That the Destrehan girls basketball team is dominating its summer competition won’t surprise many. That the Lady Wildcats are essentially doing it with a split-squad roster, however, should be truly frightening for future opponents.
Destrehan played in a pair of tournaments this summer and have gone 11-1 against the competition, its lone loss coming to Pontchatoula, which felled Destrehan in last season’s Class 5A semifinal. The Wildcats played in tournaments at Nicholls State and LSU, with notable victories coming against Rayne (a Class 4A quarterfinalist), South Lafourche and Gulfport High School of Florida.
DHS coach Angi Butler said the team has been playing with four varsity players from last season mixed with a group of J.V. and incoming players, but continuity has built quickly.
“It really shows the depth of our team,” Butler said.
“We can play without a key player or key players and we’ve got girls who can step up and make an impact. What I’ve really liked is how our veteran players have helped our younger girls. That’s been really nice to see.”
Butler and her team have seen unprecedented success over the past two seasons. Destrehan earned a trip to the Class 5A semifinals in 2015 and the 5A state championship game in 2014. Destrehan went 27-3 last season, including a dramatic 90-87 quarterfinal win over longtime nemesis Mount Carmel. 26 of Destrehan’s 27 wins came by double figures, 18 of those by 20 points or more.
Forward Cara Ursin has been at the forefront of Destrehan’s surge into Louisiana’s elite over the past two seasons. Ursin was named Louisiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year for her sophomore season of 2014: she averaged 26.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 6.9 steals per game for the Wildcats, making a big leap after what was a sensational freshman campaign.
“She’s growing up,” Butler said. “You look at her as a freshman, when she averaged 15 points per game, and she improved that by over 11 points. Not only is her game growing, but she’s becoming an outspoken leader. She’s not quiet anymore. She’s taking that role seriously and you can already see it this offseason.”
Ursin is one of the Destrehan players playing with the summer team, Ursin electing to do so over taking the opportunity to play on an AAU travel team.
“That’s big,” Butler said. “She didn’t want to get burned out by splitting her time between both. She wants to be here setting the example for her teammates.
“And the thing with Cara is, she doesn’t need that kind of exposure. Everyone knows who she is (at the next level) and they’re coming out to see her.”
Butler said Ursin has been attempting to improve her vertical leap over the summer, with a goal of being able to dunk with two hands — she can already dunk with one — in mind.
Others who are expected to play big roles next season include 5’8” forward Brandi Mason and 5’7” guard Kyrsten Kenner, who will each be juniors in the 2015-16 season.
Three seniors depart from last season’s semifinalist, including Lamitra Wells, Jasmine Morris and Tiera Melancon.
Butler, however, has high hopes for the incoming group of young players, including transfer shooting guard Sierra Samuels, who will be a freshman next season.
“She’s aggressive,” Butler said. “She’s not afraid of the pressure of playing with the varsity. That’s key, because it’s a big jump in competition level. She’s played really well this summer and seems ready to step up.”
The team will play in no more tournaments this summer, but Butler already has cast an eye on conditioning, which begins the second week of the school year.
“We’re going to probably run with eight to 10 players (in the rotation) this year,” she said, “so with a shorter rotation, conditioning is going to be even bigger.”
As for next season, Butler minced no words: after getting to the Top 28 two seasons in a row, the team’s aim is nothing short of taking home a state championship.
“(Against Pontchatoula) we shot 23 percent in that semifinal,” Butler said. “That never happens to us. We didn’t play well, or maybe more accurately, we didn’t shoot well. We want to get back and finish strong.”
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