Four of LA’s strongest teams represent Central Louisiana on Saturday
by Marshall Loeffler
(photos courtesy of FastBreak ENT)
ALEXANDRIA – The Charles Smith Classic will take place tomorrow at Peabody Magnet High School, featuring eight of the state’s best teams competing in The Emerald Palace, the top-notch gym that Coach Smith has built into one of the state’s best hoops venues. Four of those teams, from right here in CENLA, have also been building, and have racked up plenty of wins and high rankings in the non-district season. The second game of the day features Alexandria Senior High, a team with big goals and a lot of preseason attention.
The ASH Trojans have only lost two games (one in overtime), and with twenty two wins, sit at #2 in Division I Select. They will face off against David Thibodeaux, the 7th ranked team in DII Select. Head Coach Lance Brasher has focused on his team’s defensive dominance so far, and does not look to change the formula anytime soon.
“For the most part, we’ve done what we were supposed to do so far”, said Brasher. “Teams have put pressure on us from the opening tip, and we’ve been mostly able to handle that. We’ve started to really hit some shots, but our guys know that you don’t guard, you’re not going to play, and that’s not going to change for us.”
The Trojans feature senior Tyshawn Duncan (LA’s top recruit) at center, but also have another senior, Jarvell Bordelon, who has been the heart and soul on both ends of the floor. Trey Dorty and Kori Wright have been very effective in the backcourt, and Marcus Bolden’s outside shooting has been vital.
This is another game that will be coached by a Peabody grad, with Brasher walking the sidelines where he played over 20 years ago, on one of the state’s best teams in history. While he prefers to avoid these topic when prepping for a game, it is unavoidable to acknowledge what Charles Smith has done for so many coaches and players along the way.
“Coach Smith has always been in my life. He taught us about accountability, not having complacency, and a defense-first mentality. Our mentalities have always been the same, and those are some of the things that I’ve tried to teach as a coach.”
ASH and David Thibodeaux tip off around 4:30 PM tomorrow, after the Tioga-Northside game.
