Press Release by the LSWA
CLASS B
Avoyelles Charter junior Jalen Brown and Hicks senior Reese Stephens were selected as the Outstanding Player award winners on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class B all-state basketball teams selected by a panel of sportswriters from across the state.
Brown was voted the Class B Outstanding Player for the second straight year. He led the Vikings to a win over J.S. Clark in the Division V select final at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
For the season, Brown averaged 21 points, five steals, four rebounds and four assists per outing.
Stephens, a first-team all-state performer in 2023, guided Hicks back to the Division V nonselect final and a runner-up finish to Fairview. She averaged 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals per contest.
Negreet’s Gary Henry (boys) and Ross Rix of J.S. Clark (girls) grabbed Coach of the Year honors.
Henry guided Negreet to the LHSAA tourney for the first time since 1997. Rix coached both the boys and girls at J.S. Clark to the Division V select state championship games, winning the girls championship over defending champion Oak Hill. J.S. Clark was the runner-up to Avoyelles Charter in the boys title game.
LSWA CLASS B ALL-STATE BASKETBALL CHARTS
BOYS
First team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Jalen Brown Avoyelles Charter 5-8 Jr. 21.0
Preston Sanders Zwolle 6-2 Jr. 23.0
Le’Damien George J.S. Clark 6-3 So. 18.0
Dustin Welch Anacoco 6-4 Sr. 20.4
Johnathan Holmes Negreet 6-4 Sr. 22.3
Second team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Kane Broussard Lacassine 6-4 Jr. 20.0
Michael Jones Choudrant 6-1 Sr. 25.4
Armonii Benjamin Avoyelles Charter 6-1 So. 16.3
Hayden Doyle Hicks 6-2 Sr. 15.6
DeMarion McClendon Doyline 5-9 Jr. 15.3
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JALEN BROWN, AVOYELLES CHARTER
COACH OF THE YEAR: GARY HENRY, NEGREET
Honorable mention
Howard Ethridge, Zwolle; Jacob Vilar, Episcopal of Acadiana; Itavus Brown, Simsboro; Logan Ponder, Quitman; Christopher Newton, Rapides; Dalton Miller, Holden; Kayden Bourque, Midland.
GIRLS
First team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Reese Stephens Hicks 5-4 Sr. 20.0
Taylor Barnaba J.S. Clark 5-1 So. 18.0
Gracie Miller Midland 5-9 Sr. 20.4
Shyanne Phillips Hicks 6-1 Sr. 21.0
Alexis Dyer Oak Hill 5-10 Sr. 17.0
Second team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Bailey Davis Anacoco 5-9 Sr. 12.4
Madison Suire Hathaway 5-4 Sr. 15.4
Payton Herpin Bell City 5-9 So. 20.2
Ambree Collinsworth Castor 5-6 Sr. 12.8
Kaiya Miller Negreet 5-7 So. 12.7
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: REESE STEPHENS, HICKS
COACH OF THE YEAR: ROSS RIX, J.S. CLARK
Honorable mention
Cali Deal, Quitman; Reese Brown, Choudrant; Lily Rousseau, Avoyelles Charter; Tora Savoy, Midland; Hayzlyn Granade, Maurepas; Preslye Rivers, Converse; Abbilee Dowden, Anacoco.
CLASS C
For the past two years, the only Class C teams to be represented in the Division V semifinals on the non-select side are Fairview and Gibsland-Coleman.
So, it comes as no surprise that both schools are highly represented on the Class C all-state basketball teams, as selected by a panel of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
For the second year in a row, Fairview swept the top honors as junior Reesie Jinks repeated as the Outstanding Player, while her father and Lady Panther head coach, Kyle Jinks, was voted Coach of the Year.
Reesie Jinks, a 5-foot-5 junior point guard, averaged 21.4 points, 9.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game, leading Fairview to the Division V non-select state championship in a thrilling win over Hicks, 81-78. Jinks was also the title game’s outstanding player as she scored 39 points in the contest.
Kyle Jinks completed the season by capturing the 13th state championship victory of his legendary career as he inches closer to win No. 1,000 in his career, needing just 18 to reach that magical plateau.
On the boys’ side, the Gibsland-Coleman duo of junior guard DeAvery Durham and head coach Roger Jones swept the top honors as well.
Durham, who led the Bulldogs to the Division V semifinals, averaged 21 points, four rebounds and three steals per contest en route to winning Outstanding Player honors.. In a semifinal loss to Anacoco, Durham poured in 29 points.
Jones earns the nod as Coach of the Year, leading Gibsland-Coleman back to the Division V non-select state tournament, the only Class C school to accomplish that feat the past two seasons.
2024 LSWA CLASS C ALL-STATE BASKETBALL CHARTS
BOYS
First team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
DeAvery Durham Gibsland-Coleman 5-9 So. 21.0
Kadyn Collins Ebarb 6-4, Sr. 20.3
Aidan Sandifer Singer 6-0 Sr. 19.3
Rondell Battle Phoenix 6-2 So. 28.4
Kevin Scott Pleasant Hill 5-10 Jr. 17.1
Second team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
DeMarquis Durham Gibsland-Coleman 5-11 So. 15.0
Kaleb Gregory Claiborne-Christian 5-11 Jr 30.5
Parker Alexander Hornbeck 5-9 Jr. 18.0
Logan Riggs Georgetown 6-2 Jr. 17.8
Nathan Fee Plainview 5-6 Sr. 20.2
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: DEAVERY DURHAM, GIBSLAND-COLEMAN
COACH OF THE YEAR: ROGER JONES, GIBSLAND COLEMAN
Honorable mention
Beau Austin Evans; Caleb Bevill, Calvin; Cole Doucet, Starks; Montrell Woods, Jehovah-Jireh; Eli Ferguson, Saline; Lane Gray, Hackberry; Dalt Goode, Fairview.
GIRLS
First team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Reesie Jinks Fairview 5-5 Jr. 21.4
Ella Reeves Fairview 5-7 Sr, 20.0
Baleigh Haulcy Gibsland-Coleman 5-11 Jr. 18.0
Cameron Sutton Plainview 5-8 Jr. 17.0
Lauren Rachal Family Christian 5-5 Sr. 16.0
Second team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
A.J. Williams Fairview 5-8 Jr. 12.0
Allie Wainwright Claiborne Christian 5-10 Jr. 16.5
Samora Sampson Gibsland-Coleman 6-0 Jr. 12.0
Jaida Davis Hornbeck 5-6 Jr. 15.8
Olivia Edwards Simpson 5-4 Fr. 17.8
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: REESIE JINKS, FAIRVIEW
COACH OF THE YEAR: KYLE JINKS, FAIRVIEW
Honorable mention
Sadie Jeane, Evans; Jamiya Addison, Phoenix; Tayla Holloway, Starks; Chloe Logue, Singer; Kierra Wilson, Summerfield; Catherine Womack, Calvin; Aaliyah Gaddis, Family Christian.