Vote: Who should be Louisiana high school Athlete of the Week? (12/16/2024)

Here is our list of top performers of last week; cast your vote(s) of those most deserving of this week's honor

AOTW

Who was the top high school athlete in all of Louisiana high school sports last week?

Each week, High School On SI scours the Pelican state and corrals the top performers across all high school sports from the last week.

Congratulations to last week's winner: Diesel Solari of Cecilia football.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22. The winner will be announced in the following week's poll. Here are this week's nominees:

John Johnson, jr, Edna Karr football

The Cougars' dual-threat quarterback was named Outstanding Player of the Division I select state championship. Johnson accounted for 358 yards of offense and five touchdowns (three rushing, two passing) in a 53-8 blowout of Alexandria. The Cougars posted a perfect 13-0 record in winning their seventh state title.

Alyssa Hillard, sr, Ponchatoula girls basketball

Hillard, a 5-foot-8 combo guard, scored 29 points with two assists, two rebounds and two steals in a 59-24 win over Loranger. Ponchatoula is 7-2 on the season. 

Taylor Lee, sr, University Lab girls basketball

The Cubs blasted Liberty Magnet, 52-31, in a matchup of premier Baton Rouge area programs. Lee totaled 15 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks, four assists and four steals. U-High is undefeated (7-0) and No. 1 in the Division II select power ratings. 

Emilee Duet, sr, St. Scholastica girls basketball

Eric Richey of Varsity Sports Now said Duet had the most dominant performance of any player seen by the network in the last five years after she poured in 36 points on 15 of 20 shooting in a 62-27 rout of Newman. St. Scholastica is 9-2 and No. 4 in the Division I select power ratings.

DaJuan Coleman, jr, North Webster boys basketball

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound guard pumped in 12 points with eight rebounds and five steals to pace the Knights to a 59-19 road win over Plain Dealing. He scored 17 in a win over Lakeside. 

Rashad Mitchell, sr, Peabody Magnet boys basketball

Mitchell's 22 points helped the Warhorses to a 54-49 win over Evangel Christian. Mitchell was 3 of 6 on 3-pointers and finished with three assists, three steals, two rebounds and a block. The reigning Division II select champions are 8-0.

Xarian Babineaux, jr, St. Thomas More boys basketball

The Cougars hammered North Central, 77-43. Babineaux had 17 points to lead STM, which improved its record to 5-1 overall (4-1 vs. in-state competition).  

Owen Morris, jr, Catholic New Iberia football

Morris may not have gotten into the end zone in the seventh-seeded Panthers' 31-28 win over No. 1 Dunham in the Division III select state final, but he did a lot of the groundwork. Morris led the team in rushing (14-70) and receiving (6-73). He finished the year with a team-high 801 yards rushing on 129 carries and 10 TDs. 

Jakorian Greer, jr, Mansfield boys basketball

The Wolverines notched a 66-60 win over Ringgold as Greer scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Mansfield (5-6) has won three games in a row and five of its last six. 

Trey Spann, jr, Lincoln Prep boys basketball

The 6-foot-0 guard scored 25 points, punctuated by a go-ahead 3-pointer, in a 63-60 win over Richwood, according to Donald Tatum of Prep Hoops Louisiana. The Grambling-based Panthers are 6-2 and No. 4 in the Division IV select power ratings. 

Luke McLain, jr, Vermilion Catholic football

Record-setting QB Jonathan Dartez wasn't the only standout for the Division IV select state champions. McLain was a defensive stalwart in the 33-21 win over Ouachita Christian in the title game, racking up seven tackles (three for loss), a sack and a forced fumble. He also carried once for nine yards.

JyHeim Williams, sr, South Plaquemines football

The Hurricanes took down undefeated No. 1 Haynesville in the Division IV nonselect final. Williams scored three touchdowns with a two-point conversion, rushing for 45 yards on 15 carries with a score and catching six passes for 69 yards and two TDs in the 20-7 win. He added an interception and eight tackles on defense.

Hagen Herring, sr, Sterlington football

The Panthers stunned top-seeded St. James in the Division III nonselect championship. Herring, one of two 1,000-yard rushers for the Panthers' blue-collar offense, carried 15 times for 121 yards and two TDs in the 35-28 win.

Jacob Washington, sr, Archbishop Shaw football

The Eagles downed E.D. White for the Division II select state title as Washington (MIchigan signee) hauled in eight catches for 105 yards and two TDs from quarterback Mason Wilson. 

Ellis Stewart, sr, Cecilia football

The No. 18-seeded Bulldogs completed a string of wins over higher-seeded teams in the Division II nonselect playoffs, knocking off the No. 15, No. 2, No. 7, No. 6 and No. 1 seeds to win their first state title since 1995. Stewart's circus catch over a defender resulted in the winning score in the title game against Franklinton. He caught four passes for 41 yards and completed all three of his pass attempts for 18 yards.

Sy Austin, sr, Franklinton football

The Demons lost a thriller to Cecilia in the Division II nonselect state final. Austin topped the 2,000-yard rushing mark during the game and finished with 30 carries for 147 yards and three TDs. He also caught two passes for 19 yards.

Jackson Firmin, sr, Central-BR football

The Wildcats pulled off the biggest surprise of the weekend, throttling defending champion Ruston, 42-0, in the Division I nonselect title game. Firmin completed 17 of 28 passes for 233 yards and five TDs. He added 30 yards rushing on seven carries.

Stephen George, jr, Westminster Christian-Opelousas basketball

Opelousas basketball - George scored 33 points in the Crusaders' 82-80 win against Ascension Christian, which had only lost once in eight games. 

Nicholas Devall, jr, St. Louis Catholic boys basketball

Devall buried six three-pointers to go along with four rebounds and two steals in the Saints' win over Comeaux. St. Louis (6-1 overall, 5-1 vs. in-state competition) is No 1 in the Division III select power ratings.

Preston Sanders, sr, Zwolle boys basketball

Sanders fired in 26 points in the Hawks' 67-51 win over Many in the Zwolle Tournament. He had 23 points in a 74-44 rout of another Sabine Parish rival, Florien High. Zwolle is 10-6 and No. 4 in the Class B power ratings.

Jaden Braden, sr, Natchitoches-Central boys basketball

The senior guard scored 22 points with four assists in a 59-45 win over Tioga. The 2023-24 Division I nonselect runner-up Chiefs have a 5-2 record.

Davey Mays, sr, Wossman boys basketball

The Wildcats defeated Neville at the Benton Williams Classic in Monroe. Mays scored 25 points with six 3-pointers for the reigning Division II nonselect champions, who are 8-2 and No. 1 in power ratings.

Richard Anderson, jr, Edna Karr football

The mammoth junior defensive tackle, who tips the scales at well over 300 pounds, took up residence in Alexandria's backfield in the 53-8 Division I select state title game win. Anderson registered seven tackles (five solo) with six stops behind the line of scrimmage. 

Caleb Guidry, jr, Vermilion Catholic football

The junior intercepted a pass and returned it 87 yards in the top-seeded Eagles' 33-21 win over No. 11 Ouachita Christian in the Division IV select final. Ouachita Christian was driving with a chance to take the lead in the final minute before Guidry's heroics. 

Juliana Williams, jr, Denham Springs girls soccer

Williams scored four goals in her team's 6-0 win over Liberty Magnet. The Yellow Jackets improved to 7-2.