The Top 10 Sports Stories of 2017

No. 1 Patterson 12U Softball All-Stars win World Series

The Patterson 12U Babe Ruth Softball All-Stars had a summer to remember as the squad, which began postseason play in June, was the final team standing in the 12U Babe Ruth World Series bracket at the conclusion of the summer in August as it defeated Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East in the World Series finals.
The team finished the summer with a 15-3 record in combined state, southwest regional and world series play. Ironically, all three losses came to Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East, which defeated the team twice at the state tournament, the last time to win the state tournament, and again in the Southwest Regional before Patterson rallied to defeat the squad twice for the Southwest Regional title.
At the World Series, Patterson, finished with a combined 7-0 mark in pool play and bracket play and finished as the lone perfect team in 12U competition. The final victory was a 6-4 win against Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East for the World Series crown.
Following the World Series finals, Amaya Williams was named to the 12U All-Defensive Team and the 12U World Series team along with Mikah Ortiz and Hailey Skiles. Ortiz also was named the 12U Batting Champion, while Olivia Black was named the 12U Most Outstanding Player.
Team members included Williams, Ortiz, Black, Maggie Lemoine, Hillary Pillaro, Emily Lipari, Skiles, Kamille Lightfoot, Bryleigh DeHart, Abbie Scully, Anna Vaccarella, Laila Dugar, head coach Harris DeHart and assistant coaches Ronald Dugar and Jonathan Lightfoot.

No. 2 CCHS baseball is state runner-up

The Central Catholic High School baseball team recorded another dominate season in 2017 as it returned to the state baseball tournament for the sixth straight season.
However, the team’s bid for back-to-back state titles ended in heartbreak as the squad was upset by District 7-1A foe and No. 11 seed Ascension Episcopal 7-3 in the finals. The Eagles had defeated the Blue Gators in both of their regular-season contests.
Central Catholic finished its season with a 27-8 mark and had won 14 straight before falling in the finals. The squad concluded the year winning 26 of its last 30 games. Among the wins was an upset of Division I Jesuit High School.
The Eagles defeated No. 16 False River 9-0 in the first round and No. 8 Ascension Christian 7-1 in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, the Eagles got some late-game heroics from Mitchel Lemoine, who earned the win on the mound in a rare relief appearance and drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th for a 5-4 victory against No. 4 Ascension Catholic.

No. 3 MCHS bowling team is state runner-up

The Morgan City Lady Tiger bowling team had another banner season in 2017 as the squad returned to the state’s Final Four.
Unfortunately, like in 2016, the squad fell short of a state championship, falling in the state title game for the second consecutive season.
With a senior-laden club, Morgan City advanced out of regionals and then the state’s western bi-regionals, where it was the No. 1 seed, defeating H.L. Bourgeois and Ellender.
In the state semifinals at the Final Four, Morgan City faced a rematch of its 2016 state championship match with Central of Baton Rouge. This time around, the Lady Tigers defeated Central 16-11 to advance to the finals.
However, that’s where Morgan City’s run would end as the squad fell to St. Scholastic, a team Morgan City dominated in the finals a year ago, by a 14-13 count. The match came down to total pins, which St. Scholastic won by 18 led by a strong third game.

No. 4 Berwick High School baseball is a Class 3A semifinalist

The Berwick High School baseball team had a dream season in 2017 as the squad, under first-year coach John Menard, advanced to the Class 3A semifinals for the first time since the 2007 season.
The Panthers, who entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed, were upset in the semifinals by No. 7 seed South Beauregard, 6-1. South Beauregard went on the won the state title, topping No. 5 seed Iowa 10-0.
Berwick began the postseason with a 16-2 win against No. 30 Albany before topping rival and No. 14 seed Patterson 2-0 in a best-of-three series.
In the quarterfinals, Berwick defeated No. 6 Buckeye 2-1 in a best-of-three series, with senior Andrew Askew lifting the squad to the state tournament in Sulphur after knocking in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6-5 win in game three.
Berwick concluded its season with a 25-11 mark.
Because the semifinal game was the same night as graduation, the team’s nine seniors received their diplomas on the field prior to the game.
Menard stepped down from his post following the season and took a job at New Iberia Senior High.

No. 5 Berwick football wins first playoff game in 20-plus years

Berwick High won its first playoff football game in 20-plus years this fall when the No. 11 seed Panthers defeated No. 22 Eunice 34-14 in the Class 3A Bi-District round.
The Panthers fell in the second round to eventual state champion and No. 6 seed West Feliciana 38-12. However, the squad had the longest playoff appearance this year of any Tri-City area squad.
Berwick advanced to the postseason after finishing the regular season with a 7-3 mark. The Panthers, led by secon-dd-year Coach Eric Holden, cracked the top 10 of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3A poll during the season.
The Panthers’ lone regular-season losses were to Division IV Isidore Newman, who fell in the Division IV semifinals; district foe Kaplan, who fell in the semifinals to eventual state runner-up Richwood; and district rival Patterson, who also advanced to the playoffs.
The 2017 playoff appearance was the second for Berwick in as many seasons. A year ago, the squad snapped a 20-year playoff drought.

No. 6 Long excels in pro basketball career

Ex-Morgan City High School and University of Louisiana at Lafayette standout Shawn Long enjoyed an eventful but successful 2017 on the hardwood.
The local ballplayer started the year with the Delaware 87ers, the NBA D-League team of the Philadelphia 76ers, where he excelled so much that he was chosen for the D-League’s All-Star game that was played in New Orleans in February.
Later in the season, he was called up by the Philadelphia 76ers where he saw action and finished the season with per-game averages of 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 13 minutes of action per outing, according to Lafayette-based Sports Radio ESPN 1420.
He finished the season as a second-team All-NBA D-League selection, and he was signed to a multi-year deal by the 76ers.
However, Long was traded by the team in June to the Houston Rockets and cut by the Rockets in September, according to CBSSports.com.
He spent time in China as a member of the Chinese Basketball Association’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers where he had per-game averages topping 12 points and six rebounds, according to ESPN 1420.
The 6-foot, 9-inch, 248-pound center later was reacquired by the Delaware 87ers where he currently is playing.
Currently, he has seen action in four games and has per-game averages of 10.2 points, 1.2 blocks, 1.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds.

No. 7 CCHS softball advances to Division IV semis

The Central Catholic High School softball team made a return trip to the state softball tournament at Frasch Park two years after winning a Class 1A state title.
The Lady Eagles fell one game short of the title game this season as it was eliminated in the semifinals by Division IV’s top seed, Vermilion Catholic, in a heartbreaking 10-9 walk-off loss.
The Lady Eagles, who entered the postseason as the No. 5 seed, survived a first-round scare from District 7-1A foe and No. 12 seed Lafayette Christian for a 6-3 win before routing No. 4 seed False River 12-5 in the quarterfinals.
Central Catholic finished the season with a 24-10 mark and tied with Hanson Memorial for the district runner-up spot.

No. 8 CCHS volleyball reaches Division IV semifinals

The Central Catholic High School volleyball team advanced to the Division V semifinals this season, falling to eventual state champion Metairie Park Country Day.
While the Lady Eagles’ title drought continued another season with a three-set loss to the eventual state champions, Central Catholic did fall in three close sets as the squad dropped games by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 25-22.
Central Catholic concluded the season with a 32-12 mark and won the District 6-V title with a perfect mark.
The Lady Eagles entered the postseason as the No. 4 seed, and following a first-round bye, Central Catholic defeated No. 13 False River in the regional round and No. 5 St. John in the quarterfinal round. Both wins were in straight sets.

No. 9 MCHS softball reaches quarters

The Morgan City High School Lady Tiger softball team finally got over the state tournament hump in 2017 as the squad advanced to Sulphur for the first time since the 2004 season.
Unfortunately, the trip would be short-lived as the squad was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual state run-ner-up and No. 11 seed West Ouachita 11-4 in Class 4A quarterfinal action at Frasch Park in Sulphur.
Despite the rough ending, it was a successful season for Morgan City, which finished as co-District 7-4A champs with South Terrebonne and concluded its season with a 25-4 mark.
Morgan City’s quarterfinal loss snapped a 12-game winning streak, dating back to March.
Morgan City’s playoff run included a 9-0 victory against No. 30 Pearl River in first-round action and a 6-1 win against District 7-4A foe and No. 19 Assumption in the regional round.

No. 10 Berwick boys hoops breaks playoff drought

Just months after the Berwick High School football team made the playoff for the first time in 20 years, the school’s boys basketball team followed suit, advancing to the Class 3A postseason in 2017.
Ironically, the Panthers faced the same team it had in the football playoffs: Brusly High School.
Unfortunately, though, the Panthers fell to Brusly 62-60 in two overtimes.
Berwick concluded its season with a 19-12 mark.
Following the season, senior Larenz Clark was named a Class 3A honorable mention All-State selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, while fellow senior Tysin Meads signed to continue his basketball career with Millsaps College.
The 2017 season would be the last for Coach Sean Comeaux, who after several season at Berwick as hoops coach, is now an assistant coach in football, baseball and basketball at North Vermilion.