Category: Sports

 

The DHS soccer team has been kicking and screaming – screaming “Victory,” that is! After their most recent 2-1 win against Benjamin Franklin High School on Monday Jan. 30, DHS has brought their record to 20-3-4.

The soccer team celebrated senior night in style, with goals from senior Marcelle Kepper, attacking midfielder, and sophomore Lizzie Algero, defensive midfielder.

With only three losses and four ties, the soccer team’s state ranking has jumped to 6th. Their successful record shows the team is playing well with the potential to make it to the state round.

Because of their top 8 finish in the regular season, DHS has earned a bye for the first round of the playoffs. They will meet Dutchtown High School in the second round.

On Saturday, Jan 28, DHS tied number 3 ranked MCA 0-0 in a back and forth game, bringing their district record to 4-0-1 and naming them district runner-up for the 2016-2017 season.

Chasing redemption from last season and a state title, the team is powering through the competition.

This recent victory followed district wins over John Ehret High School, Chalmette High School, Archbishop Chapelle High School and Grace King School among several others, including Bonnabel High School, Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph’s Academy and Metairie Park Country Day.

The team’s success is a product of not only hard work but team work. By sticking to the four ingredients of the season – family, dedication, respect, and redemption – the team is smashing its goals according to Mr. Al Silvas, head coach.

“It’s really fortunate that we’re so close as a team,” said senior Olivia Finger. “At the end of the day, we are playing for one another, and we just want success for one another.”

And success is what they’re getting. Their 20 wins and number 6 ranking puts them in good shape for the upcoming matches. Their work is not over, however.

Mr. Silvas is confident in the team’s ability to be successful in the playoffs. As long as the team continues to stay connected, dedicated and respectful to their soccer family while still maintaining their focus on playing as well as they have, the team has a good shot in the playoff rounds.

Follow DHS as they take on the competition in the 2017 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Girls’ Soccer State Championship playoffs in their first match on Feb. 7.

– Jailyn Heisser

The Dominican Basketball Team has been driving toward the goal all season, including their Jan. 30 game against Archbishop Chapelle High School.  DHS celebrated with a 28-26 victory over the Chipmunks.

This season, the team’s record is 22-8 as of Feb. 2, with Dominican winning the majority of its home games.

Previously, DHS fought a close game against Mount Carmel Academy on Jan. 26, which ended a 39-41 loss. On Jan. 23, the team gave it their all in the first district game of the season against John Curtis Christian School but fell to the Patriots.

“Even though the team knew this was going to be a tough game, we did well defensively and executed on offense,” said Mr. Ryan Reuter, basketball coach. “The team and I are always hopeful for the next game.”

In a nail-biting game against Riverside Academy on Jan. 18, DHS took home a 38-31 win. Previously, the team dominated in their home games against St. James High School and Metairie Park Country Day School, winning both games by ten points.

DHS competed in the semi-finals in their past two tournaments. At the 7th Annual Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic Tournament on Jan. 5-7, sophomore small forward Ahjah Yunusah was named to the Allstate Sugar Bowl All-Tournament Team because of her outstanding performance as one of the top scorers in the tournament.

“I am grateful and honored to be given this award,” said Yunusah.

“Our team is doing extremely well, considering we have a young team,” said senior Adelia Obioha, power forward.  Obioha has been the leading scorer all season, with an average of 11.3 points per game. Following closely behind, Yunusah averages 8.3 points per game. Both these high scorers are varsity starters. Rounding out the varsity roster are eighth grader Grace Hamblin, freshmen Alyssa Helwig and Kylie Barre’, sophomore Laynie Tierney, junior Mackie Smith, and seniors Caitlin Sullivan and Kayla Gibson.

The teamwork displayed in the games has helped the team to have a winning season. Mr. Reuter believes that the mix of under and upperclassmen on this year’s team is beneficial overall because it has pushed the girls to work harder.

“At the daily practices, the team works hard with certain drills to prepare for upcoming games,” said Sullivan, center. In the past three months, Sullivan has had nearly forty blocks.

“The team has had a good look at how far we can go, and we believe that we can make it to the state playoffs,” said Barre’, guard, who has had over seventy assists this season. The state playoffs will begin on Thursday, Feb. 23, followed by the Girls Top 28 State Tournament on March 2-4.

DHS will honor its senior players in the game against Mount Carmel on Feb. 6. On Feb. 9, the Basketball Team’s last district game is a rematch against Chapelle.

– Madeline Puente

Soccer and basketball are back in action! The DHS Soccer and Basketball Teams are ready and waiting for the competition.  

The DHS Soccer Team geared up for the new season with scrimmages starting in early November and later with games. The team has a record of 6-2-2 as of Dec. 12, with wins against Fountainbleau High School, Isidore Newman School, Barbe High School, Baton Rouge Magnet High School and Gulfport High School.

Additionally, the Soccer Team won  in the 13^th Annual Soccer Classic on Dec. 3, hosted by Dominican. Senior Marcelle Kepper, midfielder, kicked the winning goal to defeat BR Magnet High School 1-0 in a competitive championship matchup. Kepper’s goal was in result of a cross from sophomore Lizzie Algero, midfielder.

“This team is special because we are so tight knit. We share one common desire: the will to win,” said senior Maddie Wadkins, goalkeeper.

Mr. Al Silvas, soccer coach, is preparing his team for upcoming tournaments in the new year and the Mandeville Holiday Classic over Christmas break. Mr. Silvas and the team are working each day to reach their goal of going deep into the playoffs and competing for a state championship title.

“Family, dedication, redemption and respect are the four ingredients for the 2016-2017 soccer season,” said Mr. Silvas. “Upperclassmen and underclassmen are needed to win a game. Everyone needs to contribute in order for us to be successful, and that is why teamwork is emphasized so much in this program.” 

The DHS Basketball Team had its season debut on Nov. 15 with a 43-31 victory over Grace King High School, and the team’s record is 10-3 as of Dec. 12.

DHS took first place at the De La Salle High School Basketball Tournament, held Dec. 1-3.  Dominican defeated Riverdale High School, Sacred Heart Academy and St. Scholastica Academy to take the tournament championship. Senior Adelia Obioha, power forward, put up a whopping 22 points against St. Scholastica in the championship game of the tournament.

“We all work really well together,” said senior Caitlyn Sullivan, center, about her fellow teammates. “We have a lot of talent on this team and the season has been off to a great start.”

“I’m seeking to keep the season competitive with a busy tournament schedule and looking for each player to play their roles in each game,” said Mr. Ryan Reuter, basketball coach.

The basketball team’s next matchup is Friday, Dec. 16 against St. Katherine Drexel Preparatory School, and their next tournament is December 27-29 at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge.

– Morgan Forshag

 

The Swim Team made a splash by placing fourth overall in the LSHAA High School State Swimming Championship. The team, joined by over 20 other Louisiana schools, competed for the title of state champion in Sulphur, Louisiana, on the weekend of November 18.

Nearly every swimmer from Dominican who competed in the State preliminaries returned for the finals the following day. Sophomores Brie Duhe, Emma MacMahon and Hannah Morris, and seniors Catharine Carr, Emily Wilson, and Kaylan Smith were among the top 8 finalists statewide.

Two swimmers, Morris and MacMahon, competed and placed individually among other schools in Louisiana. Morris placed first in the 500 freestyle and second in the 200 freestyle, and MacMahon placed third in the 200 individual medley.

The team also competed with a quartet consisting of Wilson, Smith, MacMahon and Morris, who placed second overall in the 200 medley relay.

Ms. Erin Baker, moderator, believes that “the swimmers’ support for each other, whether it be going behind the blocks or cheering from the sides, really pushed the team to do so well in State.”

The DHS Swim Team began their habit of winning early in the season. They finished second out of 25 high schools from the Northshore and Southshore areas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Metro Championship Meet, held Oct. 29 at UNO’s Aquatic Center.

Wilson, a member of this swim team for the past 4 years, said that the bond of this year’s team was not only evident in the pool, but outside, too. “I think that this year’s team was really close, and it was awesome to share my last swim meet with such a close-knit group of swimmers.”

– Claire Dinwiddie

They bumped, they set, and they spiked! The DHS volleyball team finished their season for the 2016-2017 school year by playing two rounds in the state playoffs, ending with a record of 17-24.

In the first round of playoffs on Nov. 2, Dominican’s volleyball team came out victorious in their game against Ponchatoula High School with scores of 25-10, 25-10, and 25-14. They went on to play in their second round on Nov. 5, but unfortunately fell to St. Joseph’s Academy.

Despite the loss to St. Joseph’s Academy, the team showed their prowess on the court. Senior Caitlin Sullivan finished with seven kills. Senior Adelia Obioha led Dominican with 12 kills and two blocks. Additionally, juniors Sarah Wild had 13 digs, Payton Nunez had 12 digs and Alexis Ceravola had eight assists.

 

 

The team finished their season with bittersweet memories. Though they did not continue to the another round of playoffs, the girls walked away with valuable lessons and memorable experiences. “I can definitely say we’ve improved since last season,” said senior Carlin Dougherty. “Every year we’ve gotten better, and the lessons we learned this season is going to help our younger teammates for their next one.”

One of the highlights of the season includes the district game against Archbishop Chapelle High School. On Oct. 21, the team defeated their opponent at Chapelle in five sets. Junior Sara Wild had 16 kills to lead Dominican, and senior Adelia Obioha had 11 kills and 6 blocks. The game was a tough match for the girls, but they pulled through and won with a score of 25-27, 27-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-13.

As she reflected on the season, Mrs. Jessica Chatellier, volleyball coach, noted the team had incredible leadership by the senior players. Throughout the season, seniors Obioha, Dougherty, Sullivan, Sarah Wolff and Erin Malone kept the team together with their optimism and encouragement towards their teammates, according to Mrs. Chatellier.

– Lauren Nguyen

Dominican’s Cross Country Team sprinted for joy as they placed fourth in the State Meet held in Natchitoches on Nov. 15.

“I was so proud of the girls at State because they worked hard and gave it their all,” said Ms. Ashlyn Ciolino, coach.

At State, senior Emily Doyle crossed the finish line in just over twenty minutes to place as one of the top twenty runners. Doyle was also named to the 2016 Louisiana High School Association All Academic 4.00 Scholar Cross Country Team. In order to be selected for this honor, Doyle had to play the sport for two years, be a senior, and have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average.

The team took on State fueled by their first-place finishes in the previous three meets. On Nov. 4, the Cross Country Team made history by winning the first ever Regionals Meet with sophomore Colette Carriere placing third place overall.

The team winning the first Regionals Meet, where all the 5A schools in New Orleans area and River Parishes competed, was important because “this is not just a win for our team but for our athletics program overall,” said Ms. Ciolino.

During the District meet on Oct. 25, the team won first place with junior Ady Becker leading in fifth place. Previously, in the Oct. 15 Metro Championship, Doyle placed third with Redfearn following in sixth place.

The Cross Country Team had a “great season because the team worked harder than ever as we overcame some challenges,” said senior Sam Messonnier. A pleasant surprise for Messonnier this year was to see how dedicated the underclassmen were, especially eighth graders Kate Nolan and Sydney Raymond, who participated in the State meet. Freshman Erin Sequeira’s favorite part of this year was bonding with her teammates outside of her grade.

Doyle has high hopes for the future Cross Country Team. “I know the underclassmen are going to be amazing runners in coming years,” said Doyle. “They pulled our team together and gave our state team a solid backing.”

– Madeline Puente