Nov 14, 2022
A new era of Woodlawn High boys basketball will officially tip off Tuesday under new coach Stefson Arnold.
The Panthers open the season at Port Allen, the three-time defending Class 2A state champion, with plenty of lessons, gelling and adjustments still ahead after an abridged offseason.
But Arnold, who led Family Christian to a Class C title game in his lone season as head coach in 2020-21, wants his players focused on lofty goals despite having only been together two months thus far.
“As you know, I’m a firm believer in ‘championship or bust,'” he said. “Just coming in, it’s going to be hard to keep those goals right away, but at the same time I still expect that. What I want to do is get better every single week and every single game, continue to be better than what we were last time out and every time we leave a game the other team to be saying, ‘Man, we played really, really hard.’ If we go out there and play hard every single game, we’ll let that take us wherever it can.”
The coach said the timing of his September has led to a shifted schedule in which the Panthers have looked at their preseason scrimmages similar to typical summer league play and the opening weeks of the season similar to those typical preseason matches.
Arnold hopes to get a better sense of the expectations and potential of his players from seeing full game film of their performances against meaningful competition.
But he has been pleased with the early indicators.
“I’ve learned they’re definitely committed to what I’m asking them to do, the 5 a.m. practices, the showing up on time,” he said. “The first step is always the players buying in. It’s just going to take a little while for those guys to get really clicking and get the process going. But I’ve learned that they’re committed, and if you have a team that’s committed, eventually we’ll be able to figure things out throughout the season.”
Woodlawn returns senior guard Clayton Adams, junior guard Tyler Knox, junior wings Roy Recasner and Myron Nelson and sophomore post player Kelinee Stone among key players likely to lead the rotation to start the season.
And sophomore wings Elijah Scott and Jordan Woods are among newer faces Arnold hopes to see making significant contributions.
“This team is looking to create its identity,” the coach said. “We have some good pieces to build around and the future is bright. We will get better each game and as the season progresses. This young group of kids are determined to compete at the highest level. Under a first-year coach and a new system, this team is going to have to learn quickly and execute as planned. But the attitude is positive, the energy is there, and so is the toughness. When we bring all that together and execute, we’ll be tough for any team to handle.”
Oct 31, 2022
The Woodlawn High volleyball team learned its next opponent Monday as the LHSAA released its playoff brackets.
Coach Maria Gonzalez and the Panthers (23-13) earned the No. 24 seed in the Division-I tournament and will travel Wednesday to No. 9 Archbishop Chapelle (21-15) for a first-round matchup at 5:30 p.m. at the Metairie school.
“They’re good,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody’s going to have to be on. Nobody can have a bad game if we want to compete with them. That’s the bottom line. We can compete with them. But everybody’s got to be on. So hopefully that happens.”
Woodlawn and Chapelle haven’t played in at least a decade, but the Chipmunks participated in the Panthers’ early-season tournament Labor Day weekend.
“We didn’t play them, but they were here,” Gonzalez said. “So I got to watch them play, and I have film on them. They’re just a good, fundamental New Orleans all-girls school team. So we can’t make mistakes.”
Chapelle finished fourth in a loaded District 7-I that features four of the top 13 seeds in the division along with No. 1 Dominican, No. 2 Mount Carmel and No. 13 Chalmette.
Woodlawn finished third in a District 4-I led by No. 6 St. Joseph’s Academy and No. 11 Central (Baton Rouge).
The Panthers’ 23-13 record marked the program’s best record in more than a decade.
“I wanted to get to 20 wins,” Gonzalez said. “That was our first goal, and we did and exceeded that and got three more wins. We should’ve one a little more, but that’s part of it. But we usually lose in the first round, so our second goal is to get past the first round. So hopefully we can do that.”
The winner will advance to face the winner between No. 8 Natchitoches Central and No. 25 H.L. Bourgeois.
Oct 28, 2022
The Woodlawn High volleyball team finished its regular season this week with the program’s best record in at least a decade.
The Panthers beat Baton Rouge Magnet in five sets Wednesday to improve to 23-13 and claim third place in the schools’ District 4-I standings.
That overall mark and .639 winning percentage are their best available in the LHSAA’s schedules archives, which date back to 2013.
“I’m very happy,” coach Maria Gonzalez said. “It went well. I wanted to get to 20 wins. That was our first goal, and we did and exceeded that and got three more wins. We should’ve one a little more, but that’s part of it.
“We usually lose in the first round, so our second goal is to get past the first round. So hopefully we can do that.”
Woodlawn awaits the LHSAA’s bracket release Monday to learn its official seed and playoff matchup.
But Gonzalez has been proud of the way the Panthers’ deep and talented roster has continued to come together against challenging competition and additional curveballs along the way.
“We’ve been on a rollercoaster ride,” she said. “We have injuries and people hurt and some people stepping up. We still have a couple people who are hurt that can’t play.”
Gonzalez shared a list of leaders such as seniors Reagan McDowell, Elysa Pitts, Marie Sierra and Karma Kasubaski; junior Branderia Graham, who has come on particularly strong late in the season; sophomore Krystel Amo; and freshman Katelyn Reed.
And the coach said that the Panthers have the potential to compete in the upcoming Division-I postseason if they can play up to their potential around those most consistent performers.
WOODLAWN HIGH VOLLEYBALL RECORDS
(10 years available in LHSAA archives)
year — record (percentage) — playoff result
2021 — 13-14 (.481) — Lost first round
2020 — 9-9 (.500) — Lost first round
2019 — 9-17 (.346) — Lost first round
2018 — 15-16 (.484) — Lost first round
2017 — 18-17 (.514) — Lost first round
2016 — 19-17 (.528) — Lost first round
2015 — 20-15 (.571) — Lost second round
2014 — 21-14 (.600) — Lost first round
2013 — 10-23 (.303) — Missed playoffs
