School Board honors achievements

CROWLEY - During the Monday’s Acadia Parish School Board meeting, the Midland High School boys’ basketball team, the Church Point powerlifting team and the Rayne High School band were honored for their recent accomplishments.

Midland’s head basketball coach Todd Briley and his entire Class B state championship team were on hand and were called before the meeting to be recognized.

An emotional Briley gave thanks to his family and joked about how he “initially didn’t want to work at Midland because my father had already created quite a legacy.

“Now Midland is home to me,” he said.

“You all have done something for the community that I don’t even think you realize how big it is,” said School Board Member Lynn Shamsie. “I’m really proud of you guys. Now you’re going to be principal and I hope you stay for 49 years.”

The comment was in reference to Briley’s father, Clyde Briley, who is retiring this year after 49 years at the school.

The next group to be recognized was the Church Point powerlifting team and their coach, Eddie Bergeron.

Church Point recenly won its sixth Division III state title during Bergeron’s seventh year as the school’s coach. Church Point High is the third school where Bergeron has coached. Overall, he has coached 13 state powerlifting teams.

The Rayne High School Band was also recognized for the occasion of winning Sweepstakes. The school’s principal, Wendell Prudhomme, was present to receive the award. 

Todd Briley then addressed the school board for the first time as Midland High’s principal.

“I’m just really thankful for this opportunity,” he said. “I assure you I am going to work hard and do a good job in my new position.”

Shamsie thanked Clyde Briley for his nearly five decades of service.

“All anyone needs to do is drive by Midland High School on a Friday and see 70 or 80 kids there on their day off to work on their studies,” he said. “Clyde helped those kids on a daily basis.”

When Clyde Briley spoke to the council the emotion he felt was evident.

“A lot of people used to look at me as a basketball coach who was also a principal,” he said. “Basketball got me to where I was but I would have been just as enthusiastic as a band director. As a principal, I always knew that academics were more important than coaching.”

In other action:

• The board decided to advertise and receive bids from contractors to replace the roof at Iota Elementary.

• A request was approved to purchase new playground equipment for Branch Elementary.

• A request from Adrienne Vidrine to consider a pilot Community Eligibility Program, a child nutrition program for impoverished students, was tabled until next month so that the board members could have more time to look into it.