We come around to this spot every year, but it is always worthy of a reminder. This is Week 1 of high school football, but that is so much more than a circled date on a calendar.

It is hot and steamy and ridiculously uncomfortable. In 10 weeks, it’ll be cold and blustery. The leaves will have fallen. Halloween will have come and gone. Forget Thanksgiving; there will be never-ending Christmas reminders.

So much will change during those 10 weeks on a personal level, a team level, a school level and on a family level.

Think about it.

The anticipation that has been building for months in weight rooms and on summer workout mornings will fade into the reality of what is actually happening on the field. Once, everyone was 0-0 and full of hope. Every week, the fortunes change in one way or another. This week may be heartbreak; next week may be joy. Then it starts all over again.

Think about it.

Right now, there’s a freshman or sophomore who has waited all of his athletic life just to run on the field with the varsity while band plays and the crowd cheers. He finally gets that chance in Week 1. Later in the season, it won’t be such a big deal. But it is on opening night. Mom and Dad are in Row 23, proud as they can be of a kid who may never see action this year. What happens from here for the rest of his career remains to be seen. But he is out there, living his dream – even if hardly anybody recognizes it.

Think about it.

Snap your fingers and all of a sudden it’s Senior Night. The parents are out on the field as their favorite player is singularly recognized. Mom will probably shed a tear. Dad will bite his lip and hold one back. Memories of 4^th-grade football and carpooling to games will speed by as a glowing paragraph is read over the P.A. system. This is it, they all think without ever saying it. Playoffs or not, this is the end of the road.

Think about it.

There will be a pass dropped in the end zone. There will be throw and catch like you’ve never see before – until you see one better two weeks later. There will be one-point losses that you swear you’ll never get over. There will be games in which you have no idea how you won. All of those moments – big and little – form a tapestry that will stay around forever. Why do you remember this play and not that one 25 years later? Because that’s what high school football does to those who play it. For years going forward, when teammates get together, notice how many sentences start with “I remember …”

Think about it.

Say what you want about this glorious Friday ritual of high school football. As much as some try to ruin it, they just can’t. The fabric runs too deep. The old “metaphor of life” may be a little strong, but it’s not that far off. There’s just nothing like these 10 weeks (or more). They come and they go in such perfect synchronization that we sometimes forget to look at the total picture because we are too busy staring at the color patterns. And then when we step away and refocus our vision, all of a sudden it’s gone.

Maybe we spend too much time worrying about power points and playing time and who is putting out the coolest Instagram post. Maybe we should just enjoy high school football for what it is and always has been. Even as we fail to recognize when it is unfolding in front of our eyes.

Think about it.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

Calvary defensive coordinator Mark Miller left Independence Stadium Thursday night just like his first-team defense did all night.

He cleaned up. Heading to the bus, Miller took time to scour the turf and pick up pieces of trash on the Cavaliers’ sideline where the cheerleaders stood during Calvary’s not-nearly-that-close 48-22 rout of Huntington.

His defense had a very clean night, too. Facing an offense that posted 45 points in two quarters last week in a jamboree win over Northwood, and a school that rang up 35 points at Calvary last Oct. 24, the Cavs’ starting defense gave up only one touchdown in the 2026 season opener.

And they scored more than they allowed, posting two TDs. The first was a linebackers special: Jacob Tibbett cashed in a 24-yard scoop and score off a sack by Delancey Street late in the first quarter to open a 20-0 lead. Defensive back Vince Campanella polished off the performance on the first play of the fourth period with an 8-yard pick six to make it 48-7.

“I’m proud of our guys,” said Miller. “In the offseason, we committed to this. Yards are precious, points are precious. We’re gonna focus on that approach. We kept the same intensity all the way through, and that’s the standard we want.”

It certainly had the approval of head coach Rodney Guin.

“Defensively, we just dominated the game,” he said after extending his Caddo-Bossier record career wins total to 219. “We’re very active up front. That’s going to have to be our strong suit.”

Tibbett, named the Stars & Stripes Border Classic Defensive MVP, enjoyed his dash to the end zone.

“I saw the ball on the ground and said, ‘Oh, here we go,’” said Tibbett. “We (linebackers) were just talking about it at practice, about who had touchdowns on defense. Not one of us had ever had one, and it came into play tonight. That was pretty fun.”

The Cavaliers’ primary offensive weapon had a typical Braylun Huglon night. The senior receiver, who is committed to Baylor, made a leaping snag of a pretty Hudson Price strike in the end zone to complete a 29-yard TD. By 88 seconds off the clock, it followed a 10-yard out route across the goalline by Brady Martinez to finish Calvary’s first series, an 11-snap, 56-yard drive.

Eight minutes before halftime, Price was right on target as Huglon streaked down the Calvary sideline and in stride gathered in what turned out to be an 88-yard bomb, the longest of his career, moving the score to 27-7.

“He was trying to play off man. I saw Hud, and the play was for me. I just ran right past him, and Hud threw it, and I caught it,” said Huglon, who was greeted on the field postgame by his pal Peyton “Pop” Houston, the LSU quarterback commit who will lead Evangel against West Monroe in tonight’s 8 p.m. Border Classic matchup.

Price, a junior whose first season as a starter last year finished in a state championship game loss to Dunham, was sharp and worthy of the Offensive MVP award that went to Huglon. Price accounted for all of Calvary’s offensive points with four touchdown passes and a 9-yard option keeper, completing 11 of 15 throws for 216 yards with one smudge, an interception.

“Hudson showed me a lot this offseason,” said Huglon. “Me and him trained 7-on-7 all summer. He told us he was going to be better, and he got stronger, faster, taller. He’s going to be very good this year, and next.”

Just like Calvary’s program always seems to be.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

Byrd High School’s Christian Maxie had the greatest game by any Shreveport-Bossier running back Thursday night against defending state champion Ouachita.

Maxie, a senior halfback who was already on track to top the Yellow Jackets’ school career rushing record if he posted 1,183 yards this fall, nearly carved that figure in half against the Lions. Now he needs 754 yards to take the school career mark set from 2004-06 by Justan Gibson.

Maxie broke the Shreveport-Bossier single-game rushing yards record by running for 429 yards on 40 carries, but Byrd could not hold off a Ouachita second-half rally in a 44-37 loss in Monroe.  

The record performance, which surpassed the old record of 407 by Charles Ball of Byrd in a 1990 game against Huntington, included touchdown runs of 26, 54 and 5 yards. Maxie had a non-scoring 68-yard dash.

The Jackets jumped to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter but coming down the stretch, the Lions got three straight TD runs (18, 61, 67 yards) by Carter McClinton over a 14-minute stretch to surge into a 44-29 lead. Byrd scored with 1:27 remaining and Maxie added a two-point run but the Jackets couldn’t get the ball back.

McClinton posted 190 rushing yards on 13 carries. Maxie accounted for all but 74 of Byrd’s total of 555 offensive yards and overcame 24 negative yards in his rushing output.

Green Oaks got a pair of defensive touchdowns from Tony Johnson Jr., a fumble return and a pick six, in its surprising rout of visiting Southwood Thursday night.

THURSDAY SCORES

Ouachita 44, Byrd 37

Calvary 48, Huntington 22

Green Oaks 44, Southwood 0

TONIGHT’S GAMES

Wossman at Airline

Benton at Northwood

Parkway vs. Dunham, Independence Stadium, 5:00

West Monroe vs. Evangel, Independence Stadium, 8:00

Loyola vs. Captain Shreve, Lee Hedges Stadium

Homer at Haughton

Bossier at North Caddo

Woodlawn at Carroll

Arcadia at Booker T. Washington

Magnolia Charter at Dutchtown

Northwood-Lena at Plain Dealing

(all games kick off at 7 unless noted)

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By MATT VINES, Journal Sports

As we celebrate the official return of high school football this week, North Louisiana’s two most storied football metro areas find themselves locked in battle up and down the classification ranks.

The citywide carnage is highlighted by tonight’s Evangel-West Monroe matchup, the crown jewel of the Stars & Stripes Border Classic in Independence Stadium.

The matchup pits two of the most prominent programs in the state with Evangel boasting 14 state titles to West Monroe’s 11 trophies.

All championships for each school have been captured since 1993, with both programs embroiled in a decade-long drought without a confetti celebration.

Evangel last won a title in 2016 while West Monroe hasn’t hoisted the trophy since 2011.

Quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston is aiming for Evangel to regain elite status in Division I Select as the Eagles haven’t been back to the Dome since that 2016 title. The quarterfinals loss to Edna Karr this past season is Evangel’s furthest push since two semifinals trips in 2017 and 2018.

West Monroe was upset in the Division I Non-Select second round by familiar foe Barbe, which foiled a quarterfinals matchup with Monroe-rival Neville.

The Rebels haven’t been to The Dome since 2018 and with only one semifinals appearance (2020) since then.

The dominance in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s might make it hard to believe that a full decade has passed since either team lifted a championship trophy.

But starting the 2026 season with an impactful victory on North Louisiana’s biggest stage just might propel the Week 1 winner to the ultimate winner’s circle.

More Shreveport-Monroe matchups

The Evangel-West Monroe powerhouse matchup is just one salvo in the Week 1 wars.

Byrd and Ouachita started the campaign Thursday night. The Lions shocked the Division I Non-Select world last season by winning a state title as a No. 14 seed (all five wins by one score), which included a championship game upset of Ruston.

Tonight, Wossman travels to Airline and Woodlawn heads to Carroll to finish the metro madness.

An Airline program that won just one game in 2021 quickly inserted itself into a prime position in a deep District 1-5A, winning titles in 2022 and 2024 and in the running other years.

But the Vikings weren’t big factors in 2025 with three straight district losses, and Airline is eager to get back in the mix starting with a Wossman team that knows tough in a difficult District 2-4A.

Woodlawn’s two wins in 2025 is its fewest this decade, and they’ll face a solid Carroll bunch that’s won nine games over the past two seasons.

Week 1 features wide classification gaps

Teams from varying classifications facing off in non-district weeks is nothing new.

Eight games involving Shreveport-Bossier teams contain at least two classes of separation (take Class 2A Calvary Baptist vs. Class 5A Huntington Thursday night, for example).

And that doesn’t mean smaller schools can’t or don’t win – Homer (goes up and down between Class 1A and Class 2A) knocked off Class 5A Haughton this past season after a wild Haughton win in 2024.

Those two will square off again tonight in what’s been one of the most entertaining non-district series recently.

Class 4A Bossier and Class 2A North Caddo have had crazy momentum swings that have made it another entertaining Week 1 series with staying power.

Class 5A Parkway’s classification offers little in the way of protection from Class 2A Dunham (Division III Select champions) and quarterback Elijah Haven, an Alabama commit.

The Panthers nearly knocked off eventual Division I Non-Select champion Ouachita in the quarterfinals, so facing a championship program will be nothing new.

But save a thought for Magnolia School of Excellence, a program who jumps between Class 1A and Class 2A.

The 2A Mariners will head down to Class 5A Dutchtown, who snuck into the Division I playoffs last year but is traditionally a program of stature in the rural sprawl of the Baton Rouge area.

Magnolia was winless last year and had a pair of wins in 2023 and 2024.

Benton-Northwood takes local cake

If one is looking for an all-local matchup with sugar and spice and everything nice, look no further than Benton and Northwood.

The sustained population spike in northern Bossier Parish shot Benton from a Class 3A school at the turn of the century to a Class 5A school for the past seven years.

Some of that time was spent in District 1-4A as a district rival of Northwood.

The series restarted in 2023, with Benton winning the first matchup 28-26 and Northwood taking a close one in 2024 (24-21).

The Falcons overwhelmed Benton (49-16) in the first game under new head coach Stephen Dennis, but given Dennis’ success at Huntington, don’t expect the Tigers to be down for long.

A win against Northwood would be a great way to begin the climb to being District 1-5A contenders.

The Falcons and Griffins have battled for District 1-4A supremacy in recent seasons, and coach Austin Brown has established itself as one of the better programs in the city, particularly after apathy plagued the school before the arrival of coach Jim Gatlin.

Northwood has struggled to sustain playoff success since playing in Division I Select (two playoff wins in four seasons as a top 10 seed).

But a second straight win against Benton could signal the Falcons are one step closer to breaking through.

Contact Matt at matt.vines@lsus.edu

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By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Against the backdrop of the SEC filing a federal lawsuit vs. LSU on Thursday morning followed by a Baton Rouge judge delivering a favorable preliminary injunction ruling Thursday night for Tigers’ football program, No. 11 LSU and No. 23 Clemson will finally play a season-opener here Saturday night.

LSU first-year head coach Lane Kiffin has spent most of the last two weeks defending why the school sought an injunction to allow an NFL rookies cut in training camp to return to college because of mid-June NCAA ruling restoring a fifth year of eligibility for Class of 2022 players.

“I feel my decisions should always be made in the best interest of the players that sit in this team room, and not, but for my reputation and how the decisions play in the national media or other fan bases,” said Kiffin earlier this week before having no comment on Thursday’s ruling. “I’ve never been that way, and that could be wrong. It’s probably part of my story why it is the way it is. But those players and the people that hire me always know I’m constantly trying to do the best thing for them.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has watched the legal circus from afar with disgusted amusement.

“I don’t blame the kids and people trying to take advantage of the system,” he said. “I just think it’s embarrassing where we are with college football, and we’ve been there for a while.

“It’s a joke. There’s no governance. And when you enforce rules, somebody just goes and finds a judge to say, no, you can’t enforce that rule. I never did think I’d be living in an era like this. But that’s where we are. You hope eventually there’ll be some different things come down the pipe.”

Thursday’s ruling by Baton Rouge judge William Jorden applies to athletes only named in the suit. Two of them – former Ole Miss starters under Kiffin last season, now LSU commits tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris – are eligible to be added to the Tigers’ roster for Saturday’ s game.

Wright and Harris disputed in Thursday’s testimony how much they practiced in NFL training camps and how much they were paid.

Harris is still nursing a foot injury he suffered in the New Orleans Saints preseason camp and probably won’t be healthy enough to play for at least two more weeks. Wright has practiced all week and is ready for action.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey also testified in person for three hours on Thursday. He emphasized the league’s rule banning former pros from joining conference schools was in place before LSU’s push to add fifth-year seniors.

Once LSU sought a temporary restraining order last week, presidents of the 16 league schools retaliated. They approved harsher penalties for any schools signing and using pros in game competition. Included are a half-season suspension for a team’s head coach and a fine of 50 percent of the sport’s operating budget.

Of his Thursday ruling, Jorden told the SEC, “I’m showing you I’ve got a big gun.”

If the SEC enforces its rule barring professionals, it would be in violation of a Louisiana court order. The SEC filed a federal suit against LSU to seek the legal protection it needs to impose penalties on any member program that violates its rules.

The SEC’s lawsuit claimed that the school executed “a deliberate and coordinated campaign” to recruit professional athletes to play football for LSU. Named as defendants are Kiffin, athletics director Verge Ausberry, school president Wade Rousse and the school’s Board of Supervisors.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill described the SEC’s lawsuit as “garbage.”

LSU senior linebacker Whit Weeks said earlier this week the off-field legal soap opera had no effect on a team hell-bent and focused on the immediate task at hand.

“I don’t think that our team is distracted at all, or that we really hear the outside noise,” Weeks said. “We’re focused on, on what we’re focused on.

“(Strength) Coach (Nick) Savage and Coach Kiffin have put us kind of through the ringer in the past three months. You can’t really worry about what’s going on outside of here because every time you come up here, you know you’re in for a rough day of work.”

No. 11 LSU vs. No. 23 Clemson, Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Saturday, 6:49 p.m. (ABC-TV)

Last game for Clemson: It ended the 2025 season at 7-6 with a 22-10 loss to Penn State in Pinstripe Bowl.

Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 4-1. Last season in the season opener at then-No. 4 Clemson, then-No. 9 LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier threw for 230 yards and a TD, RB Caden Durham ran for 74 yards and a TD in a 17-10 road win.

Clemson head coach: Dabo Swinney (187-53 in 18 seasons overall and at Clemson).

THIS AND THAT

Betting line: LSU by 10

Betting tip: Clemson is 1-5 against the spread in the last five games vs. SEC opponents.

Terms of game contract: $500,000 guarantee for Clemson

Number of Louisiana natives on Clemson roster: 1 (DT Devarrick Woods from Bossier City and Airline HS, a transfer from Texas State)

Number of South Carolina natives on LSU roster: 3

Number of transfers on the Clemson roster from 4-year schools: 17 players from 16 schools.

CLEMSON PLAYERS TO WATCH (2025 stats shown)

QB Christopher Vizzina Jr. (45-of-71 for 406 passing yards, 4 TDs and 1 interception and 25 rushes for 41 yards, WR T.J. Moore (52 catches for 837 receiving yards, four Yds), WR Bryant Wesco (31 catches for 537 receiving yards and 6 TDs), LB Jeremiah Alexander (36 tackles (11 solo), 1 sacks, 3 PBU for Alabama), DE Jahiem Lawson (24 tackles, 6 TFL, 3½ sacks, 3 PBU, (64 tackles, 4½ TFL, 2½ sacks), PK Nolan Hauser Jr. 17 of 21 FG, 38 of 38 PATs, P Jack Smith (50 for 41.4 ypk, 2 touchbacks, 24 fair catches, 22 inside the 20, 5 punt of 50 yards plus).

DID YOU KNOW. . .

First-year LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has a 20-4 record in college season openers including 10-4 as head coach (1-0 Tennessee, 4-0 USC, 0-3 Florida Atlantic, 5-1 Ole Miss) and 10-0 as an assistant (6-0 USC, 4-0 Alabama).

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia.com

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By BRAD WELBORN, Northwestern State Athletic Communications

NATCHITOCHES — When Northwestern State offensive lineman Caleb Billiot takes the field Saturday evening at Louisiana Tech, he’ll return to the place where his college football journey began.

Billiot spent the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Bulldogs, but never saw the field during his three seasons in Ruston. He remained committed to the process, however, and eventually found a second opportunity at Northwestern that changed the trajectory of his career.

Saturday night, Billiot is back in familiar territory when Northwestern visits Louisiana Tech at 6:30 p.m. from Joe Alliet Stadium in Ruston in a game carried on ESPN+.

Now a three-year starter and two-year team captain for the Demons, Billiot has become one of the leaders of the NSU program.

So, what would the 2026 version of Caleb Billiot say to the Caleb Billiot who was leaving high school and beginning his college football career?

“One thing I would tell him is that I’m proud of him for never giving up,” Billiot said. “For continuing to go through the days and stacking days on top of each other even when things got hard.

“Being a walk-on at any school, everything is magnified. Everything you do. There’s a higher standard to you. So going through those hard days of maybe not wanting to get up one morning or questioning, ‘Is this really for me?’ I’m truly proud of him for doing that.”

Billiot wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school and entered college as a walk-on at Louisiana Tech. Despite not see the playing time he wanted in his first three years, the work never stopped. The desire to play, to have the right opportunity, to contribute to something greater than himself never vanished.

That opportunity eventually came at Northwestern.

Billiot has started for the Demons for three seasons and has served as a team captain for the past two. He has also excelled in the classroom, earning Southland Conference Honor Roll recognition in each of his seasons. In 2025, he was named to the Southland All-Academic Team and the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. 

In May of this year he earned his degree in health and exercise science as a cum laude graduate.

The journey from a lightly recruited high school offensive lineman to a captain and scholarship player at Northwestern is one Billiot has already learned to appreciate.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity that I get to play,” he said. “I feel like the team really responds to me well and I wake up every single day remembering where I came from in that instance.

“A smaller offensive lineman, not really highly recruited, and I try not to take being here and being able to play and be a captain and leader of this team for granted.”

That perspective is especially meaningful as Billiot prepares to return to Louisiana Tech for the first time this weekend.

He knows how easily his story could have ended differently.

“I could be in that situation as a walk-on that never gets to touch the field,” Billiot said. “If they decide to transfer, they never get picked up and their career is kind of over. So for me to be able to get a second opportunity, be on full scholarship and be able to play and make a difference, I’m really proud of that younger Caleb for never giving up.”

Contact Brad at welbornb@nsula.edu

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

GRAMBLING – Mickey Joseph’s Grambling State football team looks to improve to 2-0 as the Tigers play host to Central State at 6 p.m. Saturday inside Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers are coming off a 49-7 win over Clark Atlanta while Central State fell in a 41-14 home loss to Kentucky State to open its season.

Joseph said the win by his Tigers was a good start but he wants a better performance Saturday.

“After reviewing the film, I’m going to take my hat off to my staff and those players, because going into that game blind – not having any film — once we caught on to some things, we were able to be successful,” Joseph said. “Their defense gave us a little trouble with their movement. We didn’t expect that much movement, but we didn’t know that much about them.

“On offense, we wanted them to be one-handed and at the end that’s the way they went. I was very disappointed in the penalties. I went over it with the team — all of those penalties can be fixed. And there were some problems with our special teams coverage. I expressed that to the coordinator and the coaches. But it’s on me,” he said.

Joseph said he’ll keep a close watch on special teams play against Central State.

“Some of those guys hadn’t played special teams since their freshman or sophomore year in high school. (The game against Clark Atlanta) was their first time being back on special teams. And they’ll get better. I asked (Special Teams Coordinator Alan) Ricard to give them one more week, and if they give us the same performance we’ll make some personnel changes on special teams. Not with the coordinator, but with the players.”

Grambling played four quarterbacks against Clark Atlanta, with starter Jakobe Robinson, a transfer from the University of  Southern Mississippi, completing 7-of-11 passes for 71 yards,  Ashton Frye connecting 2-of-5 passes for 26 yards while adding 24 rushing yards on three carries, Reginald Johnson, a transfer from Florida A&M, completing 15-of-17 passes for 133 yards, including an 11-yard scoring strike to redshirt sophomore receiver Tyson George and Hayden Benoit connecting on both of his two passes for 34 yards while conducting GSU’s final scoring drive.

During his weekly press conference, Joseph didn’t divulge who he believes will become his definitive starting quarterback.

“I thought (playing four quarterbacks) worked out well,” Joseph said. “I think if you’re honest with quarterbacks from the beginning, when they get in there and you use them to their strength, that the rhythm’s going to be there. As long as they stay close, they’re going to battle because it’s tight right now. We look at these out of conference games as the time to figure it out. But we’ve got to have it (the quarterback depth chart) figured out by the time we go play PV (Prairie View in GSU’s fourth game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Sept. 26). 

Joseph said against Central State, he wants to again see the kind of ball control that allowed his Tigers a 34:03 – 25:57 time of possession advantage over Clark Atlanta.

“(Clark Atlanta) only played 55 snaps,” Joseph said. “I think that’s the least snaps the other offense has taken since I got here. That’s because we ran it 39 times and threw it 35 times, so it was balanced. You want to do it like that — we played six running backs and four of them got touchdowns.”

But the main thing Joseph wants to see against the Marauders is continued improvement from his team.

“I think the biggest jump in college football is from Week One to Week Two,” Joseph said. “So I want to see less penalties. I want to see better special teams play. I want to see our run and get really better at the pass game also. Our RPO game was there, but I want to see five-step (QB) drops. We still have room to improve.

“On defense, I want to see us rush the passer. I want everybody to be on the same page. I don’t want to see palms up (signaling confusion). We’ve been running these coverages since the spring, so don’t give me palms up when you don’t get the signal. So, we’re looking for improvement across the board.”

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications

Picked to contend for a conference championship, the Centenary football team will open its 2026 season on Saturday evening against the Westgate Christian University Ravens with kickoff set for 6 o’clock at Atkins Field.

The Gents will face the Ravens (0-1) for the second season in a row after defeating them 42-7 at home to open the 2025 campaign. Saturday marks the first of five home games for the Maroon and White. The Gents are scheduled to play nine regular-season games – five at home and four on the road.

Centenary will remain at home next weekend to face Millsaps College on Sept. 12 before traveling to Marshall, Texas in week three (Sept. 19) to face East Texas Baptist University for its first road contest.

The Centenary roster of 84 players includes 63 who are Louisiana natives, 15 from the Shreveport-Bossier area.

The Gents are predicted to finish third in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference this season based on the preseason coaches’ poll.

But the conference race is not front and center at this point for Centenary.

“We are so excited about our Week 1 matchup against Westgate Christian,” said head coach Byron Dawson.

“Westgate is a battle-tested program that competed against a strong Division II team last week, so we know we must be ready. Our guys have worked extremely hard throughout camp, and now it’s time to execute our game plan in all three phases of the game.

“We’ve stressed to our team throughout camp: New Year. New Team. New Dream. Now it’s time to put the work on display!

“We need the entire Centenary community and our local supporters at Atkins Field on Saturday loud and proud! Your energy and support make a difference. Let’s pack Atkins Field! Go Gents!” said Dawson.

Gents to Watch:

Collin Watkins (junior linebacker) – All-SCAC Honorable Mention in 2025 finishing third on the team in tackles (45) averaging 5.6 tackles/game which ranked in the top 15 in the league;

Theo Dunn (sophomore wide receiver) – All-SCAC Honorable Mention last year as he led the Gents in receptions (51) and receiving yards (691) in nine games played; Totaled five touchdowns and was ninth in the conference in scoring.

Live video will be available for the game at  https://flosports.link/4wA0bFi

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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When Otis got tired of fighting the north Louisiana traffic, he moved to … Houston. Yes, THAT Houston.

Otis has never claimed to be the ripest fruit on the tree.

But he’s a good man and a great husband and dad who spends his free time watching old Celtics footage on cable or YouTube and listening to Buffett.

A guy could have worse habits.

I thought of my old friend this week when a mom I adore drove her baby boy from north Louisiana to Mississippi and dropped him off for college. It was a long drive there and a longer drive home, and me and Otis know how she feels.

Parenting ain’t for sissies.

There was a time 30 years ago when Mr. and Mrs. Otis had the free time of the one-armed paper hanger we often joke about. They had three boys of various playing weights, from diapers to middle school, but all boys nonetheless. Snips and snails and puppy dog tails. All that.

Otis wrote me from Houston back then, and the timing was a blessed coincidence: it was the day my son started second grade.

“I know it’s been said that life begins on Opening Day,” the eloquent Otis wrote, “and while I feel it’s entirely possible for that to be true, I think that life REALLY begins when school starts. The sleepy towheads and ‘I don’t wanna go to school today, can I be sick?’ Because of my commute and work schedule, I’m long gone before I hear those words now, and I really regret that. Kids grow up too fast. Cherish those early years and I know you do, because someday in the near future, Crayola crayons are not on the school supply list anymore.”

This did not surprise me, this sentimental side of Otis. And I would like to say I pondered, for Otis’s sake, that line about Crayolas, and I felt for him. And I did, for about one second.

Then I resorted to looking out for Number One. I frantically shuffled papers and found it, the supply list for my own son’s class, snatched it up and … (I still have it by the way) … there they were. Between “2 pkgs. 24 yellow No. 2 pencils” and “1 pair Fiskars school scissors (sharp point)” —

— Crayola Broadline Markers.

The old faithfuls.

True, they weren’t crayons. But with the biological clock ticking, you take what you can get.

I thought then of another friend who’d already gone through Crayola withdrawal back then. I asked her that summer if her oldest son was nearly grown now. Must be in the eighth or ninth grade at least, I supposed. She wrote me too: turns out her son was 19, engaged and away in basic training.

Nineteen?

“I don’t know if that makes him grown,” she wrote. “For sure, I wasn’t through raising him. I can’t exactly explain what I wasn’t finished with — I guess most of all I miss having him here.”

That hurt me.

“Much as I was ready for him to grow up,” she said, “I wasn’t quite ready to have him grow out.”

That hurt me worse.

Late that first night of second grade, the night after Otis’s letter arrived, I went to the grocery store. The school supplies aisle was packed with the post-Crayola crowd, boyfriends and girlfriends — they are accountants and lawyers and teachers today, duking it out for their own children’s school supplies — buying matching notebooks. I collected the goods and avoided the “grown kids,” my parenting future, best I could and limped toward the checkout line.

Sometimes, you catch a break. I was writing my check — THAT’S how long ago this was — when a fellow dad zipped by, a man whose son went to school with mine, and his cart was filled with orange juice and lunch meat, glue sticks and those good ol’ No. 2 pencils.

“Meet you in a minute. The only thing I’ve got left to get,” he said, wheeling by and checking his list, “are some Crayola Broadline Markers.”

Aisle 5D. Can’t miss ’em.

And he didn’t.

But now, we do.

Just like Otis said we would.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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JOURNAL SPORTS

With the high school football season kicking off Thursday and Friday, a lot of eyes will be on some of the game-breaking players who impacted their teams last season and could do even more this fall.

During last month’s Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl High School Media Day, several of the playmakers on Bossier Parish teams were spotlighted. Three are featured in today’s Shreveport-Bossier Journal Players Panel. More will follow, from both sides of the Red River.

GARY BURNEY, WR, Parkway

With a new quarterback, and a young offensive line, what about the Panthers’ attack?

“Our offense is still a threat. Don’t get confused just because everybody graduated. We still have some threats with our receivers and running backs. The O-line is pretty good. Overall, we’re still pretty solid.”

With all that you’ve been through in recruiting and making the decision to commit to LSU how does that simplify things for you?

“It takes a lot of pressure off my back. Instead of worrying about college, I can focus more on what’s right in front of me, which is our high school football season. (Committing) just takes a lot of pressure off my back.”

Describe yourself as a player, a teammate and a student.

“Very hard working, a leader, and a threat on a football field. As a teammate, I’m nice, but I’ll push you to be great. I try to be a great leader by example. As a student? I’m a learner, a good learner.”

MALACHI ZEIGLER, QB, Benton

What makes this year better than the Tigers?

“I don’t know if better or worse is necessarily the word. I’d say different. There’s a lot of the same guys with a second year on this, another year in the system with this (second year)  coaching staff. We just have more opportunities, some more games to play. And we’re gonna make the most of them.”

Describe yourself as a player.

“I’m just whatever you need. I am poised. I like to think I don’t really get rattled. Highs, lows, I’m just Malachi. Attribute wise, I like to use my size (6-3, 220). In the spring game. I ran the ball more than I have in the past and I didn’t really flinch. I enjoy winning. And so whatever it takes, that’s what you’re gonna get.”

Describe yourself as a teammate.

“I’m still trying to figure that out. I’m pushing towards being a leader. That’s what I’ve been focused on, trying to grow in that aspect. Describing myself as a teammate is more of something that you’d have to ask my teammates about.”

What about in the classroom?

“I’m a straight A student. I’m about to graduate high school with an associate’s (college) degree in general studies. I’m graduating midterm, trying to get on campus at SMU for the spring. I go to school, I do my work.”

CHASE WILLIAMS, QB, Airline

What makes this the year that you want it to be for the Vikings?

“Last year, we didn’t end so wel,  so coming into this year, it’s just really been a standard of just going 100 percent, every rep. Don’t take one rep off. If we’re in the weight room and we’re going for 10 reps and you’re at 9 and the last rep is hard, you want to finish. Every rep counts. It’s been a real mental thing for everybody.  The goal is to just respect each other, move on and have a strong mindset.”

Describe yourself as a player, a teammate and a student.

“I’m like a really respectful guy. I’m not that type of guy that’ll do a lot of bad things on the field and put myself out there with negativity. I’m a real positive guy and I’ll be respectful, but at the end of the day, I’m really a big competitor and I love to win. I’m a dual threat.

“I’m a great teammate. I love to pick up my teammates all the time. Football is just a game. You’re gonna fumble. I’m gonna throw interceptions, you’re gonna miss tackles, we’ll get scored on or, we’ll get stopped. You have to respect the game and move on. That’s the biggest thing.

“A lot of teachers love me, almost all of them, you know, I don’t go in there and create negativity for the school or the staff or for the teachers or anything like that. I love the teachers. I love the staff. I’ve  been wanting to go to Airline since I was really young. My cousins went there. Coming into high school, after going to Cope, I’ve established a personal standard of being respectful and just making sure that I have fun in high school. I’m a great student.”

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

Sam Burns’ plans for September became officially official Tuesday with the announcement of the USA roster for the Presidents Cup international matches in suburban Chicago at Medinah Country Club Sept. 24-27.

The 30-year-old Shreveport native, a Calvary Baptist product who won three state championships for the Cavaliers, likes the idea of playing in the Windy City.

“The experience in Chicago is going to be unbelievable,” he said. “The fans are going to be out in droves, and you’re going to see a lot of red, white and blue, and a lot of American flags. I think we can feed off their energy and hopefully, we give them a lot to cheer for.

“It’s hard to beat a Chicago environment for sports, so we’re all definitely looking forward to it,” he said in a Presidents Cup social media interview.

Burns was already slotted in as an automatic selection, standing fourth among the top six in Presidents Cup points accumulated since the start of the 2025 season. Tuesday, USA captain Brandt Snedeker added six more players to round out the dozen American golfers who will take on the International team.

Snedeker’s picks included three first-time participants in international play and notably, PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun, a 21-year-old Auburn product who has played in just seven Tour events after leading the Tigers to the NCAA championship in June. He won the 3M Classic in Minneapolis in his fourth start but is 66^th in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Snedeker announced Chris Gotterup, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Jacob Bridgeman and Koivun to join automatic qualifiers Burns, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa on the American squad. 

It’s the fifth consecutive international competition, to go with two Ryder Cup outings, for Burns, who earned his third straight Presidents Cup spot and second as a qualifier. The USA is unbeaten in his Presidents Cup play but has dropped the last two Ryder Cups.

Burns was an underrated 0-3-2 in his Presidents Cup debut in 2022 as a qualifying pick, teamed with a then-struggling Scheffler. The two-time LSU All-American was 3-0-1 as a captain’s pick in 2024. 

This season, the Choudrant resident has earned a career-high $9.4 million in official PGA Tour winnings while posting six top 10s – three in major championships — and four top 5s. He tied for fourth at the Memorial, was runner-up at the U.S. Open and third at the British Open, after a career-best seventh at The Masters. Burns ranked fourth on the Tour in strokes gained putting.

Medinah will become the only club in the world to have hosted a U.S. Open, a PGA Championship, a Ryder Cup and a Presidents Cup.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

Every basketball team loves homecourt advantage. For the next three years, Centenary will have a significant degree of it at the most important point in the season – the conference tournament that is the gateway to March Madness.

Centenary teams can travel six miles from their homecourt, the Gold Dome, east across the Jimmie Davis Bridge spanning Red River to play their Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament games.

The SCAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will move from member institutions’ campuses to six-team neutral site tournaments at Brookshire Grocery Arena.

The shift, announced Tuesday in an event at the Bossier City arena, will coincide with the tournament’s 25th anniversary.

Understandably, Centenary men’s coach J.A. Anglin, a Shreveport native, was beaming talking about the news.

“It’s going to be great for the Shreveport-Bossier area, having NCAA basketball at the end of February going right into March Madness. I think it’s great for Division III basketball,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of people who aren’t familiar with Division III basketball and it’s going to open a lot of eyes to the quality brand of basketball we play, not only at Centenary College, but across the Division III level.”

Shreveport mayor Tom Arceneaux and his Bossier City counterpart, Tommy Chandler, were equally excited about the announcement. Arceneaux touted the exposure Centenary will gain in local circles.

“Centenary College has been an important part of Shreveport for generations, and we are proud to see its student-athletes help welcome the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference to our community,” said Arceneaux. “This tournament gives local families the opportunity to support the Ladies and Gents while introducing visiting teams and fans to the hospitality and character of our area.”

The other SCAC member institutions are Austin College, Colorado College, Concordia University of Dallas, Hendrix College, LeTourneau, University of the Ozarks, St. Thomas and Texas Lutheran.

The three-day tournament will feature the top six men’s teams and top six women’s teams from the 10-member SCAC, competing for conference championships and automatic berths in the NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

The 2027 championships are expected to generate approximately $650,000 in economic impact as visiting student-athletes, coaches and fans use local hotels and restaurants, and visit shops and attractions.

“We are excited to welcome the SCAC’s student-athletes, families and fans to Bossier City for three years of championship basketball,” said Chandler. “Events like this give our residents new experiences to enjoy while supporting the hotels, restaurants and businesses that serve our community.”

The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission with Visit Shreveport-Bossier showcased the destination’s ability to host the championships, and with the help of community and state partners, secured a three-year agreement with SCAC. Presented by Ochsner LSU Health, the tournament will debut in Shreveport-Bossier on Feb. 26–28, 2027, and return in 2028 and 2029.

Dwayne Hanberry, Commissioner of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, welcomed the neutral site venue and its location.

“Moving our men’s and women’s championships to a neutral site allows us to elevate the championship experience and create a true championship atmosphere for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. Shreveport-Bossier demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the SCAC throughout the bidding process, and we are excited to partner with the community to showcase our championships at Brookshire Grocery Arena,” he said.

Stacy Brown, president/CEO of Visit Shreveport-Bossier, said collaboration between Centenary and local businesses made it possible.

“Bringing events of this caliber to our community takes strong relationships and a shared vision,” said Brown. “This championship began with local partners recognizing an opportunity for Brookshire Grocery Arena and working together to pursue it. The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission with Visit Shreveport-Bossier helped turn that vision into a three-year agreement, and another major sports tourism win that will attract visitors and generate economic impact throughout our community.”

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By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications

The 2026-27 sports year at Centenary is underway with lots of action just ahead, including football and men’s soccer at home this week.

FOOTBALL: The Gents kick off Saturday at 6 against Westgate Christian at home in the first of five games played at Atkins Field.

Centenary prepped for its regular-season opener with a scrimmage last Saturday. Head coach Byron Dawson shared the excitement he and the team are feeling with the season set to start.

“Our team has worked very hard throughout preseason camp in preparation for the 2026 campaign. We have several new faces joining the program, along with a strong group of returning players, including a core group of starters returning on offense, defense, and special teams.

“The work has been put in, the preparation is underway, and now it’s time to compete! We’re excited about this team and ready to get to work. Now We Go!” he said.

The Gents’ roster is available at the GoCentenary.com website, with lots of local players lining up for the Maroon and White.

MEN’S SOCCER: The Gents begin their regular season at home on Thursday against Schreiner in a non-conference match set for 7 o’clock at Atkins Field.

Centenary has 16 regular-season matches under the leadership of first-year head coach Joe O’Sullivan.

Centenary will next be on the road for pair of matches at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Saturday and at Lyon College on Sept. 10. The Gents return home to face Huntingdon College on Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. and Texas College on Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The Maroon and White finish the month against Millsaps College on the road on Sept. 25 and at home against Dallas Christian College on Sept. 27.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Ladies lost their season opener 3-0 to the Belhaven University Blazers (1-0) on Tuesday evening at Atkins Field. Centenary returns to action on Saturday against Louisiana Christian University at 11 a.m. at home.

VOLLEYBALL: The Ladies will open their regular season on Thursday with a non-conference match against Jarvis Christian University at 6 p.m. in Hawkins, Texas.

Centenary is set to play 20 regular-season matches under the leadership of first-year head coach Claire Hiler. The Ladies will play first five matches on the road before the home opener on Thursday, Sept. 17 against Jarvis Christian at 6 p.m. in the Gold Dome.

The Ladies play just six home matches, along with 14 road/neutral matches. They have 14 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference matches and eight non-conference matches.

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The Gents will open their season on Friday in the McNeese Season Opener at the Enos Derbonne Sports Complex in Lake Charles.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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BOM Bank is proud to support the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana as a sponsor of the Annual Empty Bowls Hunger Awareness Event. This meaningful fundraising dinner and silent auction will take place on September 3, raising awareness and critical funds to help fight hunger in our communities. The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana provides food to children, families, and seniors across its seven-parish service area, making a lasting impact on the lives of those facing food insecurity. Pictured left to right: Martha Marak, BOM’s Fran Myles, and Eldeen Potter. Together, we can help fill empty bowls and create stronger, healthier communities.

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It was a night De’Aumante Johnson will never forget but he’s hoping his Southwood Cowboys can put it behind them and look forward, not backward.

On September 11 last year – in his first game as their head coach – the Cowboys did something they hadn’t “officially” done since 2019: Win a football game.

There was a big celebration, a Gatorade bucket, a few tears of joy and all the other memorable moments you might expect.

As if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, the Cowboys turned around the next week and did it again. So much for a victory hangover.

A few weeks later, Southwood did it again.

No, it wasn’t a total rags-to-riches story as the Cowboys finished 3-6 overall. The last four games were particularly ugly as they lost each one of them by at least 40 points.

Johnson’s goal has been to keep future wins from being such a joyous celebration.

“Winning has to be a habit,” he says. “I’m not saying don’t celebrate it or enjoy it. At the end of the day, it’s still a win and that’s what we play for. But we have to have a 24-hour mindset, and we have to get ready for our next opponent.”

Johnson is hoping that last year becomes an important first step in what the former Bossier coach and Grambling State assistant is trying to accomplish. But if those steps are going to be taken, it will have to come from eliminating one key issue that plagued the Cowboys in 2025.

Turnovers.

“That’s going to be really big,” Johnson says. “We have to keep the chains moving. We have to keep momentum. We cannot turn the ball over, and that’s something that we talked about this whole entire off-season and spring.

“It’s something that Toriano Williams, who’s the new offensive coordinator, talks about to these guys. We have to protect the ball on offense. And these guys have been doing a tremendous job this off-season and rolling into fall camp of not turning the ball over.”

But much of that could depend on players who will never touch the ball.

Part of the optimism for the Cowboys comes from the experience that returns from last year. “The offensive line is going to be the biggest difference,” Johnson says. “They’re very selfless. They’ve been playing with each other since last year. A lot of snaps under their belts. So that unit right there, they’re going to carry this team for sure.”

In scheduling his non-district games, Johnson relied on some of his previous coaching relationships to get his team prepared for the District 1-4A season. The Cowboys will play Green Oaks, Haughton and Wossman before jumping into district play.

“It wasn’t it really wasn’t too difficult for me,” he says. “Just having a great relationship with coaches helped out. Matthew Sewell at Haughton and I are best of friends. I’m great with the coach at Wossman. The Green Oaks coach (Nick Peoples) and I played together at Grambling. So scheduling is very easy for me because I have such a great relationship with these guys.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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JOURNAL SPORTS

Thursday night’s jamboree matchups were not full games, but the offenses were full throttle.

Arch-rivals Captain Shreve and Byrd combined for 70 points in two quarters. Huntington and Northwood topped that with a 78-point eruption in what would be half a regulation game.

Tonight, local jamborees with three games each involving local teams are being played at Independence Stadium and Airline’s M.D. Ray Stadium in the annual Bossier Lions Club event.

Loyola and Calvary make longer bus rides out of town for their competitions.

The regular season kicks off with two games next Thursday and a full slate next Friday, highlighted by the two-day Stars & Stripes Border Classic at Independence Stadium including Calvary, Huntington, Parkway and Evangel.

THURSDAY’S SCORES

Captain Shreve 49, Byrd 21

Huntington 45, Northwood 33

TONIGHT

Benton vs. Haughton (at Airline), 5:45

Bossier vs. Plain Dealing (at Airline), 7:15

Parkway at Airline, 8:45

Magnolia School of Excellence at Booker T. Washington (Independence Stadium), 6:00

North Caddo vs. Southwood (Independence Stadium), 6:30

Green Oaks vs. Woodlawn (Independence Stadium), 7:00

Loyola, Montgomery and Glenbrook (at Glenbrook), 6:00

Calvary at Red River, 7:30

SATURDAY

Evangel vs. Ruston (at Monroe, Malone Stadium), 7:00

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BATON ROUGE — What is Lane Kiffin like?

Should be a complex question, but it isn’t. Not after watching him in his first eight months as LSU’s head football coach.

He’s like the guy in the movies who plants the dynamite and calmly walks towards the camera smiling while everything behind him explodes into a huge fireball.

He’s the dude in handcuffs in the interrogation room who answers questions for hours and says absolutely nothing.

He’s the chillin’ villain dancing to his own beat when there’s no music playing.

Heading into game week of LSU’s Sept. 5 season opener vs. Clemson,  there has been zip revealed about Kiffin’s first squad other than it has 49 transfers from four-year colleges.

Kiffin has spoken more than 25,000 words in his preseason camp press conferences. If you missed all of them, here are a synopsis of his quotes.

“Really happy how we’re kicking field goals.”

“I feel like the receivers have done a really good job.”

“I feel like our defense is playing well.”

“The offensive line is coming together. There’s lots of different pieces from different places.”

Kiffin obviously is most comfortable when he’s lounging the gray area, whether it’s revealing nothing about his team or his process of recruiting transfers from other schools and the NFL.

There was this extremely logical question to Kiffin in this past Monday’s press conference about buying more players at this late date:

Reporter: How do you find the money and position spots available?

Kiffin: “We’re trying to figure that out.”

Does that mean having LSU athletics director Verge Ausberry squeeze already financially tapped out Tigers Sugar Daddies for more millions to pay the late arriving talent?

Or does that mean Kiffin cuts players who have busted their butts in spring and preseason practice climbing the depth chart?

Yes, Kiffin, has stated repeatedly he’s charged with acquiring the best possible talent to win games. Because that’s his job.

And to abide by the rules, which is a problem. Because there are no rules.

If there’s a rule, you get a lawyer and home field judge to produce a temporary restraining order to execute a legal misdirection play.

Kiffin, always the one to climb a flagpole in a hurricane, knew he would be roasted (again) by everyone in the free world who gave a damn because he was committing recent college players cut from NFL teams.

“Because of these rulings, they’re either going to play for you or they’re going to play somewhere else around the country,” Kiffin said.

What supposedly made it worse is CBS Sports reported that Kiffin and the Tigers reached out to multiple players on NFL rosters or their representation to encourage them to file a lawsuit against the NCAA and return to school. CBS Sports also reported that LSU had conversations with others who remain in NFL camps ahead of the league’s cut day on Aug. 30.

This all started when the NCAA changed its eligibility rules in June to allow athletes to play for five seasons within a five-year timespan which begins either when they enroll in college or in the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. The previous eligibility rule allowed players to compete for four seasons during a five-year window without any specific age restriction. When the NCAA voted for the change, the Division I Board of Directors opted not to include outgoing seniors who played four seasons in their first four years in college even though they would have been eligible for a fifth season under the new rules.

NCAA officials reasoned they did not want a sudden wave of returning fifth-year players swiping roster spots from incoming freshmen, many of whom had already signed on to play for their teams by the time the rule was changed.

The argument of the players filing lawsuits is that they didn’t have the choice to return for another college season. They had exhausted their eligibility at the end of last season and had to enter the NFL.

Thus, there’s a tsunami of lawsuits in state and federal courts. Judges have granted temporary restraining orders allowing cut NFL and NBA players to compete in the upcoming college season while their case is pending.

“This is an extremely unique situation,” Kiffin said. “I can’t predict the future, but that I don’t think you’d have this again.”

Kiffin doesn’t like to be told “no.” When he was initially rebuffed by quarterback Sam Leavitt and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton while transfer portal shopping in January, Kiffin hopped on a plane to track them down to close deals for each player to sign with the Tigers.

Those key elements of the 2026 team and the rest of the squad should be Kiffin’s total focus.

He doesn’t need to chase any more talent at this point, especially in light of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey announcing severe sanctions for any league school signing a pro player.

Among other things, Kiffin would be suspended for half a season, LSU would pay a fine equal to 50 percent of its football budget and the league would rescind LSU’s voting rights in league legislation.

None of that is worth another tight end. Or a couple of defensive ends.

Shut it down, Lane. Sankey called your bluff. Fold your hand.

At least think about the LSU fanbase. They want to get excited about the start of the season. They are fatigued by all the lawsuits.

Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium can’t happen soon enough.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

ATLANTA – It was a smooth 66 Thursday by Shreveport native Sam Burns, with his 4-under opening round at the Tour Championship carrying him within range of the lead in the 29-player field.

Burns had a bogey-free day with two birdies on each side. Having encountered unusual trouble on par-5 holes in the first two legs on the FedEx Cup playoffs, the 30-year-old solved that Thursday, posting birdie 4s on the sixth and 18^th holes.

His other birdies came on the par-4 fourth and the par-3 11^th.  He stroked home a 17-foot, 6-inch putt to get under par, added a six-footer on No. 6 to get to 2-under, then hit a 207-yard tee shot to five feet on the 11^th and drained the birdie effort.

On 18, he reached the 590-yard par-5 in two with a 277-yard second shot and two-putted from 47 feet, dropping in a 40-incher to close his 4-under round.

The leader is Min Woo Lee, who fired a 62, with four birdies on each side of the par 70, 7,440-yard course at East Lake Golf Club, where Shreveporter Hal Sutton won the first Tour Championship played there in 1998.

He sits in a ninth place tie beginning today’s play, paired with Collin Morikawa, who is tied for second after posting a 6-under 64 Thursday. The field slimmed by one from 30 when 2025 U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun withdrew after five holes due to shoulder discomfort.

Burns, a Choudrant resident who was a two-time All-American at LSU, tied for seventh in last year’s Tour Championship, 12^th in 2025 and ninth in 2023.

TV coverage today starts at 10 a.m. on ESPN until noon, when Golf Channel picks it up. Weekend plans have Golf Channel starting coverage at noon Saturday and Sunday before CBS takes over at 2.

Burns and Morikawa will go off the first tee at 11:42 a.m. CT today.

The Tour Championship carries golf’s biggest purse, $40 million, with $10 million going to the winner and the top eight getting a range from $5 million to $1 million. Tommy Fleetwood is the defending champion. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won in 2024 and ran away with the opener in this year’s playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis two weeks ago. Two-time U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark was last week’s winner at the BMW Championship.

Burns, a three-time state champion golfer at Calvary Baptist, took third at Memphis and tied for 28^th in the BMW Championship in St. Louis.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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By BRAD WELBORN, Northwestern State Athletic Communications

NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State had Louisiana Christian on the ropes.

Then the Demons let go.

After building a two-score advantage late in the second quarter, the Demons had the opportunity to take complete control of its season opener Thursday night at Turpin Stadium. Instead, a pair of red-zone fumbles and a slew of penalties throughout the night opened the door for LCU, an NAIA power that stormed back in the second half to hand the Demons a 42-37 loss.

“We didn’t do what we needed to do,” Demons’ third-year coach Blaine McCorkle said. “In spurts early on it looked like the game went the way that a lot of people probably thought it would and for whatever reason we couldn’t hold onto it. We’ve got a lot of things that we’ve got to figure out and some hard conversations to have.”

For a stretch in the second quarter, everything appeared to be going according to plan for the Demons, who raced to a quick 10-0 lead before LCU rallied to a 14-13 advantage.

Northwestern scored touchdowns on its first two possessions of the second period, with Abram Johnston punching in a one-yard option keeper before connecting with Jimmie Duncan on a 59-yard deep ball.

The back-to-back scores pushed NSU’s lead to 27-14.

The Demon defense forced three straight punts, including consecutive three-and-outs, giving the offense two more chances to add to the advantage before halftime.

Neither opportunity produced points.

Both drives ended with fumbles inside the Wildcat 10-yard line, keeping the LCU within striking distance and ultimately becoming a defining sequence of the game.

“We hold on to those two balls we may have 40 points on the board at the half,” McCorkle said. “We didn’t. We had two really good, trusted players that turned the ball over in the red zone and you can’t do that. The one drive they had in the first half we probably had 80 yards of penalties on us. You can’t do that against anybody.”

NSU outgained Louisiana Christian 218-25 in the period, with Johnston completing 11-of-13 passes for 179 yards. The Demons, however, managed just two touchdowns on four possessions.

The Wildcats carried that momentum into the second half.

Touchdowns on their first two possessions of the third quarter, sandwiched an interception return for another score, put LCU on top to stay. The 21-point outburst flipped the game and gave LCU a 35-30 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Demons had plenty of offensive firepower show up between the 20s, surpassing 500 yards of total offense for the first time since 2022, but three stalled drives that ended in field goals and two fumbles left several points off the board.

Following Louisiana Christian’s first touchdown of the second half, Zay Davis broke loose for a 60-yard run on the ensuing NSU possession, pushing him past the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career.

Davis finished with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown while adding to his total as an all-purpose threat with 28 receiving yards and 47 in on the opening kickoff return for 199 all-purpose yards. His performance made him the first 100-yard rusher for Northwestern since Kennieth Lacy at Houston Christian in October 2022.

Ten different players caught a pass in the game, led by Dylan Rhodes’ six grabs for 55 yards and a  touchdown with 2:47 left, but an onside kick failed and LCU ran out the clock by running for a pair of first downs.

Johnston finished 30-for-42 for 319 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, his second career 300-yard passing performance.

“Other than the turnovers our offense looked like what it should in a game like this,” McCorkle said. “Zay Davis is a good player. I thought Abram played well. Our offensive line is better.

“I told the guys the most frustrating thing about this whole thing is going into our third year, there is no doubt in my mind this is the best football team we’ve had. Without question. No doubt this is the deepest team we’ve had. This is the best culture we’ve had in the locker room, not even close. When you know that those three things are true, that makes these things even more of a mystery.”

The Demons also got a strong showing from Natchitoches native and Colorado State transfer Payne Williams III.

Williams connected on field goals of 32, 47 and 39 yards, becoming the first Northwestern kicker to make three field goals in a game since Eddie Godina did so in 2021.

Northwestern committed 12 penalties for 111 yards, including costly, drive-extending infractions that led to Wildcat scores. It was the most penalties in a game in the McCorkle era.

Against a Louisiana Christian team that capitalized on every opening it was given, the combination of turnovers and penalties proved too much for the Demons to overcome.

“Give Louisiana Christian a lot of credit,” McCorkle said. “They are a really good football team. They’re going to win a lot of games. I think (head coach) Ben (McLaughlin) and his staff do a phenomenal job. They have the chance to win a lot of games.”

Contact Brad at welbornb@nsula.edu

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

NATCHITOCHES – Turns out the lunar eclipse beginning about 9:30 wasn’t the strangest thing seen from Turpin Stadium Thursday night.

Louisiana Christian 42, Northwestern State 37. The Wildcats, 8-3 last fall and Sooner Athletic Conference co-champions, with 18 of 22 starters back, became the first NAIA program to defeat an NCAA Division I scholarship team, ever, according to LCU.

Ben McLaughlin’s third Wildcats team earned it. Outgained by 188 yards, but not outfought.

“I told them before the game, never look at the scoreboard. When we got up 14-13, don’t look at the scoreboard, just keep playing. We got down by over a touchdown, just keep playing. They just kept playing one play at a time, and when you do that, you’ve got a chance to win a ballgame,” he said.

LCU was down 10-0 less than six minutes in, but rallied to stake a 14-13 edge 10 minutes later. Northwestern seemed ready to take command, answering with two touchdowns, the second a 59-yard catch by Alexandria native Jimmie Duncan to go up 27-14 midway through the second period.

The Demons twice moved into the red zone before halftime, but both times, the Wildcats recovered fumbles, in the end zone (Ernest MItchell) and at the 13 (Kristian Doyle). NSU could have put up 41 points before the band show, but didn’t.

Then came a 21-point third period outburst into a 35-30 lead by the visitors, highlighted by a 42-yard pick six down the NSU sideline by the soon-to-be NAIA Defensive Player of the Week, Wildcats redshirt freshman cornerback Mitchell. The spread grew to 42-30 on Omarius Davis’ 52-yard reception from Bryce Perkins just into the final quarter, and the Demons couldn’t answer until 2:47 remained.

They never had possession again. LCU evaporated the rest of the clock with a pair of first downs by 118-yard rusher Datlan Cunningham and Jaterius Johnson, and Wildcats danced out to midfield after the final snap.

“That’s the longest three minutes of my life there at the end, trying to grind out those last couple first downs,” said McLaughlin.

“Our guys just believe. They believed from the beginning,” he said. “We’ve got such an old veteran group that I’m trusting that the confidence they have is the right confidence, and my coaching staff is amazing. I’ll put our coaching staff up against any staff in the nation or any division.”

“So you put the right culture, with the right staff, and you got a special team, and this is (what can happen),” said McLaughlin, whose Wildcats have won 11 of their last 15 games dating back to the end of his first season.

It was a performance that earned admiration from the other sideline. As exasperated as Demons’ third-year coach Blaine McCorkle was afterward, he gave LCU its due.

“I don’t have a lot of words for what happened tonight. I give Louisiana Christian a lot of credit. Really, really good football team. They’re gonna win a lot of games,” said McCorkle, who resurrected a former LCU rival, Division III Belhaven, in six seasons, and is trying to do the same gradual rebuild in Natchitoches.

“I’ve said for a long time, Ben and his staff do a phenomenal job. They’ve got good personnel. They’ve got good schemes. They know what they’re doing. They are an older team. Everything we said, they were, as far as that goes. I think they have a chance to win the whole thing at their level. That’s what that’s what a high, high-end NAIA team looks like. So kudos to them, really proud of them.”

“Very proud of these guys,” said McLaughlin. “The players win games. We try to get them ready, but they were the ones that did this. Those guys were awesome.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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BOM Bank was proud to make a donation to the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce in support of the Shreveport Chamber Challenge Sporting Clays fundraiser. This event brings together community leaders and local businesses for a day of friendly competition while supporting the Chamber’s efforts to strengthen and grow the Shreveport business community. We are honored to support organizations that foster economic development, meaningful connections, and opportunities throughout our region. Pictured left to right: Carole Bennett and BOM’s Ireland Slocum.

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We aren’t built for a world where people you love die.

Not equipped to understand it, to accept it, or to reason it away.

Maybe that’s why we’re instructed to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians) and are reminded by the Psalmist that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

We need all the help we can get.

In his book “Listening to Your Life,” the late author Frederick Buechner shared that “in the long run, there can be no real joy for anybody until there is joy for us all.”

No man is an island, and the heart in tune with his brother’s heart shares the load. The heart that’s aware has its work cut out for it. Someone you know is almost always going through some trial, and if we’re listening to our lives, we can’t help but be in tune with that.

We are best when we maintain a “holy posture” (Buechner again) because we never know when we’ll be needed, or how much of us will be needed. We never know the kind of day someone we meet has had, but we do know that everyone else is always going through something.

Maybe we can help lighten the load.

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross was a psychiatrist and pioneer in near-death studies; she invented the theory of the five stages of grief. She said this: “The most beautiful people I’ve known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.”

Easier said than done. I know. We all know. More importantly, God knows.

If we can help, we are both stronger.

Joseph Scriven was an Irish poet of the early- to-mid 19^th century. Not one but two of his fiancées passed away, one in a horse-riding accident, the other of pneumonia. After that, he dedicated his life to helping the destitute. He struggled, but soldiered on. And he also wrote a poem that you’ve come to love as a great hymn:

“What a friend we have in Jesus…”

Depression, loss, relationship misunderstandings, sickness … so many opponents in this world, so many unseen forces. You, beaten and bruised but better, will be able to bless someone by sharing your experience, and by holding their hand, and performing the ministry of presence.

We can hold their hands tighter when we remember that someone is holding ours.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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JOURNAL SPORTS

For four years, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal has provided the Coaches Roundtable, getting insight from the 19 head football coaches in Caddo and Bossier Parish, and that will continue this fall.

Additionally, we are launching the SBJ Players Panel, giving the young men on the field a voice off the field. The first edition provides a self-scout, with players describing themselves.

The opening questions: describe yourself as a player, as a teammate, and as a student?

Jakerrious Smith, Green Oaks, LB, Edge

“I’m a playmaker. I cause disruption to the quarterback and the whole offensive line. They cannot stop me – nobody in the city.

“I’m a teammate who’s going to lead, help, and when somebody is down, I’m going to push them back up. Nobody will be down on my team. If there’s one second on the clock, and the game is on the line, I’m going to sack the quarterback and we will win the game.

“I have a 3.5 GPA, 27 on my ACT. I’m great in the classroom. I’m kind of a teacher’s pet. I love teachers so much. I take what they give me and learn from it.”

Bennett Speer, Evangel, LB

“I’m just a really physical guy. No matter what the score is, I’m going to give you my 100 percent effort. No matter how my body feels, I’m going to give you my best every snap. There’s some games where we get a stop and our offense then scores a touchdown on the next play. We’re right back on the field. It gets tiring, but I love it.

“I’m a guy who wants the best from everyone. I’m going to push you to be your best, and if you’re not, I’m going to call you out, but it’s out of love and not hate. I want you to be the best you can be.”

“I’m a friendly person. I have to get my grades right.”

Conrad Hilliard, Byrd, DE

“I can make a play on any given night. One thing I have improved is my pass rushing. I’ve gotten faster and stronger over the summer. There are a lot of good QBs and receivers in our district so a pass rush is extremely important for defenses.

“I really try to be a leader. I set an example for these younger guys because I want to leave Byrd better than I found it. I want these younger dudes to remember me as a good guy, a good teammate, who on the field would get after it.

“I’m a good student, National Honor Society.”

Jamarcus Hooper, Green Oaks ,WR/FS

“Jamarcus Hooper as a football player is unstoppable, confident, and I feel great about what I can do. I’m fast and strong. Even though I look small (160 pounds), I’m very strong. Don’t let this size fool you. I run a 4.5 40.

“I feel confident as a leader. I want all the little dogs, all of our younger teammates, I want to lead them up so once I leave, they will be doing great things and be better than me.”

“I have a 3.5 overall GPA and a 22 ACT.”

Kendrall Johnson, Booker T. Washington, WR

“I’m just me. I go out there and play. I’ll be chilling, but when it comes time to play, I play.  Action’s doing the talking. I’ll play here and there, but mostly, I’ll do the work.

“Leadership means getting the younger ones to do better. Make sure none of them quit, fight, never lay down. It’s just like looking after your little brother. Just keep pushing them, and keep God up front.”

Braydon Cummings, Huntington, LB/RB

“This will be my first time playing both sides of the ball. I’m very, very energetic. I know how to get to the ball as a linebacker. I like to view myself as a leader on the field. I like to direct. My speed and my explosiveness are the main attributes I have.

“I’m big on leadership. I like leading by example. I want guys to lock in. I’m loud on that field. I like to hype up my teammates. I’m very energetic.

“School comes first. I have a 3.7 GPA and I hope to bump it up this year.”

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There’s the old saying that coaches – particularly at the college and pro levels – are keenly aware of what’s going to be on their tombstone and/or in their obituary.

Their won-loss record.

Underlying circumstances or ineligible players or NCAA sanctions or injury issues or anything else is not going to be factored in. Simply put, a 34-28 record is not as good as 35-27.

And to that end, there is no such thing as a game that “doesn’t really matter” because it matters to them.

Which makes scheduling that much more important. In the pros, they give you a schedule so there’s not much you can do about. But in college and high school, some of it is yours by default (based on conference or district), but making the other pieces to the puzzle fit becomes a delicate issue.

Some schedules are made with one goal: Just find a way to get to the playoffs.

Other schedules are made with the goal of preparing for the playoffs.

“I try to schedule based on the kind of offense we are going to see that might prepare us for the later rounds in the playoffs,” Northwood’s Austin Brown said. “Road trips are big, too. We don’t want the playoffs to be the first time we leave Shreveport.  The main factor (for non-district scheduling) is getting ready for the district grind and the playoff grind.”

“It was tough for me this time,” Byrd coach Stacy Ballew said. “I called everybody around and they either said they were full or no thanks. I’m going to do everything I can not to have a bye week. I’d just love to have a few different schools that didn’t just play for a state championship.”

More and more, regional rivalries and traditional games are taking a back seat to coaches trying to finagle their way into winning as many games as possible in the LHSAA’s power point system, which rewards wins against teams that have a lot of wins.

Consider Loyola’s John Sella. As he began to look ahead to making his two-year cycle of scheduling for 2026 and 2027, he figured it was just going to be rinse/repeat. It appeared he’d have the same seven-game district schedule as the previous two years and three non-district games that had all been verbally agreed upon.

But in a matter of a few days, he went from 10 games to four games (all four being in a new district he wasn’t counting on being a part of). To make matters worse, he had the death knell of open dates – Week 10.

A little-known rule change caught quite a few teams by surprise and Loyola found itself forced to leave Class 4A and either go to 5A or play in its enrollment classification (Class 3A).

The non-district opponents all bailed because playing a Class 3A team would give them less power points than playing a Class 4A school. As other schools quickly filled out their schedules for ’26, there were a few weeks late last fall in which Sella was looking at five open dates to start the season.

Eventually, the Flyers did fill out a full 10-game schedule, but it does show how high school schedules are driven in large part by the almighty power points.

“This is my first real time to do the schedule,” Sella said. “People will not answer your calls or tell you they are full and are not really full. But I’m guilty of it, too when (Alexandria Senior High) and West Monroe called and I said we are going to have to pass on that.”

The funny thing is, as obtaining a playoff berth has gotten easier, it seems as though the pressure to get to the playoffs has increased disproportionally. But coaches are not satisfied with just getting into the playoffs. Just like their coaching record, where more wins is better than fewer wins, being a No. 9 seed is seemingly infinitely better than a No. 11 seed.

Does it make a difference? Doesn’t matter. The feeling is that will give their team the best chance to be successful.

And the backbone of that is scheduling. There is no exact science to it; all you can do is hope it works out when it comes to record and playoff seeding.

Which may or may not go hand in hand.

“If you get enough power points, your record doesn’t really matter and you are battle tested going into the playoffs,” Sella said.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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