Feature Photograph: The Clark girls celebrate the quarterfinal victory Thursday night. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Despite a chaotic end to the regular season, the J.S. Clark Leadership Academy girls basketball program has exploded into the state tournament for the first time in school history.
With four players scoring in double figures, the third-seeded Bulldogs defeated No. 6 Avoyelles Public Charter 54-15 Thursday night and advanced to the Division V select semifinal round that will be played against Family Christian Monday at 1:15 p.m.
The other teams in the state tournament bracket which will be played at Southeastern University in Hammond include top-seeded Oak Hill and No. 5 Plainview.
Players and coaches from Clark celebrated the signature victory over APC with an extended net-cutting ceremony before the many spectators who attended the contest.
Clark won the St. Landry Parish girls basketball title in December, but several weeks later the Bulldogs encountered a downward spiral after Breonna O’Connor, who started the season as the girls’ head coach, was dismissed from the program.
After a 56-41 district loss to Hathaway, Clark went 2-3 and forfeited another game. The Bulldogs subsequently went 1-4, but were still seeded among the top three schools in the 10-team Division V postseason bracket.
Boys’ basketball head coach Ross Rix, who began coaching the Clark girls’ team after O’Connor was fired, complimented the players for their perseverance and tenacity.
Rix said he avoided the mistake of trying to change things after being placed in charge of the program.
“What I tried to do is to keep everything the same. I wasn’t going to attempt to teach them anything new or different. I wanted them to just go out and play basketball. To their credit the girls responded and now they are playing for a championship,” Ross said after the win.
Ross said there’s no doubt that despite their youthfulness, the Clark girls are a talented group.
“This is a very good team no matter who is going to coach them. They are so talented. In addition to that they deserve credit for their strength in getting to the point where they are now,” said Ross.
Against the Avoyelles Public Charter, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 19-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and maintained a similar advance until the intermission.
Clark put the game away in the third period.
During those eight minutes, the Bulldogs outscored APC 20-2. The fourth quarter was played with the game clock set to running time.
Guard Taylor Barnaba led all scorers with 14 points, while Shanna Samien added 12.
Also with double figures for Clark were Tristanie Albert (11) and Erianna Ned (10). Aleiah Williams scored six.
