November 22, 2012. Or maybe to be more technical, it was the wee hours of the morning on November 23.
I had to Google the day. But it’s a day I will never forget. Firstly because Robert Griffin III torched my Cowboys that Thanksgiving.
But also, it was the day that I made a lifelong friend in Jerwaski Coleman.
It was that day that I was convinced that my new friend would become a championship coach and a person who would positively impact the lives of hundreds of basketball players in our area – something that he spoke into existence to me on that day and has now made a reality.
It was in a hotel lobby in Neville. It was Thanksgiving Day. Coleman was an assistant football coach for the Terriers at the time and the team was in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. I was blessed to bus with the team to north Louisiana to cover the game.
We had a Thanksgiving feast in the hotel banquet room, the kids went off to bed and it was 10 p.m. Anyone who knows me knows I am not about to go to sleep at 10 p.m., so I got out my room and walked around. Some of the coaches were hanging out with friends and family in rooms, but I am also not a social butterfly, so I settled on a bench in the lobby with Jerwaski Coleman.
“I can’t sleep,” he said. “Too amped up.”
So here we sat. At about 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving night 5 hours away from home – two strangers chopping it up and talking shop.
Coleman asked me about myself. I explained to him my passion for sports and my love for what I do. He explained to me his shared passion as a teacher and coach and how he wanted to shine light on as many players in our area as he possibly could.
“They’re out there,” he told me. “We just need to get them that exposure. We need more people like you who can get it.”
The conversation continued. We took a liking to one another. We drank a few beers. And before we knew it, it was 4 a.m. on Friday morning.
We both got up, shared a bro-hug, then retired for the night.
On that day, I knew Jerwaski Coleman would be a championship coach. On that day, I knew he was a friend. Not just a casual friend, but a real one. Someone who really, legitimately has your back. To this day, I give him that same bro hug every time I see him. When By-U Sports hosted the Alexis Morris Basketball Camp, Coleman reached out to me and offered to work the camp. It was on his birthday. I offered to pay him. He didn’t let me. That’s the kind of dude he is. When Vandebilt had to forfeit their spot in the Top 28 last year, we talked on the phone for an hour. I told him they’d be back in 2025. He agreed. He told me they’d would win it. They did.
This past week when I saw him for the first time post-title, we shared that same bro-hug. I told him how proud I was of him. We looked back, laughed and shared a couple jokes about that night in Neville – where it all started for our friendship.
Now let’s get back into the Way Back Machine.
The year was 2017 …
I was sitting in the Lockport Middle School Gym. It was the Biddy International Tournament and I was a volunteer helping to make sure things flowed smoothly.
It was April 3, 2017 to be exact. I know that because it was the night North Carolina beat Gonzaga to win the NCAA Tournament. Isn’t it crazy how I can remember dates based on sporting events?
The tournament was just about wrapped up, so I was doing more spectating than working.
The TPR girls’ basketball team was playing and I was absolutely amazed at the talent I saw on the floor.
Kevin Johnson was coaching the team. The team had talent, speed, athleticism, skill. They were amazing. Kevin’s daughter played on the team: Journee Johnson, who is now a Vandebilt junior sensation. Others on the team included Tyanna Stewart, also a standout Terrier.
These Vandebilt girls have played together their whole lives – starting in TPR and then also for multiple seasons at the prep level. I have Biddy photos of the team I saw in 2017. I also have photos of the Charles twins, Neal Grace Berry, Tyrian Johnson and others.
We all knew there was a storm brewing locally when those kids got to the prep level.
I left the gym convinced that night that those kids were probably among the deepest collection of youth talent that I had ever seen.
They overwhelmed opponents with their skill. They had it all. More important than that, they all got along and enjoyed one another off the floor.
I knew this crew would have future college basketball players on it. If they all stayed together (which is tough in Houma with so many schools), I knew they’d become champions.
It also helps that that Houma blood got a little taste of my Bayou as Maddie Dufrene joined the crew and had a big role in the team’s successes. Maddie is another great kid and blended in so well with those kids.
January 11, 2022 … at the Lockport Recreation Center
Hurricane Ida wrecked our community, forcing South Lafourche to play home games on the road. Most of you guys know I do radio play by play for Tarpons games.
On this particular game, I was joined by Coach Brett Crosby on commentary.
The Bayou Bully was born.
I knew a few of the ladies on Vandebilt’s team, but on this night, a post player dominated the game: Makayla Charles. She controlled the paint, dominated the glass and was a force with second-chance points. I introduced myself to her after the game and did a video interview. I learned then that she was a freshman, which amazed me.
She was well-spoken and poised for a 9th grader. She handled the interview well. After it was over, she told me something I will never forget.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Sir,” she said. “I really appreciate you shining light on me.”
On that night, I left convinced that, yes, Makayla Charles is a great player. But she also was a leader and a champion – the type of player who others will rally around and gravitate towards.
In the years that have followed, I have gotten to know the Charles twins better and follow them on social media. They are great kids from a great family. I celebrated when Makayla committed to Nicholls. I hurt when she tore her knee up this summer and had her senior season jeopardized.
I jumped up and shouted when she took over the game in the fourth quarter of the State Championship Game.
Some kids just make an impact. Those twins did. They will forever be champions.
March 16, 2025 … sitting in my office chair
I type this column to say that I am not surprised that Vandebilt won the 2025 girls’ basketball State Championship. I write this column to say that this is something that has been brewing for a long, long time.
But it doesn’t make me any less happy, nor any more proud.
Sincerely, from the By-U Sports team to our family of Terriers: Congratulations on an amazing season!
We had a feeling this was coming, but it doesn’t make it any less special!
Winners win, and you ladies … and your coach … have been winning for a long, long time!
