By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

Cooper DeFatta was a passing fancy Friday night.

The Loyola linebacker-turned-quarterback had thrown only seven touchdown passes in nine regular-season games. Friday night, he passed for five touchdowns (second-most in school history), 211 yards (a career high) and ran for 78 yards, including a 19-yard score as the Flyers posted a school-postseason record 61 points in a dominating first-round victory against St. Thomas Aquinas.

“Unbelievable,” Loyola head coach Mike Greene said of his quarterback. “You see him running around on that play and he just kept going. He played a hell of a game. I hope he saves some of that for next week.”

Colin Rains, Haughton

The senior quarterback carried the load for the 27th seeded Bucs, who upset No. 6-seeded Airline 36-26 in the first round of the Non-Select Division I playoffs. Rains had 218 rushing yards with 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD, and 1 receiving TD. Arguably, his biggest run is buried in the statistics as Rains’ 31-yard keeper on third-and-14 with 3:30 left in the game kept the Bucs’ 8-play, clock-eating drive alive, denying the Vikings’ comeback chances.

Greg Manning, Benton

The running back opened the scoring in the Tigers’ first-round playoff victory against Ponchatoula with an 8-yard run. He then closed out the 41-7 triumph with a pair of third-quarter touchdown runs (2 and 8 yards), raising his TD total to 32 this season.

Kenyon Terrell, Captain Shreve

The quarterback ran for 100 yards and two scores and threw for 158 yards and two more scores in the Gators’ victory at Tioga.

Fulghum Bros., Evangel

It’s hard stopping one, but when both are clicking, good luck. Quarterback Peyton Fulghum connected with brother, Parker, for nine passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns in a 60-0 whitewashing of Istrouma on Friday night.  

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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The Dez Bryant-caught-it game is a pill the Dallas Cowboys may never be able to swallow, and it may give fans the shakes at the mention of the Green Bay Packers or Lambeau Field. Although Sunday’s game wasn’t a postseason affair, and it didn’t end the Cowboys season, it may be a while before the effects exit the system.   

Against the previously lifeless Packers, the Cowboys blew a 14-point lead to start the fourth quarter for the first time in franchise history (they entered Sunday 195-0 in such games) and dropped an 31-28 overtime affair at Lambeau to put themselves squarely behind the 8-ball in the NFC East. 

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints remain punchless. They traveled to Pittsburgh and fell to the Steelers, 20-10. 

The Saints dropped to 3-7 and need a turnaround of epic proportions — and a lot of help — to get back into the race in the subpar NFC South. 

Instead of a glorious return to Green Bay for former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys head man watched his team author an historic meltdown. 

The Packers entered Sunday with five straight losses. 

“(McCarthy) was disappointed that we didn’t take that step that we’ve talked about — laying another brick and building on what we’ve accomplished to this point,” quarterback Dak Prescott, who threw three touchdowns and two interceptions Sunday, said. “It’s tough. It was a playoff environment. You wanna win. All of them hurt when you don’t win or capitalize or do what you expect to do, but you gotta remember it’s just one game.” 

The Cowboys won the coin flip in overtime, and drove to the Packers’ 35 before they failed on fourth-and-3. Aaron Rodgers helped Green Bay move deep into Cowboys territory to set up Mason Crosby’s chip-shot game-winner. 

Dallas dropped to 6-3 and is mired in third place in the East, behind the 7-2 New York Giants and unblemished Philadelphia. Up next: A trip to play the red-hot Minnesota Vikings (8-1). 

“For us, it’s about sticking together, knowing where we’re going and who we are,” Prescott said. “It was a tough game, a tough environment and we’ve got to learn from this and make sure that we grow.” 

The Saints must do the same. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 174 yards and a score, but was foiled by two interceptions while the Saints committed six separate penalties that gave Pittsburgh a first down. 

“The performance wasn’t good enough really in all phases,” New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen said. “We didn’t play well enough. We didn’t coach well enough. We have to do a better job. We fought ourselves back, got back into the game at halftime, felt like we were in a good position, and we really just didn’t do anything in the second half.” 

Dalton’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson came 19 seconds before halftime and helped New Orleans erase an early 10-point deficit. 

However, that was the only touchdown of the day against the Steelers, who were sparked by the return of T.J. Watt. New Orleans was held scoreless in the second half and running back Alvin Kamara was limited to 26 rushing yards on eight carries. 

“It’s really frustrating,” Dalton said. “We know the potential of what we can be and what we can do. To have games go like this in consecutive weeks, it’s tough.”

 Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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BATON ROUGE – There’s no losing left for LSU this season.

They can beat Georgia in the SEC Championship by four touchdowns. Harold Perkins could top the collegiate single-game sacks record in every game left on the schedule. Jayden Daniels could run for 200 yards a game and throw for 300 more.

They could also get blown out by Georgia. Perkins could show that he’s still a freshman, figuring out college life, let alone all of his defensive assignments. Daniels could throw for another measly 86 yards, as he did Saturday at Arkansas, in every remaining game.

It doesn’t matter. They’ve done far more than they were expected to accomplish in Brian Kelly’s first year as coach.

Of course, they could actually lose. They’ve clinched the SEC West, and they could just coast to the finish line, though Kelly’s attention to detail and preparation likely won’t allow for it. It’s highly doubtful they lose to either UAB or Texas A&M, but a defeat in the SEC Championship Game to defending national champion and top-ranked Georgia is a very real possibility.

When that visit to Atlanta comes around, though, the final score is a moot point: LSU’s won the season.

There should’ve been a lot more red in the ledger than the two losses they have. There could’ve been talk about personnel changes, both on the field and on the sidelines. There could’ve been the continued questions about LSU’s lack of high-end quarterback play in recent years (other than Joe Burrow, of course). Those narratives were whisked away in October, with the winds of change as Kelly’s influence became apparent.

The biggest testament to the team’s moxie came Saturday.

Arkansas was trailing by three in the first quarter and was faced with a fourth-and-goal from the LSU 3. Instead of taking the chip-shot field goal, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman went for broke and trusted backup quarterback Malik Hornsby to make a touchdown happen.

He couldn’t.

Pittman had his idea of who the better team was, and a conservative game plan wasn’t going to cut it. Even with home field advantage, even with the resounding votes of confidence he heaped on Hornsby all week (never mind the fact that he eventually pulled Hornsby for third-stringer Cade Fortin), the grittiness and mental fortitude that LSU’s developed over the season was enough to worry him. That play call showed that Pittman knew just how easily that game could get away from his team.

In no way is this a condemnation of Pittman’s aggressive playcalling; Kelly did the same thing, going for it on fourth down in his own territory before the play was whistled dead due to a penalty. So Kelly did it again, this time with a fake-punt run by Jay Bramblett, wiped out by another flag.

In past years, that’s a head-scratching move at best, to give the opponent the gift of good field position.

But why not risk it when the defense has been so wildly effective? Perkins was the most impactful player on the field, and it wasn’t close. Why not rely on him and his defensive comrades to keep Arkansas out of the end zone? Kelly called the game to his team’s strengths, something that his predecessors didn’t do often enough.

Pittman’s playcalling was aggressive because he felt it had to be. There was a respect for the team that LSU’s become in Brian Kelly’s first year, a culmination of all the triumphs that the Tigers’ have experienced in the midst of an overhaul.

Kelly said in his postgame press conference that his Tigers haven’t arrived yet.

It sure seems like they have.

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas — Friday, the Shreveport Mudbugs set the table for a memorable weekend with Ryan Burke’s dazzling last-second goal to end an 0-for-November power-play drought and send their game with North American Hockey League-best Lone Star into overtime. 

In the extra session, Jaden Goldie sent home the game-winner to snap the club’s five-game losing streak.

However, the Mudbugs were unable to complete the statement weekend. Instead, they left the NYTEX Sports Centre with just two points – to Lone Star’s three – after Saturday’s 4-1 loss.

“It was the same old story — we played OK (Saturday), but the power play had some chances and we just didn’t finish and the PK gave one up. We needed more goals,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “We just didn’t have the push we had Friday.”

Shreveport did end its power-play drought in the opener, but it took pulling the goalie to create a 6-on-4 advantage. Saturday, the Mudbugs failed on all five chances with the man-advantage and were beset by turnovers in their defensive zone.

“Most teams protect the middle of the ice, especially this team,” Campbell said. “If you make a soft play, they’re probably going to be coming right back at you.”

Three weekends into their eight-game, five-week road trip, Shreveport will enjoy a week off before heading to El Paso on Nov. 25-26.

“They’ve been going hard since August,” said Campbell, whose team dropped to fifth place in the South Division.

“The break is probably coming at a really good time. The challenge after the break is to learn to push for 120 minutes or more every weekend.” 

Last week’s 3 Stars

1. Jaden Goldie, a very solid season continued with the game-winning goal in overtime Friday to snap the Mudbugs’ five-game losing streak.
2. Ryan Burke, broke the Mudbugs’ prolonged power-play drought with the timeliest of goals Friday.
3. Drake Morse, opened the scoring Friday night. 

NAHL South Division standings

Lone Star (14-1-2), 30 points

Oklahoma (12-2-1), 25

New Mexico (11-4-1), 23

Amarillo (9-6-1), 19

Shreveport (7-9-4), 18

El Paso (8-8-0), 16

Odessa (7-8-1), 15

Corpus Christi (3-13-2), 8

*top four make the playoffs

Team leaders

Goals: Logan Gotinsky, Niklas Miller, Garrett Steele, 5

Assists: Jaden Goldie, Drake Morse, Logan Heroux, 8

Points: Goldie, Morse, 11

Penalty Minutes: Maksim Sushchynski, Miller 62

Game-winning goals: Goldie 2

Goals-against average: Tommy Aitken, 2.32

Save percentage: Aitken, .912

Up next

The Mudbugs will enjoy a rare mid-November week off.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

With football playoffs underway, high school basketball has cranked up with non-district and tournament play on the schedule until the new year. Here’s this week’s schedule for Caddo and Bossier Parish schools, as reported to the LHSAA.

Tonight’s games

Huntington at Wossman (boys and girls) 

BOYS

Byrd at Doyline

Evangel at Haughton

Woodlawn at Magnolia 

GIRLS

Ruston at Benton

Byrd at Alexandria 

Tuesday’s games

Green Oaks at Calvary (boys and girls) 

BOYS

Haughton at Bossier

BTW at Loyola 

GIRLS

Airline at Bossier

North DeSoto at Byrd

Homer at Haughton

Parkway at Wossman

Rayville at Southwood

Northwood at Red River

Woodlawn at Plain Dealing 

Wednesday’s game 

GIRLS

Winnfield at Evangel 

Thursday’s games

Byrd at Calvary (boys and girls)

Green Oaks at Huntington (boys and girls) 

BOYS

Airline at Ruston

Loyola at Benton

Southwood at Neville

GIRLS

Red River at BTW

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JOURNAL SPORTS

Friday’s scores 

WOMEN

Arizona State 62, Grambling St. 49
LeTourneau 67, Centenary 60, OT
LSU 111, Miss. Valley 41
LSUS 92, Dallas Christian 44
Oklahoma State 89, NSU 51 

MEN

Grambling St. 83, Colorado 74

Saturday’s scores 

WOMEN

East Texas Baptist 68, Centenary 53 

MEN

East Texas Baptist 95, Centenary 76
Illinois State 69, Northwestern State 67
LSU 61, Arkansas State 52

Sunday’s scores 

WOMEN

Louisiana Tech 68, ULM 53
LSU 107, Western Carolina 34

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By Royal Alexander/Opinion

History has shown that the party of the president typically loses seats in the midterm elections and that has occurred in the U.S. House of Representatives although we don’t yet know how large the Republican majority may be.

Regardless, Republican control of the House—the Chamber in which the Constitution requires that spending bills originate—will be enough to block the Biden Administration’s legislative agenda and reckless spending spree. That is why winning the U.S. House of Representatives is a galactic victory for all Americans and Louisianans.

At the time of this writing, it appears that Democrats have won the Senate races in Nevada and Arizona. If these results hold under scrutiny, the December runoff in Georgia between Herschel Walker and his socialist democrat opponent won’t determine Senate control but would return the 50-50 split that has been in place for two years, and since the last Georgia runoffs of 2020.

In terms of the interminably long ‘vote counting’ process, I always find it inexplicable that in such a technologically advanced age in which most information is instantly available at one’s fingertips, where we’ve gone to the moon and are now returning to space, we cannot seem to count votes more quickly for an election we know for certain will occur every two or four years. Perplexing and suspicious, in my view.

In the U.S. House, the new majority could be from plus 15-25 seats. Regardless, it will be a Republican House Majority which certainly bodes well for Louisiana. U.S Rep. Steve Scalise will likely become the 2nd ranking Republican in the U.S House while our very own U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson will also hold one of the top Republican leadership spots.

This is in addition to the committees U.S. Rep Johnson already serves on, the Judiciary Committee, as well as the Armed Services Committee, including specifically the Subcommittee on Readiness as well as the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. These important committee assignments allow Rep. Johnson to continue to protect Barksdale Air Force Base as well as Ft. Polk and other military interests throughout Louisiana.

The larger point to feel positive and encouraged about is that for Louisiana, as small as we are comparatively, to hold two of the top leadership spots in the U.S. House is remarkable!

Further, in northeast Louisiana, U.S Rep. Julia Letlow of the 5th Congressional District will be serving on the House Appropriations Committee which is invaluable to our state. She will be uniquely positioned to address and protect key funding issues across our whole state. She will also serve on the House Agriculture Committee, including specifically the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development, which is so very important to our rural, heavily agricultural state. This also means when the next national Farm bill comes up, she will have direct input into the development of the legislation.

Still further, U. S. Rep Clay Higgins of Lafayette will become a high-ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security Committee. This will allow him to have direct input regarding the invasion on our southern border of illegal aliens. He can directly address the issue of illegals and the drugs (fentanyl is killing hundreds of Americans daily across the country), theft, crime, terrorists, and human trafficking that accompanies them. As we know, states like Texas and Florida, in particular, have been burdened with the enormous financial and social costs of a flood of illegals into our country.

Additionally, U.S Rep. Garret Graves of Baton Rouge currently serves on both the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Both of these committees provide Rep. Graves with the ability to directly influence policy regarding flood control, hurricane protection, and coastal restoration, all critically important needs for our state given the extreme weather events with which our beloved Louisiana annually battles.

U.S Senator John Kennedy was also overwhelmingly re-elected and has been serving on the Appropriations Committee—and crucially important to Louisiana, he serves as the top Republican on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

As we conclude a challenging and yet successful year there is much for which to be grateful in the new Congress. With all of our prayers and best efforts, our state and our country will continue to move forward through our brilliantly constructed governmental structure and under the watchful eye of our Founders who gave us what President Lincoln described as this ‘last best hope on earth.’

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By RYNE BERTHELOT, Journal Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –  Prior to kickoff Saturday morning, Harold Perkins wasn’t feeling too hot.

He vomited, coach Brian Kelly said, during LSU’s team meal and dealt with flu-like symptoms leading up to game time.

Those symptoms were forgotten when Perkins hit the field and saw red. Razorback red.

The true freshman phenom played feverishly, collecting a school single-game record four sacks among his eight tackles, forcing two fumbles and breaking up a pass in LSU’s 13-10 win at Arkansas Saturday.

The outcome, coupled with Alabama’s 30-24 victory at Ole Miss, clinched an SEC Championship game berth with the SEC West crown for the seventh-ranked Tigers (8-2, 6-1).

He terrorized the pair of quarterbacks Arkansas coach Sam Pittman tabbed to replace the injured KJ Jefferson, strip sacking both Malik Hornsby and Cade Fortin at pivotal moments in the game. One of those forced fumbles came with 1:19 left in the game, and effectively sealed the deal for LSU.

“He impacted the game, obviously, to the level where we win the game, too,” Kelly said about Perkins. “He’s a multi-dimensional player, he made a great play in pass coverage, getting under a throw late in the game. I don’t think there are enough superlatives to talk about this young man.”

His performance had Tiger fans ready to rename a major Baton Rouge thoroughfare “Harold” Perkins Road.

It was just enough to overcome an ineffective LSU attack.

LSU’s offense suffered seven sacks – five in the first half – and consequently the passing game suffered: Jayden Daniels completed just eight of 15 passes for 86 yards. He also threw his second interception of the season, his first since the loss to Tennessee on Oct. 8.

“Sacks are overrated when it comes to offensive line issues,” Kelly said. “Sometimes the quarterback causes sacks, sometimes it’s the back that’s not fitting. When you break it all down, you don’t want your quarterback sacked at all.

“I think they did a really good job of bringing pressures and I think we probably needed to do a better job overall in pass protection. I’m not giving the offensive line a pass here, but anytime you talk about sacks, you should look at everybody, including the coaching of it. We’re all responsible for that.”

Some of those sacks came from Daniels breaking late out of a collapsing pocket, where the Razorbacks (5-5, 2-4 SEC)  were prepared with a zone coverage scheme to make sure he couldn’t get past the line of scrimmage. Daniels has taken 12 sacks over the last two games.

“There were multiple looks. He was hesitant,” Kelly said about Daniels. “He just didn’t have that aggressiveness that he needed, and he wasn’t sure in some things. So we have to do a better job coaching him, and he’s got to be more assertive.”

With the offense stalled, Perkins became the difference maker that the Tigers desperately needed to secure the Golden Boot rivalry trophy, and, with Alabama’s win, the SEC West.

LSU didn’t score its first touchdown until 5:25 was left in the third quarter, when Josh Williams punched it in from a yard out. Daniels hit Kayshon Boutte for a 26-yard completion the play before, and Williams cashed it in to give Tigers a 13-3 lead.

Williams was the most productive skill player on LSU’s offense, piling up 122 yards on 19 carries to go along with his touchdown.

Arkansas climbed back in it when Fortin, who completed eight-of-13 passes for 92 yards, hit Matt Landers in stride for a 40-yard score with 13:37 left to play. But the Razorbacks weren’t able to sustain a drive afterward, and Perkins’ strip sack was recovered by Mehki Wingo to end the suspense.

Coming off beating two Top 10-ranked foes, LSU’s win Saturday didn’t inspire confidence that the Tigers are ready to take on the likes of Georgia or Ohio State, but it was a shining example of a mantra that Kelly’s been preaching all season:

Just find a way to win.

“You still have to find ways to make plays and win these games at the end,” Kelly said. “Look, we’re far from a finished product. I don’t think anybody’s in there feeling like we’ve arrived. We’ve got a lot of work to do. During this journey, we’re still finding ways to win football games.”

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS 

LSU 13, Arkansas 10

Score by quarters

LSU | 0 | 6 | 7 | 0 | — 13

Arkansas | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | — 10

Scoring summary

A – Cam Little 28 FG, 10 plays, 46 yards, 3:24

LSU – Damian Ramos 38 FG, 5 plays, 17 yards, 1:56

LSU – Ramos 29 FG, 11 plays, 61 yards, 5:12

LSU – Josh Williams 1 run (Ramos kick), 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:51

A – Matt Landers 40 pass from Cade Fortin (Little kick), 10 plays, 94 yards, 4:29

	LSU	Arkansas
FIRST DOWNS	15	15
Rush	11	11
Pass	4	4
Penalty	0	0
TOTAL YARDS	284	249
Total plays	66	68
Avg. per play	4.3	3.7
RUSHING YARDS	198	133
Total rushes	51	46
Avg. per rush	3.9	2.9
PASSING YARDS	86	116
Comp-Att.	8-15	12-22
Comp. Pct.	53%	55%
Interceptions	1	0
Punts-Avg.	6-43.5	7-39.6
Inside 20	1	3
Fumbles – lost	1-1	2-2
Red Zone attempts	3-3	1-2
Red Zone pts.	13	3
3rd down conv.	4-14	6-17
4th down conv.	1-2	0-2
Possession Time	32:44	27:16

Individual statistics

Rushing

LSU – Josh Williams 9-122 1 TD, John Emery Jr. 3-40, Noah Cain 5-25, Jayden Daniels 19-10, Amoni Goodwin 2-6, Team 3-minus-5.

Arkansas – Raheim Sanders 12-46, Malik Hornsby 18-37, AJ Green 7-31, Cade Fortin 5-17, Rashod Dubinion 3-2, Jadon Haselwood 1-0.

Passing

LSU – Daniels 8-15-1, 86 yards.

Arkansas – Fortin 8-13-0, 92 yards, 1 TD; Hornsby 4-9-0, 24 yards.

Receiving

LSU – Kayshon Boutte 4-49, Malik Nabors 2-24, J. Williams 1-9, Jaray Jenkins 1-4, J. Emery Jr. 1-0.

Arkansas – J. Haselwood 5-39, Landers 2-69, Sanders 2-0, Ketron Jackson Jr. 1-4, Bryce Stephens 1-3,  Dubinion 1-1.

Tackles

LSU – Greg Penn III 5-4—9; Harold Perkins Jr. 6-2—8; BJ Ojulari 3-4—7; Jaquelin Roy 3-3—6; Micah Baskerville 3-3—6; Greg Brooks Jr. 4-0—4; Joe Foucha 4-0—4; Jay Ward 3-1—4; Sa’vion Jones 1-3—4; Mekhi Wingo 2-1—3; Jarrick Bernard-Converse 1-2—3; Jaray Jenkins 2-0—2; Jack Mashburn 1-0—1; Mason Taylor 1-0—1; Major Burns 1-0—1; West Weeks 1-0—1.

Arkansas – Drew Sanders 2-10—12; Bumper Pool 5-5—10; Hudson Clark 3-6—9; Jayden Johnson 3-5—8; Quincey McAdoo 4-2—6; Jashaud Stewart 3-2—5; Chris Paul Jr. 3-1—4; Cameron Ball 0-4—4; Simeon Blair 2-1—3; Jordan Domineck 1-2—3; Zach Williams 1-2—3; Dwight McGlothern 2-0—2; Terry Hampton 0-2—2; Donlan Gerald 0-2—2; Latavious Brini 0-2—2; Eric Gregory 1-0—1; Landon Jackson 0-1—1; Isaiah Nichols 0-1—1.

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

The NFL is a strange beast. At 6-2, the Dallas Cowboys are still chasing unblemished Philadelphia (8-0) in the NFC East. In the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints enter Sunday’s action 3-6 – and they have a chance to move into first place in their division.

The Cowboys, fresh from their off week, travel to face the struggling Green Bay Packers (3-6). The backfield may feature another one-man show this week as the status of running back Ezekiel Elliott remains up in the air.

Tony Pollard, normally part of a stout two-back system, did just fine on his own in Week 8. With Elliott shelved with a knee injury, Pollard rattled off 131 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-29 victory against the Chicago Bears.

Today’s visit to Lambeau Field signals the return of Mike McCarthy. Currently the Cowboys head coach, McCarthy spent 13 seasons (2006-18) at the helm in Green Bay.

“Not a lot has to be said about this week,” Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott said. “We know what our coach means to us. We know how long he was up there, we know how special going back is going to be for him.”

McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers, still the quarterback for the Packers, led the team to a Super Bowl championship to cap the 2010 season. McCarthy posted a 125-77-2 mark, but was fired after a 4-7-1 start in 2018.

“I’ve got great memories about Green Bay and my time there but no, I mean, I’m four years removed from working there and I’m really looking forward to taking our team up there,” McCarthy said. “I want to win the game.”

Meanwhile, the Saints had a short week of preparation after an anemic effort against Baltimore on Monday night (27-13 loss) in the Superdome. Sunday, New Orleans visits another struggling club, the 2-6 Pittsburgh Steelers.

“More consistency is what we’re looking for,” Saints head coach Dennis Allen said this week. “We haven’t done it consistently enough where we’ve put offense, defense, special teams together and we’ve had too many games where there has been a phase or two that hasn’t operated in a way that we think gives us an opportunity to win.”

The Saints enter Week 10 one game behind Tampa Bay (4-5 Bucs host Seattle on Sunday), a half-game behind Atlanta (4-5) and tied with Carolina (3-6). 

Saints at Pittsburgh

Sunday, noon (Fox) 

Cowboys at Green Bay

Sunday, 3:25 p.m. (Fox)

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

Could Trent Taylor be finding his groove with the Cincinnati Bengals? He was a jack of all trades in Week 9 against Carolina. He carried the ball for the first time this season (three times for 18 yards), hauled in a season-high two passes for 14 yards, returned kicks for the first time this season (2 for 15 yards) and added 52 yards on three punt returns.

The former Evangel and Louisiana Tech star played 35 percent of the Bengals’ offensive snaps. His previous high this season had been 19 snaps.

The news in Los Angeles wasn’t as good for another former Eagle. Jerry Tillery, a former first-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, was waived by the team. Coach Brandon Staley cited “competing visions.”

Tillery did not play more than half the defensive snaps in any game this season. The Notre Dame product can be claimed by another team in the league beginning Monday. 

LOCAL NFL STARS: 2022 Week 9

Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina (22, WR, Parkway)

The former Panther hauled in his first touchdown pass of the season in Week 9 – a 21-yarder from Baker Mayfield. In Thursday night’s Week 10 game against Atlanta, Marshall caught just a single pass, but it went for 43 yards. 

Israel Mukuamu, Dallas (22, S, Parkway)

Cowboys had Week 9 off. With Mukuamu in coverage this season, opposing quarterbacks are 5-of-6 of 29 yards. 

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (29, QB, Haughton)

Through the Week 9 bye, Prescott has played three games. He’s 54-of-81 passing for 591 yards and three touchdowns. He’s thrown two interceptions. 

Robert Rochell, Los Angeles Rams (24, DB, Fair Park)

Was limited to only special teams in Week 9 against Tampa Bay. 

L’Jarius Sneed, Kansas City (25, DB, Minden)

Tallied five tackles and two passes defended against Tennessee. For the season, opposing quarterbacks are 39-of-56 passing for 390 yards and a touchdown with Sneed in coverage. 

Marquez Stevenson, Buffalo (23, WR, Northwood)

Still on injured reserve after foot surgery without a timetable to return.

Trent Taylor, Cincinnati (28, WR, Evangel)

Taylor did it all for the Bengals in Week 9. 

Jerry Tillery, Los Angeles Chargers (25, DL, Evangel)

The Chargers have moved on from a former first-round pick, who has been waived. He will be eligible to be claimed by another team Monday. 

Ar’Darius Washington, Baltimore (22, S, Evangel)

Played in one game this season. Currently on the Ravens’ practice squad. 

Devin White, Tampa Bay (24, LB, North Webster)

Posted a season-low four tackles against the Rams, but has played every snap on defense for the Buccaneers this season.

Tre’Davious White, Buffalo (27, DB, Green Oaks)

White’s return after an absence of nearly one year seems imminent. Perhaps Sunday is the day. 

Greedy Williams, Cleveland (24, DB, Calvary)

Browns were off in Week 9.

Rodarius Williams, New York Giants (25, DB, Calvary)

Hopes to return to action following the torn ACL suffered early last season. 

Brandon Wilson, Cincinnati (28, DB, Calvary Baptist)

On the PUP list. 

Donovan Wilson, Dallas Cowboys (27, S, Woodlawn)

Cowboys were off in Week 9. With Wilson in coverage, opposing quarterbacks are 15 of 25 for 95 yards with one touchdown and one interception this season.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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By JASON PUGH, Special to the Journal

HAMMOND – The Northwestern State football team built its best Southland Conference start in three-plus decades in part by winning the third-down battle, slowing opposing offenses.

The Demons could not find that same success Saturday afternoon at Southeastern Louisiana. The 25^th-ranked Lions halted NSU’s four-game conference win streak with a 23-7 victory at a chilly Strawberry Stadium.

Third-down success by SLU, and failures by Northwestern, were pivotal.

“That was the big thing on both sides of the ball,” fifth-year Demons’ coach Brad Laird said. “We weren’t able to convert any third downs and keep drives alive, and they were – especially in the first half. That put us in a hole.”

Southeastern (7-3, 4-1) built a 23-point halftime lead by rolling up 313 first-half yards, more than the Demons (4-6, 4-1) had surrendered in three of their first four conference games.

The Lions converted 7 of 11 third-down tries in the first half against a defense that had held its conference opponents to 35 percent on third downs.

NSU, meanwhile, went just 2 for 8 in the first half on third-down tries, half of its 49-percent success rate in its first four Southland games.

The Lions converted three third downs on their opening drive, a 13-play, 91-yard march that Carlos Washington Jr. capped with a 3-yard scoring run on third and goal.

Although the Purple Swarm defense allowed more than 300 first-half yards, it tightened up when backed up, holding Southeastern to a trio of field goals following the Lions’ opening touchdown.

The Lions’ defense, however, stifled the Demon offense throughout.

NSU managed just 209 yards total offense, nearly 200 fewer than its season average. The Demons went into halftime scoreless for the first time since the season opener at then-No. 2 Montana.

“We weren’t able to execute in all three phases,” Laird said. “That started from the get-go. We never got anything going – never got any momentum. We didn’t create any of that. When you go on the road in these kinds of games, you’ve got to do that and our team wasn’t able.”

The Purple Swarm was more effective in the second half, shutting out the Lions in the second half thanks to forcing three turnovers.

Linebacker Jared Pedraza collected his first career interception midway through the third quarter.

“They had run the same play earlier,” Pedraza said. “They tried to run a drag underneath. I started sinking, saw the ball and grabbed it.”

But on the next play, Southeastern took it right back as Donniel Ward-McGee intercepted a Zachary Clement pass at the SLU 41.

While Northwestern established a modest season high in turnovers collected, the Demons were able to convert only once off a Southeastern miscue.

NSU turned JaQuon Lott’s forced and recovered fumble into their lone score of the day. Clement hit tight end Travon Jones for a 31-yard catch-and-run touchdown late in the third period.

“We created three (turnovers) and only had one we scored off of,” Laird said. “Whenever we get those takeaways, we want to turn them into points.”

Although the loss stopped NSU’s Southland Conference win streak at five — dating to a win at McNeese in the 2021 season finale — the Demons can still share or win outright their first conference title since 2004.

The Demons host Top 10-ranked UIW at 1 p.m. next Saturday in the regular-season finale at Turpin Stadium.

Should Nicholls shock Southeastern next Thursday night, the winner of the UIW-NSU game will be the outright conference champion. Should the Lions defeat the Colonels, the UIW-NSU winner would share the championship with SLU, which would get the league’s FCS playoff berth.

“We had a chance to win a share of a conference championship, and it sucks losing like that,” Pedraza said. “I got hurt and wasn’t able to help the defense at the end. We worked so hard and put in so much time and effort.

“We have a chance again next week against UIW. This loss will help us play better next week. We’ll come ready to work (Sunday) and get ready for next Saturday.”

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal

SAN ANTONIO — Louisiana Tech committed five turnovers and struggled to get off the field defensively as the Bulldogs fell 51-7 at Conference USA kingpin UTSA Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome.

The Roadrunners (8-2, 6-0 C-USA) picked up their seventh straight win and kept a stranglehold on first place in the league standings. The Bulldogs (3-7, 2-4 C-USA) saw any chance of postseason end with the loss, its third straight in the series.

UTSA scored early and often in building a 21-0 first-quarter lead and then cruising to the win.

“I didn’t get our football team ready to play on the road,” said first-year Tech coach Sonny Cumbie. “We have not started football games very well and this one wasn’t any different. We didn’t start the game well on offense. We fumbled the ball when we had some momentum on our first drive.

“Anytime you turn the ball over five times this is the result you are going to get. You are going to lose football games. Whether you lose 51-7 or whether you lose by one point. You are going to lose the game when you turn the ball over like we did on offense.”

The defending Conference USA champions were simply the better team on Saturday.

“They are a really good football team,” said Cumbie. “Your mistakes become magnified when you are playing a really good football team like UTSA. I am very, very disappointed in the outcome. I am very disappointed as coaches. We didn’t get our team emotionally charged and emotionally ready to play this football game. And ultimately that is my responsibility.”

UTSA scored on all six of its possessions in the first half, four touchdowns and two field goals to build a 34-7 halftime leader. The only bright spot for Tech was a 32-yard strike from freshman quarterback Landry Lyddy — making his second collegiate start — to Smoke Harris late in the first quarter that cut the Roadrunners lead to 21-7.

The Shreveport-Calvary Baptist product, last year’s Mr. Louisiana Football for the Cavaliers, started for the second time in three weeks in place of the injured Parker McNeil. He completed 14-of-26 passes in the game for 138 yards and one TD. He also threw two interceptions in three quarters of action.

“Landry is a good player and he has a great future ahead of him,” said Cumbie. “This was a tough environment for him to play in, much tougher than FIU, against a team that has a pretty good defense. I thought Landry competed. We didn’t do some things to help him out. He made some crucial third-down completions. He stood in the pocket and made some good throws. There were some times that we have to catch the ball on fourth down and we didn’t. In a situation like this I think you learn and grow a lot.”

UTSA quarterback Frank Harris completed 18-of-26 passes for 216 yards and one score while Kevorian Barnes rushed for 106 yards and two scores on just 11 carries. Barnes scored on runs of 46 and 27 yards on his first two carries of the game.

As a team UTSA rushed for 268 yards.

“They are a good football team on offense,” said Cumbie. “We couldn’t get off the field on third down. They ran the football really well but we had chances. We just did not play well enough to win a football game. We didn’t coach well enough to win a football game.”

Maki Carabin recorded a career-high 11 tackles while Hue Davis added 10 tackles.

The Bulldogs travel to Charlotte next week for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff against the 49ers. Cumbie said he wasn’t sure who would start at quarterback in the final two games of the season.

“We will have to evaluate it moving forward and see what gives us the best chance to win,” said Cumbie.

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT,  Lincoln Parish Journal

HOUSTON — Road woes continued for Grambling State as the Tigers fell 41-7 at Texas Southern in PNC Stadium Saturday night.

The Tigers’ two-game win streak, both at home, was quickly in jeopardy and gradually went up in smoke as Texas Southern overwhelmed the visitors, who are winless outside of Lincoln Parish under first-year coach Hue Jackson.

Texas Southern quarterback Andrew Body connected with eight different receivers, going 15-of-22 passing for 190 yards, with two scores, as he led an offense that posted 443 total yards and 22 first downs.

Grambling tumbled to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s West Division. Texas Southern rose to even overall, 5-5, and 4-3 in the SWAC West.

GSU totaled 14 first downs and 244 total yards of offense with 126 yards on the ground. True freshman Chance Williams led Grambling’s ground game with 45 yards on 11 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per touch.

The winners rolled up 443 total yards and 22 first downs.

LaDarius Owens gave Texas Southern a 7-0 first-quarter lead on a 1-yard plunge to paydirt.

Grambling true freshman quarterback Julian Calvez responded with a 37-yard scoring strike to Joshua Johnson to tie the contest. 

But Texas Southern didn’t waste time in counter-punching, with Body connecting with Tavaris Achane for a 15-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left in the period, pushing TSU up for good.

Another long touchdown pass from Body to AJ Bennett was the only score of the second quarter and the Texas Tigers took a 21-7 lead at halftime.

Grambling sent opening-game starting quarterback Quaterius Hawkins into the game to try and spark a second-half surge, but TSU’s Isaiah Hamilton countered with a 12-yard pick six before Kevin Harris pounded his way in on a one-yard touchdown run with five seconds left in the third quarter to give the homestanding Tigers a 33-7 advantage. 

Daveon Ford scored from a yard out on a fourth-quarter run for TSU’s final tally.

Calvez, who again started for the G-Men, connected on 6-of-12 passes for 85 yards, including the scoring strike to Johnson and the pick-six by TSU.

Grambling now will rest and tune up on a bye week before returning for its season finale in the 49th Annual Bayou Classic against Southern University, presented by Procter & Gamble, in New Orleans on Nov. 26.

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

Non-Select 

Division I 

First round

Ouachita 35, Hahnville 21
Denham Springs 39, Covington 6
Benton 41, Ponchatoula 7
Zachary 42, St. Amant 7
West Monroe 45, Chalmette 6
Northshore 21, Salmen 14
Dutchtown 42, Parkway 8
East St. John 29, Walker 28
Haughton 36, Airline 26
Slidell 55, Hammond 22
Westgate 35, Belle Chasse 14
East Ascension 37, West Ouachita 0

Second round

17-Ouachita (6-5) at 1-Ruston (9-1)
9-Denham Springs (9-2) at 8-Benton (7-3)
12-West Monroe (8-2) at 5-Zachary (7-2)
13-Northshore (8-3) at 4-Southside (9-1)
14-Dutchtown (7-3) at 3-Destrehan (10-0)
11-East St. John (9-2) at 27-Haughton (8-3)
10-Westgate (8-3) at 7-Slidell (9-2)
15-East Ascension (6-5) at 2-Neville (7-2)

Division II

First round

Abbeville 36, Brusly 14
Leesville 42, Pearl River 14
Jennings 28, Plaquemine 25
Breaux Bridge 21, Carroll 17
Iota 28, Northwest 0
Cecilia 35, Franklinton 28
Lakeshore 27, Albany 8
St. Martinville 28, DeRidder 7
Lutcher 42, Wossman 12
Church Point 62, Rayne 43
North Vermilion 35, Franklin Parish 28
Erath 34, Eunice 30

Second round

17-Abbeville (7-4) at 1-Iowa (9-1)
9-Leesville (9-2) at 25-Jennings (4-7)
12-Iota (9-2) at 28-Breaux Bridge (5-6)
13-Cecilia (8-3) at 4-North DeSoto (9-1)
14-Lakeshore (9-2) at 3-Opelousas (9-1)
11-St. Martinville (7-4) at 6-Lutcher (10-1)
7-Church Point (10-1) at 23-North Vermilion (5-6)
15-Erath (8-3) at 2-West Feliciana (10-0)

Division III

First round

Richwood 12, Caldwell Parish 8
Rosepine 34, Red River 6
Westlake 26, Pine 24
Avoyelles 60, Lakeside 0
St. Helena 29, South Plaquemines 20
Loreauville 50, Vidalia 6
Sterlington 37, Baker 0
Patterson 44, Port Allen 28
Winnfield 27, Mamou 0
Amite 54, Rayville 0
Jena 26, Mansfield 8
Berwick 38, Sumner 26 

Second round

17-Richwood (7-4) at 1-Many (9-0)
9-Rosepine (9-2) at 25-Westlake (6-5)
5-Avoyelles (8-3) at 21-St. Helena (6-5)
13-Loreauville (7-4) at 4-St. James (8-2)
14-Sterlington (6-5) at 3-Union Parish (9-1)
11-Patterson (7-4) at 6-Winnfield (9-2)
10-Jena (7-4) at 7-Amite (8-3)
18-Berwick (7-4) at 2-Bogalusa (8-1)

Division IV 

First round

General Trass 56, East Beauregard 46
Welsh 44, Varnado 8
Oak Grove 52, Centerville 8
Haynesville 44, East Iberville 6
Oakdale 30, Franklin 20
Oberlin 50, Gueydan 26
Grand Lake 41, LaSalle 20
Arcadia 26, Lake Arthur 0
White Castle 44, Delcambre 21
Logansport 36, Jonesboro-Hodge 6
East Feliciana 48, Elton 0
Delhi 34, Jeanerette 6 

Second round

16-General Trass (8-3) at 1-Kentwood (9-1)
9-Welsh (9-1) at 8-Oak Grove (8-3)
12-Oakdale (7-3) at 5-Haynesville (9-2)
13-Oberlin (8-3) at 4-Basile (9-1)
14-Grand Lake (9-2) at 3-Mangham (8-1)
11-Arcadia (8-3) at 6-White Castle (8-2)
10-East Feliciana (7-4) at 7-Logansport (8-3)
18-Delhi (7-3) at 2-Homer 7-3)

Select

Division I

First round

Captain Shreve 36, Tioga 27
Acadiana 70, Riverdale 0
St. Paul’s 24, Holy Cross 21
Brother Martin 45, Woodlawn-BR 20
Jesuit 45, Huntington 9
Alexandria 42, McKinley 0
Scotlandville 43, East Jefferson 8
Rummel 31, John Ehret 24 

Second round

17-Captain Shreve (6-5) at 1-Warren Easton (9-1)
9-Acadiana (8-3) at 8-Carencro (7-2)
12-St. Paul’s (7-4) at 5-Northwood (8-2)
13-Brother Martin (6-5) at 4-St. Augustine (7-2)
19-Jesuit (5-6) at 3-John Curtis (8-2)
22-Alexandria (5-6) at 6-C.E. Byrd (7-3)
10-Scotlandville (7-4) at 7-Karr (6-3)
15-Rummel (6-5) at 2-Catholic-BR (9-1)

Division II

First round

Helen Cox 24, St. Michael 21
St. Louis Catholic 23, Northside 0
Hannan 34, Kenner Discovery 20
Evangel 60, Istrouma 0
Vandebilt Catholic d. L.B. Landry, forfeit
McDonogh #35 28, Peabody 24
Livingston Collegiate 42, Frederick Douglass 21
Carver 15, BTW-NO 8

Second round

16-Helen Cox (5-6) at 1-St. Thomas More (9-1)
9-St. Louis Catholic (9-2) at 8-Madison Prep (7-3)
21-Hannan (4-7) at 5-John F. Kennedy (9-1)
13-Evangel (7-4) at 4-E.D. White (9-1)
19-Vandebilt Catholic (5-6) at 3-De La Salle (10-0)
11-McDonogh #35 (8-3) at 6-Lafayette Christian (7-3)
10-Livingston Collegiate (9-2) at 7-Shaw (8-2)
15-Carver (5-5) at 2-Teurlings (9-1)

Division III

First round

Sophie Wright 28, D’Arbonne Woods 21
Country Day 34, Green Oaks 12
Northlake Christian 40, Houma Christian 7
M.L. King 47, Thomas Jefferson 0
Lake Charles Prep 26, Catholic-NI 7
Loyola 61, St. Thomas Aquinas 14
Parkview Baptist 31, Menard 0
Ascension Episcopal 43, Patrick Taylor 0

Second round

16-Sophie Wright (7-4) at 1-Newman (7-2)
9-Country Day (6-5) at 8-University (7-3)
12-Northlake Christian (8-3) at 5-Calvary (8-2)
13-M.L. King (7-4) at 4-Dunham (9-1)
19-Lake Charles Prep (5-6) at 3-Notre Dame (8-2)
11-Loyola (6-4) at 6-Episcopal (9-1)
10-Parkview Baptist (9-2) at 7-North Caddo (7-3)
15-Ascension Episcopal (6-5) at 2-St. Charles (7-3)

Division IV

First round

Cedar Creek 30, Slaughter Charter 0
Southern Lab 66, River Oaks 7
Hanson Memorial 48, Delta Charter 46
Delhi Charter 40, St. John 0
Sacred Heart 32, Covenant Christian 8
Catholic-PC 50, Central Private 6
Ascension Catholic 49, Lincoln Prep 6
Opelousas Catholic 54, St. Edmund 20 

Second round

16-Cedar Creek (7-4) at 1-Vermilion Catholic (10-0)
9-Southern Lab (7-3) at 8-St. Frederick (7-2)
12-Hanson Memorial (9-2) at 5-St. Mary’s (8-1)
13-Delhi Charter (10-1) at 4-St. Martin’s (9-1)
14-Sacred Heart (8-3) at 3-Ouachita Christian (9-1)
11-Catholic-PC (10-1) at 6-Glenbrook (10-0)
10-Ascension Catholic (9-2) at 7-Riverside (9-1)
15-Opelousas Catholic (8-3) at 2-Central Catholic (8-2)

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

A big week on the links made up for an underwhelming football campaign last week, but a profit is a profit.

Here are the touchdown scorers for this week. Tyreek Hill and the red-hot Dolphins offense top our list. For the spread picks, check out my Facebook (Roy Lang III) page late this morning.

Good luck!

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 Tuesday) 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

Season total: +81.2 units

Season ROI: 29.1 percent 

SUNDAY’S SELECTIONS

NFL 

Anytime Touchdown Scorers 

(.5-unit plays)

Tyreek Hill, Dolphins, +100 (MGM)

Jonathan Taylor, Colts, +105 (FD)

D’Andre Swift, Lions, +145 (FD) 

(.2-unit plays)

Titans defense/special teams, +700 (DK)

Saints defense/special teams, +650 (DK)

Rams defense/special teams, +600 (DK)

Giants defense/special teams, +600 (DK) 

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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So, you think you want to be a professional bass fisherman? Today we’ll look at what and how some of the greatest anglers in the world spend their off-season or down time.

After being on the road for weeks and months at a time, away from family, pro anglers are looking to slow down and catch their breath. Because of the everyday grind and dedication it takes to compete at the highest level, anglers need to recharge their batteries. Let’s look at the different ways these guys re-energize themselves and get ready for another long season of fishing. 

Most professional anglers grew up either in the woods or on the water. Most have an extensive past of hunting big game, ducks, squirrels, or hogs. Some might have even been only a few years out of diapers when they shot their first deer. Nothing brings them back down to earth more than spending quality time at their favorite hunting camp.

It’s not about the kill as much as it is about just getting away from the pressure and demands anglers are under during the regular season. It’s going out and sitting in a deer stand where all you can hear is the wind blowing, squirrels barking, and the cracking of the sunflower seeds they’re eating. Yes, it’s true they do fall asleep once in a while when the deer aren’t moving, but that’s OK.

They take no phone calls and are unavailable for interviews. The only calls they take are from their publicist or from one of their many sponsors – oh, maybe their wives or children. Sometimes they won’t even talk to their friends!

It’s the time back at the camp talking to their hunting buddies about the big deer they saw or missed, while enjoying some of the great meals, that make a hunting camp special. It’s the stories they tell year after year about previous hunts, stories they’ve already told time and time again. But no one really cares, because the stories (lies) just get bigger and better with every passing year. 

Among the many professional anglers, some would rather hunt waterfowl and sit in a duck blind for hours — again telling more stories about how many ducks they’ve killed over the years, or discussing why there’s not as many ducks as there used to be.  

One thing that makes a good duck hunt — the biscuits and sausage they cook and share in the blind while waiting on the next group of birds to come into the hole they are sitting on. One common theme for any hunting trip is the food. For some reason, hunting camp or duck blind food is always better than any meal you can get anywhere else on the planet. Not sure why, but it’s true!

I’ve always found strange that another way some of the pros relax is they go fishing! Yes, I said fishing! Who would have thought that since these guys are on the water trying to make a living from January through September, that fishing would be a way for them to relax?

Let me help you understand this. There’s a huge difference between fishing tournaments and fun fishing. Some of the pros use this time to test new lures they’ve been involved with designing for the companies they’re representing like Strike King and Berkley. This is something pro anglers really enjoy, designing baits that will hit the market one day with their name on it.

Fun fishing for some of these guys is a trip into the marsh or saltwater fishing for speckled trout and redfish. This is when they can be with their family or friends and just enjoy a day on the water without cameras or a boat official watching their every move.

The life of a professional bass fisherman can be a hectic one. There’s a lot of pressure to not only perform at a high level but put food on the table for their families. The stress is off the chart for all of these guys because if they’re not successful, they will be eliminated from the pro tour and replaced by another up and coming young angler.

Just because you make it to the highest level of bass fishing, does not guarantee you a spot for life. Anglers still must go out and perform. This is why they need that down time to relax and get away from the everyday grind it takes to be a professional bass fisherman.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen. 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@gmail.com

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By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports

When it rains, it pours. And it rained down hard at Airline’s M.D. Ray Field Friday night.

Behind a brilliant performance from Haughton quarterback Colin Rains – who ran for 218 yards and a touchdown, passed for two touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass – the Bucs upset Airline 36-26 in the first round of the Non-Select Division I playoffs.

The victory avenged the Bucs’ District 1-5A loss to the Vikings — 55-42 on Oct. 13 — and put them in the second round against No. 11 seed East St. John, which defeated Walker 29-28 in the first round.

The more it rained and the harder the wind blew Friday night, the more Haughton pounded the ball on the ground. And controlled the line of scrimmage. And the clock.

That was the game plan for Haughton (6-5), which squeaked into playoffs as the No. 27 seed (out of 28 teams). Airline, which finished its season 7-4, went in as the No. 6 seed after an unbeaten run through district play.

The Bucs’ plan worked.

“For three-and-a-half quarters, we were able to line up, run the ball, and control the clock,” said Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton. “Then they pushed the tempo.”

By the time the Vikings were able to control the tempo – and get two quick touchdowns — they were already down 36-13 halfway through the fourth quarter. Airline quarterback Ben Taylor threw two touchdown passes (7 yards to Bryson Broom and 40 yards to Bob Patterson) to bring the Vikings within 10 points (36-26) but Haughton wouldn’t let them get any closer.

Taylor’s 60-yard touchdown pass to Daxton Chavez on the Vikings’ first possession of the game gave them an early 6-0 lead (the PAT was blocked). The Bucs returned the favor on their first possession and took a 7-6 lead when Rains caught a 5-yard pass from Jalen Lewis and Carter Ebarb kicked the PAT.

Haughton controlled the second quarter, putting up 20 points on touchdown runs by Tyler Rhodes (7 yards) and Rains (2 yards) and a 5-yard touchdown pass from Rains to John Ecot (Ebarb connected on 2-of-the 3 PATs). Airline, which got a 1-yard touchdown run by Tre Jackson (and Ben Jump PAT) to open the second quarter, trailed 27-13 at the half.

Two plays in the third quarter – when Haughton kept Airline scoreless – were defining moments in the game. With the Bucs up 34-13 and facing fourth-and-16 from their own 42, Ebarb pinned the Vikings on their own 1-yard line with a 57-yard punt. Two plays later, Haughton’s Harley Ingram sacked Taylor in the end zone for a safety.

On the Bucs’ next possession, Ebarb’s 48-yard punt landed on the Vikings’ 2-yard line.

“I actually thought about a fake punt at that point,” Brotherton said of first punt. “With the wind and rain, I was worried about the exchange and getting the punt off. Sometimes, the best calls are the ones you don’t make.”

The Bucs’ only other second-half score came on Rains’ 30-yard touchdown pass to Lewis that put Haughton up 34-13.

“We came out and battled the weather,” said Rains, who had 178 rushing in the first half. “We were just the tougher team tonight. We wanted it.”

Taylor completed 27-of-51 for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns but the Vikings were able to get only 85 yards rushing. While Rains was 7-of-12 for 79 yards and 3 touchdowns, it was the ground game that was the difference for Haughton. In addition to Rains’ 218 yards rushing, Rhodes added 169 yards on 21 carries.

“He’s just a competitor,” Brotherton said of Rains. “And our defense was great tonight. That’s the best they’ve played all year. This win defines our season.”

Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com

 Haughton 36, Airline 26

Score by quarters

Haughton | 7 | 20 | 9 | 0 | – 36

Airline | 6 | 7 | 0 | 13 | – 26

Scoring summary

A – Daxton Chavez 60 pass from Ben Taylor (kick failed)

H – Colin Rains 5 pass from Jalen Lewis (Carter Ebarb kick)

A – Tre Jackson 1 run (Ben Jump kick)

H – Tyler Rhodes 7 run (Ebarb kick)

H – John Ecot 5 pass from Rains (kick failed)

H – Rains 2 run (Ebarb kick)

H – Lewis 30 pass from Rains (Ebarb kick)

H – Safety

A – Bryson Broom 7 pass from Taylor (pass failed)

A – Bob Patterson 40 pass from Taylor (Jump kick)

Individual leaders

Rushing 

Haughton (53-390), Rains 26-218 1 TD, Rhodes 21-169 1 TD, Jamarion Montgomery 2-10, Ecot 1-2, Davontay Moss 3-(-9).

Airline (25-85), Tre Jackson 15-66 1 TD, Cameron Jefferson 5-22, Kylin Jackson 2-4, Taylor 3-(-7).

Passing 

Haughton (8-14-1-84), Rains 7-12-1-79 2 TDs, Lewis 1-1-0-5 1 TD, Rhodes 0-1-0-0.

Airline (27-52-2-380), Taylor 27-51-1-380 3 TDs, Tre Jackson 0-1-1-0.

Receiving 

Haughton, Lewis 2-42 1 TD, Trent McGowen 2-20, Montgomery 2-12, Rains 1-5 1 TD, Ecot 1-5 1 TD.

Airline, Jefferson 8-55, Tre Jackson 7-77, Chavez 5-102 1 TD, Patterson 4-112 1 TD, Broom 3-34 1 TD.

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

The team that has had four games in which it couldn’t score more than one touchdown scored eight Friday night.

The quarterback who had only thrown seven touchdown passes all year threw five in one game.

The defense which had given up more than 300 yards seven times this year gave up less than 100 yards rushing and 66 yards passing – 60 of those coming on one play after it was already decided.

The school that had won 33 playoff games in its history but never scored more than 47 points in any of them put up a postseason record 61 on the board.

Other than the miserable weather conditions, you might say it was a pretty good night for the Loyola Flyers in a 61-14 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in the first round of the Select-Division III playoffs Friday at Messmer Stadium.

“We played pretty well,” said Loyola head coach Mike Greene. “I’ll be honest; I don’t like scoring that many points, but they wouldn’t do the (running) clock. We thought when we got up 35-0 at half we would just get out of there as fast as we could. So we didn’t have a choice but to keep playing.”

When you make out the list of the Flyers who fall into the category of “played well,” be sure to put quarterback Cooper DeFatta at the top. All he did was throw for five touchdowns (second-most in school history), pass for 211 yards (a career high) and run for 78, including a rather-miraculous 19-yard touchdown run right before halftime.

“Unbelievable,” Greene said. “You see him running around on that play and he just kept going. He played a hell of a game. I hope he saves some of that for next week.”

Of course, there are plenty of others on the roll call. Grayson Hutchins had an interception and a 56-yard touchdown reception. Running back Trace Wall had 105 yards … just in the second half (135 for the game).

Reagan Coyle had two touchdown catches and was one of the Flyers’ leading tacklers. Rowan Guthikonda had two blocked kicks and caused two fumbles on strip sacks.

Anybody else? Well, let’s not forget sophomore kicker Evan Lirette, who may not have the strongest leg you’ll ever see, but it was good enough hit all eight extra points kicks (tying the school record) and a 21-yard field goal. And get this — that field goal was blocked. When you get a good north wind behind you, those kinds of things will happen.

Just about every good thing that could happen for the Flyers did happen. They recovered fumbles on three of the first four possessions. They blocked a punt that resulted in a safety. They had yet another kickoff – not an onside kick – that was recovered by Loyola 40 yards downfield. That’s getting to be a habit for Loyola special teams.

Of course, as much as they kicked off in this game, that was bound to happen sooner or later.

“I think we just wore them down,” Greene said. “Those early fumbles just kind of took the wind out of their sails. We got up 14-0 pretty quick and just steamrolled them after that.”

The Flyers (6-4) will now move on to play No. 6 seed Episcopal Friday night in Baton Rouge. STA finished 3-8. 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Loyola 61, St. Thomas Aquinas 14

Score by quarters

Loyola | 7 | 28 | 17 | 9 | – 61

St. Thomas Aquinas | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | – 14

Scoring summary

L – Trace Wall 1 run (Evan Lirette kick)

L – John Carmody 24 pass from Cooper DeFatta (Lirette kick)

L – Grayson Hutchins 56 pass from DeFatta (Lirette kick)

L – Robert Pavlick 8 pass from DeFatta (Lirette kick)

L – DeFatta 19 run (Lirette kick)

STA – Vaughn 1 run (kick failed)

L – Lirette 21 FG

STA – Darrius Vaughn 60 pass from Cace Reed (Austin Davis run)

L – Coyle 50 pass from DeFatta (Lirette kick)

L – Coyle 24 pass from DeFatta (Lirette kick)

L – Safety, punt blocked in end zone

L – Wall 4 run (Lirette kick)

Individual leaders 

Rushing 

STA (37-98) – Vaughn 19-102, Reed 7-24, Gaige Truxillo 1-minus-3, Bryce Simoneaux 1-mnus-4, Davis 8-minus-17, Team 1-minus-4. 

LCP (39-219) – Wall 24-135, DeFatta 8-78, Jon Ebarb 3-21, Hutchins 1-3, Carmody 2-1, Team 1-minus-19. 

Passing 

STA (4-10-1, 66 yards) – Davis 2-7-1, 6 yards, Reed 1-1-0, 60 yards, Simoneaux 1-2-0, 0 yards.

LCP (9-13-0, 211 yards) – DeFatta 9-13-0, 211 yards.

Receiving

STA – Vaughn 2-61, Reed 2-5.

LCP – Coyle 4-106, Hutchins 2-60, Carmody 1-24, Pavlick 1-20, Wall 1-1.

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By SCOTT ANDERSON, Journal Sports

BENTON — Benton’s defense shut down Ponchatoula’s two-headed running attack and the Tigers’ explosive offense overcame a slow start of its own as BHS posted a convincing 41-7 victory in the first round of the LHSAA Non-Select Division I state football playoffs Friday night at Mason-Newman Field at Tiger Stadium.

The Tiger defense held Green Wave quarterback Bishop Davis and running back Andrew Cangelosi to 64 combined yards in the first half as eighth-seeded Benton scored three times in the second quarter to build a commanding 28-0 lead. Ponchy got better production afterward, but not nearly enough.

“They like to run the ball, and we did a great job stopping them,” said Benton coach Reynolds Moore. “Great effort. They tackled well. We knew they didn’t throw it well. I was impressed with the defensive effort.”

Benton (8-3) slipped right out of the gate. On the first play from scrimmage, senior quarterback Gray Walters missed Pearce Russell on what was ruled a backward pass that 25^th-seeded Ponchatoula (5-6) recovered.

Six plays later, Benton defensive back Ethan Johnson intercepted a Davis pass at the 10, halting the threat. Johnson returned it 90 yards for an apparent pick-six, called back for a block in the back.

That was the visitors’ best shot as Walters posted four touchdown throws by halftime.

Leading 7-0 after one quarter, Benton’s offense took control in the second stanza as the rain and the wind picked up.

“As soon as we got a rhythm going, we were fine,” Walters said. “The defense has been playing really good the past couple of weeks, and they came out and played really, really well.”

Walters hit Russell for an 18-yard strike with 9:01 left in the first half.

Kicker Peyton May successfully recovered an onside kick, giving the Tigers the ball back on Ponchatoula’s 48-yard-line. Walters capped an 11-play drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Russell with 6:04 to go.

The Benton defense held the Green Wave again. Punrwe Nolan Tribble fumbled the snap in the rain, and the Tigers took over at Ponchatoula’s 28. Three plays later, Benton closed the half with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Walters to Andy Lim.

Ponchatoula made a substitution in the second half that gave the Green Wave a spark out of the locker room. Senior Brant Monistere came in on the first drive and scored on a 45-yard run on the visitors’ first series in the third quarter.

But senior defensive lineman Kaleb Tree and the rest of the Tiger defense rose to the challenge and shut out Ponchatoula the rest of the way.

“I thought they did a really good job,” Moore said. “It’s one of those games where the secondary didn’t have many tackles, because they didn’t get by much.”

The Benton offense had a balanced approach with the run and the passing game. Running back Greg Manning ran for two touchdowns and caught one of Walters’ four touchdown passes.

Russell caught two touchdowns to pad his state-leading total.

“It’s important to run the ball on nights like this,” Walters said. “When we run the ball, it sets up everything for the passing game.”

Benton advances to the second round of the playoffs. The Tigers will host Denham Springs next Friday.

Moore had a simple message for his team after the game.

“Keep getting better,” he said. “We made it to Week 12 now. If you want to get to 13, 14 and 15, you’ve got to play better than we did tonight.”

He said his team has been on a special run since a 1-3 start to the year.

“I told the whole team this week it was tough coming back to practice into the spring without my son (’22 graduate R.J.) on the team,” he said. “I genuinely believe this senior bunch, this team right here, is God’s gift to me to help me get through coaching my first season without him.”

Contact Scott at scooter.anderson@gmail.com

Benton 41, Ponchatoula 7 

Score by quarters

Benton | 7 | 21 | 13 | 0 | – 41

Ponchatoula | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – 7

Scoring summary

B — Greg Manning 8 pass from Gray Walters (Peyton May kick)

B — Pearce Russell 18 pass from Walters (May kick)

B — Russell 23 pass from Walters (May kick)

B — Andy Lim 8 pass from Walters (May kick)

P — Brant Monistere 45 run (John Cranford kick)

B — Manning 2 run (kick failed)

B — Manning 8 run (May kick)

Individual leaders 

Rushing 

Ponchatoula (44-209) — Brant Monistere 8-78, Bishop Davis 20-65, Andrew Cangelosi 15-27. 

Benton (34-120) — Greg Manning 23-61, Walters 3-43, Landon Cole Austin 3-8, Duggan 2-8.

Passing 

Ponchatoula — Bishop Davis 0-5-0. 

Benton — Gray Walters 16-22-0, 235 yards; Jeff King 0-1-0.

Receiving 

Benton —Russell 7-120, Andy Lim 3-18, Jeff King 2-40, Manning 1-9, Jackson Jones 1-8, Brady Blaylock 1-6.

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JOURNAL STAFF

BALL – After a two-hour weather delay, Captain Shreve got out to a comfortable first-half lead and then had to hold off a Tioga second-half surge to get a 36-27 win in the first round of the LHSAA Select Division I playoffs on the road Friday night.

A lightning storm had the Gators and Indians in a holding pattern, but when the game finally kicked off at 8:55 p.m. the Gators got on the board early and led 16-0 at the beginning of the second quarter before the Indians could score.

Tioga (7-4, seeded 16^th) staged a rally and closed within 30-27 in the fourth quarter before the Gators (6-5, seeded 17^th) clamped down.

“Playoff wins are hard to come by and I am proud of our guys and it’s just going to get tougher,” said winning coach Adam Kirby. “We talk about it all the time — control what you can control. We couldn’t control the delay and we couldn’t control the weather.”

Shreve led 24-14 at halftime on a pair of Kenyon Terrell scoring passes, one to Jordan Wiggins of 11 yards and the other a 55-yard pass to Marquez Stevenson in the flat that the speedster took down the sideline to the end zone.

Jamarlon Otis started the visitors’ scoring with a 1-yard run and John Chance kicked a 29-yard field for a 10-0 Shreve lead after the first quarter.

Terrell scored on a short run to give the Gators a 30-14 advantage in the third quarter. Tioga battled back and pulled within 30-27 early in the fourth quarter.

Terrell got his second touchdown run of the second half on a 2-yard burst with just under seven minutes left for a 36-27 advantage.

Tioga again got into the red zone, but the Gators blocked a field goal attempt with 1:43 left in the game to put away the win.

“It is what it is. I thought our kids battled from the jump,” said Kirby. “We came out and responded well. Every time they answered we came back and answered. We earned this victory. It got out of hand there for a while but we earned every inch of this victory.

“Anytime you score 36 points in a playoff game you are doing something right, so hats off to coach (John) Mitchell who put in a a good offensive game plan.”

Shreve will travel to New Orleans to face No. 1 ranked Warren Easton in the second round.

“That’s fine. Our motto all year has been ‘fast, physical and fearless,’” said Kirby. “We don’t care who you are. We’ll play you in the parking lot, we’ll play in New Orleans, we’ll play at Lee Hedges, we’ll play in Alexandria, doesn’t matter to us — just give us a chance to play and we’ll give you our best shot. We don’t back down from anybody.” 

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