BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Opelousas High will remain as the 2023 Division II Non-Select champion, according to an agreement reached Monday morning in 27th Judicial District Court with officials from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
As part of the agreement with the LHSAA, Opelousas High head football coach and athletic director Jimmy Zachery, Jr. will remain on probation for at least a year, according to multiple sources who were present during a hearing held before State District Judge Gregory Doucet.
Zachery filed a civil lawsuit on March 31 which named the LHSAA as a defendant. The lawsuit primarily asked the court to issue a temporary injunction which would prevent the LHSAA from removing the 2023 football championship from Opelousas High.
In the lawsuit Zachery also alleged that stripping away the championship and placing him on probation would damage his coaching reputation.
The LHSAA in February voted to vacate the Opelousas High championship and later confirmed that decision despite an appeal by Opelousas High.
St. Landry Parish School Superintendent Milton Batiste III said during a telephone interview following the finalized agreement, that no testimony occurred during the hearing before Doucet.
Attorneys representing both sides were present in the courtroom and after some discussion between them details of the agreement were finalized and signed.
Batiste said that he, Zachery and members of the Opelousas High coaching staff were also present at the hearing in addition to assistant superintendent Jerome Robinson, who handles athletic affairs for the District.
Staying In Non-Select
During a telephone interview Batiste also said that the Opelousas High athletic program will continue to compete athletically as a non-select school.
In April the LHSAA declared that Opelousas High should be designated as a select school beginning in 2024.
Opelousas High has competed in the non-select category since the LHSAA chose to identify all Louisiana high schools as either a select or non-select program in order to qualify for any of the LHSAA championships.
Batiste said that he and representatives from the District convened last week with LHSAA representatives who then agreed to let Opelousas High remain as a non-select program.
The School Board agreed unanimously during a special meeting last month to have Batiste and District officials meet again with LHSAA officials and provide documents that show Opelousas High does not have an open student enrollment plan associated with the Biomed program located adjacent to the school campus.
