North Vermilion's Windmon grabs parish MVP honors

By Jordan Arceneaux, Sports editor

North Vermilion senior Jordan Windmon was recognized as the Vermilion Parish MVP and Abbeville head coach Berwick Hamilton earned coach of the year honors in the parish.
Windmon led the Patriots to a berth in the Class 3A playoffs after finishing second in the District 6-3A standings in the regular season. The senior guard was recognized as the district MVP, an award he said was goal he set at the beginning of the year.
“Being district and parish MVP my senior year was a goal I set after my junior year when I was named co-MVP,” Windmon said. “Just going out on the court, doing what I loved, and giving it my all was something I wanted to accomplish. When my team needed me the most, I showed up and finished strong through every game and was able to lead my team to the playoffs.”
The senior guard was also recognized as the district MVP. His tenacity on defense and relentless attitude when attacking the rim proved to be a spark for the squad under head coach Jack LeBlanc.
“He was our best defender and as a senior he was very accepting of his role as far as the challenge of guarding the other team’s best player,” LeBlanc said. “We put him in the high post and he was willing to accept that role. It put him closer to the basket. He was able to score a lot of points in transition because of his defense and quickness.”
Windmon played plethora of roles for the team and led by example, according to LeBlanc.
“Jordan was a quiet guy,” LeBlanc said. “He wasn’t an outspoken guy. He did a good job of accepting his role; accepting the task that was given to him. That was the best trait about his leadership; as a senior, always willing to do what’s best for the team. I’m going to miss him.”
Windmon admitted he was happy to be named the MVP of the district and parish and that he would miss playing at North Vermilion, but new challenges await at the next level.
“When I found out I was given the title of MVP, I was thankful to be in that position and it meant a lot to me,” he said. “My senior year was amazing and tough at the same time, but my teammates and I always found a way to come together and finish as a team. I’m going to miss playing basketball in high school, but I’m hungry to play at the next level. I am so grateful to be in the position I’m in.”
Joining Windmon on the All-Parish First Team is his teammate Mike Bessard, Abbeville’s Isaiah Antoine and Dre’vian Evans and Vermilion Catholic freshman Tre’vian Lane.
Bessard was the leading scorer for the Patriots on the year and proved to be an inside and outside presence on a team that lacked true size. The senior was a matchup nightmare for teams regularly.
Antoine led the Wildcats in scoring and was awarded the MVP of the Yuletide Tournament in December. He possessed the ability to stretch the floor and hit 3-pointers, as well as putting the ball on the floor to attack the basket.
Antoine and Evans were the main catalysts for the Wildcats winning the district and earning a No. 20 seed in the playoffs.
Evans was the floor general and an extension of coach Hamilton on the floor. His unselfishness helped elevate the Wildcats from the doldrums of an 0-7 start to the success they garnered at the end of the year.
He set the school record for assists with 14 in the Yuletide Tournament against Marksville.
Lane, a freshman, showed extreme versatility and an ability hit perimeter shots; a skill that few players with his size at his age possess. He was asked to do a lot for a young VC squad and delivered for the most part.
Hamilton led the Wildcats to a 9-1 district record and to a playoff matchup against Booker T. Washington.
After starting 0-7, the Wildcats won 17 out of their next 20 games to close the year out.

FIRST TEAM
Player School
Jordan Windmon MVP North Vermilion
Mike Bessard North Vermilion
Isaiah Antoine Abbeville
Dre’vian Evans Abbeville
Tre’vian Lane Vermilion Catholic

SECOND TEAM
Player School
Jalen Bates Kaplan
Malik Criner Gueydan
Jourdan Brooks Abbeville
Elijah Mitchell Erath
Brayton Trahan Delcambre

Coach of the Year: Berwick Hamilton, AHS