By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

A few minutes before United States Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley called Sam Burns’ name Wednesday morning as the sixth and final captain’s choice pick for the USA roster in the Sept. 26-28 international competition, Cameron Young did.

That inadvertent slip from the fourth player announced by Bradley strongly hinted Burns was on the team.

“Cameron Young just gave away Sam Burns being a pick,” posted Hugh Kellenberger of The Athletic on that publication’s live chat as Bradley methodically went through his selections live on Golf Channel. Responding to a question, Young said, “… and teammates like Sam …” and the cat was climbing out of the bag.

Despite getting a call, presumably Monday (posted Wednesday on the Ryder Cup USA Facebook page), from Bradley – who said Wednesday morning his team was set 48 hours earlier – the emotion was apparent. Burns’ voice wavered as he began to respond to the opening query from the program moderator.

“Being on these teams is one of the highest honors you can achieve in this sport. I’m so privileged and honored to be part of this team,” said the 29-year-old Shreveport native and Calvary Baptist Academy graduate from his home in Choudrant, where he plays out of Squire Creek Country Club.

Burns was 16^th on the USA’s Ryder Cup points rankings and was among roughly 10 players thought to be in the mix for the six captain’s choices – including Bradley, who stood 11^th on the points list but decided not to be a playing captain – a decision that may have left open the slot Burns filled.

Moments after announcing the former two-time LSU All-American and 2016 major college player of the year’s spot on the roster, Bradley referenced the intensity that Burns carries — and flashed in his initial comment Wednesday.

“Sam is an incredibly passionate golfer. He is the best putter on the planet. He has won the Match Play championship. He has an extreme competitive fire in his belly. I have a lot of respect for Sam and the way that he came on at the end of the season to make this team. His back was against the wall and he played well every week. That’s some of the hardest times to play good golf, trying to make these Ryder Cup teams, and Sam did that.

“We really wanted to see how these guys handled the pressure of making this team, and they all shined brightly at the end of the season … playing high level golf on the biggest stage, with the Ryder Cup on the line. Ultimately that was the decision-maker on who made the team,” said Bradley.

The USA aims to defend home turf at Bethpage Black on Long Island, N.Y., and take the Ryder Cup away from the Europeans, who won convincingly two years ago in Rome.

As Bradley explained what he and his vice captains were looking for in the six picks to go with the six automatic qualifiers on the USA’s Ryder Cup points system, it was clear Burns was an ideal fit – considering the three-week FedEx Cup playoff run Burns staged (tied for fourth two weeks ago at the BMW Championship, tied for 7^th last weekend at the Tour Championship, while posting 68 or lower in each of his last 10 rounds in the playoffs) coupled with his two days of leading the U.S. Open and an eighth-place there, one of his six top 10s this season.

Burns tops the PGA Tour with a .924 strokes gained putting rate, is fourth in putts per round (28.0) and 19^th in birdie conversion rate (34.2 percent). He stands second on tour with 377 birdies in 24 starts this season and averages a solid 307.4 yards off the tee.

“We wanted guys who we knew could handle the moment,” said Bradley. “There’s Ryder Cups, and there’s Ryder Cups at Bethpage. We needed guys who were winners, who were up there in majors, that have won majors, and ultimately guys that we felt fit the golf course – very long, very difficult. Most of these guys are incredible putters.

“We’d love to have Sam on our side with that putter at Bethpage. I can’t wait to see him out there with those fans. (He) plays with his heart on his sleeve, and people at Bethpage are going to love that.”

Making his second Ryder Cup appearance and fourth consecutive USA roster for international competition (wins in the 2022 and 2024 Presidents Cup), Burns is relishing playing in front of boisterous New Yorkers.

“It’s going to be an incredible week. I know we’re going to have tons of support at Bethpage. These fans are special, and they love getting behind their teams, behind their country, and I know having their support will spur us on and hopefully we can rally behind that energy and use it to our advantage,” he said.

The other players chosen by Bradley and announced Wednesday were Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Patrick Cantlay and Young. The automatic selections confirmed two Sundays ago were world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Bryson DeChambeau, and Harris English.

Burns went 1-2 in the 2023 Ryder Cup and was 3-0-1 last year in Canada at the Presidents Cup.

Bradley said Burns and the other USA players (except for DeChambeau, who is ineligible because he plays on the LIV Golf circuit) will be in the PGA Tour’s first fall event, the Procore Championship Sept. 11-14 in Napa, California, to avoid a monthlong competitive break before the Ryder Cup.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

The intense rivalry between Byrd and Captain Shreve won’t wait until the 10th week of the 2025 high school football season.

The Yellow Jackets and Gators square off this evening in jamboree action at Lee Hedges Stadium, getting a final tuneup before the regular season begins next week.

Freshmen teams meet at 6, junior varsity at 7 and varsity teams play at 8.

At Jerry Burton Stadium, Northwood will host Huntington in the only other local jamboree competition this evening. The freshmen and JV teams play at 5, with the varsity teams squaring off at 6.

Friday’s slate is highlighted by the Bossier Lions Club jamboree at Airline’s M.D. Ray Field and the Caddo Parish Jamboree at Lee Hedges Stadium.

Bossier Parish’s teams will be spotlighted Friday beginning with Parkway and Benton clashing at 5:45. Bossier plays Plain Dealing at 7:15 and Airline hosts Haughton at 8:45.

At the Caddo Parish jam, Booker T. Washington and North Caddo play Friday at 6, followed by Green Oaks ad Southwood at 6:40. BTW and Woodlawn get after it at 7:30, followed by Green Oaks and North Caddo, ad wrapping up with Southwood battling Woodlawn at 8:40.

Loyola will be in Webster Parish Friday night at the Minden Medical Center Jamboree, facing Glenbrook at 6 and Montgomery at 7.  Calvary Baptist goes to Farmerville to play Union Parish Friday with JV action at 6:30 and varsity competition an hour later.

JOURNAL SPORTS

It’s been a steady progression for the Booker T. Washington Lions that they are hoping will continue in that direction in the 2025 season..

Three years ago, head coach Gary Cooper took over a team that had gone 1-9 and was held to no more than one touchdown in seven games.

In Cooper’s first year (2023), the Lions went 3-7 and followed that with a 4-6 regular season last year and a playoff berth.

Now it’s time to see if BTW can take that next step.  

“Execution is what we need,” Cooper said.” The kids have been close the last couple of years and have been working their tails off. We had a couple of close games last year that could have gone either way. At this point, it just comes down to executing and trusting each other.”

Indeed, the Lions were within one score in two losses, including a 20-14 loss to undefeated District 1-4A champion North DeSoto. They also lost 28-24 to Woodlawn in the final game of the regular season.

Going from struggling to just score a touchdown to making the playoffs certainly shows progress, but the Lions are looking for more. Cooper has a simple answer for what it will take for the Lions to get better.

“Work,” he said.

And that’s what they have been doing. “We went four days a week this summer,” he said. “The kids had some time off, but for the most part we’ve been grinding it, trying to get ready for Friday nights.”

Offensive lineman Seven Smith (6-3, 338) – of course his jersey number is 77 – also has a succinct answer to what it will take. 

“Listen to what coach says,” Smith said.,

“These kids can handle a lot more than we thought,” Cooper said. “We put more on their plate and give them new things to do and they have gotten a lot better. At this point, they have matured and are older, so it’s going to be a great group of kids who will do great things.”

Devion Stewart is back at quarterback with wide receiver D.K. Mitchell, who had 37 catches for 649 yards last year, also returning. Damien O’Neal, who has played all over the field since his days of starting as a freshman quarterback, is now at wide receiver and defensive back.

Wide receiver Kendrell Johnson is another three-year starter.

As part of the team’s growth, Cooper has also emphasized community work for his players. 

“The best thing is for the kids to realize what goes on behind the scenes,” Cooper said. “It’s not just about Xs and Os with us, it’s about community involvement as well. The kids see that it’s more than just playing football.”

The Lions open the season in Campti against Lakeview on Sept. 5. The annual Soul Bowl game against Green Oaks will be played on Sept. 20 at Leonard C. Barnes Stadium.

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

College coaches go all over the country looking for big lineman with good feet, hands and technique with power. This season the Shreveport-Bossier area will have a huge group – literally.

Most of the local college prospects are over 300 pounds. There is a pretty widespread group who will get a chance to sign college scholarships.

Some will get offers from Football Bowl Subdivision schools (from the SEC to Sun Belt and Conference USA), and more will go to Football Championship Subdivision programs (Southland and SWAC, mostly), or the other levels – D2 (Southern Arkansas, Harding, Ouachita Baptist, Henderson State, etc.) or D3 (Centenary, East Texas Baptist). Some will land with NAIA (Louisiana Christian) or even junior college (Trinity Valley, for example) schools. There’s some place for any kid who is willing to look and some prospects are going to have choices.

This year’s impressive local O-line group will rival any city in Louisiana for size and talent. Last season Devin Harper of Calvary Baptist, a Captain Shreve transfer, was the biggest prize. Harper, 6-5 and over 310 pounds, has really good agility and all the tools to be an NFL player. He is one of the best big men I’ve seen out of Shreveport-Bossier since I started watching in 1992.

Speaking of locals who have NFL potential, C.E. Byrd product Carson Bruno (6-4, 305) is a TCU senior and transfer from Louisiana Tech who started 11 games at right guard last fall for the Horned Frogs. He made plays on the defensive front for the Yellow Jackets.

In the latest class, Harper’s former Shreve teammate Lionel Prudhomme (Arkansas) and Benton’s Witt Van Hoy (TCU) were also Power 4 signees.  Several more Class of 2025 local lineman that signed at various levels have a chance to be college starters.

I think the local Class of 2026 group has a chance to be better.

The headliner who has the most potential is at Evangel Christian. I have watched him play in person at ECA and before he transferred, at Minden High School. Jackson Speer (6-6) carries 310 pounds and looks lean and has all the tools to be a national recruit, and some day maybe get to the NFL,

I really like OG/OC Royuan Jackson (6-3, 315) from Huntington High School. He has good feet and is powerful and athletic for his size. Calvary Baptist’s Hunter Bradford (6-3, 285) is very skilled, with big time strength and quickness, and he will be able to sign with a high to mid-major D-1 if he has a great senior year.

There’s a large group of players who are raw and could blossom in their senior seasons. Byrd’s Jacob Martin (6-4, 284), Reilly A. Rogers (6-3, 315) of Northwood, and Isiah Cortez (6-3, 305) at Bossier are on college radars.  Mason Whitley (6-4, 360) from Southwood moves well for a big kid, Center Patrick Gray (6-1, 335) and Chris Green (6-1, 305) are two big reasons I like Parkway to be the District 1-5A team to watch.

The biggest sleepers could be Corey Brown Jr. (5-11, 310) at North Caddo and Donovan Jones (6-5, 320) with Captain Shreve. Both are super smart with good feet and play all out. They are the first two on a long list of big guys who can rise into college signees if they have strong senior seasons.

This list could easily grow by 10 or more players, and believe me, the colleges have more than that to keep watch on. If I listed every one, I would run my word count up and over for this article! I’ll probably circle back later this fall to update the scouting report.

In the meantime, while there are plenty of explosive skill position players, be sure to watch the guys up front create room to run and keep defensive attackers off the talented quarterbacks locally. College coaches are definitely taking notes.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

(Lee Brecheen is the longtime publisher of Louisiana Football Magazine, covering all of the state’s high school teams each year since 1997.  Free content can also be found at the website lafootballmagazine.com. District previews with scouting reports on every team are posted now. Lee hosts a podcast with guests from around the state — The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen, available on YouTube)

JOURNAL SPORTS

NATCHITOCHES — As the 2025 Northwestern State football season arrives tonight at 7 in Turpin Stadium, with it comes a distinctly different air of excitement and anticipation.

That excitement goes beyond the standard new season feeling, the “Proud to be Purple” signs that populate the city or it being the first season-opening home game in 10 years for the Demons. 

It extends to the team itself. The players have bought in to the vision of second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle and his staff and how they represent NSU. 

“I think that the people that genuinely know our program like these kids,” McCorkle said. “They’re really good kids who are trying hard, working hard and giving their all for NSU. I think people see, recognize that and respect it. They recognize the type of kids that we brought in socially, academically, the whole picture. 

“And if you get to know them and study the program they’re easy to root for. Underdogs, yes, but they’ve got a little fight in them. They’ve got a little grit which we like. I really like the personality this team’s developing.”

When the Demons kick off against Alcorn State in Turpin Stadium that grit, fight and the Purple Pride will be on full display.

The game will air on ESPN+ with the return of Patrick Netherton and Gary Reasons in the booth. Joining them on the sidelines this season will be Jason Pugh.

It can also be heard live on the NSU Demons app and BDCRadio.com with Chris Salim providing play-by-play.

“We’re excited. We’re locked in and just ready to go,” senior defensive lineman Tyler Lewis said. “I know the guys are itching. Guys in the D-line room are itching, the defensive room are itching to go. The offense is hyped up and we’re all ready to do some big things this year.”

Lewis is among the leaders of one of the more experienced position groups on the overall young Demon team. The defensive line has seven upperclassmen, four of them seniors or graduate students. 

The leadership from those players, and the 20 other upperclassman across both sides of the ball, will continue to help shape the future of NSU football starting on Thursday night. Many of the 70 combined freshmen and sophomores, will see their first collegiate action against Alcorn, ideally with the same message in their ears as they take the field.

“Little things make big thing happen,” senior captain and tight end Ryan Tyler said. “Since last spring and all through camp we’re all trying to do the little things right. We truly believe that if we keep doing those things it’s going to come together the way we want them to.”

A focus on the little things and the things that are controllable for the Demons takes on a greater level of importance in the first game of the season.

“This day and age of college football and the portal you can almost throw the openers out the window in what you can try to expect from teams,” McCorkle said. “They’ve got an outstanding linebacker that is fun to watch on film. They brought in a running back from Chattanooga to add to another good running back. Looking at the two-deep they are really big up front.

“So if you study the roster you can see they have talent, they’re athletic and they’re going to challenge us. They can say the same sort of unknowns about us too. But once we get into the game and things settle down, I think both teams will be able to adjust to the game and what each other are doing.”

Over the past week the typical high-energy Demon practices have given way to more “stoic, focused and quieter,” preparation according to McCorkle. It is a mindset that the players have embraced heading into opening week.

“We have to zero in on them especially coming from where we’re coming from,” Lewis said. “We may be the youngest team in FCS but we’re not going to let that hold us back. If we can do the base things right, listening to what our coaches have prepared us for we’ll be ready to go out and put on a show for Natchitoches.”

JOURNAL SPORTS

Bryant Bowen, who was the All-City MVP in 2015 at Captain Shreve High School, has been hired as assistant baseball coach at Bossier Parish Community College.

Bowen is joining a program with momentum. Last spring the Cavaliers won the Region XIV North Division championship, their first conference title in 25 years and their first-ever Region XIV title.

He has Division I playing and coaching experience, and a proven record of player development.

At Captain Shreve, he was a four-year starter at catcher with career totals of a .380 batting average, 58 doubles, 18 home runs, and 123 RBI. He earned All-State recognition, Perfect Game All-American honorable mention, and selection as Shreveport Times 2015 All-City Baseball Player of the Year.

At Southern Mississippi, Bowen played three seasons as a catcher and designated hitter. In his junior year, he batted .341 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI, earning second-team All-Conference USA honors. His 22-game hitting streak in 2019 led the nation and ranked as the eighth-longest in program history. Bowen helped Southern Miss to three consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, including the 2019 Baton Rouge Regional.

A three-time Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll selection, Bowen was a graduate transfer into South Carolina, competing in 15 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He batted .229 with two home runs and seven RBI, including a home run in his first at-bat as a Gamecock in a 10–0 win over Holy Cross.

Bowen’s college coaching career began at Eastern Kentucky under another former Shreve star, Chris Prothro. From 2021–2025, Bowen advanced through multiple roles at EKU. He began as a volunteer assistant coach, working with catchers while supporting hitting and pitching development. In 2023, he was promoted to full-time assistant coach and later was named director of player development, overseeing hitters, catchers, and collaborating closely with the pitching staff.

I am in regular communication with hunters from areas other than Louisiana and the South. These folks are constantly talking about finding “morels,” a mushroom that is apparently a delicacy. Reading their posts on hunting forums about finding morels makes me think that locating a batch of these mushrooms is nearly as exciting as bagging a big gobbler.

From what I can determine, morels are rare in our part of the country so I can only imagine how good they must be. What we lack in morels, though, we make up for in wild fruit that flourishes in the South.

Growing up out on the rural route outside of Goldonna in northernmost Natchitoches Parish, the fruit growing wild in the fields and swamps provided many a tasty treat. Some of the first fruits to ripen were wild plums. Pick only the ones that were getting soft or those that had just dropped to the ground, pop one in your mouth and you got a mixture of sweet tartness.

Mayhaws are a mystery fruit. Every spring, my family would head down to the Winnfield Salt Works and wade the backwaters, scooping up ripe mayhaws. A wild plum was a lump of sugar compared to a ripe mayhaw. They were so tart, even the red ones, they’d bring tears to your eyes if you ate one. However, when my mother got finished with them in her kitchen, they were transformed into a translucent pink jelly that fairly cried to be slathered on a hot homemade biscuit dripping with churned butter.

Wild huckleberries were another special springtime treat. Resembling blueberries except they were half the size, wild huckleberries made some of the best cobblers and jam I ever tasted.

Another berry, though, was to the wild fruit family what purple hulls are to the pea family. They grew in abundance and when ripe, you could fill a lard bucket with shiny blackberries in an hour whereas in a hard morning of picking huckleberries, you were lucky if you gathered half that many.

Today, most of the jelly and jam I eat comes in a jar with a label. My sister still keeps my mother’s spirit alive by continuing to make jellies and jams from wild fruit and if I’m lucky, she shares a jar or two with me. I hate to admit that I hide the good stuff when company comes, hauling out those labeled Smuckers and Kraft instead.

Another of my favorite dishes made from wild fruit is blackberry cobbler. Kay has perfected the art of making fruit cobblers and when she has one in the oven, I hang around the kitchen like a puppy until it’s done and cool enough to eat without scorching my tongue.

I haven’t had a blackberry cobbler in several years simply because I haven’t found enough blackberries worth fighting red bugs, thorns and mosquitoes for. A few years ago, while foraging around in the brush outside the yard fence at our house, I found the mother lode. Big, juicy blackberries dripped from the vines just over the fence.

I was transported to another era as I waded through the briars, picking sweet black fruit until my bucket was full. It’s the most I’ve found since I last stood shoulder to shoulder with my mom, gathering plump berries that hung in clusters on the garden fence back home.

After Kay transforms the berries I picked into a cobbler, I scoop out a sizeable helping and I’ll dump Blue Bell ice cream over it, watching little rivulets of melting ice cream turning milky purple blending with the juices of the pie. We couldn’t buy Blue Bell when I was growing up so Mom garnished the cobblers she made with rich cream skimmed from the top of the crock in the ice box.

I’d still love to know how a morel mushroom tastes, but in the meantime, I’ll just have another helping of my wife’s cobbler, thank you.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports 

It was billed as a major announcement for the Independence Bowl and on the surface, it might not seem like it quite reached that level.

“We are folding” – now THAT would have been a major announcement.

“We are now part of the College Football Playoff rotation” – OK, now that’s something no one would have expected.

But to hear that Radiance Technologies will be continuing its sponsorship of the Independence Bowl through 2027 doesn’t seem to be exactly earth-shattering news. 

That’s when you have to get past all of the contract-ese and what the lawyers have signed off on.

After 2027, there are three one-year options to continue the deal. And while some might point to that as a potential exit strategy, the words that Radiance CEO Bill Bailey told Tuesday’s gathering suggested anything but.

“Look, the whole perspective when you look at ROI (return on investment) with what we hope to accomplish with the bowl has exceeded our expectations,” Bailey said. “It’s met every requirement we’ve had as a sponsor. It’s been a very good decision for us.”

As for the one-year options after 2027, Bailey brought it home even more emphatically: “We fully intend to do this for the next five years.”

Bailey recognized that even though things seem to have settled down a little bit in college football circles, if recent history has taught us anything, it’s that the landscape can change quickly.

Consider that when Radiance Technologies first began its sponsorship in 2020, Texas and Oklahoma were in the Big 12 and there was such a thing as a real-life Pac 12 (with an I-Bowl tie-in). 

And that first game as bowl sponsor that year? There was no game, thanks to COVID.

“In light of all the conference re-alignment, there may be a need to re-evaluate our deal,” Bailey said. “It’s not because we aren’t willing to do a five-year commitment. It’s because we believe there really needs to be an opportunity to look at it after two years after the current alignments have been completed and make sure that it is fair to both of us and the value is what it should be.”

Bailey said Radiance has gone from a $200 million company to a $500 million company.  Monday, it announced plans to build a $370 million facility in Ruston.

Its No. 1 client? The United States Army. 

No. 2? “The Air Force, and you’ve got a four-star command over here (at Barksdale),” Bailey said. “So let’s be honest: The Independence Bowl kind of resonates in the bowl title for a defense contractor. So the (positives) on this have been tremendous.”

It wasn’t insignificant that the two teams that played in last year’s bowl were Army and Bailey’s alma mater, Louisiana Tech.

Should Radiance Technologies continue through 2030, it would become the longest continuous sponsor of the Independence Bowl. Long enough to make you forget the Duck Commander fiasco of 2014.

“Radiance Technologies has been a tremendous title sponsor,” said bowl chair Sarah Giglio. “Radiance and Bill Bailey care very deeply about not only the Independence Bowl but the Shreveport-Bossier area and Northwest Louisiana.”

“It’s got to be a win-win,” Bailey said. “It’s been a win-win so far and based on how it lines up again, we need the opportunity to make sure it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Paid Editorial Feature – The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Journal.

Last month, OnPath Federal Credit Union agreed to buy Heritage Bank of St. Tammany in Covington, Louisiana, a century-old institution with deep local roots. The deal was hailed by OnPath CEO Jared Freeman, who praised Heritage’s “unwavering commitment to the local community.” But what Freeman failed to mention is that the acquisition will rob that community of a critical source of revenue.

Because OnPath is a credit union and thus tax-exempt, the deal means that St. Tammany Parish will lose a reliable stream of tax payments. Those dollars help fund schools, pay essential public servants like police officers and firefighters, and support other vital public services across the parish. Once the acquisition is finalized, that revenue will disappear, and the burden of making up the difference will fall squarely on the shoulders of local taxpayers.

The example of OnPath in Louisiana illustrates a much bigger problem across the country: credit unions are no longer the small, member-focused institutions they were established to be. Many have grown into large financial operations, similar to banks, all while enjoying tax-exempt status. Lawmakers must investigate whether credit unions’ tax-exempt status is still necessary in light of their significant growth, which is ultimately leaching revenue from state and local governments and setting the stage for higher taxes on local communities.

The situation in Louisiana is not the first. Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) had planned to acquire Sabine Bank and Trust, which is based in Many, Louisiana. Although TDECU ultimately backed away from the acquisition, it underscores the fact that credit unions have strayed far from the original mission Congress envisioned when it exempted them from most federal, state, and local taxes under the Federal Credit Union Act. It’s time for Congress to revisit whether the tax breaks are still justified.

Credit unions like TDECU have grown into large financial institutions by leveraging taxpayer subsidies. Far from its founding mission to serve the residents of Lake Jackson, Texas, TDECU now serves over 380,000 members across the state. Ending 2024 with $4.8 billion in total assets, TDECU’s services have widened to include wealth management investment products through its partnership with LPL Financial, which they even acknowledge as being a conflict of interest. The growth doesn’t stop there. Credit unions are buying community banks at a time when bank consolidation and burdensome regulations are putting extreme pressure on banks’ bottom lines. The current regulatory environment and credit union acquisitions are exacerbating bank consolidation. In fact, data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) shows that the number of community banks dropped by 46% over the last two decades, falling from 7,620 in 2003 to 4,129 in 2023. Credit unions are thriving, and skirting taxes while community banks are getting squeezed.

One negative outcome of tax-exempt credit unions acquiring community banks is that local and state governments lose revenue. This essential tax revenue helps fund local schools, projects, and infrastructure. The state of Louisiana has a bank shares tax that funds local communities, but when a credit union acquires a bank, it eliminates that source of revenue and results in less funding for local services. The shortfall in revenue could compel a parish to raise taxes on households to maintain a balanced budget. According to the Tax Foundation, “since 2011, more than 100 credit union–bank acquisition deals have been announced across the country.” Credit unions get to grow and avoid paying taxes, while American households across the country are getting forced to foot the bill at the end of the day.

Americans expect transparency, safeguards, and a level playing field from banks. These same principles should apply to credit unions. This is not about eliminating credit unions; it is about accountability and ensuring the law matches credit unions’ behavior. In an era where credit unions operate more like large financial institutions and less like community-oriented lenders, Congress should conduct oversight hearings and reexamine whether their tax-exempt status still aligns with their actions today. Louisiana taxpayers, in towns like Many and Covington, and in parishes around the state, should not have to pay more taxes because the law, as currently written, allows credit unions to exploit their tax loophole.

Ken Hale is the President & Chief Executive Officer of BOM Bank

The survey was conducted from August 11, 2025 to August 15, 2025 at 7 p.m. Friday.

The survey aimed to gather feedback from our readers in North and Central Louisiana to the Parish Journals (Parish Journal of Louisiana) regarding their plans to purchase a vehicle in the next four (4) months

SURVEY: How likely are you to purchase a new or used vehicle in the next 4 months?

Irregularities

Outside the State of Louisiana – Entries outside the State boundaries were excluded from the survey based on IP addresses.

Duplicate entries – Entries with the same IP address and MAC address were removed.

Masked/Hidden entries – Masked or hidden IP address entries were deleted.

Editor’s Note: Historically, some participants have attempted to influence our survey results. By removing irregularities, we attempt to ensure that uncaught entries with irregularities remain statistically insignificant. 

This survey provides an overview of Parish Journal readers in the State of Louisiana. It is not a scientific survey.

Parish Journals: Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Grant, Jackson,  LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Vernon, Webster and Winn

A few years ago in the back yard on a late-summer Thursday evening, I heard Friday night.

It was a tuba.

A tuba in early September means only one thing. Football.

We lived at a wiffle ball complex that we used as our house then, about a mile west of Lee Hedges Stadium in Shreveport. I guess a tuba’s voice carries at least that far.

I got back into my truck and drove toward the sound.

In the old days, autumn Friday nights meant prep football. While they still do, now there are more teams and fewer stadiums and we share, so Friday night sometimes comes early. Like on Thursday.

This is a good thing. Like hitting the Daily Double at the track. Only instead of the Daily Double, it’s the Nightly Double.

So basically we don’t have to worry about anything on a Thursday or Friday night for the next three months. We have stadium options. If you’re in Webster or Lincoln or Claiborne parishes and have a stadium or two to yourself, that’s fine too: you know you can drive to a game or, if nothing else, read about it in your local Parish Journal.

It’s a beautiful thing, how fall football takes care of you that way.

You can also hit a freshman game on a Tuesday; surely some other grade plays on Mondays or Wednesdays.

If you’re a prep football fan, your dance card’s full. By season’s end, it’ll be time to Christmas shop, and we’ll have practically sleepwalked all the way into the New Year.

Ain’t life grand?

That Thursday night I heard the first tuba of the season, I went looking for it and found it, right there at Lee Hedges as I’d figured. It was hooked onto a high schooler who could not fully  appreciate, at that moment, just how lucky such a deal is. Every time I pay a light bill or a house note, I’m reminded how carefree high school was, how sweet it was to be washed along in that magical time of youthful ignorance and innocence.

What a deal.

Football nights in high school.

Dance lines. Pep squads. Friends with painted faces. Cornerbacks. Teachers. Parents. Programs. Popcorn.

The Tuba Corp.

Coaches sitting around watching, scouting, sweating, calling each other Coach, a music all its own.

’Murica! You go to ANY of these things EVER and you can practically feel the pulled hamstrings and turf toes and illegal procedure penalties hanging in the autumn air.

Green grass. White stripes. Striped shirts and whistles. Yellow flags. Orange cones. A brown ball.

School colors.

And for a thousand reasons, we just all go out there and watch children play and cheer and march and grow.

The same things lead up to any of these nights, too. A pep rally. A wrapped ankle. A painted run-through sign — although there’s a 50-percent chance in these modern times that the sign will be canvas held together in its middle by Velcro so the spirit squads can use it over and over again. (I miss the paper sign and the thought of a couple of kids designing and painting a new one week after week. Old school.)

Your football team runs under the goalpost and through the sign, Velcro or paper, and it parts in the middle, like the Red Sea did for Moses and the Israelites before That Big Road Game all those years ago.

Glory.

Happy Almost Autumn, Happy Jamboree this week, and Happy Season Opener soon. There’s something about those nights and stadiums and ballparks and seeing it all over and over and over again, for the first time.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

JOURNAL SPORTS

Watch out for the Woodlawn Knights this fall – they believe they’re on the verge of a breakthrough.

The Knights want better than last year’s first-round playoff exit and 5-6 record (4-4 in District 1-4A). Veteran coach Thedrick Harris and two of his top players see the program’s slow but steady improvement paying off in 2025.

“We’ve had years of getting better every year,” said Harris. “These guys have done a tremendous job of battling. We’ve been close in games, we’ve gotten ourselves into the middle of the pack. We competed with every team last year, except in the playoffs (a 44-0 loss at North DeSoto).

“Now it’s time for us to get a signature win or two, and get over the hump,” he said.

Senior linebacker and tight end Semaj Snow is determined to do his part leading the Knights to success.

“Last year we were knocking on the door. We had to overcome so many obstacles. Going into my senior season, being a leader, I will be pushing these guys over the hump,” he said. “This will be the season we’re really going to take off. I have a lot to leave out there, and I want my name to be heard at Woodlawn for a little minute.”

Woodlawn has demonstrated desire and effort preparing for the season, which has a final jamboree tuneup Friday against Booker T. Washington before the official kickoff Sept. 5 squaring off with Green Oaks.

“I’m pleased with their effort and their ‘want-to.’ A lot of times it’s hard to get kids out, but these guys worked hard all summer,” said Harris. “They want to be good and that’s half the battle.”

After not showing a lot of firepower offensively last season, the Knights look ready to have their experience and abundant ability combine to create problems for defenses.

“We have a really good receiving corps and running back corps. We have good size on the offensive line. We have to be able to consistently play-action and throw the ball to keep people loose, so they can’t key on the run,” said Harris.

Woodlawn’s defense looks solid, he said. “In the secondary, if we can stop big plays and perimeter runs, we’ll be OK.”

Harris brought two defensive standouts, Snow and cornerback Javion Washington, to the High School Media Day hosted by the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Aug. 6.

About Washington, Harris said, “He’s an outstanding corner. He’s a multiple-sport athlete and we will use him in several ways, on offense and returning kicks. He’s fast, he’s smart and he has really good instincts – and he listens.

“Semaj has great size, and is a strong and aggressive kid. He has a lot of experience, probably more than anyone on our defense. He’ll do a lot of adjusting, putting us in certain calls for certain situations. He does a good job of communicating with the other players. He keeps them all together,” said Harris.

JOURNAL SPORTS

RUSTON — Louisiana Tech head football coach Sonny Cumbie told media members Tuesday he isn’t quite ready to announce a starting quarterback with Saturday’s opener against Southeastern Louisiana approaching.

Tech and the Lions will kick off Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium as the Bulldogs put a home-opening 11-game winning streak on the line.

“I think right now we will make the decision at the end of the week,” said Cumbie, speaking to the media gaggle. “We have had 19 practices of fall camp. The three quarterbacks – Blake (Baker), Evan (Bullock) and Trey (Kukuk) — have all taken reps with the ones. We will decide that Saturday, right before kickoff.

“I am excited about all three. I think all three are really unique in their skillset. I think we can win a championship with all three … I think that’s always important.  You don’t want to win a game despite someone (playing) from the standpoint of what you have to call. 

“I am looking forward to seeing all three of them when they get their opportunity. I know with the players around them, they will make plays.”

Kukuk, pronounced Q-kuk, is a 6-foot-1 inch transfer from Saddleback College. The California native saw action in 21 games during his first two years of college, passing for over 3,500 yards and 39 TDs. He is a dual threat option as proven by rushing for almost 600 yards and 12 scores during the two years at Saddleback College. 

Bullock started 10 games for Tech last season, passing for 2,100 yards and 14 scores while only throwing three interceptions. The 6-foot-5-inch native of Anna, Texas, earned All-CUSA Freshman Team honors. His top performance came in a win over Middle Tennessee, when he passed for 290 yards and five scores. 

Baker saw action in just two games last season before suffering a broken collarbone in game two of the year against Tulsa that sidelined him for the rest of the year. The 6-foot-5-inch native of Cypress, Texas, threw for 314 yards and one score in limited action. 

When asked what would be the determining factor in his decision, Cumbie pointed towards consistency.

“I think it’s consistency in terms of how they operate from an accuracy standpoint and a decision-making standpoint,” said Cumbie.

“The things you can judge on paper you take into account and quantify that. But I think you also quantify how does the football team rally around them. And how does the ball move, and the type of energy they operate with. All of those things factor into it.”

The contest can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on the Louisiana Tech Sports Network. 

• Reporting by Lincoln Parish Journal staff

JOURNAL SPORTS

With a Tuesday press release, Bossier Parish Community College finally confirmed the Aug. 5 Shreveport-Bossier Journal report that Jeff Moore, a coaching veteran with ties across the state of Louisiana, has begun his 32nd year in college coaching as the Cavaliers’ new head basketball coach.

Moore, 53, left the LSU staff as recruiting coordinator and took over at BPCC as August began. He immediately began plugging gaps in the BPCC roster for 2025-26 and has resided locally all month long.

The former longtime Northwestern State assistant, who was associate head coach of the Demons in the last few seasons of Mike McConathy’s 23 years at NSU, was briefly a BPCC assistant coach two decades ago. He fills the void created by the departure of J.A. Anglin, who moved across the Red River in July after five seasons with the Cavaliers and took over the NCAA Division III program at Centenary.

During the 2005-06 season, Moore’s previous stint at Bossier Parish came as the Cavaliers captured both the Miss Lou Conference title and tournament championship and earned a berth in the Region 23 Tournament for the first time in five years.

In the last three years at LSU under coach Matt McMahon, Moore helped the Tigers land several Top 20 high school recruiting classes and multiple Top 20 transfer portal classes. Moore’s responsibilities included evaluating and identifying recruits as early as their freshman year, scouting opponents, building alumni relations, mentoring student-athletes, coordinating official and unofficial recruiting visits, overseeing game scheduling, and directing summer camps.

Before joining LSU in 2022, Moore spent 16 seasons at Northwestern under Bossier City native McConathy, the founder of BPCC’s basketball program. As associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for McConathy, Moore was instrumental in signing many standout players including back-to-back Southland Conference Freshmen of the Year Jalan West (Bossier HS, 2013) and Zeek Woodley (Pelican All-Saints HS, 2014); 2013 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year DeQuan Hicks; and Shreveport native Shamir Davis, the 2013 Southland Tournament MVP. He also recruited William Mosley of Shreveport, who led NCAA Division I in blocks per game in 2011 and ranks fifth all-time in NCAA history in career blocks before embarking on a successful professional career in Europe.

Three of Moore’s signees went on to become career scoring leaders at their programs: Woodley (Northwestern), Koby Achane (Missouri Valley College), and Ronnie Ross (John Wood Community College). West set the career assists record at NSU.

Moore’s teaching and recruiting ability helped the Demons earn a 14-seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Tournament championship. That 2012-13 team’s 23 victories remain the second-most in program history. From 2012-15, NSU won 59 games, led the nation in scoring in 2014-15, and ranked second nationally the previous two seasons.

Moore has long been committed to student-athlete success off the court. Since his arrival at NSU, 90 percent of Demons players earned their degrees. The program posted a perfect 1000 APR score in four seasons (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016) and was nationally recognized by the NCAA in 2014 for ranking in the top 10 percent in Division I. NSU also led all conference and state public institutions in NCAA Graduation Success Rate with a 98 percent score.

Prior to his time in Natchitoches, Moore served as head coach and athletic director at John Wood Community College (Ill.) from 1997-2002, leading the program to a regional semifinal appearance in 2001. He later coached at Tyler Junior College (2002-05), where he helped develop multiple Top 10 junior college prospects. Over his career, Moore has coached more than 100 players from Louisiana. Former players include Trey Gilder, who played with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and was an NBA D-League All-Star, and Nikos Chougkaz, who represented Greece in the 2024 Olympics.

Overall, Moore has coached eight players who went on to compete in the NBA G League. His father, the late Wilbert C. “Nooky” Moore, coached for 33 seasons at the high school and college levels, including a stint as an assistant at McNeese. In 2019, Moore’s alma mater, Lake Arthur High School, honored him by naming its basketball court “Jeff Moore Court.” His No. 34 jersey is the only jersey retired at Lake Arthur, where the gymnasium is named after his father.

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

With the first competition of the 2025-26 sports year on Friday, and football kicking off next weekend, Centenary Athletics is ramping up its streaming and social media video content platforms.

Centenary has signed an exclusive media rights contract with FloSports to distribute live streams of all home athletic events. Last year, Centenary had a dual-partnership with FloSports and KTALnews.com.

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and FloSports entered into the media rights deal at the start of the 2024-25 season. All of the SCAC’s 12 member institutions, including Centenary, will use the platform in 2025-26.

With 100 percent of revenue generated from the partnership being reinvested into SCAC member institutions, the agreement creates a more equitable standard across the conference for all broadcasts and enhances production capabilities and quality of coverage across all sports. FloSports will also leverage the local, national and international brands of SCAC member institutions by producing original content and social media programming.

FloSports has committed $50 million into supporting its FloCollege platform, which debuted in 2024 in partnership with leading national conferences including the BIG EAST, Coastal Athletic Association, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Landmark Conference, New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference, South Atlantic Conference, Gulf South Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Association, and the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Best known globally for its streaming coverage of track and field, FloSports is available on the web and for download on mobile devices (iOS and Android) as well as smart TVs and streaming devices Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. To subscribe to FloSports visit https://www.flosports.tv/

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS SOURCE: The SCAC has launched a partnership with WePlayed Sports, the leader in automated short-form video for college athletics. The SCAC becomes the first NCAA Division III conference to implement WePlayed’s full suite of content automation across all 12 member institutions, spanning football, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball/softball.

Centenary will be able to automatically generate and distribute high-quality video moments from every game — dramatically increasing content output, reducing production workload, and transforming how fans, families, alumni, and recruits engage with their teams.

“The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference is committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience, and partnering with WePlayed Sports allows us to deliver short-form video highlights at the same level of quality and consistency seen across the nation’s most competitive conferences,” said SCAC commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. “It’s an innovative, game-changing platform that ensures our athletes’ stories are told and celebrated.”

“Our mission at WePlayed has been to make every game’s greatest moments instantly accessible to the people who care most — athletes, families, and fans,” said Paul Zukauskas, founder of WePlayed Sports. “With the SCAC, we’re not just creating more content — we’re getting it into the right hands faster, exactly when fans expect it.”

“The SCAC is unlocking hundreds of games’ worth of moments that would’ve otherwise gone unseen,” said Spencer Rubin, EVP of Sales & Marketing at WePlayed Sports. “By eliminating hours of manual work, we’re enabling schools to meet today’s real-time expectations for sports content—while giving fans a richer, more connected experience.”

NEW STAFF MEMBERS:  Faith Hudson has joined the cross country and track & field coaching staffs. She will assist head coach Joseph Moses Jr. as the men’s and women’s cross country teams open their seasons in the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack Collegiate Invitational in Nacogdoches, Texas on Friday. 

Kristen Bryant is a new assistant athletic trainer for Centenary. Bryant is a 2021 graduate of East Texas Baptist and earned a master’s in athletic training at Tarleton State University this year.

Brayden Reeves is the Gents’ new assistant director for strategic communications, overseeing game day media operations, live streaming, statistical reporting, and digital content for the athletic programs. A former swimmer at McMurry, Reeves served summer internships at Texas Wesleyan, TCU, and Arlington Baptist.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu