By Tom Dodge/Sports Editor
Their high school acerres are over but they will be remembered for their accompishments as stellar athletes and quality individuals.
The Eunice News Athletes of the Year are Eunice High’s Jyhreh Johnson and Georrien Dupre along with St. Edmund’s Lucy Brown and Peter Miller.
All four were nominated by their respective athletic directors as their school’s top athletes.
Both Brown, St. Edmund’s valedictorian and Johnson, Eunice High co-valedictorian, earned the recognition as Academic All-State athletes.
Brown, the daughter of Auburn and Terry Brown, is excited about how her senior year went both athletically and in the class room.
She participated in cross country, track, basketball, tennis, powerlifting, drum line and cheerleading during her high school career.
“Every sport was so different but I really enjoyed tennis and powerlifting,” Brown said.
“It was neat to be a part of a new sport and making history at St. Ed’s,” she said. “I still get the chills when I think of powerlifting and making the state meet.”
Brown finished third in her weight class at the state powerlifting meet and then capped her career earning a spot at the state tennis meet.
Brown said there were a lot of opportunties to participate in athletics at St. Edmund.
“Every one on the teams was like family because we grew up together,” Brown said of her time as a Lady Jay. “The coaches became like our second parents because they were more than just a coach.”
With the challenges in the class room and time spent competing, Brown still managed to excel.
“I didn’t really think about it much I just did what I had to do,” she said. “I am proud of what I accomplished.
Brown said her family has always been there and she enjoyed being able to participate in sports with both her older sister Abbey and younger brother Gus.”
“My parents were awesome through it all as they came to every event and were there for both of my state competitions.”
Brown will be at LSU this fall as part of the Ogden Honors College.
Johnson is following in the footsteps of her brother Ajyh who was recognized last year as an EHS top athlete.
“I will miss the support I had at Eunice High,” she said. “The teachers and administrators were dedicated into making us not only into better students but also a better person.”
Johnson said she was proud of her high school track career and was driven to succeed by the other athletes.
“The outstanding competition motivated me,” she said, “ knowing there was somebody out there faster made me work harder to become faster than anyone else.”
Johnson said she loved running in the 4x400-meter relay.
“I wanted to run it to the best of my ability,” she said. “I loved being on that relay.”
The EHS Lady Bobcat track team built a legacy while Johnson was part of the squad.
Eunice has won five straight district titles and four consecutive St. Landry Parish track championships.
“The seniors wanted to keep the tradition and the streak alive,” Johnson said. “We didn’t want it to end while we were leading the way.”
Johnson said she was very appreciative of coaches Durell Peloquin and Andre Vige.
“Coach P. was everything to us,” she said. “When he left, we were worried no one wanted to coach track.
“Then coach Vige stepped in and wanted us to excel and make it to state.
“Because of both of them driving me to be the best, I have a chance to run track in college.”
Johnson will attend the University of Oregon’s Robert D. Clark Honors College and plans to major in forensic athropology.
Oregon made history by completing the first-ever Triple Crown in women’s NCAA DI history with national titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and field in the 2016-17 academic year.
Johnson said the key to her success was discipline.
“I had a lot of late nights studying and doing what I had to do.”
“I am looking forward to a new experience as I have been in Eunice all my life.
“I want to see a new culture,” she said.
Johnson’s parents are mother, Anita Johnson, and her late father Ken, who passed away in 2010.
“My parents always told me never to limit myself to what was expected of me, basically achieve higher than the expectations.
“My mother wanted me to go after what my heart desired knowing that God would make a way for me no matter what I chose to do.
“Both stressed to always remember where I came from and to give back when I can,” Johnson said.
Miller participated in football, track and tennis while at St. Edmund.
“Athletics really helped me grow and become more of a man,” he said. “I will take away a lot of memories.”
Miller played both offense and defense through his four-year football career but became the Blue Jay starting quarterback his senior season.
“At first I was a little nervous but by the end of the season I didn’t want to be in any other position.”
Miller completed 30-of-72 passes for 405 yards and rushed for 358 yards on 152 carries with six touchdowns.
Miller said football was his favorite sport but he liked being part of both the tennis and track teams.
Miller said he was proud to receive the Joe Nagata Memorial Award this year.
“It means a lot to have an award with his name on it.”
Miller said he was taught to be a student first and then an athlete as he was named Academic All-State with a 3.57 GPA.
“I tried to get all my work done at school,” he said. “Then I could concentrate on the sports.”
Like Brown, Miller went to only St. Edmund and grew up with his senior classmates.
“I will miss my Blue Jay friends but I am looking forward to college.”
Miller is the son of Peter and Ann Miller and will be at McNeese State this fall – majoring in agriculture business.
For Dupre, sports is his life.
“I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t play a sport,” Dupre said. “Athletics helped make me a better person and it opened my eyes to different things about life.
“I know I am a role model for my three younger brothers,” he said. “I know they are watching me and they want to do whatever I am doing.
“I worry about their future,” he said. “I want them to be different and stand out in the crowd.”
He played football and basketball all four years at EHS, while participating track for three seasons.
“The coaches really pushed and motivated me,” Dupre said. “I wasn’t the best athlete to come through Eunice High, but I left it all there – there is nothing I need to re-do.”
Dupre gained 406 yards on 53 carries with seven touchdowns rushing his senior football season. He had 116 yards on seven catches with a touchdown.
On defense he finished with 33 total tackles and an interception.
His senior basketball season, Dupre averaged 6.8 points, 4,5 rebounds, 3.9 assits and two steals per game to earn All-District 5-3A honors.
“Football is my favorite sport but I really learned to love basketball,” he said.
The son of T’nychi Hill and Donald Lawyer, Dupre plans to attend Grambling State University and major in chemistry.
“My mom is my role model as she is a single mom and raising seven kids,” he said. “She did what she had to look out for us and to survive. But being the oldest, I had to do things on my own once I got up in age.”
While his high school days are behind him, Dupre said he still wants to play sports at Grambling.
“I plan on trying out for both the football and basketball teams.” he said. “I believe that if I try my best then the odds are in my favor.”