Soaring Eagles repeat as champs

The Lighthouse Christian Preparatory School Soaring Eagles truly started from the bottom with their basketball program in 2004, now are here in 2015 coming off of back-to-back state championships.
The Soaring Eagles are members of the Christian Educators of Louisiana League (ACEL) and have made four state championship appearances coupled with the two titles in 10 years.
Lighthouse head coach Morgan Spraggins said a tremendous amount of athletes have roamed the halls of the school in previous years, but the 2013 squad put it all together.
“We weren’t as athletically gifted last year as we were in the past, but this was the first actual team,” Spraggins admitted. “Because we weren’t as athletically gifted, everybody worked together and the chemistry was really strong; They were the first group of kids that actually believed what I said would work and they stuck to it.”
Senior Trevail Bolden played a huge role in the win, according to Spraggins, but heading into the 2014-15 season, the Soaring Eagles lost Bolden and three other stars on the team, including Abbeville High standout Dre’vian Evans.
Spraggins admitted he was nervous about his team’s chances of repeating.
“The first day we walked in the gym, I took a look and said, we have a bunch a young dudes,” he said. “I thought we would be in trouble. We didn’t play any preseason games this year. The first game we didn’t have any chemistry, but the kids played with heart.
“They had to beat us in double overtime. That was the first time since 2004 we’ve ever lost in overtime. After that game, I thought we might have something to build on.”
Spraggins was right.
The team didn’t lose another game for the rest of the regular season, and entered the playoffs with a No.1 seed and a first-round bye.
Lighthouse earned a trip to the their second straight title game, and trailed by 10 points versus Southwest Lake Charles. Spraggins said that’s when they put the saddle on their stud, Zebulun Green’s back, and rode him to the victory.
“We were down 10 and we started feeding big Zeb (Green),” Spraggins said. Zeb scored 19 points in the second half. He didn’t score anything in the first half.
“We put the saddle on his back. He ran by the bench at one point screaming ‘coach give me the ball. It’s easy down here; give it to me.’ I kind of blew my top a little bit, then we started giving him the ball.”
The talent on theSoaring Eagles’ team starts with Green. He is a 6-foot-8-inch, 245-pound force inside, who has received interests from five schools at the next level, including LSU.
However, the talent doesn’t stop with the big man. The Soaring Eagles had four members of the team earn First Team All-State recognition: Green, Tirone Montgomery, Darius Campbell and Ja’Myri Evans.
The sixth man is a freshman and Second Team All-State selection, Kanzi Spraggins. Javen Bolden was also selected to the second team.
Lighthouse’s junior varsity team also won the state title, with Spraggins leading the way in the championship game with 20 points.
The Soaring Eagles have garnered great success in the ACEL, so why haven’t they moved up to the LHSAA?
“In 2004, we were immediately going to get into the league (LHSAA), but when she ( principal Tiffany Spraggins) found out about the Christian School league, she decided to go with that,” coach Spraggins said.
“After a few years in this league, we were going to make the jump, but that was the year they increased the enrollment numbers. We’re closer now. I think it’s around 70 to get in and I think we’re around 60 kids right now.”
If the Eagles would gain enough students to apply for LHSAA participation, they would likely enter in Class C with schools such as New Living Word, Elizabeth and Summerfield.
Lighthouse is currently on the outside looking in of LHSAA participation, but Spraggins said once they get the opportunity to apply again, they will pounce on it.
“The minute we can (apply), we are going to make a beeline for it,” he said. “I want what’s best for the kids, but at the same time, I feel there is something to be said for a small school in the cane fields, still doing and accomplishing great things on their own; It’s not by us, it’s from the spirit of God.”