RSS Feed

Central Catholic’s All-District 7-1A selections were highlighted by four first-team picks.
Third baseman Hallie Autin, outfielder Emma Aucoin, first baseman Brooke Lipari and pitcher Sarah Thomas represented Central Catholic High School on the top squad.
The Lady Eagles had four second-team selections. They are pitcher Haley Fontenot, second baseman Kelly Russo, shortstop Taylor Picou and outfielder Kaleigh Navarro.
Four Lady Eagles earned honorable mention honors. They are Alaysia Williams, Bailee Lipari, Rylie Theriot and Tori Estay.
Vermilion Catholic swept the individual honors as pitcher Taylor Abshire was named MVP and Jesse Faulk is the district’s Coach of the Year.
Below is the complete list of first and second teams:
First Team
Pitcher: Taylor Abshire, Sr, Vermilion Catholic; Baylee Young, Sr, Hanson; Madison Martin, Sr, LCA; and Sarah Thomas, Jr, Central Catholic. Catcher: Kaylee Broussard, Jr, Hanson. First Base: Brooke Lipari, So, Central Catholic. Second Base, Lunden Verdin, Sr, Hanson. Third Base, Hallie Autin, Sr, Central Catholic. Shortstop: Allyssa Young, Jr, Hanson. Outfield: Bella Doucet, Sr, Vermilion Catholic; Emma Aucoin, Sr, Central Catholic; and Noel Baker, Sr, Hanson. Utility: Ainsley Mallet, So, Vermilion Catholic; Rylie Candella, Jr, Centerville; Miyah Portalis, Sr, LCA; and Kelli Frith, Fr, Vermilion Catholic.

MVP: Taylor Abshire, Sr, Vermilion Catholic.
Coach of Year: Jesse Faulk, Vermilion Catholic.

Second Team
Pitcher: Haley Fontenot, 8th, Central Catholic; Haley Peters, Jr, Highland Baptist; and Ashlee Meyerholtz, Sr, Hanson. Catcher: Rachael LeBlanc, Jr, Centerville. First Base: Zanesia Bernard, Sr, Vermilion Catholic. Second Base: Kelly Russo, Jr, Central Catholic. Third Base: Sarah Diaz, 8th, Lafayette Christian. Shortstop: Taylor Picou, Jr, Central Catholic. Outfield: Chelsy Breaux, Jr, Lafayette Christian; Kaleigh Navrro, Jr, Central Catholic; and Emily Bertrand, Fr, Vermilion Catholic. Utility: Leah Gaspard, Jr, Lafayette Christian; Cheyenne LaComb, Sr, Gueydan; Ashari Terry, Jr, Gueydan; Casey Fitzgerald, Jr, Hanson; and Marlee Darden, Jr, Centerville.

Central Catholic High School senior football player Bailey Badeaux said he had many options to continue his football playing career, but when he learned about Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi, he ultimately found his fit.
“ETB (East Texas Baptist) was a good fit, but when we found out about Pearl River, it fit me perfectly,” Badeaux said after a signing ceremony at Central Catholic Friday. “A small school (and) community. Very friendly, and the main thing I wanted to do was go to a JUCO because I felt like I didn’t grow yet.”
Badeaux said he wanted to attend a school where the coaches could teach him more about football and he could pursue his education.
At Pearl River, Badeaux is expected to play an H-back role like he did at Central Catholic in a similar offense.
“It helps me a lot because it will be fundamentals for me and basics,” Badeaux said of playing in the similar offense. “I really just hope I make the team better, and we do good in the season.”
Badeaux concluded his senior season with 134 carries for 849 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 82 yards and one score.
“I’m excited for him, and it is a big day for him,” Central Catholic Coach Tommy Minton said. “What they’re getting is somebody that’s going to come to work every day, work hard. He’s going to be one of those blue-collar guys on your team that helps build a strong culture of work ethic, attitude. Teams just can’t get enough of those type (of) players."
The first-team All-District 7-1A utility selection competed in various all-star games following his senior season. He played in the NUC All-American Game, the Max Emfinger All-American Bowl Game, the NUC Texas vs. World Game and as a member of the American Football Worldwide Elite select football team that played Ireland’s national U19 team.
“What everybody goes to sleep on a little bit is he’s a sneaky-good athlete, too,” Minton said. “They look at him as a weight-room guy that’s just a hard-working kid, but he’s got good enough athletic skills. He catches the ball really well. All these all-star games he went to, the coaches were surprised at how good he was on the field as an athlete.”
As he prepares for collegiate ball, Badeaux said he would be working on his speed, noting it is hard to accelerate quickly with short, muscular frame.
“I’m kind of slow in the 40 (yard dash),” he said. “If I get that down to a (4.4 or 4.5), I think I’ll be good.”

(Photo above)

A trio of Tri-City area baseball players will get one last shot to play on the high school level this weekend to display their skills before beginning their preparations for baseball at the collegiate level.
Berwick’s Cameron Wiley and Central Catholic’s Gregory Leger and Blake Hidalgo, three of the area’s standout pitchers this season, will participate this weekend as members of the West squad in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association All-Star game. They will be joined by West Assistant Coach Tyler Jensen, who coaches Central Catholic High School The two games will be played Friday and Saturday at North Park in Denham Springs. Game 1 will be played at 7:30 p.m. Friday, while game 2 will be played at 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Wiley, an LSU Eunice signee, was a key part in Berwick’s run to the Class 3A semifinals this season. He finished his senior season with a 10-3 record and a 1.54 ERA. In 72.2 innings, he surrendered 27 runs (16 earned) on 29 hits with 44 walks and fanned 99.
Offensively, he hit 0.352 with three home runs and 24 RBIs, 31 runs and 15 stolen bases. Of his 38 hits, nine were doubles and two were triples.
“I’m actually pretty excited about it,” Wiley said of playing in this weekend’s game.
He noted that he will be able to play against a talented group in his final high school action.
“It’s actually a really good way to go out,” he said.
Berwick Coach John Menard said it’s a huge opportunity for Wiley to be able to participate in this game.
“It’s an honor for him and for the school for him to represent us over there,” Menard said. “He’s well-deserving. He’s worked very hard.”
One of his teammates will be fellow LSU Eunice signee Chance Clark from South Beauregard, who earned the win in the Knights’ semifinal victory against Berwick.
Other local members of the West team include Leger and Hidalgo.
“This is our first two all-stars that we’ve had,” Jensen said. “It’s kind of ashamed that we haven’t had more with some of the guys that have come through (the program), but it’s awesome. It’s an awesome experience for those guys. It’s an awesome for our program, and it kind of puts us on a big level with some big schools and some big names. … I’m really proud of them. I think that any one of our seniors could have played in that game. It’s very rare that they take two players from one school, especially two pitchers.” Leger, who during the offseason signed with Wharton County Junior College, finished his senior season with a 7-3 record and a 2.35 ERA. He recorded 77 strikeouts and walked 27.
Offensively, he hit 0.427 with seven doubles, three home runs and collected 27 RBIs.
“It’s a tremendous honor to play in this all-star game,” Leger said. “I’ve never really played in an all-star game before other than when whenever we were little, and now that we’re older, I just feel like it’s a really great honor. I can’t wait.”
Hidalgo, who recently agreed to be a preferred walk-on with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, finished his senior season with an 8-1 mark and a 0.78 ERA. He struckout 95 and walked 20.
“It’s a huge honor to be a part of this all-star game, and I hope that Greg and I can go out and compete our best.”
Jensen led the Eagles this season to an undefeated District 7-1A title with a 14-0 mark, while overall, his team finished 27-8 and was the Division IV state runner-up.
Jensen said his selection is more indicative of the type of program Central Catholic has and the type of talent.
“It’s not anything I’ve done,” he said. “It’s just the things that our kids have done that have just made our program one of the top one’s. They asked me to participate because of the kids that we’ve had."