Northwood-Lena completes hardwood sweep for long-awaited boys basketball title

Gators take care of business against Lincoln Prep to secure Division IV select championship

By LaMar Gafford 

LAKE CHARLES, La. - A week ago, Northwood-Lena’s girls team celebrated its second straight title. 

Saturday, it was the boys team’s chance to bring back some long-awaited hardware.

The Gators won the LHSAA Division IV select championship by defeating Lincoln Prep, 73-56, at Burton Coliseum.

“They’ve been working for years for this,” Northwood coach Alan Tinsley said. “All I wanted to do, what (principal Alex Goodling) gave me the chance to do and what (assistant Michael Layssard) has been doing for years was to put that ring on their fingers.”

Gators senior Omarion “Diddy” Layssard closed out his career with 34 points and 11 rebounds on 11-for-18 shooting to earn Most Outstanding Player honors.

“Everything I’ve ever worked for since I was a little kid, to get here, that’s a big achievement,” Layssard said. “That was a fire inside and if you’ve worked for something for so long and you finally get it, it’s an amazing feeling that you can never forget.

"That’s how it feels when I get all of this with my family.”

Northwood-Lena senior Omarion "Diddy" Layssard (23) attempts a jumper against Lincoln Prep during the LHSAA Division IV select championship game Saturday. 

Shots were hard to come by for Northwood (29-7) in the first quarter, but they made up for it with 10 offensive rebounds to trail, 15-14.

The rebounds for the Gators continued all throughout the contest as 21 of their 39 boards came on the offensive end.

“That’s because of Coach T and Coach Mike,” said Northwood senior Randarius Morris, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds. “Sometimes, I put my head down, but they lift me up and tell me to keep working harder.”

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Bralyn Mayfield paced Lincoln Prep (24-5) with 32 points on 14-for-21 shooting, but it was a struggle for his teammates.

Outside of Mayfield, the Panthers shot 10-for-32 and scored just 24 points.

“Coming into this game, I said if we didn’t rebound the basketball that it was going to be a struggle,” Panthers coach Antonio Hudson said. “(Giving up) 21 offensive rebounds is entirely too much.”

For Tinsley, it has been a long climb to the top of the mountain.

Tinsley, a veteran coach in Central Louisiana of 36 years, has coached at Avoyelles, Tioga, Marksville, Buckeye, Alexandria Senior High, Grant and Oak Hill before taking the Northwood vacancy last summer.

He also coached under Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Gene Rushing at Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian).

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His longest stint came at ASH, where he won a school-record 203 games from 2009-2019 and guided the Trojans to the Class 4A quarterfinals in 2012-13 with current Tioga coach Christavious Gill and former Texas A&M football player Shaan Washington.

“It isn't about Alan Tinsley, but I’ll take my flowers,” Tinsley said. “I’m proud of 36 years of coaching and I’m proud of what I’ve put into.

"I’m proud that God made me the coach. That’s my ministry and that’s where I know He put me - not just to win championships. I hope I gave these young men something that will make them better men someday.”