By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Army and Louisiana Tech collide Saturday night at 8:15 in the 48th Annual Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl. They meet twice today.
Teams are expected to attend the Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast at 7:30 at Riverview Hall, and this evening at 6 they’ll reconvene there for the “Big Game Welcome Party” featuring a feast that will be new to most members of the Black Knights travel party – fare including whole smoked hogs, bacon-wrapped alligator, jambalaya and king cake. With 37 players from Texas (27), Louisiana (8), Arkansas and Mississippi, Army will not begin eating this evening without a solid scouting report.
Both teams made Christmas Day visits to Holy Angels, the non-profit Shreveport care facility for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Today following a midday practice, the Army team will go to Bossier City’s Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home, which provides care to honorably discharged veterans, spouses of veterans and Gold Star parents.
Army (11-2) arrived early, with its flight landing about an hour sooner than expected, on Christmas Eve. As coach Jeff Monken noted earlier this month, his players are in an unusual status – preparing for a game without having the exceptionally-demanding daily schedule and rigors of West Point campus life.
“They’re really going to enjoy this,” said Monken, who reiterated to local media Tuesday that he has watched the Independence Bowl since he was a boy, and again expressed pride that his Army team gets to compete in a bowl game with a rich history and a strongly patriotic theme.
For the Bulldogs, arrival in Shreveport Wednesday afternoon was an unexpected pleasure. The Bulldogs had collected equipment and gone into offseason mode after finishing a 5-7 season with a 33-0 homefield beatdown of Conference USA bottom-dweller Kennesaw State. But when Sun Belt Conference champion Marshall welshed on fulfilling its invitation to play in Shreveport, and no bowl-eligible six-win teams were left to fill the slot, a hurried shuffle gave Louisiana Tech its first bowl berth since 2020.
Senior defensive lineman Mike Clark told local media Wednesday about his reaction when coach Sonny Cumbie called him asking if he was up to play one more time.
“I said, ‘hell, yeah. Excited, ecstatic.’ (Cumbie) was like, ‘that’s all we need to know.’ (He) put the phone down, made it happen,” said Clark. “Any time you get to play the game, it’s amazing, but obviously the opponent we have is amazing.”
Cumbie unabashedly continued courting the regional fan base Wednesday. Monken has conceded that replacing Marshall with Louisiana Tech results in Army playing what is in essence a road game.
“We understand what an opportunity it is for Louisiana Tech to play in Shreveport at the Independence Bowl. We’re extremely excited for north Louisiana, we’re excited for our fan base and we’re honored to be in this football game,” said Cumbie.
Friday’s focal events are evening festivities at the Louisiana Boardwalk and East Bank District in Bossier City, beginning with a Mardi Gras Preview Parade at 6:30, followed by a Battle of the Bands at East Bank Plaza and a free concert from 8-10.
While heavy storms are in the forecast this afternoon, rain is expected to lessen Friday and clear out Saturday in time for the ESPN-televised game at Independence Stadium.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com