By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Sports

Horse racing.

Football.

What could those two sports possibly have in common?

Shane Wilson has a one-word answer.

“Competition.”

In the mid-to-late 1980’s, the Haughton native, currently the leading trainer at Louisiana Downs, was an offensive and defensive lineman for the hometown high school Buccaneers. In 1988, Wilson made the 1-AAA All-District team as a guard.

“I wasn’t great,” Wilson said. “Just a good, small, high school football player.”

A good, small, high school football player who loved the game and had the drive to be better than the guy across the line of scrimmage.

“I enjoyed the physicality of it. I liked the one-on-one. The combat. Either you win or he wins … I never took a day off from lifting weights, because I didn’t want anybody in the city to be a day ahead of me. I always felt like I could outwork them and beat them, even if they were physically more blessed than me.”

Long past his playing days, the 51-year-old husband and father of two sons is again outworking them and beating them. But “them” isn’t other football players. It’s other horse trainers.

Wilson is trying for his second straight training title at the Downs. So far, he is ahead of the field. Through last Sunday, in 159 starts this meet, Wilson has conditioned 40 winners, 13 more than the second-place trainer. Sixty percent of his starters have finished in the money.

“It’s constant competition. Every day, other trainers are wanting to win, too. It’s very, very competitive.”

For Wilson, the drive to finish first was born at an early age.

“I always wanted to win, no matter what it was. My father taught me how to play chess. He used to get mad at me. He would say, ‘If I go use the restroom, you change the board before I get back. I’ve never seen anything like it.’”

Wilson’s father told his son something else.

“My Dad said I had to get a job if I wanted a vehicle.”

So, Wilson started flipping burgers and salting fries at the local McDonald’s.

“I was making $75 a week. A gentleman came in early one Saturday morning. I asked him if he was going fishing or hunting? He said he was going to Louisiana Downs — he worked there. I asked him if there was anything I could do there.

“He said, ‘You could probably walk horses.’ I asked him what it paid. He said $125 a week. I could make more money doing that, than working at McDonald’s. So, I started working at the track in the morning, hot-walking in the afternoon, and I got the late shift at McDonald’s so I could bring home about $200 a week.”

Before long, Wilson was behind the wheel of a 1980 Ford F-150 pickup, “Three-speed on the column,” Wilson remembers. No air conditioning. No radio.

“I thought I had a really nice truck.”

But Wilson’s career in the horse industry got off to a less-than-impressive start.

“The first day I was out here, one of (the horses) about ate me alive. I had never touched a horse before. I grew up in a subdivision. They gave me a horse. I’ll never forget his name — “Frightener.” He was a stud horse. Before I made two laps around the barn, he had bitten me about three times. I was shocked. I went home and showed my dad all the bite marks.”

Wilson’s father passed away in 1998, the first year his son began training on his own. He would no doubt be proud of how far Wilson has come. In 24 years, his horses have earned more than $13 million. Last year — when he won his first Louisiana Downs training title — Wilson’s horses earned $1.4 million.

That’s a long way from $200 a week working two jobs.

“This is so much fun, because you have so many different personalities. Every horse wants something different. Some want to be in front. Some don’t want dirt in their face. Some don’t mind it. Some like to run at the end and save their energy. It’s about figuring out what each horse wants to do, and once you can figure that out, and then win, it’s rewarding.”

Wilson compares being a winning trainer to being a winning coach. Not in football, but in basketball.

“Phil Jackson wasn’t a great coach until he got Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin. Then, with the Lakers, Kobe and Shaq. It’s the same thing with us. I’ve been blessed with some (owners) that have stuck with me. I’ve got some owners that have been with me 12, 15 years. They continue to upgrade and get better horses as they go. It’s really about getting better athletes and learning from the mistakes you made early on.”

Next January, Wilson’s youngest son, Connor, will join his brother (Peyton) at LSU. Connor got his assistant trainer’s license and has been helping his father the past couple of years.

“He’s going to be a big loss for me when he heads off to school,” says the proud dad.

But Wilson will surely survive. After all, there’s competition waiting at the track.

Louisiana Downs runs Saturday through Tuesday. Post time is 3:05.

Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com

Submitted Photo

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Fresh strawberry scones are good for breakfast, snacks with coffee or anytime.

Scones
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
• 12 strawberries, diced
• 3/4 cup half and half

Glaze
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add butter and crumble with your hands or a pastry blender. Toss in strawberries and coat with mixture.

Add half and half and fold together gently until mixture comes together and forms a soft ball. Do not over mix. Turn out onto floured surface. Pat into a 1” thick circle. Use a sharp carving knife to cut into 8 triangles. Place on parchment paper.

Bake 16-18 minutes. Remove scones to cooling rack. Whisk ingredients for glaze and after they have cooled for 10 minutes, pour glaze over.

*Original recipe from Bellyfull.net and pictures by Nicole Davidge with Southern Shutter Photography.

Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom, and contributor to Webster Parish, Natchitoches Parish, and Shreveport-Bossier journals, as well as a published cookbook author.

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Wilbert White
August 2, 1944 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, 2200 Laurel Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at St. Rest Baptist Church, 1664 Garden Street, Shreveport.

Keidron King
December 1, 1986 — August 12, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 11:30 a.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.

Carolyn Webb
June 4, 1938 — August 20, 2022
Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 500 Common Street, Shreveport.

Larry Benjamin
December 31, 1947 — August 20, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Graveside service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 9:00 a.m. at Round Grove Cemetery, 2869 Round Grove Lane, Shreveport.

Sandra Stevenson
March 22, 1946 — August 10, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.

Felton Jackson
November 4, 1963 — August 15, 2022
Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at New Bethel MBC, 3300 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.

Howard King
September 27, 1949 — August 15, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Graveside service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Carver Cemetery, Kennie Road, Shreveport.

Barry White
December 7, 1959 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Greater Zion Baptist Church, 6924 Bethany Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 27, 2022, following service at Galilee Cemetery, Keithville.

Lee Darrow Brown
June 22, 1956 — August 12, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Shreveport Funeral Home & Cremation Tribute Center, 5307 Alex Lane, Shreveport.
Graveside service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Forbing Union Cemetery, 250 Par Rd 118, Shreveport.

Bettye Jo Biggs
August 10, 1932 — August 19, 2022
Graveside service: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Gibsland Cemetery, Gibsland.

Wanda Nell Merritt McEachern
December 7, 1952 — August 21, 2022
Graveside service: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Evergreen Union Cemetery, 1638 Evergreen Road, Minden.

Annie O’Neal Bradley Crawley
June 14, 1927 — August 21, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Interment: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Harris Cemetery, Swampers.

Conrad A. Lindsey
August 3, 1933 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 2:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Carolyn Davis
August 6, 1926 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 4:00-6:00 p.m. and Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport.
Funeral service: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, following service at Forest Park Cemetery, 3700 St. Vincent Avenue, Shreveport.

Clifford L. Terry
October 27, 1933 — August 18, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life Graveside: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Patricia Lee Tyler
July 23, 1948 — August 19, 2022
Celebration of Life Visitation: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Karen Boyce Logan
August 7, 1938 — August 18, 2022
Memorial service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Belcher Presbyterian Church, 508 Gray Street, Belcher.
Reception: Saturday, August 27, 2022, following service at the home of Stephen and Jann Logan, Gilliam.

Acy J. Cooper, Sr.
March 4, 1935 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Marksville.
Funeral service: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 12:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Marksville.
Interment: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, following service at St. Joseph’s No. 2 Cemetery, Marksville.

Elizabeth Earline Sanders
August 28, 1950 — August 13, 2022
Visitation: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Holly Springs Cemetery, 854 Hwy 79, Minden.
Memorial Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 2:00-3:00 p.m. at Holly Springs Cemetery, 854 Hwy 79, Minden.

Jack Dee Kent, Jr.
November 25, 1929 — August 19, 2022
Graveside service: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at Hill Crest Memorial Park Cemetery, 601 US-80, Haughton.

Bobby Allen Womack
December 20, 1943 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Funeral service: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Interment: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, following service at Northwest Louisiana Veteran Cemetery, 7970 Mike Clark Road, Keithville.

John L. Johnson, Jr.
July 14, 1947 — August 11, 2022
Visitation: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Friday, August 26, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at New Hope CME Church, 3737 Ninock Street, Shreveport.

Charles Terry Jones
August 17, 1937 — August 9, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4736 Lyba Street, Shreveport.
Service: Friday, August 26, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4736 Lyba Street, Shreveport.

The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $90. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)

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Raeleigh McKellar is just like any other teenage girl whose high school adventures are now underway. She likes birthday parties and swimming, loves her dogs Caspian, Envy and Nessy, and was excited about the release of new music from one of her favorite artists, Conan Gray.

However, the 14-year-old is a bit different, too. She’s coming off a summer that featured a trip to the 2022 Youth Pan-American Games in Nova Scotia. The archer didn’t simply represent the United States, she captured a silver medal in the U21 Barebow division – not bad for her first international event and her first outdoor 50-meter competition.

The trip to Halifax represents just a portion of McKellar’s list of accomplishments in 2022. It’s as extensive as it is impressive.

A focus on “the process without a worry about the results” sparked a massive 2022 campaign for McKellar, who set a new state record en route to a victory at the LFAA State Indoor Tournament.

There was a second-place finish at the NFAA Indoor Nationals in Kentucky and a fourth-place finish in the USA Archery JOAD Target Nationals in Decatur, Ala.

The Bossier City resident also captured a win at the 2022 Shoot Your Way Around the Bayou (SYWAB) Championship, the 2022 USA Indoor National JOAD and National Archery Tournaments in College Station, Texas, and the 2022 NFAA Southern Indoor Sectional. She is also a Caddo Parish 4-H regional and state champion.

McKellar’s entry into the archery world is unique. She’s almost here by default.

“I just decided one day that it looked cool and I wanted to try it,” she said. “After trying literally every other sport ever and hating all of those, archery is the one that stuck.”

Clearly it was meant to be.

McKellar spends most of her time practicing at Hoot & Holler Archery in Bossier City, but her father, Cody, has also provided a nice practice area at home.

Hoot & Holler is no stranger to producing talented archers who make waves on a national level. Abbie Rutledge (now at Texas A&M) is a member of the United States Archery Team. Landon Richardson won a bronze in Canada and current teammate Savannah O’Donahue won a silver in her category.

Canada is McKellar’s favorite experience thus far. In addition to repping the Red, White and Blue at the Junior Pan-Ams, she took a memorable trip to Peggy’s Cove, a popular tourist destination in Nova Scotia.

“We got to climb on a bunch of rocks and we saw a duck and I got to buy an awesome little pocket knife as a souvenir,” she said.

The goal for 2023 is simple, but monumental: Join Benton’s Rutledge on the U.S. National Team (McKellar fell just shy of making the roster this year).

“That’s really all I know,” McKellar said. “We will see how we feel after that.”

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD

Eight out of 10 of the qualifying candidates running for Shreveport mayor took part in Sunday’s mayoral forum held at the LSUS University Center auditorium. The forum was hosted by People Acting for Change and Equality (PACE) and dedicated to issues of particular interest to the LGBTQ+ community.

The way this election has been going, it looked like incumbent Mayor Adrian Perkins could be one of the people missing from the stage. On August 2, Perkins was disqualified from the 2022 elections by Judge Brady O’Callaghan of the First District Court of Louisiana for inaccurately listing his address on qualifying documents. That decision was upheld by the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal on August 8.

This past Friday, however, the Louisiana Supreme Court reinstated Perkins into the elections. Scott Bickford, Perkins’ attorney, argued successfully before the court’s judges last Tuesday that the Louisiana legislature left room in their rules for candidates to falsify some information on qualifying forms.

In its decision, the state Supreme Court wrote: “Nothing is more fundamental and sacred to our system of democracy than the ability of citizens to choose their leaders.”

As it turned out, the two missing candidates in Sunday’s forum were Louisiana state Sen. Greg Tarver and Darryl Ware II, both Democrats.

If history repeats itself, that doesn’t bode well for the missing candidates since the candidate elected mayor in each of the last four elections has participated in the PACE forum.

The other candidates joining Perkins (Democrat) in the forum were local attorney and former Shreveport City Councilman Tom Arceneaux (Republican), District 10 Caddo Parish Commissioner Mario Chavez (Independent), Shreveport City Councilwoman LeVette Fuller (Democrat), Tracy Mendels (Democrat), Melvin Slack (Republican), Julius Romano (Independent), and Lauren Ray Anderson (Libertarian).

When asked if he thought he might not get the opportunity to run for re-election, Perkins said, “It crossed my mind multiple times during the litigation process. But never throughout the process did I doubt that justice would be served.”

Neither Arceneaux nor Fuller were surprised with the state Supreme Court’s decision.

“As an attorney, I try not to be surprised,” said Arceneaux. “I knew there was a split in the circuits.”

Chavez had a different take on the outcome.

“From a legal standpoint, yes, I was surprised,” he said. “But no, not really, because it’s who you know.”

Sunday’s forum, which included two-minute introductions by each candidate, a Q&A session, and 90-second closing statements by each candidate, drew a crowd of approximately 100 people. Questions included issues regarding hiring LGBTQ+ liaisons in both the executive office and the police department, health care for LGBTQ+ city employees, same-sex marriage, and the protection of trans citizens.

Most of the candidates were pleased with both the turnout and the questions, although they wished there was more time to explain their answers.

“I’m ready for the group to be whittled down some so we have more time,” said Mendels.

The primary elections will be held Nov. 8 while the general elections will take place Dec. 10.

Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com

Photo by JOHN PENROD

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Here’s what Loyola football coach Mike Greene is faced with this year as the Flyers prepare for the 2022 season — the leading rusher, the leading passer, the two leading receivers, the two leading scorers and 61 percent of Loyola’s all-purpose yards are all gone.

The Flyers scored 396 points last year, but 294 of those have graduated.

“It is going to be different,” Greene said. “I don’t see us making a lot of 80-yard runs. We are going to have to be very disciplined and play ball control. We are going to need to have some 10- and 12-play drives.”

Loyola had nine scoring plays of 50 or more yards last year on a team that averaged 36.0 points per game and won seven straight games on the way to an 8-3 season and a second-round playoff berth in the Division II playoffs.

Much of that quick-strike offense was led by quarterback Jacob Lafitte (the school’s No. 2 career passer and all-time leading scorer) and Tray Taylor (No. 2 career receiver). Both have graduated.

But Greene likes how his team is built and just as happy about being in Class 2A. In previous years when Loyola played in Class 3A, that meant the Flyers had to participate in the Division II playoffs, which had schools more than twice their enrollment.

“We have 15 seniors and that’s the key,” Greene said. “You look at any team that goes deep in the playoffs, they are senior-based. We are now in a position where we are not playing someone that we shouldn’t be playing in the playoffs. It’s a more level playing field. I’m looking forward to getting in the playoffs and knowing that we have a chance.”

Three of those seniors will be leading the Loyola offense. Cooper DeFatta (5-10, 180) led the Flyers in tackles last year with 104 as an All-District linebacker and also started at running back. This year, he will be at quarterback, where he played as a backup when he was a sophomore.

“Cooper is going to have to manage the game and not try to do too much,” Greene said. “We just aren’t going to be as explosive as we were.”

Running back Trace Wall (5-8, 185) ran for 874 yards and seven touchdowns and was the team’s second-leading rusher behind Lafitte. “Last year he was that unheard of guy and all of a sudden he exploded,” Greene said. “I’m expecting even more. For us to be successful, he’s going to have to have a bunch of yards.”

John Carmody (6-3, 175) was the third-leading receiver for the Flyers in 2021 with 15 catches for 156 while also starting at cornerback.

“John is going to be our go-to guy this year. He’s starting to understand that he’s a heck of an athlete,” Greene said. “I’m looking forward to him having a really great year.”

The offensive line returns three starters, including three-year veteran Kade O’Neal (6-2, 280) at center.

Defensively, the Flyers will return quite a few starters, including All-District end Andrew DeFatta (6-1, 240), who had 12 tackles for loss, junior strong safety Reagan Coyle (5-10, 165), who was fourth on the team in tackles, and defensive back Grayson Hutchins (5-11, 150), who led the team with six passes broken up.

The Flyers, who will open on Sept. 1 against Captain Shreve at Lee Hedges Stadium, will play only one of their first five games at Messmer Stadium.

Contact J.J. at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

Every year in high school football in Louisiana, there always seems to be three or four teams that are new that make the state title games from Class 1A to Class 5A, Select or Non-Select.

It’s hard to get this right every year even if you’re like me and watch over 300 high school football games a year on film with almost 100 of those in person, counting full practices, around the state.

Also, every year there seems to always be a team on a mission that shocks everyone in every city of the state to make the playoffs and win a couple of playoff games.

That’s what I love about high school sports: on any given night anybody can beat anyone. I always say great teams with leadership sometimes beat great teams with just talent.

Today I will talk about teams in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal coverage area who can make a long run in the playoffs or shock people to make the playoffs in the smaller classes like 2A.

I really like Calvary Baptist Academy’s chances to win another state title with a deep team coming back at the skill spots and overall more depth back at the lineman spots. They did lose all-state quarterback Landry Lyddy, who threw for over 8,000 yards in his career, but return a capable stable of young talented QB’s in Abram Wardell, Bryce Carpenter and some younger talented players. I like their leadership coming back with players like Kolby Thomas at wide receiver, defensive back Hutch Grace and linebacker Cade Bedgood.

Calvary had an 11-2 record in 2021 — not bad — but in 2022 might end up with one of their best teams, even with a tough start to their slate. Come midseason, I would not want to play this team.

Another team I like a lot is North Caddo, with some of the best offensive players coming back in the Shreveport-Bossier area: running back Aiden Brock, quarterback/running back KJ Black and wide receiver Omarion Miller. This program has a chance to go farther in 2022 than they have ever been in school history.

North Caddo finished 10-3 in 2021 and again has a chance to really shock some people in the end — if their key players stay healthy, always a concern at any level, but especially in the smaller high school classifications.

My top sleeper team in Class 2A in Shreveport-Bossier is Green Oaks. I watched this team last season play Class 5A Zachary and they competed with 90 percent of the team being freshmen or sophomores, and most of those kids are back, even though wide receiver De’Coldest Crawford is now with Nebraska, making snappy commercials in his NIL deal.

Even though Zachary won the game by halftime, I was impressed how these young kids competed against the eventual Class 5A state champs, and I expect those young kids will grow up and become a problem for many schools in 2022.

Another young team to keep an eye on is Loyola Prep. This Class 2A school lost a lot from the 2021 season with many players graduating, but they return some good young players and some seniors like free safety/wide receiver Grayson Hutchins, wide receiver John Carmody and new quarterback Cooper Defatta each have a chance to put this team on their back, and each can become recruits in 2022 with great seasons.

Loyola Prep veteran coach Mike Greene does a great job and always has, even when his teams have had little to no experience returning. I’ve covered his Fair Park and Airline teams over the years and have learned to never count his teams out. They’re in a more favorable position when it comes time for the playoffs (see today’s Loyola season preview by John James Marshall) and that Flyer tradition is another subtle factor.

GET YOUR ORDER IN:  For previews of every Louisiana high school and college football team, info on the state’s top senior prospects, and more, you can order the 2022 Louisiana Football Magazine at LaFootballMagazine.com – offering North Louisiana and South Louisiana editions, printed or digital.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

NATCHITOCHES – When football coaches talk about “sudden change,” what happened Sunday at Northwestern State is not what they have in mind.

Coach Brad Laird’s fifth season with the Demons will operate with a new-to-the-role offensive coordinator. Cody Crill, who was hired in January after a highly-successful four-year stint as OC at Southland rival Incarnate Word, resigned Sunday.

Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Beau Blair was immediately promoted by Laird. Blair also joined NSU in January from New Mexico Highlands where he was the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. In his only season as OC, Blair’s offense produced five all-conference players, including wide receiver CJ Sims, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

New Mexico Highlands led the RMAC in passing offense and was second in total offense, ranking in the top 25 nationally in Division II. 

In the previous two seasons (2019-20), Blair worked with Crill at UIW in the Cardinals’ high-powered offense.

Coaching differences did not lead to the change. Crill is returning to his hometown of San Angelo, Texas, to handle care of his father, who is said to be seriously ill.

“We appreciate the time we had with coach Cody Crill on our staff,” Laird said. “We tried to work things out, but ultimately this decision is best for Cody and his family. We constantly talk about family, even having family meetings every night during fall camp. We talk about ‘love,’ and I love coach Crill for what he has meant to me over the last eight months.”

Crill missed NSU’s first preseason scrimmage when he had to return home to attend to his parents. Blair called the offense on Aug. 12 as the Demons threw for 504 yards in an impressive performance.

Crill was not coaching a position group. Blair will continue to work with the offensive line, with the potential for an addition to the staff to assist him in that role.

Blair spent two seasons as offensive line coach at Incarnate Word under Crill. Blair helped mold his O-line into a unit that blocked for a top-20 FCS passing offense while helping UIW average 5.1 yards per carry and record a single-game school record 402 yards rushing.

Blair was a graduate assistant offensive line coach at Houston in 2018, helping the Cougars rank fourth nationally in scoring offense (46.4 ppg) and sixth in total offense (538.6 yards per game) despite ranking 128th of 130 teams in time of possession.

A Gilmer, Texas, native, Blair began his collegiate coaching career at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., coaching tight ends and assisting with the offensive line. The Fire was the No. 1 NAIA scoring offense in 2017 and No. 2 in total offense.

Blair spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Jacksonville (Texas) High School where he also was the strength and conditioning coordinator and head powerlifting coach. With Blair on staff, Jacksonville broke an eight-year playoff drought and produced a quarterback who rushed for 2,150 yards.

Blair began his coaching career at Diboll (Texas) High School as the offensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator, helping Diboll improve from a 1-9 mark to 5-5 in his lone season.

Photo by GARY HARDAMON, Northwestern State

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By Royal Alexander/Opinion

We’ve all witnessed examples of the fact that the harsh, ill-advised China Virus lockdowns, mask mandates, and other government policy guidance did far more harm than good. Even at the time these capricious, burdensome measures were implemented, numerous respected healthcare experts, such as Dr. Scott Atlas, warned that such misguided measures would trigger a societal disaster.

They were right.

For instance, there’s still no persuasive evidence that wearing of masks produced any substantial health benefits. In fact, in the case of school children, there is evidence the mandatory mask wearing caused physical, emotional, and psychological harm. This is why public-school districts such as Caddo Parish wisely did away with them.

According to John Tierney “when case rates throughout the pandemic are plotted on a graph, the trajectory in states with mask mandates is virtually identical to the trajectory in states without mandates.” In fact, American states that had no mandates actually had slightly fewer deaths from Covid per capita.(Tierney, Wall Street Journal, 08-19-22).

Further, an international analysis by Johns Hopkins University found that punitive lockdowns had “little to no effect on COVID-19 mortality.” The study concluded that “while this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted . . . In consequence, lockdown policies are ill-founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument.”

Further, epidemiologist Dr. Donald Henderson concluded that it’s a mistake to rely on computer models and that “experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverse events respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted.” (Tierney, WSJ.)

Even the leftist World Health Organization (WHO) had concluded pre-2020 that regarding masking, there is “no evidence it is effective in reducing transmission.”

This Covid tragedy proves lockdowns not only did enormous economic harm which will take decades to recover from, but also caused deaths due to the monumental upending of our societal fabric, leading to isolation, depression, and other physical and emotional harms.

Yet, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president, stated recently that there should have been “much, much more stringent restrictions” at the onset of the pandemic.

Recall that early in the pandemic Dr. Fauci increased panic through his confusing and contradictory edicts: “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask,” and then added he’s not “against masks,” but worried about healthcare providers and sick people “needing them,” but also that masks can lead to “unintended consequences” such as people touching their face when they fiddle with their mask.

And recall the same Dr. Fauci much later in the pandemic reversed himself, recommending “two masks are better than one” … “because it just makes common sense.” Then, at a later Senate committee hearing, Dr. Fauci, wearing two masks, was asked by Senator Rand Paul if Fauci “could cite any scientific study to support that recommendation.” Fauci has provided none.

Regarding the later Omicron variant, Fauci stated “there is a danger that there will be so many people who are being isolated who are asymptomatic for the full 10 days, that you could have a major negative impact on our ability to keep society running.”

That’s, no doubt, true and has been for the entire period of the pandemic.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky had the self-awareness and humility to acknowledge her agency’s errors: “For 75 years, CDC and public health have been preparing for COVID-19, and in our big moment, our performance did not reliably meet expectations.” Unfortunately, not only did CDC fail but anyone who disagreed with it was attacked and vilified.

Yet, again, Dr. Fauci stated recently that there should have been “much, much more stringent restrictions” early on.

WOW. He would do the same thing again.

Incredibly, nothing has been learned from the devastating mistakes of the past two and a half years.

This is really the point.

We now have a perfect test case—Covid and Omicron—and we have learned in the most acutely painful way that these lockdowns and mask mandates simply don’t protect the public health while they do grave damage to our economy, social order, our bodily integrity and privacy, and the American way of life.

If Dr. Fauci thinks Americans will tolerate such misguided and illogical “expert” advice in the future, he, himself, should be examined.

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August 17, 2022

Another group of parish asphalt roads that required major overhauls following flood water damage in 2015 and 2016 has been completed.

Bossier Parish Police Jury members gave approval Wednesday to a certificate of substantial completion for Task Order 6 that includes roads in the southern portion of the parish.

Projects to repair and reconstruct more than 30 roads, funded by $30 million-plus from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are continuing according to Parish Engineer Eric Hudson.

“Our contractors have been on it and got it fixed,” Hudson reported. “We’re moving right on with these task orders.”

Hudson said roads that have been completed under the latest task order include Christy Rd., Oil Field Rd. and Old Highway 71 in south Bossier Parish.

In addition to the FEMA-funded projects, Hudson said most of the police jury road work for the year is out for bid, including a project in Kingston Plantation.

“We’re wrapping up work in Glendale and Merrywoods,” he said. “We’ve managed to get a lot done, given our limited (highway department) staff. We’ve pulled off a good year.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, police jury members also:

• Awarded bid for Project No. 2021-122, DR 4263 PW 910 Paved Roads, Task Order No. 10, in accordance with bids received August 11, 2022.
• Tabled the Minor Plat for Susan Watts, located in Section 22, Township 20 North, Range 12 West, Bossier Parish; located off Dalrymple Road.
• Approved the application of Ryan Estess, Raley and Associates, to the Bossier City-Parish MPC, for a zoning amendment to change the zoning classification of a certain tract of land being 4.524 acres, more or less, located in Section 33, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish, from R-A, Residence-Agricultural District, to B-1, Business, Commercial Office District, for a proposed office park; located on the southeast corner of Wemple Road and Old Brownlee Road.
• Approved the application of East Highland Mobile Home Park to the Bossier City-Parish MPC, for a zoning amendment to change the zoning classification of a certain tract of land being 20.84 acres, more or less, located at 952 Ferndale Boulevard, Haughton, from B-3, General Business District, to R-MPH, Residential, Manufactured Housing Park District, for an existing mobile home park; located off U. S. Highway 80.
• Approved the Minor Plat for Jason Brazzel, located in Section 7, Township 19 North, Range 12 West, Bossier Parish; located off Parks Road.
• Amended Chapter 94, Article I, of the Bossier Parish Code of Ordinances “Roads and Bridges,” to amend Section 94-11 “No Thru Traffic, Local Traffic Only and No Trucks” regulations on certain roads and/or subdivision streets, Subsection 94-11(a) and 94-11(c) to add Maggio Road; and providing penalties for the violations thereof.
• Scheduled a public hearing on September 21, 2022, to consider adoption of the Haughton Metropolitan Planning Commission Zoning Map.
• Scheduled a public hearing on September 21, 2022, to consider approval of the Minor Plat for Catherine Vanwinterswyk, located in Section 5, Township 18 North, Range 12 West, Bossier Parish; located off Stockwell Road.
• Scheduled a public hearing on September 21, 2022, to consider approval of the proposed plat and site plan for Robella Office Park subdivision, located in Section 33, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish; located on the corner of Wemple Road and Old Brownlee Road.
• Scheduled a public hearing on September 7, 2022, to consider adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 110 of the Bossier Parish Code of Ordinances “Subdivisions,” to add and/or amend certain sections or subsections.
• Accepted report on meeting of the Policy and Procedures Committee.
• Adopted the proposed Bossier Parish Police Jury Redistricting Plan.
• Approved a grant agreement by and between the Division of Administration and the Bossier Parish Police Jury in connection with FY2022 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant, sewer rehabilitation for Gray Duck Estates, and authorize the execution of any and all documents in connection with said grant.
• Approved request for a variance of parish regulations to allow a home to be built below the road surface level located at 500 Daley Drive, Faith Estates subdivision.
• Approved request for a variance of parish regulations to allow a home to be built below the road surface level located at 1102 Daley Circle, Faith Estates subdivision.
• Approved a Certificate of Substantial Completion for Project No. 2021-118, proposed street improvements, DR 4263 PW 910 Paved Roads, Task Order No. 6.

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Monday, August 22

Jamboree Coaches Supper
Damon Vaughn Center
Airline Baptist Church
4007 Airline Drive
Bossier City
6 p.m.

The Bossier City Lions Club will host its annual Coaches Supper leading up to the Jamboree. This is a time for our high school coaches to come together off the field for a delicious meal, good-spirited camaraderie and to be recognized and thanked before they take sides on the turf.

Wednesday, August 24

First Day of PreK
Start times vary

The last of our littles start their first day of school. It’s the first full day for PreK! There is sure to be excitement — and probably a few tears from moms — as these precious four-year-olds begin their early childhood education journey. We are so excited to welcome them into the fold!

Thursday, August 25

Jamboree Queens Luncheon
Bossier City Lions Club Hut
716 Bearkat Drive
Bossier City
11:30 a.m.

It is an annual tradition fit for a queen. Make that six queens! The Bossier City Lions Club will fete our 2022 football Jamboree queens at a luncheon in their honor.

Friday, August 26

Rodeo Days
Willie Waggoner Memorial Arena
221 Rubicon Drive
Benton, LA
9 a.m.

Yee haw! It’s time for Rodeo Days at the Willie Waggoner Memorial Arena and our Benton Elementary Tigers cannot wait for the chance to don their boots, chaps and hats and watch the action unfold before their eyes. There will be demonstrations, they will hear from a rodeo clown and, yes, there will be a bull involved in the mix! Giddy-up!

Bossier City Lions Club Jamboree
Airline High School Stadium
Viking Drive
4:30 p.m. Gates Open

The lights will be officially flipped on for the 2022 season as the 69th Annual Bossier City Lions Club Jamboree kicks off. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. and admission is $8. Come be a part of the electricity as everyone cheers for their favorite team, our spirit groups perform and the community comes together.

Here is the schedule:

Airline vs. Benton — 5:45 p.m.
Bossier vs. Plain Dealing — 7:15 p.m.
Haughton vs. Parkway — 8:45 p.m.

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Conrad A. Lindsey
August 3, 1933 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 2:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Carolyn Davis
August 6, 1926 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 4:00-6:00 p.m. and Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport.
Funeral service: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, following service at Forest Park Cemetery, 3700 St. Vincent Avenue, Shreveport.

Myra Avelene Walker
April 1, 1940 — August 20, 2022
Funeral service: Monday, August 22, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1315 Ringgold Avenue, Coushatta.
Interment: Monday, August 22, 2022, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 pm. at Ajax Cemetery.

Kristina Myers Pittman
July 3, 1966 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Monday, August 22, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Monday, August 22, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Clifford L. Terry
October 27, 1933 — August 18, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life Graveside: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Patricia Lee Tyler
July 23, 1948 — August 19, 2022
Celebration of Life Visitation: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Karen Boyce Logan
August 7, 1938 — August 18, 2022
Memorial service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Belcher Presbyterian Church, 508 Gray Street, Belcher.
Reception: Saturday, August 27, 2022, following service at the home of Stephen and Jann Logan, Gilliam.

Acy J. Cooper, Sr.
March 4, 1935 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Marksville.
Funeral service: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 12:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Marksville.
Interment: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, following service at St. Joseph’s No. 2 Cemetery, Marksville.

Elizabeth Earline Sanders
August 28, 1950 — August 13, 2022
Visitation: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Holly Springs Cemetery, 854 Hwy 79, Minden.
Memorial Service: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 2:00-3:00 p.m. at Holly Springs Cemetery, 854 Hwy 79, Minden.

Jack Dee Kent, Jr.
November 25, 1929 — August 19, 2022
Graveside service: Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at Hill Crest Memorial Park Cemetery, 601 US-80, Haughton.

Bobby Allen Womack
December 20, 1943 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Funeral service: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Interment: Tuesday, August 23, 2022, following service at Northwest Louisiana Veteran Cemetery, 7970 Mike Clark Road, Keithville.

Daniel ‘Danny’ Dewitt Kent
June 1, 1936 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Monday, August 22, 2022, 2:00-3:00 p.m. at GracePoint Church of the Nazarene, 6825 Pines Road, Shreveport.
Funeral service: Monday, August 22, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at GracePoint Church of the Nazarene, 6825 Pines Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Monday, August 22, 2022, following service at Bethel Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, 5382 Primitive Baptist Church Road, Shreveport.

Dorothy ‘Dot’ Anne Corry Gates
December 18, 1931 — August 19, 2022
Visitation: Monday, August 22, 2022, 11:30a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Funeral service: Monday, August 22, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier.
Interment: Monday, August 22, 2022, following service at Rose-Neath Cemetery, 5185 Swan Lake Road, Bossier.

John L. Johnson, Jr.
July 14, 1947 — August 11, 2022
Visitation: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Friday, August 26, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at New Hope CME Church, 3737 Ninock Street, Shreveport.

Charles Terry Jones
August 17, 1937 — August 9, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4736 Lyba Street, Shreveport.
Service: Friday, August 26, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4736 Lyba Street, Shreveport.

Joseph H. Pope
February 6, 1929 — August 15, 2022
Graveside service: Monday, August 22, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Bennett Cemetery, 100 South Duncan Avenue, Amite City.

The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $90. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)

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Every football fan thinks their team is going to have a better season than “other people” expect. The translation of “other people” is simple – Las Vegas.

It doesn’t matter what Oklahoma fans or Arkansas State fans think of your team; they’ve got their own problems to worry about.

But when Vegas throws out a number for the over/under win totals for college football teams, it signals the beginning of I-can-see-us-going-12-and-0-this-season on message boards all over this great land.

Especially when the posted number is dramatically lower than Joe Fan – on his least optimistic day – thinks.

So here we are, only a few overhyped practices away from the actual season and there’s plenty of time to digest what might (or might not) be for 2022. And no one is digesting that more than LSU fans.

When the Las Vegas number first came out, it was 6.5 wins. In most places, it is now 7, which does make things more interesting. Vegas usually likes to make the number on a “half-win” to eliminate a push. Either you win or you lose since there are no ties in college football.

Despite going 11-12 in the last two years, LSU fans are no strangers to high expectations before a season begins. The number seems strange … as well as easy money to everyone this side of Galliano.

There are two great axioms that any fan should always consider when betting in general, not just on over/under win totals – (1) if you think a betting line is too good to be true, it usually is (aka “somebody knows something”) and (2) those nice buildings they have on Las Vegas Boulevard weren’t built off of people winning easy bets.

You could say that LSU has a talent level equal to every team they will play other than Alabama, but just about every other team in the SEC is thinking the same thing in August.

You gotta figure out what could go right and what could go wrong when assessing whether it is a good bet. And as a fan – and this might hurt your feelings – you have to take the school-colors glasses off and realize that things can actually go south for anybody’s program. (That new coach of yours, Brian Kelly, is six years away from coaching in a 4-8 season just a year removed from a 10-3 season.)

WHAT COULD GO RIGHT: (Put Alabama aside, but by the way, it is at home.) Florida State can’t get out of its own way and it’s in the Superdome … Mississippi State has nothing but a quarterback … Florida is rebuilding … Tennessee is only picked second in the SEC East because everyone else is terrible … Auburn is collapsing on itself … LSU always beats A&M … People may have figured out Arkansas … plus there are three layups built in to the schedule. Playing that tune and you still have wiggle room to cash the ticket after a 9-3 or 8-4 season.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG: (You don’t win your “over” bet if five of these happen. And you lose if six of them happen.) — Alabama (assuming the bus doesn’t get lost on the way to Tiger Stadium) … Florida, Auburn, Arkansas and Texas A&M are all on the road and are you 100 percent positive that LSU is that much better than all of those teams? … Florida State is improving … Tennessee has a very good quarterback returning and maybe the speculation is warranted … Ole Miss lost a lot, but they have owned the transfer portal and you might have to outscore them … Mississippi State’s quarterback is really good and Mike Leach has a nice track record of making good quarterbacks even better.

Your call.

Good luck … we’re all counting on you.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

When the United States Tennis Association named the 33 facilities to receive the USTA’s 2022 Outstanding Facility Award earlier this week, the only recipients from Louisiana just happened to be from the same city – Shreveport.

And no other city in the country boasted two award winners.

Querbes Tennis Center received an award for Large Public Tennis Centers (11 or more courts) while Pierremont Oaks Tennis Center was named a winner in the Private Facilities category.

“These awards are the result of lots of people who love the Shreveport tennis community and support each other,” said Querbes Tennis Director Chris Dudley. “Special thanks to the Northwest Louisiana Community Tennis Association and the Querbes Park Foundation for their continued support.”

According to the USTA, facilities are judged on the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators, and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics; amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities’ participation in USTA programs.

The awards were presented during a ceremony in conjunction with the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. Dudley and wife Amy traveled to Cincinnati to accept the award, along with Pierremont Oaks representatives Judit Castillo (tennis pro) and Grady Wilson (general manager and director of tennis).

“We are beyond honored to receive USTA’s 2022 Outstanding Tennis Facility Award,” said Wilson.

All the 2022 award winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign. One of the 33 recipients will earn the prestigious “Featured Facility of the Year” designation and be honored at next year’s USTA Annual Meeting & Conference.

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By JERRY BYRD JR., Journal Sports

It’s Miller’s Time in Vivian, Louisiana!

After being the talk of the town since coming onto the scene three years ago, wide receiver Omarion Miller is looking for big things during his last ride at North Caddo Magnet High School.

His head coach, Johnny Kavanaugh, is just as excited as he is.

“I’ve really enjoyed watching Omarion develop,” Kavanaugh said. “He has developed a love of the game of football that I’m not sure he knew he had when he showed up at North Caddo as a freshman.”

Miller committed to LSU during his sophomore year before decommitting last year. Earlier this year, Miller committed to Nebraska, citing the family atmosphere that he has become accustomed to in Vivian.

If defensive coordinators think that shutting Miller down will stop the Titan offense, they may be disappointed.

Kavanaugh and offensive coordinator Reagan Smith have one of the best running backs in North Louisiana at their disposal in senior K.J. Black.

“K.J. has developed into a hard-nosed leader,” Kavanaugh said. “His combination of strength and speed is really special.”

Paving the way for Black will be three returning starters on the offensive line: Philippe Sanders, Collin Walker, and Kortez Gibson. Sean Tinney is a lineman who provides the unit with versatility. 

Those four guys are among seven who, according to Kavanaugh, are battling for five starting spots.

Directing the traffic, both in the air and on the ground, for the Titans will be first-year quarterback Aiden Brock. Brock, a senior, has been a playmaker on both sides of the ball for the Titans, at both H-back and linebacker. Last year he helped the Titans to a 10-3 finish and the state quarterfinals, averaging 47 points in the three playoff games.

Kavanaugh is excited to see what his new signal caller can bring to the table.

“He looked really good in 7-on-7 this summer,” Kavanaugh said. “He’s dropped about 30 pounds and gained a good bit of speed. It should be fun to watch him develop.”

On the defensive side, North Caddo will be led by a senior-laden secondary including Rodney Thomas, Gianni Black, and J’Quay Vinson.

While the defensive front seven is relatively new, Kavanaugh likes the speed in the young group. 

One of the leaders in the defensive front will be defensive end Rashid Matthew.

“He has really wrecked shop against our offensive line,” Kavanaugh said. “So quick! I expect a huge year from him.”

Kavanaugh described the Titans’ first couple of weeks of practice as “solid.” One positive at 201 Airport Drive has been the 50 players dressed out for practice.

“That’s huge for us,” Kavanaugh said. 

In particular has been a large incoming freshman class that possesses quality and quantity.

North Caddo will participate in a three-way scrimmage with Southwood and Glenbrook this afternoon. Kavanaugh and his staff will busy themselves with making corrections before the Titans face off against Green Oaks in the Caddo Parish Jamboree.

The Titans will open their season at home in Sanders-Prudhomme Stadium against the Bossier Bearkats. When they kick off, they will be looking to relive some of the magic of last year’s Week 1 win against the eventual Class 1A state champion Homer Pelicans. 

North Caddo snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as Titan quarterback Juvontavious Hodge slipped out of the grips of Homer defenders to find Black all alone in the back of the endzone to beat Homer 26-25 in walk-off fashion on the game’s final play. 

Contact Jerry at sbjjerrybyrd@gmail.com

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

In 2022, one of the best power combos in the state belongs at North Caddo for the run game led by running backs Aiden Brock (5-11, 225 pounds) and K.J. Black (5-10, 210), both Class of 2023 upcoming seniors.

It’s not every day you see two players of their stature both at running back in Class 2A football anywhere in Louisiana, or many teams period, in the U.S. These two are not just big but also have speed and vision and both play defense as well as offense for their schools, as most players in Class 2A do across Louisiana. Technically they’re both running backs for college. Brock will play quarterback for his team in 2022.

Black is a three-year starter who ran for 1,846 yards with 27 touchdowns in 2021 and did it on just 161 carries. What I like about Black is when he gets past the first step, he hits the jets and makes it to the open field like he’s 180 pounds – he runs a legit 4.48 40.

Black is also tough, quick and a starting linebacker for the team. He is strong too, as he benches 300 and cleans an impressive 285 pounds. His favorite colleges are LSU, Nebraska, Arkansas, Georgia and Penn State.

Brock runs in the 4.55 to 4.6 range and he’s bigger at 225 pounds, but it’s scary to try and tackle him in the open field (as a quarterback this season) because he’s very athletic for a big guy. I call him the Terminator as a linebacker because he owns the middle of the field and he’s the guy you don’t want to run right at on offense. He benches 300 pounds, squats 420 and cleans 270 pounds, so he’s also one of the strongest players in the state playing running back.

“KJ Black is a great and robust young man. One of the best traits I see in him is that he is coachable and always willing to hear how he can improve,” said running backs coach Myron Manning. “He is a fantastic leader that leads from the front. Also, he constantly challenges our team’s players to be great. He has a great attitude and is very confident.

“He’s versatile and agile, runs hard, has great route-running skills, and can make any catch. His goal is to win a football state championship this year, and everybody can see him striving for it. KJ is a professional who is never satisfied, always working to become greater.”

What Manning likes about Brock is his selfless attitude.

“Aiden is a selfless team-first player. He is one of the most athletic players I have ever been around,” said Manning. “Since he’s been at North Caddo, he has played tight end, fullback, defensive end, linebacker, and this year he will be the starting quarterback for the team.

“He has a great work ethic, and he is always motivating his peers. He’s strong and energetic with the will to win. His commitment to this team has stood out to the coaches, and he’s showed us that with great leadership and attitude, he’s ready to lead the Titans into a deep run this season.”

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

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By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

Huntington’s returning starter Kamron Evans became the first quarterback from a school not named Calvary or Evangel to pass for over 500 yards last season when he set the single-game record for passing yards in the Shreveport Bossier Journal area  (588) against Bastrop.

Evans is the fifth quarterback to break the 500-yard mark and did it by completing only 21 passes of 26 attempts while tossing for six touchdowns. The 588 yards surpassed the Huntington school record of 435 yards set by Elliott Jones in 2010.

Evans passed for 406 yards two weeks later in a win over Franklin Parish and finished his junior season with 3,630 yards and 44 touchdowns.

Calvary’s Nik McCarty is second on the list with 569 yards in a game played at Carencro in 2011.

Evangel has the other three to go over the 500-yard mark. Phillip Deas leads that group with 528 yards against Alexandria Sr. High in 1996. Josh Booty was the first quarterback to break into the 500-yard club when he passed for 519 yards in a 1992 defeat of LaSalle. Dakota Duron’s 509 yards against Barbe in 2012 was the last 500-yard performance until Evans set the record.

Booty had a pair of games in excess of 490 yards, Brock Berlin threw for 486 yards against John Tyler and David Dee Duron (473) round out the Evangel quarterbacks that are among the top 10.

Haughton’s Dak Prescott passed for 473 yards against Woodlawn-Baton Rouge in a playoff game in 2010 to join Evans as the only ones in the top 10 not from Calvary and Evangel.

Top 10 SBJ Single-Game Passing yardage list:

588 – Kamron Evans, Huntington, vs. Bastrop, 21-26-0, 6 TDs, 2021

569 – Nik McCarty, Calvary, vs. Carencro, 37-56-2, 6 TDs, 2011

528 – Phillip Deas, Evangel, vs. Alexandria, 24-37, 1 TDs, 1996

519 – Josh Booty, Evangel, vs. LaSalle, 26-45-1, 7 TDs, 1992

509 – Dakota Duron, Evangel, vs. Barbe, 24-37-1, 4 TDs, 2012

498 – Josh Booty, Evangel, vs. Crowville (pl), 22-34-0, 6 TDs, 1992

496 –Josh Booty, Evangel, vs. Green Oaks, 34-58-1, 6 TDs, 1992

486 – Brock Berlin, Evangel, vs. John Tyler, 33-49-0, 5 TDs, 1998

473 – Dak Prescott, Haughton, vs. Woodlawn-BR (pl), 21-26-0, 5 TDs, 2010

473 – David Dee Duron, Evangel, vs. Shiloh Christian, 29-47-2, 4 TDs, 2009

Contact Lee at lee.hiller51@gmail.com

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

The approaching, all-too-infrequent collision of north Louisiana’s Football Championship Subdivision teams was finally given some hype Thursday as coaches and administrators from Grambling State and Northwestern State joined local officials to promote the Sept. 10 matchup at Independence Stadium.

Billed as “The Shreveport Classic,” the Grambling-NSU contest will kick off in 23 days, at 6 o’clock. Setting a start time was part of the reason the spotlight was only turned on Thursday, as that wasn’t set until two weeks ago.

While there apparently were some differences on game time between the schools and the city’s Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation officials, for a contest agreed upon in spring 2021, they were all reading from the same script Thursday.

They are very pleased to meet on the biggest football stage in the state north of Baton Rouge, in a primary market for both institutions, with thousands of alumni and students hailing from Caddo and Bossier parishes.

For their hometown fans and their very impressive bands, it’s just an hour’s drive from campus to the stadium.

They don’t know what they’ll line up against. Neither coaching staff has a bead on what the other will do. Grambling’s Hue Jackson is in his first season with the Tigers. Northwestern’s Brad Laird enters his fifth season as head coach at his alma mater with brand new offensive and defensive coordinators, and Laird is handling special teams.

For that matter, they don’t know who will start at quarterback, although both coaches said their decisions will soon follow their final preseason scrimmages Saturday morning.

They shared all the diplomatic words when asked if the upcoming game was a “one off” or if it was part of a series in the future – but confirmed there is nothing on the books for subsequent meetings.

Laird was joined by NSU Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian and their Grambling counterparts, Jackson and Grambling vice president/AD Dr. Trayvean Scott. Bostian and Scott are on the verge of their first football seasons at their institutions; Scott has been at Grambling 13 months. That left it to Laird to speak to the long history of the Demons playing in Shreveport, and the five previous NSU-Grambling matchups.

“There’s a lot of history for Northwestern State in this stadium with the State Fair Classic against Louisiana Tech for so many years,” Laird said. “I had the opportunity to come as a little kid many times and spent a lot of time at the fair more so than the ballgame. Then I had the opportunity to play in this stadium, and now we bring our 2022 Northwestern State football team to play against a great Grambling State football team.

“It’s a win-win for both teams, and it’s a big win for the Shreveport-Bossier City area. With our recruiting, we ask our alumni, the student-athletes to travel 60 miles south on Saturdays to watch us play. For us to be able to bring that back to them and travel 60 miles north to their backyard, we’re looking forward to it.”

The teams last met in 2018, with Northwestern dominating at home 34-7 to give Laird his first collegiate coaching victory. They’re 2-2 against each other this century and have met before in Shreveport – in an epic 14-13 Grambling win before a nearly-full stadium on Sept. 14, 1974, in what is believed to be the first-ever contest between a Historically Black College or University and a predominantly white college in the Deep South, if not the nation.

This year’s edition won’t have historical impact, but it should be intense and interesting – and well attended, said Sara Nelms of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, now that there’s a kickoff time to promote on the commission’s $20,000 budget.

“We didn’t have the game time two weeks ago,” she said.

But now it’s set, and while there are questions both teams must resolve, there’s no doubt about the matchup’s appeal.

“You know what you get when you play a Grambling State football team,” Laird said. “You know both bands are going to be strong. You’re going to have alumni for both schools. It brings back a lot of memories. I’m thrilled we get that opportunity again, but in the Shreveport-Bossier area.”

Contact Doug at SBJDoug@gmail.com

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Marilyn Yvette Robinson Simpson
November 21, 1971 — August 9, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, 2200 Laurel Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church-Gloster, 5697 Hwy. 5, Gloster.

John L. Johnson, Jr.
July 14, 1947 — August 11, 2022
Visitation: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Friday, August 26, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at New Hope CME Church, 3737 Ninock Street, Shreveport.

Charles Terry Jones
August 17, 1937 — August 9, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4736 Lyba Street, Shreveport.
Service: Friday, August 26, 2022, 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 4736 Lyba Street, Shreveport.

Audrey Mae Blaine
April 28, 1946 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Sunday, August 21, 2022, 2:00-3:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Homes-Vivian, 705 S. Spruce Street, Vivian.
Service: Sunday, August 21, 2022, 3:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Homes-Vivian, 705 S. Spruce Street, Vivian.

Bob Wise
November 15, 1947 — August 16, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Homes-Bossier City, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier City.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Cypress Baptist Church, 4701 Palmetto Road, Benton.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, at Rose-Neath Cemetery, 5185 Swan Lake Road, Bossier City.

Brenda Gail Dowden
February 24, 1961 — August 17, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Homes-Coushatta, 1315 Ringgold Avenue, Coushatta.
Service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Homes-Coushatta, 1315 Ringgold Avenue, Coushatta.
Interment: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Hall Summit.

Joyce Marie Cogswell
April 24, 1941 — August 16, 2022
Visitation: Thursday, August 18, 2022, 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Shreveport Community Church, 5720 Buncombe Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Thursday, August 18, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Shreveport Community Church, 5720 Buncombe Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Thursday, August 18, 2022, in Logansport.

Robert Anderson
November 18, 1951 — August 4, 2022
Service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church (West), 7480 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Friday, August 19, 2022, following service at Round Grove Cemetery, 2869 Round Grove Lane, Shreveport.

Janice Olivia Scott
May 17, 1965 — August 9, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, 2200 Laurel Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, 2200 Laurel Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, 6915 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.

Albert Charles Hall, Jr.
February 22, 1974 — August 4, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, 2200 Laurel Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, 2200 Laurel Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Marshall Chapel CME Cemetery, 1098 Linwood Avenue, Stonewall.

Laura W. Brock
March 7, 1936 — August 12, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Winnfield Funeral Home-Shreveport, 3701 Hollywood Avenue, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Winnfield Funeral Home-Shreveport, 3701 Hollywood Avenue, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery, 6915 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.

Jerrymn Don Lattin
April 2, 1976 — August 14, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Winnfield Funeral Home-Shreveport, 3701 Hollywood Avenue, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Winnfield Funeral Home-Shreveport, 3701 Hollywood Avenue, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Carver Memorial Park Cemetery, 498 Kennie Road, Shreveport.

Cesar Marroquin
January 15, 1957 — August 11, 2022
Visitation and service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer, 5865 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Lincoln Park Memorial Cemetery, 6915 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.

LaTroy Deon Taylor
November 14, 1980 — August 11, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 3:00-8:00 p.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary, Coushatta Chapel, 1916 Alonzo Street, Coushatta.
Celebration of Life: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Restoration Apostolic Ministries, 175 Fairgrounds Road, Natchitoches.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at New Boggy Cemetery, State Line Road, DeBerry, Texas.

Louis James Franklin, Jr.
January 10, 1944 — August 13, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Graveside service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Lincoln Cemetery, 6917 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.

Edna Gillie
May 12, 1922 — August 16, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Trinity B.C.
Wake: Friday, August 19, 2022, 6:00 p.m. at Trinity B.C.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Trinity B.C.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Carver Cemetery, Kennie Road, Shreveport.

Odarrius Broden
November 21, 1995 — August 11, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 12:00 p.m. at New Boggy B.C., Bethany.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at New Boggy Cemetery, State Line Road, DeBerry, Texas.

Margaret Jones
April 5, 1962 — August 3, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at House of Hope Church, 4700 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Round Grove Cemetery, 2869 Round Grove Lane, Shreveport.

Joseph H. Pope
February 6, 1929 — August 15, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at White Temple Church of God in Christ, 3898 Hollywood Avenue, Shreveport.
Graveside service: Monday, August 22, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Bennett Cemetery, 100 South Duncan Avenue, Amite City.

Steven Wayne Newland
July 17, 1962 — August 15, 2022
Celebration of Life: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 1:00 p.m. at Jolly Roger Marina, 13 Main Street, Converse.

Scotty McCoy
October 23, 1967 — August 16, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Minden, 301 Pennsylvania Avenue, Minden.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Minden, 301 Pennsylvania Avenue, Minden.

Robert Anderson
November 18, 1951 — August 4, 2022
Service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Greenwood Acres Full Gospel Baptist Church (West), 7480 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Friday, August 19, 2022, following service at Round Grove Cemetery, 2869 Round Grove Lane, Shreveport.

Sharon Renee (Moore) McDonald
September 14, 1961 — August 7, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Winnfield Funeral Home, 3701 Hollywood Avenue, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Morning Star Baptist Church, 5340 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following service at Centuries Memorial Park, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Kenneth R. English
March 1, 1961 — August 10, 2022
Graveside service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Bellevue Cemetery, Hwy. 157, Haughton.

Cecil Wayne Counts
September 21, 1948 — August 6, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 9:00-10:00 a.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 2:00 p.m. at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, 8801 Mansfield Road, Shreveport.

Sybil Luckett
December 22, 1922 — August 15, 2022
Graveside service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Lakewood Cemetery, Jackson, Miss.

Theresa Ann Dowdy
June 9, 1959 — August 9, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Celebration of Life: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 12:00 p.m. at Church of the Living God – Pillar of Truth, 10980 Springridge Line Road, Keithville.

Dorothy L. (Myles) Cotton
June 4, 1941 — August 13, 2022
Celebration of Life: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Mount Olive Baptist Church, 9860 Greenwood Road Springridge Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Friday, August 19, 2022, following services at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville.

Virginia Player
October 18, 1940 — August 10, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Wake: Friday, August 19, 2022, 5:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Greater New Zion Baptist Church, 421 Oak Ridge Drive, Benton.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following services at Caldwell Cemetery, Plain Dealing.

Lotosha Robinson
June 26, 1979 — August 13, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at True Holiness Church.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following services at Lincoln Cemetery, 6917 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.

Carlrolon Player
June 20, 1965 — August 10, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Wake: Friday, August 19, 2022, 5:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following services at Caldwell Cemetery, Plain Dealing.

Charles Etta Parsons
January 18, 1935 — August 12, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. at Heavenly Gates, 1339 Jewell Street, Shreveport.
Wake: Friday, August 19, 2022, 6:00 p.m. at Little Union Baptist Church, 1846 Milam Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Little Union Baptist Church, 1846 Milam Street, Shreveport.
Interment: Saturday, August 20, 2022, following services at Lincoln Cemetery, 6917 W. 70^th Street, Shreveport.

Tommy Walker
October 13, 1950 — August 12, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport.
Service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 2:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport.

Janice (Cowden) Oakes
January 23, 1938 — August 12, 2022
Visitation: Friday, August 19, 2022, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Grace Community Church, 9400 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport.
Service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 12:00 p.m. at Grace Community Church, 9400 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport.
Interment: Friday, August 19, 2022, immediately following the service at Forest Park West Cemetery, 4000 Meriwether Road, Shreveport.

Gosby Gibson
December 4, 1934 — August 9, 2022
Viewing: Friday, August 19, 2022, 1:00-8:00 p.m. at Precious Memories Mortuary Chapel, 4017 Greenwood Road, Shreveport.
Graveside service: Saturday, August 20, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Gibson Family Cemetery, 3262 Highway 1, Mansfield.

James D. Kubiak
February 20, 1982 — August 12, 2022
Service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 10:00-11:00 a.m. at First Assembly of God, 407 Fort Street, Minden.

Gertha Lee Gardner
March 11, 1937 — August 13, 2022
Graveside service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at Carver Memorial Cemetery, 498 Kennie Road, Shreveport.

Alan Mays
August 25, 1964 — August 7, 2022
Graveside service: Friday, August 19, 2022, 10:00 a.m. at Northwest La. Veteran Cemetery, 79701 Mike Clark Road, Keithville.

The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $90. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)

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In the Introduction to ‘Sports Talking,’ we determined that The World of Sports has a language all its own, and that each individual sport has an even more specialized lingo.

A field goal is different in football than in basketball. “Pin” is one thing in bowling and another in wrestling. A skater spins lots and lands; a second baseman spins once and throws.

It’s like in America, where we all speak the English language but someone in the Northeast calls a Coke a “soda pop” or “bottle of pop” and we in the South call the same thing a “soft drink” or a “drank,” or even a “Coke” when we don’t really want a Coke. How many times have you heard this in the fast-food place or outside a convenience store:

“Get me a Coke.”

“What kind?”

“Uhh, Dr Pepper. NO! No. Pepsi. Mountain Dew if they don’t have it.”

Language is one big, beautiful mess.

Later down the sports talk road, we’ll talk individual sports. But today we deal in something universal: preseason sports talk.

While each sport has its own tongue, the overall feel and sound of any preseason sports talk is the same. And the word of the day in preseasons is, no question, “excitement,” or some form thereof. Whether the volleyball or stock car racing season is beginning, “excitement” wins the day.

“We’re excited about who we’ve got coming back.”

“We’re excited about our schedule, excited for our fans, excited for these seniors.”

“We’re just excited to be together again, to get out on the (field, court, pitch, ice, lanes) and see what we can get done as a team.”

 You’d give a 50-dollar bill and I would too if just once a coach would say, “We went 0-10 last year and have everybody back and I gotta tell you, I’d be more excited if the doctor told me I had to have both my ears and one knee cut off.”

So, if anyone asks you about your team, you are “excited.” Company line.

Also, you have heard that the players are “flyin’ around out there,” that they look to have a “high energy level,” that they are “just having fun.”

Sure, “focusing on fundamentals” and “attention to detail” is a “grind,” but to win we’ll have to “do the little things right.”

Tiffany has worked on her serve all offseason and you look for her to “figure it out” this year. The second-line bowling athletes are going to have to “step up” because the “nucleus” looks solid and we just need some “new blood” to “contribute” and help us “piece this thing together” and we’re “excited” to have a chance to do that, which, “hopefully,” we can do.

(File this away: the word “hopefully” is a biggie at ANY time in ANY sport. “Hopefully” is a golden preseason word, a parachute before the bullets start flying that can be used as a “backtrack” word later and cover a multitude of shortcomings if “things don’t go our way/(we screw up).”

Of course, Timmy or Sally are stars but “they can’t do it alone” so we’ll need “everyone pulling the rope the same direction.” That’s our “brand” and “who we are,” and we’re trying to “establish” that by our “focus on the little things.”

Look for the coach to assure you they are having “a good camp” and that although stuff is “constantly being installed,” the players are “catching on” and “working hard” and they’d better because “we’ll have to earn it.”

And maybe they will. If everyone keeps flying around and stepping up. And sticking to fundamentals. If everyone keeps contributing and having fun. Because if they don’t, it’ll be hard to be excited, which most teams are at first and most teams aren’t at last.

What you want is for the excitement to last. And it can. Maybe it even will.

“Well, I mean … hopefully…”   

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Three straight playoff appearances. Two trips to the second round and with home playoff games. Sure, a lot of schools can make that claim. It’s a reasonable goal.

But for Huntington, it’s a little bit more than that.

“It’s taken us a while to build towards that,” said head coach Stephen Dennis. “When we look back and see where we have come from and where we are going, it’s something we are really proud of. That produces expectations.”

For the Raiders, these are expectations that they have set, even with the loss of a large group of starters from a year ago.

Dennis, in his sixth year as head coach of the Raiders, took over a program in 2017 that was 3-17 in the previous two seasons. He believes that part of the growth of the program has been the ability to learn on the job.

“One thing I learned pretty quick is that we had to do what it took to make Huntington successful,” he said. “We had to make the blueprint fit what Huntington needed. You couldn’t necessarily use the blueprint that worked at another school. That’s why we are able to meet the needs of our student-athletes as best we can and that is one of the major reasons for our success.”

It’s also nice to have a blueprint that has Kamron Evans in it. The senior quarterback is coming off a season in which he threw for 3,630 yards with 44 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Evans will attract a lot of attention during the season – both the high school season and recruiting season.

“Last year, he was the new kid who was waiting in the wings and now he’s the one who everybody is looking at,” Dennis said. “We are replacing a ton of skill players and we have some good ones coming up, so we are going to really lean on his experience and leadership to get those guys through playing their first varsity football games.”

Dennis expects to use a number of running backs, featuring senior Jamarion Mims, junior John Solomon (5-9, 171) and sophomore Nyles Hullaby. Mims moves back to offense from defensive back. Solomon started the playoff games last year as an injury replacement. Hullaby will be used as a power back.

At receiver, Huntington will need to replace three three-year starters, but Dennis is counting on a “very talented group of sophomores” to take their place. The group is led by Jarvis Davis “who is going to take a lot of people by surprise,” Dennis says. Senior Demarion Carter (5-6, 145) also brings some experience to the position.

On defense, Dennis is looking for the team speed to be a difference maker. “The speed on that side of the ball is very impressive,” he says.

Defensive end Nehemiah Barrett (6-2, 225) has moved over from offense and Dennis said, “I’m telling you he’s going to be an issue (for offenses) because he has the speed and the size.”

Senior nose tackle Brian Rodriguez (5-11, 268), who started as a freshman, and Jalen Butler will also anchor the defensive line.

Dylan Holmes headlines the linebacker corps and in the defensive backfield, Kamar Lewis (5-11, 158) plays a hybrid role at safety.  “He has the ability to play in the box and also cover the field; that’s hard to find in high school,” Dennis said.

Also in the backfield is sophomore Tyler Welch (6-2, 185), who is returning as a cornerback and had two interceptions in the playoffs.

The Raiders will open against Mansfield in the Battle on the Border and will play Byrd in Week 2, Class 4A semifinalist Neville in Week 3, before beginning the District 1-4A season against pre-season favorite Northwood.

“We will be successful if we take care of the little things,” Dennis said. “Every day. One week at a time. I really believe in that.”

Contact J.J. at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

One of this football season’s best duos for a run game, not only in Shreveport but also in all of Louisiana, will be Quintavion White and Fabian Sanders, both Northwood seniors in the Class of 2023.

White (6-0, 190) is the bigger of the two with power, speed and burst. He ran for 634 yards on 108 carries with eight touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.

Sanders (5-9, 190) has power and speed — 4.48 in the 40 — and ran for 562 yards on 87 attempts in 2021.

“Quintavion is thunder and Fabian is lightning,” said head coach Austin Brown. “Both very passionate young men. Q is a solid running back who is very good in all three aspects of the position — running, blocking, and pass catching. Fabian is a home run threat with a knack for weaving in and out of traffic.”

Running backs coach Jaran Hall says the duo brings experience to the position.

“We are blessed to have a committee of running backs in the backfield this fall; White and Sanders will be able to provide a lot of veteran experience this year,” said Hall. “They have both come through in big moments last year. I like to call them ‘lightning and thunder.’ We know that Sanders can give a quick strike and White will bring the boom. Both of these kids are quick to point out that it starts with the big boys up front.”

Notes for Quintavion White: His favorite colleges are the University of Tennessee, Tennessee State, and the University of Texas in Austin. “I’ve always loved these programs and it’s not too close to home for me. I have an offer currently from Louisiana Christian in Pineville.”

In the classroom White currently has a 4.0 GPA and has posted an ACT score of 19.

White’s dad played high school basketball.

“I love hanging out with my football team because I already spend most of my toughest days with them and that’s where we built our closest bonds,” White said.

He attended the Louisiana Christian camp over the summer.

He plans on majoring in business in college.

Notes for Fabian Sanders: Plans for college are to “major in either kinesiology or engineering,” he said.

His hobbies: “I love to sing, cooking, and playing video games.”

His favorite college “would be LSU,” he said. “I like LSU because that’s the best college around with very good coaches.”

Sanders also runs track and plays baseball.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

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It was probably 20 years ago when I made my first and only visit to a Louisiana lake that has its ups and downs. I’m talking about Lake Yucatan, one of the many oxbow lakes in close proximity to the Mississippi River.

My friend Mike Gammill from Oak Grove took me to the lake to give the crappie a try. We didn’t catch many but I was impressed by the size of the slabs we caught.

Looking at a map of Yucatan, it resembles a long and narrow question mark and what sets the lake apart from other oxbow lakes along the big river is the fact it is an “active” oxbow. This means that when the river rises or falls, the same thing happens to Yucatan because at the lower end of the lake, there is a two-mile long chute that connects the lake to the Mississippi River.

This rise of water levels in Yucatan produced when the river is high creates several situations for the lake. First, when the lake is very high, you can forget about fishing because access to the lake is next to impossible.

While anglers wait for the water to fall, however, the mighty Mississippi is improving the quality of fish in the lake by pushing a boat load of nutrients into the lake which has the capacity to improve the size and quality of the fish along with replenishing the lake’s fish population. 

For years, I have written and broadcast fishing reports from lakes around north Louisiana with Yucatan on my list of lakes I call each week. James Lachney from Gilbert owned Yucatan Landing and was my contact. He was always on the ball about keeping me abreast of what was happening on the lake.

Because of a health condition that curtailed his ability to see after the property, Lachney sold the business to his nephew, Gene Lachney, who is set to retire from the National Guard in a couple of years. Gene’s parents, Terry and Juanita Lachney, are running the landing until he retires.

Today, my contact is Gene’s mom, Juanita, who keeps me up to date on what is going on at the lake.

“The water level is low and on a slow fall right now and we had a wonderful weekend recently with all the campers filled and people from all over catching fish. The lake has been producing fine catches of not only big crappie but lots of bass, catfish and barfish,” she said.

“The lake is on a slow fall and this seems to be the absolute best time to catch fish. The water levels totally depend on what the Mississippi River is doing. When they get heavy rains up north to swell the river, we get high water here and sometimes we have to shut everything down and move out until the river and the lake levels start receding,” she said.

To keep up with the conditions for Yucatan Lake, all one needs to do is go on Facebook and search for Yucatan Landing to find not only photos of proud anglers showing off their catches, but also a graphic showing the stages of the Mississippi River. When it reveals that the river is falling, so is the lake. However, when the line on the graph zooms upward, you can forget about fishing until water levels drop.

Although you can’t fish the lake then, just know that the waters of Lake Yucatan are being replenished by fish and nutrients that are destined to keep the fishing up and going.

Yucatan Landing is located some five miles from the village of Newellton in Tensas Parish. For information on fishing conditions, camping sites available and other amenities, visit the Yucatan Landing page on Facebook or call the landing at 318.467.2259.

Contact Glynn at GlynnHarris37@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

LSU fans at Tiger Stadium this season spoke up, and have been heard.

However, three times this fall, local LSU fans will not hear their coach where they’ve listened for years. They’ll have to rely on a secondary source to listen to the weekly radio show featuring new LSU coach Brian Kelly.

TAILGATING: There are 102,321 seats in Tiger Stadium and during any home game, there are tens of thousands of people, including many LSU fans, tailgating outside. Before pre-game warmups, they’re all around the stadium, often looking for bathrooms and shelter and air conditioning.

LSU Athletics has taken a logical step, as the result of a fan survey, to address tailgating comfort. Athletics director Scott Woodward recently announced the Pete Maravich Assembly Center will be open to the public to use restrooms and seek relief from the weather.

Beginning five hours before an evening kickoff, the PMAC will be open with live telecasts of other games shown on the video board inside. The Tiger Band will perform in the PMAC after the Victory Hill parade, he said.

No plans were announced for use of the PMAC before day games, however.

BYRD FOOTBALL 3, THE BRIAN KELLY SHOW 0: New Tigers football coach Brian Kelly has made sweeping changes in the program, and one created a quandary for Townsquare Media, the radio group that airs LSU sports on KWKH 1130 “The Tiger” locally.

For many years, the LSU coach’s radio show was broadcast on Wednesday during the season, but Kelly decided it best fit his schedule to do the show on Thursday nights (so don’t expect to see him at Thursday night prep games).

One other mainstay of 1130 The Tiger’s fall broadcast slate for many years has been game broadcasts of C.E. Byrd football games. Every season, the Yellow Jackets play a few times on Thursday nights – three times this fall, to be exact, in the regular season. Never a conflict – until now.

That presented a miserable dilemma for Townsquare: forgo coverage of Kelly’s show, or those three Yellow Jacket game broadcasts?

The Charlie Cavell-led Byrd broadcasts got the nod on the three “conflict” dates of Sept. 15, Sept. 22, and Oct. 20. There won’t be a Kelly Show on 1130 AM the Tiger those nights, nor will there be a Talkin’ Tiger Football show with our own Tony Taglavore.

His locally-based show has aired in the hour following the LSU coach’s show, on Wednesdays. Now it shifts to Thursday nights – except when Byrd is playing.

Kelly’s first show is Aug. 25. Talkin’ Tiger Football begins after the Sept. 1 Kelly show.

Photo by GUS STARK, LSU Athletics

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