By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

It was a special season for the West St. John girls basketball team, which reached unprecedented heights.

The Rams secured their first district championship, the most wins in any single Ram season, and most importantly, their first playoff victory. And it’s all reflected on the 2009-2010 L’Observateur All-St. John Parish girls basketball team, which boasts no shortage of Ram representatives.

It all starts with senior center Kyla Morris, our selection for the parish’s Most Valuable Player. Morris averaged 16.7 points per game on her way to earning her third consecutive spot on the All-Parish team. She led the team in scoring and rebounding for the third consecutive season.

“She’s our go-to player,” said WSJ coach Lester Smith. “How successful we are usually starts with Kyla. She’s real strong in the lane, and we always looked to get it inside to her.”

Smith joins his top player on the squad, as he has been selected as L’Observateur’s Coach of the Year after guiding WSJ to an 18-9 record and a share of the District 8-1A championship. Under the veteran coach, the Rams defeated Hamilton Christian 60-47 in a bi-district game in Edgard last month to earn its first-ever playoff win.

In that game, point guard Jaylyn Gordon scored a career-high 34 points.

The freshman averaged 16.5 points per game this season after an early season absence, and West St. John went 10-2 with her in the lineup. She too earns a spot on the team.

In veteran coach Chuck Dorvin’s first season at Riverside, the Rebels made a strong turnaround as well, going 19-14 and finishing as District 9-2A runner-up.

Senior point guard Daysha Blount and junior forward Kristy Milioto were leaders of the Rebel surge.

Blount averaged 11.5 points per game after arriving from Reserve Christian, where she made the All-Parish team a year ago. Milioto makes her first appearance on the team, averaging 8.5 points a game and leading RA in rebounding.

Korielle Tucker played numerous positions for East St. John, and the versatile sophomore makes her first appearance on the team after averaging 10.5 points, seven rebounds and four steals for the Ladycats.

Rounding out the squad is St. Charles Catholic senior guard Dominique DiCarlo, making her first appearance on the team. DiCarlo played both guard positions this season and led her team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and steals (3.5 spg).