Vote: Who should be SBLive's Louisiana High School Athlete of the Week? (1/29/2024)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Louisiana High School Athlete of the Week for Jan. 22-28. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to nominate an athlete, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com or tag us on Twitter.
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Bubba Strong, Calvary Baptist boys basketball
The junior guard led the Cavaliers to a 76-37 win over D'Arbonne Woods Charter, scoring 13 points with two assists. Strong is second on the team with a 14.7 ppg average for Calvary Baptist, which finished as runner-up to Isidore Newman in Division III select last season. The Cavaliers are 15-6 and No. 5 in Div. III.
Kylan Billiot, Terrebonne boys basketball
Billiot, a senior LSU receiver signee, scored his 1,000th career point in basketball. Terrebonne is 16-12 this season with close losses to several top programs. In football, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior is ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 4 player in Louisiana, the No. 13 receiver and No. 64 player nationally by 247Sports.
Ray Levi, Lake Arthur boys basketball
Levi poured in 20 points to power the Tigers to a 50-32 District 5-2A win over Notre Dame. Lake Arthur is 10-10 overall, 2-2 in league play and No. 11 in the Division IV non-select power ratings.
Elijah Haven, Dunham boys basketball
The Tigers took a 60-58 win over Episcopal with Haven, a freshman, making two free throws in the closing seconds and finishing with 17 points, according to Jim Kleinpeter of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Dunham is 20-6 on the year, No. 4 in the Division III select power ratings, and in the midst of a four-game winning streak that includes victories over Class 5A programs Catholic-Baton Rouge, Archbishop Rummel and East St. John.
Kaysharia Woods, Liberty Magnet girls basketball
Woods made five of six free throws in the final minute to lift the Lady Patriots to a 54-46 District 4-5A win over Zachary. It was a special night for Woods, who was celebrating her birthday, according to Robin Fambrough of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Liberty is 17-4 and No. 4 in the Division I select power ratings.
Quentin Dabney, Madison Prep boys basketball
In a matchup of state powers, Division II select No. 1 Madison Prep beat Division I non-select No. 1 Zachary, 54-52. Dabney scored 19 points for the Chargers, who are 16-1 on the year, and had a key steal, bucket and free throw down the stretch, according to Jim Kleinpeter of the Baton Rouge Advocate.
Max Chamberlain, Catholic-Baton Rouge boys soccer
Chamberlain's header on a corner kick propelled the Bears to a 2-1 win over Baton Rouge High, according to Charles Salzer of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Catholic is unbeaten at 18-0-1 and is No. 2 in the Division I power ratings.
Braylen Clark, Evangel Christian boys basketball
The Eagles downed defending Division II non-select state champion Bossier, 60-45. Clark had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Evangel, which has won four of its last five games, has a 14-7 record, and is No. 11 in the Division II select power ratings.
Courtlynn Rideau, Opelousas girls basketball
Rideau led her team to its third district win, a 41-30 defeat of Breaux Bridge, by scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Lady Tigers are 8-4 overall, 3-0 in District 5-4A, and No. 17 in the Division II non-select power ratings.
Kyndal Graham, Huntington girls basketball
The sophomore scored 22 points with nine rebounds and four assists in an 85-6 rout of Woodlawn-Shreveport. She topped the career 1,000 point mark, as well. Huntington is 18-2 and No. 1 in the Division I select power ratings.
Jadell Demery, Natchitoches Central boys basketball
Demery posted a double-double in the Chiefs' 54-51 overtime win over Captain Shreve, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds. The victory avenged a previous district loss at Captain Shreve for Natchitoches Central, which is 20-4 and No. 2 in the Division I non-select power ratings.
Gus Laibe, Jesuit boys basketball
Laibe had 11 points and 13 rebounds in Jesuit's 45-42 win over Edna Karr in Catholic League action. The Blue Jays (21-3, 5-2), who forged a tie for first place with Brother Martin and Karr, swept the Cougars in District 9-5A games.
Chad Jones, St. Thomas More boys basketball
The 6-foot-7 senior scored 14 points to help the Cougars to a 61-46 win over Teurlings Catholic in a District 4-4A rivalry game. Jones also scored his 1,000th-career point for STM, which is 19-1 and No. 1 in the Division I select power ratings. He is the 13th player in program history to reach that threshold.
Jacob Aillet, Acadiana boys basketball
Aillet, a 6-foot-1 junior combo guard, scored 15 points in a 49-48 loss to Sam Houston.
Imani Daniel, John Curtis Christian girls basketball
The Lady Patriots clinched the Catholic League title by crushing Dominican, 74-24. Daniel led the way with 15 points, eight rebounds, six steals and two blocks. John Curtis is 17-4, No. 2 in the Division I select power ratings, and has won six consecutive games.
Eli Pichon, Brother Martin boys basketball
Pichon, who finished with nine points, scored the game-winning bucket on a put-back with two seconds remaining in a 57-56 win over John Curtis Christian, according to Chris Dabe of nola.com. The Crusaders are 19-7 and No. 8 in the Division I select power ratings.
LeDamian George/Lawrence Pickney, J.S. Clark boys basketball
The two Bulldogs scored 14 points apiece in a 39-28 district win at Hathaway. J.S. Clark is 16-7 overall, 5-0 in District 6-B and No. 2 in the Division V select power ratings.
Tylor Modica, Ouachita Parish boys basketball
The Lions snapped Ruston's lengthy winning streak in a 62-60 district win over the Bearcats. Modica scored all 11 of his points in the second half, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen. The Lions are 14-14 overall, 2-1 in District 2-5A, and No. 18 in the Division I non-select power ratings.
Khristian Johnson, Sterlington boys basketball
Johnson scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter of a 58-55, come-from-behind win over Ouachita Christian, according to Jake Martin. The Panthers are 14-12 and No. 16 in the Division III non-select power ratings.
Claire LaRose, Mount Carmel girls soccer
The eighth-grader scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the district championship vs. arch-rival Dominican. The Cubs (13-5-6) will enter the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.
Jenelle Rotunda, Chalmette girls wrestling
Rotunda, a sophomore, defeated her opponent to win the 157-pound weight class at the LHSCA All-Star wrestling tournament.
Jeremiah Evans, Southwood boys basketball
Evans scored 27 points in the Cowboys' 56-43 district win over Parkway. Southwood is 18-6 overall, 7-0 in District 1-5A, and No. 7 in the Division I select power ratings.
Cornelius Brown, John F. Kennedy boys basketball
Brown scored 20 points to power the Cougars to a 66-46 non-district win over Holy Cross. John F. Kennedy is 14-10 overall, 4-0 in District 9-3A, and No. 15 in the Division II select power ratings.
Davonte Landry, Sophie B. Wright boys basketball
The 6-foot-3 senior guard scored his 1,000th career point last week for Sophie B. Wright, which has won seven straight and 11 of its last 12 games. The Warriors are 19-8 overall, 4-0 in District 9-3A, and No. 13 in the Division III select power ratings.
Dylan Knott, Benjamin Franklin boys basketball
Knott scored 24 points with six steals, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the Falcons' 50-47 overtime win at Holden.
Bryce Guillory, Westminster Christian-Opelousas boys basketball
The 6-foot-2 senior combo guard scored 18 points, including the game-winning basket, in the Crusaders' 47-46 win at small-school power North Central. Westminster is 11-12 overall, 3-0 in District 6-1A, and No. 10 in the Division IV select power ratings.
Zarria Williams, St. Martinville girls basketball
The center scored a season-high 30 points to accompany 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 74-44 District 5-3A rout of Erath. The Lady Tigers are 18-4 on the year and No. 11 in the Division II non-select power ratings.