Track Competes at District Meet

Track Competes at District Meet

Apr 26, 2017

On Wednesday, April 19, the Woodlawn track team competed at the District 6-4A track meet.

The boys team finished 2nd at the district meet missing the top spot by just 9 points.

Million Tyler (2nd) and Coby Sanchez (1st) placed in the pole vault.

Woodlawn’s night was highlighted by four first place finishes. District champions include the pole vault by Coby Sanchez, the 110 meter hurdles by Shaun McCray, Tray Lang in the 300 meter hurdles and Nicholas Bradley, Jason Jones, Khidhr Al-Mustafa and Brandon Williams in the 4×400 relay.

The girls team finished 3rd at the district meet. The girls 4×400 relay team finished 1st behind a stellar performance the squad of Melissa Grant, Mercedes Pickens, Presley White and Ebani Adams. Diamond-Alexis Craig also placed 1st in the long jump.

Overall, the boys team qualified 12 boys in 13 events to compete at the Region 2 meet at the University of Louisiana Lafayette on April 26. The girls qualified 9 athletes in 12 different events.

Jumps

Under scattered showers, the meet got off to a great start in the boys pole vault as Coby Sanchez and Million Tyler finished 1st and 2nd in the event. Sanchez posted a 9’6″, while Tyler set a new PR with a vault of 8’0”. For the girls, Mercedes Pickens finished 2nd in the event with a PR vault of 7’6”.

Diamond-Alexis Craig leaped to a first place finish in the long jump with a distance of 16’ 8.5″. Teammate Divinity Collins was 3rd with a distance of 15’. Collins was back at it a few minutes later where she jumped 32’6.5” to finish 3rd in the triple jump.

The girls also had a strong showing in the high jump as Diamond-Alexis Craig set a PR of 5’2” on her way to and 2nd place finish.

Sean McCray and Tray Lang finished 1-2 in the 110 meter hurdles.

Throws

In a hotly contested battle, junior Kenneth Washington claimed 2nd place in the shot put with a distance of 40’01”. Calah Williams finished 4th for the girls with a toss of 28’02”. Williams also claimed 2nd place in the girl’s discus with a throw of 107’11”, less than 6 inches behind the top spot.

Track

The boys 4×200 squad of Shaun McCray, Bryant Jacob, Cameron Rogers and Bryson Reaser continued to improve as they worked their way to a 4th place finish with a time of 1:34.02.

In the girls 1600, Woodlawn separated themselves from the pack as they ran with the leaders. In the end, juniors Alexis martin claimed 2nd (6:09.94) and Melissa Grant claimed 3rd (6:14.17).

In the boy’s race, the Panthers were led by a 2nd place finish and PR of 4:46 by senior Brandon Williams. Khidhr Al-Mustafa also ran an excellent race in one of the toughest events of the day with a 4th place time of 4:57.

Woodlawn hurdlers dominated their events as Shaun McCray (16.91) and Tray Lang (17.36) finished 1st and 2nd in the 110 meter hurdles. Lang turned around to finish 1st in the 300 meter hurdles (44.99) and was followed closely by Jason Jones who claimed 2nd in the event with a time of 45.21.

Diamond-Alexis Craig ran a 52.66 in the 300 meter hurdles to claim 2nd for the Lady Panthers.

Jason Jones and Tray Lang finished 1-2 in the 300 meter hurdles.

Bryson Reaser was the standout in the 100 meter dash as he finished 3rd in the event in a time of 11.57 seconds. Reaser also claimed 3rd in the 200 meter (23.53). For the girls, Diamond-Alexis Craig finished 2nd in the 200 meter (26.84).

Sophomore Ebani Adams finished in 2nd place in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:39.17. Teammate Alexis Martin finished in the 3rd spot in a time of 2:43.81

For the boys, Khidhr Al-Mustafa finished 4th in the event with a time of 2:11.

The combination of Cameron Rogers, Bryant Jacob, Chris Frazier and Bryson Reaser, all sophomores, is proving to be formidable as they improve their best on the way to a 3rd place finish.

Senior Brandon Williams showed off a great finishing kick as he made his way to a 3rd place finish in the 400 meter dash in 51.33.

In the longest race of the night, the Panthers proved that they could go toe to toe with the best in the district at any distance. Alexis Martin, coming of top 3 finishes in the 1600 and 800, found the strength to finish 3rd in the 3200 in a time of 14:01. Freshman Aimee Martin finished 4th in 15:19. For the boys, pole vault winner Coby Sanchez took to the track and battled his way to a 4th place finish in a PR of 11:49.

The final event of the night is often the most exciting, and there were fireworks in Plaquemine as the Panthers took to the track for the 4×400 meter relay. The girls squad of Melissa Grant, Mercedes Pickens, Presley White and Ebani Adams ran a very controlled race, staying near the front until the final lap when they pulled away from St. Michael in the final 100 meters to claim a first place finish in a time of 4:34.33

The boys team of Nicholas Bradley, Jason Jones, Khidhr Al-Mustafa and Brandon Williams would not be outdone. Coming off of a season best 3:36, the Panthers roared to the front during Nicholas Bradley’s 1st leg. Tara sprinted to the lead in the 1st 150 meters of leg 2, but, Jason Jones ran a smooth leg and reeled in the Trojans with 100 meters left in his trip around the track. Senior Khidhr Al-Mustafa took the baton in leg 3, four seconds behind Tara. 400 meters later he had evened the race, and as he handed the baton to senior Brandon Williams, the Panthers and Trojans were side by side. For the 1st 150 meters, Williams settled in behind the Tara runner. Then with 250 meters to go, he fired past the Trojan and continued to extend his lead until he crossed the line in a season best of 3:29.36, seven seconds faster than their previous time and ten seconds ahead of the 2nd place finisher.

The Panther 4×400 relay team goes into the regional meet as the #1 seed in the event and they hold the 3rd best time in 4A this season.

 

Former Woodlawn Coaches Elected into Hall of Fame

Former Woodlawn Coaches Elected into Hall of Fame

Apr 26, 2017

Two former Woodlawn High School coaches with a rich history in Louisiana were recently elected to the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame. Kenneth “Kenny” Almond and Don Jones were both members of the 2017 Induction Class. The coaches, along with seven others, were inducted at the 39th Annual Induction Ceremony held on April 12, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge.

Coach Kenny Almond speaks to his Woodlawn team during a break in action.

Almond began his coaching career at Baker Junior High School as the seventh grade basketball coach in 1971. He spent four years there before landing his first high school job as the head basketball coach at Central High.

After a two-year stint at Central, Almond became the head basketball coach at Lee High School, where he led his team to a district title and state runner-up finish in 1982.

Almond went on to coach at three more schools in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas, with his most successful stop here at Woodlawn High. While at Woodlawn, Almond compiled a record of 455-167, giving him a winning percentage of seventy-three percent. During the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons, Almond’s Panthers were ranked as high as number two nationally and won 56 straight games. His Woodlawn teams also won nine district championships, three state runner up titles, and three state titles.

During Almond’s 39-year coaching career, he compiled an overall record of 892-402 and earned multiple awards and honors. In total, Almond won three state championships (all at Woodlawn), four state runner-up titles (three at Woodlawn, one at Lee High), and two additional state semifinal appearances (both at East Ascension). He has been named Boys Basketball State Coach of the Year three times, District Coach of the Year fourteen times, and the Advocate Metro Coach of the year twice. In 2014, he was awarded the Louisiana Mr. Basketball Award and was inducted into the LHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2013.

“To be included in this group of coaches being inducted into the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame is certainly an honor. This is nice..humbling really,” Almond said. “This honor is shared with and could not have been accomplished without the athletes, coaches, and managers that I was so fortunate to work with. And it’s a reminder that things were really good.”

Jones began his coaching career in 1971 at LaSalle High School as the head football coach. This stop was the first of many for Jones during his 35-year career. He went on to coach at eight other Louisiana high schools, including his final stint here at Woodlawn.

Coach Don Jones is seen during a game versus Central in 2012.

Jones was the head coach at Woodlawn from 2006-2012. In that time, Jones led the Panthers to two district titles and four playoff appearances.

Jones’ teams won fifteen district titles, and he had a career record of 233-150-3 as he coached at schools in the Baton Rouge, Acadiana, and Monroe areas. Jones also spent seven seasons at an assistant coach at University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana-Lafayette) before returning to the high school ranks.

Jones success as a high school football coach earned him many honors and awards, including the District Coach of the Year eleven times and the LHSCA 25-year plaque in 2003. Jones was highly involved in the LHSAA, LHSCA, and the LFCA. He was the LHSCA All-Star Football Coach in 1999, the LHSCA President in 2002, and served on the LHSAA Executive Committee from 2004-2005.

“I have been so blessed to coach the greatest sport on earth for forty plus years,” said Jones. “There is nothing like “Friday Night Lights. I could not have achieved the success that I’ve had without the support of my family. I also owe this honor to every coach that I worked with and every player that I have coached with which made it all possible. Being inducted into the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame is very humbling.”

Senior Signing Day 2017 – “Dream. Believe. Create. Succeed.”

Senior Signing Day 2017 – “Dream. Believe. Create. Succeed.”

Apr 24, 2017

Woodlawn High School recognized its seniors that have been accepted to colleges or universities and/or enlisted in the US Armed Services on April 11, 2017 at the annual Senior Signing Day program. The program began with a musical prelude performed by the WHS Orchestra under the direction of Deborah Falco. The presentation of the colors and the stating of the Pledge of Allegiance was conducted by the WHS JROTC program. Principal Stevens welcomed families, thanking them for their dedication to their child’s education over the last thirteen years of school.

Students enjoy the reception following Senior Signing Day.

Senior Class President, Marcus Jones introduced guest speaker, Jay Ducote, a well-known culinary personality from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Ducote spoke of his experiences during and after college that led to his current role in writing food blogs, competing in national cooking competitions, and opening his own restaurant, Gov’t Taco this year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Ducote’s biggest piece of advice was to “not be afraid to figure out what you don’t want to do” because that is what led him to following his passion, Louisiana culture and its cuisine. He emphasized the importance of the students finding their passions and to be happy in whatever they choose to do.

Following Mr. Ducote’s insightful speech, students were recognized for their academic accomplishments. 70 students, representing acceptances to approximately 25 colleges and three branches of the US Military were honored during the ceremony. Colleges and universities that were represented ranged from local favorites, Baton Rouge Community College, Louisiana State University A&M, and University of Louisiana at Lafayette to out-of-state options, Howard University, Morehouse College, and Emory University.

Students were given an opportunity to come on stage to announce their post-secondary plans, including the college they will be attending, military branch for which they will be enlisting, and/or their choice of major. Many students are prepared to begin studies in specialized areas, including mechanical and electrical engineering, biology with a focus in pre-medicine, and nursing with a focus on neo-natal care. Several students found inspiration from Mr. Ducote’s speech and were not afraid to say they were “undecided” with their major at this time. Honorees received a certificate to recognize their accomplishments, a special pen with the quote, “Dream. Believe. Create. Succeed.” etched on it, and lapel pin that reads “Class of 2017” that they will wear on their gown at graduation.

A reception followed the event in which parents, students, teachers and counselors were able to gather to commemorate the day through group photographs and conversations that will echo in their hearts as they begin the next chapter in their life. Woodlawn High School would like to once again congratulate its seniors for their accomplishments and wish them luck on their journeys.

Woodlawn Football Hosts Second Annual Golf Tournament

Woodlawn Football Hosts Second Annual Golf Tournament

Apr 11, 2017

Chad Sabadie, EBR School System

As Woodlawn High School strives to get the word out that it’s entered a new era of its storied history in Baton Rouge, a growing tradition was once again prominently displayed on the links.

Coach Daniel Luquet and the Woodlawn Football Program hosted its second annual Golf Tournament April 10th at Santa Maria Golf Course in Baton Rouge. Nearly 200 local golfers participated in the fundraiser as the number of overall teams shot up from 33 a year ago to 47 in 2017.

“It continues to grow,” Woodlawn Principal Scott Stevens said. “We get a lot of alums and prominent folks, especially in our area to participate and say, hey Woodlawn is still here and still a viable option for everybody. We just love having it, especially here at Santa Maria being in our backyard.”

Rob Wise of ITinspired, 4th from left, has been a key Woodlawn sponsor over the last two years.

Coach Daniel Luquet stressed the importance of the day, “The biggest thing for me is that our kids are going to grocery shop, try to get jobs in this community. In order to get those jobs, and get those people to understand what Woodlawn is about and what our kids are about, you’ve got to invite them to things like this. For me, it’s all about trying to stay local because we’re products of Baton Rouge.”

An action-packed event featuring two separate golf flights, sponsored holes, catered food, in-tournament competitions and raffles, Woodlawn raised close to $15,000.

“Companies being a part of this is big, and in the long run we’re trying to raise money for our football program, but really we’re just trying to get the awareness out there that the product that is Woodlawn is a good product,” Luquet said. “We’ve got good things and great things happening, and we want everyone to know about it.”

From former Woodlawn standout and MLB pitcher Chad Durbin to Food Network personality Jay Ducote, a longtime Baton Rouge resident, there was also no shortage of star power at Santa Maria.

“When you look at the schools across the spectrum, one of the things these public schools need is more funding for the extra-curricular activities,” Ducote said. “So the coaches or instructors, the art teachers and band directors, can actually go out and do the things they want to help students succeed more, and I know a good bit of the faculty and staff here at Woodlawn, and by getting the chance to come out here and help them out is really important to me, giving back to the public schools who really need it. This is a great community event, it’s been a Who’s Who of Baton Rouge out here.”

Jay Ducote, Coach Daniel Luquet, and Aimee Tortorich pose at the Gov’t Taco hole during the 2017 golf tournament.

Nearly a decade ago, Ducote worked as a teacher and baseball coach for then Lee High School in Baton Rouge and knows what an event like this means for both the school and parish.

“It shows that there is community support for these community schools, and the East Baton Rouge School System is really doing some great things, and people need to know more about it,” Ducote said. “A lot of people seem to just pass over these public schools, and don’t really understand it unless you’re in it. The amount of great work that goes into these schools and the teachers and coaches who are putting the blood, sweat and tears into the work they do, and making these students’ lives better.”

Tournament participant Rhett Diez of MMR raved about the overall experience.

“They do very well with putting the program on, football wise and tournament wise, great community people,” Diez said. “They’re rising up, you look at this parish still rebuilding after the flood, and I think they’re doing well as far as moving forward.”

Jake Deloach, Woodlawn Class of 2006, was equally impressed with how far his alma mater has come.

“From my experience in high school, we didn’t have the funds,” Deloach said. “We didn’t involve ourselves in things like this. It’s a good thing, and I’m glad to be a part of it now.”

Reconnecting with alumni and the surrounding community continues to be a top priority for Principal Stevens and his faculty and staff.

“Daniel Luquet does a great job of connecting with business around us, and reconnect and say we’re here and want you to be a part of Woodlawn High School,” Stevens said. “In my three years as principal, putting a really great eye on Woodlawn that we’re a great public high here in Baton Rouge. We want to give back to the community and get the community involved in what we do, whether it be ROTC, Beta, National Honor Society or Robotics, just trying to give back to the community as much as we can.”

Golfers pose at the 2017 Woodlawn Football Golf Tournament.

Luquet added, “The people we have working here know what this school is about. I tell people all the time, we put the product out. Our football practices are open to the public, our basketball practices are open to the public. We’re not hiding anything, we’re right there on Jefferson, come see us. We try to do as much as we can in the community. We’re not trying to be anybody else. We’re just trying to be Woodlawn and do things the right way. We’re just trying to take the student and prepare them for what this world has to offer. I’m proud of what we do and the people associated with Woodlawn. I’m proud of events like this and other events to promote the school. I’m happy to be a part of the Woodlawn family.”

For more information on Woodlawn High School, visit www.woodlawnhighbr.org.

Success at the Bayou Regional

Success at the Bayou Regional

Mar 30, 2017

The Woodlawn High Robotics Team, Panthrobotics, competed at the Bayou Regional in New Orleans this past weekend. After spending the first day of the competition ranked fifth or higher, their robot, Chaos, ended the second day of Qualification Matches with a 5-3 record and ranked 21 out of sixty teams overall. They were selected by the eighth ranked alliance to play in the Quarterfinals but lost in a two and out battle against the first ranked alliance.

The 2016-2017 Robot at the Bayou Regional.

The drive-team, made up of Brennan Burleigh, Alisa Webb, Grayson Kring, Nick Nienaber, and drive-coach Jason Lejeune were complimented by many teams because of their strategic analysis and ability to score high-point games even against strong opponents. Also on the field was teacher and coach, Mr. Eiland who was asked to act as the Emcee for the entire event.

While the team is done for the season, they’ve already been invited to participate in an upcoming Robotics Day at the State Capital and will continue to work on improving their skills for next year.