The 2022-23 basketball season has been great for Winnfield Senior High School, and could get unforgettable Saturday afternoon in Lake Charles.
After the WSHS Tigerettes reached the state semifinals last week, the Tigers have gone one better. Saturday afternoon at 4 in Burton Coliseum, the No. 3-seeded Tigers (24-5) will play No. 1 Port Allen in the Division III Non-Select state championship game.
Winnfield pushed away from French Settlement 57-52 in the second state semifinal Wednesday night, following a triple overtime victory by Port Allen, 77-75 over fourth-seeded Patterson. Port Allen eliminated WSHS last year in the quarterfinals by just two points.
It’s been 10 years since the last time the Tigers made the state tournament. Winnfield is aiming for its first state championship in boys’ basketball.
The Tigers got good fan support Wednesday night and stuck together through a very competitive game, pulling away from a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
“It means the world to us,” said Gerald Robertson, who scored 10 points for WSHS. “We love each other. It’s a group and family. We will always push through, and if we win now, we will take it back to the city.”
The Tigers got a big 3-pointer from Robertson who quickly followed with a conventional three-point play, then Jaylon Jackson scored six straight points to build a 47-38 advantage midway through the fourth period. French Settlement scrapped back within 55-52 in the final minute, but good defense and a clinching Jackson steal and layup salted away the Winnfield win.
Jackson scored a game-high 20 points. De’Cavian Duncan and Robertson each had 10 for WSHS, which got a team-best eight rebounds by Derrick Davis and seven more by Keithan Hamilton.
The Tigers left no doubt in their first two playoff victories.
Winnfield pasted Rosepine 90-73 in the second round, after earning a first-round bye. In the state quarterfinals, the Tigers put away Richwood 77-63 to advance to Marsh Madness.
That victory showed how far Winnfield has come. Richwood had beaten WSHS 60-55 on Nov. 23.
The District 3-2A champion Tigers have won 19 straight games and are unbeaten since the holidays.
The championship game Saturday can be watched on a pay-per-view basis at NFHSNetwork.org.
Pictured above: TOUGH TIGER: Gerald Robertson pulls up for a shot Wednesday night as Winnfield beat French Settlement in the state semifinals. The Tigers play for the state championship Saturday in Lake Charles. (Photo by RODRICK ANDERSON, courtesy Lake Charles American Press)
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Winnfield’s Javen Jackson stares down French Settlement’s Braden Simoneaux during a Division III nonselect semifinal on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) -
Winnfield’s Gerald Roberson takes a shots in the lane during a Division III nonselect semifinal against French Settlement on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) -
Winnfield’s Derrick Davis guards French Settlement’s Maxwell Allison during a Division III nonselect semifinal on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) -
Winnfield’s Jaylon Jackson tries to take the ball from French Settlement’s Joel LeLeBourgeois during a Division III nonselect semifinal on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) -
Winnfield’s Keithan Hamilton beats French Settlement’s Daniel Bantaa for a rebound during a Division III nonselect semifinal on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) -
Winnfield’s Gerald Roberson shoots a jump shot during a Division III nonselect semifinal game against French Settlement on Wednesday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) -
Winnfield’s Gerald Roberson dribbles in from the top of the arc during a Division III nonselect semifinal game against French Settlement at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles on Wednesday. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)
