Veterans Day Friday reminded me of it, brought him and her and them to my mind and took me back to the late 1960s and being a little boy who knew something was going on but just didn’t know what.  

Because Aunt Daisy was unsure how long it took a letter to get to Southeast Asia, she mailed one just about every other day, an endless stream of news from Carolina, from home. 

And so, there were two things a 19-year-old Jimmy Bass, who’d always bought me milkshakes at the Dairy Maid, could count on in Vietnam: getting shot at by people he didn’t know, and getting letters from Aunt Daisy. She gave me carbon copies of most every one. 

Dear Jimmy, 

Why they decided you needed to be flying a helicopter I do not know, but your daddy tells me you’ve been doing good at it. That’s saying something as I know Newton Bass is hard to please. Before you were born, him and my Hank vowed they had to taste every bottle of whiskey in a store before they could decide which one they wanted to drink for the night. They thought for the longest time that me and your mother felt that was a good excuse. I never thought either of them would quit drinking, but they did, and if you don’t believe in miracles, you should after knowing that. Which is why I expect to see you walking up our driveway any day now. 

Of course I don’t know exactly where you are over there, and even if I did I couldn’t pronounce the name of the town. While you’re over there, why not talk the locals on our side into naming places that make sense, like Sunrise or Rock City or Dillon. If I lived over there I couldn’t tell anybody my address because I wouldn’t know how to say it. They’re either too short on consonants and long on vowels or the other way around. Fix that, Jimmy? It’ll give you something to do and me something to take credit for. 

Nothing much to report here. We’re still trying to get a preacher. We’ve had all the success of a boy mouse in a roomful of girl cats so far. Last week Farmer started talking in the middle of preaching, without meaning to. Him and the Scrap Iron Quartet sung a couple hymns, then about halfway through our substitute preacher’s talk, here Farmer went. I know it don’t surprise you to hear he was sleeping in church as that’s what he always does when he’s not singing. Don’t know what he does better, snore or sing. But by god he’s always there, ain’t he. So he’d plowed ’til church time as always, then about halfway through the sermon Farmer, deep in slumber and obviously dreaming, hollers out real loud like, “Whoa! Whoa!” None of us paid it much mind but it shook the visiting preacher up pretty good.  

Maggie is getting prettier every day. I think she’s in her room writing you a letter right now. We talk about you all the time and hope you get our letters every week. If you can keep from wrecking that plane they’re idiot enough to let you fly, I might let you drive the Falcon again when you get home. Just got the oil changed. 

Love, 

Aunt Daisy 

Even after his momma and Mr. Newt got word Jimmy was MIA, Aunt Daisy kept writing. In fact, she wrote more. She didn’t give up. Neither did Jimmy. So she was the least surprised person in town the day the knock came on her door, and standing there, milkshakes in both hands and a duffle bag on his shoulder, stood Jimmy, threadbare and scarred, but smiling. And home. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

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By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD

Until I met Kristi Gustavson at a recent press conference, we had only communicated by email after I contacted her about meeting for lunch. I knew she was the executive director of the Community Foundation of North Louisiana but, other than that, I knew very little about the 1996 Byrd graduate. Sitting outside at Ki Mexico and enjoying some incredible tacos, I heard a fascinating story about how she ended up at  CFLA.

It’s funny how phone calls work.

In 2017, Kristi Gustavson was on the verge of calling Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway – the law firm where she had served as a senior associate – and telling them she wanted to return.

There was something about being in a courtroom and arguing a case in front of a judge that attracted Gustavson – and she missed it. It’s why she got her law degree at Tulane University (graduating cum laude) after getting her bachelor of arts in political science from Rhodes College.

After practicing law in New Orleans, Gustavson and her husband moved back to Shreveport in 2007 and she joined Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway – where she practiced commercial litigation, contract issues and bankruptcy. She chalked up trial experience in state district court, United States District Court, United States Bankruptcy Court, Louisiana State appellate courts, and city courts.

Then, in 2013, she got a call from Regions Bank – one of the law firm’s clients – about managing the trust department. At the time, Gustavson’s daughter Malin was two years old, and her husband was travelling a couple of weeks out of every month with his job at Red Ball Oxygen.

The change sounded good, so Gustavson left the law firm and joined Regions, where she served as a vice president and trust advisor. After four years in that capacity, however, she decided she wanted to return to the courtroom.

She was about to pick up the phone when something happened before she called Cook, Yancey to tell the firm she wanted to come back, however. Her phone rang.

On the other end of the phone was Paula Hickman, the executive director of the Community Foundation of North Louisiana.

“Paula called and wanted to take me to lunch,” explains Gustavson. “We (Regions) worked with the Community Foundation so I thought there might be something wrong with the account.”

On the contrary. As it turned out, Hickman was planning to retire after nearly 15 years leading the Community Foundation of North Louisiana and she had decided who she wanted to replace her.

“I had seen the advertisement for the position,” says Gustavson, “but I wouldn’t have applied for it.”

While Gustavson had always been involved in nonprofit work — the former ballet dancer served as president of the board of the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet while at Regions — she had never considered doing it full time. The more she talked to Hickman, the more Gustavson realized that is where she belonged.

“I went home and told my husband, ‘I think this is my dream job,’” she says. “And he said, ‘What is the Community Foundation?’”

Established in 1961, the Community Foundation of North Louisiana oversees more than $183 million in assets for the benefit of North Louisiana. Its mission is to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life in the community by serving as a permanent and growing resource of expertise and funds. The funds managed by the Foundation are invested for the community’s benefit and then are returned to the community in the form of grants to a wide variety of charitable endeavors. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has granted over $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations.

After going through the extensive interview process, she was chosen for the job and started shadowing Hickman in the fall of 2017. In January 2018, Gustavson assumed her new role as executive director.

When asked what the biggest challenge of the new role has been, Gustavson pauses and says, “I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I keep pushing. I had never managed an office of human beings. I had to find my way in my job and manage them. As a lawyer, I was a solo practitioner. As an only child, collaboration was a little outside of my nature. I never liked group projects in high school.”

And the most rewarding part of her job? “When the collaboration works,” she answers quickly.

With Gustavson at the helm, the collaboration has worked. In 2021, CFNLA granted over $8.5 million in grants and scholarships to 339 nonprofit organizations and 46 students.

“My job is to put groups together,” says Gustavson. “Those groups do research and data. I take what we have all collectively decided on and go to our board.”

The big question is, “How do we match the funds that we have monetarily with the needs of the community,” she says. “Sometimes, the hard part is not raising the money but spending it in a timely manner.”

In 2018, CFNLA set a lofty but attainable goal: “To change the course or interrupt the cycle of poverty for children through education so they may grow up and attain a living wage job by the age of 25.”

One of the major initiatives established by the Foundation to meet that goal is the Early Childhood Education Fund – to expand access and enrollment in quality early childcare by providing scholarships for children ages 0-3 in Caddo Parish. Thanks to generous donor support and a 1:1 match from the State of Louisiana, over $2 million was secured for the first year of the multi-year initiative.

The Foundation stumped for money from the City (of Shreveport) and the City Council early, according to Gustavson, and it paid off. “They stepped up,” she says. “They turned our $2 million into $6 million – unanimously. They said, ‘We see the value in this.’”

You can see by the way Gustavson lights up when she talks about this particular initiative that the Shreveport native loves what she is doing.

“I feel super privileged,” she says. “I get a lot of personal fulfillment from it. I get excited about what I do and am proud to tell my daughter about it so maybe she’ll want to come back here.”

Just like her mom.

Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

What a great week in Round 1 of the playoffs. This is the best time of year for me covering the sport. It is also a tough time for kids and parents who see their seniors play for the last time in a uniform for their schools, and most of those young men will never play another game. So the incentive is sky high.

We saw seasons end last week for Huntington, Green Oaks, Airline and Parkway, but many of the schools in the Shreveport-Bossier area moved on to Round 2 of the playoffs. Today we will take a look at matchups between Benton and Denham Springs, and Haughton playing East St. John. Both Bossier Parish teams have the homefield advantage.

Let’s start with Haughton, coming off a huge upset over No. 6 Airline, scoring a 36-26 win. Haughton, seeded 27^th and the lowest remaining seed in all playoff brackets, put it all together and will need another total team effort this week against a very talented East St. John squad. I had a chance to see ESJ in person in Week 7. The main advantage for Haughton is home field and the mental toughness of this team, a perennial playoff participant.

This will be a tougher task this week because this will be the best team the Bucs have played all year. East St. John is one of the most athletic teams in south Louisiana and the Wildcats are huge on the offensive and defensive lines. ESJ is also very tough and will play fast.

The Wildcats are led by QB Yashua Mitchell (5-10, 185), who has a cannon arm but also runs a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. They have a 4.4 speed WR in Koyal Gray, and a two-way starter I like in Dkhai Joseph (5-9, 150, 4.4 speed), and a big-time RB in George Martin (5-9, 205, 4.55 speed). The big guys in the box who all can run are DE Jamarion Zeno (6-2, 260), LB Freddie Jones (5-11, 215, 4.6 speed), LB Kaden Henderson (6-2, 215, 4.55 speed) — and a huge starter on the OL, Gaylon Fobb (6-3, 370).

This is the same school that produced five-star QB and one-time LSU signee Ryan Perrilloux, and WR Louis Lipps, who is in the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame.

It’s really important for Haughton to play mistake-free football because ESJ can score very fast and you don’t want to give them anything.

I believe for Haughton, QB Colin Rains, WR Rashad Douglas, WR Jalen Lewis, WR John Ecot and others will need big games to have a chance to keep up with East St. John. But that’s what happened last week against Airline, and this could be a Cinderella run for Jason Brotherton’s Bucs. 

Benton is hosting the sleeper team from south Louisiana in Division 1 Non-Select — Denham Springs. Benton is coming off a huge statement win for the program, 41-7 over a talented Ponchatoula squad last week in Round 1.

Benton did something I did not think could happen, and that was beating Ponchatoula by 34 points. The Tigers’ offense was matched by their defense and kicking game.

This week will be a tougher task. Denham Springs is led by senior QB Reese Money, who is committed to Hugh Freeze’s Liberty program. Money has a big arm and good feet in the pocket. The Denham O-line might be the biggest the Benton program has faced this year, averaging over 280 pounds and led by senior prospects Porter Gibson (6-4 290), and 6-5, 285-pound Tyler Kimble.

The Yellow Jackets have one of the best TE’s in Louisiana, senior Andrew Goodwin (6-2, 220, 4.65 speed).  Both of their RB’s, Cam’Ron Kelly and Ray McKneely, each 5-10 and around 180 with 4.5 speed, are veterans and tough to contain.

Benton will need a huge game from their defense, headed by All-State DB Sawyer Simmons, who has over 200 tackles combined in the last two seasons. Other anchor guys on the Tigers D are linebackers Zach Halbert and Cole Weir. The key is not to let Denham Springs control the clock by pounding downfield with its big OL and run game.

Benton should do well on offense with its explosive skill players including RB Greg Manning, TE Andy Lim, QB Gray Walters and the exciting WR, Pearce Russell.

This is a game I can see coming down to a field goal or even who has the ball last. Both these programs believe they have the goods to go deep in the postseason, and both programs play with a chip on their shoulders.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

NATCHITOCHES – For the third time in three years, the Northwestern State women’s basketball program is bringing one of the top players from Shreveport/Bossier to play collegiately at Prather Coliseum.

Lady Demons’ head coach Anna Nimz has announced the addition of Jermesha Frierson, a 5-foot-7 scoring guard from Southwood.

Frierson is the No. 4-ranked Class of 2023 prospect in Louisiana, according to LGR Basketball.

Frierson burst onto the scene two seasons ago where she earned her first 1-5A All-District First-Team honor following her sophomore season.

She followed that year with a junior campaign that included another first-team all-district selection along with first-team all-state honors from the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association and LGR Basketball.

Her 23-points, 6-rebounds, 3-assists and 3-steals per game averages during her junior season also earned her first-team selections on the Shreveport-Bossier Journal All-Metro Team and on the Shreveport Times All-City team. The only first-team honor she did not receive was from the LSWA on its all-state roster of the best 10 players in Louisiana, with the voters putting her on the  Class 5A second team.

In just two seasons for Southwood, Frierson has already eclipsed the 1,000-point mark and helped lead the Lady Cowboys to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs last season for the first time in five years.

Frierson is a Gold Renaissance Scholar with a 4.0+ GPA,  a member of the National Honor Society, and is a continual member of the Southwood Principal’s List and Honor Roll.

She joins fellow Caddo/Bossier Parish products Jordan McLemore (Captain Shreve) and Kayla Hampton (Airline) as the latest northwest Louisiana products to become Lady Demons.

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As we all prepare for the first fierce Nordic blast of splinter (we don’t really have winter, it’s a blend of spring and summer and what most of America knows as “late fall”), my thermostat is set at 64.

Cool temperatures are said to be good for using the ole noggin.

Or, for consuming eggnog from Maggio’s drive-thru as my hometown prepares to officially flip on the Christmas lights Saturday night.

Which is happening at this moment? You decide if you read further.

TOPIC:  Louisiana Tech’s football team is winless, 0-6, on the road this year, a sense of much frustration for first-year coach Sonny Cumbie and the Bulldogs’ faithful. 

REAX: Tech goes to Charlotte for Saturday’s game. The 49ers have an interim head coach and are 0-5 at home. Somebody’s walking off happy, for a change. The Bulldogs ought to be barking at the end of this one. 

TOPIC:  Northwestern State is again playing for at least a share of the Southland Conference championship Saturday, this time at home, but against Top 10-ranked Incarnate Word, an overwhelming favorite.

REAX:  The Demons have beaten two other ranked UIW teams in the past three seasons, when NSU wasn’t as competitive as it is this season in conference play. This would be the biggest shocker since their 2014 win at Tech if the Demons outscore these Cardinals. It will not be a defensive slugfest.

TOPIC:  Grambling is open this week, with coach Hue Jackson tuning up the Tigers for next weekend’s epic Bayou Classic in New Orleans against Southern. 

REAX:  The halftime show will undoubtedly be the best Grambling performance of the day in the Caesars Superdome, well worth the price of admission. The Jaguars are solid favorites to avenge last year’s upset loss to the G-Men.

TOPIC:  LSU moved up to No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings announced Tuesday night. 

REAX:  If you didn’t realize SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has a stranglehold on the CFP rankings, you should now. LSU’s having a shockingly good season, but the Tigers have overachieved. They escaped a mediocre Arkansas team last week only because true freshman Harold Perkins Jr. showed why he will be a leading Heisman Trophy candidate next season. 

TOPIC: Like far too many college coaches, Tech’s Cumbie does not allow freshmen players to be interviewed, denying us the chance to hear from Calvary product Landry Lyddy, who will start again at quarterback against Charlotte. 

REAX:  They can vote. They can defend our nation in the military. They are considered adults. College freshmen, most 18 if not older, ought to be able to field questions from the media.  Lyddy handled interviews at Calvary like he shredded opposing defenses. No need to muzzle him, or any other freshman. What’s the harm in it? 

TOPIC:  Northwestern State delivered one of the bigger early-season surprises in college basketball Monday night with its 64-63 upset win at No. 15-ranked TCU. 

REAX:  It’s an historic feat, the Demons’ second-ever Top 25 win. But TCU was ranked only on preseason hype and last year’s success, which is why polls at this stage of any season are a farce. The Frogs were missing their top two players, one regarded as the likely Big 12 Player of the Year. A week earlier, TCU was a 33-point favorite at home against UAPB, and trailed by 20 before escaping, 67-66. The Demons will face tougher tests. Winning a guarantee game is impressive, but this was not a Top-25 caliber win, although it says so on paper.

TOPIC:  Kim Mulkey is a brilliant coach and tactician – especially when it comes to building a non-conference schedule.

REAX:  While she fits new pieces together with her second Tigers’ team, and awaits the arrival next season of Parkway’s extraordinary student-athlete Mikaylah Williams, Mulkey’s non-conference schedule is softer than your pillow.  Her team will face tougher tests during fall semester final exams.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

Pardon me if you’ve heard this before: We had another big week.

We nailed Tony Finau at the Houston Open and all three of our top NFL touchdown scorers found paydirt. The race to 100 units is still heating up as we climbed over an 89-unit profit on the season.

The good news: We’ve been rolling even though our NFL picks against the number haven’t been up to par. Over the past seven weeks of this calendar year, the NFL is going to be crucial if we’re going to hit the 100-unit level.

The golf schedule is about to thin out. This is the last week of a full-field event on the PGA Tour for 2022. Only two events remain on the European Tour.

Let’s get this done.

Notes

All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.

Best line (as of Saturday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price, one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices! 

Sportsbook legend

CAE: Caesar’s

FD: Fan Duel

MGM: Bet MGM

DK: DraftKings

BS: Barstool

BR: BetRivers 

LANG’S LOCKS

Last week: +3.35units

Season total: +89.3 units

Season ROI: +30 percent 

THIS WEEK’S SELECTIONS

GOLF 

PGA TOUR 

RSM Classic 

Top 20 bets

Joseph Bramlett, .3 units, +750 (DK)

Michael Thompson, .3 units, +650 (FD)

Michael Gligic, .2 units, +1000 (FD)

Zac Blair, .2 units, +1100 (DK)

Paul Haley II, .2 units, +1100 (FD) 

EUROPEAN TOUR 

DP World Tour Championship 

Top 10 bets

Adrian Meronk, .3 units, +490 (FD)

Jorge Campillo, .2 units, +1100 (FD) 

Top 20 bets

Jorge Campillo, .6 units, +320 (FD)

Matthieu Pavon, .5 units, +310 (FD)

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports

As the high school soccer season is just getting started this week, we’ll look back at a successful 2021-22 season and its playoff results to preview this winter’s top local girls teams.

Loyola won the LHSAA DIII state title, defeating Archbishop Hannan 4-1. Caddo Magnet fell to No. 6 Lakeshore 6-0, in the DII semifinals. Captain Shreve lost in the DI quarterfinals to No. 5 Dutchtown 4-0. Benton fell to No. 4 Neville 4-0 in the DII quarterfinals. Byrd lost in the DI second round to ninth-seeded Mt. Carmel Academy.

Calvary Baptist Academy made history by getting to the Division IV second round for the first time, falling to No. 9 Louise McGehee 2-1 in double overtime.

Parkway did not make the DI playoffs last year, but is dropping to DII and would have been the No. 10 seed in the DII playoffs last year.

The Flyers graduated 10 seniors from their championship team. They will lean heavily on Madalyn Van Devender to replace the 37 goals lost to graduation. Defensively, returning seniors Hannah Sanchez and Zoe Williamsson, joined by junior Mary Helen Burford, will make scoring on them difficult. Juniors Cassie Campbell and Maggie Googe and sophomore Ainsley Matlock return to the midfield.

Loyola hosts a tournament this weekend that has attracted DI state contenders St. Scholastica and Northshore, DII state champion St. Thomas More and state finalist Lakeshore. Also attending is DIII finalist Hannan. The Flyers will also attend the Rebel Cup and the EIL college showcase tournaments.

Nick Flowers will coach both the boys’ and girls’ teams.

Magnet lost three of its four starting defenders and will struggle to replace them. Magnet will rely on Audrey Jordan, Caroline Wilemon and Merrit Hughes on offense to take the pressure off the defense. Freshman Isabella Baltov will play a leading role in the offense.

Magnet will be playing in the Loyola Tournament and the Gator Cup. Matchups with Lakeshore and St. Thomas More will provide an early gauge where they stand in DII.

The Gators graduated four impact seniors. They return eight all-district players, including district MVP Emma Bradford and all-district midfielder Brooklyn Lattier. Shreve picks up five impact freshmen who will see many varsity minutes this year.

Coach Erik Lane said, “We are stronger, faster and more technical this year. We have the best depth we have ever had. We can go five-deep into the bench and not miss a beat.”

Shreve will host the Gator Cup and will go to the Bossier and St Fred’s tournaments, in addition to a trip to Mississippi, to face some top-level teams there. 

Benton is moving up to DI, with all new district foes. Former assistant coach Jesse Dyer has been promoted to take over the program.

While not losing many seniors, Benton did lose the team leaders. That will require others to step into that role. Returning is forward Jaime Willis, who possesses elite track speed that will test even the strongest back line.

The Lady Tigers will be attending the Bossier and Haughton tournaments as well as the Copa Acadiana in Lafayette.

Byrd, like Loyola, lost two offensive and two defensive stars from last year, but also lost goalie Emerson Roberts, now at ULM. “We are lucky enough to have a ton of young talent and returning players that will all be big contributors for the season,” said assistant coach Kati Jayde Cunningham.

The Lady Jackets will be attending the Loyola, Dominican and Mandeville tournaments, in addition to games scheduled with DI and DII top teams Dominican, Mt. Carmel, St. Thomas More, Lakeshore and St. Amant. They will be road-tested.

Calvary lost four impact seniors. “We have to find a way to replace the 15 goals [Carson] Davis scored, first and foremost,” said coach Adam Hester.

Junior Jaedan Lee and sophomore Pamela Lee will be leaned on for offense this season. Calvary has most of its defensive and midfielders back, and should improve on last year’s success.

Calvary will be attending Haughton’s tournament as well as the Gator Cup. They have scheduled games against the top teams out of Monroe.

Parkway will be looking to replace 100-plus career goals by forward Maya Jackson, now playing at Delta State. The weight of the offense falls to Cammie Dunn and Kendahl Winningham. Parkway will rely heavily on senior keeper Aubri Dupri, an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University commit. The Lady Panthers should be able to keep the scores low while they adjust to life without Jackson.

Parkway is playing in the Loyola Tournament and expects to join another tournament field soon.

Thursday: the boys preview.

Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net

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JOURNAL SPORTS

COLLEGE 

Women

ULM 103, Centenary 28

Men

Southern Arkansas Tech 83, BPCC 79

HIGH SCHOOLS

Girls

Airline 64, Bossier 21
Parkway 57, Wossman 44
Ruston 56, Minden 32
Woodlawn 35, Plain Dealing 25

Boys

Bossier 71, Haughton 41
BTW 52, Loyola 34
Ruston 55, Minden 33

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For more info on Origin Bank, CLICK HERE

Origin Bank has been named one of the 2022 Best Banks to Work For. American Banker has partnered with Best Companies Group to identify banks that excel at creating positive and supportive workplaces for employees.

“We are honored that Origin has been named one of the top two Best Banks to Work For by American Banker,” said Drake Mills, chairman, president and CEO of Origin Bancorp, Inc. “At Origin, our employees’ commitment to our culture is what makes us successful. I’m proud of what they do every day to make life better for our customers and communities.”

This year 90 banks earned a spot in the ranking of Best Banks to Work For, based on an anonymous employee survey and a thorough review of the benefits and perks offered by the company. The full 2022 Best Banks to Work For list is featured at http://www.americanbanker.com.

“This recognition is a direct reflection of our employees and their passion to live out the Origin Vision of connecting people to their dreams,” said Lance Hall, president and CEO of Origin Bank. “We are grateful to American Banker for honoring our employees and their commitment to our culture for the tenth consecutive year.”

“The banks recognized on this list are trying hard to create workplaces that employees want to join,” said Chana R. Schoenberger, editor-in-chief of American Banker. “Especially during this moment when companies are experiencing a shift in how, where, and how much employees work, banks are paying attention to how they can best retain their people.”

On the 2022 list, Origin was ranked No. 2 overall and No. 1 in the category for banks with assets more than $3 billion and less than $10 billion. It is the tenth consecutive year that Origin has been recognized by the annual Best Banks to Work For program. The survey and awards program is designed to identify and honor banks with the best cultures for helping employees thrive.

Determining the Best Banks to Work For involved a two-step process. The first consisted of evaluating each participating bank’s workplace policies, practices, and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25% of the total evaluation. The second consisted of employee surveys aimed at assessing the experiences and attitudes of individual employees with respect to their workplace. This part of the process was worth approximately 75% of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the final ranking.

To be considered for participation, banks had to have at least 50 employees working in the U.S. and been in business for a minimum of one year. Best Companies Group managed the registration and survey process and also analyzed the data to determine the final ranking. 

For more information on the Best Banks to Work For program, visit http://www.BestBankstoWorkfor.com.

About Origin

Origin Bancorp, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana. Origin’s wholly owned bank subsidiary, Origin Bank, was founded in 1912 in Choudrant, Louisiana. Deeply rooted in Origin’s history is a culture committed to providing personalized, relationship banking to businesses, municipalities, and personal clients to enrich the lives of the people in the communities it serves. Origin provides a broad range of financial services and currently operates 59 banking centers located from Dallas/Fort Worth, East Texas and Houston, across North Louisiana and into Mississippi. For more information, visit http://www.origin.bank.

About American Banker

American Banker empowers banking professionals with unique analysis and insight into the ideas transforming their business and industry. Across its journalism, events, research and benchmarking, it helps drive the way forward through the complexity of business innovation, retail and commercial disruption, technology, regulation and reform. With a banking community 850M strong, American Banker’s content connects leaders online, in person and in print every day.

About Best Companies Group

Since 2004, Best Companies Group has specialized in identifying and recognizing great employers to work for. We are an independent research firm that ranks companies based on our established research methodology. Our surveys provide actionable, hard-to-obtain data that companies use to improve employee recruitment and retention.

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By JERRY BYRD, Journal Sports

NATCHITOCHES — Ninth place never felt so good. Just ask C.E. Byrd junior Jenna Key.

She has bigger medals from more impressive state meet performances, but the one she swung back and forth around her neck after finishing ninth on Monday at the LHSAA State Cross Country Championships is more special than any other medal she has won in her high school career. 

“It means so much more because I had to work so hard to even race,” Key said.

For the second straight season, Key has had to battle back from injury to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. Last spring it was a sprained ankle from a freak accident at practice which sidelined her for most of the outdoor track season. This fall, sciatica was the culprit, which kept Key from performing at an elite level most of the season. 

“Last year, my season was perfect,” Key said about her 2021 LHSAA Class 5A state cross country runner-up sophomore season. “I got a medal – great, but even finishing third in outdoors (3200-meter run) at state, I was balling my eyes out. I’m about to cry now. I am just so happy I was able to run.”

Key finished No. 9 Monday with a time of 18:44 in cold and muddy conditions. 

St. Joseph’s Academy’s Hannah Vaughan led the Stickers to a seventh-consecutive team championship by winning the individual title with an 18:05. Ruston’s Lily Garrett, who beat Key last year to win the 2021 state championship, finished second in 18:11.

Key’s performance at Northwestern State’s Walter P. Ledet Track Complex on Monday morning was a stark contrast from her effort at the D-I Region I Championship at Lincoln Parish Park in Ruston on Nov. 3, where she finished in eighth place with a 19:17. 

“I just had to trust all of the training I did this summer,” Key said. “I don’t know what happened at regionals. I just think physically and mentally – I wasn’t ready. I told myself to just race, and I think I did the best I could.”

C.E. Byrd finished fourth in the team competition with 140 points. It’s the highest finish in school history. The winner, SJA, scored 40 points while runner-up Ruston scored 77. 

Key gave her teammates and coach credit for the program’s historic state meet results. 

“They make practice so much better,” Key said of her teammates. “They make the environment so positive. The whole team, we’re all young. We will all be back next year. We’ll have Hudson (Roberts) next year. I know she is excited about coming back.”

“He (Byrd coach Juan Plaza) is the most positive person ever,” Key said. “He is like having a second dad. I tell him everything. He is always there checking in on us, making sure we are ready, hydrated.”

Key wasn’t the only Byrd runner overcoming adversity during the state championship race.

Fellow junior Spencer Frierson lost her shoe in the first 800 meters of the race. She was spiked on the back of her right heel, causing the shoe to come off. Flesh dangled from the back of Frierson’s right heel as she made her way through the muddy three-mile course on her way to a personal record time of 20:14.

Loyola’s Tripp Roemer, a junior, had the highest finish of any local runner. The Flyer finished second in the Division III boys’ race’ with a time of 16:14. Loyola, which won the Division III Region I Meet, finished eighth with 248 points.

Parkview Baptist, the defending LHSAA Class 3A state champion, won the Division III boys’ team competition with a score of 52 points, 27 points under University Lab, who was led by senior Blayton Bernard, who won the first state championship of his high school career with a time of 16:05.

Mother Nature saved her worst for last at the state meet. The final race of the day was the Division IV Boys’ race. The runners had to battle a muddy course, which was quickly deteriorating after accommodating the previous nine state championship races throughout the day. 

To add insult to injury, She added a bone-chilling downpour for the runners to endure. 

“I cannot feel anything,” said Calvary sophomore Jackson Burney after his race, where he finished sixth with a time of 17:06. “This was by far the worst race I’ve ever run in. There was so much mud and I almost fell a few times. I just had to fight through the conditions, the mud, and the rain.”

Burney thawed out on his return to Shreveport and made it back to Calvary Baptist Academy in time for his 7 p.m. National Honor Society induction ceremony. 

It was indoors.

And dry.

Contact Jerry at sbjjerrybyrd@gmail.com

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By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports 

(NOTE – Each Tuesday this season, the SBJ spotlights the staff’s selection as the local “Team of the Week.”)

Walking off the football field two weeks ago, Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton had a feeling he had never experienced in all of his years coaching.

And it wasn’t good.

“For the first time, I felt like our kids shut it down and quit,” said Brotherton. “That’s a bad feeling as a coach when your team stops competing.”

That was Week 10’s final regular-season game when Captain Shreve pummeled Haughton 42-7 – marking the Bucs’ third loss in their last four games and threatening their streak of making the playoffs for 25 years.

“I didn’t know what we were gonna get (last) Friday,” Brotherton said of last week’s first-round playoff game against the heavily-favored Airline Vikings. “I was a little worried about that.”

There were a few reasons to worry. First, the Bucs’ lackluster performance against the Gators was a cause for concern. Then there was the fact that Haughton had squeaked into the Non-Select Division I playoffs as the 27^th seed out of 28 teams. Next, Haughton’s first-round opponent was the No. 6-seeded Airline team that had sailed through the District 1-5A season undefeated.

And finally, that Vikings’ team had defeated the Bucs 55-42 in their Week 7 district matchup.

“Before (last week’s) Airline game, I told the kids that I thought something good would have to happen early in the game for us to have a chance,” said Brotherton. “Then the opposite happened.”

Airline came out in its first possession and took the early lead with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Ben Taylor to Daxton Chavez.

Not the start Brotherton had hoped for.

Then something good happened.

“We had a couple of seniors who weren’t going to let everyone else shut it down,” he said. “The flow of the game fell to us. The weather was a huge factor. It didn’t affect us as much as it affected them (the Vikings).”

Two of those seniors who made sure the Bucs didn’t give up were quarterback Colin Rains and running back Tyler Rhodes. In a pouring rain and howling winds, the Haughton duo racked up 387 of the Bucs’ 390 yards rushing and pounded their way to a 36-26 upset over the Vikings.

Rains, who had 178 yards rushing just in the first half, finished the game with 218 yards on 26 carries while running for one touchdown, passing for two touchdowns and catching a touchdown pass.

Rhodes, who finished with 169 on 21 carries, had a 7-yard touchdown scamper that started a 29-0 scoring run that gave the Bucs a 36-13 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Standing in the pouring rain in the middle of Airline’s M.D. Ray Field, Brotherton tried to find the words to describe Rains’ performance.

“Colin . . . ,” he started. “He’s been hurt for about a month. He’s just a competitor. He’s one of my favorite kids . . . ”

The Bucs also got a gutsy performance from junior kicker Carter Ebarb, who had an undeniable effect on the game’s outcome. While Ebarb was 4-for-5 on PATs in the driving rain, it was his punting — keeping the Vikings deep in their own territory — that helped Haughton deny an Airline rally.

Ebarb’s 57-yard punt pinned the Vikings on their own 1-yard line and led to a safety that put the Bucs up 36-13 near the end of the third quarter. On the Bucs’ next possession, Ebarb had a 48-yard punt that forced Airline to start a drive on its own 2-yard line.

This is when the game got really interesting. Starting that drive on their 2, the Vikings went on a 17-play, 98-yard scoring drive that began at the end of the third quarter and finished with a 7-yard scoring pass from Ben Taylor to Bryson Broom that closed the gap to 36-19 two minutes into the fourth quarter.

Haughton fumbled on its next possession, giving Airline the ball on its own 35. Four plays later, Taylor hit Bob Patterson with a 40-yard touchdown pass – and the Vikings were suddenly within 10 points of the Bucs with six minutes left.

At that point, Rains took over and made sure the Bucs would hold on to their 36-26 lead. An 8-play, 54-yard drive that ate up time on the clock deprived Airline of a chance to rally. In the middle of the drive, Rains had a 31-yard run on third-and-14 that kept the ball in possession of the Bucs – who held on for the victory.

The first thing Brotherton planned to say to his team as the Bucs prepared for this Friday’s second-round home game against East St. John was this:

“For the rest of your life, when someone says, ‘You can’t do something,’ you remember Friday night 36-26. Nobody thought we could win that (Airline) game. Nobody gave us a chance outside of our own locker room.”

That’s quite a different feeling than the one Brotherton had a couple of weeks ago.

Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com

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By ROY LANG, Journal Sports 

We have nine second-round games – many featuring teams that enjoyed a week off to begin the postseason. Only four local teams, Benton, Haughton, Byrd and Calvary, are favored to continue their seasons and have a shot at playing in the Superdome for a state championship.

SECOND-ROUND PLAYOFF LINES

Benton -1.5 vs. Denham Springs

Haughton -4.5 vs. East St. John

Warren Easton -33.5 vs. Captain Shreve

St. Paul’s -2.5 at Northwood 

Byrd -12.5 vs. Alexandria

E.D. White -8.5 vs. Evangel

Calvary -41.5 vs. Northlake Christian

Episcopal -7.5 vs. Loyola

Parkview Baptist -19.5 at North Caddo 

By the numbers

Favorites: 7-1 straight up in First Round (122-20 on season), 5-3 vs. spread in First Round (76-67 on season)

Final regular-season standings vs. SBJ spread

Airline 7-3, Calvary 7-3, Evangel 7-3, Benton 6-4, Magnolia Charter 6-4, North Caddo 6-4, Parkway 5-5, Huntington 5-5, Southwood 5-5, Northwood 5-5, Green Oaks 4-6, Woodlawn 4-6, Haughton 4-6, Captain Shreve 4-6, Byrd 4-6, Loyola 3-6, BTW 3-7, Bossier 2-8, Plain Dealing 2-8. 

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com or via twitter @Roylangiii 

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By JASON PUGH, Special to the Journal

FORT WORTH, Texas – The 16^th lead change Monday night was the sweetest for the Northwestern State basketball team.

DeMarcus Sharp’s turnaround jumper with 1:14 stood as the ultimate go-ahead bucket for the Demons as they collected the second Top 25 victory in program history with a 64-63 win at No. 15 TCU inside Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena.

“We’ve got such a resilient group,” first-year head coach Corey Gipson said. “I was emotional, not because of the win, but because we know how hard our guys work. It was very rewarding to see the hard work pay off, and it was very rewarding to see those guys stick together in times of adversity between the lines.”

After a back-and-forth first half that included 13 lead changes and five ties, the Horned Frogs (2-1) threw the first big punch of the second half, outscoring Northwestern State (2-2) 18-8 across the first 7:06 of the second half to build a game-high, 12-point lead.

Leaning on their veteran but new-to-NSU backcourt duo of Sharp and Ja’Monta Black, the Demons never backed down, providing longtime NSU fans with a sense of déjà vu.

Northwestern State’s victory Monday was its first against an Associated Press Top 25 team since defeating Iowa in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The score of that game against the Hawkeyes, who were the AP’s No. 15 team in the final regular-season poll? 64-63.

Black shot a blistering 7-for-8 in the second half, hitting five of his six 3-point tries, and finished with a game-high 25 points to establish a new NSU career high. Black’s point total was one off his overall college high of 26 points, set in a Missouri State win against Little Rock on Dec. 21, 2020.

“I honestly feel like I’m always in the zone, but it was a different type of zone that second half,” said Black, whose final 3 tied the game at 61 with 3:33 to play. “I just kept getting them up, as many as possible, because when I shoot it, I always think it’s going in. That’s my mindset.”

Sharp and Black combined to score 28 of the Demons’ 35 second-half points, but both deflected credit for the win to the presence of Jordan Wilmore, NSU’s 7-foot-3, 310-pound junior center.

After picking up four first-half fouls in 11:58 of playing time, Wilmore played foul-free for 8:04 of the second half, scoring three pivotal points and grabbing three rebounds.

Wilmore’s lone offensive carom set up a go-ahead free throw with 2:50 to play.

“There’s a lot of people who have doubted Jordan throughout his whole career,” Sharp said. “I’m glad he stayed locked in, stayed focused and ended up at Northwestern State with us. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I wouldn’t want anyone else but big Jordan. I love big Jordan, and big Jordan will be even better down the line.”

The Demon defense, backed by Wilmore’s presence and a pivotal steal by Isaac Haney that set up Sharp’s game-winner, limited TCU to three field goals across the final 5:09 of the game, allowing NSU to erase a five-point deficit.

Haney’s third steal of the game came roughly three-and-a-half minutes of game time after Gipson pulled Black and Sharp aside during a media timeout and “got onto us about being tired,” Sharp said.

“We did have that conversation,” Gipson said. “Ja’Monta Black and DeMarcus Sharp are battle tested. The way they looked tonight is what we expect out of them. Those guys can do that consistently, but it’s taken some time for them to get in a rhythm.

“DeMarcus hasn’t played in a full year. We’re four games in. You can slowly but surely see the real DeMarcus Sharp, and you can slowly but surely see the real Ja’Monta Black. It’s a matter of time before some other guys start being the real version of their selves we see in practice.”

The Demons return to action Thursday when they travel to Normal, Illinois, to face Illinois State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. for the back end of a home-and-home series with the Redbirds.

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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Monday’s weather was less than ideal except for cross country geeks and basketball fans.

The conditions were challenging, to say the least, for the state’s best high school cross country runners at the annual LHSAA Championships hosted by Northwestern State in Natchitoches. It was cold – worse than chilly – all day, from the first race at 9 a.m. to the 10^th and last one that wrapped up in the 4 o’clock hour.

Rain started dripping shortly after 1 o’clock and the faucet popped wide open in time for the final race. For runners, for supporters, for race officials – misery. But for purists of the sport, ecstasy.

Cross country is not a gentle sport. It is postponed for weather less than football games are. The races are held in steamy and stormy weather. Blistering and blustery. The worse the conditions get, the more the degree of difficulty climbs, THAT’S when it’s truly cross country.

It’s more pleasant to enjoy sunny skies, moderate temps, and calm winds, but for a championship race in cross country, Monday’s conditions were optimal. Miserable, but optimal.

Speaking of optimal, let’s flip sports and congratulate (in chronological order) Grambling and Northwestern for basketball triumphs that earned national attention.

The Tigers put down Colorado (not Colorado School of the Mines, but instead, the Pac 12 Buffaloes) in Grambling, under the radar, Friday night.

Credit the Pac 12 (with plenty of sponsorship money, and social awareness, as influences) for sending its teams on the road to visit SWAC venues. The SWAC-Pac 12 Legacy Series was not the west coast win-fest oddsmakers expected.

Grambling led wire-to-wire in its 83-74 victory. OK, Colorado was overrated, you say? Two days later, the Buffs went to Nashville and gave their own remarkable performance, handling No. 11 Tennessee 78-66.

Donte’ Jackson’s G-Men were not alone in delivering noteworthy SWAC attacks. Texas Southern toppled Arizona State 67-66 in OT. Outside the Pac-12, Alcorn handled Wichita State 66-57. Seems like more than just hardcore Grambling fans might want to visit for some quality action at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center this season.

For NSU, the big news Monday was thought to be the second big NIL deal for freshman (true) phenom Hansel Emmanuel.

He is truly phenomenal although he hasn’t scored a point in two appearances during the Demons’ first four games. Emmanuel is, by far, the most prominent NSU recruit ever, defying all odds by getting a Division I college scholarship although he lost his left arm after an accident when he was six, at home in the Dominican Republic.

He became a social media sensation last summer on the AAU circuit for his spectacular dunks, 3-pointers and athleticism. This summer, he signed an NIL deal with Gatorade, which debuted a commercial featuring him during the NBA Finals. Then he signed a scholarship deal with Northwestern and new coach Corey Gipson.

Monday, Emmanuel announced his second major NIL deal, with T-Mobile. According to On3.com’s NIL valuation chart, with 4.2 million social media followers, Emmanuel is No. 9 at an estimated $1.5 million — which might have edged up a bit via the strong connection with T-Mobile.

Arch Manning (perhaps you’ve heard of him?) is No. 3 and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young No. 4, both with $3.4 million valuations. Behind Emmanuel are names like Shadeur Sanders, Coach Prime’s son and quarterback at Jackson State, ranked 12^th at $1.3 mill; Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker, 19^th at $1.1; Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, 24^th with a $971,000 valuation; and down home in Baton Rouge, LSU’s Keyshon Boutte is 25^th at $969,000.

Yes, a freshman reserve basketball player at Northwestern State is well ahead of LSU’s next first-round NFL Draft pick. Such is the wild world of NIL. Emmanuel’s endorsements do not – as of yet – include any Louisiana law firms.

But that was NOT the biggest news for the Demons Monday. They made SportsCenter and lots of headlines by overcoming a double-digit second-half deficit and toppling (probably over-ranked, considering an earlier one-point escape of UAPB) No. 15 TCU 64-63 on the Horned Frogs’ homecourt.

Gipson’s Demons had been less than impressive in a 24-point loss a week ago at No. 25 Texas Tech, and at home in a comeback win over Division II Ouachita Baptist and a 69-67 stumble to a rebuilding Illinois State team Saturday night.

New week, new look, new entry in the NSU history books. The Demons’ only other Top 25 win was also a 64-63 victory, on a much bigger stage, in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament over No. 15-ranked Iowa, the Big Ten Conference Tournament champions.

Emmanuel was probably making SportsCenter anyway, despite his unproductive two-minute stint in the first half. He’s amazing simply by being there. But on Monday night, so were the rest of the Demons.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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By RYNE BERTHELOT, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE — By the metrics of almost every preseason prediction, Brian Kelly’s first LSU football squad has overachieved.

There’s a win against Alabama, coupled with wins over Mississippi State and Ole Miss. There are impact freshmen on both sides of the ball that rank among the best at their position in the SEC. There’s an SEC Championship appearance waiting in the wings once the regular season is finally over.

Not to overlook an 8-2 record and No. 6 national ranking, when few expected a spot in any Top 25.

Those weren’t the metrics Kelly was looking to judge his first season by, though.

“I didn’t put any wins or losses on this team,” Kelly said during his Monday press conference. “I put, ‘I want to play hard, I want to be better in November, and I want to teach them how to win.’ I think we’ve hit all of those markers, and that’s kind of where I wanted this program to be. I think we’re at where we should be at this time.”

There are still two games left on the regular-season slate, against UAB at home Saturday night and next Saturday at Texas A&M. While they won’t be the toughest tests on the schedule, they’ll present a unique challenge: they stand as tune-ups for the title bout with Georgia, a game that, barring Tiger stumbles, will draw plenty of attention nationally.

That hasn’t kept Kelly from being focused on the work in front of him, especially given his unique set of goals and standards he had set forth for the season.

“I think we’ll have plenty of time to get information on Georgia, and we’re pretty much aware of Georgia and who they are and what they’re about. Our focus will be on UAB and Texas A&M because they matter. For us in terms of where we are and the development of our program, these singular games are so important to us.”

Kelly’s seen that development on the individual level, as well. There’s Micah Baskerville, for instance, who fell out of favor with Ed Orgeron’s staff last season after seeing significant snaps early in his career. The Evangel Christian product has become a key factor to the success of a potent defense and has turned himself into one the conference’s best linebackers in pass coverage.

Baskerville’s triumphs didn’t stop there, though.

He’s graduated from LSU, one of 13 seniors who will participate in Saturday’s Senior Night festivities to do so. He saw LSU at the pinnacle of college football before it came crashing down a season later, only to be rebuilt under a new head coach. He went through a Covid-shortened season at an empty Tiger Stadium, a shell of what it has typically been on any given Saturday night. He overcame a reputation, Kelly said, that kept him from reaching his full potential until now.

On some levels, Baskerville’s progression is a microcosm of what LSU’s senior class had to endure. The trials and tribulations have all been accentuated with an exceptional closing act.

“When I got here, everybody was like, ‘Well, ya know, he doesn’t go to class, he doesn’t do this, he doesn’t do that,’ and he’s been amazing,” Kelly said of Baskerville. “He’s gotten his degree, he’s been a great leader, he’s been inspirational in everything he’s done. I love that story. To watch him grow, and do the right things in the classroom and overcome all of the things that were in his past, that to me is this senior class.”

Baskerville and his fellow seniors had a choice to make before the season, Kelly said.

“They could’ve been average, they could’ve been poor. They could’ve just been good. They’ve chosen to be champions by the way they’ve gone to work every day, both in the classroom and on the football field. The choices these guys have made have been outstanding.”

For one last Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, they’ll reap the rewards of those choices.

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

It was a small sampling of games on the opening day of the LHSAA basketball season and only Loyola’s girls and Airline and Evangel boys came out on top.

GIRLS

Alexandria 41, Byrd 33
Loyola 44, Plain Dealing 16
Ruston 41, Benton 36
Wossman 75, Huntington 64

BOYS

Airline 69, West Monroe 58, 2OT
Doyline 72, Byrd 56
Evangel 60, Haughton 40
Wossman 70,  Huntington 39

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JOURNAL STAFF

Bossier Mayor Tommy Chandler, Shreveport and Bossier city officials, friends of tourism and event organizers gathered Monday at a holiday-themed press conference emceed by Santa Claus at Sci-Port Discovery Center to announce a new holiday initiative for the area, “Holidays on the Red.”  

The campaign was created by the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau to bring more exposure to the numerous existing, enhanced and new events taking place this year while also supporting area towns hosting events on the Holiday Trail of Lights. Multiple booths were set up at the announcement to showcase a sampling of the upcoming events and holiday treats designed to celebrate “Holidays on the Red.”

“We are very excited to kick-off the holiday season and help to being more joy to the area,” said Stacy Brown, executive director of the SBCTB.  “We encourage families and friends to make plans now to come out and enjoy exciting, signature holiday events in Shreveport-Bossier.

“From dazzling fireworks at the annual Rockets Over the Red festival, twinkling light displays at Christmas in Roseland and flurries of snow at the Sno-Port exhibit, there are many ways to make the season bright.”

A sampling of events includes:

Rockets Over the Red Fireworks Festival: Nov. 26, 4 – 7 p.m.

The festival returns to Riverview Park in downtown Shreveport and Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets in Bossier City on Sat., Nov. 26 from 4 – 7 p.m. Attendees can celebrate the Christmas season with free, family-friendly fun that includes live music, activities, food trucks, Santa and more. Beer and beverages will be sold by Downtown Shreveport Unlimited, and face painting will be provided by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. The evening will culminate with fireworks that can be viewed from both Bossier City and downtown Shreveport. 

BELIEVE! Lights the Night: Nov. 25 & 26 and Dec. 2 – 3, 9 and 16-18

Celebrating its third year of Christmas magic, this event offers an interactive magical Christmas journey held at the Shreveport Aquarium in downtown Shreveport. Attendees are gifted a magic motion-activated Christmas wand that turns on lights, makes music, lights a fireplace, creates reindeer footprints, jingles bells, and more. Guests can even use their wand to find out if they are on the naughty or nice list. Photo opportunities will be available with a cast of costumed characters including Mrs. Claus, Santa’s jolly elves, the new beautiful Snow Mermaid, Glacielle and the big guy himself, Santa. Decorating inspiration will be available by gazing at the beautiful community-decorated Christmas Trees with the chance to vote for a favorite tree to win money for charity. Enjoy Mrs. Claus’ delicious cookies and hot cocoa, and make a holiday craft with one of the jolly elves.

Christmas in Roseland: Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays – Nov. 25 – Dec. 18

The excitement returns to the American Rose Center this holiday season as the gardens transform into a whimsical winter wonderland from the day after Thanksgiving until the weekend before Christmas. The American Rose Center will be featuring millions of twinkling lights, dozens of lighted displays, giant Christmas cards to the community, nightly entertainment, photos with Santa, train rides, marshmallow roasting, and fun for the whole family! 

Sno-Port: Friday, Nov, 25, 9 a.m. – Jan. 29, 2023

Visitors from across the area have engaged in snow-themed, science-based activities housed in an interactive science “playground” known as “Sno-Port” at the Sci-Port Discovery Center since 2019. Sno-Port, redesigned annually, represents the imaginations and creations of local artists and has become a favorite holiday experience.

There are many more festive holiday events happening in Shreveport-Bossier City and around the area on the Holiday Trail of Lights! Visit HolidaysOnTheRed.com to see a full list of attractions and events.

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This recipe for Taco Angel Chicken dates back to the beginning of The Copper Whisk (4+ years ago now!) We love this one as a go-to I always know everyone will like, especially for those nights when we are coming in after ball but still want a hot meal instead of fast food. The boys prefer this over angel hair pasta, and I have to agree it’s my favorite too!

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, sliced in strips lengthwise
• 1 (8 ounce) container softened cream cheese spread
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 (4 ounce) can Hatch diced green chiles
• Serve over pasta, Mexican rice, or mashed potatoes

 Directions

Slice chicken and place in slow cooker.  Combine cream cheese spread, cream of chicken, chicken broth, taco seasoning, Rotel, and green chiles in sauce pan on stove.  Stir over low heat until well combined and cream cheese is melted.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve over pasta, Mexican rice, or mashed potatoes.

Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom and published cookbook author.

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Some won on the road, some won at home. And some had the week off.

Those who had the time off were probably glad they didn’t have to play in Friday’s miserable weather, but all are happy to still be playing in the third week on November.

They are Shreveport-Bossier’s nine remaining teams in the state high school football playoffs and all have had the chance to assess what did – and didn’t – happen last Friday night and begin to prepare for the next round this weekend.

But the “week off” wasn’t really a week off. “We watched tape on our two potential opponents,” said Northwood coach Austin Brown, whose team had a bye in the first round. “We still had a purpose in practice. Even though we didn’t have an opponent at the end of the week, we still had a reason to be out there.”

What did the first round teach us? Not much, other than momentum is hard to figure out. Loyola and Haughton were basically non-competitive in their final regular-season games and yet won their first playoff games going away. Airline had won seven straight and lost its opener — to Haughton, a team it had beaten by 13 a month before. Captain Shreve had lost five of the previous seven and won on the road.

Northwood, Byrd, Calvary and North Caddo got a chance to sit out the opening week of the playoffs by earning a bye. Now, they will join the party as the second round gets underway. All four will be at home this week, along with a pair of Friday’s first-round winners, Benton and Haughton.

The other three teams will be on the road – Captain Shreve (at top-seeded Warren Easton in New Orleans), Evangel (at E.D. White-Thibodaux) and Loyola (at Episcopal-Baton Rouge).

For Shreve, it will be the second straight week on the road.

At No. 27, Haughton is technically the second-lowest seed remaining in the entire state. (Breaux Bridge, the No. 28 seed in Non-Select Division II, beat a fifth-seeded Carroll team that had its coaching staff suspended for the year.)

Nevertheless, the Bucs are happy to be preparing for East St. John instead of basketball season.

“Number one, we beat a rival (Airline) and got a chance to avenge a loss,” said Haughton coach Jason Brotherton. “Just winning a playoff game is a huge deal for us. Those things are hard to come by. And to get a home game makes it double- or triple-sweet for us.”

Haughton’s home game came down to the final play in the East St. John-Walker game. Had 22-seed Walker made a last-second field goal, the Bucs would have been traveling 250 miles instead of going across the school compound to play the next round.

Seedings-wise, the closest upcoming matchup will be 8-3 Benton, the No. 8 seed, playing host to ninth-seeded Denham Springs (9-2).

“There’s just nothing like it when it comes to excitement,” said Benton coach Reynolds Moore. “The trick is to stay focused. As long as we keep playing, we will have our work cut out for us.”

Across the state, the higher seeds were 54-16 – and four of the lower-seed wins were by the No. 17 team. In Division IV of both Select and Non-Select, the higher seeds were undefeated.

But seedings can also fool you. Alexandria, which is Byrd’s opponent Friday night, is a 22 seed due to a 4-6 regular-season record. But three of those losses came to two No. 1 seeds (Ruston and St. Thomas More) and a No. 8 seed (Carencro). ASH easily won its opener over 11th-seeded McKinley, 42-0. 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited a man in Caddo Parish for alleged deer hunting violations on Nov. 2.

Agents cited Cole Knighton, 19, of Mira, for hunting from a moving vehicle, taking deer during illegal hours, failing to tag deer, failing to validate deer harvest, taking deer from a public road and simple littering.

Agents received a complaint about litter and illegally taken deer in Caddo Parish. Agents investigated the complaint and found trash on top of a levee that identified Knighton.

Agents went to Knighton’s residence with the litter evidence and he admitted it was his. Agents then questioned Knighton further and he admitted to illegally taking four antlerless deer and three antlered deer within the past two years. Knighton did not tag any of the deer and took some of the deer at night from a moving vehicle and public road.

Agents seized two sets of deer antlers in association with this case.

Hunting deer during illegal hours carries a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Hunting from a moving vehicle brings a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail. Hunting deer from a public road, failing to tag deer and failing to validate deer carry up to a $350 fine for each offense. Simple littering brings up to a $150 fine or given the option to perform eight hours of community service in a litter abatement work program in lieu of the fine.

Knighton may also face civil restitution totaling $12,189 for the replacement value of the illegally taken deer.

Investigating agents are Corporal Michael Cook, Sgt. Toby Meyers and Senior Agent Dalton Herrington.

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