Vote: Who Should be the Louisiana High School Athlete of the Week? - Feb. 16, 2026

Here are the candidates for Louisiana High School on SI's Athlete of the Week; scroll through the nominations and make your pick!

AOTW

Who was the top athlete in all of Louisiana high school sports last week?

Each week, High School on SI scours The Pelican State and corrals the top performers across all high school sports from the past week.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT Sunday, February 22. The winner will be announced in the following week's poll.

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Congrats to last week's winner, Collin Banks of East Iberville boys basketball!

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This Week's Candidates

Allie West, Jr, Buckeye girls basketball

West helped her team enter the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak. The Panthers (22-6), No. 5 in the Division II select power ratings, downed Bolton, Glenmora and Providence Classical. In a previous 50-42 win over Jena (20-8), which was undefeated in district play, West scored 18 points with seven rebounds and a steal.

Landen DeRouen, Jr, Erath baseball

DeRouen got off to an incredible start for the Bobcats, last year's Division III nonselect runner-up to Sterlington, batting .833 (10 for 12) with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs in four games while facing pitching from the likes of Teurlings Catholic and Sulphur, both large school state contenders.

Kellen Brewer, Jr, Metairie Park Country Day boys basketball

The 6-foot-4 junior scored 25 points with seven dunks in limited action in an 82-60 win over St. Charles Catholic, according to Richie Mills of WGNO. The defending Division III select champs are 18-6 and No. 3 in the Division III select power ratings (seven-game winning streak).

Prai Nelson, Sr, Denham Springs girls basketball

The Yellow Jackets upended Division I nonselect No. 2 Prairieville 70-52 to win the District 5-5A title. Nelson, who reached the 1,000-point mark earlier this month, scored 13 of her 20 points in the second half, according to William Weathers of The Baton Rouge Advocate. The Yellow Jackets (20-9) are No. 7 in the power ratings.

Tyrie Spencer, Sr, Northshore boys basketball

The Panthers won their sixth straight game with a 70-40 trouncing of Covington. Spencer scored 17 points, according to the Northshore Prep Report. Northshore High is 19-9 and No. 10 in the Division I nonselect power ratings.

Jolie West, Sr, Pine Prairie girls basketball

West scored her 1,000th career point for the Panthers, who are much improved with a 16-16 record entering the Division III nonselect playoffs. Once basketball season ends, West will be a key component for the powerhouse softball program.

Michael Kelly, Jr, Ferriday boys basketball

The 6-foot-5 forward surpassed 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for the Trojans, who beat Mangham 57-31 and Grant 78-37. Ferriday (27-2) is No. 1 in the Division IV nonselect power ratings.

Cayden Lancelin, Soph, Westgate boys basketball

The 16-5 Tigers (No. 5 in Division I nonselect) enjoyed their highest scoring output of the season in a 93-77 win over Northside. Lancelin poured in 29 points with eight rebounds and five assists for coach Oliver Winston's team.

Elijah Daugherty, Jr, Sulphur boys basketball

Sulphur (25-4) overcame a four-point deficit to defeat Carencro and clinch at least a share of the District 3-5A title for the second straight season, according to Rodrick Anderson of The American Press. Daugherty finished with 17 points, four rebounds and two assists with clutch consecutive 3-pointers. The Tors are No. 8 in the Division I nonselect power ratings.

Madi Derouen, Sr, South Beauregard girls basketball

The Lady K's captured their fifth straight district title with their ninth straight win over Westlake, which had only three losses on the season. DeRouen scored 13 points with a string of three 3-pointers in the 38-33 win at home in Longville. South Beauregard (20-8) is No. 6 in the Division II nonselect power ratings.

MJ Thibodeaux, Soph, Midland girls basketball

In a District 6-2A battle of teams that are No. 1 in their divisions, Midland erased a 10-point deficit to defeat Lafayette Christian 56-52. Thibodeaux scored 21 points, according to Eric Narcisse. The Rebels (25-7) swept the Division III select Knights in two league games.

Jabari Levingston, Soph, Lincoln Prep boys basketball

Levingston led the Panthers to a 48-43 win over Arcadia that secured the district title, according to T. Scott Boatright of The Lincoln Parish Journal. The 6-foot-2 sophomore totaled 12 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Lincoln Prep (24-3) is No. 1 in the Division IV select power ratings.

Derrick Charles, Sr, Beau Chene boys basketball

Charles collected 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals to propel the Gators to a district win over Breaux Bridge. The win was critical for the Gators, who are in contention for the final Division II nonselect playoff spot at No. 28 in the power ratings. The game was also huge for No. 27 Breaux Bridge. The top 28 teams make the postseason.

Landon Rolland, Sr, Haughton baseball

The Buccaneers went 3-2 in the opening week, including a 7-0 win over Glenbrook Academy in which Rolland threw six innings with seven strikeouts (allowed three hits). He also scored two runs, according to Jimmy Watson of The Shreveport Times.

Antonio Dixon, Sr, Huntington boys basketball

The Raiders (18-8) downed Byrd 77-72 in a District 1-5A contest as Dixon scored 25 points and grabbed four rebounds. The 6-foot-5 senior has 1,000 career points and over 600 rebounds.

Landon Tinsley, Fr, Anacoco boys basketball

The Indians (31-4), who are No. 1 in the Class B power ratings, overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Fairview 45-31. Tinsley scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and six deflections.

Tanner Jones, Sr, Southside boys basketball

The Sharks pulled off a 53-44 come-from-behind win after trailing by 19 points in the first half to District 3-5A rival Acadiana. Jones scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and made five straight shots for Southside (16-13), which is No. 22 in the Division I nonselect power ratings.

Dallas Doucett, Fr, John F. Kennedy boys basketball

Doucett came off the bench to score 21 points as the Cougars won a district game over De La Salle to lengthen their winning streak to 15 games, according to Spencer Urquhart of The New Orleans Advocate. John F. Kennedy (22-7) is No. 6 in the Division II select power ratings.

Ty Lamartina, Sr, Acadiana baseball

The Wreckin' Rams defeated defending Division II select champion Teurlings Catholic 10-2. Lamartina, who began the game at catcher, had two hits with a home run and two RBIs, and the future Northwestern State Demon pitched four innings of one-hit shutout relief with five strikeouts get the win on the mound.

About Our Athlete of the
Week Voting: High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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