Best (& worst) of 2009

What a year it was! After a 2008 sports season that was dampened by storms, the Tri-parish area had a rather quiet, yet productive, sports season. As 2010 approaches, it’s time to take a step and look back at 2009. The year was filled with everything from state championships to tragedy.

It also brought us the continued competitiveness of football in the Bayou Region.

What are the top local sports stories of 2009? Here’s the SportsNet Top 10 as determined by our staff.

Honorable Mention:

Leslie Bourgeois makes history

It took Nicholls javelin tosser Leslie Bourgeois three tries to finally etch her name in the history books.

But the senior didn’t give up on becoming the first Nicholls athlete to qualify for the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. on June 10.

Bourgeois officially qualified for the event when she finished fourth at the NCAA Regionals with a throw of 48.36 meters.

The throw meant she finally attained the goal the she set for herself when she first qualified for Regionals two years ago.

Even though she didn’t make it past the first round of her preliminaries – finishing ninth with a 143-feet, one-inch throw. Overall, it’s a senior season Bourgeois admitted she would never forget.

“I was pretty nervous for Regionals because it was my last chance and I didn’t want to come back home not having qualified,” the Raceland native said. “I was just happy to get the opportunity to compete.”

Earlier in the 2009 season, Bourgeois won the Southland Conference Championship in the javelin, posting a toss of 46.40m at the event. It was her second career Southland Conference title in the event.

Lardarius Webb drafted by Baltimore Ravens

During his two years at Nicholls, defensive back Lardarius Webb razzled and dazzled fans with his quick feet, animal-like ball hawk tendencies and shifty moves through opposing teams’ special teams units.

His skills garnered the attention of NFL scouts and on draft day Webb was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 24th pick (88th overall) in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

With Webb’s selection, it marked the third consecutive year that Nicholls has had a player taken in the draft following Jacob Bender (Jets) and Kareem Moore (Redskins).

Webb was a two-time consensus All-American at safety, and still stands as the only player in NCAA history on any level to win offensive, defensive and special teams player of the week awards as selected by the conference through the course of a season.

He holds the conference record for the longest punt return set in 2007 against Texas State when he took a 96-yard punt return to the house.

Upon his drafting former Nicholls head football coach Jay Thomas said it was a great day for Nicholls football.

“This is just a great opportunity for Lardarius Webb. He is such a great young man that is capable of so much, and we are all happy at Nicholls for him,” the coach said.

During his rookie season, Webb scored his first NFL touchdown on a 95-yard kick return for a score against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 1.

Top 10:

10. Rejuvenation of Nicholls basketball

Before the 2008-09 basketball season, the Nicholls Colonels hadn’t even sniffed the Southland Conference tournament since 2000 and had won no more than 10 games since that same year.

But entering the preseason, the Colonels took the initiative upon themselves to not let history repeat itself.

The philosophy paid off.

It took five years under head coach J. P. Piper for the Colonels to finally play meaningful games in March, but the Colonels defied the odds.

Behind the play of seniors Justin Payne and Ryan Bathie, the Colonels went from being predicted to finish dead last in the conference to finishing just two wins away from a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

“What I wanted people outside the program to understand is we have an incredible collection of young men here,” Piper said about going back to his first SLC tournament. “I’ve said it time after time through the years. It’s an honor to coach them. They are just a tremendous group of people. They bought in to what we’ve asked them to do.”

After defeating Texas State, 80-75, in the opening round, the Colonels fought Texas-San Antonio back and forth but dropped a two-point heartbreaker to the Roadrunners in the semifinal round of the SLC Tournament.

It wasn’t the perfect Cinderella ending to the season the Colonels had in mind but they believed it was one they can build upon.

“I’m very proud of my guys and the way they represented Nicholls,” the coach said following the loss. “We’re only going to get better. I think the program is in great shape and the future is very bright for the Colonels.”

So far in the 2009-10 season, the Colonels have struggled and are off to just a 4-9 start. But conference play is yet to begin and the team has been victimized by a non-conference schedule that’s seen the team face the likes of Oklahoma, Washington State, New Mexico and Houston.

9. The end of an era

One of the most historic volleyball rivalries in the area over the last decade has been that of the H. L. Bourgeois Lady Braves and the Terrebonne Lady Tigers.

A large part of that is due to Terrebonne head coach Chip Didier, who led the Braves to state titles in 1987 and 1989 and his friend, current Lady Braves head coach Peter Verrett III.

But after 11 years of pacing the Terrebonne sidelines, and 33 years total in coaching, Didier hung up the clipboard and decided to step away from the game he fell in love with.

“I’ve done as much as I think I can do with volleyball, he told SportsNet in an earlier interview. “It’s time for me to do some other things. I want every day to be a Saturday. I love the outdoors, hunting and fishing. My wife and I want to do some traveling. I want to do some things I can’t do on a regular basis.”

He capped off his final season in style, sweeping his rivals during the regular season and leading the Lady Tigers to their best finish in school history, 42-4.

Playing with added inspiration, the team advanced to the semi-finals in the Ponchartrain Center before falling to St. Joseph’s in the semi-final round of the playoffs.

After four years of coaching baseball at Ellender, he moved on to South Terrebonne for a four-year reign as head coach. The Lady Gators made the playoffs all four years. They lost the 1984 state title game by two points in the third set to the state’s top team, Andrew Jackson High School.

Didier had his most success during his eight years (1984-92) at Bourgeois – eight playoff spots earned, three state championship game appearances and two state championships.

Deciding he needed a new challenge, Didier took the head volleyball coaching job at Nicholls in 1993. He put together four consecutive winning seasons from 1994-97. His best finish at Nicholls was second place in the Southland Conference tournament in 1997.

Wanting to get back into high school volleyball, he took the job at Terrebonne in 1998. Although he did not go back to the state finals with the Lady Tigers, he still considers his time there to be the most fun of his coaching career.

8. “Redemption season” has ups and downs for LSU football

Following a 2008 season that saw LSU win just eight games and finish the season unranked, the Tigers took the field in 2009 with one thing in mind – redemption.

But while the Tigers did finish the regular season 9-3, most in Baton Rouge would say the 2009 season was one that was filled mostly with disappointment as the Tigers lost their three games by just a combined 21 points.

The first loss came on Oct. 10 when No. 1 Florida romped into Death Valley and limited LSU to just 162 yards on offense in a 13-3 win.

The news in Baton Rouge and around the country that week was the health of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who was a game-time decision with a concussion.

But the Gators’ defense stole the show on that night and dominated LSU’s offense.

LSU’s second setback was much like its first as the Tigers’ offense sputtered and stalled in a 24-15 loss to No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 7.

The Tigers were battered and bruised in that game and lost senior halfback Charles Scott for the season with a broken collarbone and lost sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson to a bum ankle.

The injuries came into play in LSU’s final loss of the season two weeks later – a 25-23 at Ole Miss.

LSU trailed 25-17 against the Rebels with three minutes to play. The Tigers scored a touchdown and recovered an onside kick to put them in a position to score the game’s winning points.

But following the completion of a 43-yard pass with one second left, LSU coach Les Miles had his team spike the ball, forcing time to run out and sealing the win for the Rebels.

The Tigers hope to open 2010 on a good note when they take on Penn State in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1 at noon on ABC.

7. The Houma Conquerors soap opera

It was supposed to be the happy return of indoor football to Houma in 2009 but by year’s end the city was left without a team once again.

After Houma’s first indoor football team – the Bayou Bucks – folded in 2004, former player Bucks lineman Franklin Thomas decided to bring a team back to the area as part of the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL).

It seemed like a happy homecoming.

The team held auditions in early March, with several former Bucks players on the roster, and played its first game on April 19.

Then, things started going south. The team struggled on the field, and in the office.

For the team’s first home game on April 26, SIFL officials delayed that game two-and-a-half hours over safety concerns about a lack of padding on the dasher boards surrounding the field.

Then in July, reports surfaced that Thomas was struggling to pay dues. It ultimately led to the SIFL taking over the team.

“If he really had the money to pay (his league dues), he would have paid it off,” league owner Thom Hager said. “I think he’s a man of good character, but if you want to be in my league, you have to pay your way. There are no free rides for anybody.”

Several Conquerors players also admitted Thomas was late in paying players salaries and at least one player had a check bounce during the season.

Despite the drawbacks the team advanced to the playoffs with a 3-8 record before losing in the first round to the Louisiana Swashbucklers 61-19.

A few weeks later Thomas announced the Conquerors were leaving the SIFL and he would try to join a new league.

“We lasted the whole year. A lot of people didn’t think we’d make it,” Thomas said. “I think we did okay. I made a lot of mistakes and there are some things we need to correct. I haven’t denied that. We haven’t run from anything that was our mistake, but we’ve moved on.”

Even though the relationship with Thomas was tarnished, Hager still vowed to bring a team back to the area next season.

“I’m coming into Houma, and I’m coming into Houma strong,” Hager declared. “Houma has the best fans in the league. There’s no need to let those people down.”

6. Vandebilt Catholic continues winning ways

In what has become one of the most impressive dynasties in the area, the Vandebilt Catholic Terriers continue to outshine the competition.

Altogether, the school added a team state championships in girls’ soccer, girl’s swimming and boys and girls’ tennis.

Add an individual pole-vaulting title by Chris Watson, whose 15-feet, 6-inch leap proved to be just enough, and the Terriers’ athletic programs have certainly established themselves.

Perhaps the most impressive streak was that of the tennis teams. The boys and girls teams won their sixth and seventh Division II state titles respectively.

On the boys’ side the team earned 11 of 15 points on the first day of competition to seal the deal. Jacob Richard and Nicholas Caletri defeated teammates Jake Clements and Michael Thompson 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to clinch the doubles titles while Jessica Bourque and Julie Cronan defeated fellow Terriers Alexandra and Sarah Bourgeois 6-1, 6-1 to also win a doubles titles.

“Each title feels better than the one before,” 19-year Vandebilt tennis coach Kevin Ramirez said. “I’m kind of speechless. This was a phenomenal year.”

However, the tennis titles weren’t the only streak to continue.

The Lady Terriers soccer team earned their second consecutive state championship with a 5-0 victory over Teurlings Catholic.

It was the first two girls state soccer championships at the school.

“It was all about senior leadership, head coach Philip Amedee said.

The Terriers also earned their sixth state title in girls swimming, a runner-up in boys’ swimming and a runner-up in women’s basketball to cap off their year.

5. LSU baseball wins sixth national championship

When Paul Mainieri took over the LSU baseball program in June 2006, he had one goal – to return the Tigers to the summit of college baseball.

The Tigers had won five national championships from 1991-2000, but had since fallen on hard times and had gone nearly a decade without a national championship.

But Mainieri’s vision became reality in 2009 when the Tigers roared through the College World Series and won their sixth national championship.

“I’ve dreamt my whole life of having this moment,” Mainieri said following the game. “It’s almost surreal.”

The Tigers won eight-straight games to open the NCAA Tournament to place them in the National Championship series with the nation’s No. 1 seed Texas.

The teams split the first two games of the series, but the Tigers were too much in the championship game and earned a dominant 11-4 win.

Junior outfielder Jared Mitchell earned the Most Outstanding Player award for the College World Series. Following the season, Mitchell was the highest Tiger taken in the MLB Draft, going in the first round to the Chicago White Sox.

4. High school football teams fare well in playoffs

The 2009 high school football season proved yet again the teams from the Tri-parish area could still compete with the best of them.

Altogether, nine teams – Central Catholic of Morgan City, Patterson, E. D. White, Vandebilt, South Terrebonne, Terrebonne, Central Lafourche, South Lafourche and Thibodaux – made the playoffs.

Of those nine, E. D. White, Patterson, Thibodaux, Vandebilt and South Lafourche advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

By the time the quarterfinal round came around, only Patterson, E. D. White and Thibodaux survived for another week.

And following that week, only the E. D. White Cardinals were left standing.

The Cardinals were the only team to win their quarterfinal game, and advanced to the semifinal round for the first time in 27 years before losing 42-0 to Parkview Baptist on Dec. 4 in a game that was hampered by rain, sleet, wind and even snow flurries.

Even in the loss, E. D. White head coach Kyle Lasseigne was thrilled for his seniors who he believes laid the foundation for a successful future of E. D. White football.

“It was a great season,” he said after the game. “It set the tone for our program. It’s a place that we definitely want to be. Hopefully when people talk about E. D. White, they’ll talk about us the same way they do Notre Dame of Crowley, Parkview and those guys. Not a whole lot of people believed we could play in a semifinal playoff game. It’s a credit to our kids.”

3. H.L. Bourgeois plays day after teammate’s funeral

It’s one thing to return to play football after losing a teammate, but it’s another to actually take the field the day after his funeral.

That’s exactly what the H.L. Bourgeois Braves faced Oct. 10 against Archbishop Shaw.

The entire football team and nearly 300 students attended the funeral of fallen Brave Dominique “Neak” Hanzy the night before the Braves were scheduled to take the field.

Hanzy, 16, a junior starting defensive back, died along with four of his cousins in an Oct. 4 car crash in Gibson.

To honor their fallen teammate, players wore decals on their helmets with the initials “DH” and number 20. Coaches wore ribbons and heart lapel with the number 20 in royal blue and gray and several players had special towels made reading “R.I.P. 20” while others put those same letters under their eye black.

At the time of the incident, H.L. Bourgeois head coach Joe Riley said it was a difficult week leading up to the 41-12 loss to the Eagles.

“When you’re as close-knit of family as we are, it’s hard to lose a member of the team to tragedy,” he said. “We had almost no practice and just went out and did the best that we could.”

The Braves considered canceling the game but H.L. Bourgeois principal Nason Authement and Riley decided Hanzy would have wanted the team to continue playing.

“I think this is what Dominique would want us to do,” Riley said. “He was always a smiling, happy-go-lucky kid and loved playing football.”

Hanzy had started all five games for the Braves prior to his death, recording 43 tackles and one pass breakup.

2. Nicholls fires Jay Thomas

After calling Thibodaux home for 13 years as a member of the Nicholls coaching staff, Jay Thomas was officially relieved of his duties, along with two assistant coaches, by the administration Nov. 20 after serving as the Colonels head coach for the last six seasons.

The announcement came one day after the Colonels finished the season with a 45-30 victory over Southland Conference foe Southeastern Louisiana, their second consecutive win of the season and third overall.

Thomas said he was shocked when he heard the news from athletic director Rob Bernardi that the university wanted to go in a different direction.

“I just happened to find out by the athletic director telling me in so many words Wednesday that he wanted to meet with us on Friday morning,” the 49-year old said after hearing of the news. “I just wanted to know what it was about, it was time for us to part ways. That’s what I was told.”

The official decision came after a morning meeting between Thomas and university officials. Thomas said he informed the team the night before the game that the university would likely not bring him back next season.

Thomas had an overall record of 27-35 as head coach. Thomas led the Colonels to the Southland Conference Championship in 2005. In his first four years, he accumulated a 21-21 overall record.

He was named the 2005 Southland Conference Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award that same year.

However, over the last two seasons, the Colonels had gone 6-14.

The team’s only wins in the 2009 campaign came against Duquense, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana – teams with a combined 9-24 record on the season.

A search committee was formed to select a new Colonel football coach. In the meantime, wide receivers coach Kent Keith assumed the role as interim coach during the recruiting process.

1.Tri-parish area gets Saints fever after best start in team history

After starting the season a franchise-best 13-0 the New Orleans Saints created a stir in the Tri-parish area that had fans chanting “Who Dat” and wearing black and gold nearly every day of the week.

“Saints fever” captured the hearts of all as businesses showed support on their signs, local sports stores witnessed increased sales and fans dangle Saints merchandise on nearly everything they owned.

Some, even went as far as using car chalk to paint the words ‘Who Dat’ on the back windshield of their cars, decorating yards with various Saints items and decorating Christmas trees with the famed black and gold.

Suddenly the Saints were an epidemic.

From the time Black Friday approached until after Christmas, Saints merchandise was atop of every local football fans’ wish list.

Among some of the hottest items sold were the Saints NFC South championship apparel and Jeremy’s Shockey’s No. 88 jersey.

Nash Pitre, manager of Sports Avenue in Houma said the frenzy was reminiscent of that of the 2006 season in which the team went to the NFC Championship game before losing to the Chicago Bears.

“Our sales had nearly doubled immediately,” the Houma native said. “The minute we get stuff in, it’s gone.”

To many die-hard Saints fans that stuck it out during the many woeful years believed the season was extra special so far.

“After all the turmoil the fans have been through, it’s good to be able to experience this,” Houma native Alex Ludwig said. “It means just a little more.”

This year included several ups and downs in Tri-parish sports. Pictured , an H.L. Bourgeois football player wears eye-paint honoring teammate Dominique Hanzy, who was killed in a car accident in October. * File photo / Tri-Parish Times