Local Catholic sports teams continue to excel

As Jefferson Parish downsizes its schools, closing Grace King and Helen Cox, the public school sports landscape will have a different topographical footprint as the two former schools become part of the parish’s latest consolidations.

While that may alter the face of public school sports in the New Orleans area, one constant that remains to applaud is the success of sports programs of schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, which continues to enjoy the fruits of competition as part of the LHSAA.

During the 2022-23 academic year, 20 Catholic schools’ sports teams racked up a total of 30 state championships and 28 runner-up positions in 15 varsity sports sanctioned by the LHSAA.

And through this new post-pandemic era, the quality of sports programs overseen by the outstanding heads of schools, principals, athletic directors and coaching staffs have enabled schools to maintain a championship presence.

Among the most successful were Jesuit, with four state championships; St. Paul’s with three; and St. Charles Catholic with two in men’s sports.   

Success in women’s sports was well balanced with Dominican, St. Scholastica, Archbishop Hannan and Ursuline Academy adding gold to their bounty of trophies. Pope John Paul II’s teams captured three runners-up awards, followed by Academy of the Sacred Heart with two, and one each for Mount Carmel and Dominican.

The final tallies

VOLLEYBALL – In defeating district rival Mount Carmel, 3 sets to 2, Dominican claimed its second consecutive championship trophy in one of the few sports that is not split into separate classes. Coach Jessica Chatellier’s seasoned team was the best of a strong contingent of local Catholic school volleyball teams. Mount Carmel swept through four playoff opponents before entering the finals, the last for longtime head coach April Hagadone, who will concentrate on her AD duties. And through the heartbreak of losing his son, Christian, in a vehicle accident, Danny Tullis coached Pope John Paul II to the Division IV runner-up finish, the school’s second along with five state crowns during his 10-year tenure. Leaving bittersweet memories behind, Tullis has moved on to coach at Slidell High in the fall.

CROSS COUNTRY – In a dominating performance among the state’s elite prep teams, Jesuit’s distance runners set a new standard in winning D-I championship. The first seven of 10 finishers were Blue Jays, including first, second, third, fourth, seventh and the ninth runners to cross the finish line for an unheard of 15 team points.

SWIMMING – Jesuit followed that team effort with a D-I swim title. Holy Cross and Pope John Paul II also claimed division victories. The Blue Jays easily outpointed state nemesis and runner-up Catholic of Baton Rouge, 365-302, while Holy Cross defeated its Division II competition by 20 1/2 points. Pope John Paul II totaled 375 points to earn the D-IV grand prize. The best team in women’s swim competition resided in Covington. The St. Scholastica aqua team scored 409 points to dominate runner-up St. Thomas More and 21 other schools by a 146-point margin. Dominican was runner-up to St. Joseph’s Academy in D-I competition.

FOOTBALL – St. Charles Catholic was the most decorated school by the 2021-22 Allstate Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Hall of Fame Awards Committee when 

Coach Wayne Stein led the football and baseball teams to state championships. Well, he duplicated that feat when his football Comets defeated Dunham, 32-28, for the 2022 Division III crown in December, then ended the school year with a second consecutive state baseball title the following May.

But one of the biggest stories was Brother Martin’s rise from a 5-5 regular season to the D-I football runner-up trophy by roaring through the playoffs with four victories to end its comeback season with a 9-6 record.

WRESTLING – In claiming its third state title of the school year, Jesuit had to break the dominance of Brother Martin and the statewide power Catholic High. And behind a pin in the 285-pound match won by Blue Jay Spencer Lanosga, the Blue Jays gained their first team championship since 2009 by four points.

Archbishop Shaw edged runner-up Basile by two points for the D-III trophy. The Eagles won just one event (106 pounds by Caden Judice), but recorded enough high finishes to claim the team title.

SOCCER – St. Paul’s, the No. 2 seed among D-I men’s teams, defeated Dutchtown, 2-0, in the championship match. The runner-up gave the champion a gift by eliminating No.1 seed Catholic High in the quarterfinal round.

Archbishop Hannan, a rising power in Division III sports, made its presence known by gaining the runner-up trophy in women’s soccer. The Hawks, who allowed just two points through the semifinal round, fell to champion Parkview Baptist, 2-1.

POWERLIFTING – Two schools whose names are synonymous in this sport continued to help stock their respective trophy cases. St. Paul’s claimed its second of three state championships in Division I, while Pope John Paul’s women were the Division III runners-up, behind Brenna Becker’s 855-pound total lifts that gained her the meet’s Outstanding Lifter accolade.

BOWLING – The Crusader high rollers gave Brother Martin its second straight D-I championship in this sport.

SPRING SPORTS – Separate baseball playoffs were beneficial to both Jesuit and Barbe, which won select and non-select team titles, respectively.

Jesuit concluded the school year by winning its 22nd state baseball championship, a 1-0 triumph over district rival Archbishop Rummel, in the Select Division I finals, and a D-I tennis runner-up spot, yielding to St. Paul’s by a 15-9 point total in the championship matches. Brody Sawyer of the Wolves was the singles runner-up.

And, led by low scorers Arianna Biagrove and Ashley Biehl, Ursuline Academy won the girls’ Division II team title by accruing a two-day total 332 points. Biagrove shot a 75-75-150 and Biehl a 83-99-182 to lead the Lions on the links.