Graduation superlatives... parish style

It’s that time of the year. Cue up “Pomp & Circumstance.” Find your old cap and gown. Fire up Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” while you’re at it.
It’s graduation season. A time where we get really proud of our children’s accomplishments, and if you’re anything like me, dread the idea of getting older and more out of touch in the process.
It’s a time for celebration, merriment and, if your kid needs it, a good, hard kick in the butt from the real world.
All joking aside, it’s a seminal part of any teenager’s life. It’s a time where, for most of them, they will be escaping the prolonged structure of the school system and have to make finite decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.
It’s a challenging, and even fun, part of the journey of life. It’s a limitless crossroads that every teenager faces. Some turn into future CEOs, some become vital blue-collar employees. Some become first responders. And others we may never hear from again.
However, think back to your high school graduation. What was the goofiest and most fun part of it? For some of us, that had to be the superlatives that were voted on by classmates.
“Most likely to succeed”, “Most likely to know all the words to an Eminem song” (I personally earned that one as an educator.)
“Most likely to stay in their hometown.” Et cetera, ad nauseum. We’ve seen them all before, and they’re fun to have a laugh about.
So, with that … I’d like to do my own version of high school superlatives, using only Evangeline Parish student-athletes and coaches. They will be innocent, they will be fun and they’re a good way to look back on our kids and enjoy them while they’re still young.
They’ll never be this innocent again, so let’s enjoy it while we can.
Let’s start off with an easy one. For Best Bromance, I have to look at Sacred Heart’s Ellis Shipp and Landry Lafleur in football. These two, whether they were painting faces or sharing a sideline laugh gave the Trojans’ football team some crucial levity this past season.
Let’s talk personalities. And, when it came to personalities, few players in the parish had a bigger one than Pine Prairie’s Da’jon Lemelle. Whether on the court, field or track, the kid was flat out infectious all year long.
Nothing said “Best Personality” quite like Da’jon all year long. So, he needs to be recognized for all his outspokenness.
Coaches, did you think you’d escape scot-free? I have a couple for you as well …
Let’s talk about the coach who always seemed to have an encouraging word and an infectious smile for his players. That had to be Basile’s girls and boys basketball coach Kaleb Bergeaux, who never gave up on his players at any point of the year.
What about the coach who has a keen eye for a new pair of Jordans? That’s looking at you Coach Harper, you’re proudly the new owner of the “Most Likely to own 10 pairs of J’s” … wield it wisely.
And lastly, what about a coach who spoke to me to simply keep up the relationship? For me, “Most likely to be here so he don’t get fined” has to be Coach Dwight Collins at Mamou. If his team didn’t play well, he was always willing to talk. But much of his charm was in his propensity for few words.
On the other end, who is “Most likely to light up a room when they speak?” That’s Ville Platte’s Rhonda Thomas, who was always pleasant and great whenever needed.
However fun this exercise is, however, it goes back to one thing. It’s about congratulating the Class of 2022 on making it this far.
We here at the Ville Platte Gazette wish you much success and the best of luck. As your sports editor, it’s been a fun ride that I hope continues far into the future.