Dec 15, 2022
Woodlawn High senior Ryan Wyche has been accepted into Berklee College of Music. This prestigious opportunity is the latest addition to an already-impressive resume that includes a wide range of local and national engagements. Wyche has also applied to Harvard University and hopes to take advantage of the Dual Degree program between the two schools. Upon receiving his acceptance, Ryan will declare two majors: one in Music Business and Management at Berklee and another in Sociology and African American Studies at Harvard.
From this unique educational experience, Ryan hopes to gain the skills and exposure necessary to start his own record label. He aims to cultivate a philanthropic community centered on the production of art. Wyche has always considered himself to be both a musician and an activist. Although he does not wish to enact change by running for public office or directly shaping legislation, Ryan is prepared in the event that he inherits a public platform. He looks to one of his idols, Billie Holiday. Holiday created intense, profound commentary through her art, and never let herself be defined by a singular label. Ryan wishes to mimic this fluidity and boldness.
Throughout his high school career, Ryan has participated in a myriad of activities around campus and within the surrounding community. Ryan is the WHS Student of the Year, Drum Major of the Panther Marching Band, and Chief Justice of the Louisiana Youth Legislature’s Supreme Court. He wakes up before most of his peers so that he may arrive early to school each morning and appear as a co-anchor on the WHS Morning Announcements. Ryan’s involvement is not limited to his immediate surroundings. He has attended conventions with the “100 Black Men of America,” and completed a summer study program in Boston at Berklee College of Music.
This is not meant to be a regurgitation of Ryan’s extensive resume‒ my goal is to paint a more personal picture of Senior Class President and Mr. Woodlawn, Ryan Wyche.
Having spent most of his life as a resident of various Southern cultural hubs, Ryan is well-versed in the ups and downs of Southern living. He spent most of his early life with a single father. His dad grew up in New York in the 80s, encapsulated by the birth of hip-hop. Ryan recalls that the highlights of his childhood often took place in the car with his dad, listening to music. The pros of life in the South have made themselves abundantly clear to him: having a large family, enjoying traditional southern meals, and so much more.
However, throughout the years, the cons have creeped in and created a sense of separation between Ryan’s geographical region and his identity. When Ryan moved from Atlanta to Virginia, he saw himself as “one of few black faces in the classroom.” He never had trouble finding internal similarities between himself and his classmates, but external differences often found a way to enforce division. Since moving to Louisiana and attending Woodlawn, Ryan is pleased with the diverse, yet harmonic community that he has found a unique place within.
As a proud member of the Woodlawn community, Ryan views his success as a representation of what happens when young adults take advantage of every single small opportunity for advancement. As he reflects on his experience here and looks forward to a bright future, Ryan feels that the thing he is most proud of is his little sister, Adrienne. If you asked him, Ryan would swear that Adrienne (4 years old) is already a prodigy, sure to make a mark on history. He relishes the relationship that he has created with her and is excited to watch her follow her own path; he’s certainly set an incredible example.
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.
