ALEXANDRIA, La. (UrbanCast: 7/15/2026) — Peabody Magnet High School celebrated another championship Tuesday night as players, coaches, families, alumni, and supporters gathered for the Warhorses’ Division II Select state championship ring ceremony.
The event honored the team’s 82-61 victory over Northside in the Division II Select state championship game and recognized the hard work, discipline, and commitment that led to another title for one of Louisiana’s premier high school basketball programs.
Head Coach Charles Smith welcomed those in attendance by reflecting on a tradition that has become familiar at Peabody.
“At the end of the season, we hope to meet here in the summertime and get our championship rings,” Smith said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to do that 11 times.”
Smith reminded the audience that championships are never guaranteed before joking about the program’s continued success.
“People say, ‘Coach, what are you going to do? You’re about to run out of wall space. You don’t have any more room for pictures,’” Smith said. “We’ll find space.”
He then shared the philosophy that has guided his program through years of success.
Work Hard, Do the Right Things
“I tell these young guys all the time, work hard, do the right things, and good things happen to good people,” Smith said. “That’s my motto.”
Before the presentations began, Bishop L. Smith delivered the invocation. He thanked God for bringing everyone together and prayed for continued guidance, protection, strength, and wisdom for the players, coaches, their families, and the Peabody community.
The championship team featured student-athletes from every high school grade. The roster included 12th-graders Devontre Sword and Malachi Anderson; 11th-graders Connor Rosenthal, Kalen Eddie, and Keon Wilton; 10th-graders Alijah Glasper, Kaiden Morris, Blake Anderson, and Brayden Durrant; and 9th-graders Corey Blake and JeCareyoas Holden. Team manager Dennis Davis Jr., along with the Warhorses’ coaches and support staff, also received championship rings in recognition of their contributions to the state title season.
The championship rings were made possible through the generosity of ring sponsors from across the Central Louisiana community. Those supporters included City Marshal Jerome Hopewell, Rev. Franklin and Mount Triumph Missionary Baptist Church, Attorney Chris LaCour, Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood, Mr. Boma Hinton, members of Peabody’s 2000 state championship team, and members of the 1991 state championship team. Their generosity ensured every member of the championship program received a ring while demonstrating the community’s continued investment in Peabody athletics.
One by One
One by one, the players, coaches, support staff, and team manager stepped onto the hardwood to receive their championship rings as family members, alumni, teammates, and supporters applauded each presentation. The evening celebrated more than a state championship. It honored the sacrifice, teamwork, and perseverance that defined the Warhorses’ remarkable season while recognizing the community members who helped commemorate the achievement.
With another championship banner already hanging in the gym, Tuesday night’s ceremony added another chapter to Peabody’s storied basketball tradition. The rings will forever serve as a reminder of a team that earned its place among the program’s champions.
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