Tom Dodge
The North Central Lady Hurricanes captured the Class 1-A state championship with a 50-39 win over Merryville.
North Central (22-7, 5-0) also cruised through District 5-1A play and placed six players on the all-district list including MVP Fredricka Keller.
Lady Cane’s head coach Vanessa Taylor earned District Coach of the Year honors.
St. Edmund senior Kinsley Marcantel joined Keller on the All-District first team along with North Central’s Diamond Nevills, Blair Lafleur from Sacred Heart of Ville Platte and Opelousas Catholic’s Lane Carter.
Marcantel averaged 11.3 points per game to go with four rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals and one blocked shot per contest.
Lady Jay junior Tanzy Miller was named to the First Team All-Defense along with North Central’s Derynesha Tezeno, Rylee Labruyere from Opelousas Catholic, Sacred Heart’s Carley Cloud, Isabel Gerrin from Catholic High of Pointe Coupee and Westminster Christian Academy’s Aaliyah Arvie.
Miller averaged 3.6 points per game along with 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two steals per contest.
St. Edmund junior Savannah DeVillier earned a spot on the All-District second team, alsong with the North Central duo of YaGaia Godeaux and Katlyn Harrison, Sacred Heart’s Olivia Hernandez and Brailey Major from Opelousas Catholic.
DeVillier averaged 10 points per game, with 9.4 rebounds,1.8 assists, two steals and four blocked shots per contest.
St. Edmund juniors Mary Beth Lafleur and Rebecca Benoit were named to the Honorable Mention list.
Lafleur averaged 4.6 points per game with 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.
Benoit averaged 8.5 points per game with 3.5 rebounds to go with one assist, one steal and one block per game.
Oaija Rideau from North Central also was on the honorable mention list, along with Sacred Heart’s Amanda Bergeron and Anna Claire Parrot.
Westminster’s Blayken Romero was also on the honorable mention list, along with Catholic PC’s Troyama Pichom and Claire Rivet.
No. 11 St. Edmund (13-13, 4-1) finished second in district competition as the Lady Jays fell in a 56-55 heartbreaker to No. 6 St. Martin’s Episcopal in the regional round of the Division IV playoffs.
No. 10 Opelousas Catholic (17-11, 3-2) lost 52-40 to No. 7 Vemilion Catholic in the regional round of the Division IV playoffs.
No. 16 Sacred Heart of Ville Platte (11-16, 3-2) lost 70-19 to top seed Ouachita Christian in the regional round of the Division IV playoffs.
Catholic High of Pointe Coupee (17-15, 0-5) and Westminster Christian Academy (10-18, 1-4) did not make the playoffs.