Deaths rock VCHS

The doors were open at Vandebilt Catholic High School bright and early Monday morning.

Students were greeted with bright sunshine and unseasonably cool temperatures as they filled the hallways and eventually the classrooms as the opening bell sounded the beginning of another day.

But this Monday was not a typical day at the school.

There was no algebra, grammar or chemistry experiments in the classrooms.

But rather, the healing process was under way as faculty, staff and students mourned together the loss of four of their own – Megan Hitt, 17, Ian Haydel, 15, James (T.J.) Cantrelle, 17, and Gabrielle Hebert, 17, who were tragically killed in a car wreck this past weekend when the Ford King Ranch they were riding in failed to negotiate a right bank curve on La. Highway 182 in Houma, hit the guardrail and careened into the St. Louis Canal.

State Police believe the accident occurred sometime after 1 a.m. Authorities said Cantrelle, who was driving, sent a text around that time notifying his parents the teens were nearing home.

When they failed to arrive by 3 a.m., the family launched its own search. Authorities were notified soon after.

The truck was found submerged in a canal near Bayou Blue and Coteau roads shortly before 2 p.m., authorities said. A GPS signal from one of the teen’s cell phone helped troopers find the truck.

“We got out of school Friday and came into the weekend expecting this to be just a normal Monday,” Vandebilt senior Andrea Dantin said. “It just feels so strange. I still don’t believe it. TJ is in all of my classes, and we all just are thinking to ourselves, ‘They’re not here today, but they’ll be coming back tomorrow.’ It’s a strange feeling and a tough thing to come to grips with. Everything is flipped upside down.”

The road to recovery began for the Vandebilt community with an early morning memorial to honor the students.

The school said approximately 1,500 people turned out to show their respects to the students, whose lives were taken early Sunday morning while on their way home from an LSU football game.

But from that memorial sprung a new step in the grieving process, according to Dantin, who said inspiration from one of the student’s parents bred new hope into the school.

“Gabrielle’s mom spoke to us and she was absolutely awesome,” Dantin said. “She showed so much strength being able to do that. That was more strength that I will ever have. Her words were just so powerful. She told us that we need to move on and look forward, because that’s what they would want us to do. I loved that. We needed to hear that.”

The students being honored on this Monday morning were, “some of the best,” according to Dantin, director of Advancement and Public Relations Lisa Vegas, school principal James Reiss and Vandebilt President David Keife.

“I’ve honestly never heard anything bad about the kids,” Vega said. “They were very well liked by everyone here. They had plenty of friends – all of them.”

Cantrelle and Haydel were both members of both the football and basketball teams. Cantrelle was the team’s starting quarterback and probably soon-to-be valedictorian.

Keife shared a story about Cantrelle’s spirit and toughness, recalling the time the senior shunned doctor’s original diagnosis of his sprained ankle and retuned to the football gridiron early to start this season.

Cantrelle played and tossed the game-winning touchdown pass as time melted away to lead the Terriers past E.D. White.

“It truly was a miracle play,” Keife said. “I guess the Lord was looking down on T.J., because the receiver caught the pass as he was lying in the end zone. But after that, I was reminded of T.J.’s comments in the paper afterward about how he prayed the Lord would give him an opportunity to play. And he did. T.J. was a fighter and a remarkable kid.”

Vandebilt Assistant Athletic Director Doug Hamilton agreed and said Vandebilt’s senior class “gravitated to” Cantrelle because of his “always upbeat” personality.

Dantin said she was one of those who looked up to her classmate.

“I just like T.J.’s attitude,” she said. “He knew he was awesome, and he let it show, but deep down everybody knew that he was nice and he’d do anything for anyone else if they needed him.”

The other two seniors in the incident, Hitt and Hebert also did their part to place a strong imprint on the Vandebilt Class of 2011.

Hebert was a cheerleader, and Hitt was a campus minister for the school.

Keife shared memories of both, recalling the spirtual impact Hitt had on her peers and the enthusiastic spirit Hebert displayed during Friday night football games at Vandebilt.

“Megan touched so, so many of our students with her kid words and her spirituality as a campus minister,” Keife said. “She was a person that a lot of people looked to when they needed something. … And Gabrielle, I can remember going to those football games and looking toward the track, and there she was with those pom poms in her hands getting everyone excited about what was going on. We couldn’t ask for anything more from either of them. They were both great young leaders within our school.”

The youngest of the victims, Haydel, was an active member of the school.

Haydel played on both the basketball and football teams.

The sophomore comes from a long line of Vandebilt students in his family, “who have made a very positive impact on our school,” according to Keife.

And the latest in the group was no different, according to the school’s president.

“He was a fabulous young man,” Keife said. “He was the youngest of the four, so he still had plenty of time left with us here. But he made a very positive impact on his peers in his time here. By all accounts, he was a well-liked kid and a very positive role model to those around him.”

Vandebilt officials say the tentative plans are for school to be in session the entire week with students being allowed to attend funeral arraignments for the students, as need be.

The school has brought in additional counselors and pastors for the upcoming week to help any students who need extra assistance in their time of grieving.

Having everyone under the same roof is important to Reiss, who said it is his hope that everyone – faculty, staff, students, as well as family and friends can rally together in lieu of tragedy.

“They need to be here,” Reiss said. “Going home and being alone isn’t the best thing. They need to be here with their friends and their professionals. They need to know they have people who love them and who are looking out for them when they are in a time of need. And most of the kids have stayed on campus.”

Hamilton agreed and said the Vandebilt community will rally together knowing four of their own are now in a better place.

The assistant athletic director pointed toward togetherness and a faith in God’s plan as necessary tools the school will rely on to get through arguably their biggest tragedy in their 100-plus-year history.

“Through all of my tears, I looked out during the memorial today and saw 1,500 people supporting one another,” Hamilton said. “It’s a shame that it takes tragedy to bring human beings together, and we’ve seen this state-wide with Katrina and Rita and things like that. But now we have our own tragedy here at Vandebilt, and it’s our turn to band together. Vandebilt is a very resilient place. … And the resiliency of youth and the pulling together is what I’ve observed today. And that’s what these kids would have wanted. I couldn’t be more proud of our kids, and our thoughts and prayers will stay with the families of those affected during this tragic time.”

Funeral arrangements for the four teens were announced Monday afternoon.

Services for Ian Haydel will be held today at 1:30 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral Church in Houma.

Wakes will be held tonight for T.J. Cantrelle, from 5 to 9 p.m., at St. Hilary of Poitiers Catholic Church in Raceland, and Gabrielle Hebert, from 6 to 10 p.m., at Chauvin Funeral Home in Houma.

Cantrelle’s funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Hilary of Poitiers. Hebert’s service will also be held at 11 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral.

Megan Hitt’s wake will be held Thursday, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., at Chauvin Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Friday, at 11 a.m., at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral.

Vandebilt Catholic High School’s flag was lowered to half-staff Monday, the only sign from outside the school that it was not a normal day CASEY GISCLAIR