Vote: Who should be SBLive's Louisiana High School Athlete of the Week? (1/8/2024)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Louisiana High School Athlete of the Week for Jan. 1-7. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to nominate an athlete, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com or tag us on Twitter. 

Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified. 

Ja'Miya Vann, Walker girls basketball

Vann averaged 21.3 ppg in three games at the Oberlin Tournament and was named tourney MVP. Walker beat Washington-Marion, Carencro and Fairview to win the tourney and stay undefeated at 23-0.

Jada Richard, Lafayette Christian girls basketball

Richard, an LSU signee, scored a combined 84 points in back-to-back wins over Wossman and John Curtis Christian to lead her team to the championship of the Platinum Division at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Prep Classic. The Lady Knights are 18-0 on the year. Richard scored 35 points in the second half as her team rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat Wossman, 60-57. She scored 35 vs. John Curtis and was named MVP.

Alanna Benoit, Mandeville girls basketball

Benoit was named MVP of the Gold Division at the Sugar Bowl Prep Classic. The Skippers downed Oakdale, Zachary and Amite at the tourney to move to 17-5 this season. Benoit posted 20 points with 11 rebounds and five assists in the 66-54 win over Amite in the finals.

Chikea Desdunes, John Curtis Christian girls basketball

The sophomore guard scored 18 points in a 68-66 loss to Lafayette Christian in the finals of the Sugar Bowl Classic Platinum Division. Desdunes played a prominent role as the Lady Patriots advanced to the championship game with wins over Acadiana and Sparkman (Alabama). She drained eight 3-pointers in the first two games and scored 19 points vs. Sparkman.

Javon Johnson, Bossier boys basketball

The 6-foot-1 senior guard accounted for 21 points in a 52-42 non-district win over Ringgold. The Bearkats are 14-7 and No. 5 in the Division II non-select power ratings. Bossier has won eight of its last 10 games with a one-point loss to Captain Shreve and a two-point overtime loss to Calvary Baptist.

Tyronn Grider, Evangel Christian boys basketball

Grider, a 6-foot-4 small forward, dropped in 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Eagles' 58-52 win over local rival Huntington. The Eagles are 13-6 and No. 11 in the Division II select power ratings.

Dontrelle Pitre, Beau Chene boys basketball

The 6-foot-3 senior pumped in 26 points with 13 boards as the Gators secured third place at Westgate's WAMP Classic by defeating the hosts, 56-49. Beau Chene is 13-8 and No. 13 in the Division II non-select power ratings.

Krystian Lewis, Wossman boys basketball

Lewis was named MVP at the Don Redden/Keith Brown Memorial Classic, finishing with 15 points in a 69-35 win over Ouachita Parish in the championship game. Wossman is 17-2 with 12 straight victories and is No. 1 in the Division II non-select power ratings.

Dwight Magee, Crescent City boys basketball

Magee exploded for 36 points, with 22 coming in the first half of a 71-63 win over Holy Cross at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic. Magee knocked down eight 3-pointers for Crescent City, which is 13-4 and No. 1 in the Division IV select power ratings.

Daryl Adams, L.B. Landry boys basketball

Adams rifled in 41 points with six assists in a 90-66 win over local rival West Jefferson. The Buccaneers (13-7) beat a 14-2 St. Augustine team, 52-51, two days later and are No. 9 in the Division II select power ratings.

Cherie Spencer, Northshore girls basketball

Spencer led the Lady Panthers to a 56-26 win over Mount Carmel with a dominant effort which saw her total 30 points and 13 rebounds. Northshore is 13-10 on the year.

Kobe Butler, Archbishop Shaw boys basketball

The Eagles handled Booker T. Washington (Florida), 63-50, with Butler posting 17 points. The 6-foot-6 junior has helped the Eagles to a 12-2 record and the No. 7 spot in the Division II select power ratings.

Jaden Braden, Natchitoches Central boys basketball

The Chiefs earned a District 1-5A win over Haughton. Braden's 22 points paced the Chiefs to the 82-62 victory. He added five rebounds and four assists for Natchitoches Central, which is 15-3 and No. 2 in the Division I non-select power ratings.

EJoshua McDonald, Captain Shreve boys basketball

The 6-foot-2 senior shooting guard tallied 15 points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a 46-26 District 1-5A win over Airline. The Gators are 15-3 overall, 2-0 in district, and No. 4 in the Division I select power ratings.

Tim Duhe, Archbishop Rummel boys basketball

Duhe sparked the Raiders to the championship of the state division at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic. Duhe scored Rummel's initial 12 points in the second half of the 49-45 win over Country Day in the finals. His lay-up at the buzzer propelled the Raiders to a 45-44 semifinal win vs. Northshore. Rummel (12-6) has won five straight games since an eight-point loss to St. Thomas More.

McKenna Simon, Archbishop Hannan girls basketball

Simon (16 points) recorded her 1,000th career point in a 61-40 win over Cabrini. The game marked a triumphant return to the court for Simon, who missed time with a broken finger, according to Joseph Halm of nola.com. The Lady Hawks are 10-8 and No. 10 in the Division II select power ratings.

William Mondello, St. Michael's boys soccer

Mondello, a senior, achieved a hat trick in the Warriors' 5-0 district win over Livonia. He scored three of his team's four goals in the first half. St. Michael is 10-5-4 and No. 5 in the Division III power ratings. The Warriors are 2-0 in Division III, District 5.

Jamal Drewery, Scotlandville boys basketball

Drewery posted 31 points and was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in crunch time of the Hornets' 79-73 win over Ponchatoula in the semifinals of the Wayde Sims Foundation Invitational at University Lab. Scotlandville defeated U-High, 61-43, in the finals. Drewery, the tourney MVP, scored 15 points in the finals.

Trushadd Bush, University Lab boys basketball

Bush completed a four-point play to spearhead his team's 60-59 win over Catholic-Baton Rouge in the semifinals of the Wayde Sims Foundation Invitational. Bush was fouled while attempting a last-second 3-pointer that he banked in, according to Jim Kleinpeter of the Baton Rouge Advocate. His ensuing free throw was the game-winning point. In a first round tourney win over Walker, Bush scored 14 points.

Jeremiah Lewis, Ponchatoula boys basketball

Lewis scored 26 points in the defending Division I non-select state champions' 93-64 win over East Ascension. He also led the Green Wave with 24 points in a loss to Scotlandville. Ponchatoula is 12-2 on the year.

Daunte Lewis, Carencro boys basketball

The Bears took a lead into the fourth quarter against undefeated Lafayette Christian before succumbing, 60-53. Lewis fired in seven 3-pointers with 23 points for Carencro, which is 10-5 on the year and No. 13 in the Division I select power ratings.

Otis Anderson, New Iberia boys basketball

Anderson shined at the Chick Fil A Roundball Classic held at Teurlings Catholic, scoring 15 points in a win over Mamou. The Yellow Jackets (15-3), last year's Division I non-select runner-up, swept the competition at Teurlings Catholic with wins over David Thibodaux and Alexandria.

Dalyn Lewis, Acadiana boys basketball

The Rams topped Teurlings Catholic, 64-58, on the road. Lewis led the way with five 3-pointers and 17 points for Acadiana, which is 10-10 on the year.

Miracle Irving, Amite girls basketball

The Lady Warriors beat Church Point, 63-50, as Irving scored 25 points. The 5-foot-5 senior is second on the team with a 12.5 ppg average for Amite (16-4), which is No. 3 in the Division III non-select power ratings.

Mixon Bankston, St. Mary's boys basketball

Bankston scored 20 points and recorded five steals to pace the Tigers to a 57-37 win over Hornbeck. St. Mary's is 13-5 and No. 4 in the Division IV select power ratings.

Jeremiah Lee, Leesville boys basketball

Lee, a 6-foot senior, had 18 points in a 39-36 win over local rival Anacoco. The Wampus Cats are 10-8 on the year.

Riley LeBlanc, St. Thomas More girls soccer

The Lady Cougars' goalkeeper posted two shutouts with 12 saves in wins over St. Amant and Caddo Magnet at the EIL High School Showcase. The 17-0-1 Lady Cougars have a 59-game unbeaten streak and have won seven straight state titles. STM has allowed only six goals this season.