Mar 4, 2024
Three years after taking over the Woodlawn Lady Panther basketball program, Alicia Dedeaux has led her team to the best finish in the 75 year history of the school. Woodlawn finished the season with a record of 25-10 and played in their first State Championship Game.
It was a playoff full of firsts for the Lady Panthers. After completing the regular season with a 22-9 record, Dedeaux’s Lady Panthers earned the fifth seed in the Division I Select playoff bracket. After a first round bye, Woodlawn hosted 12th seeded Northwood High School from Shreveport. The Lady Panthers cruised to an easy victory in the Regional round with a 71-38 final. This win was the first Regional round victory in school history.
Junior Guard Amijah Price averaged 26 ppg in the State Tournament.
The Quarterfinal round saw Woodlawn travel to Covington for a matchup versus fourth-seeded St. Scholastica. While the Lady Panthers were the lower seed, they led by two at half. The lead quickly ballooned to 10 in the second half. Woodlawn continued to pull away to a final score of 64-42.
The state semifinals were next up for the Lady Panthers, and #1 Huntington loomed for Woodlawn in Hammond. While many felt that Woodlawn would be outgunned by Huntington’s guards, Dedeaux and the Lady Panthers had other plans.
Led by an amazing effort by junior guard Amijah Price and unmatched defensive intensity, fifth-seeded Woodlawn knocked off the top seed, 71-58.
“Sometimes when you play teams that pressure, they don’t like the pressure,” Woodlawn coach Alicia Dedeaux said. “You have to return the favor and see how they respond. The girls truly took care of business. When it counted, my girls got the job done.”
Woodlawn, in their State Tournament debut, scored 19 points off of turnovers and made 30 of 35 free throws.
Price scored a team high 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She was perfect from the free throw line, going 20 of 20.
She had help from sophomore guard Mariah Scott, who added 13 points, and junior forward Mya Montgomery, who added 12 points. The Lady Panthers outrebounded Huntington 48-21.
After leading by two at the end of the first quarter, Woodlawn went cold offensively and could not stop the top seed, who went on a 16-0 run. The Lady Panthers trailed by nine at the half.
Junior forward Mya Montgomery added invaluable production off the bench during the playoff run.
However, after chipping away at the deficit in the third, Woodlawn outscored Huntington 26-9 in the final quarter for the final score. The win set the Lady Panthers up to face John Curtis Christian in their first title game appearance ever.
The second seeded Patriots proved to be too much for Woodlawn, going wire-to-wire with the lead. The final score of 60-46 came only after several second half runs by the Lady Panthers put them in striking distance.
A final surge by Woodlawn put them within seven at 47-40. Two field goals that could have put pressure on John Curtis did not find the bottom of the net, and the Patriots finished the game on a 13-5 run.
Price led Woodlawn again in the championship game, scoring 19 points and tallying 10 rebounds. Junior guard Zyriah Williams added 11 points, and Montgomery grabbed 8 rebounds to go with her 5 points.
Despite the loss, the Lady Panther basketball team has a bright future ahead of it after the record-breaking 2023-2024 season.
Mar 4, 2024
Each week the Panther Play by Play will review the athletic contests from the previous week and look forward to the coming week’s action.
Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.
Bowling:
Our bowling team fell in their match versus East Ascension last Thursday by the score of 19-8. The Panthers are now 4-3 on the season.
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team’s next match is against Baton Rouge High on the 5th. They will also compete against Denham Springs on the 6th. All matches will be bowled at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
For the first time in program history, the Lady Panthers went to the state championship! They first traveled to Hammond on the 29th to play Huntington in the semifinals and achieved an amazing 71-58 win.
Junior Amijah Price had 33 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Sophomore Mariah Scott has 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.
In the finals on Saturday, the team played John Curtis Christian. While they ultimately lost 60-46, the Lady Panthers accomplished what no other Lady Panther basketball team has been able to accomplish in Woodlawn’s history. Congratulations to Coach Dedeaux and the team!
Tennis
The Panther tennis teams played Live Oak on the 26th. The girls lost 4 matches to 2 and the boys lost 3 matches to 1. The doubles team of Lily Ingalls & Amelie Lemaire won 6-2, 6-0, while Miriam LIndsay & Krystel Amo won 6-2, 6-1. Levi Lindsay won his singles match 6-1, 6-0.
On the 28th, the teams played Baton Rouge High. The girls ultimately lost 0-5, while our boys lost 1-3. However, Levi Lindsay won his singles match 6-0, 6-1.
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play St. Michaels on the 4th at Highland Road Tennis Center (3 pm), Parkview on the 6th at The Legacy at Bonne Esperance (3 pm), and Live Oak on the 8th at LSU (2:30 pm).
Track
Our track team began their outdoor season with a boys’ second place win at Brusly on the 28th. Liam Dowdy finished first in the boys’ 3200 meter race, Lillie Allen came in 2nd in the girls’ pole vault, Alex Collins placed first in the boys’ shot put, and Brianna Graham placed 2nd in the girls’ shot put.
Additionally, D’kobe Chesterfield placed second in the boys’ javelin, our 4×400 relay team came in first (D’kobe Chesterfield, Couren Norman, Kydell Miner, and Darius Chesterfield), and Khamory Gipson came in 1st place in the boys’ discus.
Next up for Track: Our track team will host a JV meet on the 6th starting at 2:30 pm. On the 7th, they will travel to Baton Rouge High to compete in the Clarence Antoine Relays.
Baseball
The Panthers traveled to Ascension Christian on the 26th for their only game last week, and got hit hard by a 21-8 loss.
Next up for Baseball: The Panthers will host Madison Prep on the 5th beginning at 3:30 pm. On March 7th, the team will travel to Port Allen High for a game beginning at 5 pm. On Saturday the 9th, the team will play White Castle at home at noon.
Softball
Our softball team dominated Madison Prep on the 27th, winning by run rule in 5 innings with a score of 11 to 1. Amy Kirk was on the mound and hit a triple, Kinsley Madison hit a double, and many other players hit singles.
On the 29th, the team did it again against Ben Franklin by winning in 4 innings with a run rule of 20-5. Amy Kirk hit a grand slam and a triple, Aerion Lange hit a homerun, and Brooklyn Potter hit a triple. The team is on a 3-game winning streak and working hard toward having an undefeated season.
Next up for Softball: Our softball team will host Liberty on the 5th and Broadmoor on the 6th, both games beginning at 4 pm. The team will then travel to play Baker High on the 7th at 4 pm.
Powerlifting
Our Powerlifting Team has continued to prep for the state powerlifting meet, which will be held on March 22nd and 23rd in Lafayette.
Next up for Powerlifting: The state powerlifting meet will take place March 22-23 at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
Feb 26, 2024
Each week the Panther Play by Play will review the athletic contests from the previous week and look forward to the coming week’s action.
Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.
Bowling:
Our bowling team fell in their match versus East Ascension last Thursday by the score of 20-7. The Panthers are now 4-2 on the season
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team’s next match is against St. Amant on the 26th. All matches will be bowled at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
The Lady Panthers secured an amazing win over Northwood-Shreveport 71-38 on the 19th. This playoff win advanced the girls to the quarterfinals, where they played St. Scholastica on the 22nd. The team dominated in an impressive win 64-42, moving them forward to the semifinals.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: For the first time in program history, the Lady Panthers will play in the Division I Select semifinals! They will travel to Hammond on the 29th to play Huntington.
Boys’ Basketball
The Panthers ended their season first round playoff game against Brother Martin on the 23rd. Though they lost 61-42, the team pushed until the very end. Their tenacity and resilience was clearly demonstrated on the court.
Tennis
On the 19th, the team played St. Amant at Highland Road Park. The boys’ team tied 2-2, with Levi Lindsay winning his singles match (6-1, 6-2), and the team of Sam Marino & Jacob Aime winning their doubles match 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), and 1-0 (10-5).
The girls’ team fell 1-4, but the doubles team of Wesley Porter & Kailyn Lebrun won their first ever match (6-1, 6-1).
On the 21st, the varsity team played Central. While the boys ultimately lost 2-1, Levi Lindsay defeated his first court singles opponent 2 sets to 1.
The girls’ team defeated Central 3-0. All three doubles teams won 2-0 – Lily Ingalls & Amelie Lemaire on 1st court, Miriam Lindsay & Krystel Amo on second court, and Bella Winter & Kate Russell on 3rd court.
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play Live Oak on the 26th and Baton Rouge High on the 28th. Both matches will be played at Forest Park Tennis Center starting at 3 pm.
Track
Our Panthers have been preparing for the opening meet of the season, which will be held on February 28th at Brusly.
Next up for Track: Outdoor track season will begin with meets at Brusly on the 28th.
Baseball
In their season opener on the 19th, the Panthers were unfortunately defeated by Walker High School 14-1. On Tuesday, the team battled to an ultimate loss to East Iberville 5-1.
On the 22nd, the Panthers rallied for a 9-8 win against Slaughter Community Charter, but faced defeat again on Saturday as they lost 12-8 to Independence.
Next up for Baseball: The Panthers will travel to Ascension Christian on the 26th and then host Family Christian on the 29th. Both games begin at 3:30 pm. On March 1st, the team will travel to Independence High for a game beginning at 5:30 pm.
Softball
Games on the 20th and 22nd were both postponed for the Lady Panthers.
Next up for Softball: Our softball team will host Madison Prep and Ben Franklin next Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games will be at 4 pm.
Powerlifting
Our Powerlifting team hosted the LHSPLA Girls East Regional Powerlifting Meet on the 24th. For the first time in program history, the girls were declared the East Regional Champions.
The team had 4 lifters that finished in first place – Katelyn Reed (97 lb), Krystel Amo (105 lb) Jadyn Barner (114 lb), and Amy Kirk (165 lb).
There were 2 second place finishers – Kennedi Kullman (97 lbs) and Aerion Lange (SHW). Lacie Sierra finished third in the 132 pound weight class as well.
The team also brought home the Lightweight (Jadyn Barner) and Heavyweight (Amy Kirk) Best Lifter awards.
Next up for Powerlifting: The state powerlifting meet will take place March 22-23 at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
Feb 20, 2024
Each week the Panther Play by Play will review the athletic contests from the previous week and look forward to the coming week’s action.
Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.
Bowling
Our Panther Bowling team had matches against both Zachary and Liberty this week. Our bowlers had two impressive victories, defeating Zachary by the score of 27-0 and Liberty by the score of 24-3.
The Panthers moved to 4-1.
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team’s next match is against East Ascension on the 22nd at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
The Lady Panther varsity team played a nail-biting district game against Liberty on the 7th. In a close battle, the team lost 52-49.
However, on the 9th, the girls rallied for a win against St. Joseph’s Academy on their senior night. The final varsity score was 53-32, and seniors Tralyn Riley, Ranya Smith, Faith Thomas, and Kailee Washington were celebrated.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: Our Lady Panthers earned a first round bye in the Select Division I playoff bracket by being named the 5th seed. Woodlawn will host Northwood-Shreveport in the regional round of playoffs on the 19th.
Boys’ Basketball
The Panthers fell to Liberty on Tuesday, with a varsity score of 60-53 and a JV score of 58-22. The team fought against Catholic High on the 9th, ending in a 62-54 varsity loss and a 60-40 loss for JV.
On the 14th, the varsity team faced another loss in overtime to Central, with a score of 64-56. The JV team lost 56-22.
On Friday, the boys rallied to a great win over Scotlandville. The varsity final score was 68-55. The boys finished their season at #22 in Division I Select.
Next up for Boys’ Basketball: Our Panthers earned the #22 seed in the Select Division I playoffs. Woodlawn will travel to Brother Martin on Friday, February 23rd for a 7 pm Bi-District game.
Tennis
On Tuesday the 6th, our tennis team displayed exceptional prowess on the court, securing victories against Walker across both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
In the boys’ division, Woodlawn asserted its dominance by clinching three out of four matches against Walker. Levi Lindsay and Jacob Hoang showcased their individual skill and determination, triumphing in their respective singles matches. The duo of Jacob Aime & Sam Marino displayed remarkable teamwork and coordination to secure a victory in the doubles match.
The girls’ division witnessed an equally impressive performance from Woodlawn’s tennis team. Miriam Lindsay and Kate Russell demonstrated their prowess by emerging victorious in their singles matches. The doubles pairs of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire and Bella Winter & Caitlyn Gruse secured victories in their respective matches.
Following this impressive performance, both the boys’ and girls’ teams maintain a flawless record of 1-0, setting a strong foundation for future matches and competitions.
On Wednesday the 7th, the teams lost to Dutchtown. Our boys’ team fell 2-1, while our girls fell 3-2.
Our Woodlawn Invitational took place on February 9th and 10th. On the 9th, Lily Ingalls and Levi Lindsay won their singles matches. The doubles teams of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire, Jacob Aime & Sam Marino, and Ryan Russel & Devin Sutor-Benfield defeated their various opponents as well.
On the 10th, several Woodlawn players made it all the way to the end of the tournament. Ryan Russell & Devin Sutor-Benfield finished as boys’ doubles quarterfinalists. The team of Jacob Aime & Same Marino finished as boys’ doubles semifinalists.
Levi Lindsay and Lily Ingalls were named boys’ and girls’ singles finalists, respectively. The team of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire finished as girls’ doubles finalists
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play St. Amant on the 19th and Central on the 21st. Both matches will be played at Highland Road Tennis Center starting at 3 pm.
Track
On Saturday the 17th, several Woodlawn athletes competed at the Indoor State Track Meet held at LSU.
Woodlawn was represented by Caleb Cooper in the 60m, Alex Collins in the shot put, and both 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams.
Junior Caleb Cooper ran a 7.17, earning him 13th place.
Senior Alex Collins threw 42’9”, landing him in 13th place.
The 4×200 relay consisted of Caleb Cooper, junior Keylen Sonnier, senior Couren Norman, and junior Jay’Cob Jolla. The team ran a 1:33.79, earning them 5th place.
The 4×400 team consisted of Couren Norman, Jay’Cob Jolla, Keylen Sonnier, and junior Kydell Miner. They placed 9th with a time of 3:38.73.
Next up for Track: Outdoor track season will begin with meets at Brusly on the 28th and Denham Springs High School on the 29th.
Baseball
Preparation for the baseball season has ended, and games will begin this week. First year Head Coach Royce Holloway is excited to see his Panthers on the field for the first time this upcoming week.
Next up for Baseball: Woodlawn’s baseball season will begin on Monday, February 19th with a game at 6 pm at Walker High School. Their home opener will be the next day at 3:30 pm versus East Iberville. The Panthers will also host Slaughter Community Charter at 3:30 pm on Thursday, February 22nd. The Panthers’ busy week concludes on Saturday, when they host Independence High School at 1 pm.
Softball
On the 15th, the Lady Panthers absolutely dominated Northeast. The team started their season off with a run rule in only 3 innings. The final score was 17-0.
Next up for Softball: Our softball team will host Scotlandville on the 20th and then Northeast again on the 22nd. Both games will be at 4 pm.
Powerlifting
Our Boys’ Powerlifting team competed in the LHSPLA Boys East Regional Powerlifting Meet on the 17th.
Junior Rashad Batiste (198 lbs), junior Dwayne Beverly (275 lbs), and senior CJ May (super heavyweight) all placed 2nd in their respective weight classes.
Next up for Powerlifting: The LHSPLA Girls East Regional Powerlifting Meet will be hosted at Woodlawn High School on the 24th.
Feb 5, 2024
Each week the Panther Play by Play will review the athletic contests from the previous week and look forward to the coming week’s action.
Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.
Bowling
Our Panther Bowling team had matches against both Scotlandville and Catholic High this week. While they fell to Catholic on Tuesday with a final score of 19-8, they rallied for an impressive win against Scotlandville on Wednesday.
Seniors John Cador and Keylen Sonnier bowled a 268 and 227, respectively, and sophomore Henry Bratkowski bowled a 212.
With a final score of 27-0, the Panthers moved to 2-1 for the season thus far.
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team is gearing up for two matches next week – Zachary on the 5th and Liberty on the 8th. Both matches will be bowled at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
Both our JV and varsity Lady Panthers Basketball teams brought home big district 4-5A wins against Scotlandville and Zachary last week.
On Tuesday, the JV team scored 32 points to the Lady Hornets’ 24. Junior Mya Montgomery led the team with 10 points. Freshman Layla Turner was close behind with 9. The varsity team dominated with a final score of 58-24. The team was led by two juniors; Amijah Price was the top scorer with 17 points, and McKenzi Haynes followed with 10 points.
On Friday, the varsity Lady Panthers defeated Zachary with a final score of 60-46. The team was led by senior Ranya Smith (17 points, 14 rebounds) and junior Amijah Price (10 assists, 9 points, 8 steals, and 7 rebounds).
Our Lady Panthers are now ranked #5 in Division I Select power rankings, with records of 3-0 in district and 21-8 overall.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: The Lady Panther JV and varsity teams are on the road to play Liberty on the 7th. The JV game is scheduled to start at 5:30. The winner of that game will be ranked 1st in district.
On Friday, our girls will be at home for their senior night games against St. Joseph’s Academy. Games start at 5 pm.
Boys’ Basketball
Our varsity and JV Panther basketball teams both defeated White Castle on the road last week. Our varsity team battled to a 68-61 win.
Both teams fought hard in high-intensity games against Madison Prep on Wednesday, but ultimately faced defeat. The JV team lost 66-36 and varsity lost 56-42.
On Friday, our freshman, JV, and varsity teams played challenging district games against Zachary. Unfortunately, all 3 teams came up short. The varsity team lost 69-48.
Next up for Boys’ Basketball: The Panthers play at home on the 6th in a JV/Varsity doubleheader against Liberty, scheduled to start at 6:00 pm. On the 9th, the boys are away at Catholic High for Freshman/JV/Varsity games at 5:30 pm.
Girls’ Soccer
The Lady Panthers Soccer team finished their season last week with an unfortunate loss to St. Amant on Monday.
With a final score of 8-0, the team finished with a record of 7-9-1. This record demonstrates impressive growth and development from their record of 1-16-1 last season.
Boys’ Soccer
Our Panthers soccer team played a first round playoff game at Dutchtown last Friday.
Dutchtown was ranked #4 to Woodlawn’s #29. While they eventually lost 2-0, ending their season, the team held undefeated Dutchtown to a 0-0 score at the half. Dutchtown’s first goal was scored with 10 minutes left in the game and the final goal came on a corner kick a few minutes later.
The boys finished their season with an 8-4-6 record and didn’t give up without a fight.
Indoor Track
The indoor track team competed at LSU’s Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on Saturday in the Last Chance Qualifier meet.
Juniors Caleb Cooper and Jay’Cob Jolla ran the 60 meter race. Jolla ran a 7.28 and Cooper ran a 7.10, landing him in 10th place. Cooper will represent Woodlawn at the state meet.
Jolla and junior Keylen Sonnier competed in the long jump as well. Jolla jumped 19’ 2.75”, while Sonnier jumped 17’ 10.75”.
Junior Kydell Miner and senior Darius Chesterfield both ran the 400 meter race. Miner ran a 53.99 and Chesterfield ran a 54.49.
Sophomore Melody St. Luce ran the 400 and 800 meter races with times of 1:06.11 and 2:50.42, respectively.
Senior Alex Collins and freshman Raheem Gray both represented Woodlawn in the boys shot put. Gray’s best throw was 42’ 1.25”, while Collins threw 47’11.25”. Collins’ throw landed him in 7th place, qualifying him for the state meet.
Sophomore Brianna Graham and junior A’Tyli Freeman represented in the girls shot put. Graham threw a 27’ 6”.
Woodlawn’s 4×200 meter relay team consisted of Caleb Cooper, senior Couran Norman, Keylen Sonnier, and Jay’Cob Jolla. The team ran an impressive 1:33.55, landing them in 5th place.
Our 4×400 relay team consisted of Jolla, Darius Chesterfield, D’kobe Chesterfield, and Kydell Miner. They ran a 3:37.13, landing them in 8th place.
Next up for Indoor Track: The State Indoor meet will be held at LSU on February 17th. Woodlawn will be represented by Caleb Cooper in the 60m, Alex Collins in the shot put, and both relay teams.
Spring Sports Practice Underway
Our tennis, outdoor track, baseball, and softball teams have begun practicing in preparation for the spring season. Tennis begins its season on the 6th with matches against Walker starting at 3 pm at Highland Road Tennis Center.
Our softball team’s jamboree will be played on the road this Friday against Brusly, while our JV baseball team will play a pre-season scrimmage at Lutcher on Thursday at 5.
