Ursin, Butler earn 5A Player, Coach of Year honors
Destrehan basketball star Cara Ursin has left a tough act to follow, that much is for sure. The Baylor signee already has been named the girls basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, the only player in state history to earn the award three times. She was named Outstanding Player of the Class 5A championship, the MVP of Class 5A and of her district.
And now, for the second straight year, Ursin has been named Louisiana’s Miss Basketball by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA), cementing her as the consensus choice as the state’s top player once again.
Ursin joins Kisha James (1997-98), Seimone Augustus (2001-02), and Kalani Brown (‘14 and ‘15) as the only repeat winners in state history after leading the Wildcats to a 35-0 record and the first state championship in school history.
She’s not the only DHS figure honored by the LSWA, which recently released its Class 5A All-State team. Ursin was named the Outstanding Player of Class 5A, while Destrehan head girls basketball coach Angi Butler was named 5A Coach of the Year.
Destrehan’s Kiki Kenner and Brandi Mason each earned All-State honorable mention.
Ursin averaged 28 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and four blocks per game, shooting 70 percent from the field and 52 percent from 3-point range in her senior season.
Ursin performed her best in her team’s biggest moments. In the Class 5A state championship game against Barbe, she helped make the difference in a down-to-the-wire classic: Ursin finished the game with 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as she led her team to victory, sealing a perfect season wrapping up championship game MVP honors.
Butler, who made the decision in 2014 that she would coach through the senior season of her 2017 class before stepping down, finished her seven-year run with the Wildcats with a season that earned her first All-State Coach of the Year award. The 20-year coaching veteran led Destrehan to five consecutive district championships and a record of 120-8 over the past four seasons, which included quarterfinalist, semifinalist and state runner-up finishes to go with the state crown.
Butler is stepping down from the coaching perch she took seven years ago in order to focus on her position as a school administrator and on pursuing her administration certification. Butler accepted a position as Destrehan’s staff development coordinator in 2014.
Joining Ursin on the 5A All-State first team was Ponchatoula sophomore Hailey Giaratano, John Curtis freshman Jerkalia Jordan, McKinley sophomore Alexius Horne and Barbe junior Brandi Williams. The 5A second team consists of New Iberia senior Morgan Carrier, Pineville senior Krystal Freeman, Natchitoches Central junior Jolie Williams, Evangel sophomore Tiara Young and Zachary junior Rayah Hayes.
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