Live Oak HS hosting first playoff basketball game since 1996

Ana Conejo
·2 min read

DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (BRPROUD) – It’s been 28 years since Live Oak High School in Denham Springs hosted a basketball playoff game. This is an opportunity given to the top 16 teams in the power rankings.

Henry Childres reminisces about that time when he was running the clock in the playoff game in 1996.

“Atmosphere was wild,” Childres said. “I get emotional, just thinking about it.” He said, “it was one of the rare times we had a playoff game at home.”

Now, after a season of hard work, Childres will get the opportunity to run the clock again during the playoff game between Live Oak and Hahnville on Friday, Feb. 23.

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The Live Oak Varsity Boys Basketball team is led by their first African American head coach, Tiras Magee, who varsity basketball players say is positively shaping them.

“He has definitely helped me in a lot of ways. He’s built me up to be a better person,” said guard, Clayten Ray.

“What I am right now is because of him. I feel like God used him as a vessel to get me better,” said guard, Nate Casher.

Coach Magee considers it a big accomplishment to be the first African American to bring a Live Oak boys basketball team to the playoffs.

“Kids with the same skin color as me can achieve their dreams that they set out to to do it. You know, we break it through barriers where it’s not just Caucasian head coaches,” Magee said.

He considers it a very important mission in his life to be a mentor to the players he coaches.

“I think my calling in life is to influence kids lives,” he said. “I always try to use basketball to teach life lessons to help them, you know, to be better men, to be better husbands, to be better fathers later on in the future. Those will be my true wins in life.”

When it comes to this basketball season, Magee said there were many things that played a part in their successful season.

“We had a lot of growth and leadership, we had a lot of growth with players being accountable,” said Magee.

Now, he is sending a message to the community for the big game on Friday night.

”Thank you for their support. It doesn’t go unnoticed, but we would like for them to come out on Friday night, pack this place out,” he said.

The playoff game between Live Oak and Hahnville will be at 7 p.m. in the gymnasium at Live Oak High School.

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