Written for LSWA
Bossier senior Javon Johnson has been named to the second team on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A boys basketball team.
Johnson averaged 20.2 points per game and helped the Bearkats win a share of the District 1-4A championshiip. Bossier reached the non-select Division II quarterfinals a year after winning the state championship.
Bossier’s Kerel Dean, a 6-foot-7 junior, was named honorable mention.
Longtime Peabody coach Charles Smith received Coach of the Year honors on the boys team. Carver junior Daijon Leatherman picked up Outstanding Player.
Smith won his ninth championship as the Warhorses’ head coach by guiding them to a 28-5 record and the Division II select title. On top of being a finalist this season for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Smith has won 1,208 games – making him the fourth coach in the nation to win over 1,200 games.
Leatherman nearly led the Rams to their third straight title but had a dominant performance against Smith’s Warhorses with 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks during their semifinal tilt. That concluded a season where he averaged 18.6 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.2 blocks, while shooting 70% from the field.
On the girls side, Lafayette Christian swept the major awards as Errol Rogers picked up Coach of the Year and Jada Richard earned Outstanding Player.
Rogers has built the Lady Knights into a powerhouse with seven titles in the last eight seasons and this year was no different. They steamrolled their way to the Division II select championship with a 31-1 record – losing only in overtime to fellow champion Southern Lab.
Richard, an LSU signee, has been Rogers’ top player during the second half of this run – guiding LCA to four straight titles. Richard averaged 23 points, six assists and five rebounds this season and closes her career as Louisiana’s 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year.
2024 LSWA CLASS 4A ALL-STATE BASKETBALL CHARTS
BOYS
First team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Daijon Leatherman Carver 6-9 Jr. 18.6
Jordan Mathews Peabody 6-5 Sr. 16.3
Michael Mouton St. Thomas More 6-4 Sr. 16.6
Drew Timmons Archbishop Hannan 6-6 Jr. 22.4
Kameron Williams Lafayette Christian 6-7 Sr. 22.0
Second team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Oren Bowens McMain 6-4 Sr. 26.7
Christian Creppel Archbishop Shaw 6-5 Sr. 16.5
Javon Johnson Bossier 6-1 Sr. 20.2
Jordan Matthews Vandebilt Catholic 5-10 Jr. 17.0
Rashad Mitchell Peabody 6-0 Jr. 11.3
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: DAIJON LEATHERMAN, CARVER
COACH OF THE YEAR: CHARLES SMITH, PEABODY
Honorable mention
Daryl Adams, L.B. Landry; Caiden Bickham, Lakeshore; Sean Brown, St. Michael; Justin Burns, Peabody; Javontre Charles, Beau Chene; Jayden Coleman, Vandebilt Catholic; Kerel Dean, Bossier; Monte Farmer, Washington-Marion; Brandon Henderson, Woodlawn-SH; Chad Jones, St. Thomas More; Tamaj Lagarde, Ellender; Craig Lovelady, McKinley; CJ Mason-Jones, Booker T. Washington-SH; Laurence Nathan, Carver; Salvador Simon, Northside; Edrick Snearl, Brusly; Travone Varner, Neville
GIRLS
First team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Eve Alexander Lafayette Christian 6-0 Sr. 13.7
Makayla Charles Vandebilt Catholic 5-8 Jr. 18.4
Kyndal Graham Huntington 5-5 Jr. 16.7
Kylei Leblanc LaGrange 5-10 Sr. 20.0
Jada Richard Lafayette Christian 5-6 Sr. 23.0
Second team
Player School Ht. Cl Avg.
Eryn Brown Istrouma 5-7 So. 31.7
Emilee Duet St. Scholastica 5-5 Jr. 16.5
Carley Hamilton Huntington 5-7 Jr. 18.1
Danai Lewis De La Salle 6-1 Sr. 15.5
Hannah Mouton Northwood-SH 5-5 Sr. 23.0
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JADA RICHARD, LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN
COACH OF THE YEAR: ERROL ROGERS, LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN
Honorable mention
Destiny Bennett, Salmen; Jaala Campbell, Assumption; Laila Clark, Brusly; Arioena Ebbs, Sr. West Feliciana; Erynn Felton, Neville; Joy Fisher, Neville; K’Myri Johnson, McMain; Journee Johnson, Vandebilt Catholic; Christina Lambert, Tioga; Madison Lockwood, Tioga; Ellie Lorraine, South Lafourche; Shyann McCummings, Leesville; Akayla McMooain, Salmen; Maddison Mitchell, Plaquemine; Jalyn Newman, Warren Easton; Addison Pontiff, St. Scholastica; Courtlynn Rideau, Opelousas; Co’rae Smooth, Booker T. Washington-NO; Katelynn Wilson, LaGrange; Zoe Zechenelly, Pearl River