Sam Houston High School Team Sweats Out Victory In Bassmaster Event On Toledo Bend

Hunter Courvelle (right) and Alex Erickson of Sam Houston High School in Louisiana won the 2017 Costa Bassmaster High School Central Open presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods with 23 pounds, 3 ounces.

March 11, 2017

Sam Houston High School Team Sweats Out Victory In Bassmaster Event On Toledo Bend

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MANY, La. — Hunter Courvelle and Alex Erickson had spent so much time in the hot seat their legs may have fallen asleep.

After being among the first few dozen of 181 duos to weigh in for the Costa Bassmaster High School Central Open presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, they occupied the top of the leaderboard for nearly two hours. Team after team came to the stage to weigh their bass, but none could knock the Sam Houston (La.) High School tandem from their perch.

Then with only two duos remaining, the 2015 Bassmaster High School national champions Alex Heintze and Justin Watts came to the scales at Cypress Bend Park. Word was they had a great bag, and they did. But it wasn’t enough to bump the leaders from the pole position.

Courvelle and Erickson caught a limit of five bass weighing 23 pounds, 3 ounces to win the single-day tournament held on Toledo Bend Reservoir. Heintze and Watts of the Livingston Parish (La.) Bassmasters, came in second with a bag of 22-3, and Carter Pourciau and Zach Naquin of Assumption (La.) High were third with 20-14.

Courvelle and Erickson’s limit was an ounce shy of the one-day record for a Bassmaster High School event. In fact, it was Watts and Heintze who set that mark back in 2015 during their national championship win on Kentucky Lake in Tennessee.

Both of the Sam Houston High anglers breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they realized they had survived Heintze and Watts. Only a moment later, they were hoisting championship trophies and mugging for pictures snapped by well-wishers who withstood a steady rain to view the weigh-in.

“It’s a great feeling,” Erickson said. “We fish here almost every weekend, so we know some of the spots where we should go.”

It was, however, a flat the duo located in practice that they fished Saturday, and it was extremely productive. They were fishing in about 6 to 8 feet of water with Carolina rigged flukes in the watermelon red color pattern. They had five keepers in the boat by 9 a.m., and Erickson landed the lunker of the creel about 12:30 p.m. That big fish weighed approximately 7 1/2 pounds, but it wasn’t the biggest bass he’s ever landed.

“We fish up here every weekend this time of year,” Erickson said. “It’s about an hour and half drive from home (in Lake Charles). So we see some big bass.”

Toledo Bend is known for lunker bass, and Courvelle said the set-up they used in the Central Open was productive for a couple of reasons.

“We were fishing some deeper water and in the wind, it was easier to use that Carolina rigged fluke,” he said. “It was about 5 inches long, and it was easier to get it down in the water.”

Courvelle and Erickson couldn’t celebrate their catches too loudly. That’s because Saturday’s top spot was only a couple hundred yards from the Cypress Bend Marina and there was ample traffic through that area during the day.

Erickson’s big bass came out of Housen Bay on the Texas side of the reservoir, said boat captain Keith Courvelle.

“There was a lot of adrenaline, but we didn’t want to make much noise,” Erickson said. “Someone might see our spot.”

They didn’t, but everyone did see the pair of high school juniors clinch a spot in the upcoming Costa Bassmaster High School Classic, which will be held in Houston, Texas, at the end of March in conjunction with the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods. The Top 5 teams at the Central Open earned spots in the High School Classic, and the Top 19 teams advanced to the Costa Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods to be held this summer. Courvelle and Erickson also earned $1,500 for their high school bass team with the win.

Heintze and Watts fished with Carolina rigs and football head jigs in 12 feet of water to boat their haul Saturday. Other teams advancing to the Bassmaster High School Classic include Nolan Wright and Coltin Pool of Blanchard (Okla.) High (fourth place, 19-5,) and Jackson Hall and Daniel Helsley of Lovejoy (Texas) High (fifth place, 19-3.)

The Bassmaster Big Bass Award went to Hunter Martin and Justin Jacob of Lutcher (La.) High. Martin landed a largemouth that weighed 8-11.

Warm weather during the previous few days leading up to the Central Open gave way to cooler temperatures with highs in the low 60s Saturday.

Of the 181 teams, 80 of them had bags that weighed double digits, with 16 weighing at least 15 pounds.

Name # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz # Fish # Live Lbs – Oz1 Hunter Courvelle – Alex Erickson Sam Houston High School 5 5 23- 3 5 5 23- 32 Justin Watts – Alex Heintze Livingston Parish Bassmasters 5 5 22- 3 5 5 22- 33 Carter Pourciau – Zach Naquin Assumption High School 5 5 20-14 5 5 20-144 Nolan Wright – Coltin Pool Blanchard HS 5 5 19- 5 5 5 19- 55 Jackson Hall – Daniel Helsley Lovejoy High School 5 5 19- 3 5 5 19- 36 Connor Nimrod – Dylan Nimrod Desoto Bass Team 5 5 18-14 5 5 18-147 Eric Noyes – Mikey Reiss Broken Arrow High School 5 5 18- 4 5 5 18- 48 Cole Moore – Layken Moore Anacoco High School 5 5 18- 2 5 5 18- 29 Jacob Bruener – Austin Brewer Douglass HS Fishing Team 5 5 17-11 5 5 17-1110 Cade Fortenberry – Brennan Edmond Ascension Anglers 5 5 17- 7 5 5 17- 711 George Dehoven II – Hagen Cooley DeRidder HS 5 5 17- 4 5 5 17- 412 Hunter Martin – Justin Jacob Lutcher High Fishing Team 4 4 16-14 4 4 16-1413 Lucas Lindsay – Logan Parks Auburn Anglers 5 5 16- 3 5 5 16- 314 Jacob Tarpley – Keigan Maturin Teurlings Catholic High School 5 5 15-14 5 5 15-1415 Caleb Mayers – Dane Balfantz Ascension Anglers 5 5 15-13 5 5 15-1316 Christopher Capdeboscq – Dillon Wilson Northlake Christian 5 5 15- 4 5 5 15- 417 Brett Wray – Kasey Anderson North Desoto High School 5 5 15- 3 5 5 15- 318 Greyson Benoit – Zane Gunter Sulphur High School 5 5 14- 5 5 5 14- 518 Michael Bonadona – Trent Tullier Brusley High School 5 5 14- 5 5 5 14- 520 Mason Ferachi – Evan Ruiz Walker High School 5 5 14- 1 5 5 14- 120 Drew Landry – Collin Poirier St Thomas More HS 5 5 14- 1 5 5 14- 122 Mason Pitts – Alex Taylor Captain Shreve Gators 5 5 14- 0 5 5 14- 023 Wes Rollo – Hayden Rutledge Natchitoches Central HS 5 5 13-12 5 5 13-1224 Kolby Barry – Austin Venable North DeSoto High School 5 5 13-11 5 5 13-1125 Jacob Barras – Daniel Brewer St Thomas More HS 5 5 13-11 5 5 13-1125 Christopher Breaux – Marcus Lejeune Midland High School 5 5 13-11 5 5 13-1127 Hayden Pinho – Hunter Pinho Patterson High School 5 5 13- 9 5 5 13- 928 Ian Madere – Jordan Davenport East Baton Rouge Bassmasters 5 5 13- 6 5 5 13- 628 Maguire Parker – Logan Leone North DeSoto High School 5 5 13- 6 5 5 13- 630 Trevor Hadden – Brennan Simoneaux Central High School 5 5 13- 5 5 5 13- 530 Samuel Harrison – Ethan LeGare Lovejoy High School 5 5 13- 5 5 5 13- 532 Billy Young – Central HS 5 4 13- 5 5 4 13- 533 Jonathan Burns – Cooper Mury Assumption High School 5 5 13- 4 5 5 13- 433 Jackson McGee – Jake Courtney Captain Shreve Gators 5 5 13- 4 5 5 13- 435 Will Lambert – Jacob Pihl West Monroe Rebel Bass Club 5 5 13- 3 5 5 13- 335 Connor Rushing – Cayden Reily Central Private School 5 5 13- 3 5 5 13- 337 Hunter Meadows – Kaden Knoch Central OK Community Team 5 5 13- 2 5 5 13- 238 Connor Duffy – Matthew Courville St Thomas More HS 5 4 12-15 5 4 12-1539 Logan Chaney – Matthew Myers David Thibodaux Bass Team 5 5 12-14 5 5 12-1440 Austin Barbier – Brennen Leger St Thomas More HS 5 5 12-13 5 5 12-1340 Christopher Keeble – Dalton Bailey Lenoir City High School 5 5 12-13 5 5 12-1342 Dylan Byrd – Hunter McClendon Cold Springs HS 4 4 12-13 4 4 12-1343 Landon Baudoin – Davin Baudoin Hahnville HS 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-1243 Hanson Chaney – Bronson Beck Walker High School 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-1243 Caleb Dupre – Garret Smith Sulphur High School 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-1243 Jacob Lovelady – Zachary Faircloth North DeSoto High School 5 5 12-12 5 5 12-1247 Chase Richardson – Cameron Rhodes NEA Youth Fishing 5 5 12-11 5 5 12-1148 Dustin Benefield – Will Spencer Arab High School 4 4 12-11 4 4 12-1149 Alexis Barton – Hunter Woodward Anacoco High School 5 5 12- 9 5 5 12- 950 Bryce Bullock – Blake Bullock Oak Grove High School 5 5 12- 4 5 5 12- 451 Ben Abraham – Graham Pearson Alexandria Senior HS 5 5 12- 3 5 5 12- 351 Bryant Martin – Grant Schexnailder Notre Dame High School 5 5 12- 3 5 5 12- 351 Hayden Williams – Annabelle Guins Sam Houston High School 5 5 12- 3 5 5 12- 354 Hunter Porter – Teddy Parsons Hillcrest High School 5 5 12- 2 5 5 12- 255 Casey Trosclair – Levi Areno Sulphur High School 5 5 11-15 5 5 11-1556 Grant Bourque – Ethan Smart Ascension Anglers 3 3 11-15 3 3 11-1557 Keegan Findley – Bailey House Grand Haven High School 5 5 11-14 5 5 11-1458 Isaac Smith – Bryce Meave The Woodlands High School 5 5 11-12 5 5 11-1259 Ben Harrington – Gunnar Theriot Central Catholic HS 5 5 11-10 5 5 11-1059 Jonathan Suttle – Gavin Deshotels Sulphur High School 5 5 11-10 5 5 11-1061 Cade Cassels – Luke Tynes Central HS 5 5 11- 8 5 5 11- 862 Isaac Abshire – Nick Wolf St Thomas More HS 5 5 11- 7 5 5 11- 763 Jordan Gunnells – Jordan Stapleton North Augusta Fishing Team 5 5 11- 6 5 5 11- 664 Parker Perot – Brandon Fort Captain Shreve Gators 4 4 11- 6 4 4 11- 665 Griffin Gatwood – Layne Jacobs Oak Grove High School 5 5 11- 4 5 5 11- 466 Gage White – Jacob Bocker Harlem Huskies Bass Club 4 4 11- 2 4 4 11- 267 Noah Sowell – Trey Proctor Hemphill High School 5 5 11- 0 5 5 11- 068 Jean-Luc Lemoine – Alex Barras St Thomas More HS 5 5 10-15 5 5 10-1569 Kyle McAllen – Ethan Howe North DeSoto High School 5 5 10-12 5 5 10-1270 Colby Miller – Jaden Cedars Oak Hill HS Bass Club 5 5 10- 9 5 5 10- 971 Blaze Lantier – Alex Woodward Midland High School 5 5 10- 8 5 5 10- 871 John Miller – Caden Pennington Sand Spring Sandites 5 5 10- 8 5 5 10- 873 Nathan Mitchell – Hayden Simon Sam Houston High School 5 5 10- 7 5 5 10- 774 Trent Andrus – Brady Harmon Sam Houston High School 5 5 10- 6 5 5 10- 675 Annsley Martin – Allie Richard Notre Dame High School 5 5 10- 5 5 5 10- 575 Dalton Melancon – Andrew Granier Hahnville HS 5 5 10- 5 5 5 10- 577 Taylor Hamburger – Hunter Harrison Northeastern OK HS 5 5 10- 4 5 5 10- 477 Rhett Tanner – Zachary Robichaux E D White Fishing Team 5 5 10- 4 5 5 10- 479 Walker Smith – Warren Smith Walker High School 5 5 10- 1 5 5 10- 180 Hunter Martindale – Kaleb Barnett Jasper High School 5 5 10- 0 5 5 10- 081 Philip Cormier – Matthew Taylor Sulpher High School 5 5 9-14 5 5 9-1482 Sean Cook – Nathan Ballard Joliet Central High School 5 5 9-12 5 5 9-1282 Trevor Dunne – Brennen Anderson Ascension Anglers 5 5 9-12 5 5 9-1282 Luke Jones – Kole Snyder Central HS 5 5 9-12 5 5 9-1285 Makinze Odom – Laryn Racca Sulphur High School 4 4 9-10 4 4 9-1086 Jonathan Fisher – Drake Duplechin St Thomas More HS 5 4 9- 9 5 4 9- 987 Jason McMillan – Hunter Kogel Walker High School 5 5 9- 7 5 5 9- 788 Ashley Batey – Pineville High School 5 5 9- 6 5 5 9- 688 Ethan Cruze – Carlo Castiglione Sam Houston High School 5 5 9- 6 5 5 9- 688 Jeremy Dutreix – Louis Laville East Baton Rouge Bassmasters 5 5 9- 6 5 5 9- 688 Owen Foreman – Kyle Granger Sulpher High School 5 5 9- 6 5 5 9- 692 Samuel Bergeron – Andres Barletta Ascension Anglers 5 5 9- 5 5 5 9- 593 Kaden Bailey – Madison Lisotta South Beauregard High School 4 3 9- 4 4 3 9- 494 Joseph Blanchard – Cameron Breaux Assumption High School 4 4 9- 3 4 4 9- 395 Brennan Fontenot – Gabe Richard Sam Houston High School 5 5 8-15 5 5 8-1596 Kolby Dugas – Ethan Farquhar Sam Houston High School 4 4 8-15 4 4 8-1597 Burke Mathews – David Starkovich St Thomas More HS 4 4 8-13 4 4 8-1398 Brant Youngblood – Landon Arceneaux Sulphur High School 2 2 8-12 2 2 8-1299 Nathan Burrow – Riley Scott Central Arkansas HS Team 5 5 8-11 5 5 8-11100 Cole Jordan – Colby Badeaux Livingston Parish Bassmasters 4 4 8-11 4 4 8-11101 Brae Williams – Nate Robbins Hillcrest High School 2 2 8-11 2 2 8-11102 Colin Sawyer – Hayes Dufrene Hahnville HS 5 5 8- 8 5 5 8- 8103 Riley Falcon – Beau Gautreau Assumption High School 5 5 8- 7 5 5 8- 7103 Keegan Jones – Hunter Edwards Hillcrest High School 5 5 8- 7 5 5 8- 7105 Gennah Prince – Hayleigh Moore Sulpher High School 3 3 8- 6 3 3 8- 6106 Trevor Robertson – Cameron Cannon St Thomas More HS 4 4 8- 5 4 4 8- 5107 Logan Guy – Micah Hubbard Central HS 4 4 8- 2 4 4 8- 2108 Hunter Wesley – Shane Okelley Sulpher High School 4 4 7-14 4 4 7-14109 Christian Talbert – Jaren David Sulphur High School 4 4 7-13 4 4 7-13110 John Edwards – Dawson Ferguson North DeSoto High School 5 5 7-12 5 5 7-12111 Briana Tucker – Caleb Puckett Hartselle High School 4 4 7- 7 4 4 7- 7112 Dayten Schureman – Calvin Neff Rogers High School 3 3 7- 7 3 3 7- 7113 Brandon Louviere – Gavin McCallister Lutcher High Fishing Team 3 3 7- 5 3 3 7- 5114 Nick Terracina – Will Powell E D White Fishing Team 3 2 7- 0 3 2 7- 0115 Alden Keel Jr – Tavon Moore Stone County Bass Club 3 3 6-15 3 3 6-15116 Kelly Istre – Seth newman Acadian Homeschool Bass Club 3 3 6-14 3 3 6-14117 Erin Meeks – Trinity Jordan North DeSoto High School 3 2 5-13 3 2 5-13118 Blaine Tramonte – Kole Pourciau Assumption High School 2 2 5-11 2 2 5-11119 William Clark – Hayes Dominque Assumption High School 2 2 5-10 2 2 5-10120 Patrick Johnson – Austin Morris Central HS 2 2 5- 7 2 2 5- 7121 Jackson Leblanc – Kade Guidry Teurlings Catholic High School 2 2 5- 0 2 2 5- 0122 Peyton Trimm – Parker Trimm Northside High School 3 3 4-15 3 3 4-15123 Zachary McCullough – Kameron Johnson Brandon Bass Club 3 3 4-14 3 3 4-14124 Spencer Higginbotham – Bryden Herring Franklin County 2 2 4-14 2 2 4-14125 Kyle Little – Gage Ulrich Pineville High School 3 3 4-13 3 3 4-13126 John White – Connor Kuriger Ascension Anglers 2 2 4-12 2 2 4-12127 Evan Yuhasz – Sam Houston High School 2 2 4-10 2 2 4-10128 Jeremy Evans – St Michael 1 1 4-10 1 1 4-10128 Levi Nelson – Bailey Nelson Hillcrest High School 1 1 4-10 1 1 4-10130 Luke Cheramie – Caleb Joyce Hahnville HS 2 2 4- 9 2 2 4- 9130 Stone Peterson – Aiden Chriss North DeSoto High School 2 2 4- 9 2 2 4- 9132 Stevie Stephens – Josh Carpenter Petal High School Bassmasters 2 2 4- 6 2 2 4- 6133 Kaleb Prmeaux – Austin Lebrun Sulpher High School 1 1 4- 2 1 1 4- 2134 Chase Webb – Matthew McClendon Jasper High School 2 2 4- 1 2 2 4- 1135 Caleb Clark – Thomas Wiltz St Thomas More HS 2 2 4- 0 2 2 4- 0135 Lain Letchworth – Ethan Brooks Teurlings Catholic High School 2 2 4- 0 2 2 4- 0137 Ethan Cortez – Mason Albares Assumption High School 2 2 3- 8 2 2 3- 8137 John Pearce – Jackson Gregory Calvary Caviliers High School 2 2 3- 8 2 2 3- 8139 Brandon Comeaux – Jacob Fontenot Sam Houston High School 2 2 3- 4 2 2 3- 4140 Conner Peveto – Brock Bradley Sulphur High School 2 2 3- 2 2 2 3- 2141 Dawson Andrews – Wyatt Ensminger Central HS 1 1 3- 0 1 1 3- 0142 Dustin Stewart – Jackson Wells Natchitoches Central HS 2 2 2-13 2 2 2-13143 Luke Herring – Tyler Pate North DeSoto High School 1 1 2- 8 1 1 2- 8144 Taylor Cobb – Matthew Fruge North Desoto High School 1 1 2- 7 1 1 2- 7144 Tyler Simms – Chase May Tyler Simms 1 1 2- 7 1 1 2- 7146 Mason Mitchell – Logan Bailey Broken Arrow High School 1 1 2- 6 1 1 2- 6147 Bryce Robertson – Brandon Huggins Sam Houston High School 1 1 2- 5 1 1 2- 5148 Collin Charpentier – Drake Hoffpauir Loreauville Tiger Bass Team 2 2 2- 4 2 2 2- 4149 Carter Lemaire – Schyler Neal Sulphur High School 1 1 2- 1 1 1 2- 1150 Tucker Roe – Hunter Owens Natchitoches Central High School 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0150 Max Thomas – Adrian Ramirez Broken Arrow High School 1 1 2- 0 1 1 2- 0152 Matthew Tharp – Riley Speights North DeSoto High School 1 1 1-15 1 1 1-15153 Evan Maddie – Jared Abbott Central HS 1 1 1-12 1 1 1-12154 Kenny Landrum – Jacob Lee North DeSoto High School 1 1 1-11 1 1 1-11154 Nicolas Packett – Garrett Brown North DeSoto High School 1 1 1-11 1 1 1-11156 Tyler Boudreaux – Andrew Hymel E D White Fishing Team 1 1 1-10 1 1 1-10157 Gage Nichols – Ryan Ivey North DeSoto High School 1 1 1- 8 1 1 1- 8158 Emily Hamilton – Grace Ellis Huntington High School 1 1 1- 6 1 1 1- 6158 Cameron Rachal – Jordan Lewis North DeSoto High School 1 1 1- 6 1 1 1- 6160 Chase Godeaux – Ian Ducharme David Thibodaux Academy 2 2 1- 4 2 2 1- 4161 Lyla David – Alec Leblanc Sulphur High School 1 0 1- 2 1 0 1- 2162 Austin Alleman – Tyler Boudreaux Assumption High School 1 1 1- 1 1 1 1- 1163 Jerik Berwick – Omere Matt Sulpher High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Joseph Bruener – Hunter Curry Douglass HS Fishing Team 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Parker Brunson – Joel Baxter Captain Shreve Gators 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Kodee Busekros – Jacob Lentz Harlem Huskies Bass Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Payton Canter – Payton Mays Sulpher High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Karli Carpenter – Cade Crow Livingston Parish Bassmasters 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Nick Duhon – Zack Duhon St Thomas More HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Gabe Dumatrait – Dylan Friloux Teurlings Catholic High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Isaac Duncan – Canden Grantham North Pike Fishing 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Ethan Easley – Nicolas Easley Central HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Hayden Gould – Hunter Gould Sulphur High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Madison Hohensee – Central HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 River Lee – Thomas Martin Rains High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Darren Lowe – Richard Bennett Hemphill High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Mason McDonald – Sulpher High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Hunter Muncrief – Landen McCary West Sabine Bass Club 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Trevor Richard – Alec Ardoin Sam Houston High School 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Dustin VanMatre – Dylan VanMatre Natchitoches Central HS 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0163 Noah Westmoreland – Colton Gill Captain Shreve Gators 0 0 0- 0 0 0 0- 0

BIG BASSDay Name City,State Lbs-Oz1 Hunter Martin – Justin Jacob Paulina, LA 8-11

TOTALSDay # Fish # Live Lbs-Oz # Limits1 618 611 1541– 0 91

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