Month: June 2024

Temporary loss leads to permanent appreciation

/ NPJ

I hope you’re reading this using two eyes, because I am writing this using one eye.

We all get comfortable living life. Drive whenever we want. Watch a movie or ball game on our mounted-on-the-wall TV. Lie on our back and get a peaceful night’s sleep.

But occasionally, we get a reminder – whether we want it or not – that everyone can’t do what we do, and we should be appreciative for what we can do.

My reminder came Saturday, June 15th, around noon.

I had left a department store (are they still called those?) after picking up a Father’s Day gift. I got in my car and noticed a lot of floaters in my right eye. For those who aren’t familiar, those are the little black things that you sometimes see swimming through your field of vision.

I wasn’t too concerned, because about six weeks prior, I had a tear in that eye’s retina, which was lasered in hopes of sealing the tear. (By the way, having almost 700 laser “zaps” to my eye was the most painful event in my 60-plus years, beating out a kidney stone.) I assumed the increased number of floaters was just an after-the-fact result of the laser.

Five minutes later, I was reminded of what “assume” really means.

I lost virtually all vision in my right eye. As dark as a nighttime sky without stars.

I made it home with one eye open. If you were driving in my lane, I apologize.

I called my retina specialist. I had a detached retina in my other eye six years ago, so I have a retina specialist. He was driving back from out-of-state and could not see me. My retina surgeon was out-of-state as well. I was offered the opportunity to see another doctor at a hospital but chose to roll the dice until Monday. The longer you wait to have a detached retina repaired, the greater the chance you will regain your full vision.

But when you have a doctor and surgeon with whom you feel comfortable, you tend to really want to use them.

Monday morning’s exam came. Detached retina.

“You’re having surgery at 1 pm.”

“Today?”

“Yes.”

The surgeon had arrived in town the night before and was coming in on his day off to operate.

Without much time to prepare, I made the necessary phone calls, and went home to close a few loose ends regarding work. At 11:30 am, I was being screened. Around 1:20, I was wheeled into the operating room.

As an aside, every single person I encountered at the hospital was kind, sympathetic, and professional. From the lady who checked me in, to the operating team, to the lady who sat with me in recovery. Shreveport gets its share of in-house criticism – much of which is due. However, this was as pleasant a local experience as it could have been considering the circumstances.

The surgery was not painful. The nurse anesthetist makes sure of that. It’s the recovery that gets you. I’m not talking about traditional pain. That went away after the first couple of days. The hard part is that you must lie face down for 45 minutes of every hour – including when you’re trying to sleep – for seven to 10 days. That helps the gas bubble the surgeon put in my eye seal the work he did.

Think about that. Sleeping with your face down.

Sound uncomfortable? It is.

Sounds like you would have trouble breathing? You do.

After the first couple of nights getting some shuteye (as in one eye being shut) in 30–45-minute intervals for no more than three hours total, I did what some of you would surely do in the same situation. I started feeling sorry for myself.

Why me?

Why a second retinal detachment?

Why in the summer, when I’m supposed to be dripping in sweat cutting my grass, and going to my fiancée’s grandkids ball games?

Then, I got a grip on myself.

I thought about the wife of my Shreveport-Bossier Journal colleague John James Marshall, who is battling cancer. I sure bet she would trade places with me.

I thought about a lady I interviewed a few months ago, who afterward, told me she is dying.

I thought about all the friends my 90-year-old father has lost lately. He now has to replace two pall bearers. That’s not easy to do when you’re 90 – you’ve just about outlived all your friends.

Then I got real with myself. My eye will heal. I will be inconvenienced for a few weeks. Eventually, I will be able to drive when I want, look up to watch my big screen TV, and get an uninterrupted (except for the 3 am bathroom trip), peaceful night’s sleep.

Hopefully, I will be a better person than I was before noon on June 15th. Hopefully, I will not take things for granted. Hopefully, I will give more thanks than usual for the blessings I have.

Hopefully, I will see clearly the things that matter most.

Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com.

Slots still available for free youth baseball competition

/ cpoole003
Caddo Parish and Recreation’s MLB Pitch Hit and Run/Jr. Home Run Derby has been rescheduled for July 1 at Captain Shreve Baseball Field. MLB Pitch Hit & Run (PHR) and MLB Jr. Home Run Derby (JrHRD) are free, one-day competitions that are easy to execute for players ages 4-14.
 
PHR is the Official Skills Competition of MLB – providing youth the opportunity to show off their fundamental baseball/softball skills, and JrHRD is a fun competition that provides baseball players the chance to display their hitting power. The Jr. Home Run Derby is being held as a local competition only (no advancements).
 
The competition is open to all boys and girls age 7-14 and under. All participants compete together in one of two age groups (12U or 14U) and T-Ball (4-6). A participant’s age is determined as of Nov. 15.
 
Registration and a complete waiver is required for this event. Learn more and register here: Slots are still available.
 
 
For additional information contact Mary Murphy at mmurphy@caddo.org or 318-220-6284.

Music lineup announced for 20th anniversary of Highland Jazz & Blues Festival

/ cpoole003

The Highland Area Partnership is thrilled to announce the 20th Anniversary of the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival presented by BOM is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 14 at Columbia Park located in Shreveport’s Historic Highland Neighborhood. This milestone event will showcase memorable musical performances on two stages, a children’s area, pet park, artisans, food trucks, and more. The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival is FREE to attend.

The musical lineup features local and regional favorites, along with an international award-winning musician from Louisiana. Headlining this year’s festival is emerging blues artist, D.K. Harrell, from Ruston, Louisiana. D.K. Harrell has performed at the B.B. King Symposium, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and placed 3rd out of 200+ people in the B.B. King International Blues Challenge. He is dedicated to the preservation of the Traditional Blues and wants to bring his perspective of the Blues to the world with a message that younger generations have the blues too. Other musical acts include The Shreveport Bone Society, Betty Lewis and the Executives, The LukeJazz Quartet, JaCarri Jackson and Jazz Band, Dustin Dale Gaspard, Major Handy and the Louisiana Blues Band, Pocket Chocolate, and Grammy award nominee, Buddy Flett. The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival will also showcase performances by aspiring musicians from local schools including the Creswell Blazin’ Beatz and the Bossier Parish Schools Talented Arts Program. Lastly, we will have two interactive, educational, and fun performances from Lady Chops, Northeast Louisiana Arts Council 2024 Performing Artist of the Year and former Off-Broadway “STOMP” cast member. The two stages will fill the park from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The schedule is as follows:

Pavilion Stage presented by BOM

10:30 a.m. – Buddy Flett

12: 00 p.m. – Betty Lewis and the Executives

1:00 p.m. – Lady Chops

1:30 pm – Major Handy and the Louisiana Blues Band

2:00 p.m. – The Shreveport Bone Society

3:00 p.m. – Pocket Chocolate

4:30 p.m. – D.K. Harrell

Gazebo Stage presented by AARP Shreveport-Bossier

10:30 a.m. – Creswell Blazin’ Beatz

11:00 a.m. – Lady Chops

11:30 a.m. – Bossier Parish Schools Talented Arts Program

1:00 p.m. – The LukeJazz Quartet

2:30 p.m. – JaCarri Jackson and the Jazz Band

3:30 p.m. – The Shreveport Bone Society

4:00 p.m. – Dustin Dale Gaspard

In addition to the music, throughout the park there will be more than 70 food and artisan vendors, a Children’s Area with hands-on art activities from local nonprofits, and a Pet Park area for furry friends. A FREE shuttle service sponsored by Louisiana Healthcare Connections will run continuously during the day. Merchandise and official poster sales will be located next to the Pavilion Stage. 

This year, the Highland Area Partnership created a contest to design the official poster for juniors and seniors in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. The submissions were juried by local artists and cultural bearers with the winner chosen solely on the artwork. The artist chosen is senior, Kyleigh McVay, from Parkway High School. “We are excited that one of Parkway’s own rising seniors, Kyleigh McVay, was selected as the winner of this year’s poster design contest for the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival,” said Parkway High School art teacher Martha Claire Lepore.” Kyleigh is an extremely talented young digital artist.  She conceptualizes her ideas in her sketchbook and then brings them to life in digital form.  Kyleigh has a bright future in graphic design and we are so proud of her to have this opportunity to have her talents on display.” The artwork features a bluebird representing “Jazzy” the festival mascot playing a guitar alongside band members playing jazz instruments. The Highland Area Partnership presented McVay with $500.00 for her work on the official poster. 

“The board of directors and myself are very proud of the plans for this year’s 20th Anniversary of the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival,” said Emerie Eck Holtzclaw, Executive Director. “We are excited about the lineup and activities and grateful for the ongoing support of this community event.” 

More information about the festival weekend activities can be found at http://www.highlandjazzandblues.org.

Launched in 2003, the Highland Jazz & Blues Festival has grown from a handful of bands and a crowd of 500-1,000 to a gathering including two stages, nine bands, over 60 vendors, and 10,000 music fans in Highland area’s beautiful, historic Columbia Park. The annual Festival is a gift to the community from the Highland Area Partnership, a 501c3 arts and culture nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating and connecting our community through music, food, and the arts. Proceeds from posters, t-shirts, beverage sales, donations, and sponsorships are used to bring the Festival back each year.

LSUS acquiring transfer students as relationships deepen with universities in India, Bangladesh

/ cpoole003

With an aim to attract international students into the Computer Systems Technology master’s program, LSUS has announced partnerships with six universities in India and one university in Bangladesh.

The memorandums of understanding build pathways for students to continue their education at LSUS and for computer science faculty to collaborate on teaching methods, research, and professional development.

The deepening relationships between LSUS and the member institutions have already yielded five students who have been admitted and plan to pursue their master’s this coming fall, pending the completion of the visa process.

Four students hail from Parul University with one student from Green University (Bangladesh).

“The reality is that there aren’t enough domestic students that are pursuing degrees in computer science to meet demand locally or nationally,” said Dr. Subhajit Chakrabarty, program director for LSUS’s masters in Computer Systems Technology (MSCST). “We are continuing to engage domestic students to enter our program, but we also want to broaden our reach internationally because there is a desire for these students to continue their education in the United States.”

Other Indian institutions with whom LSUS has partnered include SR University, GNIOT Group of Universities, Institute of Infrastructure Technology Research and Management, Bhagwan Mahavir University, and Royal Global University Guwahati.

These universities, which are located in various regions of India, consist of student populations between 20,000-40,000 each with a significant segment in technology and science programs.

Chakrabarty, who is from India and taught in the Indian university system before coming to the United States himself, started making connections as early as 2020 via Zoom meetings.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, he and Dr. Sanjay Menon (Dean of Graduate Studies at LSUS) visited numerous Indian campuses in person in 2022 and 2023.

With more MOU agreements in the works, Chakrabarty can envision LSUS increasing its current program of 30 students to well over 100 students within a couple of years.

“The MOUs open the door for further exploration and conversation, and these agreements help us promote our program on these campuses,” Chakrabarty said. “We have internships and other work opportunities built into our program, and those are valuable options to gain experience as part of the education.

“We have a quality program with great faculty, six of seven of whom are international and who have empathy for the hurdles that international students face. Students who’ve been through our program have a high opinion of us, and we’re already seeing growth through word-of-mouth. The MOUs can accelerate that process.”

Chakrabarty added nearby institutions like UL Monroe and Southern Arkansas have bustling international student populations that total in the multiple hundreds in STEM programs.

While LSUS’s total international student population is expected to be around 370 this fall (including online students), growth in the MSCST program can be a driver of face-to-face student expansion that bring internationals to campus.

Anne-Marie Bruner Tracey, the assistant dean for international students at LSUS, said relationship-heavy countries like India can be a catalyst for word-of-mouth promotion.

“International students who’ve completed this and other LSUS programs have had great experiences with us, and they are sharing those experiences with people back home, which can lead to greater interest and potentially more students,” Bruner-Tracey said. “We want to make LSUS a destination for international students to study, and these MOUs create pathways for international students to come here.

“Colleges around the country are going to be facing a domestic student population shortage from the ‘2025 enrollment cliff.’ International students can play a vital role in stabilizing and growing college enrollments.”

The enrollment cliff refers to a lower birth rate during and following The Great Recession in 2007. Those children are coming of college age starting in 2025.

Louisiana as a whole is embracing international students through Study Louisiana, a consortium that’s promoting higher education as a U.S. export. More than 8,500 people worldwide attended a NAFSA conference (Association of International Educators) in New Orleans in early June.

International students do face a lengthy admissions process, but MOUs can shorten that process.

“A typical admissions process for an international student can be anywhere from 9-12 months,” Chakrabarty said. “Part of this is a course-by-course evaluation, which is where we evaluate an international student’s transcript to determine if they meet our educational requirements.

“But with our MOU institutions, we know their curriculum and the quality of their education, so it’s something we don’t require.”

Chakrabarty added the admissions process without the course-by-course evaluation, which can also pose a financial hurdle at $250, can decrease the admissions time to around three months.

While the agreements aren’t necessarily limited to the MSCST program, that program is the focus because of its flexible degree plan that appeals to technology-centric countries like India and Bangladesh.

The degree is interdisciplinary in that a computer science bachelor’s degree isn’t required. The program has concentrations in computer science, cyber security and networking, business administration, biomedical informatics, and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

All international graduates are permitted one year of work permission in the United States, but graduates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs are permitted three years of work permission.

“We do have internships in our own lab and employment opportunities in the community,” Chakrabarty said. “The need for computer science professionals is very real, and international students are eager to contribute in this way.”

To learn more about the MSCST program at LSUS, visit the program website.

Bossier Parish Police Jury accepting resumes for NW LA Human Services District board vacancy

/ cpoole003

The Bossier Parish Police Jury is currently accepting resumes for a vacancy on the Northwest Louisiana Human Services District (NLHSD) board. This appointment is for a three-year term. Board meetings are held the third Monday of each month from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Shreveport Behavioral Health Clinic, 1310 North Hearne Ave. in Shreveport.

NLHSD is a statewide integrated human services delivery system with local accountability and management provided through a Board of Directors for behavioral health and development disabilities services.

Applicants must reside and/or work in Bossier Parish. Act 73 of the 2017 Louisiana Legislature Regular Session sets the required composition of the board to include members with professional or personal knowledge in mental health, addictive disorders, developmental disabilities, finance, the judiciary, specialty courts, law enforcement, school-based healthcare, public health or the coroner’s office.

Qualified applicants should submit their resumes to the Bossier Parish Police Jury office located at Bossier Parish Courthouse, 204 Burt Blvd. in Benton or mail a resume to Bossier Parish Police Jury, Attn: Megan Ramos, P.O. Box 70, Benton, LA, 71006. Resumes may also be emailed to mramos@bossierparishla.gov.

The deadline to submit resumes is Aug. 2 at 4:30 p.m.

Should Miles qualify for College Hall? Forget forfeits, consider counterpoints

/ Megan Lowe

Leave it to former LSU football coach Les Miles to find a new way to stay in the news.

Les would like to be in the College Football Hall of Fame and some (mostly Les) might argue that he had a career that would merit consideration. After all, he did win a national championship. (Then again, so did Auburn’s Gene Chizik and nobody is writing his acceptance speech any time soon.)

There is one major roadblock standing in the way for Les: He’s not eligible, as currently constituted. While no one was looking, someone snuck in a rule that coaches must have a .600 winning percentage to be eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.

Les is at .597 because of the 37 wins LSU vacated as a sacrifice to the NCAA as part of an investigation of the men’s basketball and football programs.

He would be over the magic mark had not LSU forfeited the wins from 2012 to 2015 after NCAA sanctions were handed down for violations while Les was head coach. Without the forfeits, Les would be at .665.

So if Les is going to bring a frivolous lawsuit against LSU, you can bet there are some LSU fans who would like nothing better than to counter by suing Les Miles under these statutes:

(NON) TRESPASSING: If it were up to many LSU fans, the case file of this counter suit would be numbered 01-09-2012, in keeping with the date perhaps the worst loss in LSU history that many hold Les responsible for as Alabama won the national championship over the No. 1-ranked Tigers. Stubbornly holding on to a plan (and personnel) that didn’t work, Miles had an offense that did not set foot in Alabama territory until seven minutes were left in the game. LSU had only one first down in the first half and punted on six straight possessions.

MISAPPROPRIATION (OF CLOCKS): Before these allegations are brought before the court, let’s take a moment to recognize that there is a difference between gutsy play calls and reckless play calls. Les Miles going for it on fourth down five times against Florida in 2007 is gutsy, but made sense if you were watching the game. Since then you see plenty of coaches go for it in much crazier circumstances (Washington vs. Oregon last year).

But then there is Tennessee, 2010, when LSU won despite completing botching the final 25 seconds, only to get bailed out by Tennessee having too many men on the field.

And the Peach Bowl against Clemson in 2012, when LSU had a two-point lead with 2:47 to go and tried to run the clock out by tossing three straight passes (two incomplete).

And the Penn State bowl game in 2010.

Or trying to call time out after an interception (which automatically stopped the clock) against Tennessee in 2005.

Or Auburn, 2016.

Some say Ole Miss, 2009, was the worst, when the Tigers lost 17 seconds when the team tried for a timeout and didn’t get it, then confusion set in so LSU went for the end zone on the last play of the game and came up short at the Ole Miss 6 with 1 second left, then tried to spike the ball as the clock ran out. “What are they doooooing?” screamed Verne Lundquist on CBS.

DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC PROPERTY: Think of all of those people who meticulously work for months to get the field at Tiger Stadium in pristine condition. All of that hard work, just to have your head coach start eating the grass during the middle of the game.

SELF-INCRIMINATION: Here’s the craziest part of this crazy lawsuit. If Les hasn’t continued to coach after being excused at LSU, he’s be over the .600 mark even with the forfeits. Did somebody put a gun to his head and force him to coach Kansas? It was only after “leading” the Jayhawks to a 3-18 record in two years did his winning percentage fall under the magic .600 mark.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Bossier no stranger to 2024 football opponents

/ Megan Lowe
‘KAT TRACKS: Bossier enters its 94th football season with seven of the same opponents from last season. (Journal file photo)

By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

Bossier High will play its 94th football season this fall and the Bearkats’ schedule hasn’t changed much, with only three opponents different than last season.

The Bearkats have one new non-district foe in Logansport and two District 1-4A newcomers in Southwood and Loyola. They start the first two weeks the same as the last two seasons, against North Caddo and Glenbrook.

Bossier starts the season with a trip to Vivian to face the Titans. The Bearkats defeated the Titans for their only win in 2023 and lead the series 25-6.

Class A power Glenbrook comes to Bossier’s Memorial Stadium for the third meeting between the two schools. The Apaches won the first two in their first two seasons of competing in the LHSAA.

Logansport replaces Parkway and comes to Bossier for the 12th meeting between the Tigers and Bearkats. The schools played seven of the first 11 from 2015-21 after not facing each other since 1931. Bossier holds a slim 6-5 series edge.

District 1-4A play begins at Booker T. Washington in the fourth week of the season.  The Lions have won the last six in the series that is even with each team winning seven times. The last Bossier win was in 2000.

Southwood comes to Bossier for a mid-season matchup. It is the Cowboys’ first season back in 1-4A since Class 5A was added by the LHSAA in 1991. The last meeting of the schools occurred in 2010 with the Cowboys leading the series 11-9.

Bossier crosses the river to Shreveport to play at Loyola’s Messmer Stadium. The Flyers’ move up to 1-4A is their second in the district after competing there in 2013-14. The Bearkats lead the series 34-27-3. It began in 1926 when Loyola was known as St. John’s.

 A second straight trip to Shreveport takes the Bearkats to Northwood and Jerry Burton Stadium. The two schools have played each other 16 times in 1-4A games. Bossier leads the series 19-15.

Another longtime opponent, Minden, comes to Bossier. The Tide leads the series 35-32-1. It started in 1931. The schools have played each other at least once in every decade since the 1930s.

Bossier plays its fourth game in Shreveport in the ninth game of the season when it faces Woodlawn. The Knights lead the series that dates back to 1960, 20-15.

North DeSoto comes to Bossier to close out the regular season. The Griffins have won six of the eight games played between the schools.

2024 Bossier football schedule

Sep. 6               at North Caddo

Sep. 13             Glenbrook

Sep. 20             Logansport

Sep. 27             at BTW

Oct. 4               Southwood

Oct. 10             at Loyola

Oct. 18             at Northwood

Oct. 25             Minden

Nov. 1               at Woodlawn

Nov. 7               North DeSoto

Contact Lee at lee051@hotmail.com

$chlo$$nagle’s $quirming move illustrates $ad $tate of college $port$

/ Megan Lowe

BATON ROUGE – There are no more Cinderella stories in college athletics.

Cinderellas who once fantasized about playing college sports now sells the glass slipper for a bag of cash.

College head coaches’ “dream jobs” no longer exist.

The only place coaches now “always wanted to be” is the one that puts the most zeroes on the end of their paychecks.

Recruits often once said they committed to “a school I’ve wanted to play for since I was a little kid.”

In the brazen new lawless world of college athletics in which everything is negotiable and everyone has a price, athletes commit and decommit to a list of suitors while trying to squeeze every penny from NIL deals and jock-sniffing sugar daddies.

Each decommitment is announced through a social media post with the recruit asking the general public “Please respect my decision.” Which is ironic since each decommitment is waffling that subtracts respect.

There are rarely any surprises in college athletics.

Not even Texas A&M head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle after his team’s Monday night loss in the CWS finals to Tennessee, sniping at a reporter daring to ask him (“I think it’s pretty selfish of you to ask me that question,” he said) to address rumors he may be leaving to become Texas head coach (“I took the job at Texas A&M to never take another job again, and that hasn’t changed in my mind,” he said) and then accepting the Texas job before suppertime the following day.

No one is naïve enough to think college athletics weren’t getting paid under the table for decades and decades.

But despite being against the alleged amateurism rules, maybe because not every other athlete was demanding an annual six-figure salary or because it wasn’t done blatantly in the open or because rigid NCAA transfer rules kept athletes from rarely jumping schools, there was a bit of remaining pureness in college athletics.

Sure, it was a business. But because every athlete wasn’t being bought, there seemed to be a sense of loyalty between athletes and their schools.

Fans appreciated that and in return gave unconditional love. They could build relationships with players because they stayed at the same school for at least three years or more. This doesn’t happen anymore.

The only legislation the spineless NCAA approves these days as rules is anything goes.

Care to transfer as many times as you want? Go ahead.

Want to renegotiate your NIL agreements or cash deals with your school after every season or you’ll leave for a new situation with greener money pastures? Give it a whirl.

Hire as many assistant coaches as possible on a football staff? The NCAA gave greenlighted that on Tuesday.

Sooner or later as college athletic departments became financed mostly by network TV contracts in their respective conferences, it became clear athletes needed a share of the bounty.

Why? Because college athletes train year-round. It’s a job, not a sport. They deserve a piece of the pie.

But college sports have accelerated at an alarming pace into a soulless money grab where athletes promoting their brand override individual development and team goals.

There’s an argument that college head coaches – especially those with multi-million contracts coaching football, basketball and baseball – are just as transient and money-hungry as athletes.

The difference is coaches, now more than ever, earn every penny of their salaries. Because there aren’t rules limiting anything, coaches must recruit and drastically re-build their rosters yearly.

Coaches either adapt or retire. Ones that attempt to retain their principles and speak honestly about how the transfer portal and NIL deals are intended to work risk losing recruits.

Back in early May in a TV interview after he couldn’t convince several top defensive tackles in the transfer portal to sign with LSU, Brian Kelly had the cojones to say what other head football coaches won’t.

“We’re not in the market of buying players and unfortunately right now that’s what some guys are looking for,” Kelly said. “They want to be bought. If you’re just looking to get paid, you’re looking in the wrong place.

“If you like all the things that we do here in developing our players, bringing you into a championship program, playing in front of the best fan base in America, playing for championships and having an opportunity for NFL, you should be a Tiger. But if you just want to get paid, this is not the place for you.

“What we’re asking our players to do is all part of a bigger picture. And if they can be helped out with NIL money, absolutely. We’re going to be able to provide those opportunities for you. But if you’re looking to retire playing college football, this is the wrong place.”

In the meantime, Texas A&M is looking for a new head baseball coach. Whoever the Aggies hire won’t be taking over a team that was the national runner-up.

By the time A&M makes a hire, the 2024 squad will be a carcass, stripped to bare bones by opposing speed-dialing rival head coaches plundering the transfer portal like dive-bombing vultures.

The only thing remaining should be the stench of what college sports have become. And no one yet has a solution to get rid of that stink.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

Centenary’s Bennett teed up among state’s top college golfers

/ Megan Lowe

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

Honors continue to land on Kings Highway for Centenary student-athletes, while anticipation of the official return of football to the campus is building.

MEN’S GOLF:  Centenary senior Andrew Bennett has been named to the 2023-24 Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana Men’s College Golf team.

The LSWA announced Men’s and Women’s Golf All-Louisiana Teams on Wednesday, honoring LSU’s Connor Gaunt and Ingrid Lindblad as the men’s and women’s Players of the Year.

Bennett earned a spot on the first team, joined by three LSU players and one from Louisiana Tech, as he made the team for the first time in his career. Ten men were recognized, while five golfers made up the women’s All-Louisiana squad. 

A glance at Bennett’s award-winning season: 

  • First Centenary men’s golfer to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the Gents’ NCAA Division III era (2013-present); 
  • Named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men’s Golfer of the Year after he claimed the individual title at the SCAC Championships in April; 
  • One of six individuals selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Championships in May; 
  • Named a 2024 Division III PING All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America; 
  • Named to the PING All-Region Team (Third Team); 
  • First Centenary men’s golfer to be named an All-American since Hal Sutton in 1980; 
  • Earned first-team All-SCAC honors this season, was named SCAC Men’s Golfer of the Week once, and claimed two individual wins, three top-five finishes, and a top-15 finish during the season; 
  • He helped lead the Gents to a fourth-place team finish at the conference championships, which is their best at the event since finishing fourth in 2014. Bennett is the first Centenary golfer to be named All-Louisiana since former Gent Richard Polan earned Honorable-Mention honors in 2022.

The 2023-24 LSWA All-Louisiana Men’s and Women’s Golf teams were selected by a statewide vote of school sports information directors.

ACADEMICS:  Eight Centenary student-athletes were named to the 2024 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s At-Large teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, this week.

Senior Devan Martin of the men’s golf team and sophomore Kaylee Roberts of the women’s golf team were joined by six Centenary gymnasts – senior Kendall Huff, junior Emma Lavelle, senior Izzie Plaza, sophomore Sophie Schmitz, sophomore Olivia Stratmann, and senior Lacey Wedge, who each earned a spot on the prestigious team.

The 2024 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women’s At-Large teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes at-large honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Roberts earned a spot on the prestigious team for the first time in her career.

FOOTBALL:  A reminder that Centenary football tickets are on sale as the season opener is just over two months away. Visit www.gocentenary.com to purchase tickets.

The Gents, led by head coach and Shreveport native Byron Dawson, will play their first official NCAA season in over a half-century this fall. Centenary will face the Hendrix College Warriors at home on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at Mayo Field in its season opener.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

46th Annual Sickle Cell Softball Tournament coming in July

/ cpoole003

The Northwest Louisiana Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (NWLASCDAA) and the Friends of Alpha, with the support of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission, will hold their annual Sickle Cell Softball Tournament July 12-14 at Cargill Park in Shreveport.  This year marks the 46th anniversary of the event and officials look to have over 1,500 participants.

“The Sickle Cell Softball Tournament (SCST) has been a long-standing tradition in which our community has much pride,” stated Sara Nelms, Director of Sports for the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. “The event is projected to have a $1.6 million economic impact on Shreveport-Bossier.” 

The community is invited to join the festivities of this national softball tournament, sanctioned by the American Softball Association, including the Home Run Derby on Friday, July 12, and tournament play on Saturday and Sunday. Highlights include a Home Run Derby, fun activities for kids, a car show, and fireworks. 

Activities:

  • Friday, July 12, 7:00 PM:
    • Home Run Derby for Men
    • Long Ball Derby for Women
    • Fireworks
    • Senior Division for Men & Women (40 and over)
  • Saturday, July 13, 8:00 AM:
    • Regular Tournament Begins
    • Fun Zone Activities for Children (bouncy houses, waterslide, and video game bus)
    • Food Trucks
  • Sunday, July 14, 8:00 AM:
    • Tournament Continues
    • Car Show
    • Fun Zone Activities Cont.
    • Food Trucks

“We are asking friends to come out to support Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc., Northwest Louisiana Chapter,” said Herman Vital, Tournament Director. “Players from all over the south are gathering momentum to have an outstanding tournament. We are hoping for an outstanding tournament with plans for pleasant weather this year. We are extending an invitation to all friends to come out to enjoy good softball and to raise funds for a worthy cause in the fight against Sickle Cell.” 

Information for registering a team:

Senior Division:

  • Men & Women’s Division: 40’s & 50’s
    • Entry Fee: $425
    • Late Fee: $475
  • Men’s C, D, & E and Women’s Division:
    • Entry Fee: $375
    • Late Fee: $425
  • Registration Deadlines:
    • Regular Registration: June 24, 2024
    • Late Registration: July 1, 2024
  • Cash Prizes:
    • 1st Place: $800
    • 2nd Place: $500
    • 3rd Place: $250

Community members can register their team for the 46th Annual Sickle Cell Softball Tournament, at www.sicklecellnwla.org and make a payment via PayPal or Zelle, or mail your registration information and payment to 3658 Judson Street, Shreveport, LA 71109. 

For team registration questions, please contact:

  • Team Registration Questions: Herman Vital, Tournament Director – 318-426-1561
  • Senior Division: Shirley Snell – 318-286-8301
  • Home Run & Long Ball Derby and Vendors Information: Deborah Young – 318-218-0681
  • Sickle Cell Office – 318-636-5300

“I am honored to support the Sickle Cell Softball Tournament, a fantastic event that raises awareness and funds for an important cause,” said City of Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux. “This tournament not only brings our community together for a weekend of family-fun, but also highlights our commitment to supporting those affected by sickle cell disease.”

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc., Northwest Louisiana Chapter, was established in 1975 with a mission to assist persons that have sickle cell disease and/or sickle cell trait, to live stable and productive lives. 

“As Chairman, I am delighted to invite everyone to the 46th Annual Sickle Cell Softball Tournament – ‘The Granddaddy of Them All,’” says Caddo Parish Commissioner Roy Burrell. “This event promises entertainment, food, and fun for the entire family. Join us for an unforgettable weekend and support a great cause. See you there!”

For information on registering for the tournament, email:  nwlascdaa@bellsouth.net, or for information visit: https://www.sicklecellnwla.org/home5fcbb13d. 

Notice of Death – June 27, 2025

/ NPJ

Arthur “Nick” Nicholson, Jr.
March 31, 1931 — June 23, 2024
Service: Friday, June 28, 2024, 11am at Fillmore Cemetery, Haughton.

Mildred L. Jackson
January 21, 1932 — June 25, 2024
Service: Friday, June 28, 2024, 11am at Calvary Baptist Church, Shreveport.

Lucille P. Anderson
March 11, 1942 — June 23, 2024
Service: Saturday, June 29, 2024, 11am at Forest Park West Cemetery, Shreveport.

Dorothy Davis Schmidt
February 3, 1928 – June 22, 2024
Service: Tuesday, July 2, 2024, 10am at Forest Park Cemetery, Shreveport.

Dennis Mayweather
March 13, 1965 – June 24, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 6, 2024, Heavenly Gates, Shreveport.

Marie P. Williams
May 18, 1951 – June 22, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 6, 2024, 5pm at Crusader’s Temple Church of God in Christ, Shreveport.

The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)

Bossier Sheriff’s Office Detectives need help identifying person of interest

/ cpoole003
Detectives with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s help with identifying a person of interest in a theft/trespassing case.
 
The suspect was captured on video walking on the victim’s property in the 300 block of Teague Drive in Elm Grove. The suspect is a middle-aged white male last seen wearing a dark blue t-shirt, blue jeans and a dark colored cap.
 
If you have any information concerning the identity of this man, please contact the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at (318)965-2203.

Shreveport celebrates Independence Day: employee holiday, garbage collection update

/ cpoole003

The City of Shreveport will be closed on Thursday, July 4, in honor of Independence Day. In addition, Mayor Arceneaux has declared Friday, July 5, a city holiday. Normal city operations will resume on Monday, July 8. Warm wishes to all residents and employees for a safe and joyous Independence Day celebration!

Due to the July 4-5 holidays, there will be changes in the Shreveport garbage collection schedule. The revised schedule is below.

Monday, July 1 No changes in garbage collection.
Tuesday, July 2 No changes in garbage collection.
Wednesday, July 3 Thursday’s garbage will be collected.
Thursday, July 4 No garbage collection. (City offices will be closed).
Friday, July 5 No changes in garbage collection.

No bulk collections will be scheduled for next week. All heavy items called in will be scheduled for a future collection day. If you need additional information or would like to request a heavy item (bulk) pick up, please call the Solid Waste Office at (318) 673-6300. The Woolworth Road Regional Solid Waste Facility will be closed on Thursday, July 4th. For more information about this facility, you may call (318) 925-3500.

Woman arrested after attempting to run over female holding baby

/ cpoole003

Shreveport Police Department officers responded to an emergency call on June 23 around 11 pm from a security guard in the 4200 block of Greenwood Lane. The security guard reported observing a female attempting to run over another female who was holding a one-year-old child.

Upon arrival, officers arrested Allison Walker, 22, after video evidence showed her attempting to strike the victim and the small child with a vehicle. The security guard witnessed the events and intervened to prevent further harm.

Walker has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.

Suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

LSUS celebrating Pride month with Saturday dinner

/ cpoole003

Come celebrate the end of LGBTQ Pride Month with LSUS with dinner and games Saturday in the University Center Ballroom.

The fourth annual Pride event features interactive activities such as Fast Friends (speed dating but for friendships), card games, trivia, panels addressing LGBTQ issues, and a Monjunis dinner.

The celebration lasts from 6-9 p.m. with members of the LSUS and Shreveport-Bossier community and allies invited. The event is free, but registration is encouraged. Email the Queer Alliance at queeralliance@gmail.com for registration information.

“The idea is to promote awareness and understanding of all members of our student body and to connect them with members of our community,” said Dr. Kenna Franklin, assistant provost for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement at LSUS. “We want to identify barriers to success for all of our students and bust them down.

“We want to provide a sense of belonging for everyone on our campus.”

The event is a collaboration between the Office for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement and the LSUS student group Queer Alliance.

The celebration is the first for the new LSUS student group, which is rebranding after existing as the Gay-Straight Alliance previously.

“We encourage allies and other community members to meet our students and come have some fun while building a community with us,” said Dr. Laura Meiki, the faculty advisor the Queer Alliance.

Among the local LGBTQ groups in attendance include The Philadelphia Center and ShrevePride. The celebration is repurposing decorations from Q-Prom earlier this month.

LSUS groups with informational tables include the library, the English Club and Red River Radio.

Today is National PTSD Awareness Day

/ cpoole003
By Jeanni Ritchie
 
Most people think of PTSD strictly as a post-combat condition but post traumatic stress disorder is a result of all trauma. There are several different types. 

 
•Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) 
A chronic condition that can develop from long-term trauma, such as domestic violence, child abuse, or war. People with C-PTSD may have issues with relationships, self-image, and emotion regulation. 
•Uncomplicated PTSD 
can result from a single traumatic event, such as a motor vehicle accident, or from experiencing trauma firsthand. Symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts that last longer than a month. 


•Comorbid PTSD 
Also known as co-occurring disorders, this term applies when someone has more than one mental health concern or a substance use disorder. 


•Delayed-onset PTSD 
This type of PTSD doesn’t meet the full criteria until six months or more after a traumatic event. 


 
PTSD can also be categorized by the severity of its impact, such as mild, moderate, or severe. 
 
I’ve experienced both complex PTSD in its severity and a mild but prolonged case of uncomplicated PTSD. In the latter, a serious car accident in which my last conscious memory was of a car approaching an intersection from my right. For nearly twenty years, I began to panic when driving if it appeared the car to my right was not going to stop. I would often freeze, heart pounding, and could not control my breathing until I safely crossed the intersection. 
 
The former affected me even longer, though I’ve now learned coping mechanisms to help me manage it. Five separate non-familial sexual attacks in my sleep, beginning when I was five, left me terrified of being alone in the dark. A single noise would awaken me and leave me tossing and turning for hours. Darkness terrified me and I slept with a nightlight through my teen years. As I got older, I always had a child, spouse, or pet in the bed with me and on the few nights I did sleep alone, I did so with the lights on. I never considered it PTSD until last year when I’d come home to an empty house and found a bedroom door opened that I knew had been shut when I left. 
 
I froze in my tracks, heart pounding and tried to comfort myself with the fact that the dog was unconcerned and the alarm had still been activated when I’d arrived. Still, my mind replayed potential danger in an endless loop until I was on the ground, hysterically crying and hyperventilating with the dog laying her body over mine to protect me. I eventually learned that my daughter had come by while I was out. It was the first time I realized I’d suffered with severe trauma-related PTSD almost my entire life. 
 
Ironically, it was sharing this realization with a former classmate, who is also a nurse, that allowed me to accept this self-diagnosis and move toward healing. 
 
“You don’t know what trauma is,” she’d spewed. “Your daddy has taken care of every unnecessary thing you’ve ever wanted to do. You don’t know real work or real pain or real trauma. Take your parents out of your life, take your privilege out, then you might know what trauma is. You just like playing the victim.”
 
I was shocked. Not only had I been attacked when I’d expected comfort but she echoed the lies that had been swarming in my head for years. 
 
It was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Because of the absurdity of her statements, I finally stood up for myself. I understood that my fear had real origins and needed to be acknowledged. What I’d always thought had been childish and immature was actually a trauma-based response. Realizing and accepting that I suffered from PTSD is what set me on the road to healing. 
 
I still have mild panic attacks from time to time, but for the most part I sleep alone- in the dark- with ease. I no longer medicate myself to go to sleep nor do I have to fall asleep to the television. It is the restorative sleep I’ve wanted my entire life. I rely on my faith and self-awareness to manage my PTSD now, but that picture looks different for everyone. 
 
However, for every PTSD sufferer, it STARTS with awareness. 
 
If you or someone you know is suffering with PTSD, resources are available.  Visit  https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ for more information. Share on social media with the hashtag #NationalPTSDAwarenessDay. 
 
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com. 

Summer sports camps are not all about sports

/ Megan Lowe
CAMPING OUT: Popsicles and peanuts are an important part of Querbes Park’s summer golf camp. (Photo courtesy of Querbes Park)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

You might think that when it comes down to the most significant part of summer sports camps, the list would include learning an effective two-handed backhand, proper technique for a corner kick or how to hit a knockdown 7-iron.

But when you talk to some of those who are running those camps, you’ll quickly find out that there is something much more important.

“We try not to overload them with too much technique,” says Grady Wilson, general manager/director of tennis at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club. “What’s important is fun and games.

“And popsicles.”

“When mom or dad come to pick them up after our three-hour sessions, they are going to be hot, sweaty and sticky,” says Querbes Park golf pro Nathan Barrow, “and covered in popsicle juice.”

If you haven’t figured it out by now, the summer sports camps are equal parts fun and games as much as they are about the actual sport itself.

“We have peanuts everywhere they go,” Barrow says. “The kids love feeding the squirrels at Querbes Park.”

POTC has a summer program that combines tennis in the morning and swimming in the afternoon, so many stay at the complex the entire day. “We have them playing (tennis) on the courts in the back,” Wilson says. “My office is in the front and I can still hear them giggling and having fun all the way up there. I love seeing their cheeks get red all morning and then they hit the pool in the afternoon.”

If there’s a sport, you just about bet there’s a summer camp for it.

Just about as soon as the last school bell rings, summer sports camp season opens up. And there’s plenty of them. There are the traditional ones – baseball, softball, golf, tennis, soccer, etc. – but there also those for sports such as archery, weightlifting, lacrosse and gymnastics.

CABOSA, the local parent organization for soccer, has camps all summer for those ages 5 to 19 years old. There have already been two weeks of camps at Cargill Park with three more yet to come for all skill levels.

Instruction is done by four CABOSA directors, club coaches plus a few college players such as Louisiana Tech’s Kalli Matlock.

“The purpose is to keep kids playing. If you don’t do anything over the summer, a lot of the skills you learned throughout the year start to get rusty, so we just want to keep them playing,” Matlock says.  “Summer camps are supposed to be fun, too. For kids who take it seriously, camps are there for them to still have fun while they are playing and have a relaxing experience than it being serious all the time.”

Camps are open for a wide range of age groups. “We start taking them at 4 years old up to 17, but most of the focus is from 5 to 11,” Wilson says. “A lot of them have never played (tennis) before. We teach them some technical stuff, but at that age, it’s all about fun.”

“I’m trying to hook them for life in a fun environment that has some golf to it,” Barrow says. “We are more fun-centric than golf-centric. We want them to remember how much fun they had while they were out at the golf course. Balloon fights, tag relay race games … we do all sorts of things.”

Because Querbes has been closed due to a greens renovation, that has allowed the campers to go out on the course and play some holes without interrupting the flow of the daily golfers. “It took them an hour to play two holes,” Barrow says. “It was great. They were able to take their time and they didn’t know the difference.”

All camps try to keep their instructor/camper ratio as low as possible. “I’m trying to make it so that it’s not one teacher with 15 kids,” Barrow says. “That can be mass chaos. We can only handle 16 (campers) at a time, so we try to have three teachers so the kids get a little more personal time and we move them from station to station.”

It’s summer fun for the campers, but it’s also good for the instructors.

“This is a really good experience for me,” Matlock says. “It’s cool for me to see them having a really good time and they really look up to the coaches. You can tell the admiration they have for their coaches because I remember being a kid and thinking that about my coaches. Sometimes the younger kids are a little impatient and a little harder to work with so it’s good for me to have patience with them.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

A chance meeting with greats of the American game – and a U.S. president

/ Megan Lowe

It was just over a week ago, last Tuesday, that Willie Mays walked into a cornfield in Iowa. It is heaven, after all.

As great a baseball player as there has been or ever will be, Mays lived 93 years. In an Old-Timers All-Star Game in his early 50s, he made a running, tumbling, circus catch – basket style, in his trademark fashion.

Just a day before he passed, he wrote a beautiful note to his friend Dusty Baker, the Astros’ manager, expressing regret that he couldn’t make it to Birmingham, Ala., for last Thursday’s “MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues” game at the country’s oldest pro baseball park. Mays began his career there as a teenager in 1948, and ended that season playing in what turned out to be the final Negro Leagues World Series, with his Birmingham Black Barons losing to the Homestead Grays in five games.

You probably know all that.

You’ve probably recently read at least a few thousand of a million words, and seen a few minutes of video or TV, remembering the Say Hey Kid. Great tributes, unforgettable memories, and all treasures to savor.

Here’s an unknown gem.

Jerry Rushing was a non-traditional student at Northwestern State from 1990-95, and served in the Louisiana National Guard. During his high school days a few years earlier, living with the grandparents in Vivian in the summer, Jerry played American Legion baseball for Jim Wells’ Goodwin-Wilson Law Firm team, and later became a high school football official.

He married a Shreveport girl — he and Karla are still loving life together, nowadays empty nesters in North Carolina. Jerry just got home from working with West Point cadets, many football and baseball players, training them on simulators for tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

Jerry is the ultimate good ole boy, just a charming, friendly fellow with a thick country accent. He’s smart as a whip. Loves sports. Never met a stranger. Keep that in mind.

In college, Jerry took a student job working in the NSU sports information office, continuing through getting his master’s degree in sports administration. Not long after, the Demons needed an athletic ticket manager just when Jerry was in the job market. Great fit.

Jerry is a huge Astros’ fan. So big that he and a pal had season tickets for a few years. In 2004, Barry Bonds was on the verge of passing the 660-home run milestone that Mays, his godfather, clubbed in his career, topped only by Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Bonds and his San Francisco Giants opened the season in Houston in early April with a four-game series against the Roger Clemens-led ‘Stros.

Jerry and pal were there. Having been in the ticket business, Jerry had some useful insight. After Game 3, he reached out to the Astros’ ticket staff and asked if there was any chance, considering Game 4 was an afternoon, getaway game, there might be some seats in a better location that they could get into. It never hurts to ask. And Jerry has never been scared.

Bingo! They got great seats. Right behind the plate, a few rows up. Professional courtesy. Of course, Jerry and pal arrived for batting practice. As first pitch neared, the stands were filling. Jerry noticed some men in dark polo shirts with earplugs, wearing shades, casing out their section. No secret, President George H.W. Bush lived in Houston and was frequently at Astros games, in prime seats behind home plate.

A few minutes later, coming down the stairs flanking the section where Jerry and pal were sitting, here comes Bush 41. Right behind him are three athletic-looking, middle-aged African-American men. Their group comes closer row by row, and incredibly, turns into Jerry’s row. They walk toward Jerry and pal, and YES!! 

Being a patriot, Jerry had to pay his respects. “Mr. President, I’m Jerry Rushing, and I serve in the Louisiana National Guard. It’s an honor to shake your hand, sir.”  

“Jerry, great to meet you,” said Bush 41, as his Secret Service detail stood by, nervously. “Thanks for your service. Where are you from?”

Jerry said he lived in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The president replied: “I know Natchitoches. The contractor who built my house here in Houston is from Natchitoches. I know all about Chief Caddo, Steel Magnolias, Cane River, the Christmas Festival – I hope I can visit someday.

“Can I introduce you to my friends?,” said  Bush 41, turning to his companions. “This is Tony Gwynn.”

Replied Jerry, shaking Gwynn’s hand: “Tony Gwynn! What an honor to meet you. Fifteen All-Star Games, a .338 career batting average, 3-thousand hit club. One of the greatest hitters of all time!”

Said President Bush: “Jerry, this next fellow is Rod Carew.”

Jerry, nobody’s fool, was on point. “Wow, Mr. Carew, a thrill to meet you sir. Eighteen straight All-Star Games, that’s amazing! Three-thousand hit club, .328 career batting average. A Baseball Hall of Famer!”

Then Bush 41 stepped in again. “Jerry, this fine gentleman here is the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays.”

Momentary silence during another strong handshake. Then Jerry finally managed to speak.

“D-d-do-do-do-do you-you-you-you KNOW you’re WILLIE MAYS?”

Everybody laughed. Willie produced a baseball. It sits in Jerry and Karla’s house, in Dunn, N.C., with an autograph that he didn’t ask for. He’ll never, ever, ever forget that meeting, or sell that ball.

That’s how big a deal Willie Mays was, and will always be.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

BTW looks for return trip to playoffs in 2024

/ Megan Lowe
LION ROAR: Booker T. Washington will line up for its 54th football season in the LHSAA this fall. (Journal file photo).

By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

Booker T. Washington takes the field for the 2024 football season with a chance to qualify for the LHSAA playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since it had a three-year streak in 2004-06.

The Lions, under second-year head coach Gary Cooper, remain in District 1-4A and will start the season as usual with three non-district games.

They start off the season by hosting Lakeview in the first meeting between the two schools. The Gators from Campti finished last season 3-7 and will be under their third head coach in three seasons.

BTW will then hit the road to Bastrop for the 11th meeting with the Rams and first since 2002.

The biggest game of the year, the annual “Soul Bowl” will follow on Saturday, Sept. 21 at BTW’s Leonard C. Barnes Stadium. The Lions have played the Green Oaks Giants every season since GO opened its doors in 1973 and hold a 28-22 edge in the series, winning two of the last three.

Bossier starts off the 1-4A slate at BTW. The Lions have won the last six to take over the lead in the series 8-7.

North DeSoto is the third straight home game for Booker T. The powerhouse Griffins have won the last four and lead the series 8-3.

The Lions load up the bus for just the second time on the season to play Northwood at Jerry Burton Stadium. The Falcons have won the last seven and 14 of the 21 in the series.

Minden comes to Shreveport for the 11th meeting between the two schools. The Crimson Tide have won the last six and eight of the 10 in the series.

BTW is back on the bus across town to face Loyola. The Flyers are playing in 1-4A for the first time since 2014 and have won four of the six meetings between the schools.

The second to last game of the regular season has the Lions hosting Southwood. The teams have played 25 times but not since 2010 with the Cowboys leading this series 18-6-1.

Woodlawn hosts BTW the last game of the season. The Knights and Lions have been 1-4A opponents for most of the 48 meetings in the series that Woodlawn leads 31-17.  

2024 BTW football schedule

Sep. 6               Lakeview

Sep. 13             at Bastrop

Sep. 21             Green Oaks

Sep. 27             Bossier

Oct. 4               North DeSoto

Oct. 11             at Northwood

Oct. 18             Minden

Oct. 25             at Loyola

Nov. 1               Southwood

Nov. 8               at Woodlawn

Contact Lee at leeh051@hotmail.com