White Castle High’s coaching staff sure is excited about the potential of their basketball and football teams for next school year.
No sooner than the Bulldog gridiron team fall short in a score-fest state regional football game against eventual Class 1-A champion Haynesville High, WCHS mentor Ferrante Dominque was speculating about his team’s possibilities of making a run all the way to the top when the fall hits.
The Bulldogs will field a senior-filled roster loaded with athleticism on the gridiron. And Dominique is keeping his players active in the weight room and together throughout the summer on special communities projects, including work on a Habitat house. The one thing the Bulldogs are not doing this summer is taking part in Seven-On-Seven workouts, but the Castlemen are loaded with talent in all their skill positions, both on offense and defense, so it may not make that much difference.
It was one hotbox of a basketball gym last Thursday when Plaquemine High hosted WCHS and Baton Rouge Episcopal High in a trio of summer practice basketball contests.
PHS is undergoing massive construction from parking lots to new Field House, to the Green Devil gymnasium complex. The work has forced PHS mentor Denny Wright to move to un-air conditioned COPAC gym (the old and historic PHS facility) for a few home game summer practice basketball games.
It did not take long for players, coaches, fans, and this newspaper editor to become soaking wet with sweat, but we all managed to survive and got a taste of upcoming fall/winter time boys’ hoop fever.
What bothered me more than the heat was the lack of light. I had a very hard time figuring out if I had my camera lens in focus. It ended up I did not for most of the snaps I took. The ceiling lights are not very strong. And the many windows in the old gym, which provide some afternoon sunlight to bring through in spots on the court, were more disruptive to photography than helpful. Oh, well, occupational hassle. I did manage to get a few photos and it was only summer practice round ball. I am not complaining, just letting the coaches and players know I wish I could have taken more and better photos than I managed. Sorry!
I did get enough of an eye full of what potentially might be coming down November to March for PHS and WCHS on the future hardwood.
It was a very, very early look, but here is my evaluation:
WCHS head coach Ronald “Sam” Johnson always has been straight up with me. Last Thursday he smiled a lot. He was pleased with the way his talented Bulldog hoop team has been working hard this summer and admitted they have vast potential because they are maturing physically and mentally in the game. An assistant coach (I will not mention his name) was talking up a shot at the 1-A title by next season’s end.
I have to agree that the Bulldogs look the part to challenge district and state rival Christian Life and others for a shot at the Class 1-A crown. Several of their returning players look strong and more in control of their play than I saw last season.
If guards Isaac O’Bear, Daniel and Quadry Allen, returning leading scorer and all-around athletic standout Ronald Martin, and forward Terrance Fair can shoot with good accuracy from the outside next season, it will open it up for Martin, Fair, Randy Foster, and Dondre Kelson to drive and leap under the hoop. That could be devastating to opponents in 2010-2011.
Still, like all coaches, Johnson wishes for more. He says he wishes he had one more “big man” on the inside. That would be something else, according to the veteran mentor.
The WCHS coaches held no starters, playing everyone against Episcopal before lining up against hosting PHS in the final of three practice contests. Meanwhile, Daniel Allen, Kelson, and Leo Jones did not play in the practice sessions.
PHS’ Wright held out his outstanding big man Treveon Hawkins as well as expected starter Jessie Ward and Troy Jones from the initial and basically Junior Varsity opener against Episcopal.
Johnson speculated that Wright did so he could “even up” the record with the Bulldogs.
“We beat them Tuesday in White Castle. I know he has a lot of young, inexperienced players this season that need a boost to their confidence. I don’t blame him a bit for holding back a couple of his better players to rest them for us. We were tired with back-to-back games. Still, Plaquemine showed me something. I really like their big boys. Hawkins and those two younger players (Jarrain Jenkins and Davon Godchaux), and I thought they played hard against us,” commented Johnson.
I did not question Wright about his holding back his three older players; but knowing Denny, I know he wanted to see more his younger group play against Episcopal.
The Green Devils were hit very hard by graduation in May. Hawkins is the only returning starter to the club and certainly will be the “go to” player next season on offense. He has a presence at 6-5 under the hoop to go with solid hoop skills.
None of the returning older players saw very much varsity duty last season. Playing sparingly last season were future juniors Ward, Jenkins, and Quintele Jackson, along with future seniors Jones and Trevor Trusclair.
Jenkins (6-2, 240-lbs.) and future ninth grader Godchaux (6-2, 225-lbs.) have good size and raw potential.
The Green Devils very young and showed it in their loss to Episcopal in the practice opener.
Coach Wright noted, during the WC-EHS game: “The younger players have a lot of work to do and I have a lot of coaching to do before we hit the floor in November.”
