Fairview’s Landon Strother and Hathaway’s Lamiyah Sanchez used their versatility to take their teams on deep playoff runs in their final high school season and earn American Press All-Southwest Louisiana Small Schools basketball MVP honors.

As the Hornets’ lone senior, Sanchez, a 5-foot-7 guard, led her team to a 33-4 record and the nonselect Division V state championship. The Hornets beat three-time reigning state champion Fairview 64-54 for their first state title since 1970.

“Lamiyah was a silent leader,” former Hathaway and new Iowa head coach Courtneé Hollins said. “She is not a big talker. She was a leader through the way she played. She was real smooth. I told her many times that the way you play is going to dictate a lot of what everyone else does.”

Averaging 23 points a game, Sanchez scored from all over the court and created mismatches for opposing defenses.

“She can score in any way,” Hollins said. “You can’t really guard her. If you put a big guard on her she will dribble past you. You can put a small guard on her and she will shoot. She is a really versatile player. She is impossible to stop. She can post you up, shoot and take it to the goal.”

Sanchez earned Class B first-team all-state honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Strother has always been a sharpshooter from long range but added an inside game in his final season and led the Panthers to the nonselect Division V state semifinals for the first time since 2015.

He averaged 24 points and 14 rebounds per game, scoring a season-high 40 points against Class 4A Northside.

“He is a very good leader,” Fairview head coach Ron Stark said. “He stepped up his game to do more stuff inside.

“He was always a 3-pointer shooter, but this year he did a really good job inside for us. He did really good against bigger schools. He is a good kid. Very good in the classroom too. We are going to miss him a lot. He worked hard on his own too. He is always in the gym working on his shot and got stronger the last three years too.”

Strother was the District 5-C MVP and earned LSWA Class C all-state first-team member.

Stark is the boys’ Coach of the Year after leading the Panthers to a 32-5 record in his 34th season with the team.

The girls’ Coach of the Year is Oakdale’s Renotta Edwards, who led a youthful team on a stunning run through the nonselect Division IV playoffs and the program’s first state championship.

As the No. 9 seed, The Warriors beat the No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 and No. 8 seeds and went 21-12.

Small Schools

Boys

First Team

Player, School Cl. Avg.

Bryson Colbert, Hamilton Christian Sr. 17

Landon Strother, Fairview Sr. 24

Kane Broussard, Lacassine So. 20

Brett Jinks, Fairview Sr. 15

Derrick Green, Oakdale Jr. 18

Second Team

Player, School Cl. Avg.

Aaron Garcia, Lacassine Sr. 18

Troy Pattum, Welsh Jr. 10

Garrett Humphrey, Hamilton Jr. 16

Matthew Paul, Hackberry Sr. 13

Aiden Sandifer, Singer Jr. 21

MVP — Landon Strother, Fairview

COACH OF THE YEAR — Ron Stark, Fairview

Girls

First Team

Player, School Cl. Avg.

Lamiyah Sanchez, Hathaway Sr. 23

Reesie Jinks, Fairview So. 19

Vivian Sketoe, Lake Arthur Jr. 22

Kelly Norris, Rosepine Jr. 15

Addison Fruge, Rosepine Jr. 15

Second Team

Player, School Cl. Avg.

Faith Cauthron, Reeves Sr. 15

Emani Young, Oakdale So. 16

Journi Singleton, Hamilton Sr. 19

Madison Suire, Hathaway Jr. 12

Ella Reeves, Fairview Jr. 22

MVP — Lamiyah Sanchez, Hathaway

COACH OF THE YEAR — Renotta Edwards, Oakdale