In her early days on the court, Hannah Cupit was content passing the ball to sister Ally whenever possible. A decade later, she had developed into a do-it-all star, leading Sulphur to its first Top 28 basketball semifinal appearance since 2004.

Trey Quinn found fame before stepping foot in high school as a member of the South Lake Charles All-Star team that reached the semifinals of the 2008 Little League World Series. This year, he helped Barbe make its debut in the Superdome Prep Classic.

Cupit, a senior, and Quinn, a junior, are the American Press Outstanding Athletes. Cupit averaged 14 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while leading the Lady Tors to the Class 5A semifinals in basketball and hit .281 while helping the softball team to the regional round of the playoffs.

Quinn caught 115 passes for 2,141 yards and 26 touchdowns to help the Bucs reach the Class 5A championship football game and qualified for the state track and field meet in the 100-meter dash in his first year on the track team.

Cupit’s athletic career started on tumbling mats.

“I was in gymnastics when I was little, then Ally started played basketball so I wanted to do that, and started in third grade,” she said.

“I wasn’t very good. Ally was way better. I loved it, though, and always thought it was fun. Ally loves to shoot, so I used to just dribble and pass it to her. It is going to be weird to play without her. We’re twins so we do everything together, on and off the floor.”

Cupit worked her way into the Tors rotation as an underclassman, but didn’t worry about growing expectations.

“I didn’t worry about (expectations), basketball was always fun for me,” she said. “This year was fun, we were winning and we all got along.”

The Tors finished the season 28-4 and were perfect in District 3-5A play. Cupit was named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association all-state team for the second consecutive season and was the district most valuable player.

“It was different, a lot of fun, a good experience,” she said. “Winning the district going undefeated was a big highlight of this year, and playing in the semifinals. Beating Ouachita (in the quarterfinals) was fun because they beat us in the playoffs last year.”

Cupit will play next year at McNeese State.

“It is faster paced, fun and really cool,” she said. “I like the coaches, the people, its close so I have my family right there, its perfect.”

Quinn’s season on the football field was close to perfect, as the Bucs rolled to a 13-2 record, reaching the title game before losing to Archbishop Rummel.

Quinn said the groundwork for the successful season was laid early on.

“In the summer we had a very focused team, there wasn’t any goofing around going on,” he said. “All eyes were on the prize.”

Quinn’s biggest night came in a 48-47 win over Evangel in which he caught nine passes for 341 yards and five touchdowns. His biggest plays came in a 49-48 semifinal win over West Monroe in which he recovered an onside kick to set up the winning touchdown, which he scored with 13 seconds left.

“It was fun; it was frustrating up to a point but you have got to stay in the whole time and have that don’t-quit attitude,” he said.

“You can’t think you are going to lose until that last second ticks off. We were in it the whole time, we always knew there was a shot. I was just trying to step up and make a play in a big situation.

“I was on the sideline waiting for the defense to make a play or for the special teams to recover an onside kick when they started yelling for me and Courtney (Galentine, the Bucs’ starting running back). They told me to get out there and if the ball goes up, catch it. Catching the touchdown was probably the most exciting thing I have ever done in my life. I went crazy after the play. The referee told me to chill out and wait till I got to the sideline.”

After helping the Bucs to a baseball state title as a sophomore, Quinn switched to track this spring, the 100 meters in 10.4 seconds and 21.9 in the 200.

“I enjoyed getting out there and competing,” he said. “I was pretty proud of my accomplishments, making it to state. I wish I hadn’t false-started at state, but I had fun and am glad I did it.”

Quinn is rated the country’s third-best receiver prospect by ESPN, with LSU, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Clemson among the schools that have offered scholarships. He said the attention from media and coaches don’t take away from the enjoyment of playing the games.

“Sports are always easy and fun to play; it is fun to work out and have a goal,” he said. “I love representing this town and state, going back to the LLWS. It has been fun to have people behind my back the whole time and I know that I have a great support team behind me.”

Quinn said he is using the summer to come back as a better player this fall.

“There is always room for improvement, I am trying to work on lateral quickness, you can always work on route-runinng, blocking, getting stronger, there is always something to work on.”

Recent Winners

2012 — Blake Trahan, Kinder and Jodi Chatters, St. Louis.

2011 — Cedric Skinner, Oberlin and Baleigh Bussell, Starks.

2010 — Kevin Berard, Barbe and Logan Fuselier, Oberlin

2009 — Eric Cutrera, Barbe and Natalie Ieyoub, St. Louis.

2008 — Jace Peterson, Hamilton Christian and Andrea Miller, Starks.

2007 — Stephan Martin, Lacassine and Amy Guinn, Barbe.

2006 — Al Woods, Elton and Danielle Honoré, St. Louis.

2005 — Gary Riggs, Jennings and Fallon Fisher, Sulphur.

2004 — Martin Zeno, Sulphur and Courtney Conner, South Cameron.

2003 — Anthony Holmes, Oakdale and Cassidy Chretien, LaGrange.

2002 — Justin Vincent, Barbe and Teresa Dollman, St. Louis.

2001 — Zeke Dixon, Westlake and Bernette Tolston, Lake Charles-Boston.

2000 — Chad Carnahan, Barbe and Lindsey Bufford, Hackberry.

1999 — Brian Johnson, Iowa and Jada Goins, South Beauregard.

1998 — Aaron Smith, Kinder and Michelle Poulard, LaGrange.

1997 — Arthur Goodly, Elton and Jessica Trahan, Lake Arthur.

1996 — George Guidry, Washington-Marion and Amber Slate, St. Louis.

Barbe’s Trey Quinn

a junior