The Panther Play by Play – September 17 – September 23

Sep 26, 2023

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.

Cross Country

For the second week in a row, our Panther Cross Country team made the trip across the Mississippi River to Brusly High School. This week, the Panthers competed in the Brusly Cinclaire Run on the Levee. First year Head Coach Erik Wagner was extremely pleased with his team’s performance, and for good reason. Every Panther runner ran a personal record in their races. Woodlawn High School was led by Ty Davis, who placed 18th in the three mile varsity race. Ty was only a few shy of breaking into the all-time top 20 list for Woodlawn High School. Liam Dowdy also finished with a top 30 performance while setting his PR.

Our Lady Panthers were paced by freshman Kailyn Lebrun, who finished 27th in the varsity three mile race.

The Woodlawn High Cross Country team will be in action again Saturday at the St. Joseph’s Invitational at Highland Road Park.

Next up for Cross Country: Saturday, September 30 at the St. Joseph’s Invitational

Football

The Woodlawn Panther Sub-Varsity Football teams got the week started on the correct foot as they traveled to Denham Springs and came away with two wins Tuesday night.

The freshman team was able to come away with a hard fought victory by the score of 22-14. Following the freshman victory, the JV team shut the Yellow Jackets out while scoring three touchdowns of their own for a final score of 20-0.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the momentum ended Tuesday night. The varsity team struggled Friday night in Thibodaux, falling behind to ED White early. When the game finally ended, the Panthers fell 57-7.

Next up for Football: Monday, September 25 – Freshmen and JV vs. Walker; Friday, September 29 – Varsity at St. James

Swim

Following their successful opening-season meet last week, our Panthers were off of competition this week. Woodlawn will be back in the pool this week preparing for two meets this weekend. Our Panthers will travel to Lafayette for a meet in the Lafayette Swim League Saturday and will follow that up with a make-up of their opening weekend meet that was postponed.

Next up for Swim: Saturday, September 30 – Lafayette Swim League at Crawfish Aquatics Lafayette, Sunday, October 1 – Capital City Swim League at Crawfish Aquatics Bluebonnet

Volleyball

Following a busy week, which saw the Lady Panthers in action in six matches, Woodlawn High was back in action with six matches again this past week.

Tuesday night saw Woodlawn face neighborhood rival St. Michael. The Lady Panthers struggled to get traction versus the visiting Warriors on all three levels. After the freshman and JV teams both lost two sets to none, the varsity Panthers were also unable to get much positive going. At the end of the match, the visiting Warriors walked away with a three set win.

On Wednesday, the Lady Panthers travelled to Denham Springs for a three-match set versus the Lady Yellow Jackets. Much like Tuesday nigh, the freshman and JV teams struggled, each losing in two sets. However, the varsity team bounced back with a strong three set win over the Yellow Jackets. Our Lady Panthers won the match 25-19, 25-11, and 25-20.

Finally, the Lady Panthers played host to the Rumble in the Jungle Volleyball tournament. Woodlawn finished the tournament with a 3-1 record, defeating White Castle, Caddo Magnet, and Hammond in straight sets before falling to Lakeshore in two sets. Sophomore Mikenzie Wells was named to the All-Tournament team for Woodlawn High.

Next up for Volleyball: Monday, September 25 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity at Loranger; Tuesday, September 26 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity vs. Liberty; Wednesday, September 27 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity vs. Doyle

Winter Sports Practice Underway

Boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls soccer, powerlifting, and tennis are all practicing this upcoming week.

The Panther Play by Play – September 10 – September 16

Sep 18, 2023

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.

Cross Country

Our Panther Cross Country team made their debut this weekend at the 4th Annual Brusly Cross Country Invitational. Sophomores Ty Davis and Liam Dowdy placed 19th and 33rd overall in the varsity 2 mile race. Their times were good for the 3rd and 4th fastest Cross Country 2 mile times in Woodlawn High School history. In the girls 2 mile varsity race, Freshman Kailyn Lebrun placed 26th overall. Her time was the fastest 2 mile time in the history of Woodlawn High School. This week, our Panthers will be back at Brusly High School for the 3 mile Cinclaire Run on the Levee.

Next up for Cross Country: Saturday, September 23 at the Brusly Cinclaire Run on the Levee

Football

Woodlawn hosted Carver for Homecoming this year and everyone left Panther Stadium excited about the home team’s victory. Our Panthers walked off the field victorious, defeating the Rams by the score of 33-6.

Woodlawn held the lead for the entire night, holding the Rams at bay. Carver was never able to muster much of an offensive attack, and never threatened to take the lead from the Panthers.

The Panthers offense was paced by Junior running back Jay’cob Jolla, who scored two touchdowns. Junior Ma’kahi Wilson and freshman Alonzo Luckett also scored offensive touchdowns, while sophomore David Breaud returned a fumble for a touchdown.

The Panthers will be back in action Friday night as they travel to Thibodaux to face ED White.

In the sub-varsity contests versus Dutchtown, one team was victorious, while the other fell just short. Our freshman team began the night last Tuesday falling to the Griffins by one score. The final was 20-12 in favor of Dutchtown. The JV team quickly executed their revenge, coming away with a 14-12 win over Dutchtown. Both the JV and Freshmen will be back in action Tuesday night at Denham Springs.

Next up for Football: Tuesday, September 19 – Freshmen and JV at Denham Springs; Friday, September 22 – Varsity at ED White

Swim

The Panther Swim team were in the water for their first swim meet of the season this past Saturday at Crawfish Aquatics. The boys’ 200 yard medley relay and freestyle each placed 6th in their first races of the season. The boys’ swim team finished 4th overall in the meet.

Individually, James Skiles finished in the top ten in the 200 yard freestyle and John Cador finished in the top ten in the 100 yard freestyle. Cador was joined by Norman Collins, Zack Lemoine, and Reagan Rodgers in the 100 yard freestyle. Ben Mackay, Alex Collins, and Vincent Nguyen each competed in the 50 yard freestyle.

Both of our Lady Panthers swam against a stacked field in the 50 yard freestyle, with Freshman Breanna Barrios and Junior Isabella Winter each finishing with competitive times. The pair from Woodlawn finished back-to-back in the 100 yard freestyle as well.

Our Panthers will be off this weekend and will travel to Lafayette for their first out-of-town trip of the season on Saturday, September 30.

Next up for Swim: Saturday, September 30 – Lafayette Swim League at Crawfish Aquatics Lafayette

Volleyball

The Lady Panther Volleyball team made up for their slow week last week by playing six matches this week. Woodlawn High hosted Ponchatoula and Madison Prep before participating at the Brusly Tournament Thursday through Saturday.

Monday, our Lady Panthers got off to a slow start versus Ponchatoula. All three levels, Freshmen, JV, and Varsity, fell to Ponchatoula after the long layover without matches.

Wednesday, Woodlawn High hosted Madison Prep. The night began with JV action, but the Lady Panthers fell short by the score of 25-13 and 25-7. The varsity team, boosted by the arrival of Senior Taliyah Kirby, came away with a huge win in four sets. After winning the first set 25-23, the Lady Panthers fell 15-25 in the second set. Not to be deterred, our Lady Panthers bounced back to win the next two sets 25-18 and 25-19 for the big win.

Thursday afternoon saw our Lady Panthers travel to Brusly for tournament action. In two best-of-three matches, our Lady Panthers went 1-1 on the evening. Woodlawn faced Terrebonne in the first match of the day, falling in both sets by the scores of 25-19 and 25-12. However, the Lady Panthers bounced back to beat the host team, Brusly, 25-21 and 25-18.

Woodlawn travelled back across the Mississippi River Saturday morning for two more matches. Both matches Saturday were best-of-three. Our Lady Panthers came up short in both matches in three sets. Vandebilt Catholic defeated Woodlawn 21-25, 25-6, and 15-5 in the first match of the day. In the second match, Natchitoches Central defeated the Lady Panthers 17-25, 25-21, 8-15.

Next up for Volleyball: Monday, September 11 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity vs. Ponchatoula; Wednesday, September 13 – JV/Varsity vs. Madison Prep; Thursday, September 14 – Saturday, September 16 – at the Brusly Tournament

Winter Sports Practice Underway

Boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls soccer, powerlifting, and tennis are all practicing this upcoming week.

The Panther Play by Play – September 3 – September 9

Sep 11, 2023

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.

Cross Country

First year Head Coach Erik Wagner and his Panther runners have continued to work hard around school. With the hot August temperatures behind us, our Cross Country team have been able to spend more time outside for afternoon practices. Our Panthers have been paced in practice by returning sophomore Liam Dowdy and newcomer Ty Davis. Freshman Kailyn Lebrun has been the leader of the girls’ team. Woodlawn’s Cross Country team will see their first action next weekend at Brusly High School.

Next up for Cross Country: Saturday, September 16 at the Brusly Invitational

Football

Week Two of the LHSAA high school football season saw our sub-varsity programs on a bye week. The freshman and JV teams will both be back in action next week as they host Dutchtown in a doubleheader. The contest was originally scheduled on Wednesday, but has been moved to Tuesday evening.

Our varsity Panthers faced the #2 ranked Division II team in the state of Louisiana Friday night. The Panthers fell to the Knights by the score of 49-14. Senior quarterback Myron Nelson found Jay’cob Jolla for a 35 yard touchdown strike to pull within 7 points at 14-7, but the Panthers found the going tough after that.

Woodlawn will host G.W. Carver next Friday night for Homecoming.

Next up for Football: Tuesday, September 12 – Freshmen and JV vs. Dutchtown; Friday, September 15 – Varsity vs. Carver

Swim

The Panther Swim team had their hopes of beginning their season drowned this week when the CCSL Season Opener at Crawfish Aquatics was cancelled due to water line issues in the surrounding areas. Our Panthers still took advantage of the week, practicing Tuesday through Thursday during their normal evening sessions. Our Panthers are hoping to get their season officially started this Saturday at Crawfish Aquatics in their regularly scheduled league meet.

Next up for Swim: Saturday, September 16 – Capital City Swim League at Crawfish Aquatics

Volleyball

Our Lady Panther Volleyball team had a slow week, with only one JV/Varsity match on Tuesday versus Belaire. The Junior Varsity got the contest started off with a strong statement, winning both sets by the score of 25-8. The Varsity team continued the strong performance with a straight set win of their own. Woodlawn defeated Belaire 25-10, 25-3, and 25-12. The win moved our Lady Panthers to 2-1 on the season before a busy week next week.

Next up for Volleyball: Monday, September 11 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity vs. Ponchatoula; Wednesday, September 13 – JV/Varsity vs. Madison Prep; Thursday, September 14 – Saturday, September 16 – at the Brusly Tournament

Winter Sports Practice Underway

Boys’ and girls’ soccer have begun preparing for fall practices. Those interested should see Coach K. Douglas and Coach Holton, respectively. Our Panther tennis program will begin practice next week. If you are interested in tennis, please see Coach Broussard.

The Panther Play by Play – August 27 – September 2

Sep 5, 2023

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.

The beginning of the school year brings with it the beginning of Fall Sports. Woodlawn High is home to four fall sports: Cross Country, Football, Swim, and Volleyball. All four sports have begun practice and are working hard daily to prepare for upcoming contests.

Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.

Cross Country

The dedicated Panther Cross Country runners have been relentlessly training and pushing their limits in preparation for their upcoming first race. No matter the temperature, they’ve been putting in countless hours on the trails and even inside the school building, building their endurance, and fine-tuning their techniques. The camaraderie and determination within the team are noticeable, as each athlete strives to achieve their personal best and contribute to the collective success. The Panthers are led this season by first year Head Coach Erik Wagner, who is looking forward to the team’s first race next weekend.

Next up for Cross Country: Saturday, September 16 at the Brusly Invitational

Football

Our Panther football team officially began their season this week, with Freshman, JV, and Varsity action all occurring throughout the week.

Both sub-varsity contests were marred by inclement weather. Neither game was completed due to lightning in the area, which forced both teams to clear the field two nights in a row.

The JV Panthers took to the field first, hosting the University Lab Cubs. The Cubs took an early 13-0 lead over the Panthers, who were unable to mount a comeback before mother nature won the night.

Tuesday night saw our Freshman Football team host the Live Oak Eagles. While rain and lightning eventually ended the game a few minutes early, our ninth graders were able to come away with a hard fought 12-6 win over the Eagles. Quarterback Brice Preston linked up with his favorite target, Alonzo Luckett, for a touchdown in the second contest in a row after the two connected in jamboree action versus Jesuit.

After a long off-season and preseason that saw practice times changed due to high temperatures, the Panther football team finally took the field in a game that counted. However, the Panthers’ ran into a U High team that was running on all cylinders. The Cubs defense dominated the game, allowing only 28 total yards in the first half on the way to a 33-0 halftime lead. Running back William Jackson scored on a 4-yard run with 29 seconds remaining in the contest to avert the shutout. When the buzzer sounded, the Panthers were on the wrong side of a 40-6 score.

Both sub-varsity teams will be off this week after St. Michael made the decision to cancel Tuesday’s JV contest.

Next up for Football: Friday, September 8 – Varsity vs. Lafayette Christian

Swim

The Panther Swim team completed their third week of practice under new Head Coach Jess Stidham. The team has been tirelessly honing their skills, dedicating themselves to grueling training sessions in the water. Late evenings have been the norm as they’ve pushed themselves to improve their strokes, endurance, and teamwork. The anticipation is palpable as they prepare for their first meet this Saturday, a culmination of their relentless efforts. With each practice, they’ve grown stronger and more synchronized, and now, they are eager to showcase their determination and unity in the pool. The Panther swim team is poised to make a splash at the upcoming meet, and their hard work and commitment are sure to shine through in every stroke they take.

Next up for Swim: Saturday, September 9 – Capital City Swim League Season Opener at Crawfish Aquatics

Volleyball

Our Lady Panther volleyball team had two contests this week, with a season opening contest at Parkview Baptist followed by their home opener versus Baker.

The Lady Panther volleyball team displayed remarkable resilience and determination in their matches this past week. Although they faced a disappointing loss in their first match at Parkview Baptist in three straight sets (7-25, 7-25, 23-25), their spirits remained unbroken. The defeat served as a source of motivation rather than discouragement and the team bounced back triumphantly in their second match, showcasing their true potential.

In their second match, the Lady Panthers defeated an outmatched Baker team in three sets (25-7, 25-9, 25-12). Woodlawn High exhibited outstanding teamwork, communication, and a renewed sense of purpose on the court. Their synchronized efforts and strategic play resulted in a resounding victory. This remarkable turnaround not only highlighted their skill and dedication but also exemplified the team’s ability to learn and adapt, proving that setbacks can often be the stepping stones to success. The Lady Panthers have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with in the world of volleyball.

Next up for Volleyball: Tuesday, September 5 – JV/Varsity vs. Belaire

Winter Sports Practice Underway

Our boys and girls basketball teams have both begun practice in preparation for the upcoming seasons. Joining basketball are the Panther powerlifting programs, who have begun weight training after school. Both the boys and girls soccer teams will begin practice in the near future as well.

Woodlawn Athletics Weekly Wrap: September 26 – October 2, 2022

Oct 3, 2022

While the final week of September did not have as many home events as the previous week, it still seemed busier than ever. Homecoming brought it’s normal festivities, along with packed stands Friday night at the football game. Volleyball, cross country, and swim were all in action as well. Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.

Cross Country

The Woodlawn cross country team made the short trip to Highland Road Park to compete in the St. Joseph’s Invitational. The meet was the largest meet that the Panthers have competed in this season, as over 590 boys ran Saturday morning.

Sophomore David Ferguson led the Panthers with a time of 20:02.03, which was a personal record. Freshman Liam Dowdy and seniors Jaden Sylvester and Dylan Aucoin all finished within six seconds of each other, at just over 23 minutes for the race. Dowdy’s finish (23:01.23) was also a personal record.

For our Lady Panthers, seniors Andrea Rodriguez and Kaitlyn Arceneaux each finished with personal records.

Coach Tim Spruill seemed pleased with the team’s performance Saturday.

“Liam and David each came out and set personal records today. So did Andrea and Kailyn,” said Spruill. “All I can do is ask our athletes to come out and push themselves to improve each week, while having fun and developing a lifetime love for running.”

Next up for Cross Country: Saturday, October 15 – Zachary Bronco Stampede at Port Hudson State Historic Site

Football

A busy Homecoming week began with the Woodlawn freshman and JV teams traveling to Walker High School on Monday, September 26. Both sub-varsity teams had strong showings, with neither team taking a loss. The freshmen were able to score twice, but also gave up two touchdowns, and finished with a 14-14 tie. Woodlawn’s JV team was too much for the Wildcats, as they came away with a 30-8 victory over Walker.

The varsity team looked to continue the momentum from the sub-varsity games when they took the field Friday night. In front of a packed stadium, the home team took a 14-6 lead into halftime on a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Rickie Collins to fellow seniors Clayton Adams and Tramon Douglas II.

Woodlawn (2-3) extended it’s lead to 21-6 when Adams had a 13-yard touchdown run, breaking several tackles on the way to the end zone, early in the fourth quarter.

Following two quick touchdowns and successful two-point conversions by the Wildcats, Woodlawn found themselves down 22-21 with 8:03 left on the clock.

The Panthers were not yet done scoring. Collins, Adams, senior running back Jay’veon Haynes and company pieced together an answer with a long drive and goal-line Collins run to pull back ahead, 27-22, with 3:05 to play.

However, the storybook ending would not be written in Woodlawn’s favor. With just 16 seconds remaining on the clock. St. James was able to take the lead, 28-22. The successful two-point conversion accounted for the final score, 30-27.

Woodlawn will host reigning Class 5A champion Zachary next Thursday in a District 4-5A opener that ESPN will broadcast to a national audience.

Next up for Football: Tuesday, October 4 – Freshman and JV at Zachary; Thursday, October 6 – Varsity versus Zachary

Swim

Woodlawn High School’s swim team had their best showing of the season, finishing third in the team ranking this past Saturday.

The boys’ team was led by James Skiles, Peyton Rodgers, and Trey Holiday, who each scored over 20 points in their races.

Skiles competed in both the 100 and 200 yard freestyle races. He finished fourth in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 2:25.44 and collected 15 points for his team. Skiles finished with a time of 1:00.27 in the 100 yard freestyle, narrowly finishing sixth and netting 13 points for Woodlawn.

Rodgers competed against Holiday in the 200 yard individual medley, edging out his teammate for a fifth place finish with a time of 2:42.94. In the 100 yard butterfly, Rodgers also finished in fifth place. Rodgers totaled 28 points for the Panthers.

Holiday finished sixth in the 100 yard breaststroke with a time of 1:26.19 and seventh in the 200 yard individual medley with a time of 2:50.87. Holiday scored a total of 25 points in his individual races.

The boys 200 yard medley team consisting of John Cador, Holiday, Rodgers, and Zack Lemoine finished third with a final time of 2:07.75.

Kelis Kent led the Lady Panthers, winning a heat in the 50 yard freestyle and finishing fourth in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:37.31.

The swim team will now prepare for the CCSL Championship Meet on October 28 and 29.

Next up for Swim: Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29 – Capital City Swim League Championship Meet at Crawfish Aquatics

Volleyball

In a slower week for the Lady Panther volleyball team (17-8), Woodlawn only competed in three matches this week.

The Lady Panthers began the week at Woodlawn Middle School due to a conflict with the rescheduled date of Open House. Woodlawn faced Port Allen in a three game set on Monday night, with the Lady Panthers varsity team coming away with a straight set victory, 25-15, 25-12, 25-17.

The next two matches for Woodlawn found the team traveling, first to Central Private for a match on Wednesday night. The Lady Panthers were pushed to four sets before earning the victory 25-11, 25-16, 24-26, and 25-13.

The final match of the week was held on Thursday night, with Woodlawn dropping the match in straight sets.

Woodlawn will be on the road for two of three matches this week. District 4-5A play will begin on Wednesday, when the Lady Panthers travel to Central.

Next up for Volleyball: Monday, October 3 – JV/Varsity versus Capitol; Wednesday, October 5 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity at Central; Saturday, October 8 – Freshmen/JV/Varsity at St. John of Plaquemine

Baseball Practices Begin

Now that October has come, baseball practices are set to begin. Those interested in playing baseball who are not participating in a Fall Sport should see Coach Kohn. A valid physical is necessary to participate.