John Curtis coach Godfrey earns top coach honors on Class 5A All-State baseball, softball teams

By Warren Arceneaux
Written for the LSWA

Barbe swept the LHSAA’s baseball and softball Class 5A state championships, and completed another double play by producing the Most Valuable Player on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All State teams.

Pitchers Halie Pappion and Jack Walker are the softball and baseball Outstanding Player award winners, respectively.

Papillon, a junior, was a two-way star for the Bucs, leading the team to a 31-2 season with a 1.49 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 131 innings pitched the circle while batting .406 with nine home runs.

Walker, a senior and Mississippi State signee, was perfect on the mound for the Bucs, going 13-0 with a 0.48 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched.

Coaches of the Year honorees are Jerry Godfrey of John Curtis for softball and Barbe’s Glenn Cecchini for baseball.

Godfrey led the Patriots to the Division I state championship. John Curtis finished their 24-4 season with a 7-0 win over Mt. Carmel in the state final, earning its 11th softball championship.

Patriot outfielder Seirra Sacco (.589) is a first team selection.

Joining Pappion from Barbe on the first team is outfielder Nyjah Fontenot (.535 BA, 11 HRs, 61 RBI, 53 runs, 32 steals).

Cecchini led Barbe to its 11th title as well, matching its best-ever season record at 39-2, including a No. 1 national ranking. Barbe beat West Monroe 5-0 in the state final, capping a playoff run that featured seven straight wins in which the Bucs allowed a total of five runs.

In a 1-0 semifinal win over Sam Houston, Walker and fellow first team selection Gavin Guidry of SHHS combined on an 11-inning no-hitter.

First baseball J.C. Vanek (.384, 18 RBI, 7 steals) is the third Barbe first team player.

Divisoin I champion Jesuit produced a trio of first team picks in pitcher Holden Hess (6-1, 0.92 ERA), catcher Zach Casebonne (.391, 2 HR, 35 RBI) and outfielder Tripp Haddad (.431, 3 HR, 46 RBI).

LSWA CLASS 5A ALL-STATE CHARTS

SOFTBALL

Pos Player Cl stats

P Maddie Nichols West Monroe Jr. 27-3

P Raelin Chaffin Airline Sr. 17-1

P Halie Pappion Barbe Jr. 23-2

P Lainee Bailey Walker Jr. 21-2

C Paris Endris Airline Jr. .517

IF Maddie Hayden West Monroe Sr. .519

IF Brooklynn Brockhaus Haughton .538

IF Kathryn Smith Hahnville Sr. .488

IF Brylie Fontenot Sam Houston So. .456

OF Nyjah Fontenot Barbe Jr. .535

OF Sierra Sacco John Curtis Sr. .589

OF Madelyn Giglio Mt. Carmel Sr. .618

UT Mady Manning West Monroe So. .539

UT Bailey Henderson Pineville So. .552

UT Tyler Oubre Destrehan Sr. 18-4

UT Addison Jackson St. Amant So. .476

UT Lexi Dibbley Sam Houston So. 20-5

OUTSTANDING PLAYER: HALIE PAPPION, BARBE

COACH OF THE YEAR: JERRY GODFREY, JOHN CURTIS

Honorable mention: Elena Heng, Airline; Ava DeFee, Benton; Emily Watts, Captain Shreve; Allison Watson, Airline; Marissa Schoth, Benton; Alana Mark, Barbe; Bailey Chaisson, Sulphur; Avery Freer, West Ouachita; Abbi Wallace, West Ouachita; Addi Eckert, West Ouachita; Landrie Crockett, West Ouachita; Linsey Hargis, Natchitoches Central; Lauren Cooper, Pineville; Bevan Hartnett, Pineville; Marley Carruth, Alexandria; Erin Stallings, Alexandria; Janci Aube, Acadiana; Cailyn Heyl, Central; Alix Franklin, St. Amant; Haleigh Pourciau, Walker; Keira Evans, H.L. Bourgeois; Kyla Porche, Thibodaux; Erin DeGruise, Central Lafourche; Magen Caro, Central Lafourche; Heather Triche, H.L. Bourgeois; Laila Anderson, Terrebonne; Kelly Authement, H.L. Bourgeois; Ciera Arceneaux, Terrebonne; Sadie Wells, Ponchatoula; Kate Bruce, Hahnville; Emily Collins, Pineville; Maddie Robinson, Natchitoches Central; Riley Myers, Southwood; Elise Simon, Domincan; Kai Goodman, John Curtis; Kamryn Eaton, West Monroe; Gracee Reeves, Dominican; Jacke Melancon, John Curtis; Madison Trujillo, Haughton; Jina Baffuto, Airline; Sophie Livers, Benton; Mykail Lusco, Domincan; Kate Kempton, John Curtis; Kylie Burks, Ponchatoula; Makenna Cortez, Hahnville; Rikki Adams, Chalmette; Megan Faustermann, Mt. Carmel; Julia Kramer, St. Amant; Paris Johnson, Alexandria; Dayzja Williams, Alexandria; Addison Martin, Captain Shreve; Chloe Larry, Parkway; Kiley Dehart, Barbe; Erin Ardoin, Sam Houston; Kyla Porche, Thibodaux; Kiera Evans, H.L. Bourgeois; Bailey Neathery, West Ouachita; Mikayla Williams, Parkway.

BASEBALL

Pos Player Cl stats

P Lane Little West Monroe Sr. 10-4

P Jack Walker Barbe Sr. 13-0

P Alex Norris Sam Houston 10-3

P Holden Hess Jesuit Jr. 6-1

C Zack Casebonne Jesuit Sr. 391

IF Clint Lasiter Benton Sr. .470

IF JC Vanek Barbe So. .394

IF Matt Russo St. Paul’s Sr. .350

IF Peyton Stovall Haughton Sr. .505

OF Josh Pearson West Monroe Sr. .418

OF Tripp Haddad Jesuit Sr. .431

OF Jack Walker Byrd Sr. .415

UT JR Tollett Ruston Sr. 9-2

UT Gavin Guidry Barbe Jr. 6-0

UT Davis Stephens Holy Cross Sr. .414

UT Caleb Webb Walker Jr. 8-2

UT Blaise Priester Live Oak Sr. .426

OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JACK WALKER, BARBE

COACH OF THE YEAR: GLENN CHECCHINI, BARBE

Honorable mention: Donovan Lasalle, Barbe; Crawford Courville, Barbe; Grant Comeaux, Barbe; Alex Laiche, Brother Martin; Cameron Senior, Brother Martin; Nyan Hayes, John Curtis; Giovanni Liccardi, Jesuit; Tyler Carreras, Chalmette; Cardell Thibodeaux, Acadiana; Dallas Rhodes, Sam Houston; Kade McBride, Sulphur; Ean Rodrigue, Thibodaux; Spencer Boudreaux, Thibodaux; Chanler Guidry, Terrebonne; Gavin Vordick, H.L. Bourgeois; Collin Husser, Ponchatoula; Collin Zeringue, Hahnville; Zach Shaw, Ouachita; Isaac White, Ruston; Brady Weatherford, Pineville; Kade Anderson, St. Paul’s; Nathan Monceaux, Dutchtown; Grayson Gates, Benton; Mason Langdon, Byrd; Sawyer LaCoste, Byrd; Kirk Martinson, Byrd; Jacob Hernandez, Haughton; Austin Anderson, Haughton; AusJosh Miller, Ruston; Kyle DeBarge, Barbe; Cole Joyner, Byrd; Collin Loupe, Jesuit; Nyan Hayes, John Curtis; Kade Dupont, Live Oak; Slade Netterville, Byrd; Ean Rodrigue, Thibodaux; Dane Stearn, Benton; Jack Whitaker, Ruston; Cameron Senior, Brother Martin; Dylan Biddick, Lafayette; Addison Ainsworth, Catholic; Darnell Bayonne, Pineville; Alex Walsh, Alexandria; Trent Gonzales, Chalmette; Colin Rains, Haughton; Kenya Huggins, St. Augustine