We have put a bow on the high school season with the crowning of 10 boys’ champions in Lake Charles. From George Washington Carver to Zwolle, champions were crowned over 10 divisions in Louisiana.
There were three area teams who had a chance to be crowned state champions. In this edition of the SBJ Prep Hoops Report, we will review what those teams accomplished in Lake Charles and talk about other hoops pertinent to the area.
Bossier wins a fifth state title
The Division II Non-Select title game between Carroll and Bossier was nothing short of a classic. Bossier actually controlled a large portion of the game from the second quarter on, using a 3-2 zone that the Bearkats rarely break out. Even though they were handcuffed by the zone, the Bulldogs found a way to cut the deficit to one late in the game.
Bossier quickly countered with a 6-0 run to seal the deal. The zone, coupled with the play of senior leaders Lakavin Thomas and Tahj Roots, allowed Bossier to capture a 42-33 win over Carroll. Thomas capped his senior year with the Most Outstanding Player award after the win.
Calvary comes up short against Newman
“Vic (Morris) had those guys ready to play. They made it hard on us,” was the postgame quote of coach Randy Livingston of Newman after his team claimed the Division III Select title.
Calvary was playing in its fourth straight championship game, still trying to grab that elusive first title. While the Cavs came out and made things difficult for Newman, the Greenies made things just as difficult as Calvary had trouble scoring.
While the Cavs made it a 16-11 game at the half, Newman outscored the Cavs 21-8 in the third to put the game out of reach. Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year Chris Lockett won the game’s Most Outstanding Player award, scoring 16. KJ Kennon led Calvary with 15 points, going 3 of 7 from deep.
Huntington gets bounced in the semis
The Raiders faced the Scotlandville Hornets with a trip to the finals on the line. A slow start in the first quarter got the Raiders down early. However, they bounced back with a strong second quarter and were only down four points at the half.
When the Raiders came out for the third quarter, they came out lethargic again. They turned the ball over constantly, giving the Hornets moments to capitalize on. Huntington only scored 14 in the second half to the Hornets’ 30 as Scotlandville moved on to the Division I Select final. The Raiders finished the season with a record of 24-9.
Huntington alum claims state title for Kimball
It appears that the third time was indeed the charm for Kimball (Texas) High School coach and Huntington alum Nicke Smith. His team claimed Kimball’s seventh state title with a hard-fought 50-47 victory over Veterans Memorial (San Antonio) and a 69-48 drubbing of Killeen Ellison in the final. Competing in seven rounds was a tall task but the Knights stayed the course and helped the Huntington grad claim his first state championship as a head coach in Texas.
Local players to participate in All-Star game
The Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association (LHSBCA) will be holding the annual all-star games this Saturday at Pineville in H.O. West Fieldhouse at Louisiana Christian University. Several area players will be participating this weekend in their final competition as high school students.
On the girls’ side, Mikaylah Williams (Parkway) and Marissa Schoth (Benton) will be playing Saturday. Lyndzee McConathy of Airline will be the coach of the girls’ West squad.
For the boys, Malaki Thomas (Calvary Baptist), Decedric Webb (Huntington), and Jayden Easter (BTW) will compete. The girls’ game will begin at 1 p.m. and the boys’ game will tip at 3 p.m.
This season has been one for the books. We hope that you have been entertained and informed by the SBJ Prep Hoops Report. I look forward to sharing with you more hoops in the future. Until then, au revoir!
Contact Preston at preston9360@gmail.com or Twitter handle @peedee1906
