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When the first bell rings in the 2016-17 academic year, South Lafourche High School will officially begin its 50th year in existence.
To mark the occasion, the school held a community-wide celebration this past weekend — one which honored the rich history that’s been created inside the Galliano campus’s walls.
South Lafourche held a day-long event on Saturday, an event which featured live music, entertainment, Zumba classes, basketball clinics, campus tours and also speeches from several notable graduates of the school, as well as from past and present administrators.
Principal Gaye Cheramie said the celebration was a hit — the perfect way to kick off a year that the school hopes will be special. Cheramie said other events will be held throughout the year to mark the 50th anniversary.
But none may be quite as good as Saturday’s was — a celebration which hosted hundreds of folks throughout the small bayou community.
“South Lafourche High School is the heartbeat of our little community,” Cheramie said. “We say it all of the time, but without our school, our community couldn’t be the same. Without one, the other couldn’t survive. We need one another equally…. Today has been a great day. It’s been so great to celebrate this occasion. It’s been wonderful to see all of the people who have come to school here and to hear all of the things they’ve had to say about how this is a place that holds a special place in their hearts. It gives you a great feeling.”
The celebration took months of planning. Cheramie said it thrived because of the help it received from members of the community.
Throughout the day, events were held to keep people on the move. Peak Performance Gym hosted the Zumba, which took place in the school’s upstairs dance floor in the auditorium building.
Tarpons boys’ and girls’ basketball coaches Brian Callais and Rainie Terrebonne worked in the gym to host gotcha and free throw shooting throughout the day.
In the schools main gym, four bands performed — None Nu and the Wild Matous, the Hurricane Levee Band, White and Nerdy and Clustafunk.
While bands tore down and set up, auctions took place for several high-dollar items, including hunting trips and Saints and Pelicans tickets.
In the football stadium, a punt, pass and kick competition took place in the afternoon and throughout the day, folks were able to tour the campus and/or view slideshows, which featured photographs from the 50-year history of the school.
And in the school’s main hall, participants were able to eat free — a menu which consisted of jambalaya, crawfish fettuccini, hamburgers, hot dogs, beignets, soft drinks and fruit smoothies.
Callais said he knew the event would be big as soon as it was announced. But even he was surprised at the huge turnout.
“It’s a great day to be a Tarpon,” Callais said. “The people here support anything that we do. To see this many people come and spend the day here honoring the history and tradition, it’s amazing. You don’t see this type of support very many other places. But we have it here — all of the time.”
Perhaps the reason for that constant support is because of the pride alums have in their school. That pride was on full display throughout the day Saturday.
Tarpon graduates — young and old — attended the event and shared stories of their days at the school.
Former pro football players Ronnie Estay and Curtis Martin said the discipline they earned at the high school enabled their successes.
Both men played college ball at LSU in the late 1960s. Estay is a Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer — a man considered one of the best players in the history of the Canadian Football League.
“This is a place that’s dear to me,” Estay said. “It’s dear to us all.”
New football coach Brandon Nowlin agrees.
Although not a graduate of the school, Nowlin said he’s seen first-hand the pride that resonates in the community. As a veteran coach, Nowlin said it’s something that made Galliano attractive to him when he was applying to be a full-time staff member at the school.
“When they brought me in, it was right around the time of the alumni softball tournament,” Nowlin said. “And I knew then that this was a special place. You see the entire community come out and rally around something. It’s eye-opening. It really is just awesome to see.”
LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron agrees. A South Lafourche graduate from the 1970s, Orgeron said he remembers the school as a place he evolved from a boy to a man. Orgeron didn’t get to attend the celebration because he had to coach at a football clinic out of town.
“My time there was wonderful,” Orgeron said. “You look at the school and you realize that it is a special place because of the people. The fact that you’re telling me there’s so many people at the celebration isn’t surprising. Honestly, I’d expect nothing less. I wish them a great day. I wish the school nothing but the best. They deserve a great 50th year. My years there were some of the best I’ve ever had.”
Local band ‘White and Nerdy’ performs for the crowd at South Lafourche High School’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. From 9 a.m. — 3 p.m., community leaders, school graduates and future generations of Tarpons gathered to share stories about the impacts the school has had in its first five decades.
