By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

GRAMBLING — Tricks and treats.

In what was at times a seemingly Halloween-themed afternoon, Grambling State held off Bethune-Cookman 28-14 Saturday on Harris-Williams Field at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.

GSU coach Hue Jackson admitted to having some fearful premonitions before the game started.

“I told our guys before the game that I just didn’t like our focus and exactly where we were,” Jackson said. “And it showed. When you have that feeling as a coach you try to get it turned as fast as you can and I’m glad we were able to get that done.

“The most important thing is that we won. We get to go back to practice and get better.”

Ending a two-game losing skid in its final homefield appearance of the season, GSU is now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play and will next face Alabama State next Saturday in the Port City Classic in Mobile, Alabama.

Saturday’s wild and weird contest featured half the game’s combined score coming on defensive touchdowns with the first coming in the opening moments on arguably the most outlandish play of the game.

On the first series of the contest, Bethune-Cookman went for it on a fourth-and-one situation at its own 31-yard line.

Moore disappeared into a pile of players from both teams right near the line of scrimmage as the scrum moved back and forth with no whistle being called. 

Suddenly the ball popped up into the air out of that mass of humanity. Wildcats receiver Tink Boyd snatched it and took off for the goal line, racing 52 yards to put Bethune-Cookman on top 7-0 only 1:37 into the contest.

But Grambling enjoyed a treat of its own less than two minutes later. A shotgun snap to Bethune-Cookman quarterback Tylik Bethea, making his first career start, sailed over his head into the BCU end zone.

As players from both teams scrambled into another mass trying to get to the football, Grambling ended up with the recovery that tied the contest at 7-7.

Grambling moved out on top on its next possession with a three-yard scoring scamper set up by Chance Williams set up with his own 23-yard run and a 33-yard pass from quarterback Myles Crawley to receiver Javon Robinson.

Williams broke loose on a 63-yard touchdown run that pushed GSU’s to 21-7 with only 11  seconds remaining until the second quarter.

Bethune-Cookman quickly countered as the football was stripped from Grambling running back Floyd Chalk IV with the Wildcats’ Omari Hill-Robinson scooped and score, racing 73 yards to trim the Tigers’ lead..

As the second half began, tricks delayed the start of the third quarter until play eventually began after it was determined the public address would not function for the remainder of the contest.

Those ghosts in the machine came back into play early in the fourth quarter as the scoreboard malfunctioned with 10:15 remaining, when GSU defensive back Trent Henry picked off a Bethea pass to give the ball to the Tigers at the Bethune-Cookman 40-yard line.

After another long delay to try and get the scoreboard working, Chalk broke free on a 61-yard scoring scamper with 9:09 left.

“I’m happy for our seniors to win here at home again,” said GSU coach Hue Jackson after the game. “To finish the home slate 3-1, I’m excited about that for them while I really wish we could have got to 4-0, but we didn’t, But I think all of (GSU’s seniors) contributed to this win today.”

Sundata Anderson led the Tigers defensively with 11 tackles, including a pair of sacks.

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

Northwestern State quarterback Tyler Vander Waal describes in great detail the events of the past week that led to the cancellation of the 2023 NSU football season

Note: This interview was conducted at 1 p.m., October 28, 2023.

Social media post, republished here with permission of Northwestern State senior quarterback Tyler Vander Waal:

“(University president) Dr. (Marcus) Jones and (athletic director) Kevin (Bostian) have failed the players immensely. The canceling of the season was never about Ronnie (Caldwell Jr., the slain teammate). They used his unfortunate passing as a cop out. The lack of leadership was evident. As much as I respected Coach (Brad) Laird as a coach and a man, he didn’t have any control of this team. As players, we were kept in the dark about everything. The decision makers here thought it was a good idea to cancel the season and take away the only structure we had? They thought it would be smart to take away these players outlets during a time of grief? Where we go to be together and have fun and play the game we love? To cancel the season because we’re not all mentally there and need more time to grieve and then start offseason workouts on Monday? No, I fully believe there was more to this decision than we will ever know. This was just an easy way to get out of things. Most, if not all, of the players in that locker room wanted to play the last 4 games. They didn’t consider the players in this decision and they failed us as
athletes.”

Tyler Vander Waal
Quarterback, NSU Football, 2023024

Submitted

Attorneys Troy Pradia and Helen Daniel-Holman join Billy to discuss their proposed lawsuit against NSU, Brad Laird the apartment complex where the incident occurred.

Note: This interview was at 4pm, October 27, 2023.

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

Airline took off just in time Friday night, right as the Vikings’ defense grounded Parkway.

That was a winning combination in a battle of teams with one loss entering Week 9. At the Panthers’ Preston Crownover Stadium, Airline soared back for a 33-16 District 1-5A triumph by combining its signature scoring prowess with a shutdown defensive effort after halftime.

Seeing Airline (8-1, 5-1) score on four straight series? Nothing new. The Vikes have gone on runs with their dual threat offense for nearly the entire two years Justin Scogin has been their head coach.

They did again Friday, erupting with a 96-yard drive – jump-started by a pivotal third-down defensive holding penalty – followed by Dante Lacour’s onside kick recovery that led to a second TD in a 1:28-long span. After Ben Taylor fired a strike down the Airline sideline for a 33-yard touchdown to Bryson Broom, Taylor found Tre’ Jackson streaking the other way on the first play of the fourth period and dropped in a perfectly-thrown 24-yard TD.

Just like that, the visitors climbed out of a 16-7 hole into a 19-16 lead.

Meanwhile, the Vikings’ defense dominated. Parkway (7-2, 5-2) not only didn’t make a first down after halftime — the Panthers managed just 15 yards on five possessions.

Riding an energy surge, Airline went against type and staged a 12-play, 80-yard, 3:58-long march finished with another Taylor-Broom collaboration, this a 27-yarder on a fade route into the right corner of the end zone. It was 26-16 with 6:14 remaining and the Panthers were staggered.

The coup de gras was Jackson’s 32-yard bolt up the middle, shaking off two defenders along the way, to make it 33-16 with 2:24 left.

“We were down. We had bad spirit in the first half. We knew we had to come back,” he said. “We’ve got the mindset now it’s not over until 48 minutes are over.”

Taylor, who collected 201 of his 323 passing yards after halftime, credited the other side of the ball.

“We weren’t really on fire in the first half, but the defense was (for) the whole game,” said the junior, who leads the state in passing yards. “The defense shut them down in the second half and the offense started clicking.”

He agreed the offensive recovery was no small feat.

“Parkway, besides us, of course, has the best DB’s in the district. They have a great defense, just some great players,” said Taylor. “Our receivers were able to get open and I did my job by getting the ball to the playmakers.”

“(Parkway) is a really good football team, one of the best in northwest Louisiana,” said Scogin, who snagged a W in his first return to Parkway as a head coach. He honed his offensive approach on David Feaster’s Panthers’ staff several years ago, and fondly recalled those days postgame as he praised his staff.

“We had to make some adjustments to get the matchups we liked. I can’t speak enough about the assistant coaches tonight. Our coaching staff, minus me, won this game tonight,” he said, smiling broadly. “This was one of the best assistant coaching jobs I’ve ever been a part of.”

But he didn’t overlook his players – not so much for what they did, but for their approach after a first half in which the Panthers almost completely silenced the Vikings’ attack.

“The main thing, when we started making adjustments (at halftime), there was zero panic. A year back, it would have been mass chaos. Everybody would have been freaking out,” said Scogin.

It ignited in the most unlikely way. Parkway’s Aeron Burrell had punted Airline dead at its own 4 late in the third period, with the Panthers up by nine. A third down pass sailed incomplete, but a penalty flag fluttered down around the intended target.

Parkway coach Coy Brotherton recapped the pivotal moments.

“They’re third-and-10, (and that incompletion) would’ve made it fourth-and-10. They’re punting out of their end zone, we’re up two possessions with two minutes to go in the third quarter. You gotta think that if we got the ball back on a short field, and you could punch one in, you’re up three scores in the fourth quarter,” he said.

“It was definitely a big play against us, for them. Agree with it or not, it happened. Then back-to-back with the onside kick (recovery, leading to another Airline TD), it was a big 14-point swing for them.”

The Panthers suffered a much bigger loss Friday. Ethan Hawkins, the anchor of Parkway’s offensive line at guard, lost his older brother Payton, a former Panther, in an overnight automobile accident, and did not play.

Brotherton was emotional discussing it, and how his young team – six sophomores starting on offense — composed themselves and competed.

“It was a tough day for us. I told the kids, I know we didn’t win, but we got better as a team by the way we bonded, how we were there for our teammate,” he said. “We’re going to be fine as a football team.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

AIRLINE 33, PARKWAY 16

Airline                7                0              6              20           – 33

Parkway            9                7              0              0              – 16

P – Antonio Gladney 73 run (kick failed)

A – Brandon Cooper 66 run (Preston Doerner kick)

P – Aeron Burrell 32 field goal

P – Draidyn Davis 2 run (Burrell kick)

A – Bryson Broom 33 pass from Ben Taylor (kick failed)

A – Tre’ Jackson 33 pass from Taylor (kick blocked)

A – Broom 27 pass from Taylor (Doerner kick)

A – Jackson 32 run (Doerner kick)

RUSHING:  AHS (21-139, 1 TD) Cooper 13-116, 1 TD; Jackson 6-33, 1 TD; PHS (31-144) Gladney 25-144, 1 TD; Draidyn Davis 2-4, 1 TD; Kaleb Williams 4-minus 4

PASSING:  AHS, Taylor 31-47-1, 323, 3 TDs; PHS, Williams 0-6-1

RECEIVING: AHS Bob Patterson 11-107, Jackson 9-81, 1 TD; Broom 6-107, 2 TD, Jarvis Davis Jr. 2-9.

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Considering a team that just posted a school record 65 points and had a running back with his third 200-yard game of the season (tying a school record), you’d be surprised to learn the story of Captain Shreve’s 65-33 win over Benton might have been the Gators’ defense.

Maybe not so much in the first half, but certainly in the second, when Shreve allowed only one score Thursday night in a full-throttle District 1-5A contest at Northwood’s Jerry Burton Stadium.

“We knew they were going to be explosive and we made some good adjustments at halftime,” Shreve coach Adam Kirby said.

All the Gators really needed was a defensive stop or two because it was pretty obvious that the offense wasn’t planning on taking any time off. In fact, the only thing that stopped Shreve all night was Shreve. A fumble late in the second quarter was the only thing that kept the Gators from scoring on every possession.

The punting team had the night off.

And they can thank Quortni Beaner and Jamarlon Otis for that. Otis had 242 yards on 26 carries and had scoring runs of 14 and 60.

But it was Beaner who kept finding his way into the end zone with runs of 1, 17, 4 and 17 and tossed in a 59-yard scoring pass to Jordan Wiggins for good measure.

The senior quarterback ran 23 times for 143 yards and once he smelled the end zone, there was no stopping him.

“I give all the credit to the offensive line,” Beaner said. “They take care of everything in the box and all I have to do is make one person miss.”

Benton went toe-to-toe with the Gators throughout the first half. Running back Greg Manning needed 77 yards to break the school record and he almost did it on the first play, going 64 yards before being caught from behind.

“I had told him during the day that we might as well get it over with,” Benton coach Reynolds Moore said.

But that run represented about half of the yards Manning got for the rest of the night on his other 20 carries as he finished with 118 yards.

“I think that speaks to resolve of our kids,” Kirby said. “A lot of high school kids would have panicked after that situation. But our kids never flinched and played hard the whole game.”

Jeff King found Trey Smith for a 15-yard score to get Benton on the board first but Shreve responded 10-play drive that ended with a 1-yard run by Beaner. That drive was kept alive by a roughing the kicker call against Benton on John Chance’s 47-yard field goal.

From there, the ping-pong game of scores went on throughout the half. In the seven combined possessions in the second quarter, there were scores on six of them (five touchdowns and a field goal.

But in the second half, it was all Shreve.

“They did a real good job of making adjustments in the second half,” Moore said. “They are bigger than us so we had to be quicker. But we couldn’t get to where we needed to be.”

King was 10 of 26 for 194 yards and four touchdowns with Smith catching all four scores to go along with his 136-yard receiving night.

The win clinches at least a share of the district title for Shreve (8-1, 6-0), but Kirby said his team wasn’t going to be in a sharing mood. “We don’t want to share it with anybody,” he said.

They’ll clinch the outright title with a win at Haughton next week to close the regular season.

Benton’s loss snaps a three-game winning streak. The Tigers are now 4-5 and will play at home against Parkway in the final game of the regular season.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

CAPTAIN SHREVE 65, BENTON 33

Benton 6 20 7 0 – 33

Shreve 13 17 14 21 – 65

B – Trey Smith 15 pass from Jeff King (kick failed)

CS – Quortni Beaner 1 run (John Chance kick)

CS – Beaner 17 run (run failed)

CS – Chance 28 FG

B – Smith 47 pass from King (Petro kick)

CS – Jamarlon Otis 14 run (Chance kick)

B – King 5 run (Petro kick)

CS – Otis 60 run (Chance kick)

B – Smith 42 pass from King (run failed)

CS – Jordan Wiggins 59 pass from Beaner (Chance kick)

B – Smith 17 pass from King (Petro kick)

CS – Beaner 4 run (Chance kick)

CS – Beaner 17 run (Chance kick)

CS – Javen Thomas 16 run (Chance kick)

CS – Antonio Thornton 20 run (Chance kick)

RUSHING – BHS (29-133), Manning 21-118, King 7-25; Zeiger 1-minus10. CS (60-440), Otis 26-242, 2 TDs; Beaner 23-143, 4 TDs; Thornton 3-37, 1 TD; Thomas 1-16, 1 TD; Kiarron Brossett 2-6.

PASSING – BHS, King 10-26-0-194, 4 TDs; Malachi Zeigler 0-1-0. CS, Beaner 4-7-0-87, 1 TD.

RECEIVING – BHS, Smith 5-136, 4 TDs; Jackson Jones 2-28; Cody Wilhite 1-12; Zane Stevens 1-18; CS, Wiggins 1-59, 1 TD; Otis 1-12; Keaton Flowers 2-16.

By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services

By the nature of what he does – Shreveport city councilman, real estate appraiser and broker – Grayson Boucher has a lot of contacts in his cell phone.

But only one number belongs to the leader of the United States Congress, who is second in the line of succession to become President.

“This is the type kid I was,” Boucher told the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. “My mother says when I was three or four years old, I was watching the Watergate hearings. I’ve always been a very engaged political person. Never in a million years would I have thought in 1987 or 1988 when I was going to Captain Shreve High School that, number one, I would have a congressman’s number in my phone, but now, the Speaker of the House? That’s pretty cool.”

Boucher and Shreveport’s Mike Johnson, who was elected Wednesday as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, went to Shreve from 1986-1990. During that time, Johnson – who now lives in Benton when he’s not in Washington, D.C., was class and student council president.

“I remember him to be very engaged, and it wasn’t just within certain sections of the school,” Boucher said. “We had a graduating class of about 500 people that year (1990). It was a large class. Mike was always very involved in school activities.”

While the two didn’t pal around outside of Shreve’s round building on East Kings Highway, Boucher picked up on some of Johnson’s characteristics.

“He was extremely friendly to everybody. It didn’t matter which circle you were in, or what group you were in. Mike was always very, very friendly. He was a serious guy. He was very smart – you could tell. He cared about his work. I didn’t see him as a partier or anything like that. He was just an all-around good guy.”

Even though Dr. Sandra McCalla was Shreve’s principal for many years, she came to know Johnson during her time as Dean of the College of Education at Northwestern State University. She, too, was impressed with Johnson’s demeanor.

“He was affable,” Dr. McCalla said. “I don’t ever remember him having a disagreement with anyone.”

Dr. McCalla worked with high school student councils. Many from the region would send their top representatives to NSU for events, but Johnson caught Dr. McCalla’s attention.

“He did well in controlling a meeting and conducting a meeting, whether it was in student council at Shreve, or up the ladder. His skills come to him so naturally. I think that’s why, regardless of his political leanings, he will do a good job on a national level.”

Boucher said he and Johnson are closer friends now than when they were in high school. That’s because the councilman has had political discussions with Johnson.

“(He’s) very professional. I’ve called Mike on a couple of occasions about things to do with the city, and things the federal government could help us with…Mike and I have talked before about the political divide between Democrats and Republicans…I believe Mike is the type that’s going to be able to work with both Democrats and Republicans and stay with his core views. I think Mike is the type of person that business is business. We don’t always have to agree on everything, but I do believe he will be able to bring some stability and civility to Congress.”

Closer to home, Dr. McCalla believes it says a lot that a Shreveport native and Shreve graduate is now Speaker of the House.

“That’s not what’s going to happen to everyone,” Dr. McCalla said, “but I think the leadership training has served him well over time, and that began at Captain Shreve.”

Meanwhile, Boucher still can’t get over the fact he has the cell phone number of someone so powerful.

“It’s incredible. You look at people like Tip O’Neil – that’s who was Speaker when I was in high school – Newt Gingrich, and all these different speakers we’ve had, and you never expect somebody that you know, or that you have their number in your phone…”

And Boucher now needs to update Mike Johnson’s caller ID, which reads “Congressman”.

“I need to change that to “Speaker”.

Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com

For most schools, the reclassification process that takes place by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association every two years is no big deal. Many are simply in the same class as they were before.

Some that are right on the enrollment border get a little anxious as to whether they will be moving up or down for the next two school years.

Almost all accept where they are and just start worrying about scheduling.

But for some, it is not that easy.

Locally, Huntington and Southwood are switching places as the Raiders are moving up to Class 5A and Southwood will move down to 4A. Neither is surprised by that and that switch seemingly makes for an easy swap. The rest of the public schools are staying put.

But here’s where things are starting to get interesting. The three private schools in town – Calvary, Evangel and Loyola – all have decisions to make. And they are not decisions that are made lightly.

There is the real possibility that none of them will be playing in the classification that their enrollment would otherwise dictate.

Consider Evangel (313 students). The Eagles have already been playing up as a member of District 1-4A but have made the decision to move to Class 5A next year. That would give the local 5A district nine teams.

“As a smaller school, we have to consider finances,” said head coach Denny Duron. “There are some games we play where there is a good gate, but others are not. In 5A, you know that most every home game is going to bring a good crowd. That’s a big factor in the decision.”

Consider Calvary (357). The Cavaliers have dominated District 1-2A in multiple sports. A move to Class 4A doesn’t seem to be out of the question. “But we are not going to sacrifice one sport just for the sake of another,” said Rodney Guin, head football coach and athletic director.

Consider Loyola (401). This is where it gets interesting. The Flyers’ enrollment numbers move them up to Class 3A (the fifth-smallest school), but there is one problem — there’s no local Class 3A district. As it stands, the closest 3A school is North Webster (an hour away). Joining with North Webster’s district would mean being in a district with teams such as Sterlington (112 miles), Bastrop (126) Madison (154).

That doesn’t sound like much fun on a Tuesday night for a basketball doubleheader. But there are bigger issues than that.

“We have put a major emphasis on developing our sports at all levels,” said principal John LeBlanc. “That means not just varsity, but JV and freshmen as well. That would be tough to schedule games for those teams with a district all the way across the state.”

Same goes for Calvary, if the Cavaliers wanted to consider moving up to Class 3A. Whereas in Class 3A, the closest opponent would be North Webster (Springhill), in 4A the farthest opponent would be Minden.

So do Calvary and Loyola both go to Class 4A? If so that district would have nine teams in it. That’s not unprecedented, but it would mean district football games would begin in the second week of the season. Same for 5A with Evangel now moving up.

On the other hand, scheduling in sports such as basketball and baseball would be much easier as more than half of those seasons would consist of district games (if it were a home-and-home schedule).

In the last 10 years, Loyola has played in Classes 2A, 3A and 4A. When the Flyers played in Class 4A (2013-14 and 2014-15), the ability to schedule local games was an overriding factor.

And there’s one more major issue. In football, the LHSAA uses a five-classification system for the regular season and district placement, but a four-division system for the playoffs. Which is why a team such as Northwood, a 4A school, plays in the Division I playoffs (mostly 5A schools). The divisions are supposed to be based strictly on enrollment.

“That’s the other major thing,” Guin said. “People are having to make decisions not even knowing how it’s going to be drawn up. That’s a handicap on any decision we make.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Thursday’s scores 

DISTRICT 1-5A 
Captain Shreve 65, Benton 33 

 AREA 
 DISTRICT 2-1A 
Cedar Creek 42, Lincoln Prep 0 

 DISTRICT 3-1A
LaSalle 52, Northwood-Lena 14 
Logansport 20, St Mary’s 3  

NON-DISTRICT 
Sterlington 24, Amite 18 

STATEWIDE 
Basile 36, Merryville 14
Belle Chasse 23, West Jefferson 0 
Delhi 20, Sicily Island 0 
Jefferson Rise 28, Fisher 16 
Livingston Collegiate 32, Haynes 14 
McDonogh #35 31, Frederick Douglass 0 
Northlake Christian 23, St. Helena 22 
Sterlington 24, Amite 18 
Slaughter Charter 33, Thrive Acad. 6 
Southern Lab 33, Kentwood 31 
Southside 56, Lafayette 38 
South Beauregard 49, Pickering 0 
South Terrebonne 28, H.L. Bourgeois 0 
St. Edmund 26, Westminster Chr. 13 
St. Martin’s Episcopal 56, Cohen 12 
St. Michael 49, Istrouma 34 
Vermilion Catholic 48, Central Catholic 17 
West St. John 54, Crescent City 0 

I don’t believe cancellation of the football season was what the players wanted or what the player who so tragically lost his life would have wanted. Nor do I believe that this was what Coach Laird wanted. This is a horrible decision for the team. One doesn’t quit in the face of adversity.

In a case like this a team dedicates the season to their fallen teammate.

I believe this is the decision of the new President and athletic director. NSU has been shedding students since the new President’s hire and athletics have been in a chaotic downward spiral.

The resignation my alma mater needs more than any other is that of President Marcus Jones. He may be a fine man, but has proven himself a poor fit for Northwestern State University.

Steven Hines
Northwestern State University Alumni

Late NSU football player’s teammate arrested days after roommate’s arrest

Dr. Jones discusses the process and decision to cancel football for the balance of the 2023 Season and the resignation of Brad Laird as the Head Football Coach of NSU.

Note: This interview was at 2pm, October 26, 2023.

JOURNAL SPORTS

NATCHITOCHES — National media coverage followed Thursday afternoon’s surprising announcement by Northwestern State president Dr. Marcus Jones that the university has canceled the rest of its football season due to the recent shooting death of junior safety Ronnie Caldwell, with Jones citing concerns for the mental health and well-being of its student-athletes as the primary reason for the decision.

Many of the country’s primary news and sports news platforms carried coverage of the decision, which generated extensive social media traffic and commentary. NSU will not play its final four games in an 11-game schedule. It already cancelled an Oct. 14 game just two days after the shooting.

Caldwell, a junior safety from Cedar Park, Texas, in the Austin metroplex, played in 11 games last year, starting 10, but had not played this season due to a foot injury. He traveled  with the team in a student coaching capacity, helping other defensive backs with their technique and schemes, and working with coaching staff members in the press box during games. He was hoping to play in the final month of the season.

His death, in an Oct. 12 early morning shooting where he lived at the Quad Apartment Complex across from campus, remains under investigation by the Natchitoches Police Department. Two men, one a former NSU teammate and the other a 27-year-old who was not an NSU student but was one of Caldwell’s roommates, have been arrested in connection with the case on drugs and weapons charges. No charges relating directly to Caldwell’s death have been  public as of late Thursday.

Northwestern cancelled its Oct. 14 game at Nicholls, but resumed its schedule a week ago (Oct. 19) at home in an emotionally-charged game against Southeastern, briefly leading but dropping a 37-20 decision. Players not in uniform and team personnel wore black No. 23 T-shirts with Caldwell’s name, paying tribute to the business administration major who made the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2022 for carrying at least a 3.0 grade point average during the season. This summer, Caldwell helped coach a local youth league team of 9-year-old boys.

Many players, coaches and team personnel traveled to Austin Saturday to attend Caldwell’s funeral, where head coach Brad Laird spoke.

“Ronnie was a beloved member of our community, and we miss him dearly,” said Jones. “While our instinct was to return to the field of play following his death, we’ve since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches, and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal, and to support Ronnie’s family.”

The school also announced Thursday the resignation of Laird, who was in his sixth season as coach after nine years at his alma mater as an assistant. Laird was a star quarterback for the Demons from 1991-96, and still holds the NSU career passing record. He is in the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements at Ruston High School, where he was the quarterback on the Bearcats’ unbeaten 1990 state championship team which earned a national No. 1 ranking from USA Today.

“Due to the loss of Ronnie and the emotional burden it has caused me, I don’t feel I can give my all to these players or this program,” Laird said. “Any coach will tell you that their players become like family, so the loss of Ronnie was like losing a son. I love this program and this university and I know it will persevere and move forward with the competitive spirit that is at the core of our DNA.”

“We appreciate Coach Laird’s long-term investment in Northwestern State football. From his undergraduate time as a record-setting quarterback to his year spent overseeing the university’s alumni office to coaching, he has been a vital member of the team,” said Kevin Bostian, NSU’s athletic director. “While we are disappointed not to be able to finish the season, we are confident that better days lie ahead for Northwestern State football.”

Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, Weston Glaser, will step in as interim head coach while the athletic department begins an immediate search for its next head coach. However, the team will not practice and it is unclear if any team activities will be held for the rest of the year. Counseling and other services are being made available to team members and others impacted, officials said.

A national search for a new head coach is already underway, officials said. Jones said there will be a 2024 season for NSU football.

“I want to thank our team, family, friends and the whole Northwestern State community for your understanding of this difficult decision,” Jones said. “We appreciate your support during this challenging time.”

The university’s press release did not immediately address considerations related to the Nov. 3-4 homecoming weekend, which was to culminate with an afternoon football game.

The decision also impacts McNeese State’s homecoming this weekend. NSU was scheduled to play at McNeese Saturday night.

“This is very disappointing for all of us,” said McNeese director of athletics Heath Schroyer, speaking at an afternoon press conference in Lake Charles. “I feel for the Northwestern State players, coaches and administrators for what they are going through. I’m also disappointed for our fans. I am with them in wanting to see the game.”

Schroyer said if the decision had been made earlier this week, he would have searched nationwide to find an opponent for Saturday. There was no indication before Thursday, McNeese officials said.

McNeese will stage most other homecoming activities this weekend, and introduce its homecoming court at halftime of its final home game next month.