Rams, Rebels primed for season

Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 19, 2011

By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD — West St. John’s girls basketball team won a school record 21 games in 2010, making school history for the second straight year.

One year earlier, it was the Rams winning a district championship for the first time ever and winning a playoff game.

West St. John now has advanced to the second round two seasons in a row. But coach Lester Smith and his team want to go even farther in 2011.

“We want to make a run in the state playoffs,” said Smith. “We want to win district again. I expect us to have a pretty deep team.”

The most exciting thing about West St. John is its youth, which might seem counterintuitive in a sport where experience rules. But the 2010 Rams, arguably the best team in school history, won a school record 11 straight games with a lineup of largely underclassman, extending into the eighth grade.

It all begins with Jaylyn Gordon, L’Observateur’s selection as last season’s St. John Parish girls Most Valuable Player. Gordon, then a sophomore point guard, averaged 18 points and 7.2 assists per game, leading St. John Parish in both categories. She scored 27 in last season’s playoff win.

Donasia Bell and Deja Feist return to provide front court power. The team will have to deal with an early season absence of JaJuan Nicholas, one of the team’s top backcourt threats last season. She is rehabbing an injury.

West St. John played two jamboree scrimmages this week, falling 17-16 to West Jefferson and topping O. Perry Walker, 22-11. Each game was contested over a pair of five minute quarters.

Smith said while his team didn’t really get into a rhythm due to the short game-time, he saw a number of young players get into the game to see action. He said he felt the team played well overall.

West St. John opens against South Terrebonne on Monday as part of the Ellender tournament.

Riverside, meanwhile, will start the season with a new head coach for the third time in as many years, though it’s a familiar face. Kristy Hebert takes over the program again after stepping down two years ago to coach volleyball.

The Rebels fell just short of the playoffs last season, seeing a frenetic comeback fall short at Haynes in the final district game of the regular season.

Riverside brings back many of the players from that squad and boasts what looks to be a perimeter-oriented team. Kelsey Joseph, Toni Hebert and Channon Simmons are among those expected to lead the team, and while the guard trio is young in age, they have established some strong chemistry with one another. Simmons and Hebert have played together since middle school, and Joseph and Jamie Boldin have been teammates since their days at Reserve Christian.

“This team has a bright future,” said Hebert. “I like what I’ve seen so far.”

Hebert said that she liked the intensity and the attitude her team showed in scrimmages against Lutcher and St. James, the defending Class 3A state champion.

“We had to adjust to a different style of play (against St. James), but I thought the girls did a good job. I was proud of them. We did a lot of good things Monday and I thought our effort was strong,” said Hebert.

Riverside opens Wednesday against East Jefferson. The game will pit Hebert against East Jefferson coach Chuck Dorvin, who coached Riverside in 2009 and was Hebert’s coach at Ridgewood, where they won a state championship.