Ten local athletes compete for weekly honor in Baton Rouge
A poll closes Thursday noon to select the top performer from a week of standout high school sports results.
By Marta Gray ·
Ten high school athletes from the Baton Rouge area are competing for The Advocate's weekly athlete honor. The poll, which closes at noon on Thursday, asks readers to select the best performance from football, swimming, and volleyball between October 25 and 31. The winner will be recognized on the outlet's High School Sports Facebook page. Readers can submit candidates for future weeks by emailing Jackson Reyes at jackson.reyes@theadvocate.com by 5 p.m. each Sunday.
The candidates represent a mix of senior and junior classmen. In volleyball, Audrey Harrison of St. Joseph’s Academy recorded 15 kills in a 3-0 victory over St. Michael on Tuesday. Brasia Smith of Prairieville contributed 11 kills and 21 digs in a 3-1 win against East Ascension on Wednesday. These performances come during a period of intense competition for the Redstickers and Hurricanes.
Football candidates posted substantial statistical outputs. Max Gassiott of Central threw six passing touchdowns for 250 yards and added 40 rushing yards in the first half of a 61-0 win over Liberty. Noah Vargas of Catholic broke the boys meet record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 56.01 and won the 200-yard individual medley. He was named the male swimmer of the meet at the City Championship.
Other football performers included Marcus Cannon of East Feliciana, who passed for 146 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 98 yards on 16 carries. He also intercepted a pass in a 22-6 win over Kentwood. Ethan Kimmie of Zachary caught passes for 173 yards and a touchdown in a 31-21 victory over Destrehan on Friday night. Harlem Turner of Madison Prep rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in a 34-7 win over Plaquemine. Brice Preston of Southern Lab threw five touchdowns for 189 yards and rushed for 114 yards in a 40-0 win over St. John.
Swimming saw record-breaking performances. Molly Mayo of St. Joseph’s Academy broke the City Championship 100-yard breaststroke record twice. She set the mark in the preliminaries and then broke her own record in the finals with a time of 1:04.51. JJ Rush of University High was named the female swimmer of the meet after winning the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle at the City Championship. These results reflect a strong showing for the swim teams during the meet.
The poll provides a direct mechanism for readers to evaluate these performances against one another. The selection process relies on public voting rather than editorial choice. The deadline for voting is fixed for Thursday noon. The winner will receive public recognition on the designated social media platform. The next cycle for candidate submissions will begin with the following Sunday deadline.
