior Shelby Stewart contributed 14 points to the cause. Though it was still unofficial when the News went to press Friday, Albany is expecting to host Donaldsonville Monday night in an opening round playoff game. “We are ready to get
to the playoffs and play somebody different,” Adams said. He is hoping his team will continue to improve and that the big game atmosphere going forward will contribute to that. Albany has a reputation for peaking in late ALBANY Page B2
Boys Basketball
Duncan hits 1,000 for Albany By Mike Dowty The Livingston Parish News
Mike Dowty | The News
Albany shooter Kendall Duncan launches a 3-point shot that falls to give the Hornet senior 1,000 points for his career in the season finale Monday night against Independence.
Live Oak wrestlers third in state By Sam Muffoletto The Livingston Parish News
KENNER – The Live Oak High School wrestling team left their mark on the mats at the LHSAA State Wrestling Championships last weekend with one individual state champion, four other medalists and a third-place overall team finish in Division II. Sophomore Cody Hill, whose family transplanted to Watson following Hurricane Katrina, returned to the New Orleans metro area to capture the 120pound weight division title. The top-seeded Eagle, who grew up in Chalmette and has been wrestling since the second grade, dominated No. 2 seed George Benoit of Holy Cross 9-3 in the title match on Sunday. It was the fourth match between the two this season, with Hill now having won all four, which included a pin, along with 5-2 and 3-2 decisions in earlier matches. The two-day state championship event, which took place at the Pontchartrain Center, also saw Live Oak
sophomore Jacob Chenvert finish runner-up at 106 pounds, junior Dean Roberts runner- Hill up at 113, sophomore Seth Bosarge runner-up at 132 and senior Tyler Hill (no relation to Cody), runner-up at 145. Teurlings Catholic of Lafayette won the Division II title with 277 points, followed by Holy Cross of New Orleans at 249. Live Oak finished third at 221.5, while Baton Rouge’s St. Michael’s took fourth at 203 amongst the 28 teams competing. Brother Martin edged Catholic High of Baton Rouge 283 to 279, with Archbishop Rummel a close third at 274 in Division I, while Brusly captured the Division II state title. “I’ve coached a lot of different sports in my 10 years of coaching, but this group was something special,” WRESTLING Page B7
ALBANY – Almost everybody expected senior Kendall Duncan to finish the night with 1,000 points. Almost nobody expected it to happen the way it did. Duncan himself was not even aware of the impending feat until midway through the fourth quarter of a blowout over Independence Monday. That’s when Coach Daniel Kennedy chose to inform him that he needed eight more points during the game’s final 4:33 to reach that career milestone. As the clock began winding down, still needing four points, Duncan found himself at the free throw line with two minutes to go. He sank the first, but missed the second. Moments later, fellow senior and best friend Jamare
Jackson had a breakaway layup. He sliced past his defender into the lane, went up toward the glass, but then instead of taking the pointblank shot, kicked the ball out to Duncan spotted up just behind the three-point arc. Duncan, wide open, let it fly and drained the three to the delight of the crowd. The game was stopped for Duncan to take a bow and come off the floor. What many spectators may not have realized was this was only the second three pointer of his threeyear varsity career. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m so excited,” Duncan reacted shortly after the final horn sounded on the 72-40 runaway win at home. “I just want to thank my team.” As that team coasted DUNCAN Page B2
High School Basketball Roundup
Scotlandville girls upset Walker High School Basketball Roundup (Tuesday) Scotlandville 49 Walker (girls) 41
BATON ROUGE – Although Walker had already wrapped up the outright District 4-5A championship, the LadyCats were denied an unblemished league season by Scotlandville last Tuesday night. The Lady Hornets zipped out to a 10-point lead in the opening period and led throughout the rest of the game with a 49-41 win over Walker in the district finale. Walker, which was missing one of its starters, Jerica Stepter, who injured her knee the game before against Denham Springs, ended league play at 9-1. The No. 3 ranked LadyCats, who will host a first-round playoff game, head into the post-season with a 27-4 overall record, although their official LHSAA-sanctioned record used in the powerpoint ranking system to seed the 32-team playoff bracket, is 26-2. Scotlandville, which ended its regular season with a 5-6 district record and 14-7 overall, jumped out to a 16-6 lead after the first period. Neither team could generate much offense in the second period, with the Hornets holding a 7-6 edge to take a 23-12 lead into the locker room at half-time.
David Normand | The News
Lafayette Christian Academy’s Jacob Broussard (3) and Desmond Prejean (right) reach in to knock the ball away from Holden’s Matt Holden. Prejean was called for holding. Holden won, 60-53. After both teams scored 14 points in the third period, the LadyCats made a slight charge in the fourth period, outscoring Scotlandville 15-12. Senior Ashley Williams was high-scorer for Walker
with 22 points, while junior Mi’ca Lowe had eight points, including two of the LadyCats’ four 3-point buckets on ROUNDUP Page B3
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I B2 the livingston parish news Sunday, February 19, 2012
23 girls make All-Parish Soccer Team
Livingston Parish high school coaches named 23 girls to the All-Parish Soccer team for 2012. The players honored were: Defender — Soph — Hailey Clark - Walker Defender — Freshman — Katelyn Bryant - Denham Springs
Defender — Junior — Ashleigh King - Live Oak Defender — Junior — Robbin Corkern - Live Oak Defender — Senior — Lauren Larson - Live Oak Defender — Senior — Megan Lavergne - Den-
ham Springs Defender — Senior — Shanna Lambert - Live Oak Defender — Senior - Jesse Haltom - Denham Springs Defender — Soph — Ashleigh Dawsey - Denham Springs Defender — Soph — Sar-
Albany ready for new foes
W
— Charity Simmons - Live Oak Midfielder — Senior — Kalyn Asevedo - Live Oak Midfielder — Senior — Sydnei Magill - Denham Springs Midfielder — Soph — Kassie Jackson - Walker
Potpourri
problem unless you hang up in a tree with one relaxing. Live minnows and jigs usually are all you need with a jig pole or light tackle Pee Wee Day of some type that you can get deep with. The line needs to be fairly sturdy as hanging up is a problem, but now days they make the hooks fairly pliable so they will straighten when you pull. That is really a help. Private ponds usually produce the bigger fish. Most of the state records come from ponds north around the Mississippi line near Jackson, La. Of course you have to be invited, hint-hint, to be able to get to them. Sorry to say this has never happened during all the years I have fished. In closing, let me say, go catch an igloo full of white perch, get a bag of crawfish on the way home, purchase the beverage of your choice and get with it. What a day! God Bless America!
minnows and jigs usually are all you need.
Mike Dowty | The News
Albany’s Danielle Keith gets hammered by Independence defender Ordoshia Coston. ment. Independence 12 11 9 12 — 44 Albany 16 23 11 17 — 67 INDEPENDENCE: Ordashia Coston 21, Ji’Reh Brumfield 2, Ireyon Keith
9, Ivory Wells 4, Coty Strange 5, Ariel Higginbotham 3. ALBANY: Danielle Keith 29, Tatlyn Costa 7, Shelby Stewart 14, Lauren Thompson 8, Chloe Woods 6.
Mike Dowty | The News
Duncan thanks teammates through most of the home finale, Duncan spread the ball around, passing up many shots as he seemed to be simply relaxed and enjoying himself. Kennedy had wanted things that way, for although the Hornets were a big favorite over the Tigers, they had little margin for error in retaining their spot in the upcoming playoffs as a seed somewhere in the mid-20s. An upset by Independence could have conceivably knocked out the Hornets. Yet as Albany gained control, then began to dominate, Kennedy started thinking more and more about the 1,000-points for his star player. “I wanted him to get it
ell, it’s that time again. The winter is about over. Actually it never came, but two things begin to happen. First crawfish are showing up on menus around south Louisiana and white perch, also known as sac-a-lait, are being found in deep water around brush tops feeding on live minnows. Both are much looked forward to. This is crawfish season. Not only are commercial fishermen beginning to haul in bags of the much loved crustaceans, but ditches along back roads and in the marsh are becoming crowded with lay persons fishing the old fashioned way, nets, beef melt and long poles to raise the nets. This is the way to go; it’s a way that I used to use in the French Settlement area around the back waters of the Amite. Many years ago a neighbor of mine, Howard Schmidt, and I used to wade the swamp in the area between the bridge and Hilltop off Hwy. 16, it was fun but the snakes finally ran us out. But we did get a bag or two full of the delicious meals and that made everything worth it, but I still dream about it every once in awhile. On a better note, white perch usually don’t present a snake
‘Live
Kendall Duncan celebrates with his teammates after hitting the three-point shot that put his total career points at 1,000.
From B1
— Madeleine Dehner - Live Oak Forward — Junior— Kayla Walker - Walker Keeper — Freshman — Eva Lockhart - Walker Midfielder — Junior — Nicole Hunt - Walker Midfielder — Freshman — Allie Bitter - Walker Midfielder — Junior
Crawfish and sac-a-lait seasons arrive
From B1 February and making runs in the playoffs. “It’s like the air is different,” said Adams, who used to watch the program from his post at nearby Ponchatoula. Last year Adams coached at St. James, the current no. 3 seed, where he won a state championship. If the playoff results follow the seeding, Albany will play St. James in a semifinal game in Hammond for the right to participate in the threeday state championship event for boys and girls in Ruston. The Lady Hornets rolled through eight straight district wins before stumbling on the road in Bogalusa Feb. 10. Ironically, Bogalusa is the last place team in 8-3A. Albany’s other losses came at the hands of undefeated 5-A powerhouse Southwood and eventual champion Walker in the Livingston Parish Tourna-
ah Martin - Live Oak Defender — Soph — Bailey Williams - Walker Forward — Freshman — Paetyn Miller - Denham Springs Forward — Senior — Randi Major - Walker Forward — Freshman — Tori Best - Live Oak Forward — Junior
tonight,” Kennedy said. “So in the fourth quarter we told them nobody else shoot the ball.” By then, most everybody had taken plenty of shots anyway. Jasper Watt actually led all scorers with 17 points, while Duncan finished with the needed 16. Jackson was the third double figure scorer with 13, while four other Hornets also added points. Duncan had four quick points in the first period, but scored none in the second. He only added a pair of free throws in the third to leave himself needing 10 entering the final eight minutes. Once he was told by his coaches to turn it on, he complied by manufacturing six points fairly quickly off of penetrating drives.
Never a long ball shooter, when the time came for him to take one he showed no hesitation. “I needed three points,” he shrugged. Albany was awaiting the announcement of the Class 3A playoff brackets Friday, with expectations of traveling to meet a first round opponent Tuesday. The Hornets finished the regular season 17-11 and 6-4 in District 8-3A. Independence closed out the year 8-19 and 4-6. Independence 5 14 8 13 — 40 Albany 21 10 18 23 — 72 INDEPENDENCE: Leslie Ricard 3, Quentin Burkhalter 1, Reginald Maryland 7, Ja’Contino Day 8, Ladarius Butler 9, Marcus Powell 3, Ashton Spears 1, Bruce Higginbotham 4, Kadarian Cook 4. ALBANY: Scott Hasson 4, Kendall Duncan 16, Landon Morgan 8, Louis Sansovich 7, Jamare Jackson 13, Allen Moore 7, Jasper Watt 17.
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Pee Wee Day is a longtime Denham Springs sports enthusiast, businessman and sportswriter.
the livingston parish News B3
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Roundup: Live Oak boys nip Central From B1 the night.
Walker 6 6 14 15 — 41 Scotlandville 16 7 14 12 — 49 WALKER: Ashley Williams 22, Mi’ca Lowe 8, Shannon Romito 4, Megan Strange 4, Bailey Armstrong 3. SCOTLANDVILLE: K. Dixon 11, K. Wallace 10, D. Boatner 10, L. Bickham 9, N. Lang 7, B. Cyrus 2.
Live Oak (boys) 49 Central 48
CENTRAL – Live Oak’s boys ended their season on a wining note Tuesday night, as the Eagles fought-off a late surge by Central to escape the Wildcats’ gym with a 49-48 road win in a District 4-5A finale. LOHS finished the year 3-7 in district and 13-16 overall. Central ended league play at 4-6, with a 9-19 overall mark for the season. Live Oak built a 30-20 lead at half-time and still carried a 9-point (42-33) cushion into the final period, but Central made a run for it in the final eight minutes and outscored the Eagles 15-7. Brooks Wilson led a trio of double-figure scorers for LOHS with 14 points, while Antonio Williams tossed in 13 and Jarrett Williams 11. Jarrett Williams and teammates Peyton Laborde (8 points) each had a pair of 3-point buckets for the Eagles. Central won the junior varsity game, 43-34.
Live Oak 14 16 12 7 — 49 Central 10 10 13 15 — 48 LIVE OAK: Brooks Wilson 14, Antonio Williams 13, Jarrett Williams 11, Peyton Laborde 8, Austin Laroquette 1. CENTRAL: C. Brooks 12, J. Jemison 12, J. Williams 11, K. Henry 4, J. Lodge 3, B. Curry 2, D. Lewis 2.
Scotlandville 86 Walker (boys) 41
WALKER – Top-ranked Scotlandville overpowered Walker 86-41 in the Wildcats’ season
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David Normand | The News
Lafayette Christian Academy’s Tori Jackson (left) and Madi Budde guard Holden’s Clarissa Smith as she attempts a shot. Holden won the game by an amazing score of 51-1. finale Tuesday night inside the Glenn Ellis Gym. Walker finished the season 1-9 in District 4-5A and 5-21 overall. Scotlandville wrapped up league play 10-0, while heading into the playoffs with a 31-2 overall mark. “Senior Night” for Walker belonged entirely to lone senior Kyron Scott, who led the Wildcats in scoring in his final high school game with 10 points. Bryce Brown and Matt Graham chipped in with seven points apiece for Walker, while Kenny Thomas had six on a pair of 3point buckets. Scotlandville set the tone of the outcome with a 25-13 advantage in the opening period and then quickly blew the game wide open with a 32-9 run in the second period.
Scotlandville 25 32 18 11 — 86 Walker 13 9 8 11 — 41 SCOTLANDVILLE: C. Thomas 28, Z. Bazile 14, D. Jones 11, D. Washington 11, J. Sam 10, T. Fortune 9, V. Sanders 3; WALKER: Kyron Scott 10, Bryce Brown 7, Matt Graham 7, Kenny Thomas 6, Sam Montgomery 3, Zack Bailey 3, Brian Domingue 3, Michael Scott 2.
Zachary (boys) 65 Denham Springs 45
ZACHARY – Denham Springs’ boys basketball season came to an end Tuesday night, as the Yellow Jackets fell on the road to Zachary in District 4-5A action inside the Broncos’ gym. DSHS ended the year with a 5-5 district record and 14-16 overall. Zachary, which finished runners-up in league play to Scotlandville at 8-2, heads into the playoffs with a 23-8 overall record. The Broncos took a 15-6 lead after the first
period and maintained that 9-point cushion (28-19) at intermission. Zachary, which turned up its offensive a notch in the third period, proceeded to outscore Denham 37-26 in the second half. Morris Wright led the Broncos with 24 points. Senior post Brandon Watkins was highscorer for DSHS with 16 points, while Michael Bradley was also in double-figures for the Yellow Jackets with 10. Senior Dron Singleton chipped in with nine. Zachary also won the junior varsity game, 53-45. Denham 6 13 19 7 — 45 Zachary 15 13 24 13 — 65 ZACHARY: Morris Wright 24, Christian Wilson 11, Latorious Spurlock 8, Daven Moss 7, Corey Gibbs 6, Rasheed James 5, Kyle Simon 2, Ronnie Freebis 2. DENHAM SPRINGS: Brandon Watkins 16, Michael Bradley 10, Dron Singleton 9, Josh Tassin 5, Tuwain Starks 3, R. Turner 2.
SPORTS SHORTS
High School Tennis Roundup Christian Life 2 Live Oak (boys) 0
Singles: B. Foroughian (CLA) defeated Austin Hooge (LOHS) 6-0, 6-1. J. Allen (CLA) defeated Dustin Miller (LOHS) 6-4, 5-7, 10-4.
Live Oak (girls) 2 Christian Life 0
Singles: Alissa McCaa (LOHS) def. O. Ogden 6-4, 6-3. Doubles: Victoria Reed-Brielle Pourciau (LOHS) defeated Leigh Allen-Juliana White 6-1, 4-6, 10-7.
PARDS adult volleyball registration PARDS indoor adult volleyball league registration is now open. League starts Thursday night, Feb. 23. For more information, contact Tim Tonguis 225-572-7703 or tntong@att.net.
Havoc 8U Coach’s Pitch tryouts
The Louisiana Havoc 8U Coach’s Pitch baseball team is holding individual tryouts for the Spring/ Summer season. For more information, please contact Jeff Sibley 225-532-9641.
Laguna Beach volleyball registration
Laguna Beach Volleyball League Registration is now open for adults and high school players. All leagues begin in the middle of March. For more information, contact Tim Tonguis at 225-572-7703 or tntong@att.net. Regular volleyball tournaments start Saturday, Feb. 25.
Southern Spice needs pitcher
LA Southern Spice 16U softball is looking for a pitcher. If interested, please call David at 315-3341 or Dwain at 610-6024.
Spike Spangler River Road 5K
Generations Hospice is sponsoring the annual Spike Spangler River Road 5K Run/Walk March 31 to benefit the Southeastern Louisiana District of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The event begins and ends at Train Station Park with 8 a.m. registration and a 9 a.m. start time. Entry fees are $20 per person until March 24, $25 after until the day of the race. For more information, contact Bob Ingalls at 907-4067 or email bingalls@fca.org.
Hall of Fame exhibition at Old City Hall
The public is invited to visit an exhibit at Old City Hall entitled DSHS Athletic Hall of Fame and Yellow Jacket Sports Memorabilia running now through the end of June.
Wolves 11UAAA have two spots left
Louisiana Wolves Baseball 11UAAA has two spots remaining under Coach Todd Charleville. For more information, call Coach Mark Perkins at 225-413-1109.
Walker Parks registration
Walker Parks and Recreation will be registering for its upcoming baseball/softball/T-ball season through Feb 28. Information and registration forms are available at www.wpar.walker.la.us. com. Registration fee is $60 per player until Feb.
20, $70 afterward through Feb. 28. For more information, call 665-2467.
Shockers 14U team seeks pitcher Louisiana Shockers 14U tournament baseball team is looking for one pitcher/utility player for the spring/summer season with first tournament on Feb 18th. Please call Jeff Neyland @ 225-7731018.
DSHS Hall of Fame nominations sought The Denham Springs High School (DSHS) Athletic Hall of Fame has announced the nomination window for its second class of inductees through March 31. Hall of Fame Nomination Guidelines are available to the public by visiting the DSHS website at www.denhamhs.lpsb.org or by picking up a copy at the school office. The Class of 2012 will consist of 15 members picked by a selection committee. For more information, contact Jim Spring at 225-588-0366.
Dust off your old cleats! Alumni football is coming to Livingston Parish. Gridiron Alumni is planning several full contact alumni football games. Gridiron Alumni travels the nation pitting old football rivals against each other one more time. Players are needed to sign up, and the first 40 players on each team get to play. The team that gets 30 people registered first gets home field advantage. Last year, hundreds of players and thousands of fans swarmed Nicholls State to watch their home town heroes strap it on one more time. This year, Gridiron Alumni would like to bring alumni football to the whole state of Louisiana. Teams from Denham Springs, Walker, Albany, Springfield, and other areas are forming now. Games are scheduled for March and April, but spots and game dates fill up fast. If you or someone you know is interested in putting on the pads one more time, please go to http://www. gridironalumni.com to register. If you have any questions, please call Chris at 530-410-6396 or go to the website.
Velocity Impact II USSSA Tournament LPR VELOCITY IMPACT II – USSSA TOURNAMENT: February 18-19, 2012, Livingston Parks & Recreation, Livingston, LA. 6U-15U Divisions. Fees: $275. Team and individual trophies will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place in each division. Three game minimum: Pool play on Saturday and single elimination bracket on Sunday. LPR’s facilities include eight lighted fields with covered bleachers and electronic scoreboards, two batting cages, three concession stands, air conditioned restrooms, and a tennis court. For more information and to register online, go to www.LivingstonParks.com or www.usssa.com or contact: Deonna Israel (225) 270-0240 or disrael@livingstonparks. com or Jason Buchanan (225) 313-9767 or jbuchanan@livingstonparks.com. Sports Shorts regularly publishes items of interest to the Livingston Parish sports community concerning programs and events such as registrations, tryouts, benefits and other activities. To submit an item for Sports Shorts, call 665-5176, fax to 667-0167 or e-mail to sports@livingstonparishnews.com.
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PUBLIC NOTICES
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I B4 the livingston parish news Sunday, February 19, 2012
SHERIFF SALES
Sunday, February 19, 2012
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I B6 the livingston parish news Sunday, February 19, 2012
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Sunday, February 19, 2012
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David Normand | The News
Live Oak High student Cody Hill (left) placed first in the 120 pound weight class at the LHSAA State Wrestling Championships last weekend. Hill’s teammates were runners-up. They are Jacob Chenevert (second, from left), 105 lbs. pound weight class; Dean
Roberts, 113 lbs. weight class; Seth Bosarge, 132 lbs. weight class; and Tyler Hill, 145 lbs. weight class. At right is Chris Marson of Denham Springs, who took sixth in the 106-pound class. Below is Cody Hill in action on the mat.
Live Oak builds elite wrestling program in five years From B1 said Eagle head coach Chris Collier, who built the wrestling program at LOHS from the ground up beginning five years ago. “They just knew how to handle their business. They knew what it took to be successful.” Collier turned the mindset of the program into a year-round commitment much like football, baseball and basketball. And that dedication that his kids put in from summer workouts and clubevents to early-morning weightlifting before school paid off. But both Collier and Cody Hill point to team’s unity as the main ingredient in moving the Live Oak program from infancy to a contender. “Team-wise, we were more together this season,” said Hill. “We worked hard together as a unit and began training all last summer.” “At times, we’d have 36 kids on the mats practicing, and coaching-wise, that’s tough to coach that many,” said Collier. “But with this group, the guys were coaching each other up. And they did a fantastic job of this. “These were a good group of young men who set high standards for themselves,” said Collier. “But they also set high standards in the classroom as well as on the team.” Hill, who entered the tournament with a 60-2 record, was seeded No. 1 in the 120-pound division and drew a firstround bye. Hill then proceeded to pin Teurlings Catholic’s Mark Mouton in 53 seconds and likewise pinned Tre’ Pugh of Benton in 34 seconds. In his semifinal match against St. Thomas More’s Miles Minvielle, Hill came away with a dominating 16-2 decision to send him into the finals against No. 2 seed Benoit of Holy Cross. “I knew anything can happen no matter the match, so you want to just do you best and stay focused,” said Hill. “I just wanted to take control early and get as many points early on to build the momentum.” Hill, who prides himself with his takedowns, did just that and took an early lead he would never relinquish. Hill became the firstever individual state champion in Live Oak’s five-year history. “Not only is he our first-ever state champion, but earlier in the
year, he became the first Live Oak wrestler to win the title at the Louisiana Challenge, which includes the best wrestlers in all three classifications,” said Collier. “He’s just a hard worker and a great kid. He also has a 3.8 grade point average. “But more importantly, it’s not that he just wants success for himself, but he pushes the rest of the team as well to be successful,” Collier added. And that they were. In the 106-pound division, No. 3 seed Jacob Chenevert finished the year with a 43-17 mark after finishing state runner-up. The sophomore Chenevert pinned Riverdale’s Cameron Gaffed in 2:26 in his first match, followed by a 1:33 pin of Jay Combs of Northwood and then a 5:51 pin of No. 2 seed Dylan Soileau of Holy Cross. Chenevert fell by pin (:54) to top-seeded Trey Bonin of Teurlings Catholic in the finals. In the 113-pound weight class, Eagle junior Dean Roberts was seeded second and fell to top-seed Alex Nicosia of Holy Cross in the finals via a pin at 1:57. Roberts, who finished the year at 27-11, opened the state tournament by drawing a bye and then pinned St. Louis’s Gabe Emerson at 1:10 before defeating Plaquemine’s Sterling Saylor 21-4 in the semifinals. Live Oak sophomore Seth Bosarge was seeded third in the 132pound class and posted three straight decision victories, before los-
ing 12-6 in the finals to St. Michael’s Charles Morgan in the championship match. Bosarge, who finished the year at 48-17, defeated Archbishop Shaw’s Richard deCorral 12-4, Parkway’s Hunter Huckaby 6-5 and Belle Chasse’s Jordan Mastrianni 5-3 to reach the finals. And in the 145-pound class, Live Oak senior Tyler Hill reached the championship match, but fell by pin (1:39) to top-seeded Philip Miller of Teurlings Catholic. No. 2 seed Hill, who finished the year with a 45-13 record, drew a first-round bye and then pinned St. Michael’s Michel Youngblood in 1:31, followed by a 10-3 decision win over Tashad Dixon of Northside. Elsewhere amongst the Live Oak wrestlers, No. 7 seed and senior Dylan Currera (19-15), drew a first-round bye in the 146-pound division and then pinned Tara’s Collin Maum at 2:23, before losing to No. 2 seed Dylan Corsentino of St. Michael’s by pin in 58 seconds. In the 138-pound class, Live Oak sophomore Chris Baut (23-15) loss his first match to No. 1 seed Traven Lemaly of Northside 21-8, but returned to pick up a pair of pin wins in the losers’ bracket, before being eliminated with a 10-5 decision loss. In the 152-pound class, LOHS senior Paul Bilski (28-22) was seeded fifth and opened up with a :34 pin of St. Thomas More’s Evan Lafleur, followed by a 7-1 decision win over Grace King’s Ricardo
Retana. Bilski then fell to No. 1 seed Michael Nick of Holy Cross in a 1:34 pin, followed by another pin loss (1:58) to Teurlings’ Drew Courts in the consolation match. At 160 pounds, Live Oak’s Mason Claverie (40-21) was seeded sixth and drew a first-round bye. He then proceeded to pin Huntington’s DiQuan Goodsen in 4:49, before losing to Holy Cross’s Frank Jurisich by a 7-3 decision. Eagle junior Cody Quelle was seeded fourth in the 170-pound class and finished the year at 23-10 following a pin (4:48) victory over Haughton’s Mitchell
Doren, followed by a pin (1:31) loss to Parkway’s Joseph Bussiere. In the 182-pound division, LOHS freshman Nick Simeneaux ended his first season at 24-18 following a 9-7 win over St. Thomas More’s David Quring and then a 3:42 pin setback at the hands of No. 2 seed Bryant Stansberry of Minden. Live Oak senior Hans Troxclair ended his season at 17-17, as the No. 8 seed in the 195-pound division defeated Grace King’s Gary Sampson by pin (3:34), before being eliminated by topseed Orlando Calhoun of Northside in a 3:10 pin loss.
In the 220-pound weight class, Live Oak junior Blake Brock was seeded fifth and, following an opening-round bye, pinned McKinley’s Jacoby Alexander in 5:24, before losing in the next round by pin (3:17) to fourth-seeded Adam Garza of Teurlings. And in the heavyweight (285 pounds) division, Live Oak sophomore Chris Mury was seeded eighth and finished the year at 11-11 following a pin (1:09) victory over Corey LePine of Pearl River, before losing by pin (:33) to No. 1 seed Stephen Scardina of St. Michael’s. “The sport’s growing and the kids are doing it year-round,” said Collier. “The kids are working harder and harder and are seeing their hard-work pay off. Hopefully this will get many more kids to join up in the program.” Aiding in the growth of the LOHS program is a local ‘wrestling club,’ which began five years ago as well and is headed up by Cody Hill’s father Norvin Hill. One other Livingston Parish wrestler came away with honors during the meet. Denham Springs Freshman High student Chris Marson, who wrestled for Denham Springs High, placed sixth in the LHSSA State Wrestling meet last weekend. Marson wrestled in the 106 pound weight class.
Livingston Parish PubLic schooLs
Help Needed
If you are interested in earning extra money and becoming a part time or full time school bus driver for the 2012-2013 school year you are invited to attend a driver training class that starts February 27th thru March 9th 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Classes will be held at the central office located at 13909 Florida Blvd. Livingston.
Requirements:
21 years of age • Good driving record • Clear criminal record Benefits are available to full time bus drivers. The Livingston Parish Public School System is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For more information, please contact the transportation department at: 225-686-4203.
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I B8 the livingston parish news Sunday, February 19, 2012
Pretty in pink
Mike Dowty | The News
The four seniors on the Lady Lions basketball team of French Settlement this season are (from left) Stephanie Benton, Anna Dixon, Lindsey Lobell and Taylor Watts. At right, the team lines up in its pink shoes during pre-game ceremonies. French Settlement has dedicated its girls basketball season to Kaitlin Aydell, below, who was murdered in 2007 and would have been a senior player this year.
French Settlement’s Lady Lions dedicate banner season to fallen classmate By Mike Dowty
‘This is a hard-working group of girls. I
think they had it in their mind before the season started that they wanted to get to the playoffs. They are very competitive by nature.
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The Livingston Parish News
FRENCH SETTLEMENT — Their school colors are green and gold, but this year the French Settlement Lady Lions are feeling the power of pink. Donning pink shoes in honor of a lost classmate who should have been a senior this year, French Settlement has made a magical run, earning its first playoff berth in five years with a 17-9 record and eight wins in the final 10 games. Monday, the 21st-seeded Lady Lions head for Homer with high hopes of pulling off an upset that will return them to their home campus for one more game. Don’t bet against them. “This is a hard-working group of girls,” said Coach Daniel Martin, now in his 9th season. “I think they had it in their mind before the season started that they wanted to get to the playoffs. They are very competitive by nature.” Teamwork and good practice habits helped them develop an understanding of the game that leads to positive results even without having a star player in the lineup. “We’re a well-balanced team,” Martin said. “We have six players who have all been a top
scorer on a given night. That’s unusual.” Taylor Watts, one of the four seniors on this special team, came up with the idea over the summer of wearing pink shoes in honor of Kaitlin Aydell, a former classmate who was abducted and murdered in the 7th grade by a neighbor now serving a life sentence for the crime. The tragedy shocked the community and shook up the school, which sometimes behaves more like a big family. Before the home finale against Springfield Feb. 10, the French Settlement junior class, following a school tradition, presented gifts to recognize the outgoing seniors. They did it in the locker room rather than out on the court in front of fans. Aydell’s mother was invited to be part of the ritual, held in front of her daughter’s empty locker, which has been decorated in pink all season. Mom Danette Aydell received the things that would have gone to Kaitlin. “She had a great attitude,” Martin remembers of the 13-year-old he might have looked to as one of his leaders this season. “I wasn’t her coach, but she came in the gym a couple times
French Settlement’s Taylor Watts, decked out in her pink shoes, attempts to block a shot by Doyle’s Belle Rayner. Watts is one of four seniors who defeated Doyle for the first time in their careers this season, though the action at right is from the rematch game at Doyle they lost.
David Normand | The News
Submitted
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Daniel Martin French Settlement girls coach and I worked with her a little bit. I just remember her wanting to play. What happened to her affected the whole school.” This year’s senior class — Watts, Stephanie Benton, Anna Dixon and Lindsey Lobell — have never forgotten her. Watts, a guard who hopes to walk on next year at ULL, ran into a player attending a summer camp wearing pink shoes and got the idea to bring back to her school. The group decided they wanted to dedicate the season to Kaitlin and wear pink shoes in her honor. They checked the rule book on uniforms and consulted with teachers and the school principal to get permission. Not only did they don the shoes, one of the parents came up with special shoe laces and the coaches started
wearing pink shirts at home games. The cheerleaders have also picked up the pink in their uniforms. It turns out these girls have been pretty in pink. They were 8-3 at home this season, including a landmark 71-66 win over arch-rival Doyle on Jan. 10 that sort of started the breakout. French Settlement was 8-6 before that game. Starting with that win, the Lady Lions went 9-3. Two of those loses were to perennial power St. Thomas Aquinas, the District 8-2A champion, which only escaped the French Settlement gym with a four-point victory. The other was in the revenge matchup against Doyle at their place, a 52-38 fall to earth. Their hard-nosed play even in losses against tough opponents has the
Lady Lions convinced they can go further. “I didn’t think we could beat Doyle, and then St. Thomas only beat us by a few points,” Lobell said. “We have confidence now.” That confidence extends to the notion that if one player is having an off night, there are others who can pick up the slack. The leading scorer is junior point guard Baylie Kuhl, who averages 12.7 points per game. Watts is next with a consistent 10.3 — she is rarely held to single digits. Dixon averages 6 points, while Lobell contributes 1.8. The other starter is junior Meghan Wheat with 3.9 points per game. Benton has seen limited action this season, returning from an offseason knee injury late
in the year only to injure her right knee after just four games. Sophomore Jacqueline Bodin, who averages 3 points, and freshman Eden Case, who averages 5, come off the bench to provide some inside muscle to an offense that likes to push the ball and run motion before defenses have time to get set. Monday night the Lady Lions will be challenged by a Homer squad that presses hard and scores most of its points off steals and layups. Martin hopes the experience of this squad and the always tough competition from Livingston Parish will have his girls ready. “I think we can win the first one,” Watts said. “If we do, once we get back here, our student section is outrageous.”