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.”

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.

Woodlawn Physicals Set for April 25

Woodlawn Physicals Set for April 25

Mar 27, 2017

Student athletes are given physicals by local physicians donating their time in the Spring of 2016.

All current Woodlawn athletes will be able to receive free physicals for the 2017 – 2018 school year on Tuesday, April 25, 2017. The Woodlawn Athletic Training Staff along with their community partners from Baton Rouge General Family Medicine / Sports Medicine Residency Program, Baton Rouge Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, and Peak Physical Therapy will provide physical exams on all Woodlawn athletes.

Each year, athletes are required to provide up to date medical history information and emergency contact information, as well as insurance information. The emergency contact and insurance information are then transferred to a web-based injury tracking database.

“Having the emergency contact information and insurance information available on the web guarantees that coaches and staff of Woodlawn High Athletics have immediate access to this information if needed in an emergency,” stated Woodlawn Athletic Trainer Randy Gonzales.

Athletes will be given packets at school and will need to return those packets to their head coach or Coach Gonzales prior to leaving for Spring Break on April 13th. Athletes will have height, weight and vital signs taken during the day on April 25th or starting at 3:00 pm. The physicians will begin physicals at 4:00 pm.

Incoming Freshman athletes will also be able to receive physicals on this day. Parent can download the needed forms or come by the front office and pick-up a packet. Those packets should also be returned to the front office and made to the attention of Coach Gonzales.

Any questions concerning physicals please contact Coach Gonzales at [email protected] for additional information.

Download the freshmen forms here.

 

 

Hill Named 2017 Outstanding Woodlawn Volunteer

Hill Named 2017 Outstanding Woodlawn Volunteer

Mar 20, 2017

Junior Kerrington Hill was recently selected by voters to receive the 2017 High School Junior Volunteer Scholarship from the Greater Baton Rouge State Fair Foundation. The scholarship is valued at $500.

Hill performed in Blurred Lines, a program at Woodlawn sponsored by the Culture Club.

Hill, a 17-year old junior originally from West Monroe, currently maintains a 3.3 GPA while participating in football. Hill was a team captain on the 2016 Panther Football team, while playing linebacker. He is also a member of the BETA Club, Culture Club, the ICare Team Spirit Club, and National Honors Society at Woodlawn High.

Following the Baton Rouge flood in the fall of 2016, Hill and his Panther teammates assisted in cleaning and demoing homes that were impacted by high waters. When he was not helping the football team work on homes, Hill assisted family and friends in the area who worked on their homes.

“Helping those in need after the floods taught me to be grateful for what I have,” said Hill. “I learned how important it is to help others that need help.”

After graduation, Hill plans on attending a university in order to study Marketing and Business. While he is undecided on where he will continue his education, Hill says that he has looked at both LSU and Morehouse College.

Hill and fellow team captains take the field for the coin toss at Hahnville on September 2, 2016.

The Greater Baton Rouge Fair Foundation has been able to provide scholarship awards to students in each high school in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding parishes for 22 years. The award is given to a student who has given his or her own time as a volunteer both in school activities and in activities outside of school.

Hill’s picture will be featured in the Advocate, as well as at www.gbrsf.com.