Mar 26, 2021
In his two seasons as the Head Coach at Woodlawn High, Brad Voight has focused on building the foundation of the program. Coach Voight has stressed to his players that this includes excelling both on and off the court.
“We believe we are starting to set a very solid and sustainable foundation both on the court and in the classroom,” said Voight. “We will return three players who were recognized with All-District Honors. Our returning student-athletes have also done a great job in the classroom and are right at the 3.0 team GPA that was set as a goal before the season!”
Rickie Collins and Kyle Jones were each named to the District 5-5A All-District First Team for the 2020-2021 season. Collins, who was also named to the 2019-2020 team, looks to be in the mix for the District MVP next season. Collins averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds per game, and his shot blocking ability around the basket paid huge dividends for the Panthers this season.
Clayton Adams and Bryan Sledge were named to the District 5-5A Honorable Mention team. Sledge, who is a senior, average 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. His play on both ends of the court will be missed.
“Kyle Jones and Clayton Adams both return with Rickie, and both should have much improved seasons next year,” added Voight. “We will look to Clayton and Kyle to score more next year to make up for the loss of our seniors.”
The 2020-2021 season was marked by quarantines and streaks for the Panthers. After they opened their season with a win over St. Thomas Aquinas, Woodlawn was quickly placed on quarantine due to contact tracing and missed their next four games.
The Panthers returned to action to win their next five games, before suffering their first defeat of the season. Another five game win streak in early January, marked by a big win over Jehovah-Jireh, had Woodlawn poised to make a run at the district championship.
However, Covid-19 forced the Panthers to sit through another quarantine. When they were finally able to return to the court in early February, the team went 1-2 before being shut down again for two weeks leading into the playoffs.
Despite the roller coaster season, Woodlawn finished the season with a 17-7 record and were named the #20 seed in the LHSAA Class 5A State Tournament. The Panthers traveled to Gonzales to face the #13 seeded East Ascension Spartans, and fell in a close contest. Despite the season ending before the team wished, there were many bright spots to the season.
“We fill that we have that foundation built now,” concluded Voight. “We have kids working hard in the classroom and on the court. We have kids who expect to make the playoffs each year. We have kids that are looking forward to summer league. It’s an exciting time to be a Panther.”
Teams interested in joining the Woodlawn High Summer League should email Coach Voight at [email protected].
Mar 25, 2021
This article was originally published on GeauxPreps.com by owner Hunter Bower.
Halle and Leah Medine have spent most of their lives on the tennis court.
The twins began playing tennis at the age of ten, and both enjoyed the sport. As freshmen at Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge, tennis was not an option, so both girls decided to participate in volleyball for the school while continuing to play tennis in their spare time.
A decision was made to bring back the tennis program in the spring of 2018. Since day one, both sisters have played an integral part to lift the Woodlawn netters to prominence.
Halle and Leah were the only two freshmen members of the first team Woodlawn High fielded in nearly 10 years. The girls quickly made an impression on head coach Brent Broussard.
“Halle and Leah have done everything that could be expected of them as members of the Woodlawn High Tennis team,” said Broussard. “The girls come to practice consistently, ready to work. They put in extra effort outside of our team practices, taking private lessons and scheduling extra matches. They have also been willing to do whatever is asked of them to help the tennis program succeed, such as volunteer their weekends and summers to work concessions as fundraisers.”
Halle Medine gets ready for the next serve as she leads her Woodlawn tennis squad.
The twins each competed in singles that year, and Leah finished as the Regional runner-up. Leah went on to compete at the State Tournament and finished as a State Quarterfinalist.
During their sophomore year, Leah again competed in singles competition. This time, she was the Regional Champion, and once again was a State Quarterfinalist. Halle competed in doubles and finished the season with a 13-1 record.
The twins decided to team up and compete as a doubles team for the 2021 season. As the season heads towards Regional play, Halle and Leah currently have a doubles record of 5-1. They have each won their only singles match of the year. They are also leaders on the practice court, consistently helping the less experienced players with their game.”
“Halle and Leah also volunteer their time in the tennis community,” said Broussard. “They have enjoyed being able to teach lessons to 4- and 5-year-old kids just beginning to enjoy the sport. They have also volunteered for multiple years at the Cajun Classic, a tournament consisting of over 100 of the top wheelchair tennis players in the world.”
The Medine sisters are seniors in the Gifted and Talented Program at Woodlawn High School. Leah has a cumulative GPA of 3.9 and Halle has a 3.8, all while taking advanced level classes. The girls plan to attend LSU after graduation. Halle plans to major in Psychology, and Leah plans to study Biology.
Mar 25, 2021
Woodlawn High School’s Talented Music students competed virtually for the 2021 DeBose Virtual Fine Arts Festival Series Competition. While Talented Music ensembles have showcased their talents annually at the festival, this year they participated in the inaugural performing arts competition sponsored by the DeBose Foundation. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students recorded individual performances to submit for the competition this year.
Woodlawn High School had two Talented Music strings students compete in the Non-Vocal Solo category for the High School Music competition. Talented Music teacher Dr. Yong H. Pan worked with these students to prepare and record their submissions.
Samuel Taylor received an Honorable Mention for his violin performance of Minuet I. Sam has been a part of the EBR Talented Music Ensemble since 2017, and he is in his second year of the Talented Music Program and orchestra at WHS.
Nicole Workman is pictured with Dr. Pan.
Nicole Workman placed third with her violin performance of Handel’s Sonata No. 3 in F Major, 2nd Movement. Nicole has enjoyed playing for the WHS Orchestra the last four years and joined the Talented Music Ensemble this year.
Nicole says that “Music is my life. Being a part of the Talented Music Strings Ensemble has allowed me to improve my technique because we work more individually.” Nicole recently auditioned and received a scholarship offer to join the University of Louisiana at Lafayette orchestra.
Congratulations to both of our WHS Talented Music Strings Students for their accomplishments in the 2021 DeBose Virtual Fine Arts Festival Series Competition.
You can watch the entire Virtual Festival Competition by clicking here.
For more information on the Gifted and Talented Programs at Woodlawn High School, please contact Gifted Site Coordinator Danelle Miller at [email protected]
Mar 24, 2021
Victorine Kasangandjo is a senior at Woodlawn High School. She is a citizen of the Republic of the Congo. As a freshman, in 2018, Victorine’s parents decided to bring her Baton Rouge and enroll her at Woodlawn High. The decision was made in order to give Victorine the best opportunity to be successful.
Coach Randall interviews Victorine for Gear Up.
Upon arrival to the United State, Victorine spoke no English. Her native language is Swahili. She was placed into the East Baton Rouge School Sytem’s program for English Language Learners. Each year, Victorine’s knowledge of English grew. This year, she reached the Level 01, which means that she is fully proficient in the English language. Her hard work and dedication to her studies has paid off, as she carries a 2.8 GPA and has never had to repeat a class despite learning English while she completed her course work.
Victorine has also been active outside the classroom at Woodlawn High School. She participated in soccer and was named to the 2020-2021 All District team. She enjoys drawing and participating in Community Sports Leadership Club.
Coach Randall recently completed a video on Victorine’s successes for Gear Up.
“The entire Woodlawn community is so proud of Victorine’s hard work, dedication, and of the resilience she has shown in her time with us,” said Randall. “We look forward to following her success as she graduates and start the next chapter of her life.”
Mar 5, 2021
Andrew Barnes, who was the Head Soccer Coach for both the boys and girls programs at Woodlawn High, was recently inducted into the LHSSCA Hall of Fame. Barnes was the head of the boys program from 2001 through 2019, and led the girls program from 2011 through 2016.
During Barnes’ 18 year career, he has coached over 500 games and won numerous District Championships. Coach Barnes guided the Panthers to 11 playoff appearances, which included four Bi-District finishes, one Regional finish, two Quarterfinal finishes, three Semi-Final finishes, and one Finals appearance.
“When I walked into Mr. McCann’s office, at the old school, I never would have dreamed that I would coach at Woodlawn that long,” remembered Barnes. “I loved my time at Woodlawn. The administration always completely supported me. I was never told ‘no’ by any of the four principals that were there during my time.”
It was during the 2007-2008 season that Coach Barnes led the Woodlawn boys on an historic run to the finals. In the state semi-finals that season, Woodlawn, who was one of the lowest seeds in the playoffs, upset the favorites, Jesuit. This led to a state championship game versus Caddo Magnet.
Although the Panthers fell short and finished runner-up, their run to the finals that year is one of the most well remembered playoff runs of all time.
Coach Barnes has been selected District Coach of the Year seven times, as well as Baton Rouge All Metro Coach of the Year twice. He was also selected to be a coach in the LHSSCA All-Star game three times, twice as an Assistant Coach, and once as Head Coach.
“The soccer program at Woodlawn during my time there was a family,” explained Barnes. “It was a small group of very committed, dedicated people. In my 18 years, I only had four assistant coaches and only four concession workers. They stayed with me for the long haul.”
“I still keep in touch with many of my former players. I still love the phone calls, and even the impromptu visits to my home that last a little too long!”
Coach Barnes is married to Gretchen Barnes. Together they have three children, Jonathan, Emilie, and Jacob. All three of the Barnes children attended Woodlawn High, and of course, played soccer for Coach Barnes.
Current Woodlawn Principal Scott Stevens praised Coach Barnes’ as a coach and member of the Woodlawn family.
“Andrew was exactly what every Athletic Department looks for in a coach. He had the ability to connect with his student-athletes in a way that not many coaches can connect. His players wanted to win for him as much as they wanted to win for themselves. He deserves this recognition as much as anyone that has ever coached at Woodlawn High.”
