Final momentum surge carries Avoyelles Charter to its first boys basketball state title
By LaMar Gafford
LAKE CHARLES, La. - When Family Christian rallied to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, Avoyelles Charter coach Antonio “O’Kie” Benjamin did not panic and trusted his team to finish the job.
As a result, the Vikings have their first state championship.
Charter closed the game on a 17-3 run to defeat the Flames, 52-41, to earn the LHSAA Division V select championship Friday at Burton Coliseum.
“It wasn’t the prettiest, but we found a way to win like we have all season,” Benjamin said. “(Family Christian) coach Isaac (Amedee) does an incredible job with those guys and the stuff that he runs.
"They’re going to continue to be here, but on our end, it’s just what it has been all season for us. We fight, compete, play hard, play together and play for each other.”
Vikings sophomore Jalen Brown earned Most Outstanding Player honors after scoring an efficient 22 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line.
For Brown, who sat out last season as a transfer, Friday’s win was a by-product of all the hard work he put in.
“I had to put in the work during the summer and listening to Coach bust my butt, that’s why we’re here,” Brown said.
Also key down the stretch was Benjamin’s son, Armonii, who scored 13 points and made three 3-pointers to get Charter going. When it trailed 8-0 to start the game, Armonii’s 3-pointer midway through the first quarter sparked an 18-0 run that helped them take their first double-digit lead.
“It’s crazy (celebrating this with my dad),” Armonii Benjamin said. “I can’t talk right now, it’s very special.”
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“He’s the toughest kid I know,” Antonio Benjamin said. “It isn't always pretty for him or easy, but now I get to celebrate with him. I missed a lot of stuff that a lot of people celebrated him for during games in the past, but now I get to put my coach’s role aside and get to be daddy with him with this championship,”
With the win, APCS (35-1) closes its season with 13 straight wins, but the Flames made them earn it behind junior Jordan Jones.
Jones led FCA (24-15) with 10 points, but its depth eventually took a toll deeper in the halves.
“We obviously had a good plan and we got in a rhythm quickly, but midway through the first quarter, we got away from the script and made a few mistakes that can kill you when you play them,” Amedee said.
“It’s just tough to get down 13 to a team like that.”
This is Avoyelles Charter’s first championship in any sport - male or female.
