Three added to L.A.H.S. Hall of Fame
By Mike Rizzuto
Sun Times Editor
The Lake Arthur High School Athletic Hall of Fame will add three new members to its prestigious group on Friday, October 17, 2008 at halftime of the Lake Arthur-St. Mary’s of Natchitoches football game at Jack Doland Stadium in Lake Arthur.
A ceremony will be held before the game at 5:30 p.m.in the Lake Arthur High School Cafeteria in honor of the new selectees, with family members, teammates, coaches and faculty members of the honorees present.
The three former student-athletes to be inducted include Edwin Gerald Woods (Class of 1981), Ivy Woods (Class of 1981), and Heidi Fontenot Duplantis (Class of 2002).
Edwin Woods lettered four years in football at Lake Arthur High School and two years in track. After his high school career came to an end, Edwin took his act to the college level, playing football for five years at McNeese State University, lettering three years there.
During his time at Lake Arthur High School, Edwin attained many honors and awards, including:
--Outstanding Freshman Football Player, 1977;
--Second Team All-Parish Defensive Lineman, 1978;
--First Team All-Parish Running Back, 1979;
--First Team All-District Running Back and Second Team Linebacker, 1979;
--Second Team All-District Linebacker, 1980;
--Outstanding Running Back, L.A.H.S., 1979;
--Lake Arthur High School Football Most Valuable Player, 1979;
--All-Parish Football Offense and Defense, 1980;
--Al District Second Team Offense and Defense, 1980;
--Best Running Back, Lake Arthur High School, 1980;
--Second Place, District, Discus, 1979.
--Received full football scholarship to McNeese State University.
Edwin Woods rushed for 945 yards as a fullback as a junior and 968 yards in ten games as a senior. He scored eight touchdowns as a senior and also kicked a 44-yard field goal for the Tigers that season.
Edwin graduated from McNeese State University in 1986 with a B.S. in General Agriculture and has been employed by Westlake Petrochemical as a Process Operator for the last 15 years. He is an avid bow hunter of deer and elk.
Because of that love for hunting and a desire to share that passion, he started the Youth Greenwing Skeet Shoot eight years ago, which provides a day of skeet shooting, safety education, food, and great prizes free for the youth of his community. He has been the Chairman for the Ducks Unlimited Local Chapter for the past seven years and just recently served as Zone Chairman.
Edwin Woods is the son of Donald Woods and the late Tillie Woods of Lake Arthur. He has a twin brother, Ivy Woods, and another brother, Chad Woods, and sisters Nichole Weekly and Colette Hoffpauir.
He has been married to Meredith LeJeune of Gueydan for 14 years and they have two children, Morgan Marie, age 10, and John Cole, age eight. They both share a love for football and can be found in the stands rooting for Lake Arthur High School and McNeese during football season.
Ivy Woods, twin brother of Edwin Woods and also a 1981 graduate of Lake Arthur High School, is also an inductee. Ivy Woods lettered four years in football and track at Lake Arthur High School from 1979-81. He was named to the All-Parish and All-District Football Teams in 1980, garnering Outstanding Defensive Player that year. He was named Best All-Around Athlete and Most Valuable Player in 1981.
Ivy Woods and Edwin Woods were two big reasons why Lake Arthur finished 11-2 that season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the La. State Football Playoffs.
After receiving a football scholarship to McNeese State University with his brother Edwin Woods, Ivy was redshirted his freshman year. He earned a starting position as left offensive guard during his sophomore season and also served as McNeese’s long snapper during his tenure.
Ivy Woods was awarded Honorable Mention All-Southland Conference Awards for McNeese in 1983 and 1984.
In May of 1986, he graduated from McNeese with a Bachelor of Science Degree.
In June of 1987, Ivy married Bridget Simon and together they have four sons, Ian (19), Isaac (15), Ivan (12), and Irwyn Joe (9). He also has a stepson, Scotty Bertrand, and a daughter-in-law, Rachel Bertrand, from Gueydan.
Ivy became a La. State Trooper in 1990, working as a Road Trooper until 1996, when he transferred to the Tess Division (Motor Carrier Safety) until May of 2006. He was then promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Troop D In Lake Charles.
He was awarded a Certificate of Recognition by Optimist President Janet Doucet for his outstanding dedication to La. State Police Troop D in 1991.
In 2002, he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for devoted and invaluable service for being a real American Hero by Philip Byler, Carol Roy, and Jacqueline Haye.
In 2003, he won Grand Champion in Motor Carrier Safety La. Challenge and represented La. on a National Level in Columbus, Ohio, finishing in second place.
In 2004, he was awarded Senior Trooper of the Year for Region II for his outstanding service to Motor Carrier Safety.
He was awarded “Trooper of the Year”, presented by Jeff Davis District Attorney Michael Cassidy, on Law Day of May 1, 2006 at the Jeff Davis Parish Court House, in recognition for the stop and seizure of 3.3 million dollars cash on Interstate 10 in Jeff Davis Parish. That was the largest illegal drug currency seizure in the history of Louisiana to date.
The third part of this year’s trifecta in the Lake Arthur High School Athletic Hall of Fame is Heidi Fontenot Duplantis of the Class of 2002. Fontenot was a three sport star during her tenure at Lake Arthur and compiled an amazing dossier in the process.
Her accomplishments include:
--L.A.H.S. All Time leading scorer in Basketball, 2,201 points.
--All Time leader in Steals, 375.
--All Time leader in Assists, 337.
--Single Season leader in Assists, 131.
--Five year Letterman in Basketball.
--Four year Letterman in Track.
--Five year Letterman in Softball.
--All-District Second Team Softball, 1998.
--All-District Second Team in Basketball, 1999.
--All-District First Team Softball, 1999.
--All-District First Team Basketball, 2000.
--All State Honorable Mention Basketball, 2000.
--All Southwest Basketball, 2000.
--All-District First Team Softball, 2000.
--District 5-A High Jump, First Place, Triple Jump, Second Place.
--Regional High Jump, First Place, 4’-10”, Triple Jump, Third Place.
--State Class A High Jump, Fifth Place, 4’-10”, Sixth Place, Triple Jump.
--District MVP, Basketball, 2001.
--All State Honorable Mention, Basketball, 2001.
--All Parish First Team, Basketball, 2001.
--All Parish First Team, Basketball, 2002.
--All State Second Team, 2002.
--District MVP, Basketball, 2002
--All Southwest First Team, 2002.
--All-District First Team, Softball, 2002.
--Second Place, Triple Jump, District.
--Third Place, High Jump, Fourth Place Triple Jump, Regionals, 2002.
--Fifth Place, High Jump, State Class A Meet, 2002.
After graduating as Co-Valedictorian with a 4.0 average at Lake Arthur High School, Fontenot enrolled at McNeese State University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting with Cume Laude with an average of 3.5.
Heidi is currently attending McNeese to earn her teacher’s certification and has been a volunteer for the Lake Arthur Little Dribbler’s Program for four years.
She is the wife of John Paul Duplantis of Lake Arthur, and they have one child, a daughter named Sydni.