We often spend too much time highlighting the negative aspects of everything. Perhaps.
I’m naïve, but I don’t think it’s always been that way. Social media has armed others, sometimes anonymously, with the ability to rant, rave, complain and express faux outrage.
One beauty – perhaps the greatest – in the life of a sportswriter is the ability to see every aspect of athletics and the people involved. I’ve long proclaimed sports is the truest and most dramatic reality show on the planet. Athletic competitions bond those with different political and religious beliefs for the pursuit of one goal – winning.
Sure, there are bad apples, but humans are good – way better than you’d believe if you log onto Twitter.
We all have a story to tell and that’s what I love most about this job.
I was lucky to find another outlet to tell as many stories as I could in 2022, and people didn’t disappoint. Here are my best of the best.
Best thing I saw in 2022: ‘Musky 2.0’ lights the lamp
Kason Muscutt became the first second-generation Mudbug when the Shreveport native made this year’s roster at the age of 17. Kason is the son of Scott Muscutt, the first player signed after the franchise was founded 25 years ago, who eventually coached the team for 11 years (winning two championships) and now serves as the general manager.
On Oct. 22, 2022, Kason, wearing No. 22, skated through the slot and fired home a rebound against New Mexico for the first goal of his North American Hockey League career.
Not 30 minutes after the game had ended, the historic puck was in the hands of his mother, Karen.
“It’s nice to see (Kason) get rewarded,” Mudbugs head coach Jason Campbell said. “I still can’t believe another Muscutt has scored in this building.”
Best/craziest game: Benton-Denham Springs
There are memorable games and then there is Denham Springs-Benton.
Honestly, the second-round Division I Non-Select football playoff game on Nov. 18 was rather pedestrian for more than three quarters.
That quickly changed.
Benton watched a 28-14 lead disappear in the final 5 minutes as Denham Springs scored three times in regulation to advance. The last score came after Benton inconceivably traveled from plus territory to its own 20 and gave 1 second to its opponent to kick a field goal after mistakenly kneeling on fourth down too early.
Adding to the drama were fireworks celebrating the Tigers “win” in the final minute.
“The game is never over until the clock strikes zero – that’s something you teach these kids and these coaches,” Yellow Jackets head coach Brett Beard said. “Everyone has to know this game must be played for 48 minutes.”
Man of courage: Tre’Davious White
The thought of mental health, let alone speaking about it, was taboo for generations. It took the sports world some time to catch up to the general population, but more and more athletes have chosen to challenge the subject.
Earlier this season, former Green Oaks star Tre’Davious White opened up about how challenging things had been since a devastating knee injury suffered on Thanksgiving Day in the Superdome.
The Buffalo Bills cornerback is one of the best on the planet at his craft, but when football was taken away from him, it wasn’t an easy adjustment. White talked about how he “locked” himself in his house to the point where teammates had to come drag him to the team’s facility.
He was in a dark place. Even when he was physically ready to return to action in the middle of this season, there was still an adjustment.
“I was in a different space,” White said.
The sports world needs more with the courage of Tre’Davious White. “I’m still trying to make it through it, one day at a time.”
Mama said knock you out: Matt Schnell
The mixed-martial arts community lost Stephan Bonnar on Dec. 22. Fans of the UFC will recognize the name from the fight that put the current version of the promotion on the map in 2005.
While the Bonnar-Forrest Griffin bout will likely forever top the UFC’s list of best fights, Shreveport’s Matt Schnell threw his hat into the ring for that category this summer.
On July 16, Schnell emerged victorious in a bloody war inside the Octagon in New York that saved his UFC career.
Less than 24 hours after the man nicknamed “Danger” left his opponent, Su Mudaerji, unconscious and incredibly bloodied inside the Octagon, he was reduced to tears.
“Of course, I’m thinking about (my Mom) the whole time, but five minutes ago it hit me hard,” Schnell, whose mother, Vertie Hebert, passed away in March, told The Journal. “I do my best to remember her. She would have been so happy.”
“The Tibetan Eagle” found his range early in the second round and often staggered — and once knocked down — Schnell with a fury of fists and devastating elbows.
However, the Captain Shreve product prevailed via triangle choke and earned another contract.
“I could have gotten my pink slip,” said Schnell, whose prior UFC contract ended with that fight. “I could have been on the outs. That changed my life, but I’ve always believed you can never count me out.”
Heart of a champion: Timofei Khokhlachev
Politics often take a backseat to the pursuit of winning, but sometimes the presence is unavoidable. The tension surrounding Russian athletes due to the conflict with Ukraine rekindled memories of the 1980 Winter Olympics and the U.S. hockey team.
Unfortunately, Vladimir Putin’s actions are not the fault of the country’s athletes. Former Mudbugs forward Khokhlachev first came to town in 2018 and played three seasons in Shreveport despite being stuck in Russia during the 2020-21 championship campaign due to the Covid lockdown.
He returned for the 2021-22 slate, but his thoughts were often with friends and family stuck in a war thousands of miles away.
“I talk to them as soon as I get off the ice,” he said of his routine during the season. “(Hockey) is an escape. I love showing up to the rink every day and getting my mind off a few things and focusing on putting the puck in the net. It’s huge for me.”
“Koko” went on to play at American International College, but his sense of humor, and imposing 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame are missed.
Take her lead: Emily Ward
It’s been quite a semester at LSU for Emily Ward, a former Benton basketball star. The Lady Tigers senior earned well-deserved recognition for her perseverance when second-year coach Kim Mulkey presented her with a scholarship after three seasons as a walk-on.
A lack of playing time didn’t prevent Ward from solidifying a position as a team leader. In the era of mommies, daddies and players whining about a lack of playing time and refusing to acknowledge there might just be someone better, athletes like Ward are refreshing.
Girls AND boys should take note.
Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com