October 31, 1928 – October 28, 2024

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” ~ Mae West

Mary “Sue” Parker Walker Anderson was born in Vivian, LA on October 31, 1928, and died in Natchitoches, LA on October 28, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband and the father of her children, Tony Walker; her second husband, Andy Anderson; her parents Dessie and Jack Parker Sr.; her sisters Jimmie Doerge, Shirley Young, and Billie Hindsman; her brothers Jack Parker, Jr. and Pat Parker; and her niece Lori Brown.

She is survived by her son David Walker and his wife Pearl; daughter Vickey Talton and her husband Reggie; sisters-in-law Lynette Parker and Vera Parker; brother-in-law Bill Young; nieces, Debra Stockstill, Susan Woollen, Becky Lacour, and Sherri Walters; nephew, Jack Parker III; nephew-in-law, Alan Brown; a host of grand and great nieces and nephews; and dear friend Clara Henderson.

Sue was born on her family farm on Halloween night, and she gave a subtle nod to her unique birthday by working a bit of mystery into her persona, which made her a ton of fun. She was brave, bold, witty, smart, sassy, adventurous, and tenacious. She knew things. She wasn’t nosy, but she was keenly observant, and she listened intently when people spoke. She was acutely aware of her surroundings, and she always knew the details of what was going on in the lives of her large and loving extended family because they shared with her their innermost secrets, confident that she would never betray their trust.

She knew from a young age that she had a knack for doing hair, and she loved helping women become the best version of themselves. She went to beauty school upon graduating from high school and owned several beauty salons in different cities throughout her career, the most notable being Sue’s Beauty Shop that she operated in Many, LA for 50 years.

When she was not working, she filled her days with her family, friends, and favorite hobbies, including salmon fishing in Alaska, golfing in Hot Springs Village, boating and floating on Toledo Bend and Cane River, cruising Lake Ouachita on a houseboat, playing the slots and catching the shows in Las Vegas, taking in the sights and soaking up the culture in Germany and France, visiting friends in Sweden, mud dogging on her farm in Vivian, cheering on NSU, LSU, the New Orleans Saints, and the Dallas Cowboys, devouring newspapers from front to back, settling in with a good novel, gardening, and cooking, which always involved preparing her legendary pork roast for any family gathering. Thanksgiving turkey always ran a distant second when Sue’s Pork Roast was on the menu. She filled her 96 years on Earth building meaningful relationships and reaching for the brass ring with every new idea, adventure, and experience. Her life made a difference in the lives of all who knew and loved her.

Arrangements are under the direction of Gorsulowsky Funeral Home in Vivian. Graveside services will be conducted at Vivian Cemetery by Reverend Richard Beeman on Friday, November 1, at 11 am. Honorary pallbearers are Jack Parker, III, Dean Stockstill, Mark Woollen, Tommy Lacour, Alan Brown, Parker Lacour, Daniel Walters, Kane Walters, Joe Landrum, and Ed Smith.

Sue loved animals and had many pets through the years, but she always had an especially soft place in her heart for her beloved dog, Lollie. When Lollie died, she buried her at the family farm in Vivian, a favorite spot for both of them. After she moved to Natchitoches, she supported and stayed abreast of FAUNA (Friends All United for Natchitoches Animals), the local animal rescue group, and she was excited about the prospect of a new animal shelter for the community. Those who wish to honor her memory may do so by donating to the FAUNA Shelter Fund, P.O. Box 2552, Natchitoches, LA 71457 (https://www.npfauna.org/donate/), or to a cause of their choice.

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Everywhere Eli Dollar has gone in his football career, he’s seen a stop sign. He saw it at Cope Middle School. He’s seen it his entire time while playing at Airline.

But this stop sign is not red and eight-sided. Instead, it’s about 6-foot-1 and has blond hair.

It’s called Ben Taylor.

Part of the hierarchy of playing high school football is waiting your turn. The frustrating part is that sometimes your turn – especially at a Class 5A school — doesn’t come until the senior year.

But Dollar and Taylor have always played the same position and are the same age. In middle school, Dollar backed up Taylor at quarterback. Same thing at Airline.

There are almost 11,000 reasons why things have stayed that way.  Taylor has become one of the all-time passing yardage leaders in state history, so Dollar knew he needed to find a different way to get on the field.

“It was my dream to play quarterback,” Dollar says, “but I had to make a change.”

No, he did not consider taking our Taylor’s kneecaps or putting a bunch of banana peels in front of his locker.

“I was hoping for a chance, but at the end of the day I had been here three years and I wasn’t where I wanted to be,” he says. “I wanted to be on the field and I wanted to make a difference.”

And he’s done just that for the 8-0 Vikings this year, only as a defensive back. But even that switch had a stop sign attached to it. Dollar had a broken rib at the beginning of the season. In his first game back against Parkway, he made an immediate impact with an interception return for a touchdown.

“It’s definitely better than sitting there and watching,” Dollar says.

Dollar certainly isn’t the only one in waiting-their-turn club at Airline this year. Fellow seniors Micah Johnson and Ayden Baker have also found roadblocks in getting onto the field but have made the most of their opportunities this year.

“We always preach play wherever you can to help the team,” Airline coach Justin Scogin says. “That’s how it was when I played. I was never great at anything, but I just wanted to play and have fun. That’s the kind of attitude these guys have. All three of these guys have been fun to coach.”

Johnson, who had been on the baseball team and didn’t start playing football until his junior year, has caught 38 passes for 294 yards and a touchdown this season.

“For a while, it was frustrating,” he says. “I knew I wasn’t going to play my first year but I just kept working and working to get out there. I’ve put in a lot of work to get where I am now. It’s paid off.”

“We knew really quick that he was going to be pretty good,” Scogin says. “He’s been phenomenal.”

Baker, a tight end, did get some playing time a year ago — “we probably should have played him more last year,” Scogin says — as he played behind second team All-Stater Bob Patterson.

“There were a lot of things that Bob did that I still can’t do,” Baker says. “He used to teach me some techniques that he used and how to run routes. I really appreciated that.”

“He’s patiently waited his turn,” Scogin says. “He just dominated everything in JV (last year), so we knew he would be good.”

Baker has caught 28 passes for 353 yards and four scores.

“It was a little frustrating waiting to get my shot, especially seeing my friends out there playing,” Baker says. “I knew when I got my chance, I was going to take it.”

Dollar says he went to teammates for advice when trying to make the decision about making the switch. It’s a decision he has not regretted one bit.

“I’ve had a lot of help,” Dollar says. “The coaches have put me in position to make plays and I knew I had what it took. Seeing all the seniors leave last year and the impact they had on the program, I wanted to be one of those guys.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

 By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

The Plain Dealing Lions won’t have a storybook season like the fabled Homer Iron Men did in 1957, but they are going out fighting – all 13 of them.

Homer, with a squad that included future NFL star and Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Fred Miller, was down to a 13-man roster after two games in 1957. The Pelicans, one year after a two-win season, defied the odds to reach the Class 2A state championship game.

Plain Dealing isn’t going to reach the playoffs this season, but the Lions are determined to finish it.

After being unable to complete a game in Week 7 at Arcadia due to injuries, and forfeiting their Week 8 District 1-1A contest at Jonesboro-Hodge due to not having 11 players available, the Lions are ready to play some more.

Plain Dealing football coach Clint Walker made it official with a simple statement texted Tuesday morning.

“Plain Dealing will be playing football this week and has full intentions on finishing the season,” he said.

Walker said the Lions have 13 players preparing to kick off Friday night at home against Lincoln Prep. That’s only three less than they had in mid-September, when the squad included six junior high boys.

Plain Dealing wraps up its district schedule Friday night, then is slated to visit Rosepine on Nov. 8 to end the season. The Lions are 0-8 and have lost 30 straight games, the second-longest string of consecutive losses in the state.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

It’s late in the season, and before there’s a November teams hope to remember, there’s Halloween.

For this week’s Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches’ Roundtable topic, we couldn’t resist this request.

“Tell us about a favorite Halloween memory (football or non-related), a costume you’ve seen from a colleague, player or family member, maybe one you’ve worn – or, your favorite Halloween treat (or trick).”

ANTHONY JOHNSON, Magnolia School of Excellence – “My junior year in high school, we played Haynesville on Halloween night 1980. Each time they would hit us, they would say – ‘trick or treat.’”

MATTHEW SEWELL, Haughton – “When I was 7 years old my mom got me a Curt Schilling jersey for getting straight A’s for the year. A few months later, he had his bloody sock game against the Yankees.

“I went in my room and got some white baseball pants and some white socks and painted my sock red and told Mom that’s what I was being for Halloween. Not your usual 7-year-old Halloween costume!”

JOHN SELLA, Loyola – “My parents have a costume closet at home that we were always digging into so Halloween was always a fun time. My mom made our costumes growing up and when I was real little, me and my older brother were Batman and Robin and I won a costume contest.

“My mom is super talented and now makes my kids’ costumes. Last year they were Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story and this year she made them costumes to be Ryder and Chase from Paw Patrol.”

JEREMY WILBURN, Captain Shreve (played at Byrd) – “Best costume I’ve ever worn was when Jordan Davis (Byrd alum and country singer) and I were Mario and Luigi one year when we were at LSU. We grew out our mustaches starting in early August when school started so it was a 2+ month costume commitment and it definitely paid off!”

JAMES BRADFORD JR., Green Oaks – “I don’t have anything about myself but I found it GREAT that my DC dressed in a Spider-Man suit.”

RODNEY GUIN, Calvary – “My favorite treats when we were trick or treating back in the late ‘60s were those homemade popcorn balls people used to make.  The kids today missed out on the homemade Halloween treats people gave us.”

STEPHEN DENNIS, Huntington – “Our first Halloween with ‘sister’ was the best ‘treat.’ We have boys that were 10 and 8 when our daughter was born. The first Halloween with the full Dennis crew will always be one that is special to me!!”

AUSTIN BROWN, Northwood – “My son is going to be Donald Trump this year, and my daughter will be dressed as Fake News.

“I’m kind of a Scrooge, when it comes to holidays. In fact, last Christmas I dressed as the Grinch and stole my kids’ presents — briefly.”

COY BROTHERTON, Parkway – “I honestly don’t ever remember dressing up for Halloween at all. I’m sure I just went as a football or baseball player most years as a kid.  As an adult it’s fun to see the kids dress up and be with friends.  As far as football goes, we had a big win when I was at Shreve against Byrd in OT — that is very memorable.”

JUSTIN SCOGIN, Airline – “I think this Halloween is the one I’m looking forward to most. Me and my son started watching Steve Irwin in the spring and now he’s going as him for Halloween and my youngest is going to be an alligator. First time in my life I’ve been pumped up for Halloween.”

REYNOLDS MOORE, Benton  — “My favorite football memory on Halloween is the Ole Miss-LSU game my freshman year of college in 2002. Ole Miss won in OT!!” (Note – he’s a native of the Magnolia State)

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Nobody needed to prep LSU head coach Brian Kelly for Tuesday’s open date press conference.

He knew the questions he was going to be asked were the same ones he had before he and his staff reviewed the game film of last Saturday’s second-half collapse at Texas A&M in a decisive 38-23 loss.

The Tigers (6-2, 3-1) led 17-7 at halftime despite two missed field goals but had no answers in every phase of the game in the second half when the Aggies (7-1 overall, 5-0 SEC) outscored LSU 31-6.

“For 52 of the first 73 plays, our guys played exceedingly well,” Kelly said. “It was the last 23 plays. So, this is much more about how you finish a game. We came out emotionally and physically and did the right things but we didn’t finish. You got to finish in this league.”

LSU’s offense produced 429 yards, including 405 passing yards and two TDs from starting QB Garrett Nussmeier. But he also threw three interceptions in the second half leading to 17 A&M points.

Part of the problem was that LSU’s rushing game was a massive failure, with only 24 yards on 23 attempts. The Tigers’ mostly veteran offensive line, featuring a collective 149 college starts from tackle to tackle, got manhandled by A&M’s D-line.

Kelly placed the blame on the offensive line and Nussmeier.

“A lot of the run game for us is based upon individual matchups,” Kelly said.  “We lost some individual matchups that made the run game less effective.

“The quarterback is instrumental in reading whether he has a loaded (defensive) box or not. And then just making good decisions based upon when we should throw the ball and when we should run based upon those numbers.”

Nussmeier, making his ninth college start, never got comfortable. A&M’s defensive disguises kept him guessing.

“It’s the process of a first-time starter at quarterback,” Kelly said. “In (2023 Heisman Trophy-winning QB) Jayden Daniels’ first year (as LSU’s starting QB in 2022), we threw for 86 yards against Auburn. We barely got out of Arkansas after a 13-10 win. We got our butts kicked against Tennessee (a 40-13 loss).

“Many people were calling for his job here in Baton Rouge earlier in his (Daniels’) tenure. Now, they’re ready to put up a statue in Washington right now (where Daniels is having a fabulous NFL rookie year).

“It’s the life of the quarterback at any level, whether it’s college or the NFL. His dad is a quarterback coach (for the Philadelphia Eagles), so he’s built for this. He’s not a guy that is going to shy away from it.

“We’re working with him to get him to the level that he needs to be, and he’s excited about doing it. I’m not really worried about loss of confidence with him. He knows what this looks like, and he knows others that have been here that are having incredible success in the NFL right now having gone through a similar path of development.”

After the A&M loss, LSU linebacker Greg Penn III said he and his teammates weren’t prepared to face A&M backup QB Marcell Reed.

Reed, a mobile dual-threat QB who replaced struggling pocket-passing starting QB Connor Weigman, accounted for 132 of the Aggies’ 195 total offense yards on 26 offensive snaps in A&M’s final six possessions of the game. He led the Aggies to four straight TDs and a field goal, rushing for 62 yards and 3 TDs on 9 carries and completed 2 of 2 passes for 70 yards.

“You don’t run a defense expecting the number two quarterback to come in,” Kelly said. “We prepared for Connor to play, and so a lot of the reps were focused on the offense that Connor is part of.

“But throughout (preseason) camp, throughout spring ball, throughout the season, we have a defense and a structure that stops quarterback runs, that stops read option. We just didn’t execute it as well (vs. Reed). That’s the fact of the matter.”

LSU’s placekicking operation, which had been consistently excellent all season, fell apart vs. the Aggies. After placekicker Damian Ramos made just 1 of 3 field goals in the first half, he lined up for a 36-yard field goal with 4:53 left in the third quarter that would have given LSU a 20-14 lead.

Instead, long snapper Slade Roy fired a snap off the chest of holder Peyton Todd who was looking at Ramos to see if he was ready. A&M flipped the error into a 60-yard scoring drive that gave the Aggies for good at 21-17 with 1 minute left in the third quarter.

“The snapper, the holder and the kicker have to work in unison,” Kelly said. “I don’t know what happened, but they were out of sync. It was a bad night. To have a night like that when they were so good all year is troubling but we’re going to get it fixed. We got some work on it today.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

HUNTSVILLE, Texas –– Louisiana Tech got only a field goal from four trips inside Sam Houston State’s 10-yard line Tuesday night and the Bulldogs fell 9-3 to the Bearkats in Tech’s lowest scoring game in 30 seasons.

The Bulldogs (3-5 overall, 2-3 in Conference USA) could not overcome four turnovers and two fourth-down failures, the last at Sam Houston’s 3-yard line with just four minutes left.

Tech’s defense did all it could, except score. The Bulldogs forced two turnovers, including an interception by Jakari Foster in the end zone, and held the Bearkats to just 268 total yards.

Sam Houston (7-2, 4-1) came into the contest averaging over 200 yards on the ground but was held to half that, 105 rushing yards.

“I thought we executed really well on defense and on special teams as well. Offensively, we did not,” said Tech coach Sonny Cumbie.

Tech’s only points were a 24-yard Buch Buchanan field goal that gave the ‘Dogs a 3-0 advantage with 2:24 remaining in the first quarter.

This was the result of the Bulldogs’ second offensive series. The first one was a solid 11-play, 68-yard drive that got the Bulldogs down to the 7-yard line, but a fumble on 4th-and-1 ended the threat.

Sam Houston scored its only first-half points on a safety, when redshirt freshman quarterback Evan Bullock was sacked, making the score 3-2 at the midway point

The Bearkats took the lead on their first drive of the second half as Jay Ducker broke off a 40-yard run to cap off a 7-play, 75-yard drive. That was all they needed.

The Bulldogs had the ball inside the Bearkat 5-yard line in the fourth quarter, but on first-and-goal, fumbled on a jet-sweep exchange for its fourth turnover of the game. Then after quickly getting the ball back after the defense forced its fifth three-and-out, the offense got down to the 3-yard line but could not connect on a pass on fourth down.

Even so, the ‘Dogs had one more chance to win the game. A quick 17-yard pass from Jack Turner to Jimmy Holiday over the middle put LA Tech at the Sam Houston 35-yard line with enough time left on the clock.

Two incomplete passes and a crossing route for just one yard put the road team in another fourth down situation. A heavy blitz got to Turner as he was hit as he attempted a pass.

Tech outgained Sam Houston, 312-268. Bullock and Turner combined for 207 passing yards with 80 of that going to Tru Edwards who had a game-high eight receptions.

One of the best things about traveling and fishing across the South is that you never know what or who you might encounter. Sometimes you come across some nice folks who like to strike up conversation with you at the gas pump. Then there are times when you just want to get back to the truck and get the heck out of there! But either way, it’s all a part of the so called “road time” that all anglers must endure. 

While most of my experiences have been positive, there’ve been a few that I would rather forget. The worst trip I ever had to make was an 18-hour drive (one way) to Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. The drive alone was brutal, and this is where I developed a major respect for the guys that fish for a living.

When traveling, I’m not one to stop and spend the night at a hotel especially pulling a bass boat, as you can quickly become a target for theft. So far, I’ve been very fortunate to have never been taken advantage of.  But I feel safer pulling into a rest stop occasionally for a quick power nap. 

Traveling all hours of the night, I seem to do well driving after dark. All I need are sunflower seeds and a large, sweet tea and I’m good to go! But there was one occasion where I guess you could say I hit a bump in the road. 

Traveling back from Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee, I had a blowout on my boat trailer. This has happened to me several times, so often that I could probably try out as a tire changer on a NASCAR pit crew. 

But on this particular night, my pit crew would have fired me! Let me set the stage for my debacle. It was in the wee hours of the morning, around 1 a.m., as I was coming through Birmingham, Alabama, when I felt a major vibration in the steering wheel. This usually means one thing — a blown tire on my boat trailer.  I pulled over in an area where there was some major highway construction taking place. Keep in mind that it was very dark and the only light I had was a weak cell phone and the headlights of passing cars. 

After emptying the entire back end of my truck so I could get to the floor jack and my pneumatic wrench, I slowly started the process of changing the flat tire. Now understand, there’s a right and a wrong way to put lug nuts on a wheel. Each lug nut has a beveled edge that is supposed to go on the wheel one way. 

Turns out, this is very important but when you’re changing a tire in the dark, some things you just don’t pay attention to. I was just wanting to get this tire changed and back on the road as quickly as possible. 

Getting the job done in record time that any man would be proud of, I was back on the road and headed for Louisiana. One hour later I needed gas, so I pulled into a Love’s Truck Stop (which are great) and hopped out of my truck and began to fill the tank. As the gas was flowing, I decided to do make sure the tarp on my boat was secure. 

Well, was I in for a shocking surprise! As I got to the trailer tire that I had changed out, I was amazed to see that the entire wheel was completely gone! WTH …  where was the tire I replaced about an hour ago? It was obviously somewhere on the side of the road just west of Birmingham! 

Still in shock, I pulled into the garage area of the Love’s Truck Stop and asked the mechanic if he had a trailer tire that would fit my boat trailer. Of course, he did not, but did know a local tire dealer who would. So, he made the call and the tire dealer sent me his store address that was luckily only 10 minutes away, and told me to meet him there. 

As it was 2 o’clock in the morning, I really hated to wake someone to get me a tire so I would not have to limp all the way back to Louisiana on just three tires. But this guy was not just a tire dealer, but the member of a local band that had just got in from a gig. 

He was so gracious and told me that one of two things probably happened for me to lose the wheel off my boat trailer. I either put the lug nuts on backwards, or I didn’t tighten them up tight enough. Of course, I blamed it on the dark and the fact that I couldn’t see what I was doing.  

Either way, this gentleman saved the day, and I pulled into my driveway eight hours later. This is all a part of the adventure of traveling and fishing some of the best lakes in the country. Things can get interesting quickly. You just have to stay positive and enjoy the drive — most of the time!  

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

I went to a workshop recently. I filled out a survey at the end of the workshop to give feedback. The survey asked about my level of satisfaction with the workshop. Can one say they were really satisfied with a workshop that was six of the most boring hours I have ever spent in my life? How would one express satisfaction with a required workshop? What was my level of satisfaction? The material was helpful the presentation was painful. What was my level of satisfaction?

It dawned on me that perhaps my friend David was insightful. He wrote:

“We all tend to share in a big, bad personal problem. It’s one that doesn’t get much press or pulpit time. Yet this problem is a huge interrupter of our personal spiritual journey. If you have this problem, you won’t be concerned that you have this problem precisely because you have the problem. The problem is personal spiritual self-satisfaction.

We’re all too satisfied with who we are, where we are, and what we’re doing. We’re satisfied with a little bit of biblical literacy. We’re satisfied with occasional moments of ministry. We’re satisfied with manageable debt that allows us to put a few coins in the plate. We’re satisfied with a bit of a grasp on the theology of Scripture. We’re satisfied with faithful attendance at the weekend services of our churches. We’re satisfied with quick morning devotions. We’re satisfied with a little ministry experience. We’re satisfied that we don’t act out most of our lust and we don’t communicate most of our envy. We’re satisfied that in our disappointment with God, we don’t walk away. We’re satisfied that we can harness a good bit of our fear of man. We’re satisfied to use most of our material resources to make and keep ourselves comfortable. We’re satisfied to be mere consumers of the work of the church ran than committed participants in it. We’re satisfied with hearts that occasionally wander and with thoughts that contradict what the Bible says is good and true. We’re satisfied with the amount of conflict we have in our lives. We’re satisfied.

None of us is yet a grace graduate, but we are satisfied. We give evidence that we still need to grow but we’re satisfied. And because we are satisfied, we are resistant to the grace that is our only hope.

Here is what you and I need to remember: we serve a dissatisfied Redeemer. He knows we still need the transforming work of His powerful grace.”

What is YOUR level of satisfaction?

Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Tony Taglavore takes to lunch a local person – someone who is well-known, successful, and/or influential, and asks, “What’s Your Story?”

By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services

On a fall day in 1986, a boy one year shy of adulthood left work early – the work of being a roofer in California’s high desert heat. He had something very important to do – become the first person in his family to enroll in college.

But after only a few minutes at his hometown’s community college, the fifth of seven children in his family almost left to go back to work.

“I went to what I thought was the admissions building. Turns out, it was the administration building.”

No big deal, right? Someone would give him directions, and off he would go. But remember, this was a young man who didn’t know how to navigate a college campus, and couldn’t ask anyone in his family about college life.

“I went in there and said, ‘I would like to apply.’”

The lady to whom he was speaking happened to work for the school’s president.

“She could have said, ‘Well, you’re a knucklehead. You’re in the wrong building.’ But she didn’t. She said, ‘Welcome.’ She asked me questions and made me feel she was interested. Then, she walked with me. She didn’t say, ‘Hey, go to that building two doors down.’ She walked with me all the way and gave me a warm handoff.”

Their interaction didn’t last more than a few minutes, but for one of those two people, has not been forgotten.

“It meant everything. I could have easily turned around, got right back into my car, and all the questions about whether college was for me would have been different. I would have had a very different life.”

Rick Bateman, the 56-year-old Chancellor of Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC), told me that story, and his story, during lunch at a place he often frequents – Silver Star Smokehouse – since it’s just down the road from where he works. Rick had the Light Platter with smoked turkey and ribs (he took some ribs home for his Shih Tzu), a side of au Gratin potatoes, and water to drink. I enjoyed the Strawberry Salad and water with lemon. I did not take any food home to my dog.

“When I orient new faculty and staff to BPCC, I always tell that story, how important that embrace is to make students feel welcome, and that they know they do belong, and that their success is our success.

Rick was born at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, California. He went to Antelope Valley High School. He delivered the Antelope Valley Press newspaper. He went to Antelope Valley College. And guess what?

“I never did see an antelope.”

But Rick did see a certain man stop by his house a handful of times during the year. He didn’t think much of it. As far as Rick knew, his father was his mother’s husband.

“I got all the way to sixth or seventh grade before I realized that this fella who would show up from time to time, and deliver Christmas gifts, was actually my biological father. I went by my stepfather’s last name all through elementary school and middle school.”

Rick’s stepfather worked in the Aerospace industry. The family lived close to Edwards Air Force Base, which meant Rick got to watch several space shuttle landings.

“We learned where to look in the sky when we heard the sonic boom.”

Financially, things got tight when Rick’s stepfather was laid off.

“We never lost our home, but things were lean . . . . I remember there were times when we would get on government cheese. That was really tough on my parents to deal with.”

There wasn’t much money to spend on playing organized sports, but when Rick was 10 years old, his parents enrolled him in a karate class. Six years later, Rick earned a black belt. Eventually, he got paid to teach private lessons.

“I really enjoyed being around those men, and I think they shaped me a lot. I think that group of men had a lot to do with who I am today.”

It wasn’t until he was studying at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) that Rick began to think about a career in education. But that seed wasn’t planted in a college classroom. To make some money, “I was an assistant teacher in a fourth-grade classroom.” The teacher, and seeing the development of those young people over the course of a year, she was just an amazing professional. I got to see how the instruction was built, and how it evolved over the course of a year. Seeing the children evolving and growing.”

After majoring in History, Rick was planning on going to graduate school. But those plans were squashed when Araceli, whom Rick had dated for six years, told him she and her family were moving back to their home country of Belize.

“I definitely didn’t want to lose her. I definitely knew I loved her. I definitely wanted to have a life with her.”

So that meant a life in Belize, where Rick and Araceli were married (31 years and counting). They taught at the same school until moving back to the United States 13 years later.

“We picked up our master’s degrees from Loyola of New Orleans via distance while we were in Belize. I was looking to earn a doctorate, and I was encouraged to look at the University of Texas. There’s a community college leadership program which is really well known. It’s produced the most community college presidents of any program in the country over a 60-year period. I applied and got into that, so we moved to Austin.”

After stops at a technical community college in Lake Charles, and Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College, Rick became BPCC’s interim chancellor, before having the “interim” tag removed in 2015.

“I had a spiritual mentor, a Jesuit priest, who said, ‘All God really wants us to do is identify the talents we are endowed with, nurture those talents, then apply them where we find the greatest need. I’ve always found the two-year college to be a place where there is significant need. I love that we serve students who exist on the margins. I think the same thing I saw in the development of those fourth graders over a period of a year, I love seeing the way our students develop over two years. It’s just amazing that a student who shows up at BPCC who wouldn’t look you in the eye, wouldn’t talk to you, and certainly wouldn’t shake your hand, watching them become student leaders, student body presidents, and representing the college statewide.”

Now, surely the man who oversees an institute of higher education had better things to do than visit with someone with my intellect. So, I asked Rick my final question. As always, what is it about his life story that he can pass along to someone else? Rick first offered advice to today’s youth.

“If it’s a young person who would be the first in their family to go to college, walk in faith. Keep taking those steps forward. You just never know where that path is going to take you.”

Then, Rick focused on adults.

“31 years now, it’s less about making a difference, and more about an openness to be made different by the folks we get to work with, and the students we serve. I am made different today by the students who come to BPCC and change their lives. They share that with me, and I’m made different by that.”

Just like on that fall day, when a “knucklehead” was made different by one person’s kindness.

Do you know someone with a story? Email SBJTonyT@gmail.com.

The Journal’s weekly “What’s Your Story?” series is sponsored by Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers

By LORI LYONS, Journal Sports

First things first.

There is a very good football player in Buffalo, New York, who plays quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. His name is Josh Allen.

This story is not about him.

This story is about a very good football player in Bossier City, La., who plays left guard on the offensive line for the Airline Vikings. His name is Josh Allen too. So is his dad’s.  They’ve heard all the jokes.

“My teammates, everybody,” the Louisiana Allen said. “It happens a lot.”

This Allen is one of 21 Shreveport-Bossier seniors who were named to the fourth annual National Football Foundation McNaughton Chapter Scholar-Athlete Watch List. Nominees must have at least a 3.2 grade point average, have won all-district honors and be involved in extracurricular activities.

In the spring, one Watch List standout will receive a $1,000 college scholarship award, from those 14 recognized with a Griffin’s Game Ball presented weekly by KTBS and Southern Classic Chicken in honor of the late Bob Griffin, the longtime sports journalist who was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Others will be among nominees for eight more $1,000 scholarships issued by the McNaughton Chapter.

Allen said he didn’t quite realize what the honor meant when informed by his coaches that he was a nominee.

“I really didn’t think much of it,” the young history buff said. “Usually, offensive linemen don’t get the recognition so I said, well it will probably go to somebody else. So I didn’t expect to get it. I was shocked. It really does mean a lot to me, knowing what I do every day is being recognized. Being an offensive lineman, it’s really rare.”

Equally rare, perhaps, is a Louisiana boy who doesn’t spend his free time hunting and fishing. Allen prefers tossing the football around with his 5-year-old brother, Colton.

But Allen wasn’t always a Louisiana boy. Born in Florida to his Air Force dad Josh, Sr., and mom Maryann, Allen lived in at least five different places, including Alabama and Guam, before his family landed in the Bossier City area and Barksdale Air Force Base the summer before his freshman year. Before moving to Louisiana, the family lived in South Dakota.

“I do miss the snow,” he said. “I’ve been all over the place.”

It’s no wonder that Allen dreams of becoming a pilot and is currently researching colleges where he can study aviation.

But for now, his focus is football and helping to keep the Vikings on their quest for an undefeated season. It hasn’t always been easy, as the Vikings have been involved in several epic high-scoring battles, most notably the 69-68 win over Captain Shreve on Oct. 4. Last week Airline beat Natchitoches Central 76-52.

“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “Especially since where I came from in South Dakota we were not a good team. We were like 0-10. Now, moving here is like a complete culture shock. I like the tight games because they’re more exciting but I’m really tired. We had one game where we kind of blew them out and I was like, ‘Yesss.’ I don’t have to go back in every five seconds.”

Contact Lori at sportslyons@gmail.com

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

When Loyola chose to “play up” and join travel-friendly District 1-4A for 2024-26 with a Class 3A enrollment instead of fitting better competitively but playing in a far-flung Monroe-based district, eyebrows were raised and expectations tempered for this football season.

First-year Flyers’ head coach John Sella understood.

“I still look at it and wonder if we can handle it, because you look across the field and they have a lot more players than us, a lot more size than us. But in the Minden game, we held up. We had some tough breaks (in a 28-13 loss Oct. 4) but we hung in there, and we realized, ‘we can do this.’ The kids have impressed me with how they’ve handled playing up,” he said.

It’s better than OK. The Flyers roll into Week 9 at 6-2 overall, 4-1 in district, and after a third consecutive dominant 1-4A win, they are the Shreveport-Bossier Journal Team of the Week.

“I’m a little surprised by the record,” said Sella. “The guys we graduated played both ways, played a lot of snaps. We weren’t sure what we were going to get replacing some of them.”

Sella’s gotten a shutdown defense, allowing only 200 yards per game, and a two-dimensional offense averaging 159 rushing yards and 195 in the air. The Flyers are outscoring opponents 36-11 per game, and get out to a good start: they have a 98-16 first-quarter scoring margin and 167-42 at halftime.

“We’ve been successful with sound defense and balance on offense,” said Sella. “A couple teams have tried to take away one phase, and it hasn’t affected us. We’re explosive, fun to watch, and balanced run-pass. On defense, I’ve been impressed because we still have 11 guys flying to the football. They haven’t worn down like can happen at this point of the season.”

Top stoppers for the defense: Hayden Horton (58 tackles), down lineman Jac Ebarb (57, 12 for lost yards), Fatte Ivy (55, also 12 TFL’s) and Carter Doyal (51, 10 TFL), while Carter Ward has snatched six interceptions.

A “glue guy” has been strong safety Grayson Nunn, who sat out 2023 as a transfer and was the Flyers’ scout team player of the year “because he played so hard,” said Sella. Nunn fractured his wrist earlier this season and plays with a tightly-wrapped “club” but “he gives maximum effort all the time and has had a lot of good games.”

Mason Drake is averaging 111 rushing yards and has 16 touchdowns while sophomore quarterback Bryce  Restovich has completed 62 percent of his 117 throws for 22 touchdowns and only five interceptions, distributing to three primary targets: Jake Black (30 catches, 447 yards, 6 TDs), Ben Brewer (28-496, 7 TDs) and Brock Geter (24-355, 4 TDs).

The first-year defensive coordinator is Sherrod Lewis, who previously worked across the ball with then-offensive coordinator Sella.

“I gave him the choice of coordinating either side, and he picked defense and is doing a great job,” said the Flyers’ rookie head coach after being an assistant since 2016. Continuity atop the staff was beneficial after the not-unexpected retirement from coaching of veteran Loyola leader Mike Greene.

“The kids didn’t have to learn a new personality. I knew all them. We had a head start with little transition, which has helped,” said Sella.

One big change jumps out that goes deeper than the successful W-L mark.

“Watching film from last year, it didn’t look like we were having fun, getting excited for each other when we made plays. Watching this year, we’re playing together. They’re excited for each other when somebody does something good,” said Sella.

“We’ve played better together this year, are playing for each other, and actually having fun. Football is fun. Winning is fun, too, but we’re just having more fun this year.”

Especially gratifying is abundant support from Flyer fans all over.

“People you had no idea were paying attention reach out and say ‘you’re having a great season, keep up the good work.’ There are eyes on us,” said Sella, “and I’m happy the kids have earned that respect and support.”

Now they have a shot to earn the 1-4A title if they can surprise powerhouse North DeSoto (second-ranked in the LSWA Class 4A state Top 10, 6-2 overall, 5-0 in district) this Friday and get by Northwood (7-1, 4-1) in Week 10.

“The schedule played out so in Week 9 we still have a championship to play for, which is exciting,” said Sella. “We have probably our two biggest games, and playing big games at this point is fun.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

After forfeiting last week’s District 1-1A football game at Jonesboro-Hodge because of a player shortage, Plain Dealing High School is getting ready to tee it up at home Friday night against Lincoln Prep.

The north Bossier Parish school will release an official statement this morning to confirm its return to competition – at least for this week. Louisiana High School Athletic Association rules create a sense of urgency, because if a school forfeits two district games in a season, it can have its playoff status revoked in all sports for up to three years.

The Lincoln Prep game concludes Plain Dealing’s district schedule. The Lions are slated to finish their season at another personnel-challenged program, Pickering, on Nov. 9.

Plain Dealing had only 16 players in mid-September. Since then, injuries and attrition trimmed the roster, which included six junior high boys. Plain Dealing was unable to complete its Week 7 game at Arcadia when a Lion was sidelined by a second-half injury, leaving the team without 11 able-bodied competitors.

The school has the lowest enrollment of any football-playing school in Louisiana, with under 70 boys and girls attending the high school.

Including the forfeit, the Lions are 0-9 this season and have not scored since a 16-14 home loss to Tensas in the season opener. Their 30 straight defeats equal the state’s second-longest skid.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

Airline is averaging 57 points per game after ringing up 76 last Friday night, but allowing 52 in a homefield triumph over Natchitoches Central.

Voters in the LSWA state Top 10 polls evidently were swayed by Airline’s scoring, giving the Vikings a lift up in this week’s rankings.

The Vikings gained 12 points in the polling, going up from 29 to 41 points, and rose one slot to No. 9 in this week’s Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A Top 10 rankings. Airline was tied with Mandeville at No. 10 last week, but the Skippers collected just three new points this week.

An impressive win by Calvary, 21-14 over a good Class 5A Huntington team, earned the Cavaliers no improvement in the Class 2A rankings. Calvary remained No. 2 and still collected 129 points. Incredibly, Oak Grove – a formidable team, but one Calvary beat 62-41 in Week 1 — continues to pick up a first-place vote and stands fourth.

A dozen LSWA members from around the state vote weekly to rank the top 10 teams in each of the five LHSAA classifications.

Unbeaten Airline (8-0) gets its toughest test Friday night when the Vikings travel to play 7-1 Byrd at Lee Hedges Stadium in a District 1-5A showdown. Byrd picked up two points in this week’s polling while Parkway (also 7-1) received one point (a 10^th-place ranking by one voter).

Northwood (7-1) collected a point in Class 4A voting.

The LSWA’s Top 10 rankings for Week 9:

CLASS 5A

School (1^st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking

1. Karr (9)                               7-0, 141, 1

2. Neville (3)                          8-0, 132, 2

3. Acadiana                             7-1, 111, 4

4. Alexandria                         8-0, 110, 6

5. Catholic-Baton Rouge        6-1, 96, 5

6. Ruston                                 6-2, 79, 3

7. Zachary                               6-1, 77, 7

8. Archbishop Rummel           7-1, 59, 8

9. Airline                                 8-0, 41, T10

10. Mandeville                        8-0, 32, T10

Others receiving votes: Central 17, Jesuit 14, Hahnville 8, John Curtis 5, St. Paul’s 4, West Monroe 4, Byrd 2, Covington 1, Parkway 1.
 

CLASS 4A

School (1^st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking

1. Teurlings Catholic (12)      8-0, 144, 1

2. North DeSoto                     6-2, 123, T2

3. Lutcher                               7-0, 121, T2

4. St. Thomas More                5-3, 104, 4

5. E.D. White                          6-2, 94, 5

6. Archbishop Shaw                6-2, 91, 6

7. Opelousas                            4-3, 77, 8

8. Franklin Parish                    7-1, 50, 9

9. Cecilia                                 5-3, 40, 7

10. Franklinton                        7-1, 31, 10

Others receiving votes: Westgate 25, Plaquemine 13, Iowa 8, Vanderbilt Catholic 5, West Ouachita 4, Minden 3, Istrouma 1, Lakeshore 1, Leesville 1, Northwood-Shreveport 1.

CLASS 3A

School (1^st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking

1. University (12)                    7-1, 144, 1

2. Bunkie                                 8-0, 131, 2

3. Jennings                              7-1, 114, 3

4. St. James                             5-2, 107, 4

5. Northwest                           6-2, 89, 5

6. John F. Kennedy                 4-4, 79, 6

7. Amite                                  6-2, 62, 7

8. Jewel Sumner                      7-1, 57, 8

9. Sterlington                           5-3, 49, 9

10. Madison Prep                     5-3, 43, 10

Others receiving votes: De La Salle 23, Erath 12, Bastrop 5, Iota 5, Kaplan 5, Lake Charles Prep 4, Carroll 3, Haynes Academy 3, Jena 1.

CLASS 2A

School (1^st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking

1. Newman (7)                        6-0, 132, 1

2. Calvary Baptist (1)            6-2, 129, 2

3. Dunham (3)                         8-0, 126, 3

4. Oak Grove (1)                     6-1, 108, 4

5. Ouachita Christian              8-0, 96, 5

6. Catholic-New Iberia           7-1, 86, 6

7. Episcopal-Baton Rouge      7-1, 63, 7

8. Union Parish                       4-4, 49, NR

9. Notre Dame                         4-4, 46, 8

10. Lafayette Chrisitan            3-5, 42, 10

Others receiving votes: Mangham 19, Pope John Paul 13, DeQuincy 6, Lafayette Renaissance 4, Northlake Christian 4, Ferriday 3, Kinder 1, Lakeside 1, South Plaquemines 1.

CLASS 1A

School (1^st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking

1. Vermilion Catholic (12)       8-0, 144, 1

2. Haynesville                          8-0, 128, 2

3. Ascension Catholic              6-1, 114, 3

4. Riverside                              5-2, 108, 4

5. Catholic-Pointe Coupee       8-0, 92, 5

6. Covenant Christian              8-0, 89, 6

7. Southern Lab                       4-3, 79, 7

8. St. Martin’s                          5-2, 44, 9

9. Kentwood                            5-3, 40, 8

10. Ascension Episcopal         6-1, 38, NR

Others receiving votes: St. Edmund 19, Logansport 9, Jeanerette 8, St. Frederick 7, Central Catholic 4, Westminster-Opelousas 4, General Trass 3, Hamilton Christian 3, Delhi Charter 1, Glenbrook Academy 1, Elton 1.

By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — It will be a Dog and Kat fight tonight on ESPNU when Louisiana Tech travels to Bowers Stadium to face Sam Houston State.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The game can be heard locally on The Light 92.1 FM with Malcolm Butler and Teddy Allen providing a call of the action.

Tech (3-4, 2-2 CUSA) is coming off a 14-10 homefield win over UTEP last week while Sam Houston (6-2, 3-1) scored a 10-7 victory at Florida International.

“This game is very important in the conference landscape,” said Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie. “When you look at the rest of the teams that we play … they are all ahead of us in the standings. So if we want to make a run in October and November, then we have to beat those teams.

“All of those teams still have to play each other as well as Liberty so I believe there will be a team playing in the C-USA championship game with multiple conference losses. I think parity has taken over in this league.”

The Bulldogs need to win three of their final five games in order to get to six wins and become bowl eligible.

“It’s important as far as bowl eligibility,” said Cumbie. “We need to find a way to get this one on the road. It will be a physical football game in terms of their style of play on both offense and defense. I think our kids have handled this week well. We have really challenged them.”

After starting last year 0-8, Sam Houston State has won nine of its last 12 games, including a 42-27 victory over Tech last season in Ruston. This year marks just the second in CUSA for the Bearkats, formerly a national power at the FCS level and a 2021 national champion.

The game will pit each team’s strength going head to head. Tech ranks among the league leaders in defense, including a stingy run defense that gives up only 94.9 yards per game on the ground. Sam Houston State is run-heavy, averaging 208.6 yards on the ground.

And the Bearkats’ offensive success starts with dual threat quarterback Ben Watson, who is expected to return to the field after missing last week’s game against FIU. Watson has passed for 987 yards and nine scores while rushing for 500 yards and four more TDs.

“This week we will be challenged with their quarterback who can really run the football,” said Cumbie. “Their two running backs are also really good players. Their offensive line is big and physical. The line of scrimmage will be critical to us getting this fourth victory.”

The Bulldogs counter with a passing offense that has been led by redshirt freshman Evan Bullock. The Anna, Texas, native has thrown for 1,038 yards and nine TDs in just four starts and has yet to throw an interception in 138 attempts.

Bullock was 10-of-12 for 123 yards and one TD on third downs in last week’s win over UTEP.

“I just tell him everything is third down,” laughed Cumbie. “Just play first and second down like its third down. The message to him this week has been consistency. There have been a lot of clutch throws that he has made since he has taken over. He just has to be consistent through the course of the game.”

Contact Malcolm at lpjnewsla@gmail.com

By Brad Dison

Abraham Jr. was a theater critic for the Dublin Evening Mail in Dublin, Ireland during the 1870s.  At the time, theater critics were held in low esteem. Stars of the stage avoided reading reviews by other critics, but there was something different about Abraham’s reviews.  Even when being critical of a performance, Abraham wrote in such a way that made the performers feel at ease.  Abraham’s writing quickly gained him recognition, and he befriended several leading stage performers, one of which was Henry Irving. 

Henry Irving was an English classical actor and manager.  Unlike most actors of the Victorian era who only acted in performances, Henry took full responsibility for all aspects of the stages on which he performed including the supervision of sets, props, lighting, directing, and casting.  Theater managers continued to control the business side of the theaters.  In 1874, Henry starred in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” at the Lyceum Theatre in London’s famed West End.  The play ran for an unheard of 200 performances and was Henry’s greatest triumph.  In 1878, a row between Henry and the manager of the Lyceum grew so heated that the manager quit and began managing another theater.  The strain of managing the stage as well as the business affairs of the Lyceum quickly grew to be more than Henry could handle.  He needed help.

Abraham had just married a celebrated beauty named Florence Balcombe when he got a job offer from Henry.  Henry wanted Abraham to move to London to be the business manager of the Lyceum and, to ease his burden even more, to be Henry’s personal assistant.  It was an offer Abraham could not refuse.  Abraham and his new bride quickly moved to London where he worked in this capacity until Henry Irving died in 1905.  During those 27 years, Abraham traveled the world as Henry’s assistant.  In 1894, Abraham, Florence, and their son Irving Noel, named in honor of Henry Irving, took a much-needed break at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel on the northeastern coast of Scotland.  Abraham and his family took the half mile walk to the cliffs overlooking the North Sea to see the remains of Slains Castle.  While walking through the ruins of the castle’s many rooms including the octagonal hall, Abraham got the idea for a new play which would naturally feature Henry as the lead character.  Back at the hotel, Abraham jotted down some of his ideas before he returned to London.  He continued to work on the play during his limited free time. 

Two years later, Abraham and Florence took another break and stayed in a guesthouse overlooking the North Sea in Whitby, England.  He walked to the shoreline and back up the 199 steps to the graveyard of St. Mary’s Church and visited the ruins of Whitby Abbey.  This visit stirred Abraham’s imagination, and he rushed back to the guesthouse and began writing.  Before leaving Whitby, Abraham visited the public library and accidentally came across a word in a book which he misinterpreted.  It was the perfect name for the lead character in his play, but by this time Abraham had decided to publish it as a play and a novel.  Unfortunately, for reasons that remain unclear, Henry never played the lead character that Abraham had created for him.  Abraham’s book is still popular today, but no one knows the author as Abraham.  Abraham Jr. went by another name to differentiate him from his father.  Family, friends, and eventually the whole world knew Abraham Jr. as Bram Stoker.  The word he misinterpreted as meaning “Devil” was Dracula.