JOURNAL SPORTS
The Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches issued its high school honors to coaches and players Thursday, and included on the Player of the Year list was Bossier’s senior guard Tahj Roots.
Roots was the LABC’s choice for its Class 4A Player of the Year award, which will be presented May 6 during the annual LABC Awards Banquet in Baton Rouge. The LABC is the professional organization for state college men’s basketball coaches and the head coaches from each college in the state are voters for the various honors issued by the association.
The Bearkats (24-10) surged to the fifth state crown in school history, and fourth this century, winning the Non-Select Division II title with Roots providing leadership and production. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 19.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and over the weekend was chosen by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association as its Class 4A Outstanding Player and a first-team All-State selection.
Bossier won 13 of its last 14 games, closing with victories over No. 1 Wossman and No. 3 Carroll at the LHSAA Marsh Madness tournament in Lake Charles under first-year coach Justin Collins.
The LSUS Pilots will be represented at the LABC event by Kyle Blankenship, the LABC’s Small College Coach of the Year, and senior forward Jalen Brooks, a Woodlawn product, chosen as the Small College Player of the Year.
Airline High product and Bossier City native Mike McConathy will receive the LABC’s Mr. Louisiana Basketball award to highlight the event. McConathy starred as a player at Airline and Louisiana Tech before starting the program as coach for 16 years at Bossier Parish Community College and leading Northwestern State to three NCAA Tournament appearances while becoming Louisiana’s all-time winningest college coach, men or women, with 682 career victories.
