Our bowling team fell in their match versus East Ascension last Thursday by the score of 20-7. The Panthers are now 4-2 on the season
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team’s next match is against St. Amant on the 26th. All matches will be bowled at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
The Lady Panthers secured an amazing win over Northwood-Shreveport 71-38 on the 19th. This playoff win advanced the girls to the quarterfinals, where they played St. Scholastica on the 22nd. The team dominated in an impressive win 64-42, moving them forward to the semifinals.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: For the first time in program history, the Lady Panthers will play in the Division I Select semifinals! They will travel to Hammond on the 29th to play Huntington.
Boys’ Basketball
The Panthers ended their season first round playoff game against Brother Martin on the 23rd. Though they lost 61-42, the team pushed until the very end. Their tenacity and resilience was clearly demonstrated on the court.
Tennis
On the 19th, the team played St. Amant at Highland Road Park. The boys’ team tied 2-2, with Levi Lindsay winning his singles match (6-1, 6-2), and the team of Sam Marino & Jacob Aime winning their doubles match 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), and 1-0 (10-5).
The girls’ team fell 1-4, but the doubles team of Wesley Porter & Kailyn Lebrun won their first ever match (6-1, 6-1).
On the 21st, the varsity team played Central. While the boys ultimately lost 2-1, Levi Lindsay defeated his first court singles opponent 2 sets to 1.
The girls’ team defeated Central 3-0. All three doubles teams won 2-0 – Lily Ingalls & Amelie Lemaire on 1st court, Miriam Lindsay & Krystel Amo on second court, and Bella Winter & Kate Russell on 3rd court.
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play Live Oak on the 26th and Baton Rouge High on the 28th. Both matches will be played at Forest Park Tennis Center starting at 3 pm.
Track
Our Panthers have been preparing for the opening meet of the season, which will be held on February 28th at Brusly.
Next up for Track: Outdoor track season will begin with meets at Brusly on the 28th.
Baseball
In their season opener on the 19th, the Panthers were unfortunately defeated by Walker High School 14-1. On Tuesday, the team battled to an ultimate loss to East Iberville 5-1.
On the 22nd, the Panthers rallied for a 9-8 win against Slaughter Community Charter, but faced defeat again on Saturday as they lost 12-8 to Independence.
Next up for Baseball: The Panthers will travel to Ascension Christian on the 26th and then host Family Christian on the 29th. Both games begin at 3:30 pm. On March 1st, the team will travel to Independence High for a game beginning at 5:30 pm.
Softball
Games on the 20th and 22nd were both postponed for the Lady Panthers.
Next up for Softball: Our softball team will host Madison Prep and Ben Franklin next Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games will be at 4 pm.
Powerlifting
Our Powerlifting team hosted the LHSPLA Girls East Regional Powerlifting Meet on the 24th. For the first time in program history, the girls were declared the East Regional Champions.
The team had 4 lifters that finished in first place – Katelyn Reed (97 lb), Krystel Amo (105 lb) Jadyn Barner (114 lb), and Amy Kirk (165 lb).
There were 2 second place finishers – Kennedi Kullman (97 lbs) and Aerion Lange (SHW). Lacie Sierra finished third in the 132 pound weight class as well.
The team also brought home the Lightweight (Jadyn Barner) and Heavyweight (Amy Kirk) Best Lifter awards.
Next up for Powerlifting: The state powerlifting meet will take place March 22-23 at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
Our Panther Bowling team had matches against both Zachary and Liberty this week. Our bowlers had two impressive victories, defeating Zachary by the score of 27-0 and Liberty by the score of 24-3.
The Panthers moved to 4-1.
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team’s next match is against East Ascension on the 22nd at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
The Lady Panther varsity team played a nail-biting district game against Liberty on the 7th. In a close battle, the team lost 52-49.
However, on the 9th, the girls rallied for a win against St. Joseph’s Academy on their senior night. The final varsity score was 53-32, and seniors Tralyn Riley, Ranya Smith, Faith Thomas, and Kailee Washington were celebrated.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: Our Lady Panthers earned a first round bye in the Select Division I playoff bracket by being named the 5th seed. Woodlawn will host Northwood-Shreveport in the regional round of playoffs on the 19th.
Boys’ Basketball
The Panthers fell to Liberty on Tuesday, with a varsity score of 60-53 and a JV score of 58-22. The team fought against Catholic High on the 9th, ending in a 62-54 varsity loss and a 60-40 loss for JV.
On the 14th, the varsity team faced another loss in overtime to Central, with a score of 64-56. The JV team lost 56-22.
On Friday, the boys rallied to a great win over Scotlandville. The varsity final score was 68-55. The boys finished their season at #22 in Division I Select.
Next up for Boys’ Basketball: Our Panthers earned the #22 seed in the Select Division I playoffs. Woodlawn will travel to Brother Martin on Friday, February 23rd for a 7 pm Bi-District game.
Tennis
On Tuesday the 6th, our tennis team displayed exceptional prowess on the court, securing victories against Walker across both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
In the boys’ division, Woodlawn asserted its dominance by clinching three out of four matches against Walker. Levi Lindsay and Jacob Hoang showcased their individual skill and determination, triumphing in their respective singles matches. The duo of Jacob Aime & Sam Marino displayed remarkable teamwork and coordination to secure a victory in the doubles match.
The girls’ division witnessed an equally impressive performance from Woodlawn’s tennis team. Miriam Lindsay and Kate Russell demonstrated their prowess by emerging victorious in their singles matches. The doubles pairs of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire and Bella Winter & Caitlyn Gruse secured victories in their respective matches.
Following this impressive performance, both the boys’ and girls’ teams maintain a flawless record of 1-0, setting a strong foundation for future matches and competitions.
On Wednesday the 7th, the teams lost to Dutchtown. Our boys’ team fell 2-1, while our girls fell 3-2.
Our Woodlawn Invitational took place on February 9th and 10th. On the 9th, Lily Ingalls and Levi Lindsay won their singles matches. The doubles teams of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire, Jacob Aime & Sam Marino, and Ryan Russel & Devin Sutor-Benfield defeated their various opponents as well.
On the 10th, several Woodlawn players made it all the way to the end of the tournament. Ryan Russell & Devin Sutor-Benfield finished as boys’ doubles quarterfinalists. The team of Jacob Aime & Same Marino finished as boys’ doubles semifinalists.
Levi Lindsay and Lily Ingalls were named boys’ and girls’ singles finalists, respectively. The team of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire finished as girls’ doubles finalists
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play St. Amant on the 19th and Central on the 21st. Both matches will be played at Highland Road Tennis Center starting at 3 pm.
Track
On Saturday the 17th, several Woodlawn athletes competed at the Indoor State Track Meet held at LSU.
Woodlawn was represented by Caleb Cooper in the 60m, Alex Collins in the shot put, and both 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams.
Junior Caleb Cooper ran a 7.17, earning him 13th place.
Senior Alex Collins threw 42’9”, landing him in 13th place.
The 4×200 relay consisted of Caleb Cooper, junior Keylen Sonnier, senior Couren Norman, and junior Jay’Cob Jolla. The team ran a 1:33.79, earning them 5th place.
The 4×400 team consisted of Couren Norman, Jay’Cob Jolla, Keylen Sonnier, and junior Kydell Miner. They placed 9th with a time of 3:38.73.
Next up for Track: Outdoor track season will begin with meets at Brusly on the 28th and Denham Springs High School on the 29th.
Baseball
Preparation for the baseball season has ended, and games will begin this week. First year Head Coach Royce Holloway is excited to see his Panthers on the field for the first time this upcoming week.
Next up for Baseball: Woodlawn’s baseball season will begin on Monday, February 19th with a game at 6 pm at Walker High School. Their home opener will be the next day at 3:30 pm versus East Iberville. The Panthers will also host Slaughter Community Charter at 3:30 pm on Thursday, February 22nd. The Panthers’ busy week concludes on Saturday, when they host Independence High School at 1 pm.
Softball
On the 15th, the Lady Panthers absolutely dominated Northeast. The team started their season off with a run rule in only 3 innings. The final score was 17-0.
Next up for Softball: Our softball team will host Scotlandville on the 20th and then Northeast again on the 22nd. Both games will be at 4 pm.
Powerlifting
Our Boys’ Powerlifting team competed in the LHSPLA Boys East Regional Powerlifting Meet on the 17th.
Junior Rashad Batiste (198 lbs), junior Dwayne Beverly (275 lbs), and senior CJ May (super heavyweight) all placed 2nd in their respective weight classes.
Next up for Powerlifting: The LHSPLA Girls East Regional Powerlifting Meet will be hosted at Woodlawn High School on the 24th.
With representation in three of the four divisional finals, Woodlawn High School took home the team trophy in the first Woodlawn High Invitational Tournament.
Woodlawn High School hosted their first Invitational Tennis Tournament on Friday, February 9 and Saturday, February 10 at the Highland Road Tennis Center. Ninety-six student-athletes from 9 area high schools participated in the two-day single elimination tournament.
“Our goal was to get our student-athletes an opportunity to participate in a single elimination tournament before regionals,” said Woodlawn Head Coach Brent Broussard, who served as Tournament Director. “For many of these players, this was their first tournament. This experience is invaluable.”
Play began at 3 pm Friday, with round of 16 matches in four divisions: Boys’ and Girls’ Singles and Boys’ and Girls’ Doubles.
Winners of Friday’s matches played Saturday morning at 8 am in the quarterfinals.
Ascension Christian, Central, Denham Springs, Dutchtown, East Ascension, Lutcher, St. Amant, St. Thomas More, and Woodlawn all participated in the event.
In the Boys’ Singles Final, Joshua Miller of Ascension Christian defeated Levi Lindsay of Woodlawn by the score of 6-1, 6-1. Miller only dropped three games throughout his four matches. In the Girls’ Singles Final, St. Amant’s Grayce Reynolds defeated Lily Ingalls of Woodlawn 6-3, 6-2.
The team of Taylor and Clark Parker of Central defeated Live Oak’s Noah Snow and Alex Rivers 6-2, 6-2 in the Boys’ Doubles Final. In the Girls’ Doubles Final, Lorelei Allen and Sarah Kerne from St. Thomas More defeated Woodlawn’s Krystel Amo and Amelie LeMaire in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (10-6).
The Team Championship was determined by using the combined wins of both boys’ and girls’ scores, with championship wins earning an additional half point. With twelve total team wins, Woodlawn High narrowly edged out Central High, 12 to 11.5 points.
Round of 16
Michael Carmon, Central defeated Nicholas Jorden, Live Oak – 6-0, 6-1
Jacob Angel, St. Amant defeated Jacob Champagne, Dutchtown – 6-0, 6-0
Brennan Pierce, Ascension Christian defeated Luke Dicharry, Lutcher – 6-0, 6-0
Our Panther Bowling team had matches against both Scotlandville and Catholic High this week. While they fell to Catholic on Tuesday with a final score of 19-8, they rallied for an impressive win against Scotlandville on Wednesday.
Seniors John Cador and Keylen Sonnier bowled a 268 and 227, respectively, and sophomore Henry Bratkowski bowled a 212.
With a final score of 27-0, the Panthers moved to 2-1 for the season thus far.
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team is gearing up for two matches next week – Zachary on the 5th and Liberty on the 8th. Both matches will be bowled at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
Both our JV and varsity Lady Panthers Basketball teams brought home big district 4-5A wins against Scotlandville and Zachary last week.
On Tuesday, the JV team scored 32 points to the Lady Hornets’ 24. Junior Mya Montgomery led the team with 10 points. Freshman Layla Turner was close behind with 9. The varsity team dominated with a final score of 58-24. The team was led by two juniors; Amijah Price was the top scorer with 17 points, and McKenzi Haynes followed with 10 points.
On Friday, the varsity Lady Panthers defeated Zachary with a final score of 60-46. The team was led by senior Ranya Smith (17 points, 14 rebounds) and junior Amijah Price (10 assists, 9 points, 8 steals, and 7 rebounds).
Our Lady Panthers are now ranked #5 in Division I Select power rankings, with records of 3-0 in district and 21-8 overall.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: The Lady Panther JV and varsity teams are on the road to play Liberty on the 7th. The JV game is scheduled to start at 5:30. The winner of that game will be ranked 1st in district.
On Friday, our girls will be at home for their senior night games against St. Joseph’s Academy. Games start at 5 pm.
Boys’ Basketball
Our varsity and JV Panther basketball teams both defeated White Castle on the road last week. Our varsity team battled to a 68-61 win.
Both teams fought hard in high-intensity games against Madison Prep on Wednesday, but ultimately faced defeat. The JV team lost 66-36 and varsity lost 56-42.
On Friday, our freshman, JV, and varsity teams played challenging district games against Zachary. Unfortunately, all 3 teams came up short. The varsity team lost 69-48.
Next up for Boys’ Basketball: The Panthers play at home on the 6th in a JV/Varsity doubleheader against Liberty, scheduled to start at 6:00 pm. On the 9th, the boys are away at Catholic High for Freshman/JV/Varsity games at 5:30 pm.
Girls’ Soccer
The Lady Panthers Soccer team finished their season last week with an unfortunate loss to St. Amant on Monday.
With a final score of 8-0, the team finished with a record of 7-9-1. This record demonstrates impressive growth and development from their record of 1-16-1 last season.
Boys’ Soccer
Our Panthers soccer team played a first round playoff game at Dutchtown last Friday.
Dutchtown was ranked #4 to Woodlawn’s #29. While they eventually lost 2-0, ending their season, the team held undefeated Dutchtown to a 0-0 score at the half. Dutchtown’s first goal was scored with 10 minutes left in the game and the final goal came on a corner kick a few minutes later.
The boys finished their season with an 8-4-6 record and didn’t give up without a fight.
Indoor Track
The indoor track team competed at LSU’s Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on Saturday in the Last Chance Qualifier meet.
Juniors Caleb Cooper and Jay’Cob Jolla ran the 60 meter race. Jolla ran a 7.28 and Cooper ran a 7.10, landing him in 10th place. Cooper will represent Woodlawn at the state meet.
Jolla and junior Keylen Sonnier competed in the long jump as well. Jolla jumped 19’ 2.75”, while Sonnier jumped 17’ 10.75”.
Junior Kydell Miner and senior Darius Chesterfield both ran the 400 meter race. Miner ran a 53.99 and Chesterfield ran a 54.49.
Sophomore Melody St. Luce ran the 400 and 800 meter races with times of 1:06.11 and 2:50.42, respectively.
Senior Alex Collins and freshman Raheem Gray both represented Woodlawn in the boys shot put. Gray’s best throw was 42’ 1.25”, while Collins threw 47’11.25”. Collins’ throw landed him in 7th place, qualifying him for the state meet.
Sophomore Brianna Graham and junior A’Tyli Freeman represented in the girls shot put. Graham threw a 27’ 6”.
Woodlawn’s 4×200 meter relay team consisted of Caleb Cooper, senior Couran Norman, Keylen Sonnier, and Jay’Cob Jolla. The team ran an impressive 1:33.55, landing them in 5th place.
Our 4×400 relay team consisted of Jolla, Darius Chesterfield, D’kobe Chesterfield, and Kydell Miner. They ran a 3:37.13, landing them in 8th place.
Next up for Indoor Track: The State Indoor meet will be held at LSU on February 17th. Woodlawn will be represented by Caleb Cooper in the 60m, Alex Collins in the shot put, and both relay teams.
Spring Sports Practice Underway
Our tennis, outdoor track, baseball, and softball teams have begun practicing in preparation for the spring season. Tennis begins its season on the 6th with matches against Walker starting at 3 pm at Highland Road Tennis Center.
Our softball team’s jamboree will be played on the road this Friday against Brusly, while our JV baseball team will play a pre-season scrimmage at Lutcher on Thursday at 5.
Woodlawn’s Tennis Program has achieved many firsts over the past four years. The Panthers Tennis Program has traditionally been small, often not having the necessary number of student-athletes to fill a full team.
After a five-year span without tennis, the program was resurrected in 2018 and has quickly risen to heights never seen at Woodlawn High. The Medine twins, Halle and Leah, were a large part of the rebirth of the program.
“Going into high school, neither of us really expected to play high school tennis. We didn’t think there was a team because we didn’t hear anything about it,” reminisced Leah. “Coach Broussard brought it up to me one day because he heard from Coach Baronich that I played tennis. I was playing volleyball and lifting weights with Coach Baronich.”
The 2018 season saw Leah, as a freshman, reach the Regional Finals in the Girls’ Singles and advance to the State Quarterfinals. She topped her freshman campaign the next year, as she became the first Panther to win a Regional Championship. She went on to the State Quarterfinals again as a sophomore.
The 2020 season also saw a first for Woodlawn tennis. Spring sports were forced to end their seasons early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was difficult to imagine life going back to normal–student-athletes uniting to improve their skills, stands filled with cheering crowds, the unpredictability of the season ahead. The Panthers’ tennis team competed in only four matches before the season was abruptly cancelled.
Dylan and Brady qualified for the State Tournament by winning two matches at Regionals.
Though the 2020 season was cut short, the team has been raring to return to the court. Once restrictions eased, tennis players began practicing for the 2021 season in early January at Southern Oaks Athletic Club with Coaches Brent Broussard and Lucas Richardson. The enthusiasm to return is apparent looking at the impressive 2021 accomplishments.
The tennis program saw many improvements during the 2021 regular season. Even when the Panthers did not come out on top, the scores were much more competitive than in recent seasons. The hard work was then evident at the 2021 Regional Tournament.
For the first time in recent history, three doubles teams came away with victories at the Regional level.
The first team, senior Christian Jones and freshman Miriam Lindsay, finished their Regional run with a 1-1 record. Though they did not qualify for the State Tournament, it was quite an accomplishment to win their first round match!
Woodlawn’s second court boys’ doubles team were perhaps the biggest surprise of the tournament. Coming into the tournament, Dylan Aucoin and Brady Bertrand had played only one match together. However, their athleticism and enthusiasm were apparent, as they advanced to the Regional Quarterfinals. Their two wins were enough to qualify them for the Division II State Tournament.
Finally, senior twins Halle and Leah Medine finished the Regional Tournament with a 4-0 record. After receiving the #1 seed in the tournament, the girls were given a first round bye. The Medine’s dispatched the competition rather easily, not losing a single set in the entire tournament. In the finals, the girls started slow against ED White. After falling behind 3-2, the Medine’s won ten of the final eleven games for the 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Winning the Regional Championship once again set some firsts for Woodlawn High School. Leah became the first two-time Regional Champion. The girls were also the first Regional Doubles Champions in school history. Finally, Halle joined her sister as the only two Regional Champions from Woodlawn High School.
Bertrand and Aucoin and the Medines qualified for the State Tournament thanks to their finishes at the Regional Tournament. The four state-qualifiers matches the number of qualifiers from 2018 and 2019 combined.
Halle and Leah entered the Division II State Tournament as one of the four seeded teams. The girls had three relatively easy wins on day one of the State Tournament, only dropping two games in their three matches.
Day two brought a familiar opponent, as the Medine’s faced their Regional Semifinal opponent from ED White. With a large crowd on hand, nerves and the “bright lights” got the best of the Medine’s during he first set, as they fell 7-5. However, Halle and Leah fought back to win the second and third sets 6-1, 6-4 to move to the Division II State Finals.
Seniors Leah, Christian, and Halle pose for a picture at the 2021 Regional Tournament.
“The competition was definitely harder at State, and it was my first time there,” said Halle. “I was very nervous in a lot of our matches, especially the semifinal match. That was something we had to work through.”
The 6-2, 6-0 win over Neville’s first court in the finals brought Woodlawn High its first State Championship in tennis.
Going through the process of rebuilding the program, followed by the year that was 2020, closing out their high school career as State Champions was extremely significant to Halle and Leah.
“I don’t know if it has completely hit us yet, but it is super-awesome,” Halle explained. “Just knowing that we can take this championship away from our entire high school career and our entire tennis career.”
Even with all of the wins and championships for the Panthers this season, they perhaps have an even more impressive stat. Despite the major focus on winning, the team was able to achieve an overall GPA of 3.9. Eighteen members of the 2021 tennis team also took advanced level courses this year, with several earning future college credit.
As the three senior girls prepare for life after high school, they leave behind a flourishing team of nineteen that has grown from nine their freshman year in 2018. The team will look to continue to improve as practices at Southern Oaks will begin in August of 2021 instead of January of 2022.
