Scott Southwick Lowe died surrounded by family on December 24, 2025, after a courageous battle with brain cancer.

Scott was a Certified Public Accountant and President of Seagull Operating Company by trade, but would want to be remembered as so much more.

Scott was born in Shreveport in 1951, and his mother said from the very beginning he was “always a sweet little fella.” Despite his sweetness, Scott occasionally got into trouble. At the age of 14, fed up with field fires and petty theft, his parents informed him that he needed to get a girlfriend. He asked Ginger Hagens to a house party, and the rest was history. They attended LSU and married as college sophomores (and later often reflected-“What were we thinking?!”). They enjoyed 54 years of marriage. Scott and Ginger had two daughters, Katherine Lowe McCrary (Kevin) and Anna Lowe Weber. To his four grandchildren-Sophie and Dylan McCrary, and Lila and Charlie Weber- he was “Coo Coo,” and there were lots of love and laughs shared among them.

Scott was a man of many passions. Besides his family, Scott loved traveling to near and very far places. An avid lover and supporter of the outdoors, Scott loved camping out, hiking, and backpacking, and served as the President of the Shreveport chapter of the Sierra Club. He loved and was loved by many dogs throughout the years. He enjoyed many hunting and fishing trips to Arkansas and South Louisiana, often with his brother, Bruce. To his YMCA volleyball crew, he was known as “the Godfather.” More recently, his passions included the guitar and his jam group. He had lots of friends, who have been so kind during this hard ordeal-special thanks to his jam group, book club, All Souls Unitarian Church friends, and stock syndicate for their support.

Our family would like to thank the doctors at Willis Knighton Cancer Center for their kindness and compassion: Tyler Lash and Jake Wang. Thanks to Dr. Rick Michael and Dr. Jonathan Davis for always being there with answers to Ginger’s nervous questions. To the staff of Bristol Hospice, you were so helpful! And, especially, thanks to William Turman, of Always Best Care Sitters – always there with a smile, advice and a willingness to help in any way. Words can’t express our gratitude to you.

Scott is survived by his brother, Bruce Lowe and his mother, Sheila Southwick Lowe. The family will hold a private service. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the James Burton Foundation (714 Elvis Presley Avenue, Shreveport Louisiana, 71101), which supports music education for those in need through guitar donations and music instruction to schools, hospitals, and community organizations.

It’s our role as journalists to discover news, but we can’t claim that we knew before everybody else that President Trump would declare today and Friday as federal holidays, bookending Christmas Day.

He signed that executive order Dec. 18, which is about the time Journal management decided to give our team an extended Christmas break.

The Shreveport-Bossier Journal will not publish on Christmas Day or on Friday, giving our crew time to enjoy three weekdays with family and friends.

We will be back Monday morning with all our normal content on our website, our Facebook page, and in our regular 6:55 email to all our subscribers – absolutely free, as always.

Count on coverage of LSU football’s game Saturday in the Texas Bowl, and a look ahead to Tuesday’s Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl matching Louisiana Tech against Coastal Carolina.

We don’t have pop-ups or log-ins. You have quick, easy, free access to all content for every Journal published locally and across north and central Louisiana.

We wish you and yours a wonderful, joyous Christmas celebration – with Santa Claus bringing excitement for children, while we reflect on the ultimate miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ and His life on Earth.

Merry Christmas from the Journal team!

At unquestionably the biggest nighttime church service of the year, with proud moms and great aunts and uncles tucked in tight to see cute children take part in the symbolic Christmas ceremony, a granddad fumbled the mistletoe ball.

Literally in front of God and everybody.

“The fan mail continues to come in,” he said in mid-week after that traumatic Sunday night. “It’s nice to be noticed again. I’m surprised it wasn’t ‘Play of the Day’ on ESPN.”

He’s accepted the electronic waves of mail and the face-to-face snickers with the guarded good cheer of a man who stepped over the edge — and lived to be ridiculed about it.

“This is the gift that will keep on giving,” he said, “right on through the new year.”

It happened during the Hanging of the Greens, a traditional service in which every branch and bough hung has seasonal meaning. Cedar represents royalty, fir and pine represent everlasting life, holly for resurrection, mistletoe for … sin? I’m not sure. But this is what happened.

The children go all over the church putting up wreaths and boughs at predetermined times. The organist plays. The congregation or choir or soloist sings. At some point, a fashioned orb of mistletoe the size of two basketballs and with a hook attached is lifted by a human holding a hooked stick and placed on a high hook in the sanctuary.

When you’re dealing with that many hooks and a human and a stick and a somber audience, you’re dealing with liturgical dynamite.

Dressed in his holiday finest, my guy (to use his name would be indiscreet; we’ll just call him Pat) had practiced before the gig. Hung it right up. But as he sat in the congregation preparing for The Hanging, the hook appeared smaller. And higher. And the stick looked to weigh roughly the same as your average load of pulpwood.

But the show must go on.

And it was time.

He secured the mistletoe ball on the stick. Heaved it skyward. Arms began trembling. He zeroed in on the hook. It bobbed and weaved. He glanced over his shoulder toward his precious wife of 50 years, who seemed to say with her eyes, “Please! While we’re young!”

He got it! The hooks hooked! But only a bit. And as he brought the stick down, well, the mistletoe ball … she fell. To Pat (not his real name, probably), it happened in slow motion. The ball seemed to fall in sections. Took a calendar day for the thing to hit the ground, which it did with a soft splat. Of course to Pat, it sounded a clothes washing machine, while running, had just been dropped out a fifth-story window.

It was all about pride at this point. Again he went in, with the stick, and hooked the ball. (What I’ve imagined is a guy trying to land a marlin, only in reverse.) He pointed the stick and the unruly mistletoe ball skyward, took aim, and after a few more agonizing eternities, she hooked. She hooked! Lord have mercy, securely, she hooked.

The children, lined in back and paying more attention in church than at any time previous in their entire lives, paused, eyes on the ball, just to make sure. And when she’d held for five seconds and then 10, and the end of the torment was assured, they actually burst into cheer. They cheered in church!

Pat sat. He did what he always does in times of distress: he looked upward. The center held. It was finished.

But not without a price. “The only other greens I’ll ever hang again,” he said, “will be turnips.”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

City of Shreveport offices will be closed in observance of Christmas on Thursday, December 25, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, and for New Year’s on Thursday, January 1, and Friday, January 2, 2026. Residents and businesses are encouraged to plan accordingly for city services during these periods.

Revenue Payment Options While Offices Are Closed:
Mail: Send checks payable to COS-AV-TAX to PO Box 30040, Shreveport, LA 71130. Do not include cash, staples, or paper clips.
Drop Box: Located at 505 Travis Street (near the ATM), for checks and monetary instruments only. Do not place cash in the box.
Online: Payments can be made online at https://buff.ly/3UJ4M4q.

All payments made by January 16, 2026, will be considered timely and will not incur penalties.

Christmas Garbage Collection Schedule (Week of December 22–26, 2025):
Monday, Dec. 22: Monday collection will not change.
Tuesday, Dec. 23: Tuesday collection will not change.
Wednesday, Dec. 24: Thursday’s garbage will be collected.
Thursday, Dec. 25: No garbage collection.
Friday, Dec. 26: Friday collection will not change.

No bulk collections will take place during this week, and the Woolworth Road Regional Solid Waste Facility will be closed on December 25, 2025.

Residents are encouraged to plan ahead to ensure timely payments and proper waste collection during the holiday period.

The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office will be accepting property tax payments at two locations on Saturday, Dec. 27. Payments will be accepted from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Citizens can pay their property taxes at either of the following locations:

1. Sheriff’s Safety Town
8910 Jewella Avenue
Shreveport, LA 71118

2. Caddo Parish Sheriff’s North Substation
11411 LA-1
Oil City, LA 71061

We will accept checks, money orders, and credit cards at both locations. Please note that a fee will be applied to credit card transactions.

Citizens may also pay their taxes in person, by mail (including the account number with the check or money order), or through Bill Pay without a convenience fee. Payments that incur a convenience fee can be made by phone at 833-538-8539, online at http://www.caddosheriff.org, or through the CPSO Tax Department App.

Much of my Christmas nostalgia is wrapped in the glow of those big, old fashioned colored bulbs—the ones that could heat a small apartment—and the shimmering glory of an aluminum Christmas tree spinning under a color wheel. I was a child of the 60s, after all. Only in that decade could a tree made of tinsel, decorated with blue ornaments, and illuminated by absolutely no lights of its own be considered the height of holiday sophistication. And you know what? I loved it. Those memories still shine for me, even if a few of them come with some spiritual scar tissue.

I grew up in a sprawling extended family. My dad was an only child, but he came from a clan that reproduced cousins the way Louisiana reproduces mosquitoes—by the thousands and without apology. Every Christmas we gathered at my greatgrandmother’s house for the annual cousin gift exchange. Names were drawn at Thanksgiving, rules were followed, and gifts were opened with military precision.

It was Christmas 1968—easy to remember, because I’d been up half the night watching Apollo 8 circle the moon. Humanity was reaching for the heavens… and meanwhile, down on Earth, my cousin Wally was plotting a lunar landing of his own. On my gift.

I opened that widget—my widget, given to me by my greatgrandmother herself. I can still point to the exact spot on the floor where I sat when I unwrapped it. But somewhere between that moment of joy and the time we loaded up the car, the widget vanished. Gone. Disappeared. Beamed up, perhaps, by Cousin Wally, who boldly claimed it was his. It was not. I knew it then, and I know it now. Wally took it. That rat.

And ever since that fateful day, I have developed a Christmas quirk. If you give me a gift, I will—without hesitation, without shame, without regard for weather conditions—march it straight to my car. I have been known to sprint through a downpour like a shepherd chasing a runaway sheep, all to protect a tin of cookies or a festive mug. My family knows this about me. My church knows this about me. I know this about me. And honestly, it makes me laugh every time I do it, because I can still see Wally’s face in 1968, claiming my widget like he was planting a flag on the moon.

Have you ever had something stolen? It’s funny how one small childhood moment can linger in the corners of your heart. Part of me still fears losing a gift, even though I know that fear is completely out of step with what Christmas is really about. Christmas isn’t about the presents under the tree—or the ones your cousin swipes when you’re not looking. Christmas is about a relationship with Jesus.

God sent His Son into the world so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Jesus is the gift that cannot be misplaced, stolen, regifted, or claimed by Cousin Wally. He is yours, forever.

My prayer is that you experience the love of Jesus every day of your life.

Merry Christmas!

Doug de Graffenried is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach Doug at his email:  DougDeGraffenried

Before we can get around to fixing the college football playoff structure, let’s start at the bottom and work our way up.

The very bottom.

We all know how inane the questions are that get asked by sideline reporters before games, during games and after games. The next time something of significance comes out of these probing interviews will be the first time.

So it should come as no surprise that these frivolous questions bring about a never-ending series of mesmerizing answers.

Moments before Miami was to take on Texas A&M Saturday in a CFP quarterfinal game, we got a chance to hear from Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal, who was asked what the key to the game was going to be.

“We just have to play Miami football,” Cristobal said before immediately departing.

Of course! Miami football!

In case anybody thought that they might play Ohio State football or USC football, those fears were alleviated.

By the way, what happens if North Texas decides to play Miami football in the New Mexico Bowl? Do people get their money back?

And what if Miami plays Miami of Ohio football? Does that suffice?

It’s always been obvious that these on-the-fly interviews have zero redeeming value and there’s an easy way to solve the problem.

Eliminate them.

There … that was easy. Now let’s move to the top of the CFP food chain where there also seems to be an easier solution that more people agree on than simply wanting Miami to play Miami football.

Last year, the uproar was over the seeding process, which landed first-round byes for Boise State and Arizona State. The ridiculousness of that quickly became evident, so the CFP powers that be did a quick end-around faster than you can say “Miami football” and changed it up for this season.

But all that did was trade one problem for another.

There’s no need to go over the convoluted reasons why Tulane and James Madison got into the playoff and Notre Dame, Texas et al. didn’t, but it quickly became evident that both were non-competitive in their first-round games. (And keep this in mind – had they not changed the process from last year, Tulane would have been the No. 4 seed. Yuk.)

Here’s a concept even more novel than Miami playing Miami football – and one that has the overwhelming support of the college football public. How about putting the best teams in the playoffs?

Doesn’t matter how many there are. If it’s 12 teams, then the best 12. You want to go to 16 teams? Go right ahead and fill those spots with the best 16.

It’s as simple as Miami playing Miami football.

No automatic bids (have a seat SEC and Big 10).

No memorandums of understanding (sorry Notre Dame).

No “play-in” games, as the Big 10 commissioner has suggested in an obvious muscle-flexing move.

Choose it however you’d like – computers, humans or some combination thereof – and let the chips fall. If a Group of 5 school makes it on their own ball, then welcome to the party. If three of them qualify, y’all come on and gitcha sum.

As somebody has said, college football is great, no matter how much they try to screw it up. That’s what’s happening here; the power brokers are so determined to wallow in their own self-importance that they fail to see the obvious.

By the way, everyone also seems to love playing at campus sites in the opening round. How about a little more of that?

See how easy this is!

How about somebody/entity just step up and doing what’s easiest – and best – for college football? Then we can get back to seeing if Miami can play Miami football.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

HOUSTON – Thirty-six wins, 16 losses, one Heisman Trophy winner, no College Football Playoff appearances and a $51 million buyout of a fired head coach later, LSU finds itself on Saturday in the exact place it was in the 2021 postseason.

Same consolation prize bowl.

Same stadium.

Led by interim head coach.

Unranked.

And mostly unloved by a fan base more excited about what’s ahead with a newly hired head coach rather than staring in the rearview mirror at massive disappointments and unfulfilled expectations.

The last remnants of the Brian Kelly error . . .uh. . .era of LSU football takes the field here Saturday night at 8:15 when the Tigers (7-5) face hometown host No. 21 Houston (9-3) in the 20^th annual Kinder’s Texas Bowl in NRG Stadium.

While it’s not quite the dire situation that 7-point underdog LSU faced in its 42-20 2021 Texas Bowl loss to Kansas State when interim coach Brad Davis had just 38 scholarship players remaining from previous head coach Ed Orgeron’s regime, it’s still an uphill climb for current Tigers’ interim Frank Wilson.

Due to injuries and opt-outs, the Tigers will be missing 10 starters, including six on defense led by unanimous first-team All-American cornerback Mansoor Delane (injured) and the starting linebacking trio of Whit Weeks (injured) and opt-outs West Weeks and Harold Perkins Jr.

The Tigers also have three reserves participating – offensive tackle Carius Curne, running back Ju’Juan Johnson and defensive lineman Ahmad Breaux – who have already entered the transfer portal.

While new coach Lane Kiffin retained defensive coordinator Blake Baker and three assistants, none of the offensive assistants (including Wilson) have been asked to return.

Wilson’s next coaching gig after the Texas Bowl is Ole Miss. He was hired by new head coach Pete Golding last week, replacing running backs coach Kevin Smith, one of five Rebels’ offensive coaches under Kiffin moving to LSU.

Meanwhile, Wilson has instilled an attitude that any scheduled game is worth playing. He said he knew of no discussion involving LSU declining a bowl bid, which is something the SEC doesn’t permit its members.

“It’s important to finish what we started,” said Wilson, who’s 2-2 as the interim since Kelly was fired Oct. 26 after the Tigers lost 49-25 at home to Texas A&M.  “It’s something that they (the players) wanted. It’s something that we as a university wanted to do to complete the season and to send these seniors out the right way with an opportunity for victory as they conclude their careers here at LSU. That’s a forever thing for us. We’re excited about the opportunity to finish the season the right way.”

LSU will be missing only three offensive starters, which is not necessarily a good thing. It is at the end of one of its historically worst offensive seasons in history.

The Tigers rank 106^th nationally in scoring offense (21.8 points per game), 108^th in total offense (332.7 yards per game), 120^th in rushing offense (106.2 ypg), and 93^rd in red zone offense (20 TDs and 33 field goals in 41 opportunities).

A combination of erstwhile Heisman Trophy candidate Garrett Nussmeier being hurt all season with an unspecified upper torso injury and a vastly underperforming offensive line kept the Tigers from scoring more than 25 points in any game against their 11 FBS opponents.

For Houston, this bowl is a home game. Houston’s campus is 6 ½ miles from NRG Stadium. The school sold out its allotment of bowl tickets in two days.

Houston head coach Willie Fritz, in his second season with the Cougars after eight years at Tulane, doesn’t sound overly concerned about LSU.

“They’re a big team and a really talented squad,” Fritz said earlier this week. “They’ve been a top 10 recruiting class last three, four or five years, so obviously, they’ve got a lot of very good players.”

LSU’s strength – its defense that’s ranked 18^th nationally in scoring defense (18.33 pgg, better than half of the 12 College Football Playoff teams) – is drastically weakened by the M.I.A. players not playing Saturday.

Houston, which averages 28.3 points and 390.9 yards, is not exactly an offensive juggernaut.

But the Cougars have their share of playmakers led by former Texas A&M starting quarterback Conner Weigman, who started 13 games in an injury-plagued Aggies career in which he lost his starting job late last season to Marcel Reed.

As a freshman starter in 2022 vs. LSU, he threw for 155 yards and two TDs and ran for 21 yards in a 38-23 regular-season closing home win over the then-No. 6 Tigers in Kelly’s first season.

Weigman’s transfer to Houston has re-energized his career.

This season, he’s passed for 2,475 yards and 21 TDs, rushed for 644 yards and 11 TDs, and averaged 259.9 total offense yards. He’s the only Power 4 conference QB with 20+ passing TDs and 10+ rushing TDs.

The redshirt junior dual-threat passer threw a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown in seven games this season and eclipsed the 5,000 career passing yards mark.

All-Big 12 first team honorees wide receiver Amare Thomas and tight end Tanner Koziol have combined for 124 catches for 1,517 yards and 15 TDs.

Thomas finished second in the Big 12 with 10 receiving touchdowns and 906 receiving yards, both the most by a Cougar since 2022. Koziol led all tight ends nationally with 65 catches and finished second in the league with 651 receiving yards, both the most by a Cougar tight end since 2008.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

LSU (7-5 overall) vs. No. 21 Houston (9-3), 20th annual Kinder’s Texas Bowl, NRG Stadium, Houston, Saturday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN

Last game for Cougars: Houston quarterback Connor Weigman threw for 201 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 121 yards and two more scores to lead UH to a 31-24 home win over Baylor inside McLane Stadium on Nov. 29.

Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 2-1. The Tigers won the last meeting in Baton Rouge, 28-13, in Nick Saban’s second game as LSU’s head coach in 2000.

Houston head coach: Willie Fritz (260-132-1 in 33 years overall and 13-11 in two seasons at Houston).

THIS AND THAT

Early betting line: Houston favored by 3 points.

Betting tip: LSU has covered the spread in 8 of its last 11 bowls including 7-3 as the favorite and 1-0 as the underdog.

Number of Louisiana natives on Houston roster: 8

Number of Texas natives on LSU roster: 14

Number of transfers on Houston roster from 4-year schools: 47 players from 37 schools.

HOUSTON PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB Connor Weigman (204 of 319 for 2,475 passing yards, 21 TDs, 9 interceptions and 644 rushing yards and 11 TDs on 158 carries), RB Dean Connors (851 rushing yards and 5 TDs on 184 carries), WR Amare Jackson (59 catches for 906 yards, 10 TDs), TE Tanner Koziol (65 catches for 651 receiving yards, 10 TDs),  DL Carlos Allen Jr. (75 tackles, 7 TFL), DL Eddie Walls III (56 tackles, 9 TFL, 5½ sacks, 9 QB hurries), CB Will James (32 tackles, 6 PBU, 3 interceptions), PK Ethan Sanchez (20 of 25 field goals, 38 of 38 extra points), P Liam Dougherty (50 for 44.3 ypp, 8 touchbacks, 19 fair catches, 18 inside the 20-yard line).

DID YOU KNOW. . .

Houston had all but signed Galveston Ball High running back Charles Alexander in 1975 when LSU assistant coach Jerry Stovall swooped in and signed him. Alexander, who had his jersey retired this past season, is LSU’s third all-time rushing leader with 4,035 yards.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

(NOTE – as the year nears its end, the SBJ staff is sharing a few of our favorite stories from 2025. This one was published Sept. 22)

No Texas Longhorns running back recruit James Simon. No national career passing accuracy leader Abram Wardell. No Kolby Thomas, the sure-handed receiver who dashed past defensive backs. No Ole Miss offensive line signee Devin Harper, or Air Force recruit Julius Moss, or ….

The Class of 2025 graduation list didn’t stop there for the Calvary Baptist football team.

But 1 remains. And Braylun Huglon is a pretty spectacular cornerstone for Rodney Guin’s new edition of Cavaliers.

“Number 1’s a football player, a special kid who works very hard,” said Guin Friday night, grinning broadly in the wake of Calvary’s stunning 33-30 victory over the state’s top-ranked Class 4A team, visiting Franklin Parish.

“What he gets, he deserves. We gotta get him the football, and he can make things happen.”

Understatement. Huglon, a junior defensive back and wide receiver, wasn’t a one-man wrecking crew, but what he did triggered the Class 2A Cavs’ upset at Jerry Barker Field, on a night when Calvary dedicated its sparkling Helen Barker Fieldhouse.

He got things going with a 56-yard touchdown catch from sophomore Hudson Price moments after the opening kickoff. They combined again late in the first period on an 8-yarder for a 13-0 lead.

And when Franklin Parish drove 12 plays to the Calvary 8 ending the first half, poised to cut into a 16-0 deficit, there was Huglon with his biggest splash, a 100-yard pick six, weaving from three yards deep in the end zone, flowing past Patriots, untouched, as the halftime horn sounded.

That 23-0 lead grew to 30-6 early in the second half.  Franklin Parish rose up, even more so than Calvary expected, and twice closed within one score, at 30-24 and then with six minutes left, 33-30.

That’s when Price, bowling ball fullback Z’Ryan Miles and a reconstructed offensive line did what it took, mounting a 10-play drive that wiped out all but the last 1:26 and left Franklin Parish at its own 20. The Cavaliers’ defense kept the pressure on Patriots quarterback Dezrian Ellis and the visitors from Winnsboro got no further than their own 32.

“This is a huge one for us. It means a bunch,” said Guin, whose team had been manhandled at 5A power Neville, 38-14, a week earlier, and was coping with injuries that made a young offensive front a younger, unsteady offensive front.

“We just don’t have bodies up there,” said Guin. “But they battled tonight.”

Said senior O-line stalwart Hunter Davis: “A bunch of people got hurt, so we had to move a lot of people around, and it was pretty rough the first two weeks. But we stepped up big time this week, and came out here and dominated.”

Calvary (2-1, sixth in the Class 2A state top 10 poll) handled the heat and got a win that might well define the rest of this season.

“Our team grew up tonight,” said Huglon. “Our quarterback, he’s just a sophomore, and he grew up tonight. The line played very well tonight.”

“I didn’t get sacked a single time,” said Price. “I didn’t get tackled a single time. They were great.”

Steering the Cavs to their first big win without Wardell guiding the offense, Price completed 17 of 23 for 181 yards, albeit with two interceptions, one run back for a touchdown. But the final score was all that mattered.

“I’ve been waiting for this since I came here, in the fifth grade,” he said. “I dreamed of being the quarterback here, and finally it came true.”

Two pivotal factors, said Guin, were kicker Ty Knight and the Cavs’ defense. Knight nailed field goals of 34 and 30 yards, the second one boosting the lead to 33-24 with 11:02 to go. After the Patriots answered to draw within three, they got nowhere with the game on the line at the end.

“The kicker was huge for us. That’s the difference in the game, that we had two field goals.

“I thought we tackled well tonight, especially in space. You give up 30 points, somebody would think you didn’t play good defense, but we really did,” said Guin.

Patriots coach Adrian Burnette knew what his explosive team was getting into, although they weren’t going to face so many of last season’s prime time performers who were shocked at Winnsboro 32-28 a year ago.

“I don’t give a damn what people say, at the end of the day you’ve got teams and you’ve got programs. Teams live for the year, programs live for decades, and that’s what Calvary Baptist is,” he said. “They’re a great program. You got what you’re supposed to get tonight.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

It’s Day 2 of the postseason edition of the Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches Roundtable with three more local high school football coaches sharing their thoughts about the 2025 season.

This Roundtable is using a multiple question format that is generating some very interesting responses. We’ll have much more next week.

What was your team’s best game this season?

GARY COOPER, Booker T. Washington: The Bossier game in Week 4 (a 42-41 Lions’ victory, on the road, in the District 1-4A opener). We had to use our two-minute drill that we practiced daily to give us an opportunity to win in the end. The kids ran it to perfection. That was major to see them execute that drill in a live game situation. Secondly, we took a big step in maturing as a team that night.” 

MATTHEW SEWELL, Haughton: “The best game our team played in was Week 2 vs. Byrd at home (in the District 1-5A opener for both teams). We were down 13-7 entering the fourth quarter. Then us and Byrd exploded for 51 points in the quarter and one overtime. We were fortunate to come out on top. It was an awesome high school football game and a great memory for all of our guys.

“Our best defensive game was against Airline. We held them to 361 yards offense which is well below what they usually get; that’s a heckuva offense Coach (Justin) Scogin runs. The best game our offense played was against Benton. We had a school record 649 yards that night and scored 40 points.”

COY BROTHERTON, Parkway: “Our best game this year was Week 3 at home against Haughton (a 66-21 rout by the Panthers, who got five TD passes and 254 yards on 16 of 19 aim by senior QB Kaleb Williams). It was our opening district game and we were as healthy then as we were all year.”

What was the best finish you saw, either from your sideline or by other teams, on video or in the stands?

BROTHERTON, Parkway: “It could easily be the overtime win against Hahnville (a come-from-behind 37-31 second-round playoff triumph), but it’s hard to choose that over making a walk-off field goal against Captain Shreve (a Week 8 45-42 victory Oct. 24) or scoring late and then  stopping Airline on fourth down to beat them (48-43 Oct. 9 In Week 6).”

COOPER, Booker T. Washington: “The Istrouma game in the first round of the playoffs (a 22-14 Lions’ triumph at home). The game came down to the last play and the defense kept them out of the end zone to secure the win.”

Could you point out some breakout players, or a position group, who really stepped it up this season?

 SEWELL, Haughton:  “I would say WR Ethan Johnson and RB Brandon Craig. They were awesome players as freshmen and we’ve been excited about them for a long time. They both started last year, and had some great moments, but went into the sophomore blues at times. It’s tough for sophomores in our league. Everyone is really good and it’s the first time they’re playing against kids older than them.

“They both really came into their own this year. Ethan scored 11 times and led Louisiana in receptions (102, Bossier Parish record) and receiving yards (1,477) and Brandon probably had the most under-the-radar season in the city. He had 2,124 yards from scrimmage and 27 TDs. He also had over 500 return yards. He’s scored for us in 16 straight games.”

COOPER, Booker T. Washington: “Everyone knew about (returning All-Stater) D.K. Mitchell and Vontravious Moore at WR, but Devondre Johnson did a great job for us as that third option. He was our big play guy. We just wanted get him the ball in space and let him work. He was also a very dangerous kick returner. Teams kicked away from him a lot during the season.”

BROTHERTON, Parkway: “Our cornerbacks, seniors Cam Hines and Peyton Rayner.  Both started full time for us this year, improved every week and had great seasons.” (Notably, Rayner made the fourth-down, 1-on-1 tackle on a “hitch-and-pitch” Airline play in the last minute in that Week 6 win.)

JOURNAL SPORTS

Centenary Assistant AD/Strategic Communications Patrick Meehan sat down recently with the two first-year basketball coaches whose offices are in the Gold Dome – men’s coach J.A. Anglin, a Shreveport native, and women’s coach Rennie Bailey, from Minden — for some “Q and A” during the Christmas break.

This is part 1 – more will be shared next Wednesday as the teams ramp up for 2026.

ABOUT THE GENTS

You are nine games into the season with a conference game under your belt; What have you seen so far?

(Coach Anglin) “Our schedule has been incredibly challenging with five of our nine games either on the road or at a neutral site against very good opponents. As a staff, we knew there would be bumps and bruises along the way early in the year.

“Our group has been through an unusual number of injuries, but we have taken a next man up mentality. Our focus has been on the process of getting better every game. It starts with how we practice every day. There has been some inconsistency there and we know that is an area where we can improve. We have been in a lot of one-possession games up to this point.

“We came up one point short against a very good LeTourneau team in our first conference game. We were able to grow and break through in the next game and win on the road at ETBU. My goal for this team is to be playing our best basketball in late January and February.”

So far, the record (1-8 overall, 0-1 in the Southern Athletics Collegiate Conference) is not what you or the team wanted, but what are some positive things you have seen?

“I have seen a lot of progress since the Thanksgiving break. We have made improvements in our shot selection and getting back in defensive transition. We have been a good team defensively when we make teams play in the half court. That is something we will have to continue to build on as we progress into conference play after the Christmas break.”

How important is this period around the holidays when you do not have as many games in terms of recruiting, breaking down film, etc.?

“Recruiting never stops. We have been recruiting for our 2026-27 class since I took the job in July. I have a better idea of what we need to address in recruiting now that I have been around our team for a few months. We will get out and see some games over the break, but we have already been out and about in Texas and Louisiana.

“As coaches, we watch and break down film daily. Our guys get to see practice clips and game clips every week. We have a clear picture of where we need to improve as a group. Now it is all about cleaning up the details.

“Once we return from the break, our season will be moving quickly. We will be playing two games a week. The break gives our entire program an opportunity to reflect, regroup, and refocus on our goals that we mapped out together in August.”  

ABOUT THE LADIES

You’ve been coaching on the NCAA Division I level in the men’s game. What’s your impression of Division III competition, and the Ladies’ current status with a record of 2-7 overall, 1-0 in conference?

(Coach Bailey) “There are a lot of good players and coaches at the Division lll level. I am happy to have opened league play with a win on the road earlier this month against LeTourneau. The league will be a grind the rest of the way as there are a lot of good teams.”

What appeals to you about coaching at Centenary?

“Every day I come to work and step inside the Gold Dome, I am excited and happy for the opportunity to coach at Centenary College.  Growing up only 30 miles from Centenary in Minden, I am aware of the rich tradition and history of its basketball programs.

“There have been some amazing players here — Robert Parish, George Lett (who is my favorite Gent of all time), Bob White, Cherokee Rhone and Willie Jackson, who I had the opportunity to compete against from middle school through college. And last but not least Elinor Griffin. So, I am honored to be the women’s head coach at Centenary College.”

How important is this period around the holidays when you do not have as many games in terms of recruiting to build the Ladies program?

“This period is very important. Considering that we have played nine games, I have a better idea of the type of players it takes to compete at this level.  I can see multiple teams play at one site because of the holiday tournaments. Crucial!” 

You’ve made the unconventional move over from being a men’s assistant coach, so how is that transition to the women’s game going for you, and your players?

“It is a transition coming from the men’s side to the women’s, but at the end of the day, it is about winning.  The experience so far has been great.  The ladies have been very coachable and receptive to verbal instruction and buying into our system — both on and off the court. My goals for the remainder of the season are competing for the regular SCAC season and conference tournament championship.”

Next Wednesday we’ll share more from Coach Anglin.

There’s something magical about experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child who still believes in Saint Nick. It brings excitement and anticipation of what he’ll leave under the tree on Christmas morning. But no matter how old you are, there’s still something magical about Christmas morning.

With the Christmas season comes family traditions — traditions that may be a little silly, while others bring emotions out that remind us of a particular Christmas or maybe a loved one that is no longer with us. 

For me, Christmas brings back memories of a time that seemed so simple, a time when my biggest worry as a kid was if Santa was going to accidentally pass my house without stopping. I always wondered after our visit at the Sears and Roebuck store, “Did Santa understand exactly what I wanted for Christmas?” The man never took notes, so how was he going to remember what I asked for? 

After all, I could not have been any clearer on what gift I wanted! I can only think of maybe two times that he forgot. You know, he does have a long list with a lot of names which makes his job awfully difficult.

When it comes to traditions, there are a few that my wife and I have passed on to our children. First, we never miss our Christmas Eve service at the First United Methodist Church with great music, an inspiring message, and the lighting of the candles. 

My wife’s side of the family includes six brothers and sisters who all have children and grandchildren of their own. Everyone has done their part to add to the family tree, which means we now have a lot of youngsters running around.  

Each year after the Christmas Eve church service, we gather as a family of 40-plus at one house for food and the passing out of matching Christmas pajamas. The pajama crusade has been a long-standing tradition that can be difficult for one person to handle on their own with the gathering of sizes and placing the order. 

But one thing that has stood the test of time is the annual building of the human pyramid, everybody donning their new pajamas. The only thing that has changed over the years with the pyramid is who is on the bottom, as people change due to fluctuation in sizes! (Hopefully I’m not offending any family reading this!)

Another tradition for us takes place on Christmas morning as we bake cinnamon rolls, place a candle in one, and sing happy birthday to Jesus. This tradition has gone on for 44 years! 

After everyone has celebrated and opened gifts Christmas morning at their own homes, all will gather at the grandparents for round two of more food, fun and games along with the exchange of gifts.  

While throughout the years we have joyfully welcomed new members into the family, we have sadly lost others and miss them dearly. But this is all a part of life itself. Nothing ever stays the same. 

With age comes growing appreciation for the blessings of getting to be a part of such a loving family. People you can lean and count on in time of need. People who know who you are and what you’ve been through. 

So, this Christmas, become a kid again and take the time to count your blessings and enjoy your family! Because you never know when it might be the last time you get to spend a Christmas together. Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

As families across Louisiana prepare to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is urging motorists to make safe decisions behind the wheel during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

December is consistently one of Louisiana’s higher months for traffic fatalities, driven by a combination of increased travel, holiday events, and risky behaviors such as impaired driving, speeding, and failure to wear seat belts.

“Holiday celebrations should never end in tragedy,” said DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet. “I encourage every driver to slow down, buckle up, and never drive impaired. By making smart choices and looking out for one another, we can all arrive safely and enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season.”

DOTD Offers the Following Safety Reminders:

Never drive impaired. Alcohol, drugs, and prescription medications can affect driving ability.
Buckle up—every seat, every trip. Seat belts remain one of the most effective ways to prevent death in a crash.
Slow down. Speeding reduces reaction time and increases crash severity.
Eliminate distractions. Put phones away and keep full attention on the road.
Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver or arrange alternative transportation if celebrating.
DOTD encourages all motorists to take extra precautions during the Christmas and New Year holidays, especially with extended travel periods expected this year due to the holiday falling closer to the weekend.

“Let’s make safety part of every holiday plan,” Secretary Ledet added. “From my family to yours, I wish all Louisianans a Merry Christmas and a safe, Happy New Year.”

For more information on highway safety initiatives, visit dotd.la.gov or destinationzerodeaths.com.

Mrs. Mary Linda Harris of Haughton, Louisiana, age 82, passed away on Friday, December 19, 2025 surrounded by her loved ones. Born in Los Angeles, California on July 11, 1943, Linda grew up in DeQueen, Arkansas and married her high school sweetheart, John Harris, on December 8, 1962.

Before her retirement, Linda was a paralegal for Don Weir Jr., Attorney at Law in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Her career included serving as a hospital admissions clerk and switchboard operator and working for a security company, a pasta manufacturer, an oil company, and the FDIC. She was the first female radio operator/dispatcher for the Louisiana State Police, where she was also appointed as a supervisor and training officer. She also worked as a dispatcher for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department.

Beyond her deep, enduring faith in God, Linda’s greatest devotion was her family. She loved spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren and extended family, and being present for their milestones big and small. She and John traveled the world, sharing their love of exploration and photography while building lifelong friendships across the globe. Linda was always open to new adventures: riding motorcycles, waterskiing, flying in a glider, taking to the skies in a hot air balloon, or savoring nature in our national parks. She was a learner in every season of life, becoming a ham radio operator, excelling in photography, researching her family genealogy, sailing boats in the waters of Cross Lake and the British Virgin Islands, and charting the skies on a telescope in her backyard. She even practiced tai chi and earned an advanced belt in karate.

Linda is survived by her beloved husband of 63 years, Walter John Harris; three children, Teresa Hanselman of St. Louis, Missouri (husband Jim Hanselman), Joan “Mickey” Schoonover of Lake Saint Louis, Missouri (husband Bill Schoonover), and Michael Harris of Shreveport, Louisiana (wife Rebecca Harris); and six grandchildren, Katherine Hanselman, James Hanselman IV, Emily Schoonover, Ethan Schoonover, Mary Laing, and Sarah Harris. She is preceded in death by her parents, Odis Dale Smith and Edah Royalene Smith.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society.

Graveside services for Annette Conly, 79, of Elm Grove, LA will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, December 27, 2025 in Springhill Cemetery, Ringgold, LA. Visitation will be at Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold, LA from 1:00 P.M. until service time on Saturday.

Annette was born May 24, 1946 in Ringgold, LA and passed away December 21, 2025 in Bossier City, LA. She was preceded in death by her parents, Issac and Mary Grace Conly; husband, Jimmy R. Scott and brother, Bobby Conly.

Left to cherish her memory include her sons, Jimmy Scott and wife, Gaylene of Weatherford, TX and Michael Scott and wife, Stephanie of Elm Grove, LA; 10 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren and a number of other relatives and friends.

Phonetic: /ˈyulˌtaɪd /
Part of Speech: noun

Definition

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

(Editor’s Note: Mary Sue Evans died this past weekend, a month shy of her 105^th birthday. In her honor, we are reprinting the “What’s Your Story?” featuring her, which ran this past April.)

By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services

She was a high school senior in DeQueen, Arkansas. Or, as she says, “52 miles north of Texarkana.”

Papa was a preacher – a Baptist preacher who went hard from the pulpit. On this Sunday morning, he was leading his congregation in prayer, when someone burst into the church.

“My neighbor across the road – it wasn’t a street – come runnin’ in. She said, ‘Brother Karr, your house is burning down.’”

So, of course, Papa, his daughter, and everyone else ran out of the, no, that’s not right. Papa told everyone, “We’re going to finish this service.”

And they did.

“We drove home and it was all in flames.”

Papa’s daughter blames herself.

“I blew the lamp out that night before we went to church. They said that’s the corner where the fire started. It was my fault.”

There was no electricity back then. If you wanted light, you lit a lamp.

“I don’t know how I blew the light down into the oil.”

Mary Sue Evans told me that story – and her story – a couple of days after turning 104 years old. I will save you from doing the math. Mary was born in 1921. I arrived at The Guest House in Shreveport, where Mary lives, just after she finished her lunch of beef stew and English peas. Mary passed on dessert – an oatmeal cream cake. She’s never been big on sweets.

But Mary did allow herself to have cake and ice cream at her birthday party.

“It was awesome. There were a lot of people (34). It made me feel good, but I got so tired.”

That’s understandable.

“I don’t feel all that good. My eyes bother me. My not walking bothers me. Everything bothers me.”

Growing old isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But Mary has made the most of her years. Having never smoked or drank, she cut her own grass into her 80’s. Mary drove until she was a month shy of 101. “I gave my car to my great granddaughter. I held out $100. I could have sold it for probably seven or eight hundred.”

Mary’s great granddaughter repays the discount by visiting Mary every Tuesday and Thursday.

Up until Mary fell and broke her right hip several months ago, she lived independently in an apartment.

“I hate I can’t walk.”

When Mary was eight years old, the Great Depression gripped the country. People who had money suddenly found out what it was like to live without money. But Mary and her family didn’t feel the economic effects. You don’t have what you don’t know you don’t have.

“We didn’t have money to spend (anyway).”

If you think the world was a simpler place 40 or 50 years ago, it was a lot more simple when Mary was a child.

“We just all had a good time. We just played jump rope, and played hide and seek at night.”

Mary graduated from high school, then went to work at the peach shed, separating peaches. “I don’t remember what we got paid, but it was very little.”

Whatever it was, Mary saved it, and moved to Shreveport with one of her sisters (Mary was one of seven children). They went to work at Jacquelyn’s Place, a nightclub owned by Mary’s aunt.

“We sold beer at her joint. I car-hopped mostly, then danced when somebody wanted to dance.”

Mary got married – twice. She left both husbands, and for good reasons.

“I got married to an Air Force guy,” referring to her first husband. He ran around on me.”

The problem with Mary’s second husband wasn’t infidelity. It was alcohol.

“I would have stayed with him, but he drank.”

For 25 years, Mary worked as a seamstress at Shreveport Garment Factory – with no retirement benefits. When the company closed, Mary worked at a dry cleaners, operating the switchboard. “I went to work over there until I was old enough to draw my social security.”

In 104 years, Mary has seen a lot and experienced a lot. Some good, some not.

“My son, I buried him in ’94. He lived in Tennessee. Something stung him as he was going home on his motorcycle. He was a welder. He was making good money. He went on home, and something stung him on his way home. Going straight to the doctor would have saved him. But he went home first, and his wife wasn’t dressed, so she took time to dress. Then, she took Bo to the doctor. He didn’t make it.”

Bo was 45 years old.

“It was awful. That’s all I know.”

Mary has lived under 18 Presidents. Her favorite was Ronald Regan. “I just liked him.” Mary last voted in the 2020 election in which her candidate of choice, Donald J. Trump, lost.

“He’s as good as any of them.”

Mary used to keep up with news and politics, but macular degeneration stole her eyesight. Mary used to fill out the newspaper’s crossword puzzle, and beat everyone in Scrabble. Her television stays on TV Land, but more for sound, than pictures.

“I can’t read closed caption. I can’t read it at all. It’s too small.”

More than once during our time together, Mary told me she was “ready to go.”  She assumes heaven will be her destination. She believes in God but doesn’t consider herself a religious person.

“My grave is paid for, right next to my son.”

Mary had more energy at 104 than I do at 61. She could have talked all afternoon. But I decided it was time to ask my final question. As always, what is it about her long life that people might find inspirational?

“Live it like you want to.”

At least until you can’t.

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

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

Mayor Chandler announced and introduced Chief Blair Bockhaus as the next Fire Chief of the Bossier City Fire Department. Mayor Chandler said the selection was not easy because there were a number of respected and qualified candidates to choose from. Chief Bockhaus brings to the position over 21 years of service. His current position was administrative EMS supervisor. He has been a paramedic for over 18 years and served as a S.W.A.T. medic.