Field House Fever is catching as real vertical progress gets underway on the new Episcopal athletic field house! To learn more about this new 23,000 square foot facility, click here or contact Spirit • Mind • Body Capital Campaign Director Mellie Bailey at 225-755-2687 or ​baileym@ehsbr.org. You can also watch a video of the foundation being poured and download the field house brochure by clicking here. 

The bats are swinging as baseball season heats up. This year’s group of seniors, Cruz Crawford, Harper Doerr, Aaron Root and Takumi Takei and the rest of the team are excited to move toward tournament season. The Knights are currently 8-2 and will host Riverside next weekend on Friday, March 22nd at 5 pm and Saturday, March 23rd at 11 am. Look for this to be an exciting contest.

Don't miss the upcoming game between the Episcopal Knights and Metairie Park Country Day at Tulane's Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. 

Softball season is underway with numerous opportunities to catch the girls in action. This year’s team is led by senior Kate Oliver and a multitude of juniors. Make plans to enjoy a weekend of softball as the team hosts the Episcopal round robin tomorrow with games at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 28th at 5 pm when the girls host Dunham.

Track and Field action moves outdoors for spring competition. The Episcopal indoor boys team already earned the state championship title and the outdoor group hopes to do the same. The group is led by seniors Trevor Babcock, Louie Ballard, Austin Broussard, Clay Burton, Bryce DeBourg, Brandan Garrido, Raymond Gould, Todd McInnis, Graham Perkins, Davis Singletary, Kirk Singletary, David Whitehurst and Greyson Yorek. The girls team has also had a tremendous year and they hope to continue that success outdoors. The girls are led by seniors Mary Katherine Bolton, Adele Broussard, Madeline Dansky, Caitlin Davis, Riely Heaslip, Claire Hook, Jenny Stauss and Mary Katherine Underwood. After hosting and both teams winning the Episcopal Relays this week, the teams will be in action again on Friday, March 22nd at the West Feliciana Relays and then again on Thursday, March 28th at the Alan Brown Invitational at Broadmoor High School. The state championship meet is set for Friday, May 3rd at LSU.

Metro competition is in full swing. Junior Joe Patterson and freshman Boyd Owens are already having a great season. Look for more from them and the rest of the team as they work toward the Metro Tournament on Tuesday, April 9th in Zachary and the district meet in Lafayette.

The girls golf team is also having a strong season. Senior Riely Heaslip and junior Caroline Glynn are off to an impressive start. Look for them to have a great showing at the Metro Tournament on Monday, April 15th in Zachary.

Mark your calendar for exciting tennis action on Monday, March 18th as Episcopal hosts Dunham. Later that same week the Knights will also host Central on Wednesday, March 20th. Look for seniors James Bruno, Grant Cretin, Ethan Gettys, Carter Rigby, Edward Staib and Emily White on the court as they work toward the LHSAA Regional Tournament. It gets underway on Wednesday, April 17th right here in Baton Rouge, LA. The LHSAA State Tennis Tournament will be on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Good luck to the powerlifting team at this weekend’s state championship tournament!

Once again the boys basketball team made it to the state tournament! After an impressive run and a successful season, the team lost to Country Day in the semifinals. The girls put up an impressive season as well, with the team advancing to the quarterfinals in the state tournament.

Congratulations to Middle School basketball coach Byron Honoré! Coach Honoré, who has led the 8th Grade Knights for 23 years, received the Independent Schools Athletic Association Sportsmanship Award. The yearly honor is voted on by the league’s officials.

Congratulations to the boys indoor track and field team. The squad earned the state championship title. The girls team celebrated their own success by moving up to a sixth place finish this year. Both teams also had individual state champions.

The Boys and Girls Soccer Knights had a great season.  Both teams won a district title and advanced into the playoffs.  The boys squad advanced to the quarterfinals and the girls advanced into the regional round of the playoffs. Congratulations to boys soccer coach Kiran Booluck on being named the District Soccer Coach of the Year!

Episcopal athletics has had tremendous success this year. We are proud of our athletes and coaches for their commitment and dedication. Go Knights!

Despite winter weather woes, the foundation has been poured for the new Episcopal athletic field house! This sets the stage for real vertical progress to begin as beams arrive next week. This 23,000 square foot facility is the first new athletic building to be raised on Episcopal’s campus since the Phillips Gym was built in 1982. With more than 80% of Middle and Upper School students participating in athletics, the need for such an addition on campus is obvious.

“Pouring the foundation is a significant step in the construction process,” says Facilities Director John Kojis. “This eliminates the potential for rain delays going forward.” During next week’s Mardi Gras break, another major milestone will occur as steel beams arrive on campus. These beams will support a facility that will feature sport locker rooms, coaches’ suites, a sports medicine and training room, classrooms, flexible indoor and outdoor event spaces and an enhanced concessions area.

“We are thrilled to see this dream become a reality for our students, coaches and the greater Episcopal community,” says Athletic Director Randy Richard. “We are confident that this facility will have a tremendous impact on our community for decades to come.”

Now is the time for members of the Episcopal community to be a part of that impact. “There are numerous naming opportunities still available,” says Capital Campaign Director Mellie Bailey. “This is a perfect opportunity to honor a past, present or future athlete. Gift options include everything from personalized locker plaques to naming the collaboration spaces, one of the multi-use classrooms or even the Coaches Porch.” Bailey says the design for naming opportunities on the field-side terrace is also in the final stages for anyone who wants to leave their mark near the field.

To learn more about available naming opportunities, check out the Spirit • Mind • Body website here or download the field house brochure that was mailed out in November.  

Watch the video below to see the foundation for the new Episcopal athletic field house being poured. For more information on how you can be a part of this historic project, click here or contact Campaign Director Mellie Bailey at baileym@ehsbr.org or (225) 755-2687.

In sports there are stats, records and titles to defend. There is sweat, tears and blood that runs in team hues. Episcopal athletes are quite familiar with the hard work and dedication it takes to earn those titles and push the body beyond expectations. Soon the Knights will have a new athletic field house to celebrate the school’s scholar/athlete success. The Episcopal coaching staff is eager to go to work in the new facility, including head baseball and football coach Travis Bourgeois.

For more than two decades now, Coach Bourgeois has been a critical component of the Episcopal athletics family and he wouldn’t want it any other way. He has the most wins of any coach in Episcopal football history, taking teams to district championships and the state semifinals. But that’s not all. After coaching girls’ basketball for 15 years, including two final four appearances, Coach Bourgeois took over as head baseball coach in 2015. In just a few short years, his baseball teams have also earned district titles and made trips to the state quarterfinals.

Competition is in Bourgeois’ blood. He grew up the youngest of three boys in a family in which everyone played sports. “We always competed. I knew I was going to lose, but I wanted to play,” he says of competing with his older brothers. Coach Bourgeois’ first coach was his dad, who worked long hours but still made time for little league, pee wee football or whatever sport was in season. By the time Bourgeois was in high school at Donaldsonville’s Ascension Catholic, he played football, basketball, baseball and ran cross country and track. With such a wide range of athletic abilities, he actually didn’t have a favorite sport. “When it was that sport, I was all in.”

It was baseball that provided Bourgeois and his brother Troy the opportunity to go to college in Kansas. Coach Bourgeois packed up a shaker of Tony Chachere’s and joined Troy to play for Pratt Community College. Bourgeois appreciates the opportunity he had to venture out on his own and says the experience taught him to grow up and to wash his own clothes. He also developed a greater appreciation for home and family meals.  With a family tree filled with coaches and a long history in sports, Bourgeois knew what he wanted to do. “I respected my coaches,” he says. “I knew I wanted to get into coaching.” At Pratt, Bourgeois earned Academic All-American honors. He served as the student government vice president and spoke as the student speaker at graduation along with Bob Dole, the Republican presidential nominee in 1996. After graduating from Pratt, Bourgeois enrolled at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. At UAB, he continued his previous success, earning Academic All American team honors in baseball, the Kinesiology Award and Academic All-Conference recognition. After finishing his degree, it was time to return home.
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Bourgeois married his high school sweetheart, Sheila. The two had known each other since freshman year and started dating as seniors. Bourgeois, the outspoken coach and Sheila, the elementary school librarian, have been together through it all. “She’s the calm to my storm,” says Bourgeois.

Upon returning home, Bourgeois also got a job working for his old high school coach Steve Baronich. That job was with the Episcopal Knights as a PE teacher and assistant football coach. Bourgeois says initially he wasn’t sure about signing on with the Knights, after all he’d played against them while at Ascension Catholic. But, the job was an opportunity to learn under the man he admired. Now, 24 years later Bourgeois is still here, having come to embrace the Knights and the community he calls home.  

Coach Bourgeois is consistent. He’s been married 23 years. He’s been at Episcopal 24 years. He hasn’t missed a College World Series in Omaha in 20 years. He even runs three miles a day, six days a week. Part of his secret to success is his ability to treat others as he would want to be treated. He says he learned this after a brief stint as a construction worker one summer during college. He saw what it was like to do a job solely for money and he knew he wanted more. As a coach, Bourgeois also draws on his experience as a parent to treat students fairly. Bourgeois and Sheila have three daughters – recent Episcopal graduate Bailey ’18, sophomore Annslee and sixth grader Elaine.

​Coach Bourgeois is looking forward to the next chapter of Episcopal athletics, including the new athletic field house. “It symbolizes health,” he says of the multi-use facility that will be used for physical education, strength training and interscholastic sports. He says the openness of the design will provide a “welcome feeling for non-athletes who want to take care of themselves” as well as the athletes who are preparing to compete. He hopes students will appreciate the facility and the commitment to health and wellness that it represents. He is also hopeful that the field house instills a stronger sense of school pride among students who find themselves wanting to be more involved.

Bourgeois has been a Knight long enough that his next chapter at Episcopal also includes coaching the children of former students or even working alongside former athletes. Bourgeois was at the helm of the girls’ basketball team when a young Taylor Mims and her teammates went to the final four and he is proud to see how Taylor has grown to become the head basketball coach she is today. He also enjoys sharing coaching duties with former athletes and Episcopal alumni Cody Day ‘15, Charlie O’Brien ‘13 and Jimmy Williams ’97. Such an experience shows that his coaching career has truly come full circle. Coach Bourgeois enjoys being around students and seeing how they develop over the years. He says no matter how much the times change he still strives to instill the lessons he’s learned over the years because that never changes. Continuity, consistency, teamwork and drive are as important today as they were when he first became a member of the Episcopal family so long ago.

We look forward to seeing how this next chapter unfolds. As construction progresses on the new field house there is a sense of anticipation and excitement, similar to that feeling before the start of a new sports season. Don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of the action. Click here to learn more about the giving opportunities still available. What a great opportunity to honor a beloved coach, successful alumni or favorite Knight. Go Knights!

Leave Coach Bourgeois a comment below.

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District titles and playoff wins could not happen without the support and commitment of many, including the Episcopal Squires Club. This service organization supports the school’s entire athletic program, providing the extra support that helps make participation in Episcopal athletics an even more rewarding experience for student athletes.

Over the years, Squires members have done it all. The organization financially supports the coaches’ wish list, which has included items such as a sled for the football team, soccer goals and nets, drum corps equipment and batting helmets. But the wish list is only the beginning.

Years ago when Episcopal first established a baseball program, Squires members rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Members helped build the field, moving dirt and hammering nails. Members also built dugouts for the softball team and raised the original concession stand. “Whatever needs to be done – you organize and do it,” says longtime Squires dad Kelly Root. Root and his wife Stacy have been involved with Squires since 2009 when their oldest daughter began attending Episcopal. Root says the Episcopal Diocese stresses the importance of giving of your time and talent and Squires was the right opportunity for the Roots to do this. “It’s a family affair for us,” says Stacy, who says the experience has allowed her to get to know other Episcopal families.

Lower School religion teacher and Squires faculty liaison Laura Portwood shares the Roots enthusiasm for Squires. Portwood first became involved with the organization in 2006 because she wanted to be a part of what her children were doing. Both the Roots and Portwood stress that Squires is for all Episcopal sports and all athletes.

Another important role of Squires is promoting and building school and team spirit. What better way to do this, than with food? Kelly Root says Squires members cook special team meals and even host tailgating events for the entire Episcopal community. Squires has also sponsored bus trips to ensure the Knights Nation can travel with the teams for playoff action across the state. All of this is in an effort to promote school spirit and the athletes giving their all in competition. “There’s something an athlete feels and feeds off of when they know someone’s behind them,” says Portwood.

Squires is now evolving. Kelly Root says the organization is getting more involved in capital projects, which will make Squires even more valuable to the school. Expect to see a significant Squires presence in the new athletic field house, which is under construction now. Root says this type of involvement will allow the organization to have a more physical and long-term contribution to Episcopal.

“Squires is a representation of how parents and coaches can work together to give our student athletes the best opportunities to succeed,” says former Athletic Director Myra Mansur. Episcopal athletics has experienced tremendous success over the years, thanks in part to the partnership of the school’s coaching staff and the supportive members of Squires. The support of the Episcopal community makes it possible for student athletes to successfully compete in multiple sports, while also excelling in the classroom. As long as there continues to be a Squire behind every Knight, that legacy of excellence with endure.

Want to get involved with Episcopal athletics? Click here to learn more about Squires.

Did you know that members of Squires receive free admission to all Episcopal home games? To receive this benefit and others, become a Squires member by registering here.

In August of 2002, the star of the American Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins was Class of 1997 Episcopal graduate and current Assistant Athletic Director Jimmy Williams. During the matchup, which took place 7,002 miles from Baton Rouge, Williams batted away a pass, forced an incompletion and even sacked Redskins quarterback Danny Wuerffel. Williams had a great game at cornerback that day, but there was much more to the magic than simply pressuring the offense.

While Williams was only a freshman, he was wise enough to recognize that he wanted more out of life than what he saw others settling for. With both parents working long hours he also knew he needed to fill that space between the last bell of class and the time they arrived home. So Williams went for it and explored all the options available to him at Episcopal. Not only did he play football, baseball, basketball and track, but he was also in select choir, theater, ROTC and even Japanese Club. It was his unlikely interest in and skill with the Japanese language that would make him the star of the game just a few years after graduating from Episcopal. Williams was among a group of Baton Rouge students selected to participate in a six week Japanese exchange program during the summer of 1996. While there, the students stayed with several host families and were immersed in the culture. They even attended school with Japanese students. “I got to see a whole different side of the world,” says Williams, and this was only the beginning.

When Williams returned to Episcopal for his senior season, he was heavily recruited by the likes of Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, LSU and even the Toronto Blue Jays. But it was Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee that caught Williams’ attention. “I like Nashville and they stressed academics,” he says. With a full scholarship to one of the top academic institutions in the SEC, Williams earned his degree in human and organizational development with a minor in health and human services. He continued to excel on the football field as a Commodore, being named to the Freshman All-SEC team for his contributions as a running back and later earning All-SEC team honors for his role as a cornerback. In fact, he was so successful that he could have declared for the NFL draft early, but Williams elected to finish his degree.

In 2001, Williams was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. After a brief pre-season stint with the Bills, he got a call from his old Vanderbilt roommate, who was playing with the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers were interested in Williams and wanted him to come to California. In his signature style of going for it, Williams embraced the opportunity and signed on with the team’s practice squad. He remembers arriving at Soldier Field for the matchup against the Bears thinking he wasn’t going to play. Unexpectedly, the coach brought Williams in and said he would, in fact, see playing time and they were actually signing him to the active squad that very morning. After the ink dried on the contract, Williams made his way to the team locker room. Inside he found a jersey with his name emblazoned upon it and it was the best feeling ever.

As a member of the 49ers, Williams made the trip to Osaka, Japan for that American Bowl in 2002. The NFL learned of Williams’ previous high school exchange trip to the city and arranged for all of Williams’ host family members to attend the game. He says they made signs and cheered. He was the star of the game. Williams was named a captain for the team that day and even called the coin toss in Japanese before kickoff. “It was all because of a class at Episcopal,” he says looking back on the experience.

Williams would go on to play for the Seattle Seahawks, the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans. He remembers the Seahawks experience fondly. “Nobody cared who scored as long as we scored,” he says of the camaraderie and team cohesion that existed. Williams signed with the team not long after Hurricane Katrina ravaged his home state and he says his teammates immediately began offering help and support. That teamwork and spirit of brotherhood eventually earned the squad a trip to Super Bowl XL in 2005.

Playing sports has always been about more than wins and losses for Williams. He simply always wanted to be a part of the team. “Once you realize how to be a good teammate playing time takes care of itself,” he says. Looking back on high school, he remembers the bus rides to and from competitions and the shared team meals. He remembers the feeling of family and the importance of the coach within that structure. “Coaches are family,” he says.

Now in 2019, Williams is happy to be a part of the Episcopal family and for the opportunity to support and guide students at his alma mater. He wants students to go for it the way he did when it comes to trying new things. “Get outside of your comfort zone more. True character gets revealed when you’re in an uncomfortable situation,” he says. That is certainly reflective of how Williams has lived his life. When he became an Episcopal ninth grader he was the only African American  student in his class. While the situation could have been uncomfortable, he went for it with courage and determination and says it actually helped him learn more about himself.

Williams’ son Ace is now at his dad’s alma mater. Unlike Williams, Ace became an Episcopal Knight at three years old. Williams hopes his son takes full advantage of the variety of opportunities available to him. As for himself, Williams is taking advantage of the opportunity to focus on his wife, Chandra. With a nomadic football life, the two never had the opportunity to travel for leisure, there was no official honeymoon and there were no free summers. He says his goal now is to support Chandra in the same manner she supported him through the ups and downs of a NFL career. He says he’ll also have his hands full keeping up with young Ace.

​Leave Coach Jimmy Williams a comment below.

After this week’s cold snap, winter is definitely here. Episcopal’s winter sports are heating up just in time to fight the chill with numerous district title opportunities on the horizon. Here’s a look at the outstanding season so far.

​Don’t miss your chance to catch the team in action on the following dates:
Friday, February 1st at 6:30 pm versus Vermilion Catholic on the road
Monday, February 4th at 6:00 pm versus Family Christian Academy on the road
Saturday, February 7th - District tournament

Don’t miss Senior Knight on Tuesday, February 12th. Borskey, Garrido, Harrison and Jemison, along with student manager Bryce DeBourg will be recognized.

Girls Basketball
As the number one seed in the district, the girls team has had a tremendous season. Last Friday, the squad beat rival Dunham during a PINK KNIGHT overtime. The Knights were down by ten with five minutes left in the game and fought back to force the overtime in which they came up victorious. This week Episcopal is hosting the district tournament, giving the Knights home court advantage and a first round bye. Look for senior standouts Anna Scot Hixon and Savannah Hofman to finish their final season strong.

Don’t miss the upcoming hoops action:
Tonight versus Dunham in the second round of the District Tournament at Episcopal
Thursday, February 7th at 6:00 pm versus False River at home for SENIOR KNIGHT

Boys Soccer
DISTRICT CHAMPS! The boys’ soccer team has kicked their way to a division title this season. Look for senior leaders Raymond Gould, Jack Morganti, Eliott Reimann and Garret Spring to guide the team through the playoffs which got underway this week. Episcopal has a bye the first round and home field advantage once play begins.

Congratulations to Eliott Reimann who was selected as a member of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association East West All Star game.

Girls Soccer
DISTRICT CHAMPS! The girls’ team kicked it into high gear this season with a district championship of their own. The girls enter the playoffs for the first time in at least three years. Look for strong play in the final stretch from the team as they travel to Harvey, LA tonight in the first round versus Patrick Taylor Math and Science Academy.

​​Congratulations to the 8th grade girls basketball team! The girls finished second in their division last night. Go Knights!

Congratulations to  our Middle School Soccer Teams on a great season. Read more here​

Field House Update
Construction is underway on the new athletic field house! The multi-use facility will be used for physical education, strength training and interscholastic sports.

​Learn more about this exciting development at https://www.spiritmindbodybr.org/rationale2.html.

Hall of Fame Nominations
Please take a moment to recognize an Episcopal athlete for their continued success after leaving high school by nominating them for the Athletic Hall of Fame. Nominating someone is quick and easy. Simply click this link and complete the form.

Knights on 3! Knights on 3! 1-2-3! KNIGHTS!

This cheer, commonly used by Upper School athletes, has been used by a large group of enthusiastic, spirited and extremely talented Middle School soccer players this year.  The Episcopal Middle School girls and boys Navy teams are both in the Baton Rouge Soccer Club’s Middle School Division I finals! Don’t miss your opportunity to cheer the teams on this weekend.

Girls Navy team - Sunday, January 27th at 5 pm on Burbank soccer field 22

Boys Navy team – Sunday, January 27th at 1 pm on Burbank soccer field 20

The Episcopal girls are undefeated so far this year. In fact, Coach James Moroney says the team’s defense is so strong that they have only allowed one goal over the course of the seven games played. He says he has been impressed with the hard work and maturity exhibited by the players. “They deserve a lot of credit for their success,” he says. “There’s not a lot of quit in them. They have put in a lot of effort to get wins.”

Coach Moroney says when the call came out for Middle School soccer players, 46 girls expressed interest. With such passion and strong talent, Episcopal was able to field two teams. The Navy and Gold teams are comprised of sixth, seventh and eighth graders competing together in a fun atmosphere. While Moroney has coached the Navy team in addition to his role as a math teacher, the Gold team has been led by Taylor Rosson. Moroney says his goal for athletes on both teams is that they improve their game, grow in their understanding of the sport, learn teamwork and enjoy the experience. The Navy team’s winning season has been an added bonus.

The Episcopal boys squad has enjoyed similar success. The Navy team is slated to play in the tournament final with a record of 3 and 3. Coach Jeff McLean says the sixth, seventh and eighth graders have unbelievable talent in soccer, as well as other sports, including football and cross country. While McLean has led the Navy team, Ben Westra has served as coach of the Gold team. Coach McLean, who also teaches Upper School science, says he thinks the experience has helped students develop a sense of school spirit and camaraderie as they come together and wear an Episcopal jersey for the first time as a team.

Both Moroney and McLean look forward to seeing how the Middle School athletes grow and develop as Upper School athletes. “I expect the high school teams to be really competitive in the district with the girls who are coming up,” says Moroney of his Navy squad. “Some of the stuff we do prepares them for the routine of high school practice,” says McLean of the transition athletes make between Middle and Upper School.  The talent on the teams has certainly not gone unnoticed by the Upper School athletic staff.

“We’re thrilled to see our boys and girls Navy teams competing for the DI championship in the BRSC Middle School Soccer League,” says Athletic Director Randy Richard. “We have some extremely talented soccer players in our middle school, something that our varsity coaching staff has been aware of through teaching and coaching these students in PE. It excites all of us to see and hear the excitement of each of these players as they compete to win against other schools in the city.”

Both Middle School teams have enjoyed tremendous support this season, with four coaches and an entire division behind them. Richard says the support from coaches McLean and Moroney has been exceptional. “These two gentlemen stepped in this year as middle school soccer coaches and have poured their heart and soul into their teams,” he says. “Having Episcopal Faculty and Staff coaching Episcopal students makes a huge difference on these teams.”

Both coaches, who are in their first year on staff at Episcopal, say the experience has been a rewarding way to get more involved at Episcopal. “I like interacting with the kids outside of school. You see a different side of students. They are respectful, good athletes,” says Coach McLean. Coach Moroney says as a high school soccer player himself he enjoys being involved with the team now. “I like working with the students and helping them have fun with it,” he says. This weekend’s run at dual championships should certainly be fun.

Good luck Middle School soccer players!

Do you love Middle School sports? Click here to check out the division’s athletics calendar.

Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail, nor even mud could deter them. No, we’re not talking about the post office. We’re talking about members of the Episcopal cross country team. At one of the muddiest, wettest and coldest state championship meets in recent memory, the boys continued their streak by earning their 23rd straight state championship title. The Episcopal girls also came home with a state title of their own. To accomplish this, both squads had to face unpleasantness on the course.

Head Coach Claney Duplechin says in 35 years of coaching cross country he and his teams have faced seven or eight meets with very bad conditions, but nothing to the degree of what the teams faced on November 12th in Natchitoches. There was mud – deep, wet mud that refused to let go of the runners’ legs as they took each stride. It was cold – very cold, in the forties in Louisiana, cold. However, the Knights were undeterred. In fact, Coach Dupe says such conditions are actually ideal for his team. He says regardless of weather conditions practice must go on. “We’re running no matter what,” says Coach Dupe, emphasizing that sticking with a strict schedule allows the team to catch up, and eventually surpass, competitors.

​The mud wasn’t the only thing that made the 2018 state meet special. The Episcopal girls went into the contest ranked behind a Menard team that defeated contenders by 100 points in late October.  However, the Knights worked hard and believed they could finish strong. And they did, beating Menard by six points and bringing the title home. “That was one of my most enjoyable coaching times,” says Coach Dupe. He says there were happy tears among the runners as the boys and girls celebrated as one team - both champions. As Coach Dupe reflects on the long hours and hard work put in by the girls to make their dream a reality, he realizes that this muddy victory truly was special. “It’s just so fun when good people do win,” he says.

Coach Dupe says in the end it won’t be the winning that the athletes remember. “Getting to the winning – working hard to reach a goal,” are what Coach says will matter in the long run. That, and the friendships forged as they trudged through the mud and celebrated each other’s triumphs.

Congratulations 2018 Episcopal Cross Country team!

Go Knights! Good People! Have Fun! State Champs!

For the 23rd straight year, the Episcopal boys brought home the state 2A cross country title. The team finished the year with seven runners in the top 25, including four in the top 10. Congratulations to the 2018 individual state champion, junior James Christian!

The girls came up a big with a 2A state cross country title of their own. The squad also took home the individual state champion and the individual state champion runner-up titles as seniors Adele Broussard and Mary Kathryn Underwood came in first and second.

The Episcopal swim team certainly made a splash at the state meet this week. The boys and girls teams finished third overall. Congratulations on the impressive showing.

Nick Johannessen, Owen Johnson, Ben Levine, Ben Naquin, Boys 200 yard medley relay team - second place

Ben Levine, Boys 50 yard free - second place

​Ben Naquin - Boys 100 yard back - third place and an Episcopal school record

​Abigail Gibson, Girls 500 yard free - third place

Lilli Pellegrin, Girls 100 yard breast, third place

Sara Be, Alexa Ryon Bennett, Abigail Gibson, Emily White, Girls 200 yard free relay - second place

Sara Be, Alexa Ryon Bennett, Abigail Gibson, Emily White, Girls 400 yard free relay - third place

​Nick Johannessen, Evan Jurkovic, Mason LaFerney, Ben Naquin, Boys 400 yard free relay - third place

The Episcopal volleyball team also extended their season. The squad made it to the second round of the playoffs to cap off a strong season on the court.

​Congratulations to the athletes who fought hard all season. We look forward to exciting winter and spring sports ahead. Go Knights!

This week, the football Knights travel to Crowley to take on Notre Dame. The Knights earned their spot in week 11 after defeating Holy Savior Menard at home last Friday night. Senior Austin Jemison gained 190 yards on the ground, including 53-yard and 30-yard scoring runs.

Sitting in the Episcopal athletic department surrounded by the female coaches you get a sense of guts, grit and family. Madeline Gugich, Heidi Hebert, Taylor Mims and Brenna Perez are the real deal. They are 100% committed to team success and, if possible, even more committed to the individual players who wear the numbers that make up their teams.

Deep inside these women, the young girl who loved sports still thrives. Looking back on their time as competitors the coaches list a range of benefits associated with sports. “Being an athlete made me feel like there was nothing I couldn’t do,” said Coach Perez. “I learned how to achieve my goals and the value of having something to work toward,” said Coach Hebert.

Research proves the coaches right. According to “The Girls’ Index: New Insights into the Complex World of Today’s Girls,” there are significant benefits for female athletes, including the following:

• Higher levels of confidence at all ages
• Higher GPAs and a higher opinion of their academic abilities
• Lower rates of social media use and a lower rate of sadness and depression

​Female athletes at Episcopal have a range of sports in which to compete and the benefit of being able to play in multiple sports in a single school year. Since 1990, 29 outstanding female athletes have earned the Episcopal Female Athlete of the Year Award, which has been known as the Annslee Laura Phillips Memorial Award since 2000. Award recipients have continued to develop their athletic abilities even after graduation. Meghan O’Leary, the 2003 award recipient, went on to compete in the 2016 Olympic games as a member of the US rowing team. Other recipients, such as April Brown and Bria Johnson, went on to successful college athletic careers. Coach Mims, who received the award in 2009, even returned home to Episcopal to inspire other female athletes in the same way she was inspired years ago.

​Life as a coach is intense. “We don’t just coach the sport. We coach the life lesson,” says Gugich. Gugich says a good coach is a motivator who inspires athletes to achieve in everything they do. She says she aspires to teach her athletes the killer instinct needed to compete and to persevere.  For Coach Mims, it is important that her athletes learn to fail well. “We fear failure and we have to get students past that,” she says. “I teach athletes to fail in practice and that it is OK because you get better by making errors.”

The coaches admit that team sports were different when they were in the game. “There are more opportunities available now for women,” says Perez, who actually grew up playing on a boys team because the opportunities at the time were scarce for women.  “I hope they realize the opportunities out there for them and that they are capable of doing anything they want to do,” says Hebert.

​Despite the long hours, having to wear their baby on their hip while they run drills and the demands of mothering a team, this group of amazing women would not have it any other way.

“Once an athlete, always an athlete,” says Perez, with unanimous agreement from the others.

Regardless of career pursuits and life aspirations, one thing is certain. The support and strength female athletes gain as a member of a team serves them well throughout their lives. Like the coaches who support them, Episcopal female athletes have guts, grit and a sense of family.

​A coach is like a second mother to female athletes. The lessons learned through athletics influence a player for their entire life. Here is a look at what Episcopal graduates remember about their favorite coaches.

​Episcopal athletics WAS high school. I was lucky enough to play volleyball for Coach Mansur and Coach Price for 4 years. No where else could I have experienced bus breakdowns, across the spectrum teen girl personalities and the shenanigans that go along with them, being State Runner-Ups, and having a Coach of the Year all in one!  Mostly ups, a few downs, and memories that I still hold dear as some of the best ever! I cannot thank Episcopal, Coach Mansur, and Coach Price enough for giving me those!
Anna Hackler Wall
Class of 1996

​My softball coach at Episcopal High School helped shape me into the person I am today. Coach Heidi Hebert was not only my coach throughout the years, she was a second mother to me. She truly helped me through every pitch of every game, and also every event life threw my way. I am truly thankful that our lives crossed paths through EHS athletics!  
Baylee Cifreo
Class of 2014

​Episcopal Athletics taught me that winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. When I look back on my time at Episcopal, I remember many things. I remember locker room talks before running out to “pepper” on the volleyball court, and our bus ride dance party on the way to the Pontchartrain Center for the state tournament. I remember trapping a ground ball out to left field with my foot during my first softball game, and I remember playing drums on the turned over white buckets in the dugout with all of my best friends. I remember hours of soccer practice behind the football field, and sweaty, smelly yellow pennies that coach claims she washed. I remember half time talks where we were losing 3-0 and planning the major comeback, and I remember the dreadfully early 6am warm-ups in the 50 degree weather at Lafreniere Park. But most importantly, I remember the final whistle. Because of my coaches, I have learned that not only in the games, but in life, you must always play to the final whistle. Because of Episcopal Athletics, I am determined to be better for something bigger than myself, and I remember Episcopal Athletics as the biggest building block to my high school successes, and career endeavors. Having the opportunity to give Episcopal athletes what my coaches gave to me, and being able to share my experiences and knowledge with students that also want to be apart of something more than just the game, is why I’m happy to forever be an Episcopal Knight.
Sadie Spring
Class of 2016

I was born around sports and grew up loving them. Being a coach’s daughter at Episcopal wasn’t the easiest, but the Episcopal coaches became a second family. From playing sports, I learned that winning is not everything. Though it is what you want the most, that’s not always the case at a school like ours. What’s most important is the friendships and family built on a team. Each year in high school, being on a team became more and more important to me because I was one year closer to never having a close feeling like that again. The Episcopal coaches care more about who you surround yourself with and your own well being before your win-loss record. At the end of the day, I don’t remember the score to any regular season game. I remember the feeling of winning the softball district championship my senior year playing with my sister, and I remember the final out of the playoff game knowing I was never going to play the sport of softball again. The Episcopal coaches taught me to have such a passion for sports. Episcopal athletics has shaped me into a better person. Without it, Episcopal would have been different for me. I will never forget the coaches who have taught me lifelong lessons and I will never forget the valuable memories made on the field, on the court, and off.
Bailey Bourgeois
Class of 2018

Episcopal coaches will soon have a new Athletic Field House in which to work. To learn more about the project click here.