Braves ready to make a surge
December 13, 2016
Fireworks season begins in Lafourche
December 15, 2016
NEWS BRIEFS
Robison recovering after shoulder surgery
Vandebilt Catholic standout sophomore Andrew Robison is recovering on schedule after undergoing surgery for a separated left shoulder he sustained early in the football season.
Robison suffered the injury against St. Charles Catholic, but played through the ailment, which is on his non-throwing arm.
Robison is the Terriers star quarterback – a key cog in the team’s successful season this past fall. But he’s also an All-District point guard and one of the top players in our area.
The combo athlete said he had surgery shortly after football season – a decision he said wasn’t easy because of his desire to play basketball.
Robison said on Saturday afternoon at the H.L. Bourgeois Basketball Tournament that he is recovering on schedule from the injury, but still has about two months left before he can return to action – a timeline that makes it highly unlikely he will play much for Vandebilt’s basketball team this season.
The surgery, Robison said, will make it far more unlikely that he will separate the same shoulder again for the rest of his football career.
The Terriers have started the season with three-straight losses in Robison’s absence.
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Martin, robertson continue to collect offers
Two of the area’s best athletes got big-time scholarship offers this week, despite being committed to other schools.
Ellender multi-sport star DaVontavean Martin posted on his Twitter page (@_IBALL31) this past weeend that he has been offered a football scholarship to Virginia – the first ACC offer the Patriots star has collected during his recruitment.
Martin was once thought to be a sure-fire basketball recruit, but after a dynamite football season, he is now generating just as much interest on the gridiron – if not more.
Just days before announcing his Virginia offer, Martin also posted that he’d been offered by Toledo.
He is currently a verbal commitment to Tulane – a school that has offered him the opportunity to play both sports.
But Martin wasn’t the only local to get interest this week. Fellow standout, Thibodaux High School senior Amik Robertson, added an impressive offer to his list this past week, as well.
Robertson, a Louisiana Tech verbal commitment, announced on social media that he had been offered a scholarship from Houston, which hired Major Applewhite to be its new football coach this past week.
Robertson is being recruited by some schools as a defensive back, but others are leaving open the opportunity of him playing offense.
It is not known whether Martin or Robertson are rethinking their current commitments in advance of National Signing Day in early February.
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Lady Tarpons, Lady Patriots rule in Class 4A
It’s still awfully early in the year, but it sure looks like both South Lafourche and Ellender are positioning themselves well for deep playoff runs in the Class 4A Girls’ Basketball State Playoffs.
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association released power ranking numbers this week – the formula that is used to determine postseason seeding throughout the state.
In Class 4A girls’, three local teams are in the Top 6, thanks to strong starts to the season.
South Lafourche currently sits as the No. 1 team in Louisiana, thanks to a 9-1 start to the year. Lagging just behind the Lady Tarpons are district rivals Ellender and South Terrebonne, who are seated at No. 3 and No. 6, respectively.
The Lady Tarpons and Lady Patriots shared the District 7-4A title last year.
The Lady Gators are sort-of the new team on the block under first-year coach Nick Cenac. But they’ve already exceeded last year’s win total.
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Ellender wins it all at H.L. Bourgeois tournament
Ellender took a major leap forward in showing local basketball fans that they’re one of the best teams in Louisiana.
The Patriots won the H.L. Bourgeois basketball tournament this weekend, rolling through the weekend with three-straight quality victories en route to the title.
In the opening game of the tournament, the Patriots routed Captain Shreve, which set up a quarterfinals game against Central Lafourche – a team that beat Ellender earlier in the season.
But this time, the Patriots got revenge, scoring a 71-53 victory over the Class 5A foe, which set up a matchup with H.L. Bourgeois in the finals.
In that game, the teams battled back and forth, but the Patriots got the win, thanks to timely offense and clutch free throws.
Senior standout DaVontavean Martin was huge in the victory, making several late-game baskets to secure the victory for the Patriots.
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Players of the Week – Week 4 of the Prep Basketball Season
HONORABLE MENTION: Ellender guard Marquie Mosley – It will be breaking news when Marquie Mosley misses a 3-pointer for Ellender. The hot-shooting standout guard was huge against H.L. Bourgeois this weekend, sinking several key 3-pointers to help lead the Patriots to victory.
BRONZE: Houma Christian guard Manny Frye – Houma Christian had a couple hard-fought losses at the H.L. Bourgeois Tournament this weekend, but the Warriors ended the weekend with a bang, dominating Vandebilt Catholic. Frye had a huge hand in that, scoring more than 20 points in the win.
SILVER: E.D. White guard Michae Jones – A The Lady Cardinals standout is a lock to win this award multiple times throughout the season. She gets on the board this week, thanks to a dominant, 28-point showing this week against St. James, which kept her team unbeaten.
GOLD: Ellender standout DaVontavean Martin – Martin showed everyone why he’s widely considered to be the area’s best basketball player this weekend, dominating the final stages of the H.L. Bourgeois Tournament to get his team the first prize. He gets to the lane at will and is an explosive finisher.
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The High-Five
(Area girls’ basketball teams; boys’ list next week)
1. Ellender: The Lady Patriots are super young, fielding a roster with just one senior and playing a group of girls who are sophomores, if not younger. But it just doesn’t matter. The Lady Patriots are fast, smart, athletic and have immense depth. It’s going to take one heck of a team to knock these ladies off.
2. Houma Christian: It’s awfully easy to overlook Houma Christian, because they are a Class 1A school. But guess what? These ladies can play. If you beat St. Michael by 30 and trump South Lafourche, you’re doing something right.
3. South Lafourche: The fact that South Lafourche is No. 1 in the Class 4A power rankings right now, but No. 3 in our list of top local girls’ basketball teams, is a testament to how good our area is. The Lady Tarpons are legit – a contender to make the Top 28.
4. E.D. White: The Lady Cardinals quietly haven’t lost a game yet this season – a carbon copy of the dominant season they put together one year ago. E.D. White standout Michae Jones can go. With her, E.D. White always has a chance.
5. South Terrebonne: There are no words to summarize how remarkable South Terrebonne’s turnaround has been so far this season. The Lady Gators have confidence now, and that’s a powerful thing.
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By The Numbers for Week 4 of the Prep Basketball Season
30: South Lafourche’s senior guard Seth Borne shot 30 free throws last Tuesday in the Tarpons win against Hahnville. Borne made 19 of the shots, helping the Tarpons push past a Class 5A foe.
56: Ellender’s one-two punch of Davontavean Martin and Marquie Mosely were nearly invincible on Saturday night against H.L. Bourgeois, combining for 56 points in a big-time win. Martin slashed and got points in the paint, while Mosely was lethal from behind the 3-point line.
7: Since starting the season with a blowout loss at South Lafourche, Thibodaux has been on fire. Under coach Ashley Adams, the Lady Tigers have won seven out of their past 10 games to improve to 7-4 on the season.
9: South Lafourche junior guard Traya Bruce is officially in the record books. The reigning District 7-4A MVP hit nine 3-pointers against Franklin this past week – the most outsides a Lady Tarpon player has ever hit in a single game.
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