Staff Reports
Ruston High senior guard Jaliyah McWain is the Most Outstanding Player on the 2023-24 all-Lincoln Parish Journal Girls Hoops team while Bearcat head coach Meredith Graf and Cedar Creek head coach Katie Hall share Coach of the Year honors.
McWain headlined the eight-person all-parish squad after averaging 14.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.1 steals per game for the Lady Bearcats. The three-time all-LPJ honoree helped guide Ruston to the state quarterfinals before falling 52-46 to No. 2 seed Denham Springs.
“Jaliyah had a wonderful senior year,” Graf said. “Although she has obviously played exceptionally well, she means far more to this program than just stats. Jaliyah has been a staple player in our program since she was a freshman. Her skill, speed, and athleticism have been driving forces for her to have played the large amount of minutes that she has.
“She has grown into a real leader on and off the court. She has been an example of everything we want our young ladies to be in the classroom and on the court. Her work ethic and competitive nature will be missed moving forward, but the body of work she left behind and the positive traits she has helped push on our program will not be forgotten.”
Graf is the co-Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bearcats to a 24-8 record, the District 2-5A title and the No. 7 seed in the Non-Select School Division I playoffs. Ruston ended the season strong, winning 10 of its final 11 games.
Hall joins Graf with co-Coach of the Year accolades after leading Cedar Creek to an 18-12 record, a share of the District 2-1A title and the quarterfinals of the Select School Division IV playoffs. In only her first year at the helm of the program, Hall led a team that had lost its top three scorers from the previous season to an 18-win campaign.
Graf said she was honored to be named co-coach with Hall.
“Thank you to the LPJ for the honor of being a Coach of the Year,” Graf said. “There are two things that come to mind for me when it comes to receiving something like this. One, I am honored that is with my very good friend, Katie Hall. Katie has been a light in this community for so many years and has done such a great job with her team this year. I am thrilled to be sharing this with her. Two, any good coach will tell you that any kind of coaching award is very much about how wonderful their players are. While I sincerely appreciate the recognition, I know how fortunate I am to have the team that I did this year. This award recognizes their work just as much as it does mine.”
Joining McWain on the all-LPJ team were Jahkeria Abney (Simsboro), Reese Brown (Choudrant), Zaccheya Jackson (Ruston), Mallory Smith (Cedar Creek), Jayleen Spann (Lincoln Prep), Leah Sutherland (Cedar Creek), and Asijah Wright (Lincoln Prep).
Spann and Wright led Lincoln Prep to one of its best seasons in years as the Lady Panthers won 11 games (after winning just three last year), including a 60-32 upset win over No. 13 seed Catholic Pointe-Coupe in the first round of the Select School Division IV playoffs.
Brown led Choudrant to the District 2B title and a playoff birth with the Aggies falling to Hathaway in the first round.
All-LPJ Team
Jahkeria Abney (Senior), Simsboro, 14.0 ppg
Reese Brown (Sophomore), Choudrant: 11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 spg
Zaccheya Jackson (Senior), Ruston: 11.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.1 spg
Jaliyah McWain (Senior), Ruston: 14.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 spg
Mallory Smith (Junior), Cedar Creek: 11.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.5 spg
Jayleen Spann (8th grade), Lincoln Prep: 12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Leah Sutherland (Senior), Cedar Creek: 7.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.6 spg
Asijah Wright (Senior), Lincoln Prep: 11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
Player of the Year: Jaliyah McWain, Ruston
Co-Coach of the Year: Meredith Graf, Ruston; Katie Hall, Cedar Creek
