Allen Graves ticks all the boxes to end a stellar prep career
Tangi Times Report
Allen Graves added to his historic high school career last week, being named both Louisiana MaxPreps High
School Basketball Player of the Year and Gatorade Louisiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Both awards
celebrate excellence on the court, in the classroom, and in the surrounding community.
The 6’10” senior led the Green Wave to their greatest season in team history with a regular season record of
30-4. Graves averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks en route to a second
consecutive Division I state championship and a second-straight Most Outstanding Player honor for Graves.
In the championship game, Graves tallied 19 points, 20 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a 75-60 win against
Natchitoches Central.
With a 3.74 GPA in the classroom, Graves is the first in any sport for the Green Wave to earn the Gatorade
Player of the Year award, which was established in 1985 to recognize the nation’s most elite high school
student-athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character.
In the community, Graves volunteers with his family’s ministry, Love is The Key Outreach. He has also donated
his time to the Special Olympics and as a youth basketball camp counselor.
Graves signed his national letter of intent earlier this year and will play for the Santa Clara Broncos, starting
next fall in the NCAA. He plans to major as a mechanic and follow in the footsteps of his dad, Marshall Graves,
who owns an automotive repair business in Ponchatoula.
The Green Wave basketball team celebrated their state championship with a parade through Ponchatoula on
Sunday afternoon. State and local officials, including State Senator Bill Wheat, Mayor Bob Zabbia, and School
Board members, Rose Dominguez and Joey Piazza, attended the parade and praised the Wave for its
exemplary performance on the court.