From the Sidelines

Published 12:00 am Sunday, March 19, 2000

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 19, 2000

March Madness has come to the River Parishes.

In an area where football and baseball have long reigned, basketball is suddenly making headlines. West St. John played for the Class 2A statechampionship against Coushatta last night. St. James plays St. Bernardtoday in the Class 3A title game. Reserve Christian fell to Dubach in thesemifinals Thursday night.

Not a bad accomplishment considering that before this year no River Parishes team had ever won a semifinal game. St. James in 1983, ’86 and’87, Destrehan in 1979, Edgard in 1970, Lutcher in 1975, Second Ward in 1973 and Reserve Christian in 1999 all advanced to the state tournament but had fallen in the semifinals.

West St. John broke that string Monday night in a classic against McCall.Down 10 with five minutes to play, the Rams made a comeback that would make Tiger Woods proud. First it was Marlon Jackson, Donriel Louis and BrianLumar driving inside to cut the deficit to four with 4:08 left. Then Lumarscoring off a steal and nailing a 20-footer from the right side to bring the Rams to within two. And finally, Lumar driving the right baseline to tie thegame with 22 seconds left.

Once the game got into overtime, it was West St. John. Jackson scoring off apass from Louis to open the period. Then Louis scoring on a put back andLumar taking the ball inside for a six-point lead. Finally, Louis, Jackson andLumar keeping the Dragons at bay by making their free throws.

Tuesday, it would be deja vue all over again as Yogi Berra used to like to say.

St. James was down eight to Minden with 3:43 left in the game. Then Corey Webster and Justin Aubert took over, scoring 13 of the Wildcats’ final 15 points. Aubert got the run started with a drive along the leftbaseline. Then Webster took a steal in to pull St. James to within 56-52 with2:39 left.

After Minden hit two free throws, Aubert calmly drilled a 20-footer from the left side to make it a two-point game. After the teams traded free throws,Webster showed why he is a candidate for Class 3A player of the year, hitting a 14-footer in the lane, then grabbing a steal under the basket and laying it in to give the Wildcats the lead.

Claudell Parker put the Wildcats up by three with two free throws on the next possession. But you have to hand it to Minden which didn’t panic. TheCrimson Tide got the ball in the hands of their leading scorer, Reese Duty, whose 3-pointer hit off the back of the rim at the buzzer.

Reserve Christian led early Thursday but ran into a buzz saw against Dubach.

The Hornets had a phenomenal shooting night, hitting 54 percent of their shots from the floor.

Credit should go to Dubach as well as McCall and Minden. Those teams weregracious in victory as well as classy in defeat.

As other schools now turn their attention to the baseball diamond and the track, the Wildcats and Rams focus remains on the hardcourt. Both facetough tasks in their quest for a title but both have shown the ability to overcome adversity.

And River Parishes fans should be proud of their teams. Win or lose, theyhave had great seasons. And their play over the last couple of days havedefinitely made this March memorable.

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