GUEST SPEAKER
KEVIN FAULK
Kevin Faulk has pretty much done it all in the game of football. As a sophomore quarterback at Carencro High, Faulk helped the Golden Bears win the first state football championship in Lafayette Parish history with a memorable 28-27 overtime win over Neville in 1992. He then earned All-American status over the next two seasons, ending his high school career with 7,612 all-purpose yards and 89 touchdowns, while twice being named as the Class 5A Offensive Most Valuable Player. Faulk’s college recruitment was the most celebrated of his era, settling on LSU where he helped to resurrect the Tigers’ program. He earned All-American status at LSU and three times was a first-team All-SEC performer, finishing his career with 4,557 yards – second behind Georgia’s Herschel Walker. His 6,833 all-purpose yards and 53 touchdowns were the best in SEC history until Florida’s Tim Tebow broke it in 2009.
Faulk was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last year. He returned to LSU as a player development director and coach and his influence was instrumental during the national title season of 2019. After being drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots in 1999, he helped the franchise win three Super Bowls. Faulk was voted onto the Patriots’ 50th Anniversary team and he’s in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame.
GUEST SPEAKER
KEVIN FAULK
Kevin Faulk has pretty much done it all in the game of football. As a sophomore quarterback at Carencro High, Faulk helped the Golden Bears win the first state football championship in Lafayette Parish history with a memorable 28-27 overtime win over Neville in 1992.
He then earned All-American status over the next two seasons, ending his high school career with 7,612 all-purpose yards and 89 touchdowns, while twice being named as the Class 5A Offensive Most Valuable Player.
Faulk’s college recruitment was the most celebrated of his era, settling on LSU where he helped to resurrect the Tigers’ program.
He earned All-American status at LSU and three times was a first-team All-SEC performer, finishing his career with 4,557 yards – second behind Georgia’s Herschel Walker. His 6,833 all-purpose yards and 53 touchdowns were the best in SEC history until Florida’s Tim Tebow broke it in 2009.
Faulk was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last year. He returned to LSU as a player development director and coach and his influence was instrumental during the national title season of 2019.
After being drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots in 1999, he helped the franchise win three Super Bowls. Faulk was voted onto the Patriots’ 50th Anniversary team and he’s in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame.
2023 HYPE VIDEO
ABOUT STAR OF STARS
This is the inaugural year The Acadiana Advocate will honor high school athletes from across the Acadiana metro area as Star of Stars for their excellence in individual sports. These athletes are selected as the best in their sports for the 2022-2023 school year based on all-district, all-metro and all-state honors, performances at regional and state competitions, along with recommendations of area coaches.
CHOOSING OUR WINNERS
We allow the athletes statistics, achievements and awards to speak for themselves. The Acadiana Advocate compiles the accomplishments of the top performers in 15 sports sanctioned by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. The Acadiana Advocate also asks metro area schools to nominate top boys and girls athletes from their schools. From those nominees, one boy and one girl are chosen as the Athlete of the Year winners. The accomplishments of each athlete, as well as input from area coaches, are considered as The Acadiana Advocate sports staff makes its final choices. Athlete of the Year nominees must be in grades 10 to 12 and on track to meet the NCAA’s academic qualifying standards.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
MEET THE STARS
CLICK ON STUDENT ATHLETE IMAGE TO SEE BIO
Ju’Juan Johnson
Football
Lafayette Christian
AC Froechlich
Volleyball
St. Thomas More
Sya Bolden
Girls Cross Country
Comeaux
Tyler Blissett
Boys Cross Country
Highland Baptist
Marie Landreneau
Girls Swimming
St. Thomas More
Avery Henke
Boys Swimming
Teurlings Catholic
Ethan Boudreaux
Wrestling
Teurlings Catholic
Mary-Ainsley Alack
Girls Soccer
St. Thomas More
Courtland Williams
Boys Soccer
St. Thomas More
Jada Richard
Girls Basketball
Lafayette Christian
Kialen Phillips
Boys Basketball
Breaux Bridge
Gracie Cassidy
Girls Powerlifting
Southside
Rocky Dufort
Boys Powerlifting
Kaplan
Elise Patin
Girls Bowling
Comeaux
Aiden Stewart
Boys Bowling
Lafayette High
Lauren Fremin
Girls Tennis
Catholic High, New Iberia
Mason Landreth
Boys Tennis
St. Thomas More
Corinne Landry
Girls Golf
Lafayette High
Jay Mendell
Boys Golf
Ascension Episcopal
Quincy Simon
Girls Track & Field
Northside
Mekhi Boutte
Boys Track & Field
Westgate
Kennedy Marceaux
Softball
Kaplan
Aiden Leonard
Baseball
North Vermillion
MEET THE FINALISTS
Keith Leon
Girls Coach of the Year Finalist
Volleyball • Westminster
Tarunye Kanonu
Girls Coach of the Year Finalist
Basketball • Lafayette High
Daniel Underwood
Girls Coach of the Year Finalist
Soccer • St. Thomas More
Josh Fontenot
Boys Coach of the Year Finalist
Football • Southside
Kent Masson
Boys Coach of the Year Finalist
Wrestling • Teurlings Catholic
Chad Pourciau
Boys Coach of the Year Finalist
Basketball • New Iberia
St. Thomas More Soccer
Girls Team of the Year Finalist
St. Thomas More Volleyball
Girls Team of the Year Finalist
Lafayette Christian Basketball
Girls Team of the Year Finalist
Ascension Episcopal Golf
Boys Team of the Year Finalist
St. Thomas More Football
Boys Team of the Year Finalist
Teurlings Catholic Wrestling
Boys Team of the Year Finalist
Malachi Frye
Courage Award Winner
Dustin Guidry
Spirit Award Winner
C’na Landry
Girls Special Olympic Athlete of the Year
Payton Morvant
Boys Special Olympic Athlete of the Year
AC Froehlich
Girls Athlete of the Year Finalist
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Marie Landreneau
Girls Athlete of the Year Finalist
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Jada Richard
Girls Athlete of the Year Finalist
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Ethan Boudreaux
Boys Athlete of the Year Finalist
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Harvey Broussard
Boys Athlete of the Year Finalist
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Ju’Juan Johnson
Boys Athlete of the Year Finalist
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EMCEE – MICHAEL D. “MIKE” SMITH
Mike Smith has served as a public address announcer for LSU athletics events for nearly 31 years. For the past 29 seasons, he has been the “Voice of LSU Gymnastics,” the championship program competing in the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge. He has hosted the “Inside LSU Gymnastics” television show for the past 12 seasons and won two National Telly Awards, recognizing it as the best Weekly TV Sports Program in the country. In 2018, the Southeastern Conference invited Mike to serve as the announcer for the SEC Gymnastics Championships and he continues in that capacity today. Last year, he was nominated for the prestigious Bob Sheppard Award recognizing the best public address announcer in professional and collegiate sports.
By day, he is Founder and CEO of MDSA Strategic Communications – a public and government relations consultancy – service clients in the energy, petrochemical, and transportation industries. Mike has been recognizes as on of “the most influential” public relations professionals by a leading national publication.Follow Mike on his social media pages including @MikeTheTiger70775 on Facebook and Instagram, and Twitter handles @LSUGymVoice for all things LSU Gymnastics and @MDSAonline for everything else.
