By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Perhaps winning championships has become a habit for Riverside’s boys basketball team, the team banking its fourth title in five years in March. But the way the Rebels did it this time was particularly impressive. 

RA finished the year on a 27-game winning streak. The team went 34-3, including a 10-1 mark against teams that qualified for the Top 28 tournament this season, and won their five playoff games by an average margin of 40.8 points.

For that reason, Riverside once again finds strong representation on this year’s All St. John Parish boys basketball team, led by this season’s MVP, Malik Crowfield. 

Class 2A’s MVP this season, Crowfield averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game over the course of the season and turned his game up a few levels in the Class 2A Top 28 tournament, posting an average of 29 a contest in two Lake Charles games. That run was highlighted by a 22-point showing in the first half of Riverside’s 2A championship win over Lakeview, one that saw Crowfield keep the Rebels afloat after a hot start by the opposition.

Riverside coach Timmy Byrd repeats as Parish Coach of the Year after guiding his Rebels to their second straight state crown. Byrd’s Rebels went from a strong team to an exceptionally dominant one once the new year began; after a two-week break in January, Riverside won its final 19 games, all but one by double figures.  

Rebel junior Von Julien (14 points, nine assists, two turnovers), and sophomores Herb McGee (14 points, eight rebounds, four steals) and Jordan Andrews (12 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two blocks) round out the Rebel All-Parish contingent.

East St. John sees its “Big Three” each earn recognition as senior Edwin Winston (19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 82% FT), junior Tre’Von Jasmine (17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.7 steals) and sophomore Troy Green (12 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 steals) earn spots.

Rounding out the roster is St. Charles Catholic senior Kameron Keller (14 points, five assists) who led the Comets to an eight-win improvement this season.