Well, that’s a stretch. We weren’t ever going to be confused with the Vanderbilts, but we weren’t The Beverly Hillbillies pre-oil either. We had all we needed.
I can never remember going without or being hungry or not having clothes to wear. A small-town preacher’s family always would be supplied. Bushels of corn and peas and beans showed up at our side door, fresh cucumbers, tomatoes. We had a garden like everyone else, but we didn’t really need one; we got the surplus from others. Our deep-freeze was always full.
But cash money, we didn’t have a lot of that. I didn’t know that at the time, but I do now.
Ignorance was bliss — but it wasn’t as grateful as it should have been. I didn’t understand how much my parents and their friends did for us kids. None of us knew.
When summer rolls around every year, I think of our vacations back then and wonder how they did it, how my parents came up with the money. We’d drive from South Carolina to see my grandparents in Louisiana. Not always, but sometimes, we stayed at a hotel . . . almost always ate at a Howard Johnsons, so we could have pancakes. Or “pigs in a blanket.”
Spaghetti. No restaurants in my hometown. This was a huge deal, eating out.
And not every summer, but three times, we stopped on the way home at “Six Flags Over Georgia” in Atlanta.
Bigtime. Just saying. Two words: log ride.
It is not easy these days to scrape up money for a few days at the beach or “Six Flags Over Anywhere.” Even “One Flag” can be tough. But it was even harder for my parents, and probably for yours. Somehow, they managed it, and memories of those times are priceless, even though travel with five in a two-door Impala was far from luxury.
Ignorance is thinking the window rolled down and your sister’s elbow in your ribs was bliss. And it was.
My parents did practical day-to-day things to get us over the hump, plus some more. It is another reason to honor a couple who did things for me I couldn’t do for myself. There is an illustration of selflessness in their actions and purpose that I need always to remember.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right,” Paul writes in Ephesians. “‘Honor your father and mother’”—the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you…”
They did so much to make it “go well” with us. Summer vacation? Probably wasn’t much of a vacation for them, corralling kids and scraping some dollar bills together. Just a small reason, of many, to honor them, more than a half-century of summers later.
EAGLE IN FLIGHT: Tonight, Evangel alumnus Roy Morris has a chance to become an All-American in each of his first two outdoor seasons at Northwestern. (NSU photo by CHRIS REICH)
By JONATHON ZENK, Northwestern State Sports Information
EUGENE, Oregon — Until now, only three athletes in Northwestern State history have reached the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in each of their first two seasons with the program. Years later, they all rank among the program’s legends.
Six-time All-American and two-time national champion high jumper Brian Brown reached nationals in 1987 and 1988.
Benton’s Latrell Frederick earned three All-America honors in the javelin after getting to NC’s in 2000 and 2001 in his first two collegiate campaigns.
Another javelin great, Cody Fillinch, who won All-America honors at each of his four NCAA Outdoors, got there in his first two years, 2006-07.
Two weeks ago, sophomore long jumper Roy Morris joined that short list after a tremendous performance at the NCAA East Region championships, finishing sixth.
After earning a second team All-American spot last season, Morris aims to repeat as an All-American with a top 16 finish among a 24-man field at tonight’s national meet.
The Evangel Christian product competes at 8:40 p.m. (CDT) this evening at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. Fans can watch the long jump on ESPN+.
“It feels amazing to go back to nationals,” Morris said. “I can’t be more blessed than I am right now. It feels amazing to see the position God put me in. I can’t ask for much more than that.”
Last season, Morris made a surprise appearance at nationals after a jump of 24-8 at regionals to finish ninth at the NCAA East competition. Morris led after the first of two flights before a lengthy weather delay caused disruption and forced the second flight to not compete until late at night.
The competitor in Morris wanted to make a statement at this year’s regional meet, knowing some thought he benefited from the delay last season. He did, with a personal best mark of 25-7 ¼.
“He’s a competitor, through and through,” assistant coach Alex Wills said. “When it comes to those pressure situations, he keeps a level head and that is something not every athlete can do. That is one of the things you can’t really coach. They either have it or they don’t. He can keep a level head in those pressure situations. We had a plan going into the competition and he stuck to it.”
After making it to nationals last June, Morris and Wills knew there was more potential to untap. During the offseason, the two worked relentlessly to improve certain aspects of Morris’ game, and once the training paid off, there was no stopping the Greenwood resident.
This season, Morris went out to not only prove he could make it back to nationals but also prove to others that he deserved the spot a year ago.
“I really put the work in to advance to where I was last year,” Morris said. “I know a lot of people doubted me and saying it was the weather delay. I just went out and proved that it wasn’t the weather delay, but it was because of the work I put in.”
Throughout his first season and a half with the Demons, Morris had the goal of jumping 25-0.
That happened in early April at the Pepsi Florida Relays, one of five times going 25 feet in the next two months — all at pivotal points in competition.
It was also at that time that Morris also went to a new approach — one that helped earn the gold medal at the Southland Conference Championships and ultimately, another nationals appearance.
“Last year, we worked on being technical and this year, the big thing we worked on was speed down the runway,” Wills said. “We worked all fall on getting him quicker. I pushed him back so his approach was further out so we could build that speed even more. It took a while, as the Florida Relays were the first one we really got to try that new approach and it worked out well. We just kept building off that.”
He did it again on his final jump in a pressure situation to win the gold medal at the conference championships — doing so by a quarter inch —and was 25-plus on all three jumps at the NCAA East First Round in Kentucky.
His first went 7.66 meters (25-1 ¾), which was just shy of a personal best. That attempt would have finished 12th and earned the last East slot for nationals if he didn’t make any more attempts.
Morris’ second jump put any thought he might not make it to nationals to bed, as he recorded a personal best jump of 7.80 meters (25-7 ¼) to cement his spot in Oregon.
The mark that earned him a spot at nationals a season ago wouldn’t have even put him inside the East Region top 20 this time around.
“We knew about his potential this year and even last year,” Wills said. “I’ve been telling coaches he’s going to jump 7.70 or 7.80, so for him to come out and hit that exact mark was amazing. But not only that, all three of his jumps were over 25 feet and he had only done that twice previously during his career. For him to come out and hit that mark all three times just shows that he is really that type of competitor and we’re ready to see what he can do at nationals.”
Morris uses a calm, level-headed demeanor during his jumps, which has helped him achieve several of his goals. Now he aims for another — to become one of the top eight long jumpers in the country to earn a first team All-American slot tonight.
Also competing for NSU tonight, in Heat 1 at 10:36, will be the men’s 4×400 meter relay team, anchored by Parkway’s Will Achee, in the semifinal round. ESPN will have coverage.
Lady Demon sprinter Rushana Dwyer runs Thursday in the 400 meter dash semifinals.
Northwood senior catcher Nate Cervantes was a first-team Class 4A All-State baseball selection, heading a group of eight local baseball and softball standouts recognized by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for being among the best players in Louisiana this spring.
Cervantes hit .442 for the Falcons.
Two Loyola stars, Luca Golden and Camden Pryor, were honorable mention on the 4A baseball All-State roster.
In softball, five Shreveport girls received honorable mention status on the 4A squad.
Caddo Magnet and Loyola each had two representatives. The Lady Mustangs recognized were Landry McLamb and Jada Wolfgang. Lady Flyer HM’s were Larkin Krieg and Presley Walker.
Mackenzie Jagers of Northwood also made the 4A softball honorable mention list.
The Class 5A All-State teams are due for release online today, with publication Thursday morning in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal.
The world’s worst eating disorder occurs between two people of the opposite sex.
“Where do you want to eat?”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
Silence.
A tinge of friction, undefinable at the time. But something besides hunger is there that wasn’t there before.
You speak again. The car is almost out of the driveway.
“You in the mood for anything in particular?
“Well, not really. I just want to spend time with you. I could eat just about anything.”
“Well, Mexican, Italian … Want a burger or something?”
“Anything’s fine. You decide.”
You are driving now or being driven in a direction. Just a direction. Not to anything, not away from anything. Just driving, hungry and decisionless. Sans decision. No Man’s Land.
“Seafood?”
“Well, not seafood. But anything else.”
Discreetly, eyes roll.
“Enchiladas?”
“If you want. Really, it doesn’t matter to me.”
The car is going slower because you don’t want to drive too far in case you’re heading away from whatever restaurant you decide — sometime before the turn of the century — to eat at.
“You don’t care?”
“Not really.”
That’s it.
“Fine. Let’s go to the 7-Eleven and get a Big Gulp and a hot dog and eat it on the curb by the dumpster and the old pay phone.”
“Well, not that.”
“OK then. It does matter. You do care. Now, where do you want to eat?”
“Where do you want to eat?”
At this point, ugly names like “Mister Smarty Pants Question-Asking Hangry Person!” are not spoken at the ends of the sentences. They are, however, understood.
“Well, where do you want to eat, (insert ugly name here)?”
“That’s what I’m asking you, (worse ugly name goes here)!”
And you continue trying to make the other person decide, secretly hoping they will save you from culinary hell.
We all eat several times a day. Every day. You’d think that after all the practice, we’d get it right. But time and time again, men and women have food fights.
Why is this?
It doesn’t work this way when it’s just guys or just girls. The decision is made quickly, the compromise comes easier, or something. I do not know why. All I know is that if Chef Boy-ar-dee and the Jolly Green Giant decide to go eat together, they’re ordering in 10 minutes. But if Chef Boy-ar-dee and Betty Crocker decide to dine together, they’re still hungry and hour later. Hungry, and on a low boil.
Sadly, we seldom make the perfect call. We second guess. We try to read minds, or stomachs. We don’t trust. (“Does she really want pizza for the third straight night, or is she just being nice …?”)
Sometimes, though, you actually make it to the restaurant without having to stop for either gas or stitches. And you look at each other, and apologize, and there is only one thing left to say.
REVERSAL: Local wrestlers will no longer compete for state championships in Bossier City after an LHSAA announcement Tuesday that the state tournament will move to New Orleans next February. (Photo courtesy Parkway High School Wrestling)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
High school wrestling in Louisiana is returning its state tournament to its hotbed, and leaving Shreveport-Bossier without an LHSAA championship event, according to an announcement Tuesday.
Following four years in Bossier City, the Sugar Bowl LHSAA State Wrestling Championships will be staged at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans beginning in 2027.
Brookshire Grocery Arena hosted 11 of the past 16 state wrestling tournaments, including a run from 2016-2020 and the last four starting in 2023.
“We want to sincerely thank the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission for their outstanding partnership over the past four years,” said LHSAA assistant executive director and director of wrestling Adam MacDowell. “Their commitment, professionalism, and attention to detail helped create a first class championship environment for our wrestlers, coaches, and families.
“The support they provided was instrumental in the success of our state tournament, and we are extremely grateful for everything they have done to showcase high school wrestling in Louisiana,” he said.
The LHSAA’s announcement confirmed a report March 6 on the Crescent City Wrestling Facebook page. Tuesday’s statement said the Morial Convention Center, one of the largest convention facilities in the country, will provide “a unique championship environment capable of accommodating multiple competition mats, crowds, and the continued growth of the sport. The event is expected to generate a high-energy atmosphere while improving accessibility for a significant portion of the state’s wrestling community.”
The LHSAA state tournament was held in the New Orleans area for many years before its move to Bossier City.
With perennial powerhouse programs such as Holy Cross, Brother Martin, Jesuit, and Rummel based in or near the city, along with rising contenders from across the area, the Feb. 12-13, 2027 event is expected to carry a Mardi Gras-style setting.
“As we evaluated the future of the LHSAA Wrestling State Championships, one message was consistently expressed by our coaches: a desire to provide our student-athletes with a new championship experience,” said MacDowell.
“After careful consideration and feedback from our wrestling community, we believe moving the state tournament to New Orleans will create exciting new opportunities and continue the growth of our sport,” he said.
Two other LHSAA sports are also changing the sites of their championships.
Following a long run at aging Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, the boys’ basketball state championships return to the Cajundome in Lafayette next March. The tournament has been held in Lake Charles since 2014 and is coming back to Lafayette for the first time since 2011.
Powerlifting will be contested at the West Monroe Sports and Events Complex, following two years in Kenner.
The announcement did not confirm locations for the other state championship sites, but no other changes were expected.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
The Centenary football program is just three months away from its third season since the sport returned to campus for the first time in over a half-century.
The Gents, 5-14 and 5-8 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play after their first two seasons, will open their season on Sept. 5 against Westgate Christian University at home in the first of five games played at Atkins Field.
Head coach Byron Dawson shared some summer thoughts:
“As we enter camp season, our focus is on evaluating prospective student-athletes both on campus and in a competitive camp setting. This is an important time in the recruiting process as we continue to identify young men who fit our program both athletically and culturally.
“We had an outstanding offseason and spring practice period. Our players made tremendous strides in the weight room, and Coach Calvin Brown and our strength staff did an excellent job challenging and developing our team to maximize its strength and athletic potential.
“Recruiting is a year-round process, and we remain committed to finding high-character young men who are a great fit for our program and have the potential to become future Gents. We are excited about our incoming recruiting class and the talent they will bring to our team.
“Looking ahead, we are eager for the upcoming season. We face a challenging schedule filled with talented, well-coached opponents both in non-conference play and throughout our conference schedule. We embrace that challenge and look forward to the opportunity to compete, grow, and represent Centenary College.”
The Gents finished their 2025 season at 1-8 overall and 1-4 in conference play. Centenary’s season ended with a 16-14 loss to Austin College in the opening game of the inaugural SCAC Football Championship on Nov. 15 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. Twelve Gents were named to the 2025 All-SCAC Team following the season.
The Gents are scheduled to play nine regular-season games – five at home and four on the road. Centenary will play its first two games at home as the Maroon and White will face Millsaps College on Sept. 12 before traveling to Marshall, Texas in Week 3 (Sept. 19) to face East Texas Baptist for its first road contest.
Centenary will face Schreiner University, in its inaugural season as a program, at home on Sept. 26 and then travel to Sherman, Texas on Oct. 3 to face Austin College. The Gents remain on the road on Oct. 10 to face Hendrix College in Conway, Ark. and then return home for a rematch with Austin College on Oct. 17 for their annual Homecoming game.
The Gents have a bye week on Oct. 24 and then return to Atkins Field on Oct. 31 to face Lyon College in a Halloween contest. Centenary then finishes the regular season on the road at Texas Lutheran in Seguin, Texas.
Since Centenary plays Austin College twice during the season, only the second meeting on Oct. 17 will count as a conference game.
More than 53,000 Americans died on World War I battlefields. Nearly 300,000 in World War II. More than 33,000 in Korea. More than 47,000 in Vietnam.
Always, and especially currently in the Middle East, the chance exists for deaths of Americans defending our country.
The numbers are seldom accurate for battlefield deaths. That itself speaks to the horror and inhuman quality of what happens when countries collide, when warrior after warrior falls and becomes a number, maybe one uncounted.
No matter the final total, each was one. And that One counted to friends and family. It counted more than just about anything else did. Someone was handed a folded flag. Teary eyes heard Taps. Real brothers and fathers and sons and daughters died.
An empty chair.
“Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
In The Message, Eugene Peterson translates that verse in this way:
“It is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.”
In the backwash of Memorial Day, it is helpful and healthful to remember that someone died for us. Some of those men and women, we will never know. Heroic strangers — wartime death, the ultimate sacrifice to freedom — should inspire us all, through love, to help and heal each other with goodness and understanding.
Today and every day is a good day to remember that through one good man’s death, through His blood, an otherwise fatal and eternal debt was paid, one that will lead to the end of war and death. Every day is a good day to remember we were all bought with a price. Until the human heart can grasp enough to at least hint at the full meaning of and reality of Christ’s death, it can’t grasp the beautiful simplicity of the gospel, which is not about what we can do, but instead is about what has already been done for each of us.
Remembering on Memorial Day a note found in a Cokesbury Hymn Book decades ago:
“David and ——— sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g” it read, and I realized David Coker’s situation no different than mine — we each had three sisters and such teases were not uncommon.
The Butler siblings attended Trinity Methodist Church at Chester & Paris streets, as did David, Judy, Donnie Sue and Ginger.
David and I weren’t pals — he was a Boy Scout, quiet, respectful and really bright; I leaned in the opposite direction.
But we both had those sisters who sometimes aggravated us, other times encouraged us, and helped shape us.
Two years older, I lost track of David after leaving Bolton High and becoming less and less a regular at Trinity. Our paths merged again in Spring 1971.
Cecil Williams, city editor, walked up to my desk, handed this then-green Town Talk reporter a piece of paper and said “see what you can get on this for today’s edition.”
The paper was off the AP teletype and was a daily recap of identified Vietnam War casualties. Among those listed — Capt. David L. Coker Jr., 26, Alexandria, La. KIA .
I told Cecil what I knew — David had three sisters, his father ”Lang” worked for the City of Alexandria — and asked him to please use another reporter. He did and someone else reported, the only assignment I turned down in a long career.
Some of that story and some of what I learned later:
No draft for David, he volunteered for Army aviation duty in 1966 and was a few days from completing a second tour when his helicopter was shot down.
He had volunteered to attempt rescue of another helicopter crew in Quang Tri Province.
During his time in country he had started a Scout unit for South Vietnamese boys as well as one in Australia.
Call sign “Charlie Horse,” David was a rotary wing unit commander with the 5th Air Cavalry, 5th Infantry Division.
His OH-58 Kiowa was one of 168 helicopters lost in a months-long operation against North Vietnamese Army infiltration from Laos.
According to the sequential listings on the Memorial Wall in Washington, a 23-year-old tail gunner sergeant from Michigan preceded David the same day, March 24, 1971, and a 21-year-old PFC from New Mexico came after David the same day.
The sergeant was confirmed killed but body never recovered; the reconnaissance private was killed by an explosive device. Both were listed as missing in action and are memorialized at a cemetery in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu.
David’s final resting place is a cemetery just down the road from my current home. His headstone includes “I am flying with God.”
Back to Cokesbury:
Somewhere in it is a hymn we often sang with a verse, as best I recall, “I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown, I shall align with Him on high.”
IN PEAK FORM: Will Achee has lowered a 50-year-old Northwestern 400 meter dash record twice in the past month. (NSU photo by CHRIS REICH)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Evangel alumnus Roy Morris hopes to rekindle the East Regional magic that sent him toward All-America honors last spring for the Northwestern State track and field team.
His NSU teammate, Parkway product Will Achee, aims to run to form as one of the top 10 seeds in the 400 meter dash to earn a ticket to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in two weeks.
Louisiana Tech competitors Oscar Smith and Cobe Johnson are strong contenders to reach the national meet with top 12 finishes in their events.
They headline nearly four dozen entries from Northwestern and Tech who have qualified for the NCAA East Region Championships beginning today and running through Saturday at the University of Kentucky.
The 48 top marks in each individual event, and the top 24 in relays, qualified for the regional. The top 12 finishers in each event move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships June 10-13 at Oregon’s Hayward Field.
Fifteen NSU men are joined by 18 Lady Demons, giving Northwestern a 33-person entry list topped only by LSU’s 36 competitors among state schools. Louisiana Tech is third with 15 total qualifiers among the men and women combined, and UL-Lafayette is fourth with 13.
Men’s competition is today and Friday. Women hit the track Thursday and Saturday. All four days are being streamed on ESPN+.
Smith will compete in the 110 meter hurdles today after running a 13.50 in the Jim Mize Invitational. It is the 12th fastest in the qualifying field.
Johnson soared on his final long jump attempt at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships, leaping a personal best 25-9 ½ or gold. It is the 13th longest jump in the field.
With his best of 25-4 1/2 that won the Southland Conference long jump, Morris is the 23rd-ranked regional qualifier. He and Johnson jump today at 5 o’clock.
Last year, Morris finished 15th at the NCAA Outdoors with a 24-7 ¾ mark, after navigating through rainy weather at the East Region for a ninth-place finish (24-8 ½) that earned him his trip to the national meet.
“When you’re an All-American as a freshman, of course you want to make it every year, which is a very tough task,” Demons’ coach Mike Heimerman said. “To make it to nationals is super tough, so Roy puts a lot of pressure on himself to be an All-American again.
“He is super talented and can jump much further. He just has to allow himself to do it and stay relaxed enough to do it. There’s a fine line with every athlete — having the capability to do it and allowing yourself to do it. That is where he’s at right now. He just has to relax, and he just has to do the things that he needs to do to allow himself to be an eight-meter jumper (26-3) because he is an eight-meter jumper.”
The long jump national qualifiers will be identified tonight as the 48-man field is whittled to the top 12.
In the running events, the field of 48 will be cut in half to run in Friday’s regional finals/national quarterfinals, where a dozen will survive and reach Eugene June 10-13.
Achee, also a sophomore for Northwestern, is the highest-seeded north Louisiana competitor, with his 400 dash time of 45.19 standing 10th. He runs at 6:25 today, hoping to move on to a Friday evening regional final at the same time.
Five other NSU male entries are in the top 30 regionally.
Achee is among four Demons combining to rank 19th in the 4×400 relay with a 3:04.45 time.
The NSU 4×100 relay is 26th at 39.22. High jumper Randy Kelly, who has cleared 7-0 ½, ranks 22nd regionally. Joining Achee in the 400 field is teammate Charlie Bartholomew, 27th regionally with a 45.62 clocking.
Tech’s 4×100 relay squad is 30th regionally at 39.26.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
Five Centenary softball student-athletes were named to the 2026 Academic All-District® Softball teams by the College Sports Communicators, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The 2026 Academic All-District® Softball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
The five Ladies recognized are all seniors — Emma Crow, Morgan Dawson, Abigail Hodgson, Alexis Roach, and Laine Sullivan. Crow and Sullivan each made the prestigious team for the second time in their career, Dawson for the first time, Hodgson for the third time, and Roach for the first time.
To qualify for Academic All-District, student-athletes must hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically and appear in 90 percent of their team’s games or start 66 percent of them.
MAJOR SPONSORSHIP RENEWAL: Centenary Athletics proudly announces an extension of its partnership with Rice & Kendig, the Official Law Firm of Centenary Athletics, following another major donation to the College’s athletics booster club, the C Club.
The donation is the largest gift to The C Club ever and further enhances the relationship between the local law firm and the college.
“Centenary College Athletics is proud to partner with Rice & Kendig as a sponsor for Ladies and Gents sports,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation David Orr.
The connection between Rice & Kendig and Centenary College is deeply rooted. One of the firm’s partners, Marshall Rice, is a 2000 graduate of Centenary. His father, Carl Rice, who founded the firm, is also a proud Centenary alumnus, a member of the Class of 1967. Their enduring support of the institution reflects a multigenerational commitment to Centenary’s mission and values. Six employees of Rice & Kendig are Centenary alumni, three of whom are attorneys.
CAMP SEASON: Summer camps are underway on the Centenary campus and registration is now available for the sports of basketball, football, baseball, and soccer. Check www.Gocentenary.com for camp dates and cost, and more details.
The men in the boat had to go slow because if they hit a stump and sheared the motor’s pin, they would lose time and maybe everything that mattered. The boy would lose hope and lose more blood.
He was running out of both.
They cut the water quietly. The only sounds that registered were the low purr of the motor and something in unison from the men and the boy. Strange … they were counting.
“121, 122, 123, 124 … ”
In the ugly minutes since the sound of the shotgun had exploded in the duck blind and echoed through the Arkansas reservoir, the 8-year-old boy, his father and two other men had become bonded for eternity. An accident plunged the four into a situation as real as life gets. As real as death gets.
Lying on his back in the two-slow boat in the January cold, the boy, bleeding from wounds to his chest and his partially severed hand, looked up, looked into the face of his father.
“Daddy, am I going to die?”
The boat was slow. Stumps everywhere. Cold. The boy feeling hot in his chest. Eighteen miles from a country hospital, much more than that to a medical center.
To son looked to the father for an answer. His head was in his father’s lap. His father held the boy’s right arm toward heaven to slow the bleeding.
“No, you’re not going to die.” Half command, half compassion. “Not today. Not anytime soon.”
And that’s when he told his son to start counting. And to keep counting. And they did.
“One, two, three, four … ”
Around the stumps, toward the truck, in the peaceful and painful mid-morning, the men and the boy counted. Kept going.
They’d been planning the trip for a while, the dad and the son and their duck-hunting friends. The guys. And now it was the last hunt of the trip, the last shots of the morning. It would be over in a few minutes. Time to head in.
Time to go home.
But when the ducks came, the boy reached for the gun and in the cold it slipped. The butt hit hard against the blind’s bench.
And then the explosion. Suddenly everything was wrong.
Two feet separated father and son. The scene was unthinkable. It was reflex after that. Into the boat.
A tourniquet. Quick whispers and lengthy prayers said in half-seconds.
“83, 84, 85, 86 … ”
They made it to the truck, to the hospital, and from there the boy was airlifted to Little Rock. The father had to stay behind. Still numb. Still reflex. Still counting.
Before one of the men drove him to Little Rock, the dad went to the hotel to gather their things. It hit him when he opened the door. His son’s clothes laid out for the trip home. A book on baseball. A toothbrush.
“1,006, 1,007, 1,008, 1,009 … ”
Nearly four months have passed. Few knew how remarkable it was last week when a young left-hander took the mound at the Shreveport Little League Complex, a baseball in his left hand, a glove covering his injured right. Nine pellets remain in his hand, 15 in his shoulder. Physical therapy will continue for at least a year.
Maybe he’ll be able to make a fist with his right hand again. Maybe he’ll be able to spread his fingers apart again.
Maybe, he told his father on the bench between innings last Saturday, the umpire will open his eyes and call a few more strikes.
The joy of little-boy frustration.
The days continue to go by, one by one, and the father and son keep counting. It worked that day when their world turned dark, when the sun went out and time seemed to have run out.
And it’s worked since, as the miracles mount. The father and son keep counting. Counting the days. Counting the moments. Counting their blessings.
—
(Writer’s note: Wrote this 30 years ago this month. The boy in the story, Gentry, is now 39, older than his dad and I were back then. Gentry was a lefty starter on a state championship high school team in Ohio in 2005. Today, his two boys are playing T-ball and coach pitch in the Dallas area. Grandad’s usually at the games; you can count on that.)
THE CURE ALL: LSU centerfielder Derek Curiel celebrates after one of his two doubles in LSU’s win over Oklahoma. (Photo courtesy LSU Athletics)
JOURNAL SPORTS
HOOVER, Ala. – The LSU baseball season made it until today.
After burning the midnight oil and getting a pleasant surprise from a struggling bullpen, the Tigers get to play again.
LSU and Oklahoma played until well after midnight in an SEC Tournament staredown that started Monday night. The 14th-seeded Tigers ousted the 11th seeded Sooners 6-2 at Hoover Met.
The Tigers (30-27) are set to face sixth-seeded Auburn (36-18) in the second round of the SEC Tournament tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 8 but as the fourth game of the day, is likely to be later, just like Tuesday night’s outing. The game will be streamed on SEC Network and available on the LSU Sports Radio Network.
The Tigers’ ailing pitching staff took another blow pregame when scheduled starter William Schmidt felt his back tighten in warmups and told coach Jay Johnson he wasn’t able to play. But a trio of Tigers combined to limit the Sooners (32-21) to six hits and held OU scoreless in the final five innings.
Grant Fontenot got the sudden start, and scattered three hits in 2 1/3 innings while giving up an opening run. Gavin Guidry earned the win with 3 1/3 innings pitched, allowing two hits, one run, issuing two walks, and recording six strikeouts. Deven Sheerin closed the contest, earning his fifth save, blanking the Sooners.
“Really proud of Grant, really proud of Gavin, really proud of Deven. That’s a tough spot to be put into,” said Johnson. “We felt we had a good plan mapped out for pitching, and William was not able to pitch.
“Grant did a great job. You only get 30 minutes when you walk on the field (after the previous game) and he gave us 2 1/3. Gavin got us off the field in a big spot and the pitch of the game was when Devin came in. We had a 4-2 lead with the bases loaded, and immediately got the fly ball to left field. He got better as he went along.”
The Tigers moved on top with a three-run fifth. Derek Curiel doubled in the first run and later scored, along with Omar Serna Jr., on an OU error for a 4-2 advantage.
Curiel went 3-for-6, adding another double and a single. Steven Milam cracked a two-run homer in the eighth that doubled LSU’s lead to 6-2, and Brayden Simpson had a pair of singles for the Tigers.
LSU did strand 15 baserunners despite getting 11 hits, and the Tiger defense made three errors.
The entire tournament is a single-elimination format. LSU needs four wins to secure an automatic NCAA Regional berth. Johnson said again postgame that is the only path his team has to defend its 2025 College World Series title.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
Looking back at spring sports highlights for Centenary College in 2026 leads us to the links, where Parkway’s Aubrey Snell and Haughton’s Haylee Crowder were standout performers.
Here, continuing from last Wednesday’s spring recap, are more 2026 high points for Centenary competitors:
MEN’S GOLF: Senior Jeffrey Borchert and Snell, a junior, each earned top-25 finishes in the 2026 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on April 21 as Borchert tied for 19th place and Snell tied for 23rd. Snell recorded four top 10 finishes and five top 15 finishes this season.
Senior Parker Christensen was selected the SCAC Character and Community Male Student Athlete of the Week on March 9. The SCAC Character & Community award honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
WOMEN’S GOLF: Crowder, a sophomore, led the Ladies as she tied for ninth place at the SCAC Championships and earned honorable mention All-SCAC honors. Freshman Gracie Evans tied for 16th place. Crowder now owns four top 10 finishes and 10 top 20 finishes in her young career.
GYMNASTICS: The Ladies excelled in the classroom once again this season as 14gymnasts were named 2026 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championships Scholar-Athletes. These outstanding student-athletes held either a cumulative 3.3 GPA or fall semester GPA of 3.3 and seven Ladies had 4.0 GPAs in the fall semester.
Fourteen Centenary gymnasts were also named 2026 Midwest Independent Conference Scholar-Athletes. These outstanding student-athletes achieved a 3.25 GPA or better in the fall semester.
Skyla Cruz and senior Amy Foret were each named First Team WCGNI All-Americans following their appearances in the individual Finals of the 2026 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championships in April.
Senior Claire Flores, sophomore Anna Ichiba and junior Olivia Williams also qualified for the championships. Individuals who qualified for the national championships were determined by their National Qualifying Score (NQS) in respective events. Cruz qualified on beam, Foret on beam, floor, and Vault, Flores on floor and vault, Ichiba on beam, and Williams on floor.
Centenary’s three seniors each earned prestigious individual postseason awards at the 2026 Midwest Independent Conference (MIC) pre-championship banquet prior to the meet. Senior Claire Flores was co-recipient of the Sylvia Keiter Award, senior Amy Foret was named Senior Athlete of the Year, and senior Olivia Stratmann was named MIC Woman of the Year.
Four Ladies were the recipient of the Coaches’ Choice Award, one of the four individual honors that the conference chooses on a weekly basis, this past season: Leila Dunlavy, Molly English, Stratmann, Dunlavy, English and Ichiba, who also won the “Performance of the Week” honor on Jan. 21.
TRACK & FIELD: The Gents finished ninth at the 2026 SCAC Championships in April with 15 points and the Ladies finished 11th with three points.
Sophomore Jay Scott SCAC named Men’s Co-Track Athlete of the Week (March 31) and named SCAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (March 17) as he had an impressive season for the Gents. He placed seventh in the long jump and 10th in the triple jump at the conference meet.
Please join us in welcoming Breanca (Bre) Simpson to BOM Bank’s Fern branch as our Head Teller! Bre was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is a proud graduate of Green Oaks High School. She enjoys shopping, traveling, journaling, and spending quality time with her family, especially her three beautiful children—Jayden, Ja’Liyah, and Ja’Miyah Broom. A fun fact about Bre: she describes herself as an introvert, though most people who know her would never guess! We’re so excited to have Bre on our team and are confident that she will accomplish amazing things. Welcome, Bre!
Your college softball and baseball teams didn’t win as many games as you’d have liked. Just short of a title. Or maybe just barely out of last place.
Yuck.
But … all is not lost.
There are conference tournaments. And if your bad or sort-of-good team snuck in, even through the back door, that team you root for could STILL win the conference tournament and STILL get into the national tournament for a shot at the World Series.
The conference tournament means a new opportunity. Didn’t win half your games? Well, that was then. You could win your conference tournament and win the World Series next month.
The regular season was a Laurel and Hardy routine? Forget it. You start the conference tournament with a clean slate.
It’s a bit like Opening Day in the big leagues. You can lose opening day and still finish 161-1. Not bad. Opening Day won’t decide your fate.
You can strike out four times on Opening Day and still lead the league in hitting by season’s end. Make three errors and still earn a Golden Glove during the long summer ahead.
Opening Day reminds you that it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.
On a smaller scale, conference tournaments are the same thing. You can forget what’s behind and concentrate on what’s ahead.
Jeremiah knew what it was like to lose. Of all the Old Testament prophets, Jerry might have had it the worst, at least on the surface. Jerusalem lost a lot more than its season. It was practically booted out of the league. Babylon was in the middle of a dynasty, and everyone else was playing for second.
But …
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Jeremiah had faith in tomorrow because he knew who held both today and tomorrow — and his hand.
It could be that you’ve booted things around long enough. But what was true for Jeremiah is true for us. God is faithful. His mercies are not new on just Wednesdays or every other weekend. His mercies are offered to us each morning.
God is not good at giving up on people. If you are in a losing streak of Biblical proportions, if you need hope, He is the author of it. He is crazy over you. If you need a new Opening Day, another shot in the postseason, He is a man you should meet.
NOT OFTEN ENOUGH: Despite piling up 16 hits Tuesday, LSUS scored only twice, including Spencer Sullivan giving the Pilots their second run on a double by Quaterrion Walton. (Photo courtesy LSUS Athletics)
JOURNAL SPORTS
It’s do or die day for the defending national champion LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team in its bid to return to the NAIA World Series.
LSUS must win twice today, at 11 a.m. against Oklahoma Wesleyan and at 2:30 against Mid-America Christian, to reach a possible Thursday championship game in the NAIA Opening Round Shreveport Bracket.
It’ll take three straight wins over the next two days for the Pilots (42-13) to get back to the World Series. Mid-America Christian (41-13) needs only one more victory to advance to Lewiston, Idaho later this month.
Mid-America Christian, ranked 18th nationally and seeded second in the regional, knocked off 12th-ranked and top-seeded LSUS by 8-2 Tuesday afternoon at Pilot Field.
The Evangels are in the championship round, which will begin with the 2:30 game today and continue, if necessary, Thursday morning at 11 with a final contest if Mid-America Christian falls today.
In Tuesday afternoon’s loss, the Pilots rapped 16 hits but couldn’t convert on the scoreboard, leaving 12 runners on base. It came on the heels of scoring the winning run on a strikeout in Monday night’s 5-4 walk-off over Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Those teams meet again today at 11. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan (38-18) eliminated 2025 World Series participant Loyola 8-2 in Tuesday night’s game.
The Pilots trailed the Evangels 3-0 before getting on the board in the bottom of the third. Quaterrion Walton, who scampered in from third base for the game-winner Monday night, scored again on a double by Carlos Sanchez to draw LSUS within two runs.
Mid-America Christian put up three runs in the sixth on four hits, and again, LSUS responded but with only one run. Spencer Sullivan singled and scored on a Walton double.
Nick Hill cracked his second home run of the game for Mid-America Christian an inning later to lift the Evangels ahead by six.
The Pilots are aiming for their fourth World Series appearance this decade and are trying to avoid falling short on their home field for the third time in the last four seasons.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
(First in a weekly series)
Competition in the 2025-26 sports year for Centenary is done, but not soon forgotten. As we head into the summer, time to take stock of the good things that happened this spring for the Gents and Ladies.
LACROSSE: The Gents finished their season with a 10-4 record, their most successful one in program history.
Sophomore Gamble Harvill, a former Airline star, made history on Feb. 7 as he scored an NCAA single-game record 14 goals in Centenary’s 21-11 victory over the Hendrix College Warriors at home.
Harvill stands alone in NCAA history across all three divisions (DI, DII, and DIII) for goals in a single game, as the previous mark was 13 accomplished four other DIII players and one D2 player. No Division 1 player has ever scored more than 11 goals in a game, accomplished four times.
Sophomore Noah Walsh set a new program record for points in a game with 15 with his whopping eight goals and seven assists in Centenary’s 27-10 victory over LaGrange College on Jan. 31.
Walsh then notched a single-game record 11 assists against Hendrix, the sixth-most in a single game by a DIII player in NCAA history.
Freshman Gavin Ferrington, a former Parkway star, recorded a program-best 95 percent Faceoff Winning Percentage against Hendrix.
Four Gents were named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association 2026 Division III Men’s Lacrosse Team of the Week during the season, earning spots on the prestigious national team.
SOFTBALL: The Ladies played in their 10th-straight SCAC Tournament this season and their 14 conference wins are the most in a single season in the Division III era (2012-present).
Six Ladies were named All-SCAC with each earning honorable mention recognition: sophomore Kaitlynn Alello, senior Morgan Dawson, senior Abigail Hodgson, junior Noelle Sandmann, senior Catherine Stokes and senior Jaeden Thrasher.
BASEBALL: The Diamond Gents appeared in the SCAC Tournament for the 12th time in the Division III era this season. Ten Diamond Gents earned All-SCAC honors.
Centenary rebounded from an 0-3 start to conference play to go 16-11 the rest of the way including winning five of its final six conference series. Centenary stood at 4-8 in league play after losing a home series to LeTourneau March 13-14 and then took two of three at the University of Dallas, won two of three at home against Austin College, and then won consecutive series on the road at regular season champion Texas Lutheran and McMurry.
After losing a home series to the University of St. Thomas, the Diamond Gents finished strong by sweeping the University of the Ozarks last weekend at home to clinch a berth to the postseason tournament held in Cleburne, Texas.
Something happened for you and me a long time ago that greatly influenced our being here this weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day:
Our moms were born.
None of us are mistakes of nature; none of us got in the game, crawled onto life’s playing board, without momma. Neither did they.
The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
It is never hard for me to imagine mine as a girl. I have pictures, less than two feet away from me right now, of her in pigtails, grinning, a wisp of a gal, sugar and spice. I wonder if it was taken on a day her mother made a chocolate pie or on an evening after her daddy came home from the papermill in West Monroe and wrapped her in his big arms.
I have seen that same little-girl grin thousands of times. My mother’s smile, the one like the one in that long-ago picture, unrestrained and nearly wet-eyed, is one of my favorite things.
My mom. The little girl in her had my first pair of blue jeans and my first pair of boots, little red Roy Rogers ropers — (those were ‘in’ at the time!) — framed in a shadow box for me one Christmas. She gave it to me in October. Couldn’t wait.
The mother in her bought me a coffee pot when I was 21. Even though I didn’t drink coffee.
“Drinking coffee will keep your colon clean,” she said, to my face. “It helps prevent colon cancer.”
I remember standing there for a minute, like a statue, worrying a little about my colon and a lot about my mother.
But you know what I did when she left? Made my first pot of coffee. Then drank it.
I do not carry a picture of her in my wallet, but I carry several in my mind, complete with soundtracks.
One is of her sitting on the brick steps leading to the side door of my boyhood home in Carolina, blue jeans rolled up over her calves to just below her knees. An oversized shirt is untucked. Hair is falling into her eyes. She is shucking corn, happy, hollering something across the yard to our neighbors, toward the house with the 12 kids.
Here’s one of her singing School Days to get me awake in the winter. And another of her frying an egg and putting it on a piece of toast for me before sunrise on all those priceless summer mornings before I’d go to Mr. Peabug’s or to Mr. J.P.’s to drive a Farmall through tobacco fields.
I carry pictures of her singing in church, each of us holding half the hymnbook, her looking down and smiling. Even in those moments, with What a Friend We Have in Jesus filling the tiny wooden church and my mother brushing my hair with her hand, I’m sure she was wishing those days would slow downs. Little boys grow so fast …
In my favorite picture, my young mother is leaning out the screen door and calling me home for supper. I’m across the gravel road shooting basketball or in the woods in the back, and it is a summer evening and I smell like a little boy because that’s what I am. My mother’s voice, at dusk in the Carolina summer, is always there, always expected. When I think about it now, it sounds like music.
It’s not easy for a guy to come inside when he can still see the baseball (just barely), when the fireflies are dancing, when his legs still feel strong on his bike and his dog wants to play. She knew that, somehow. So she kept calling.
But if I could go back for one day, if I could hear her call me like that one more time, she’d have to call me only once.
SILVER MEDALIST: Airline sophomore Hudson Greene finished second in LHSAA boys Division I golf championships Tuesday in Lafayette. (Graphic courtesy Airline High School)
LAFAYETTE – Airline High School’s Hudson Greene added another impressive finish to his golf resume Tuesday, tying for second in the LHSAA Boys Division I Golf Championships.
Loyola’s Reed Winkler also tied for second in the Division III boys competition.
Greene, a sophomore, has been making news on the local and state golf scene since he was a sixth-grader. At age 14, he won the 2024 City Medal Play Championship.
Monday and Tuesday at The Wetlands in Lafayette, he carded consecutive 71s to post a two-under 142, tying two other players for second. Maddox Moward of Neville won by five shots, shooting 70-67 – 137.
Also playing at The Wetlands, Winkler shot two-over, 76-70 – 146, for his runner-up finish. His two-under round Tuesday was the second-lowest in the Division III field.
That led Loyola to the best team finish among local teams, a fourth-place showing with a 56-over score (325-307 – 632). Calvary was seventh at 701 (359-342).
The Byrd boys were tops among local teams in Division I, taking fifth on a 615 (311-304), 39 over par.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
Last weekend’s Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournaments did not go well for Centenary’s baseball and softball teams, but they did collect quite a few postseason awards.
The Ladies finished their season by going 0-2 in the SCAC Championship this past weekend in Abilene, Texas on the campus of McMurry University. Centenary (16-24) was the No. 6 seed and lost 3-2 the No. 3 seed Concordia Tornados in its opener on Saturday and was eliminated with a 3-1 loss to the fifth-seeded Ozarks Eagles on Sunday.
The 2026 All-SCAC Team was announced at the tournament and six Ladies earned recognition: sophomore designated hitter Kaitlynn Alello, senior third baseman Morgan Dawson, senior first baseman Abigail Hodgson, junior centerfielder Noelle Sandmann and two senior utility players, Catherine Stokes and Jaeden Thrasher
BASEBALL: The Diamond Gents finished their season at 21-21 after consecutive losses in the SCAC Championship this past weekend in Cleburne, Texas. Centenary, the No. 6 seed, was edged 4-3 by the No. 3 seed Concordia in the opening game of the tournament and then was eliminated later that evening, 8-3,by the fifth-seeded Hendrix Warriors.
The 2026 All-SCAC Team was announced at the tournament and 10 Diamond Gents earned spots on the team: senior infielder Clay Menard, freshman right-handed pitcher Garritt Romero, sophomore right-hander Treyson Martin, sophomore pitcher Coen Laroux, sophomore centerfielder Blaine Birkelbach, sophomore right fielder Noah Paulson, freshman first baseman Ethan Hopkins, junior shortstop Vance Sartor, junior left fielder Bryce Bienvenu, and sophomore designated hitter Turner Mclelland.
STUNT: Junior Kaitlynne Anderson and freshman KaNeya Hatcher-Davis of Centenary were named to the STUNT National Championship Tournament All-Tournament Team. The selections were nominated by their coaches based on their power rankings from the STUNT National Championship Tournament held April 23-26 at Lipscomb in Nashville. Both Anderson and Hatcher-Davis were honorable mention selections.
ACADEMICS: Centenary Athletics announced 30 members of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society. Chi Alpha Sigma honors collegiate student-athletes who have excelled in both the classroom and in athletic competition. Members must be of junior status and have a cumulative grade point average of a 3.40 or above. Visit GoCentenary.com for more information.
FOOTBALL: Centenary’s 2026 regular-season schedule begins on Sept. 5 against Westgate Christian University at home in the first of five games played at Atkins Field.
“We are excited about our 2026 football schedule,” said head coach Byron Dawson. “This is a new year with a new team and a new dream. Our players have put in tremendous work this offseason, especially in the weight room, and it’s showing.
“We remain committed to building our culture and staying focused on the daily process of improvement. Our goal is to get better every single day while establishing a standard of excellence, both in the classroom and on the field.”
The Gents are scheduled to play nine regular-season games – five at home and four on the road. Centenary will play its first two games at home as the Maroon and White will face Millsaps College on Sept. 12 before traveling to Marshall, Texas Sept. 19), meeting East Texas Baptist University for its first road contest.
Centenary will meet Schreiner, in its inaugural season as a program, at home on Sept. 26 and then travel on Oct. 3 to face Austin College. The Gents remain on the road on Oct. 10 at Hendrix College and then return home for a rematch with Austin College on Oct. 17 – this one counting as a conference game.
The Gents have a bye week on Oct. 24 and then return to Atkins Field on Oct. 31 for their annual Homecoming game to face Lyon College. Centenary finishes the regular season on the road at Texas Lutheran.
The 2026 SCAC Football Championships will be Nov. 14, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. All six teams will participate. The championship game winner will receive the SCAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship.
Season tickets and single game tickets will go on sale soon and game times will also be announced. All times and dates are subject to change.
In a cute and interesting way of admitting how he dukes it out daily with his ego, our funny friend said, “You know, I’m not much, but I’m all I think about.”
Laugh every time that crosses my feeble mind. So true of me. What an impressive bundle of ego and selfishness. I’m not much, but I’m all I think about.
Such is the human condition. We are born selfish, waited on hand and foot. Now and then, a minor miracle takes place and some of us get better. At least a little better. Maybe for a time, maybe for a lifetime.
With graduation looming, a good rule for this spring’s class, for any class, for any of us still enrolled in this School of Life, would be the opposite of anything close to a grandiose attitude.
A great graduation gift would be Golden . . . “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That kind of a deal.
Sounds trite, right? But so do reminders like, “Say please!” and “Wash your hands before dinner” and “Remember to say your prayers.” (When all else fails, call on the classics, right?
Say you’re sorry and mean it. Clean up your own backyard. Keep short accounts with others. “. . . in humility consider others better than yourselves.”
If I were giving the commencement address today — we would both be shocked. All we know for sure is it would be short. Extremely. Any commencement speaker could do worse than offer these four pieces of encouragement. Be kind. Get cleaned up. Spend time with your Creator. Treat others as you wish to be treated.
So pick up the rhythm guitar for a change. Let someone else have the mic. God can work a spotlight. He knows when to put it on you. In the meantime, enjoy his applause for you and his delight in you when you ask, “How can I help make the road less long for someone today?”
Christ really does want to make us a little more like Himself each day and to educate us in the School of Him. Why? Because of what he did to save us from ourselves, to show us the joy in him available when we move away from me-centeredhearts and closer to the One who lives for “the least of these.”
THROWING SEEDS: Calvary’s Jack Testa fired a shutout in last week’s regional round playoff series. (Photo by APRIL WESSON, courtesy Calvary Baptist Academy)
JOURNAL SPORTS
Local action in the LHSAA baseball playoff quarterfinals begins today, weather permitting, with third-seeded Calvary at home against No. 11 Dunham starting a Select Division III best-of-three series.
Calvary is 23-13 after a pair of shutout wins in the regional round over Fisher last week.
Benton’s Tigers (29-6-2), seeded sixth in Non-Select Division I, are home beginning Thursday against No. 14 Destrehan.
Loyola’s Flyers (21-14), fifth seeds in Select Division II, play a doubleheader Thursday at Acadiana Renaissance School with the if-necessary Game 3 Friday.
Benton and Loyola took Game 3 wins to capture their regional round series last week.
Local teams in LHSAA baseball quarterfinal matchups
MOVING HOME: Former Parkway star Chloe Larry, who led the Lady Panthers to the 2024 state championship after helping them take state a year earlier, has transferred from Tennessee Tech to LSU. (Photo by JOSH MCDANIEL, GeauxPreps.com)
JOURNAL SPORTS
Chloe Larry and Mikaylah Williams teamed up in an extremely successful run for the Parkway High girls basketball program, and now they’ll play together again at LSU.
Williams will enter her senior season with the Tigers as the team’s undisputed leader with a long resume of accomplishment at LSU.
Larry – a pivotal figure in two Parkway state championships — was announced Tuesday as a new addition to the program, with two seasons of eligibility left after transferring from Tennessee Tech.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey announced Larry’s addition to the team.
“I’m excited to welcome Chloe to LSU,” Mulkey said. “She brings an incredible work ethic, strong leadership, and a natural ability to elevate those around her. I have no doubt she will work tirelessly to represent the purple and gold with pride.”
In her two seasons at Tennessee Tech, Larry had immediate impact as one of the best freshmen in the Ohio Valley Conference, Larry was named to the 2024-25 OVC All-Newcomer Team after averaging 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest in her opening campaign.
She was OVC Freshman of the Week four times through the season.
Larry made 30 starts in 31 appearances. LSU coaches said Larry has the ability to get her shot off at all three levels, including behind the 3-point arc. In her first collegiate season, Larry knocked down 35-of-98 (35.7 percent) from distance.
As a sophomore, she started 26 times in 27 appearances and averaged 13.6 points per game. Larry was named to the All-OVC second team, ranking ninth in the conference in scoring, fifth in free throw percentage and seventh in 3-pointers made.
Larry combined with Williams to lead Parkway to the 2023 LHSAA Non-Select Division I state championship.
In the following year when Williams moved on to the collegiate ranks, Larry guided the Lady Panthers to a second consecutive state title. She hit a 60-foot 3-pointer to win a semifinal battle in overtime and was a repeat All-State pick after earning state tournament Outstanding Player honors.
The 5-8 guard was a very accomplished three-sport athlete at Parkway, also starring in softball and track and field.
STATE CHAMP: Alexander Jayroe captured a tight second set Tuesday and clinched the Division III boys singles state title at the LHSAA tennis championships in Monroe. (Photo courtesy Evangel Christian Academy)
JOURNAL SPORTS
MONROE – Senior Alexander Jayroe of Evangel prevailed in a tight second set after taking control with an impressive first set to upset the defending champion and win the LHSAA Division III boys singles championship Tuesday.
Jayroe won 6-2, 7-5 over St. Charles Catholic’s Brody Matherne in the LHSAA tennis tournament hosted by ULM.
Jayroe earned his spot in the championship match with a grueling 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 semifinal victory over Arjun Walvekar of Newman.
His triumph helped the ECA boys finish fourth in team standings. Calvary’s girls were fourth in their division.
