Ellender has championship ambitions again this season

Ellender High School takes its basketball seriously.

The men’s team has been to the state championship game three times in the past 13 seasons, winning the state championship in 1998, while finishing as a runner up in 1997 and 2007.

“This is what is expected at Ellender,” said boys basketball coach Scott Gauthreaux. “Having the solid program for the past 15 years or so like we have here, we just want to continue to build on the tradition of winning games at Ellender.”

However, the Patriots have been starved of their usual winning ways in the past few seasons and the team has not won an unquestioned district title since the 2007 season.

The team was awarded the 8-4A district championship last season after Helen Cox forfeited 20 wins for using an academically ineligible player.

But the Patriots seem poised to end that drought this season as the team has blazed to a 26-3 record to start the season, including a 3-0 record in district play. That record has earned the team the No. 3 ranking in the state in the latest LSWA Class 4A poll.

Ellender hopes to move one step closer to the district championship on Friday when they travel to take on Belle Chasse in a District 8-4A matchup.

The two teams already met once this season in Houma with Ellender securing a 68-59 win – a game that saw the Patriots rally from an early first-half deficit to lock down the win.

“I thought we did the right things there in the third and fourth quarter against those guys,” Gauthreaux said. “We played better defense in the second half and we were very patient and got good shots.”

According to Gauthreaux, one of the factors for the Patriots’ strong start to the season has been the team’s experience.

The Patriots have six seniors and five juniors on their 14-player roster.

The core of those players saw significant time on the floor as sophomores and juniors last season and Gauthreaux said gaining that experience has made this year’s success possible.

“After the season last year, we used the whole offseason to prepare, we worked on getting stronger,” the Patriots coach said. “This year, I think we’re defending better, passing the ball and rebounding better.”

Leading the Patriots’ talented senior class is 6-foot-4-inch forward Trevon Lewis. Lewis has used his length and athleticism to dominate opponents this season and he averages 20.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 63 percent from the field.

“It’s been a successful season so far,” he said. “We’ve been working hard, but we’ve still got a lot to improve on.”

Lewis, who was named a team captain prior to the season, said he is trying his hardest to make his final season at Ellender his best.

“It means a lot to be a captain,” the Ellender senior said. “There’s some youngsters on this team compared to me and they look up to me, so I got to do what I’ve got to do.”

Lewis’s coach agreed that he has become a leader and said he would like for him to be more vocal down the stretch of the season.

“I’d like for him to be a more talkative leader off the floor and in the locker room,” he said. “But there’s no question when the ball is thrown up, he will give you everything he’s got and he’s a great leader in that regard.”

Containing Lewis will likely be a high priority for Belle Chasse, who comes into the game with a 14-8 record.

The Cardinals entered district play with a 13-6 record, but close calls have plagued the team in district play, where the team is just 1-2.

In addition to their nine-point loss to Ellender, Belle Chasse also suffered a two-point setback against Helen Cox.

Belle Chasse has some star power of its own as LSU football commitment James Wright leads the Cardinals basketball squad.

Gauthreaux said Wright’s leadership sets the tone for the way the Belle Chasse plays.

“He brings that football mentality to the basketball floor,” he said. “He gives the rest of the team some attitude. I know it’s never one guy who makes a team, but I guarantee they wouldn’t be where they are without that kid.”

While the Cardinals will likely view Friday’s game as a chance to make a playoff push and upset one of the best teams in the state, Ellender sees it as another step in their quest to return to the Cajun Dome this spring.

“Our goal is the championship, nothing less,” Lewis said.