By CLINT DAVIS, LPC
Special to the Shreveport-Bossier Journal

This week is the 20^th anniversary of one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history. In the fall of 2005, I was a young National Guard soldier sent into the chaos of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. My unit was deployed to the Superdome, a place the nation only saw in fleeting television shots. It was dark, overcrowded, and filled with desperation. What the cameras could never capture were the untold stories of survival, failure, faith, and fragile humanity that unfolded in those days.

Now, 20 years later, I tell this story not just for myself, but for the men and women I served alongside – the invisible ones no one has ever heard from. We were soldiers, police, medics, and civilians, thrust into a situation no one could have imagined, carrying the burden of a government that faltered and a community left to fend for itself.

The Dome nobody saw

Inside the Superdome, the air was heavy with fear, sweat, and the unrelenting stench of too many bodies trapped together. Thousands had come seeking shelter, only to find themselves stranded without food, water, or hope. Reports swirled of violence, assaults, and deaths. But the truth was far more complex. There was suffering, yes, but there was also resilience.

I remember shining a flashlight into dark corners, praying not to stumble upon someone being hurt. I remember the sound of mothers crying because their children hadn’t eaten. I remember the hollow stare of elderly men and women who had nowhere to go. These were not statistics. They were lives, each one precious, and each one bearing the image of God.

What was hardest was knowing that so much of what happened would never be told. When I returned home, even my own family couldn’t believe the stories I carried. “No one’s talking about that,” they said. “The news says it wasn’t that bad.” But I had seen enough to know the truth could not be minimized.

A Band of Brothers and Sisters

During the nightmare, something beautiful happened. A small band of brothers and sisters, soldiers of Alpha Company 527^th and others I cannot name, rose up. We gave our hearts, our minds, and our bodies to caring for the abandoned. We carried stretchers, guarded doors, shared the last of our rations, and prayed in corners where despair threatened to take hold. We were spit on, threatened, attacked and disrespected.

We didn’t do it perfectly. We were tired, scared, and sometimes angry. But we stood together because the people around us had no one else. That’s the part of the story that rarely gets told. In the face of broken systems and government failure, human beings still reached for each other.

The weight we carried

For many of us, the weight of those days didn’t end when we left the Dome. It followed us home. The memories shoved deep into our unconscious minds resurfaced in nightmares, in anxiety, and in the gnawing sense that no one really understood.

That is why I tell this story now, not for sympathy, but for healing. God has healed me in so many ways that I want to give back and see others find freedom in Christ. As a trauma counselor, I see every day how people carry hidden wounds. The invisible ones are all around us: veterans, first responders, parents, children, neighbors. The scars may not show, but they shape our lives. Telling the story is the first step toward freedom.

Episode 7: Hope in the midst

In episode 7 of my podcast series on Katrina, I shared something that surprised even me after revisiting those memories. Amid the horror, there was hope. I saw strangers become family. I saw faith sustain people when supplies ran out. I saw courage in the eyes of soldiers who kept standing guard when everything in them wanted to collapse.

One of the most powerful lessons I carry from those days is this: even when the world fails, humanity does not have to. God can give us the strength to keep going. He will make beauty from ashes! Systems will break. Leaders will stumble. But ordinary people can still choose compassion over cruelty, courage over fear, and sacrifice over selfishness.

That truth is what encourages me today. We live in a world still filled with disasters – natural, political, and personal. Families are torn apart by addiction. Communities are divided by hatred. Many feel abandoned, invisible, and forgotten. But just like in the Dome, light still breaks through the cracks. People still rise up for each other. God is still at work, redeeming what the enemy meant for evil.

Why I share now

It has taken me nearly two decades to speak these words out loud. For too long, we, the soldiers of Alpha Company 527th, the medics, the guards, the unseen heroes, have been silent. Our silence wasn’t because we didn’t care, but because the weight was too heavy and the world seemed unwilling to listen.

But stories matter. Stories heal. Stories remind us that what we endured was real and that it cannot be erased. And stories remind those who are suffering now that they are not alone.

As a counselor, pastor, and speaker, my mission today is the same as it was in the Dome: to stand with the hurting, to call the invisible into the light, and to remind us all that we are not defined by disaster, but by the hope we carry through it.

A call to remember

As we mark 20 years since Katrina, my plea is simple: remember. Remember the lives lost. Remember the failures, so they are not repeated. Remember the survivors, whose stories are still waiting to be heard. And remember the invisible ones who carried burdens in silence so others could live another day.

Our community is stronger when we face the past together. Healing begins when the unseen are finally seen, and when the unheard are finally given a voice.

This is not just my story. It is our story. It is a story of pain, yes, but also of courage, compassion, and hope. And it is a story still being written, in every act of kindness, in every choice to serve, in every effort to bring light into the darkest places.

Want to hear the full story? Listen and hear of the devastating things humans are capable of, and the wonderful things God can do through horrible circumstances.

You can find The Asking Why with Clint Davis podcast on YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify. Here is a link to the YouTube version:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIOrlMLRoBUSpMPAEaDnYow04vI_iQnmN&si=m8EyTVFoNTf0k68b

Clint Davis is a licensed professional counselor, and owner of Clint Davis Counseling. His company has offices in Shreveport, Bossier, and Benton.

The backstory helps explain why so many in the Louisiana-Mississippi corridor were caught off guard by Katrina 20 years ago today.

A year earlier thousands had evacuated ahead of Ivan, being termed the strongest hurricane to ever approach the corridor, and aiming right at it.

Routes inland from Gulfport-Biloxi, where I was the Sun-Herald’s night editor, were jammed the afternoon before expected landfall.

Nearly forgotten memories of Camille and its devastation moved masses. The 70-mile drive to Hattiesburg took 4 1/2 hours.

The Coast was pretty much abandoned as thousands huddled afar and waited.

But Ivan changed course, instead ripping into Alabama and West Florida with unmerciful fury.

Many of those returning to Mississippi and Louisiana homes said no more and when Katrina rebounded toward them on August 27, 2005 they dug in, resolved to not again cower before a now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t demon.

By the time they could stare right in Katrina’s face it was too late to pack and go. The Coast went to bed on August 28 absolutely certain a blow was coming. The only question was how bad it would be.

We all know now.

Ivan’s storm surges in Mississippi of 4-7 feet a year earlier were surpassed by Katrina’s of up to 28 feet. From Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula a wall of water nearly three stories high roared several miles inland.

Its force in tandem with the screaming wind left destruction such as was hard to believe, toppling buildings and bridges, ripping up train tracks and trees, reducing housing and highways to rubble.

For the Coast, as in New Orleans, recovery came first, before rebuilding could begin.

Before either, of course, came the added insult less than a month later from Rita’s pounding.

Some of the rebuilding has yet to be done, and may never be.

(Two entries from Jim’s Katrina Notebook, published by the Biloxi Sun-Herald)

September 1, 2005: To the watering hole

They begin to gather at sundown, coming in ones, twos or larger groups on Day Two of life after Katrina.

Much like Serengeti animals drawn to the watering hole, residents of the subdivision are attracted to a fire hydrant and the pipe wrench discretely hidden nearby.

A shower, or what passes for one in this community circle, is the primary purpose after another day of no power and no water in the stifling heat.

Another objective is collecting in buckets enough water to facilitate toilet use.

And always there is an alertness for the prowling lion — in this instance represented by the patrolling law enforcement unit.

The surreptitious bathers aren’t sure their actions are legal, but there is an unspoken sense that they probably not acceptable in normal times, but these are not normal times.

September 7, 2005:  Drip-drop-drip

GULFPORT — There is perhaps nothing more irritating than the sound of a leaking faucet, except when that drip-drop-drip signifies water is back in the line.

Not much pressure, not potable, but water nonetheless.

It allows toilets to function, and boiled on the Coleman stove, opens the door to lost luxury — instant coffee, instant grits, instant soup, macaroni and cheese — a gourmet’s delight.

Some are talking about showers, others aren’t sure about getting under what may be a contaminated stream.

Odds are the latter are just not dirty enough yet nine days after landfall.

(Editor’s note: Jim Butler was an acclaimed writer and editor at the Alexandria Town Talk for 36 years, the last 23 (1977-2003) as editor-in-chief. He led Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina for the Gulfport (Miss.) Sun-Herald in 2005. Butler returned home to Cenla a few years ago, and shares his talents and insight with Rapides Parish Journal readers.)

One day last week, the linebacker called from Dallas. He had a quick question, but we ended up talking for a few minutes. He’s an orthopedic surgeon, so I figured he might have other matters to attend to, but we always find time to chat like neither of us have anything better to do.

That same morning, I returned a call from the All-State kicker called from south Louisiana. It was equal parts just checking in and looking for a quick bit of information.

A few hours later, the offensive guard stopped by my house to deliver a particular delicacy to my wife. Quite a nice gesture but not the least bit surprising.

Three former football teammates reaching out in the span of about two hours for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with football. And I really didn’t give it a second thought.

Until I did.

That’s when I began to put all of the pieces together. I went to kindergarten with the center. Until he retired recently, the defensive end was my physician. I’ll drop in to see the head coach at his place of business for absolutely no reason whatsoever. 

It’s been almost 50 years since we formed a pretty special high school football team. But that season lives on in ways that have nothing to do with running an I-right, 84 off-tackle play or a calling for a weakside blitz.

I’d bet that more than half of us have lost our championship rings, but what we haven’t lost is the relationship that was formed during that season.

Football was never my favorite sport, but I played it because it’s what most of my friends did. I was happy to simply be with my guys. If we won a bunch of games, well, that just made for a few better memories.

It often gets a bad rap but there is no sport that bonds teammates like football does. And while I fully understand the reservations that some people have with the sport, this sport at this level does things that you really can’t understand until you’ve been through it.

Yes, there are a few negative effects that have trickled down from the pro and college levels, but high school football remains something truly special. And that has nothing to do with wins and losses.

Every sport evolves and things are never how they once were. But just because there aren’t two-a-days or leather helmets anymore hasn’t changed what players experience in the course of a season.

They also share more than a locker room. They share a camaraderie that is unquestionably unique. They will rally with each other and for each other. There are all sorts of terms that get thrown around way too much –  “Band of Brothers” or “Us Against the World” – but that’s because people can’t resist the opportunity to describe something that is particularly indescribable.

Do yourself a favor and go look at any high school team picture. They’ll be posed along the stadium bleachers wearing uniforms just out of the box and a few will have haircuts that they’ll regret later in life. But it is more than just a group of players and coaches standing in rows.

It is a snapshot of a moment in time. At that moment, those in the picture don’t know how things are going to play out over the course of the next 10 (or more) weeks. They certainly aren’t worried about how things are going to play over the next 10 years. Or 50 years.

It would be easy to say we didn’t realize it at the time, but actually, I think we did. We don’t keep in touch all of these years later because we were able to win games. We do it because a bond was formed all those years ago that we were more than willing to be a part of.

Even then. And especially now.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

NATCHITOCHES — When a team has gone more than 1,000 days between victories, what difference does another hour-plus make?

The Northwestern State football team exploded out of the gates in its season opener in Turpin Stadium against Alcorn State on Thursday night only to see its momentum delayed by lightning in a pause that lasted well over an hour.

Still, the Demons delivered the type of tough-minded performance second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle sought as Northwestern doubled up the visiting Braves, 20-10, to snap a 20-game losing streak, the country’s longest in NCAA Division I.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team and a campus and a city as in need of a win as this football team, this university and Natchitoches did,” McCorkle said. “It allows everybody to take a sigh of relief and lets people know that this football program, this city and this campus loves so much is alive and well, and we’re going to be A-OK. A new day’s coming.”

Northwestern earned its first season-opening win since 2013 and its first victory overall since Nov. 5, 2022, by demonstrating its toughness – especially in the second half.

The Demons authored a near-perfect first quarter before a lightning delay hit with 13:47 to play in the second quarter.

Northwestern needed just three plays to score on the game’s opening series. Myion Hicks busted free for a 51-yard run on the second play from scrimmage to set up Abram Johnston’s 15-yard scoring pass to Ty Moore.

The grab was just the start for Moore, a senior two-year starter who later returned a bad snap of an Alcorn State punt 8 yards for his second touchdown of the quarter.

“I saw it go over (the punter’s) head and I saw two guys in front of me,” Moore said. “I know he’s going to try to punt it out of the back (of the end zone). In the back of my mind, I’m thinking, ‘What if he misses the punt?’ That’s exactly what happened. The other guys were too close to him to react to it, so I grabbed it and started stumbling, so I had to do a little flip into the end zone.”

Moore’s fumble recovery was part of a three-takeaway first half for Northwestern, which snuffed consecutive Alcorn State drives with end-zone interceptions.

The first came when Christian Williams was in perfect position to play a carom off an Antonio Hall breakup while sophomore safety Kaden Mackey came away with a highlight-reel one-handed pick in nearly the same spot as Williams’ interception.

“Can I say I loved it?” Mackey asked sheepishly. “As soon as I got into his hip, I looked back and one-handed it and got ready to celebrate with the team.”

The consecutive interceptions allowed the Demons to maintain their 13-point advantage until momentum shifted to the visiting sideline in a four-play stretch midway through the second half.

Orlandus McLaurin’s 72-yard pick-six put Alcorn on the board. Then a Myion Hicks fumble two plays following the TD  set up a Braves field goal to pull Alcorn within three with 23 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

From there, the Demon offensive line put the game on its collective back.

Northwestern answered the Braves’ 10-point flurry with a 12-play, 68-yard drive that took 6:17 off the clock and finished with a 1-yard touchdown from fullback Ryan Tyler, who earlier in the week had been announced as a team captain.

All 12 plays were runs with the biggest coming on a 3^rd-and-4 from the Demon 38-yard line.

Senior running back Kolbe Burrell appeared to be stopped for little to no gain before spinning left out of a pile and turning the play into a drive-sparking 38-yard rush.

“I thought he was tackled for a loss,” Johnston said. “Him slipping out and going, there was nothing there. Kolbe’s always been like that – gritty. He’ll pop out of a pile all of the time.”

Johnston helped set up Tyler’s clinching score with a 14-yard keeper on an option call, part of his team-high 69 rushing yards.

“Our team embodies (toughness) as our character,” Johnston said. “We have five stars (in our culture), but toughness is our character. It’s who we are. We’re tough. We talk about it all the time, but tonight really showed it.”

That toughness, and a defense that gave up just a field to an offense that averaged 24 points last year, allowed the Demons to end a 20-game losing streak that covered 1,027 days between victories.

“Now it’s zero,” McCorkle said. “I told the guys in the locker room, ‘When we woke up this morning, we had the longest losing streak in the country. Saturday night, when all of the games are over, we’ll have a longer winning streak than half the country.’ That’s pretty cool to think about.”

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

CLEMSON, S.C. – When you agree to schedule a college football game, you never know how it will eventually transpire.

For instance, in July 2018, then-Clemson athletic director and former LSU senior associate athletic director Dan Radakovich, along with then-LSU deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry, finalized a contract for a home-and-home series in 2025 at Clemson and 2026 at LSU.

“We agreed we should play in the regular season,” Ausberry said. “We’d only played each other in bowl games.”

Ausberry, now LSU’s executive deputy director of athletics, and now-University of Miami athletic director Radakovich couldn’t have dreamed how their scheduling agreement has blossomed into probably one of the biggest season-opening games in LSU history.

The No. 9 Tigers of LSU are desperately trying to break a streak of five straight season-opening losses when they play the No. 4 Tigers of Clemson here Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT. Clemson is a 3½-point favorite.

It’s a battle of quarterbacks Garrett Nussmeier of LSU and Cade Klubnik of Clemson, a pair of Heisman Trophy favorites.

It’s a matchup of two vastly different recruiting philosophies, with LSU head coach Brian Kelly annually pilfering the transfer portal and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney barely dipping his toes in portal waters.

It’s bragging rights for which school can boast that is has the most intimidating “Death Valley,” the nickname for both Clemson’s Memorial Stadium and LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

“I’ve been pretty vocal that I love our roster,” said Kelly, who’s starting his fourth year guiding a program he had to rebuild. “I like the depth of the roster and the competitiveness. Does that guarantee you wins? No. The reality of it is we still have to go out and play.”

Increased available NIL funds and a vastly improved player personnel department led to Kelly signing the nation’s No. 1-ranked portal class last December and January. Probably eight or nine players of LSU’s 18-man transfer portal signees are expected to start vs. Clemson. Several others will see extensive action.

LSU learned on Thursday that projected starting safety A.J. Haulcy, a transfer from Houston, must sit out the first half of Saturday’s game. He was ejected in his final game of last season against BYU for unsportsmanlike conduct, which carries a one-game suspension in his next game.

Since Houston didn’t play in a bowl game last season, the first-half suspension carries over to his LSU debut vs. Clemson. Reportedly, Clemson brought Haulcy’s fight to the attention of NCAA officials.

LSU’s depth at every position gives Kelly confidence that his team can handle Haulcy’s absence in the opening two quarters.

From LSU’s standpoint, the injection of transfer portal talent has allowed offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and defensive coordinator Blake Baker to dive deeper into their playbooks.

“You’re going to see a lot of versatility and (offensive) explosiveness,” Nussmeier said, “When you have the weapons that we do in the different body types and styles at receiver, running back, you’ll see a lot of different guys touch the football.”

Defensively, the addition of safeties Haulcy and Tamarcus Cooley (North Carolina State), South Florida defensive tackle Bernard Gooden, Virginia Tech cornerback Mansoor Delane, rush ends Patrick Payton of Florida State, Jack Pyburn of Florida, and Jimari Butler of Nebraska finally gives Baker a full array of defensive disruptors.

“Every coordinator has specific things that they want to have the luxury to do,” Baker said. “We upgraded from athleticism and experience standpoints.”

All the newbies may have given LSU a slight advantage in the scouting department.

“We’ve played only against a few of those guys (LSU’s transfer portal additions),” Swinney said. “They don’t have any offensive weaknesses. Defensively, they’ve got dudes on all three levels. It’s a really good, complete team.”

Clemson returns 17 starters, led by six players ranked by ESPN among the top 100 players in college football. But it has also lost three of its last four season-openers, including two straight defeats.

“Sometimes, I think you go into a first game and feel like you gotta do insane, crazy plays and make wild stuff happen,” Klubnik said. “At the end of the day, you just gotta do the routine plays, do them really well, and do them routinely. Be smart, be efficient, and just go rip it.”

GO FIGURE

1-3: Brian Kelly’s lifetime record vs. Clemson, all games played when Kelly coached Notre Dame.

3: Straight years LSU opens the season against a ranked team, making the Tigers the only FBS team with that streak.

18: Transfer portal signees for LSU with a combined 252 college starts.

19: Straight seasons for Clemson with five or more home wins, the longest streak in the FBS.

24: Times in the last 25 years LSU has opened the season ranked in the top 25.

1,623: Combined wins by LSU (815 since 1893. 12th all-time) and Clemson (808 since 1896, 13th all-time).

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

Year 2 of the Mickey Joseph era for Grambling State football kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday against Oklahoma’s Langston University inside Independence Stadium in the Shreveport Kickoff Classic.

Grambling is coming off a 5-7 campaign in Joseph’s first year as head coach after slumping to a 1-4 finish in the final five games.

Langston went 6-4 in 2024 under Quinton Morgan, who served as defensive backs coach when Joseph was assistant head coach for the Lions from 2008-10 and head coach from 2011-12

Both grew up in the New Orleans suburbs. Joseph went on to play quarterback for Nebraska while Morgan played defensive back, wide receiver and running back, first at Jackson State (2003) before transferring to Langston for the 2004-05 season.

Joseph said the ties between the two will make Saturday’s contest an emotional one for both coaches.

“Grambling might not be that familiar with (Langston), but I am because I was once the head coach there,” Joseph said. “And their coach now is like family for me. This is going to be a very emotional game for me.

“Langston gave me my first shot as a head coach. So, it’s going to be some ups and some downs with emotions on both sides because I’m still close with some people at Langston and I have family on both sides. I still have two daughters at the University of Oklahoma that are still connected to Langston. So, it’s a game that I’m looking forward to, and it’s a game that I’m not looking forward to because of the emotions that will be running through me because Langston shaped me into the coach I am today.”

Joseph is confident in his second Grambling squad.

“I’m very excited about this football team.” Joseph said. “I think this is a very mature football team, I think this is a talented football team and I also think this is a very close football team that are about going about their business.”

Maybe the biggest question GSU has is who will take the first snap for the Tigers at quarterback.

Joseph early this week steered clear of naming a starter, saying he first had to meet with quarterbacks coach Shyrone Carey.

It’s a two-man race between redshirt sophomore C’zavian Teasett and redshirt junior Ashton Frye.

Frye played in four games for GSU last year, completing four of his seven pass attempts for nine yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Teasett played in 10 games in 2024 as a Southern University quarterback, completing 71-of-129 pass attempts for 941 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions.

As of Thursday, Joseph had not named a starter and admitted he might not make that announcement until gameday.

“It’s been a great quarterback battle between Frye and Teasett. We’ll let that be known when the proper time comes. You’re going to know the day of the game. I know right now what I’m going to do, but I’m not telling anybody because what I don’t want to do is take momentum from the kid that’s not going to play that first snap at quarterback. So, I’m going to hold that until I sit down and talk to him about his role.”

While Joseph said he won’t replace a quarterback with a hot hand, Joseph indicated there’s a definite possibility both Frye and Teasett will play against Langston.

“It could easily be 60-40 (percentage of plays between the two quarterbacks),” Joseph said. “We kind of did that at Nebraska (where Joseph played collegiately and later served as offensive coordinator and interim head coach). I know people say, ‘You keep going back to your Nebraska roots,’ but I won a lot of games at Nebraska as a player, and I could see what Coach (Tom) Osborne did at Nebraska playing a two-quarterback system and how to do it.

“You make it one gameplan, but (the opposing defense) has to get ready for two quarterbacks. So, I understand exactly what we need to do, but it should be 60-40 (percent).”

Joseph said he’s determined not to let his Tigers overlook the Lions.

“When they get off the bus, they’re going to look like us,” Joseph said. “They’re going to be a very confident team. Their recruiting strategy is the same, from Oklahoma City to Dallas down to Houston and then jumping over to Louisiana.

“And Coach Morgan has won over 70% of his games at Langston. I know some people might not think that’s a big thing, but it is. It’s hard winning in this profession. They’re digging into high school football (players) from Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, and that’s where a lot of good football players come from.”

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

RUSTON — Much of Southeastern Louisiana’s coaching staff is quite familiar with Louisiana Tech and Ruston. 

Head coach Frank Scelfo and a number of his assistants will play at a familiar location Saturday night when the Lions open up on the road against Louisiana Tech at Joe Aillet Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on ESPN+ with Malcolm Butler (play by play), Luke McCown (color), and Madison Kaufman (sideline) providing a call of the action. Shreveport radio station KLKL 95.7 FM will carry Tech’s broadcast of the game with new lead announcer Kyle Schassburger joined by veteran color man Teddy Allen and sideline reporter Jerry Byrd Jr.

Scelfo coached for the Bulldogs under Derek Dooley (2007-09), while Lion assistants Ross Jenkins and Antonio Baker played for Louisiana Tech during their collegiate days. Scelfo and his son and current OC Anthony Scelfo along with DC Bill D’Ottavio also spent the fall of 2005 in Ruston when they were a part of the Tulane football program that came north after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city of New Orleans.

So exactly 20 years and one day after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Big Easy, the trio returns to Ruston to face the Bulldogs. 

“The hospitality (of Tech and Ruston),” said Frank Scelfo when asked about his memories of 2005. “The difficulties of all of that stuff at the end of the day was made somewhat tolerable because of how welcoming people were. 

“They opened up their doors for us. We lived in people’s houses. It was nuts. You would go eat somewhere, and someone would pick up the check. Very seldom did you pay for stuff because (the people of Ruston) were just doing that for us. Tech and Ruston were so gracious to us.”

That was two decades and a few football programs ago for Scelfo, who will bring his Lions team into Joe Aillet Stadium looking to pull off an early season upset. 

After starting 1-4 last year, the Lions won six of the final seven games and finished 6-1 in Southland Conference play. And although they will bring two new quarterbacks into the contest, for the most part it’s a veteran Lions team that boasts 24 seniors and 16 returning starters. 

It’s a fact not lost on Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie.

“Every game is hard to win,” said Cumbie. “We want to win every game we play. This is a good (Southeastern Louisiana) football team. Coach (Scelfo) has been there for a long time. When you watch them (in all three phases), I think the biggest thing that jumps out to me is their athleticism. 

“They finished last season on a three-game winning streak, and finished 6-1 in their conference. And it’s a really good conference.”

Cumbie said during Tuesday’s press conference that he is pleased with how fall camp went and feels like his squad is in a good place entering its season opener. 

“I think we had a great (fall camp),” said Cumbie. “I think this time of the year is always the best time of the year for our kids. It’s one of the benefits of the quarter system. School doesn’t start until next week. So we get to concentrate on football. 

“The chemistry and camaraderie of our football team is very, very high. We’ve been very intentional in terms of building that every year in terms of the transfers and additions to the rosters that you have … really across the country. It’s what we are faced with in college football; building a team for one season. These football players have really embraced that when it comes to chemistry and trust.”

Tech boasts two new coordinators in offensive guru Tony Franklin and defensive coordinator Luke Olsen. Franklin will try to inject some more life into a Bulldog offense that struggled at times in 2024, while Olsen hopes to continue to build on a Tech defensive unit that was stellar for most of last year. 

Fall camp has seen a three-way battle for the starting QB role with sophomores Evan Bullock and Blake Baker battling junior college transfer Trey Kukuk. Tech fans won’t find out who the starter will be until the Bulldogs first offensive possession Saturday night.

On the defensive side of the football, the Bulldogs return a strong one-two punch at linebacker in preseason CUSA Defensive Player of the Year Kolbe Fields and Chief Leota as well as a veteran presence in the secondary with the likes of Mike Richard, Jacob Fields, and Cedric Woods. 

Tech leads the all-time series 27-8-2 although the two programs have only met twice (2008, 2021) since the Bulldogs joined the FBS ranks in 1988. 

The Bulldogs will put an 11-game home opener win streak on the line.

“You want to defend your home turf,” said Cumbie. “We have six home games this fall, and our goal is to be 6-0.”

JOURNAL SPORTS

LSUS baseball’s 59-0 record, the first college baseball team to ever not lose a game, will likely live in the college record books for the rest of time.

But now there’s a physical monument to the Pilots’ accomplishment after the 2025 baseball team was inducted into the Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars on Thursday.

The feat is immortalized in concrete with a home plate featuring 59-0, which will be installed in the hall of fame’s home in the Red River District in downtown Shreveport.

“The continued recognition is special, but this kind of recognition mirrors what these guys did this year,” said LSUS coach Brad Neffendorf, who welcomed the returners back for the first week of class. “Talking about the 59-0 record, something that may never happen again.

“So to have this in the ground forever, we’re extremely proud of this program and these guys for doing this with the amount of things on their daily plates like class and weights and their personal lives. I’m also proud for the city and the university, so many people that support us to have a piece and a hand in what we were able to do.”

Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars president John Lieberman unveiled the concrete home plate, the concrete engraved name block, a new introduction poster that will sit in the kiosk at one entrance of “The Walk,” and awarded a handsome marble and agate trophy for LSUS athletics to display.

“The Walk of Stars was created as a way to recognize and honor people from this area who’ve made it big at whatever they do, and by doing so, have helped attract attention this area,” Lieberman said. “Inductees have often attracted national and even international attention to this area, and there’s no question that the Pilots have attracted a whole lot of it – more than money can buy.

“The Pilots are only the second group to be inducted, joining the internationally acclaimed Centenary College choir.”

Closer Lex Meinderts, who hails from the Netherlands, said he’s seen what this season has meant to Shreveport.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized in this way after putting in all that work to have the season we did,” Meinderts said. “I can’t wait to see it installed in the Walk of Stars and be able to touch it and step on it.

“It’s been crazy to see the impact on this area and to be a part of a team that you love so much and that feels like family.”

LSUS capped its season by winning the NAIA national championship tournament in Lewiston, Idaho, finishing with a 13-7 win against Southeastern (Fla.) in the title-clinching game.

Pitcher Isaac Rhode was named NAIA Pitcher of the Year to lead a vast number of player accolades.

Five players earned NAIA All-American status and five were voted to the All-Louisiana baseball team that included NCAA Division I champion LSU.

Neffendorf won a slew of coaching awards, which includes the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year given to the nation’s best baseball coach regardless of division.

Neffendorf may not talk about his own role, but athletics director Lucas Morgan wanted to make sure the head coach received his flowers.

“Brad brings it every single day as the leader of this program,” Morgan said. “He teaches exactly what needs to be taught for these guys to be great players and great human beings.

“He deserves a ton of credit for the way he’s run this program, and we’re so happy to have him as a part of this program. We look forward to what the future looks like with him continuing to lead us.”

Winning games of any sort, but particularly baseball, requires attention to the smallest of details.

LSUS players lent a hand in the set up and tear down of the Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars press conference set up on the steps outside the LSUS University Center.

One more way that LSUS baseball is passing on the support they’ve received from the community.

While the 59-0 record may be set in stone, the winning streak could continue.

LSUS Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith told the crowd he can’t wait to see the 2026 Pilots add to that total.

“No one has ever done this before, and quite probably no one will do it again if you know baseball,” Smith said. “This is going to be immortalized in concrete, which is exactly where it belongs.”

“But (the winning streak) continues because when we start play again, we can keep going. How many you think Brad?”

The baseball season typically starts in late January, and as one of the top NAIA programs in a warm climate, LSUS tends to have a heavy home schedule early.

The 2025 Pilots played their first seven games at home and first 11 in the state of Louisiana.

Started in 1997, The Walk of Stars award was created to recognize individuals from northwest Louisiana who are distinguished in their professional and/or civic endeavors or who have brought recognition and attention to the area.  The honorees may come from any profession or industry including, but not limited to, athletics, music, acting, business, politics, education and community service. 

Members include sports stars like Todd Walker and Dak Prescott, musical talent like Trace Adkins and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and professionals who excelled in their field like architects Samuel and William Wiener and attorney Johnnie Cochran. 

There are now 36 individuals and two groups.

JOURNAL SPORTS

As one national analyst wrote this week, Saturday is a day to pay attention to Louisiana Downs.

Next Saturday’s Super Derby is the single race that draws the most attention each season for the 51-year-old horse racing track, but this Saturday’s eight-race slate is prime cut for horse players and casual fans.

The Louisiana Cup Stakes card offers six stakes races at $75,000 each. The first race of the day goes off at 3:35 with the stakes races beginning at 4:31.

“If Louisiana Downs isn’t normally on your radar, this Saturday is the day to pay attention,” said an analyst at todaysracingdigest.com previewing Saturday’s action in Bossier City.  “From juvenile chaos to turf marathons, this is a betting playground masquerading as a regional card.”

Each of the racetracks around the state has a Louisiana Bred Day featuring races that include only Louisiana Bred horses, and this is LAD’s. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Association is the backbone of the Louisiana Cup series.

All of Saturday’s stakes races will have fields from 8-13 entries, leading to bigger betting payouts.

Another appealing incentive to attend Saturday – the LTBA’s scholarship giveaway. Four $1,000 college scholarships will be handed out with an hour-long registration window beginning at 2:35. Participants – current or eligible college students, 18 or older, must be present to win. The prizes will be awarded at the winner’s circle following the day’s fifth race.

Thursday, the local racetrack held its post position drawing for next Saturday’s $250,000 Super Derby, with seven 3-year-old Grade 1 thoroughbreds from around the country inbound from a field of nearly three dozen entries.

As America enjoys a long weekend thanks to the Labor Day holiday, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal staff will be commemorating the occasion, too.

We join in a nationwide salute to the workers who make the U.S. economy the best in the world, and whose skill and effort continues to be the backbone of our American way of life. We hope you and yours have the opportunity to relax and rejoice this Labor Day weekend.

There will be no Monday edition of the SBJ. We’ll be back publishing on weekdays as normal Tuesday morning, popping into emails at 6:55 and online and on our Facebook page even earlier in the morning, providing you with free local news, sports and feature content.

Thanks for reading your Journal.

By COREY POOLE, Journal Services

A Northwestern State student-athlete is proving that discipline on the pitcher’s mound can also translate into entrepreneurship.

Balancing academics, athletics, and business ownership, junior baseball pitcher and hospitality management major Kevin Robinson has turned his love for baking into K-Rob’s Kitchen, a growing venture rooted in family traditions and community support.

Robinson said school and baseball remain his top priorities, and NSU has provided the structure to manage both. Time management became the first skill he had to master, and his business fits around that schedule, often late at night or on weekends. His parents frequently step in to help when he travels between Natchitoches and his hometown of Shreveport, where most of his baking supplies and equipment are kept.

The inspiration for K-Rob’s Kitchen began at age 17 when he sold a pumpkin pie recipe passed down by a mentor to raise funds for a mission trip. That experience, along with family holiday traditions centered on pies, pralines, and cookies, laid the foundation for his business. Many of his signature items—including cinnamon rolls, pralines, and Snickerdoodles—carry personal meaning tied to his grandmother, his mentor, and his family.

Robinson, a Byrd High School standout who was the Shreveport-Bossier Journal “Outstanding Player” as a senior in 2023, said coming to Northwestern was part of his faith journey. A meeting with Demons’ baseball coach Chris Bertrand and a visit to the university’s Hospitality Management and Tourism department confirmed his decision.

The combination of baseball, culinary studies, and faith-based student organizations such as FCA and BCM provided him with the balance he sought in college. His classes in the HMT department have also given him practical business and baking skills that tie directly to K-Rob’s Kitchen.

The discipline learned through baseball has shaped how he runs his business. He compares the consistency and focus required of a pitcher to the detail and preparation needed in baking. Just as he relies on his teammates on the field, he relies on his parents and family—his “volunteer employees”—to keep the business running when he is away.

Support from the NSU and Natchitoches community has also been key. His first opportunity to sell came at the NSU Baseball auction, and from there, fans, students, and local families have embraced his products. Through experiences from being included in Northwestern’s Presidential Leadership Program and an invitation to attend the NCAA student-athlete leadership conference, Robertson has grown in leadership while building his business. He credits coaches, professors, and peers for equipping him with life and professional skills.

The biggest challenge has been the constant travel between Natchitoches and Shreveport, but Robinson  said the rewards outweigh the difficulties. Seeing people enjoy his baked goods and knowing they carry his family’s traditions has been the most fulfilling part.

Looking to the future, Robinson hopes to expand K-Rob’s Kitchen with a more permanent space and new recipes drawn from family heritage. He envisions growth through storefronts, shipping, or continued community involvement, always keeping the business rooted in faith, family, and tradition.

Reflecting on his journey, Robinson said he never imagined selling pies in high school would lead to running a business in college. With Jeremiah 29:11 stitched on his baseball glove as a reminder of his faith, he credits God, family, and community with helping him manage the balance between school, baseball, and business.