Adding to a Legacy: Hannan’s two-time state champion Drew Timmons becomes school’s first Gatorade Player of the Year

by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Archbishop Hannan basketball coach Errol Gauff and coach Chris Jennings of Jesuit were sharing a conversation during last weekend’s Louisiana High School Coaches Association/Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches All-Star game at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles.

Jennings, whose team had not faced Hannan during the 2024-25 season, had a front-row seat to watch Gauff’s prized pupil – forward Drew Timmons of the East Stars.

“Coach Jennings leans in and says, ‘Coach, I knew he was good. I didn’t know he was that good,” Gauff said. “You sit there and see other kids that are bigger, other kids that are more athletic. He has attributes where it just makes him the best player.”

Timmons scored a team-high 14 points and earned the game’s Most Valuable Player honors after the East’s one-point win on a tip-in at the buzzer by Peabody’s Isaiah Jones.

Two straight weeks and two consecutive victories culminated Timmons’ remarkable high school career that included his second Division II select state championship. He was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.

The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Timmons, a signee of the Naval Academy, was back in Lake Charles to blend his talents with 29 of the state’s top players where he emerged victorious and with the game’s top honor.

“The was the last competitive game I’ll play in high school,” Timmons said. “It was a bunch of good players on the court. I was out there doing what I normally do. I feel like I can be pretty satisfied with the way I went out in my high school career, especially ending like that. I’ll rest for a few weeks and then I’ve got to better.”

While his team’s state championship – a 59-55 victory over Archbishop Shaw – has been at the heart of Timmons’ most gratifying moments, he’s also been on the receiving end of two of the state’s top individual awards.

Timmons was named Louisiana’s Player of the Year by both MaxPreps and Gatorade. 

“It’s really a good feeling when you can look back on it and just be happy with what you did,” Timmons said. “The hard work paid off. It’s (awards) a great feeling. I haven’t been somebody to chase after individual awards. When our team succeeded in all of our goals, to have stuff come individually makes me feel happy and satisfied about the whole season.”

Gatorade, which honors a player from all 50 states, was the most recent honor for Timmons, taking into account his play on the court, academics, and service as a volunteer at the Up21 Bike Camp and teaching special needs children and adults how to ride bicycles. He has also given his time to community beautification projects and coaching youth basketball.

Timmons, a two-time first-time Class 4A All-State selection, was a slam dunk in all three areas, making him the Covington-based school’s first Gatorade winner in any sport.

“He definitely has,” Gauff said of Timmons putting Hannan on the statewide map in male athletics. “There’s no one that can doubt that or argue that point. I think most people know us for our volleyball or softball dominance the girls have had in those particular sports, and they forget about all of our male teams. What he’s helped do for Hannan High athletics from a male perspective is very appreciated.”

Early impact, endearing legacy

Timmons, who had season highs of 36 points, 17 rebounds, 5 steals, and 7 assists, led Hannan (27-6) to its second state title in four years, averaging 21.6 points on 62.2% shooting from the field and 71.2% from the free throw line. He averaged 9.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a game and was second in assists at 2.2 per game.

He wound up with career records at the school over his five years (he was a starter since the eighth grade) with 2,910 points and 1,491 points. 

“We challenge them every day in practice and also with the schedule they play,” Gauff said. “I think young men like Drew like playing the bigger games against the Madison Preps, the Catholic Highs, the Libertys. They want to challenge themselves against other good players and other good programs so see how they stack up.”

Timmons, who entered the program at 6-3-6-4, was simply trying to keep up with older brother Luke where the two had always enjoyed being teammates. When an injury occurred to a sophomore starter Timmons was thrust into a starter’s role, one that he never gave back.

“I was nervous as an eighth grader,” he said. “Going there, I wasn’t really thinking about pushing for all of these awards. I was just working and they just kind of came. When the guy got hurt, I moved up in his spot and started. It was kind of a temporary change at the time but as I started playing better and better, I just accepted my role. I knew what I was there to do. I just got better at it and it just to where I was a starter, and it was my spot.” 

Gauff, now in his eighth season at the school and 29th overall, recalled his apprehension of having an eighth-grader step into such a prominent role so early in his career. With the Hawks being devoid of size, the addition of Timmons made sense and the more he played, the better and more dependable he became.

“Just the physical ability much less the skill ability and then the mental aptitude to handle it,” he said. “As we practiced more and more, I thought he could do it. He came in pretty skilled and could score the ball and has improved his skill. He was already the biggest guy. He could score. He could handle it (basketball) and looked like he was going to be able to handle this (role). Why would I not do it.”

The school’s state title was special for the Timmons brothers who helped the Hawks to a 28-8 record and 81-60 win over Liberty Magnet for the Division II select state championship.

The Hawks wound up sandwiching a pair of state titles around two state quarterfinal appearances, adding special meaning to this year’s run.

The second-seeded Hawks advanced to the state championship game with a pair of gritty wins over No. 10 Vandebilt Catholic (59-52) and tradition-rich No. 3 Peabody (31-29) to set up a showdown for the state crown with top-seeded Archbishop Shaw.

The Hawks were locked in a tense battle with the Eagles, going into the fourth quarter tied at 41-all, when they were able to gain a four-point difference in the final period. 

Timmons was one of two players for his team with double figures, leading the Hawks with 22 points on the strength of 10 of 16 shooting, to go along with four rebounds and two steals.

“We had been in close games the whole playoffs,” said Timmons, whose brother Gabriel was a sophomore on this year’s team. “We knew that one would be close, too. It was an emotional game because of all the work you put in throughout the whole season comes down to one game. No one’s going to hold anything back or say, ‘Maybe I’ll save some energy today’. Everybody’s playing with everything they’ve got for both teams.”

Mature enough for next step of life

The play of Timmons in high school and the summer AAU circuit had done enough to attract attention from college coaches. In this day and age of the NCAA Transfer Portal impacting the recruiting of high school seniors, Timmons remained a viable target.

The straight-A student who also had above-average marks on the court was able to make a commitment to the Naval Academy last August. He signed with the Midshipmen and plans to enroll in the school’s prep school in July where they’ll play against other prep school teams.

Timmons will then head to Annapolis, Maryland for the start of his college career which will include five years of active-duty service afterward.

“That was the goal,” Timmons said of a college commitment prior to the start of his senior year. “I wanted to build connections that summer of AAU and find a school that I could make a commitment to early. (Navy head coach) Coach (Jordan) Lyons and them were all good people that I built good connections with. I just knew it was the right spot.

“I’ve been there twice, it’s going to be a lot of work,” Timmons said. “You are part of a schedule and you’re going to be busy all day. You may not be in the gym as much as some people could at other schools, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s definitely not for everybody. I’m the kind of person that likes a routine in their life. I don’t mind sacrificing a little bit of time out of my college experience to have a better experience after I graduate from college.”

Gauff credited Timmons’ disposition along with his playing ability and work in the classroom for being prepared to accept such a challenge as a military appointment. 

“All those things propelled him to where he can have this opportunity,” he said. “When he gets there, I think they’re going to be surprised, sort of like I was five years ago when he came to as an eighth grader. When I first saw him playing in the summer going into his eighth grade (year), I said you know this kid, he’s different.’ He proved that over his career here at Archbishop Hannan that he was truly different. His best asset may be his mentality.”

Gauff will take some time before approaching the school’s administration with plans to retire Timmons’ No. 11 jersey. For now, he won’t have another player wear it as long as he’s coaching. 

“I will ask the school if we have a policy on it,” he said. “I’ll wait until Drew is gone and has gotten to Navy and started his career. I want to ask what I have to do to retire a number. 

“With all that he’s accomplished, two state championships, multiple district MVPs, and now the MaxPreps and Gatorade players of the year,” Gauff said, “what else can you do to deserve such an award? That would be one of the things the school can do to truly almost say thank you.”