The Westgate Tigers and Ellender Patriots have had some classic battles in the past several years when the two have met on the basketball court.

Coaches for both teams expect another tough game Friday in the biggest game yet between the two programs. Both Westgate and Ellender bring tough pressure defense backed by speedy, athletic players to the Class 5A boys’ basketball state championship game scheduled to tip off around 8:30 p.m. at the Cajundome in Lafayette.

“We’ve had some wars,” said Westgate coach Oliver Winston. “Last year in the championship of their tournament we beat them in a game that got into the 90s (95-91). This year they beat us (87-73).”

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“I expect them to pressure us, use their athletic ability,” said Ellender coach Scott Gauthreaux. “They’re very similar to us. They have a little more size. They’re going to pressure us, and drop back into a zone. They play zone a lot. They play it pretty well. They extend out a lot in it.”

The two coaches have known each other since Gauthreaux started coaching at Central Catholic after finishing his college playing career at Nicholls State University. Winston was coaching at Jeanerette at the time, and scheduled games against CCHS.

When Winston later coached at Morgan City, and Gauthreaux had moved to Vandebilt Catholic, the two again scheduled games between their two teams. When Gauthreaux moved to Ellender six years ago, the two schools began playing each other regularly.

“I’ve known him for a long time,” said Winston.

Turnovers will be the key to Friday’s game, said Winston.

“They thrive on turnovers,” he said. “I think they got Barbe off the ball 24 times (in the semifinals). We’re very similar in a sense. We love turnovers.”

Gauthreaux’s four seniors, Bruce Harding, Walter Jones, John Woodside and Jaquincy Cross, have been leaders by example.

“Way back in preseason they took the conditioning role,” said Gauthreaux. “If I would’ve done what they did to themselves, I would’ve been inhumane. I’d ask them what they wanted to do, and they’d take the lead.

“One day we had a shoe salesman come in, and while he was talking to me they took it upon themselves to start practice.”

The salesman, who had years of experience selling athletic shoes to high school programs, was so impressed that he asked Gauthreaux if he could address the team. He complimented the players for not only starting practice for themselves but for actually pushing each other hard and not just going through the motions, something he said he rarely saw in high school players.

The Patriots start three juniors, leading scorer Sterling Jones (22.0 points per game), Jamal Nixon, who was injured in football but came back strong for basketball to average 14 points a game, and Chris Duthu, a good defender and rebounder who can hit the open jumper, averaging about 10 points a game.

“(Sterling Jones) has been pretty consistent all year long,” said Gauthreaux. “Everything he does he earns — we don’t run a lot of set plays for him. He runs the floor so well.”

Woodside and Walter Jones also start.

Westgate features three senior starters in Christian Joseph (17 ppg), David White (12 ppg) and Akimo Hypolite (18 ppg), with juniors Jamal Spencer (6-foot-3), Raymon Jones (6-5) and Kevin Eaglin (12 ppg) all getting significant numbers of starts this season.

“It’s pretty awesome what these kids have been able to do,” said Winston. “I really believe in my heart that this is an evolution of teams that have played in New Iberia. I really believe in my heart that this may not be the most talented team ever to play in New Iberia, but it’s the best team that’s ever been in New Iberia.”

The Tigers also have a lot of depth, with 6-6 Tyrun Walker and 6-1 Deon Anthony getting a lot of playing time as well. Anthony, a sophomore who started at quarterback for the WHS football team before suffering a broken arm in the final football playoff game, returned for the last three games of district and the playoffs.

“We have to play tough defense, outrebound them and outhustle them,” said Anthony. “We’re the only team from New Iberia to ever make it past the first round (of the Top 28). It would be good for us to win it all and make history for New Iberia and the school.”

Both teams struggled early in their first Top 28 game, with nerves and new conditions of playing in a larger arena playing roles in both cases.

“When you’re in this situation, there’s going to be a bunch of distractions,” said Gauthreaux. “It’s the Top 28. You’re playing in a big arena, in front of a bigger crowd. There was the adrenaline rush of playing in the Top 28. I think we shot 24 percent in the first half. We missed a lot of layups around the basket. Their 6-8 and 6-4 kids had something to do with that, but it also was adrenaline. What good that happened was Barbe came down and turned it over (after Ellender missed shots). We weren’t scoring, but they weren’t either. I think it’s just human nature to be nervous early.”

“It was different shooting there,” said Anthony. “There are no walls behind the backboards (as in a high school gym). The floor’s much bigger. The crowd’s different. It’s louder for basketball than football.”

Tickets for Friday’s game are on sale in advance at the Westgate front office during school hours. The school will keep a portion of the funds from tickets sold at WHS.