PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news from St. Mary Now. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!
Central Catholic will face its toughest test yet in the Division IV playoffs Thursday when it travels to face top-seed Lafayette Christian Academy in a 6:30 p.m. quarterfinal matchup.
The Eagles (16-14) and the Knights are district foes and have faced off once this season, with Lafayette Christian winning 73-50 in Morgan City.
In that game, Central Catholic trailed just 31-27 at halftime, but Lafayette Christian broke the game open in the third quarter with a 19-6 scoring advantage.
“We should have been tied at half,” Central Catholic coach Ree Case said of that first matchup. “We had a couple of bad possessions where we gave up a three at the end of the quarter, but we just defended. We played good defense. We ran offense.
“In the third quarter, we just didn’t play very well,” he added. “We missed a lot of easy layups. We turned the ball over. We had four, five costly turnovers, and we missed some easy shots. They’re going
to make shots. … We missed four or five layups in that quarter, and we had four or five turnovers, and that was the difference.”
In that first matchup, Terrance Jones scored 15 points for Lafayette Christian, while Pierre Dupre, Greg Williams (a St. John University signee) and Kailen Thibodeaux each scored 14.
“It’s a team where you have to guard all five guys,” Case said. “A lot of teams you can guard their best two players and kind of help off the other three, but against them, if you leave them open, any of the five, they can all shoot. They’re all going to score, so it’s unique because they have five players who can all score.”
In the regular-season loss, Elijah Swan and Davidyione Bias scored 12 each for Central Catholic, while D.J. Lewis added 10.
Lafayette Christian (23-5) has won five straight games entering Thursday’s contest. Its last loss was to Class 3A Madison Prep on Feb. 3.
Every team that Lafayette Christian lost to made the playoffs and all but one, Bossier, which was upset in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs, is still playing.
Case agreed that the pressure is off of Central Catholic because it is not expected to win Thursday’s game against the defending Division IV state champions.
“It needs to be a game in the fourth quarter where they feel the pressure that they’re supposed to win and not be up late in the game,” Case said.
After a first-round bye, the Knights routed No. 16 Ascension Catholic, 93-37, in the second round.
Meanwhile, Central Catholic defeated District 7-1A foe and No. 24 seed Highland Baptist 76-31 in the first round before topping No. 8 Covenant Christian 47-40 in the second round.
To win Thursday, Case said his squad must have meaningful offensive possessions and be able to get back on defense.
“We’ve got to take care of the basketball,” he said. “We’ve got to defend. We got to get shots every time. You can’t turn the ball over and give them easy layups and easy buckets. It’s got to be a half-court game where we get a shot every possession and then get back and defend them every possession.
“It’s a game where we’re going to have to play really well for 32 minutes,” Case added. “We can’t have a breakdown for a couple minutes and beat them. They’re too good.”
PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news from St. Mary Now. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!
A 24-year-old Franklin woman was killed and two toddlers seriously injured after a vehicle crash Monday morning on La. 182 in Garden City, according to a Louisiana State Police Troop I news release.
Shortly after 11:15 a.m. Monday, Troop I was notified of a two-vehicle fatality crash on La. 182 near Locust Drive. The crash took the life of Ladasha Lemon, 24, of Franklin, the release said.
The preliminary investigation revealed Lemon was operating a 1998 Mercury Tracer west on La. 182. Lemon slowly veered the Mercury into the eastbound lane to make a left turn and struck an eastbound 2005 Chevrolet Silverado head-on, police said. The Silverado was operated by Toby Clement, 47, of Franklin.
Lemon was wearing a seat belt, but sustained fatal injuries, police said. She was pronounced dead on scene by the St. Mary Parish Coroner’s Office. Two toddlers in the Mercury were not in child restraint seats or seat belts. They sustained severe injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment, the release stated. Clement was not wearing a seat belt and sustained moderate injuries. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment, police said.
It is unknown if impairment is a factor in the crash. Standard toxicology samples were taken from both drivers and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
A 41-year-old Stephensville woman was booked on her fourth DWI charge after Morgan City police saw a vehicle being driven erratically on La. 70, Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.
—Ginger Russell, 41, of Oak Harbor Drive in Stephensville, was arrested at 10:07 p.m. Friday on charges of DWI fourth offense, improper lane usage, driving under suspension, possession of gabapentin and possession of mirtazapine.
Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 70 in an erratic manner. A stop was initiated, and Russell was identified as the driver.
Russell was in an intoxicated state and performed poorly on a field sobriety test, Blair said. Russell was also in possession of suspected gabapentin and mirtazapine, Blair said.
Russell registered 0.000 grams-percent blood alcohol content on a chemical test, Blair said. Russell is suspected to have been under the influence of narcotics. Russell also submitted to blood analysis, which is pending at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab.
Records indicated that Russell had three prior DWI offenses, Blair said. Russell was jailed.
Blair reported that officers responded to 107 calls and reported the following arrests:
—Rebecca Martin, 46, of Railroad Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:12 a.m. Friday on a charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Fourth Street in regard to a person lying on the side of the road. Officers arrived, and Martin was identified. Martin was in an intoxicated state, Blair said. She was jailed.
—Derrick Kelly, 23, of Kelly Pellerin Lane in Franklin, was arrested at 4:29 p.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana second offense and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Fifth Street in regard to a suspicious person. Officers arrived, and Kelly was identified. Kelly was in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Blair said. Kelly was jailed.
—Paulette Skinner, 42, of Grace Street in Siracusaville, was arrested at 9:05 p.m. Friday on a charge of driving under suspension.
Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Victor II Boulevard in an erratic manner. A stop was initiated, and Skinner was identified as the driver. Skinner had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. She was jailed.
—Michael Marks, 57, of Oil Tank Alley in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:24 p.m. Friday on a charge of possession of marijuana.
—Preston Wade, 27, of Village Lane in Amelia, was arrested at 11:24 p.m. Friday on a charge of monetary instrument abuse.
Patrol officers responded to a business in the area of Federal Avenue in regard to counterfeit money. Officers arrived, and Marks was identified as one of the parties involved. The investigation continued, and Wade was identified as another suspect involved.
Wade was located at a home in the area of Oil Tank Alley. According to reports, Wade had given Marks the counterfeit money to exchange at the store, Blair said. Wade was found in possession of more counterfeit money. Marks was also found to be in possession of suspected marijuana. The duo was jailed.
—Lance J. Leonard, 44, of S. Bay Road in Pierre Part, was arrested at 2:17 p.m. Saturday on charges of theft less than $1,000, obstruction of justice, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Patrol officers responded to a business in the area of Seventh Street in regard to a complaint of a shoplifter. Leonard reportedly fled the scene on foot and was observed discarding something on the side of the store, Blair said.
Officers arrived in the area, and Leonard was identified. Leonard was in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, Blair said.
The object he had discarded was located and contained more suspected methamphetamine, Blair said. Leonard had allegedly taken shoes valued at $10 from the establishment. Leonard was jailed.
—Shauna Priestley, 21, of Federal Avenue in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:14 p.m. Saturday on a charge of simple battery.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Federal Avenue in regard to a disturbance. Officers arrived, and Priestley was identified as one of the people involved. Priestley allegedly struck the victim during the altercation, Blair said. Priestley was jailed.
—Joel Reyes, 21, of West Side Park in Amelia, was arrested at 11:17 p.m. Saturday on charges of possession of marijuana and improper lighting.
Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Arenz Street with improper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Reyes was identified as the driver. Reyes was in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. Reyes was jailed.
—Alicia A. Gilmer, 23, of Pecan Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:48 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a juvenile and violation of uniform controlled dangerous substance law-drug-free zone.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Pecan Street in regard to an unrelated matter that had occurred the previous day. Officers arrived, and Gilmer was identified. Officers detected an odor of marijuana emitting from the home, Blair said.
Gilmer was in possession of suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia, Blair said. Two juveniles were also located in the home. The incident took place within a drug-free zone. Gilmer was jailed.
—Harley M. Campo, 23, of Ledet Drive in Thibodaux, was arrested at 12:27 p.m. Sunday on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Third Street in regard to a missing person complaint. Officers arrived, and learned that Campo had been missing since the night before with a 16-year-old juvenile, Blair said.
Officers utilized the patrol shifts’ resources in an attempt to locate the duo. Campo and the juvenile eventually returned back to the home, Blair said. Campo was jailed. The juvenile was released to a guardian.
—Cody M. Duhon, 34, of Gladu Road in Kaplan, was arrested at 1:20 a.m. Sunday on charges of disturbing the peace and entry or remaining in places after being forbidden.
Patrol officers responded to a hotel in the area of La. 182 in regard to a removal of a person. Officers arrived, and Duhon was identified.
Duhon was in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Duhon caused a disturbance prior to the officers arrival and when asked to leave refused to do so, Blair said. Duhon continued to use profanity and derogatory terms in the presence of the officers. Duhon was jailed.
—Thomas E. Steely Jr., 42, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:49 a.m. Sunday on charges of pssession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia and on a warrant charging him with criminal conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
—Richard J. Sauce, 42, of Polaris Street in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 6:39 a.m. Sunday on a warrant charging him with two counts of failure to appear for arraignment.
Patrol officers responded to the area of La. 182 in regard to a disturbance. Officers arrived, and Steely and Sauce were identified. Steely had an active arrest warrant. Sauce had an active warrant for city court.
Steely was in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, Blair said. The warrant for Steely stems from a Feb. 2 investigation when Steely was found to be involved in a criminal conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The investigation continued and warrants were prepared for his arrest. Steely and Sauce were jailed.
—Kellie Boudreaux, 35, of Shaw Drive in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:46 p.m. Sunday on a warrant for failure to appear for arraignment. Boudreaux was located and arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Boudreaux was jailed.
—Christine M. Drinkwater, 37, of Biggs Street in Baldwin, was arrested at 12:41 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and introduction of contraband into a penal facility and on a warrant charging her with failure to appear for trial.
—Blaine Case, 24, of Loranger Street in Lafayette, was arrested at 1:13 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal possession of a stolen firearm, illegal carrying of weapons, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Patrol officers responded to a motel in the area of La. 182 in regard to a complaint of an aggravated assault. Officers arrived, and the victim provided a description of a vehicle that had fled as officers were arriving.
The vehicle was located in the area of La. 182, and Drinkwater was identified as the driver. Case was identified as an occupant. Drinkwater and Case were in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, Blair said. Case was also in possession of a firearm that was reported stolen from Mamou. Records indicated that Case is a convicted felon, prohibiting him from possessing a firearm, Blair said.
Drinkwater also had an active arrest warrant for 16th Judicial District Court. Once at the jail, Drinkwater was found to be in possession of more suspected methamphetamine, Blair said. Drinkwater and Case were jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum reported that deputies responded to 133 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:
—Michael Alvarez, 41, of La. 182 in Ricohoc, was arrested at 7:35 a.m. Friday on two warrants charging him with failure to appear on a charge of possession of cocaine. A deputy in the Ricohoc area came into contact with Alvarez and located the active warrant for his arrest. Alvarez was jailed with bail set at $200,000.
—Brooke Mcmanus, 26, of River Road in Berwick, was arrested at 2:02 a.m. Saturday on three warrants for failure to appear on a charge of attempted possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Mcmanus turned herself in at parish jail on the warrant. Bail was set at $300,000.
—Leslie Matthews, 43, of Friendship Alley in Amelia, was arrested at 9:36 a.m. Saturday on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of DWI, improper lane usage, driving under suspension, inciting to riot, disturbing the peace by appearing in an intoxicated condition and resisting an officer.
A deputy in the Amelia area made contact with Matthews and located an active Terrebonne Parish warrant. Matthews was jailed and then released on recognizance.
—Ashton Martinez, 18, of Aristile Road in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:34 p.m. Sunday on a charge of theft of goods. A deputy patrolling the Bayou Vista area responded to a business for a shoplifting incident. The deputy found evidence that Martinez made an attempt to remove an item from the business without paying for it, Anslum said. Martinez was released on a summons to appear in court May 30.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported the following arrests:
—Tanner Scarbrough, 18, of Bayou Black Drive in Houma, was arrested at 11:59 a.m. Saturday on charges of possession of a firearm with obliterated serial numbers and possession of marijuana. No bail was set yet.
—Jalen Walker, 26, of Adams Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:40 p.m. Saturday on charges of speeding 63 mph in a 45 mph zone and driving under suspension. Walker posted $1,500 bail.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle reported the following arrests:
—Chantal T. Burke, 24, of Church Street in Patterson, was arrested at 11 p.m. Friday on charges of possession of marijuana second offense with minors present. No bail was set yet.
—Jerry L. Favors, 52, of Gabriel Street in Patterson, was arrested at 6:09 p.m. Sunday on charges of theft by shoplifting and remaining where forbidden. No bail was set yet.
There’s nothing that aggravates me more than someone saying to me, “You missed it” or “You should have been there.”
My usual response is something to the effect of, “Yeah-yeah-yeah, I know. So why you gotta rub it in?”
So now it’s my turn. If you missed last weekend’s Water and Nature portion of the 13th Annual Eagle Expo and More, “YOU MISSED IT. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!”
Sorry, just saying. Because what the Cajun Coast Convention and Visitors folks put on for the public this year was nothing short of outstanding and a whole lot of fun for everyone.
Last Saturday during the nature and water event, I met a young lady from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Hospital named A l e x i s C a i l l o u e t . Perched on her arm was a 2-year old female Mississippi kite named Skyler. According to Caillouet, Skyler imprinted on humans and no longer will feed in the wild. If you weren’t there, “You missed it” is all I’m trying to convey.
Caillouet, a second-year veterinary student, said, “So Skyler doesn’t realize she is a bird. She kind of identifies as a human, which doesn’t mean she’s nice to humans. She will harass people for food. So,
that’s why we can’t release her, because we don’t want her going up to people who might potentially harm her.”
You should have been there to see Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge Manager Brian Pember showing off some of the wildlife found on the refuge. For impressionable children, it’s all about touching things in their learning process. He literally had the young children attending captivated with a small alligator, a softshell turtle and a red-eared slider turtle.
Pember patiently allowed and even encouraged the kids to touch the reptiles, who didn’t seem worse for wear after receiving so much attention.
Morgan City historically has been a hub for offshore energy supplies, services and deep-water construction dating back to the late 1930s and 40s. Bryce Merrill, curator for the Diving & R.O.V. H i s t o r i c a l Preservation Museum, in Morgan City, brought an interesting display of historic pieces of equipment. Merrill made a career out of diving, working for Oceaneering, International.
You should have been there for breakfast and Katie Percy’s lecture on geolocator tracking of prothonotary warblers. If you weren’t, you missed it.
Percy is an avian biologist with Audubon Louisiana and has been working with Dr. Erik Johnson for the past several years, attaching geolocator devices on this particular neotropical songbird to learn more about its migration pattern. Determining their migration routes and wintering areas are critical steps in identifying habitats used by the species.
Percy said since the 1960s, 40 percent of the prothonotary warbler’s population has declined. Estimated at 1.6 million, they are a species of concern. Geolocators record the approximated latitude
and longitude of a bird’s travels. The information cannot be wirelessly or remotely transmitted. Instead, it is stored on the device until it can be retrieved from the bird and manually downloaded.
In June of 2013, one male prothonotary warbler traveled some 5,000 miles through seven countries, winding up in Columbia. It returned to its breeding territory in Louisiana on March 23, 2014. The bird was captured, and the important data recovered.
Percy says 25 percent of the population of prothonotary warblers breed in Louisiana, particularly along the Mississippi alluvial plain. Ten percent of that population lives along the coastline.
Following Percy was Phillip Vasseur, a biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, who works out of the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge office in Grand Chenier. Vasseur updated
the group on the status of the whooping cranes.
Since 2011, 125 whooping cranes have been released between White Lake Conservation Area and Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. Survivorship stands at around 50 percent, with large losses occurring as a result of predation (10) and gunshots (11) through the years.
But, in spite of some setbacks, the department remains positive. In 2016, for the first time in 75 years, a whooping crane chick hatched on the Louisiana landscape. Currently, there are several nesting pairs.
The department has established a goal of 120 to 132 whooping cranes for the non-essential experimental population in southwest Louisiana.
Moreover, of that number, they hope to have 25 to 30 breeding pairs.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the 13th Annual Eagle Expo’s Saturday Water and Nature Expo day was the Wings to Soar educational program that was free to the public. If you didn’t get a chance to see the program, you missed it.
There were other things to see and do at Saturday’s event, which also had plenty of giveaways, too. If you missed it, not to worry. I’m sure the good people at the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau are already cooking up next year’s event with the turn out they had this year. Hopefully next year, you won’t.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Flores is The Daily Review’s outdoor editor.
Eighth-seeded Covenant Christian and No. 9 Central Catholic battled as closely as their rankings Tuesday night in Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division IV regional round boys basketball
playoffs at Vandebilt Catholic High School.
However, Eagles forward Elijah Swan made a three pointer with 3:30 remaining to give Central Catholic the lead for good, and it held on for a 47-40 victory.
Central Catholic will face No. 1 Lafayette Christian in the quarterfinals later this week.
“I’ll never stop being proud of them. They played their hearts out. They played hard all night long,” Covenant Christian head coach Troy Jackson said. “We just had untimely turnovers and some shots
that didn’t fall at the end. We had a big three that was called back for traveling. That’s the way it is sometimes.”
“I knew it was going to come down to a couple of stops and a couple of free throws,” Central Catholic coach Ree Case said. “We’ve lost that game 10 times this year, so to get it in a playoff game is huge. We played some 3-2 zone. We got good stops in man-to-man. We haven’t made free throws all season, and we made six in a row to end the game.”
Anthony Ruffin and Dakari Johnson led Covenant Christian with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Brooks Thomas headed Central Catholic with 15 points, followed by Swan with 14 and DJ Lewis with 10.
Tied at 34 with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter on a Thomas three pointer, Covenant Christian (20-11) got four straight points from Ruffin on free throws and a floater in the lane to go up 38-34.
Central Catholic (16-14) answered with seven consecutive points, including a short jumper from Swan and his go-ahead three, for a 41-38 lead with 1:06 remaining.
Johnson sank a floater with 57 seconds left to get the Lions within a point.
The Eagles broke Covenant Christian’s backcourt press, and Lewis tipped in an offensive rebound. Swan and Thomas each made two free throws to seal the win.
“I didn’t think we shot the ball well against the zone, but we made two big threes in the fourth quarter," Case noted. “We turned the ball (over) against the press, but guys stepped up to make plays. We made shots when we needed to hit them.”
Covenant Christian sprinted to an early 7-2 lead on a Devante Johnson layup and a Tre’veon Sauceberry corner three pointer.
Central Catholic quickly got five straight points from Thomas on a put back and a three from the wing to tie the game.
The Lions went an 11-6 burst, including corner three pointers from Justin Jackson and Ruffin, while Johnson was fouled on a left-handed layup, to take a 18-13 lead early in the second quarter.
The Eagles responded with eight unanswered points. Thomas made four straight free throws. Then, after Central Catholic blocked consecutive Lions layup attempts, Swan got two uncontested layups for a 21-18 lead.
The Lions replied with Ruffin nailing a short jumper and Dakari Johnson drive to the basket on a layup for a 24-23 halftime advantage.
“We’re very similar teams,” Case said. “We played well defensively. Our game plan was to slow (Dakari) down, make somebody else beat us. He’s been averaging about 30, and I know we held him well
below that.”
After Ruffin opened the third quarter with a long jumper, the Eagles scored six straight on a Swan put back and two Lewis layups.
The Lions earned the final five points of the quarter on a Johnson floater and a Jackson corner three to lead 31-29 entering the fourth quarter.
As for Central Catholic’s next opponent, the Eagles will face the state’s top seed in Lafayette Christian, who also is a District 7-1A opponent of Central Catholic.
“They’re really good,” Case said. “I’m excited about playing them. We played them tough the first time. We know how to beat them. Whether we can is a whole different story.”
The Lions will lose four starters from this year’s squad: Devante J o h n s o n , D a k a r I Johnson, Sauceberry and Justin Jackson.
Still, this was a special season for Lions basketball.
“This season, I think a lot of people underestimated us, the talent we have and the fight we have,” Coach Jackson said. “We played some of the bigger schools and been in games. We beat some of them, went to overtime with some of them. We’re not a deep team, but I’ve five, six, seven guys that can run with you all night long."
No. 8 Edna Karr simply proved to be too much for No. 9 Morgan City High School to handle as the Tigers fell 64-47 in Class 4A regional round action Tuesday.
Karr’s inside presence, its length and its ability on defense to clog the paint was too much for Morgan City to overcome.
The Cougars also shot the ball well from the free-throw line as they hit 20 of 26 attempts.
“You got to credit coach Howard and Karr,” Morgan City coach Terence McCutcheon said. “Coach Howard had those boys prepared, and they stuck to their game plan. You could tell they had a solid game plan.”
Karr (19-14) will advance to face No. 1 Westgate, which topped No. 16 Plaquemine 75-57 in other Class 4A regional round action.
Things started slow between the two squads as they struggled to make shots early. Morgan City was plagued offensively by turnovers in the first quarter as the Tigers attempted just one shot within the game’s first 3:30.
The Tigers tied the game at 3 with 3:39 remaining in the quarter on a Morrquise Charles three-pointer.
Karr heated up in the quarter’s last 3:27 and took a 15-4 lead after a period of play, closing the period on a 12-0 run that featured back-to-back dunks by Marc Bowie and Trey Hughes.
“We defended well, but we couldn’t really catch the ball,” McCutcheon said. “Like there were moments out there where we got the stop, and then we couldn’t get the rebound.”
On offense, McCutcheon said Karr did an excellent job of keeping Morgan City guessing with switching defenses.
“A lot of teams are not able to go from defense to defense and still be good but that kept us off rhythm, offensively,” he said.
The defensive changes, Morgan City players trying to do too much and the tough, loud environment, all were key factors for the early miscues, McCutcheon said.
In the second period, Morgan City matched Karr with nine points, but the Tigers could not get any inside buckets to fall the few times they were able to penetrate the lane. Morgan City’s points came via a
three-pointer apiece by Tywaun Walker and Kerwin Francois and three free throws by Taaj Daniels.
While Morgan City cut its deficit to 22-13 on Walker’s three-pointer at the 1:43 mark, Karr converted a bucket on its ensuing possession for what was the eventual 24-13 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Morgan City’s deficit was between 11 and 18 points the entire period.
The Tigers got their first two-point shot of the game on a tip-in with about 5:15 remaining in the period to cut its deficit at the time to 28-15.
While the Tigers got more inside looks, Karr countered them offensively.
The Tigers got no closer than 11 in the final period at 48-37 after Charles’ inside bucket around the 4 minute mark.
Daniels led Morgan City with 13 points, while Jared Singleton also reached double figures with 12 points. Other Morgan City scorers were Francois, eight; Walker, six; Charles, five; and Ke’Sean Francois, three.
“I’m proud of the guys," McCutcheon said. "The guys fought hard. We had a good year. It didn’t finish the way we wanted it to finish, but one thing that I could hold my head up high about is I have a group of guys that (I) know that’s never going to quit, and if I can go to war with a group of guys that’s not going to quit on me, I feel good about it.”
Myron Green led Karr with 19 points, while Bowie added 16 and Quindell Johnson, 14.
Tuesday’s game was the final one for four Morgan City seniors: Ke’Sean Francois, Charles, Daniels and Walker.
“No. 1, these guys have had like four coaches in four years, so to get a new coach in their senior year, it’s tough, and they accepted me from the start,” McCutcheon said. “Those guys were hungry.
They wanted some coaching.… These seniors mean everything to us.
“We wouldn’t have had the success that we’ve had this year without those guys,” he added. “They believed in me, and when you get your older guys believing in you as a coach, it’s easy for everybody
else to follow suit. … I couldn’t ask for a better group of seniors, and the only regret that I have is I only get to coach them for one year, and that’s tough, but these guys are going to be successful in life.”
PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news from St. Mary Now. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!
Patterson High School’s Don’tre Nicholas said he has done a lot of growing up in recent months and is thankful for a second chance to play college football.
Nicholas signed with Louisiana College during a signing ceremony Friday at Patterson High School.
The standout running back, who said he was being looked at by multiple Louisiana schools, including Louisiana Tech, Southern University and Grambling, found himself in legal trouble in September after which he said these colleges stopped recruiting him.
“What happened in September, I felt like I was a child at the moment, and going through what I went through, it made me grow up fast, and I saw the world for what it was,” he said. “Like if you do stupid
things, a lot of things (are) going to be taken away from you.”
He said that the experience made him more mature.
“Louisiana College is taking a chance on me and keeping faith in me.… To be able to express this moment with my family, … it’s priceless,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas rushed for a combined 2,107 yards on 353 carries with 22 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons. As a junior, he rushed 162 times for 940 yards and six scores, while his senior
season, he had 191 carries for 1,167 yards.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” said former Patterson coach Ryan Stewart, who coached Nicholas as a senior. “Nothing but proud for him. Did it all for us. Played some defense but did a good job running
the ball. Ran the ball hard. Ran the ball with a lot of strength and power at the end. They’re getting a good running back in him for sure.”
While Nicholas said he originally wanted to play defense in college, he said that Louisiana College sees potential for him at running back.
Nicholas will be joined locally at Louisiana College by Berwick High alum Larenz Clark, who transferred to Louisiana College from East Texas Baptist University in the offseason. Nicholas said it would be good knowing somebody there.
“On my official visit, Larenz, he walked me around, showed me the school, showed me the campus, and it was just beautiful,” Nicholas said. “I liked it.”
He also liked that it was a Christian school.
While Nicholas is running track this spring, he also is working on his body.
“I know my body hasn’t matured, so I’m in the weight room a lot, and I’m trying to get faster (and) be more explosive.”
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255