Youth leads the way for Lady Cats

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For Eunice High girls head basketball coach Wayne Fontenot, the game goes beyond wins and losses.
“My job is not to make them Division I college basketball players,” he said. “It’s my job to help them become successful young women.
“I want them to be productive members of society and do well in life. I want to make a difference in their lives.”
In his sixth season as the Lady Cat head coach, Fontenot said he is striving to see his team get better as the year progresses.
“I want to see them get better one percent each day at practice and one percent better in each game,” Fontenot said. “I want to see them improve.”
With only one senior – Jalisa Thibeaux – the Lady Cats will be young on the court facing a tough District 4-4A schedule.
Twin sisters Allison and Madison Freeman return for their junior season along with Rylea Gradney and Saige Freeman.
Raylyn Carrier is the only sophomore on the team.
There are four freshmen including Farah Guillory, Madison Allison, Alana Bushnell and Syrianna Guillory.
“We are competing,” Fontenot said. “The girls are playing hard and giving it their best shot in each game.”
Fontenot said his team needs to be disciplined and patient, depending on defense and a tempo offense.
“We don’t have a deep enough roster to press om defense or run fast-paced on offense,” he said. “We have to play the game with what we have on the court.”
Eunice opens district play at North Vermilion (3-1) on Jan. 12 before a home game against LaGrange (7-1) on Jan. 15.
LaGrange is the defending Class 4-A state champion and is expected to be the strongest team in district again this season, Fontenot said.