Article by John Sudsbury

NEW ORLEANS – William Good, a junior-to-be at Jesuit High School, has been selected as the Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month for July after leading Retif Oil to the Louisiana American Legion Baseball Championship. Monthly award-winners are selected by the Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The Jesuit-based Legion team posted a 17-2 record as it rolled to its 17th all-time American Legion state title. The championship was clinched on July 13 with a 5-1 win over Gibbs Construction at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium. The Legion championship for the Blue Jays followed up their LHSAA Division I state championship – it’s the first time since 1980 that the Blue Jays have swept both titles and the first time for a local school since Archbishop Rummel won the 4A state title and then it’s Schaff Brothers squad won the Legion title in 1987.

In this year’s Legion championship game, Good delivered an RBI single in the fifth inning and then a bases-loaded single to drive home two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

“William Good, the moment’s not too big for him,” Jesuit coach Kenneth Goodlett said. “He’s going to be a junior and he’s a clutch player for us. He enjoys those moments. He had a great at-bat with the first big hit. Then, they intentionally walked the bases loaded, which was the right play, to get to them and he came up with another big hit to score two runs.”

In 10 July games, Good batted .412 (14-of-34) with a triple and a team-best 11 runs batted in as well as a pair of stolen bases. In two games on the mound, Good went 2-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA. In 10 innings, he allowed no runs on two hits. He walked just three batters and struck out 17.

Good earned the honor over another baseball star and a local golf standout.

Xavier University of Louisiana’s Blair Frederick, a graduate of Brother Martin High School, had an outstanding July while playing for the Batavia (N.Y.) Muckdogs of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. The left-hander made three starts for the Muckdogs and posted a 2-0 record with a 0.61 ERA. He pitched 14 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and one earned run while striking out 12. On July 30, he was named Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League Pitcher of the Week after tossing 11.1 innings of shutout baseball.

Andrew Noto, a native of Luling and a Hahnville High graduate, won the 2021 Mackel – the New Orleans Metro Amateur Golf Championship – for the second time. The 31-year old, who also won the tournament when he was in college in 2011, was tied for the lead going into the final round on July 11 and then carded three birdies on the front nine to pull away. He shot a final round 69 to finish at an 8-under 136 to win the tournament by four strokes. Noto was a two-time All-Louisiana golfer as a collegian at UL Lafayette.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee has been selecting an Amateur Athlete of the Month each month since 1957. The athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region in order to be eligible.