Mar 3, 2021
Six student-athletes performed well enough at the 2021 LHSAA/LHSPLA East Regional Powerlifting Meet to qualify for the State Meet. The group was led by sophomore Celine Thomas, who was the East Regional Champion for the 148 pound weight class, senior Tim Bennett, who was the runner-up in the SHW class, and sophomore Devyn Jones, who was the runner-up in the 275 pound weight class.
Christian Jones (620 total pounds), India Morgan (595 total pounds), and Willie Nunnery (765 total pounds) also qualified for the LHSAA Division I State Championships. The Championships will be held March 18th through March 20th at Fant Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, Louisiana.
Coach Baronich was pleased with the overall effort of both the girls and boys team.
“Our kids did a great job of competing on Friday and Saturday at the Regional Meet. Many PR’s were set along with six of them earning spots in the upcoming LHSAA Division I State Meet in Monroe later this month. Our boys team scored well enough across all weight to finish as East Regional Runner-ups.”
The Runner-up boys team consisted of Bennett, Jones, Nunnery, Matthew Sant, Jaden Sylvester, Keenan Griffin, Marcus Stewart, Mason Watson, Devin Trim, Hunter Thomas, and Roy Brackins. Sant, Sylvester, Griffin, and Stewart are all alternates at the upcoming State Meet.
Outside of qualifying for the State Meet, Bennett, Jones, and Nunnery were all able to break several school records.
Bennett set a new Woodlawn High record in the squat (575 pounds), bench (395 pounds), and total (1465 pounds) in the SHW class. He goes into the State Meet only one hundred pounds behind the state leader.
Jones set new school records in the bench (395 pounds) and total (1295 pounds) in the 275 pound class. He is the only sophomore that qualified for the State Meet in the 275 pound class in Division I.
Nunnery set a new record in the 123 pound class with a bench of 190 pounds.
Thomas became the East Regional Champion with a total weight of 660 pounds. She successfully complete a 250 pound squat, 120 pound bench, and 290 pound dead lift.
Mar 3, 2021
The Woodlawn High Lady Panther Soccer team were recently recognized with a multitude of post-season awards. The Panthers placed nine players on the Division II District 4 All-District teams.
Junior Seema Kawji is now a three time All-District player for the Lady Panthers.
Junior forward Seema Kawji led the Panthers with ten goals scored this season. She returned to her forward position this year, and was named All-District for the third straight season. Kawji has been named to the first team for two straight seasons. She has consistently been near the top of the Lady Panthers’ goal production during her time with Woodlawn.
Carolina Alvarado returned to the Lady Panthers for her third season as well. As a sophomore, she was named to the District 4 First Team as a defensive midfielder. This season, Alvarado moved to the midfield position, and the move paid dividends for the Lady Panthers. Alvarado was able to add pressure to opposing defenses, scoring four goals on the season, which placed her second on the team in goals scored. For the second consecutive year, she was named to the District First Team.
Sophomore Layla Shelton was a breakout performer for this year’s Lady Panther soccer team. The sophomore forward broke into the starting lineup this season after being a reserve at defensive midfield last year. Shelton’s quickness was her biggest asset as she attacked defenses and was able to score her first career goal. She was also named to the Division II District 4 First Team.
The final Lady Panther selected to the first team was Marie Sierra. Sierra, who could not compete her freshman year due to an injury, made the most of her first year on the pitch. The sophomore stepped into a starting position with the Lady Panthers as a center midfielder. Sierra’s athletic ability was as evident in soccer as it is in the other sports she participates in.
The four Lady Panthers first-team players not only excelled on the field this season; the girls also combined for an average 4.43 GPA.
Junior Mikaela Mattix was named to the All-District team this season.
Outside of the four first team players, the Lady Panthers had five players named to the District Second Team. Wings Kaitlyn Arceneaux, Victorine Kasangandjo, and Mikaela Mattix joined defenders Charlize Garcia Blanco and Andrea Rodriguez on the team.
The Lady Panthers also had two seniors who stood out both on and off the field. Kasangandjo and goalie Julyana Espinal brought a wealth of experience and dedication to the program. Both players excelled in the classroom, carrying a combined 3.7 GPA. The two seniors have been accepted into multiple universities and will surely continue to be leaders in their future.
While the final record for the Lady Panthers did not meet their expectations, the girls showed heart and determination this season. They are eager to continue growing their team, with both the players that will return for the 2021-2022 season, and any new players that would like to join the program.
The goal for the program is to focus on our studies, team building, a building a culture of healthy habits, dedication, and teamwork.
Mar 1, 2021
New Head Coach Jonathan Kohn knew the history of the Woodlawn High Baseball Program. Kohn grew up in Baker, and was always aware of the Woodlawn baseball teams. When he was named Head Coach, he knew that he needed to lean on that history in order to build for the future.
One of Kohn’s first attempts to build the program was to invite former players to Alumni Day. The Panthers faced Family Christian Academy on Saturday, February 27th in front of family, friends, and alumni. The Panthers did not disappoint their fans, as they came away with a 21-11 victory.
Woodlawn High was led by junior right hander Khalil Lee, who recorded the win on the mound. Lee threw four complete innings, allowing only one run, and striking out three FCA batters. The Panthers were led at the plate by senior outfielder Troy Washington and junior utility player Braeden Hodges. Washington went 2 for 3, including a three RBI inside-the-park homerun in the 1st inning. Hodges reached base all three at bats, with two hits and a walk.
Several Woodlawn Baseball Alumni were present at the game. Former Panther Dutchie Blanton, Class of 2001, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Justin Reynolds (Class of 2000), Chad Risher (Class of 2004), Chris Morals (Class of 1991), and Frank Ritter (Class of 2020) were also in attendance. Also present were former Woodlawn Baseball coaches Ron Turpin, Norman Browning, and Donny Walton.
Coach Browning took time to speak to the current team after the victory.
“Woodlawn has a long history of success in baseball. This program means a lot to many people, and they want to see this program successful. We will do our best, as alumni, to bring more members of the Woodlawn Baseball Family back to Woodlawn,” said Browning. “You, as current members of the program, are the key to the future success of this program.”
Coach Kohn would like to thank all members of the Woodlawn Baseball Alumni for attending Saturday’s game. A special thank you to Dustin Felton, Woodlawn Alumni member and owner of Rice and Roux, for providing post-game jambalaya for both teams.
The Panthers will be back in action three times this week. Woodlawn will travel to Pete Goldsby Field to face Madison Prep on Monday, March 1st, before hosting Scotlandville on Wednesday, March 3rd. The Panthers will also host Port Allen on Thursday, March 4th.
Tickets to all Panther home games can be purchased at the Panther online tickets store by clicking here. Tickets will become available each Monday for that week’s games.
Feb 25, 2021
Senior hurdler Lanard Harris became a two-time State Champion at the 2021 LHSAA Indoor Track and Field State Meet. Lanard Harris recorded the fastest time in the 60 Meter Hurdles to become the Division I State Champion. He was also the 2019 Class 4A State Champion in the 300 Meter Hurdles.
Lanard Harris led a group of young sprinters who qualified for this year’s Indoor Track State Meet. Sophomores Tramon Douglas, Dawaun Harris, Jay’veon Haynes, and J’marcus Sewell rounded out the Panthers who qualified for the meet. The sophomores made up three-quarters of the Panther 4×200 Meter Relay team which qualified for the state meet.
Entering the meet, which was held at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on LSU’s campus, the Woodlawn 4×200 Meter Relay team had the 10th fastest qualifying time, narrowly making the cut for qualification. The Panthers turned heads by finishing third in the state with a time of 1:32.89, shaving nearly two seconds off of their qualifying time. The relay team consisted of Sewell, Lanard Harris, Dawaun Harris, and anchor Haynes.
Lanard Harris, by all accounts, was the favorite entering the 60 Meter Hurdles. His qualifying time of 8.13 was the fastest going into the State Meet. He matched that time to win the State Championship. He looks to carry that momentum into the outdoor track season, where he will attempt to repeat at the 300 Meter Hurdles champion.
The Panthers have begun practicing for the Outdoor Track and Field season. They will host St. Michael in a closed scrimmage on Thursday, February 25. Their first official meet will be on Wednesday, March 3rd at the Brusly Invitational.
Feb 23, 2021
The Woodlawn Panther Basketball program was notified of its playoff seeding Monday, February 23rd, and the opponent is extremely familiar.
The Panthers will travel to face fellow District 5-5A member East Ascension. The Spartans received the #13 seed in the LHSAA Class 5A Playoff Bracket, meaning Woodlawn is the #20 seed. This is the third year that the Panthers have travelled in the first round of the playoffs. The 2018-2019 team was the 25th seed, and the 2019-2020 team was the 21st seed.
Given the obstacles that the season presented, Coach Voight and the Panthers are excited about the opportunity.
“Considering that seven or eight months ago, we were not sure if we would even have a season, we are extremely excited about the playoffs,” said Coach Voight. “We were unable to have summer league, our preseason workouts were pushed back, and we had to deal with quarantines. We are just grateful that we are in the position we are in.”
Despite being the higher ranked team, East Ascension comes into the contest with an 11-12 record. Coach Voight has already warned his team not to underestimate the Spartans based on this.
“Our players have already been cautioned about EA. They have some quality losses. Their losses have come to teams in the top-five, and top-ten, of their classifications. They have also beaten some quality teams, notably White Castle and Alexandria, who are both top ten teams.”
The Panthers and Spartans will be facing each other for the first time this season. The teams were scheduled to play on January 28th, but a Covid-19 quarantine postponed that game. The two coaching staffs discussed a makeup date, but weather and ice cancelled the last week of the season for both teams. This adds adversity for both programs, as each team will have been off for at least 13 days.
Coach Voight points to making shots and valuing possessions as keys to the game.
“I look for this game to be a grind, and we will need to hit some shots,” said Coach Voight. “We haven’t been able to do that during district. We have to keep them out of transition as much as possible, so we must limit turnovers.”
The Panthers and Spartans will tip-off on Friday, February 26th, 7 pm on the East Ascension campus. Tickets must be purchased on-line using a link that will be provided by East Ascension on Friday morning.
