Bossier boys basketball defeats Carroll to win fourth LHSAA state championship

The names may change at the top of the heap but one thing that’s never altered is Bossier High’s excellence on the basketball court.

The Bearkats hoisted their fourth state championship boys basketball trophy in a little over a decade Friday with a 40-33 victory over cross-state rival Carroll in the LHSAA Non-Select Division I title game at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

The championship came for coach Justin Collins in his first season and follows titles by former coaches Jeremiah Williams (2011 and 2016) and Nick Bohanan (2020). Bossier has five runner-up finishes since 2005 and a wealth of quarterfinal semifinal spots.

In short, no matter what class or division they’re in, other teams have to account for Bossier. The No. 4 seeded Bearkats (24-10) had to defeat No. 1 seeded Wossman and No. 3 Carroll (25-12) for the 2023 title.

“This is why you work hard and practice, because no one knows when it ends,” Collins said. “If everyone knew we were going to win a championship, I think everybody would work hard. This is a big deal for these guys. They've always said, 'coach we're going to get you one.' I appreciate them for getting me one.”

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The Bearkats held as much as an eight-point second-half advantage, but the Bulldogs whittled it to just 33-32 with about two minutes remaining. But Bossier’s Tahj Roots canned 5 of 6 free throws, while adding a steal and layup in the final minute to seal the contest.

“I'm always the guy they look to close the game out with making free throws. We work on them every day in practice so that I can go to the line with full confidence,” Roots said. “Just knock them down, finish the game out.”

On the steal at the end of the game Roots said “I'm not gonna lie to you, that was pure instinct. If I didn't get that, it was going to end up bad."

Lakavin Thomas was selected the game’s MVP after helping the Bearkats overcome Carroll, which boasted nine seniors. He posted 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

Even though he’s moved into administration, Jeremiah Williams was happy to see his former team win a title just a week after his wife, Gloria Williams, won the LHSAA Girls Division I state title for Parkway in Hammond.

“Awesome to see that the Bearkats are still carrying on the championship level tradition,” said Williams, now the principal at Parkway. “I’m proud of coach Collins and very happy for the Bossier community. Also, good to see the defensive pedigree still intact holding opponents to a 39-point averaged throughout the playoffs. Defense wins championships.”

Cory Diaz of the USA TODAY Sports Network contributed to this report.

Jimmy Watson covers Shreveport-Bossier area sports. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: LHSAA basketball: Bossier defeats Carroll for boys state championship