LAKE CHARLES — Newman and Crescent City won boys basketball state championships on successive days at Burton Coliseum, and the coach for each school could reasonably expect to have his team back there again next season.
The outstanding player selection from each team — Newman junior Chris Cenac and Crescent City sophomore Dwight Magee — should be a leading player on his team next season.
For Newman coach Randy Livingston, another run toward a state title would be nothing new. He has coached the Greenies to three consecutive state championships after being a player on three other Newman title winners in the early 1990s.
For Crescent City coach Brandon Russ, the 2002 John Curtis graduate became a first-time title winning head coach when his top-seeded Pioneers defeated No. 2 St. Martin’s 71-59 in the Division IV select state final Saturday.
Russ started on the defensive line for two Curtis football teams that won state championships and played in college at Southern Illinois. His father, Robert, coached park ball for years in New Orleans, Russ said, giving him a natural pathway into coaching.
Russ won two games in his first season as a head coach in 2022 but had several talented players in the junior varsity and freshman ranks. Once those players achieved varsity eligibility, Crescent City quickly became one of the best small-school teams in the state.
Russ previously experienced winning at Crescent City as an assistant coach to Shaun Dumas, who coached the Pioneers to three state title victories over five seasons before several players followed him to a prep school that played against non-LHSAA affiliated programs.
“When I started from scratch, I had a lot of guys that didn’t play basketball,” Russ said. “I was only able to win two games. I was like, ‘Keep our composure. We’ll get it back together.’ ”
The quick turnaround included a semifinal appearance last season. This season, four of the five losses came against the likes of Carver (twice), Newman and Peabody — each a school that reached the state tournament.
Now, with a roster due to graduate only one senior, Crescent City could rejoin the ranks of Newman — a school with only one senior starter — and others that expect to play for titles every year.