Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LAKE CHARLES, La. — Vinton High School’s Keithan Rigmaide was in the right place at the right time after a long desperation jumper hit off the bottom of the backboard and bounced right back to him.

Rigmaide then took and what turned out to be the game-winning 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left to lift the No. 1 seed Lions to a 52-50 win over the No. 4 seed Ferriday High School Trojans last Friday night in the semifinals of the 2025 LHSAA Non-Select Division IV Playoffs at the Burton Coliseum Complex.

“Very tough way to lose. It was a very, very good game,” Ferriday head coach Shawn Davis said. “It showed we could compete with high-caliber teams. We’re good, too.”

The Trojans, despite having a much younger team than the Lions have, and having to travel farther to Lake Charles than Vinton did for this game, showed how good of a team they are in the first half.

Defense helped Ferriday even tough Vinton played in, as Davis put it, “a real slow pace”. The Lions passed the ball several times each time they possessed the ball in the first two quarters, as many as eight to 10 times.

“We started the game in a 1-3-1 zone, which is our base defense. That’s how we started every game. It was working,” Davis said. “We played pretty good defense, but they got the shots off. They just weren’t making them.”

Ferriday led Vinton 13-8 after one quarter of play and 20-14 at halftime. But one thing that kept the Lions in the game was their scouting report on BeDe Terrell, who led the Trojans with a game-high 23 points to go with eight rebounds.

“They were doubling him in the post. Normally, it’s not an issue. But C.J. Washington had an off night offensively. He only scored seven points and was 2-for-10 shooting,” Davis said. “Number 5 for them, Jaheim Iebias, he was real athletic and real active.”

Davis noted that Washington had been averaging about 17 points a game over the previous 11 games. Michael Kelly was the only other player for Ferriday to score in double figures as he finished with 12 points and he had a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Perhaps the outcome of the game would have gone in the Trojans’ favor had it not been for two key factors — turnovers and, yet again, the third quarter.

“The third quarter, that’s been our Achilles heel all season long. We had four straight turnovers,” Davis said. “C.J. had six turnovers for the game and Shavaris Watson had five turnovers for the game. That’s our two guards that handle the ball the most. That’s where our inexperience showed.”

As a team, Ferriday turned the ball over 15 times. And the majority of them allowed the Lions to get back in the game. They outscored the Trojans 21-11 in the third quarter for a 35-31 lead.

“Those 3s and jump shots they were missing in the first two quarters, they were making in the third quarter off those turnovers,” Davis said.

Ferriday trailed Vinton by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before the Trojans went on a big-time comeback and eventually took the lead with 58.6 seconds left when Terrell was fouled and made both of his free throws for a 48-47 lead.

The Trojans went to a 1-2-1-1 press defense. Watson went for the steal in the middle of the court, but was unsuccessful. Iebias, who had 16 points, drove uncontested for a lay-up to put the Lions back up 49-48. Despite being trapped near the corner, Terrell passed the ball to Washington in the wing. Washington drove left for a left-handed lay-up to give Ferriday a 50-49 lead with just 8.8 seconds left.

But after Rigmaide, who led Vinton with 21 points, made what was his fifth 3-pointer of the game with 4.7 seconds left, Ferriday called a time out. Unfortunately, the Trojans had just 2.3 seconds left, leaving them little time to put up a last-second shot. Time expired and Vinton escaped with the win despite being outscored by Ferriday 19-17 in the fourth quarter.

“They started four seniors. We don’t have any seniors on our team. We just made some mistakes. That’s how the ball bounces sometimes,” Davis said.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Davis said he was pleased with the team’s effort and with everyone coming back next season, he believes Ferriday will be back in this position – and hopefully with a better outcome and perhaps a state championship.

“It did something for the community. It brought happiness to the community,” Davis said. “We went 25-10 with a tough schedule this season. We’re going to play a tough schedule next (season) and will play against teams higher up. Four of the eight teams in the final four, we played them either in summer ball or during the season.”