Feb 22, 2021
When first year Head Baseball Coach Jonathan Kohn accepted the position at Woodlawn High, he knew that there was a rich baseball history at the school.
“This program has a long history of successful baseball, and I hope to continue that winning tradition throughout the years to come,” said Kohn.
The Panthers were off to a promising start in 2020, starting the season with a 4-2 record before being shut down. Coach Kohn is looking for a core group of returning players to continue that start into the 2021 season.
Seniors Jude Serio and Terrell Landry are both returning starters that Coach Kohn will lean on for early leadership. Serio will play shortstop and will be a steady arm on the mound. Landry looks to continue to be solid as he returns to his role as first baseman. Junior catcher Khalil Lee, junior outfielder Braeden Hodges, and junior infielder Mekhi Thomas are also all returning to help the Panthers.
The Panthers look to be led by three main arms on the mound this year. Sophomores Rickie Collins and Kenny James will be joined by senior transfer Troy Washington, who will add a left-handed arm to the rotation.
Along with Washington, Kohn expects newcomers Derek Johnson, Hannan McCant, Jaden Sylvester, and Willie Nunnery to all fight for starting positions and add depth to the Panthers lineup this season.
Coach Kohn is excited about the beginning of the season and the challenges that his team will face.
“I am looking forward to competing in every game on the schedule. Every game is going to be a challenge for us. I believe we have a great group of young men that are willing to take on those challenges. That first game against St. John of Plaquemine will tell us a lot about ourselves and where we are at as a team.”
With these challenges, Kohn says that he as realistic expectations.
“My expectations are that all members of the Woodlawn Baseball program, players and coaches included, give their best effort day-in and day-out. We have a group of young men that have showed their commitment throughout the fall and winter to the Woodlawn Baseball program. Our players have to continue to be committed to getting better every day, as individuals and as a team. One of main goals for every season is to play our best baseball at the end of the season. I hope to compete for a district championship against our extremely competitive 5A district opponents.”
Because of the long baseball history at Woodlawn High, Coach Kohn is extremely excited about welcoming alumni back into the program. His first step is to host a Woodlawn Baseball Alumni Day, on February 27th.
“I am extremely excited about our Alumni Day. I am looking forward to seeing all the past members of the Woodlawn Baseball family come out to support us against Family Christian. We are looking forward to a great season, and go Panthers!”
For any questions about the baseball program, please reach out to Coach Kohn via email at [email protected].
Feb 9, 2021
Despite a shortened season, the Lady Panther basketball team improved their season win total from 5 wins during the 2019-2020 season to 12 wins this season. The Lady Panthers finished the season with a 12-7 record, just falling short of the LHSAA Class 5A Playoffs.
The Lady Panthers were led by five underclassmen this season. Brianna Johnson, who is the Lady Panthers only senior, will be missed; however, the Lady Panthers will continue to build with the returning underclassmen.
“I am very excited about the future of this program,” explained Coach Kohn. “We are only losing Brianna Johnson. I am hoping we can build on the success we enjoyed this season and have an even better season next year.”
Sophomore forward Regan McDowell averaged a double-double for the Lady Panthers this season, averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds a game. Junior Quaindra Bell and sophomore Celine Thomas, along with the freshman duo of Ra’Nya Smith and Tralyn Riley, all helped to lead a balanced offensive attack for the Lady Panthers.
“We have five underclassmen who led us this year,” added Kohn. “We finished the season with eleven girls in the program, and we hope to continue to build with those girls.”
Included in the Lady Panthers 12 wins were two overtime wins. The Lady Panthers defeated Family Christian and Catholic-Point Coupee in games that showed Coach Kohn and the Lady Panthers that they were learning to win.
Jan 27, 2021
The Panther Tennis team is looking to make up for lost time on the court. The 2020 season was shut down prematurely due to COVID-19; the Panthers were only able to complete four matches before the season was cancelled.
“Our student-athletes, coaching staff, and parents were all disappointed when the season was cancelled last year,” commented Coach Broussard. “The program is excited that we are back on the courts.”
The Woodlawn Tennis program began practicing for the 2021 season in early January. For the third consecutive year, practices are being held at Southern Oaks Athletic Club. SOAC’s Director of Tennis, Luke Richardson, returns for his third year as Assistant Coach.
The Panthers will once again lean on Leah Medine to lead the program. Leah, now a senior, has been a part of the program since its rebirth in 2018. Leah advanced to the Regional Finals as a freshman, and was the Regional Champion as a sophomore. She was a State Quarterfinalist each of those years.
For the first time in her high school career, Leah is expected to play doubles with her twin sister, Halle. Halle has experience playing doubles; she and her partner, Elsa Pearce, were ranked second in the 2019 Regionals.
Senior Christian Jones also brings experience and enthusiasm to the program as she enters her third year of tennis.
Cameron Lindsay prepares for a point at the 2019 Regional Tournament.
Junior Cameron Lindsay will be the most experienced player on the boys’ side. Cameron qualified for the 2019 State Tournament as a freshman with his partner, Jacob Barnes.
Juniors Mason Watson, Jamarion Johnson, and Devin Trim all enter their third season with the Panthers. These three Panthers look to continue to improve their tennis abilities each match.
Woodlawn will also look for contributions from several newcomers. Sophomores Katelyn Fontenot and Julie Russell each participated in last year’s shortened season and look to continue to improve their game. Freshman Miriam Lindsay comes from a tennis family and brings experience to the team. Sophomore Maxwell Bayles has also shown flashes of promise at practice.
Matches for the Panthers will begin on February 8th versus Central High School. Matches will continue through April, with Regionals the week of April 19th and the State Tournament the week of April 25th. Since 2018, the Panthers have improved on the number of State Qualifiers each year. This year looks to be no different, as expectations continue to increase.
While matches are a big part of the tennis season, the Woodlawn Tennis Program has always focused on providing a fun atmosphere where the student-athletes have positive experiences while playing tennis.
The program also stresses academics. The program boasts a Fall Semester GPA of 3.85, and 100% of the student-athletes who participate in tennis also take Advanced Level courses at Woodlawn High. Students interested in participating in tennis are encouraged to see Coach Broussard or contact him via email.
Dec 18, 2020
The Woodlawn High Boys Swim Team placed higher than it has every placed at the LHSAA Division II State Swim Meet.
The Panthers swam in the 4×50 Free Relay, the 4×100 Free Relay, and the 4×50 Medley Relay. All three finishes were records for Woodlawn High swimmers. Head Coach Ashley Heyer commented on the season.
“We are proud to have done so well with such a small team that includes only two year round swimmers and a two sport athlete.”
Senior Harrison Breland-Triche led the Panthers in and out of the pool.
The Panthers were led both in the pool and in the classroom by Senior Captain Harrison Breland-Triche.
“Harrison capped off 4 successful years being named to the LSHAA Division II All-Academic team and the CCSL All-Academic team,” noted Heyer. “Harrison was also a finalist for East Baton Rouge Parish Student of the Year. The team’s first semester GPA was 4.45, with every student taking at least one AP class.”
Harrison, along with Juniors Mason Watson and Isaiah John and Freshman Zack Lemoine, posted a time of 1:48.14 in the 4×50 Free Relay. The time was good enough for a fifth place finish at the State Swim Meet.
The Panthers placed 9th in the 4×100 Free Relay with a time of 4:12.47. Harrison, Isaiah, and Zack teamed up with Sophomore Peyton Rodgers for the race. Finally, Woodlawn placed 15th in the 4×50 Medley Relay. Isaiah, Mason, Peyton, and Zack finished the race in 2:16.96, despite Zack learning the breast stroke one week before the State Meet!
Harrison also qualified for state in the 200 Free and the 100 Backstroke, placing in the top 15 in each event at the Capital City Swim League Championship.
Woodlawn’s boys team placed 11th at both the CCSL Championships and the District II State Swim Meet.
Heyer wanted to say thanks to our Panther parents, who she said made all of the difference in making this season a success.
“We would like to thank all of our parents, especially Cathleen and Leonard Breland-Triche, for all of their support for the team over the past four. We also want to thank Bobby Watson and K-Watt Electric for donating the awesome towels for the state meet. These kept the boys warm enough to stay safe outside during the meet.”
Coach Heyer is already looking forward to the 2021 season.
“Next season, we will be practicing again at Crawfish Aquatics and are working on an evening practice time for students who want to be two sport athletes. We welcome any new swimmers as we rebuild the girls’ team with returning junior Kelis Kent and grow our boys’ team with all but one athlete returning. You do not have to know competitive swimming to join the WHS team! As long as you can swim, we will teach you the strokes and push you to success.”
