North Vermilion’s Touchet, North DeSoto’s Johnson Take Top LSWA Honors For Class 4A Baseball & Softball
by Spencer Urquhart // Written for the LSWA
It was a special season for the North Vermilion baseball program and the North DeSoto softball program. Both won LHSAA Class 4A titles and now both have swept the top honors on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A All-State teams.
North Vermilion’s John Touchet and North Desoto’s Laney Johnson took home Outstanding Player honors, while North Vermilion’s Jeremy Trahan and North DeSoto’s Tim Whitman claimed Coach of the Year honors for the LSWA teams selected by a panel of sportswriters from across the state.
Touchet, a junior, led the Patriots to their first baseball state championship since 1994 and was voted title-game MVP after pitching 6.2 innings against No. 1-seeded Tioga. Touchet finished 11-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 62 strikeouts while also hitting .333 with 6 doubles, 6 home runs and 39 RBIs.
Johnson, a freshman, led a young Griffins to their 4A state title. NDHS rallied in the title game against Beau Chene. Johnson had a 24-3 record with a 1.91 ERA and 206 strikeouts in 167 innings pitched, along with a .371 batting average, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs.
Trahan coached the Patriots to a 33-7 record and was able to hold off No. 1-seeded Tioga by taking a 5-3 victory in the state championship game after they had pulled off an 11-10 semifinals victory over South Terrebonne in extra innings.
Whitman coached the Lady Griffins to a 33-5 record and is familiar with winning state championships, having brought six state titles to three different schools, and this one was his first at North DeSoto in his second year at the school.
CLASS 4A
SOFTBALL
P Kairah Williams Tioga Jr. 16-3
P Laney Johnson North DeSoto Fr. 24-3
P Mallory Pitre Beau Chene Sr. 21-2
P Kalyn Dehart Vandebilt Catholic Jr. 10-2
C Gracie Bellard Beau Chene Sr. .487
IF Ellie Loftin Neville Jr. .431
IF Mia Norwood North DeSoto Fr. .493
IF Gracee Hess Belle Chasse Sr. .412
IF Madison Prejean St. Thomas More Sr. .475
OF Kaitlynn Worsham Neville So. .404
OF Whitley Martin North DeSoto Sr. .452
OF Kennedy Semien North Vermilion Sr. .467
UT Elle Carter Neville So. .484
UT Khynzi Jackson Tioga Jr. .432
UT Hannah Parker St. Thomas More Sr. .463
UT Alara Taylor Lakeshore Sr. .509
UT Taylor Theriot Assumption Sr. .384
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: LANEY JOHNSON, NORTH DESOTO
COACH OF THE YEAR: TIM WHITMAN, NORTH DESOTO
Honorable mention: Leila Heller, Belle Chasse; Hannah Ward, Northwood, Jr.; Reagan Thompson, Evangel, Sr.; Kayla Taylor, Huntington, So.; Hailey Anderson, St. Michael; Hayle Tullier, Plaquemine; Meredith Conzelmann, St. Thomas More; Miia Bailey, St. Thomas More; Vyctorhea Romero, Teurlings; Kaitlyn Dickey, Beau Chene; Cloe Bonvillain, Beau Chene; Raegan Alleman, Assumption; Lille Mazur, Vandebilt Catholic; Madelyn Bourgeois, South Lafourche; Shelbie Mabile, Assumption; Haylie Crappell, Morgan City; Sarah Alleman, Assumption; Bailey Melancon, South Lafourche; Mea Landry, Lusher; Raegan Alleman, Assumption; Addie Bagwell, Neville; Kaylee Green, Tioga; Ca’terra Bates, Academy of Our Lady; Madison Gray, Morgan City; Olivia Rhodes, South Terrebonne; Aly Delafield, North DeSoto; Aaronyana Wilson, Evangel; Lillie Mazur, Vandebilt Catholic; Cameron Curtis, North DeSoto; Caroline Mathis, Belle Chasse; Gracie Toledano, Academy of Our Lady.
BASEBALL
P Wes Robinson Neville Sr. 7-1
P Blake McGehee Tioga Sr. 9-0
P John Touchet North Vermilion Jr. 11-0
P Owen Schexnaydre Vandebilt Catholic Jr. 11-1
C Robert Ashley North DeSoto So. .492
IF Terence Grines, Tioga Sr. .375
IF Ethan Theriot Rayne Sr. .479
IF Cameron Trosclair South Terrebonne Sr. .425
IF Myles Matherne South Lafourche Jr. .313
OF Zeb Ruddell Neville Jr. .429
OF Dorien Jackson Breaux Bridge Jr. .434
OF Hunter Porche Vandebilt Catholic Sr. .425
UT Tyson LeBlanc North Vermilion So. .484
UT Landon Morrow St. Thomas More Sr. 6-2
UT Hayden Toal Tioga Jr. 9-3
UT Brett Remedies North DeSoto Sr. 6-1
UT Derin Doucet South Lafourche Jr. .394
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JOHN TOUCHET, NORTH VERMILION
COACH OF THE YEAR: JEREMY TRAHAN, NORTH VERMILION
Honorable mention: Lane Patin, North Vermilion; Camden Breaux, North Vermilion; Will Arceneaux, Rayne; Zach Suire, Eunice; Ben Tate, Teurlings; Ashton Broussard, DeRidder; Eli David, Vandebilt Catholic; Brady Bowen, South Terrebonne; Michael Rodrigue, Vandebilt Catholic; Shae Thibodeaux, Assumption; Hunter Condley, South Lafourche; Jonah Callais, South Lafourche; Wes Allemand, South Lafourche; Sage Rivere, Assumption; Morgan Sauber, Lakeshore; Charles Green, Edna Karr; Luke Bloxom, Northwood; Deuce Comeaux, Rayne; Logan Lafoon, Tioga; Evan Frank, Vandebilt Catholic; Peyton Fulghum, Evangel; Garrett Burns, Evangel; Brendan Burns, Northwood; David Roper, Tioga; Josh Stevenson, St. Thomas More; Eli Lirette, Lakeshore; Christian Dorner, Belle Chasse; Jonah Calais, South Lafourche; Alex Roberts, North DeSoto; Austin King, Minden; Tucker McCabe, Northwood; Jack Groh, Lusher; Codi Williams, St. Michael; Drake Brigalia, Plaquemine; Cobe Beamon, Liberty.