Wossman, Brusly nab top individual honors
A familiar champion reclaimed its glory again at the LHSAA’s girls’ basketball state championship tournament, while another school celebrated its first boys’ basketball state title in 42 years.
Wossman High of Monroe won its fifth straight girls’ basketball state championship, while Brusly High captured its first state championship since 1984.
For their success, both schools headlined the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A All-State basketball teams.
Cecilia High School senior Jermaine Davis earned an honorable mention on the boys’ team.
Wossman sophomore Heaven Weeks was the girls’ Most Outstanding player honor, and her coach, Otis Robinson, was Coach of the Year.
Wossman defeated LaGrange 50-39 in the Division II girls nonselect final in Hammond this season. Weeks, who was the championship game’s MVP, led the way with 26 points, 16 rebounds, four steals with a block and assists in the championship game. She averaged 16.5 points per game this season.
Brusly senior Ben Radford was the Most Outstanding Player, while Northside High’s Troy Jones received Coach of the Year honors.
The 6-foot-5 Radford averaged 15.6 points, 14 rebounds and 6.3 blocks. He saved his best for last during Brusly’s 45-38 win over Wossman in the Division II nonselect state championship with 17 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks to earn the game’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Despite entering the LHSAA Division II select state playoffs as a No. 12 seed, Northside pushed its way to the state finals in impressive fashion, upsetting No. 5 Lake Charles Prep 66-65 in the regionals and defeated No. 13 St. Michael-Baton Rouge 66-55 in the quarterfinals. The Vikings upset No. 1 Madison Prep 65-61 in the semifinals to advance to the state finals.
Jones, who won a state championship as a player at Peabody, helped Northside to its first appearance in the state championship since 2014. Northside’s run ended in the finals with a loss to 11-time state champion Peabody.
