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Demons head to South Alabama with plenty of Mobile-area ties

/ Megan Lowe
FAMILIAR TERRITORY: Tight end/quarterback Chance Newman (17) is one of several Demons with ties to the Mobile, Alabama, area. Northwestern plays tonight at South Alabama on ESPN+. (Photo by CHRIS REICH, Northwestern State)

By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

MOBILE, Alabama – The Northwestern State football team never has played South Alabama in its history, but that does not mean the Demons are totally unfamiliar with their Thursday-night opponent.

When Northwestern (0-2) squares off with the Jaguars (0-2) at 6:30 p.m. inside Hancock Whitney Stadium on ESPN+, it does so with a cadre of players and coaches who have ties to the school and to the Mobile area in general.

Two players – senior tight end Chance Newman and junior linebacker Landry Huddleston – hail from the Mobile metropolitan area with Huddleston calling Mobile his hometown. First-year head coach Blaine McCorkle went to high school in Pensacola, Florida, and then made the drive west on I-10 to attend and play at LSU. Offensive line coach Cade Camp was a graduate assistant at South Alabama for two seasons, and offensive coordinator Norman Joseph spent two seasons as the head football coach at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in the city.

All told, there will be plenty of emotions when the Demons arrive for their first matchup with the Jaguars.

“This will be my first time playing in Mobile in front of my family, and a lot of people I went to school with are going to end up being there,” said Huddleston, who transferred to Northwestern from Belhaven in December. “I have previous teammates, guys I played with and against at South Alabama, so I’m looking forward to it.”

The same can be said for Newman, who grew up in Daphne, Alabama, which lies approximately 30 miles east of the South Alabama campus and Hancock Whitney Stadium.

That distance did not stop Newman from attending several Jaguars’ games while growing up in the area. Like Huddleston, Newman expects to see plenty of familiar faces in the stands – even as the Demons play their second road game of the season, both of which have taken place more than 350 miles from campus.

“I’ve got a bunch of people coming,” he said. “There will be a big Newman crew in the stands this Thursday, so I’m pretty juiced up about that. Being that close to home, it will feel like a home-field advantage for me. I went to a lot of South Alabama games growing up, so I got to experience that environment before. They’ve got a great environment with the new stadium.”

Although the matchup with the Jaguars marks the second Thursday-night game of the season for Northwestern, which fell to Tulsa in its Thursday-night season opener, it does mark a slight change for the Demons.

With Tulsa serving as the season opener, it gave Northwestern a much longer ramp-up time for the game. The trip to South Alabama comes five days after a 37-31 loss to Prairie View A&M in which Northwestern quarterback JT Fayard was ruled to not have crossed the goal line, marked a foot short on an untimed down that ended the game.

That turnaround reinforced the Demons’ ability to quickly shift focus onto the Jaguars.

“Sometimes your best bet is to just go play football again,” McCorkle said. “It is a quick turnaround, and that creates a lot of planning and organizational challenges. You have to be detailed and know what you’re doing or the week will sneak up on you in a hurry. I think our staff’s done a good job of putting a plan in place, moving our days ahead and being prepared. We’ll be ready to go Thursday and excited to play again.”

Family reunions and a larger-than-normal road crowd will be benefits for the Demons, but Northwestern is focused on the business portion of the trip.

South Alabama has dropped its first two games of the season, but the Jaguars feature an offense that ranks 13th nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision in passing yardage (329 per game) and 40th in total offense (458.5 yards per game).

“(Major Applewhite) is a heck of a football coach, and he has a great resume,” McCorkle said. “He’s been a lot of places and had a lot of success. I’m excited to match up with him and go one on one. He’s from Baton Rouge and was there the same time I was in college, so it will be good to shake his hand and see him.”

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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Learning to hunt squirrels by watching how Dad did it

/ Megan Lowe

My message box last week contained a note advertising a Beginners Squirrel Hunt Seminar to be held in Minden September 21 at the office of Wildlife and Fisheries at 9961, Highway 80 in Minden. Those interested should call 337-735-8685 to pre-register as space will be limited.

The memo outlined the subjects to be covered during the session. It includes such things as equipment needed, firearm selection, rules and regulations, proper squirrel hunting techniques and cleaning squirrels. 

There were no seminars available to learn how to hunt squirrels when I was growing up in rural Natchitoches Parish. Our learning was at the feet of our dads, older brothers or maybe uncles who took youngsters like myself under their wings to teach them the ropes.

It was my dad who was my tutor in the squirrel woods and he started me and my brother out when we were just little mop-haired kids. When Tom and I learned that daddy was going squirrel hunting and invited us to go with him, it was like Christmas in October. I remember the excitement of actually getting to go to the woods with dad and watch him as he did battle with wild squirrels. When we started going with him, he carried the only gun; we weren’t allowed to even take our BB guns.

The weather in early October was usually cool and our jackets felt cozy and good as we followed him step by step as he gingerly eased through the woods.            

“Watch out for that stick….you step on it and it cracks and it’ll scare every squirrel in the woods,” he’d whisper.

We would finally make our way to a fallen log that lay beneath a grove of oaks or hickories where squirrels were likely to be hanging out. I remember how much fun it was just to be sitting there on a log, my brother and me, next to our dad. If Tom or I said anything, we’d get a “shush” from him. “Just stay quiet and keep your eyes on the trees and look for movement.”

A branch would jiggle and Tom and I would get excited. Dad would whisper for us to watch the jiggling branch and how it moved and he’d ask if we saw what was shaking the branch. Thinking I was looking at a squirrel, a blue jay fluttered away.

“A bird moves a branch differently than a squirrel does. If it’s a squirrel, it will likely be on the end of the branch getting an acorn or hickory nut and if you looked closely, you could see it move to a larger branch and begin eating. A bird just bounces around there and then flies away,” he whispered.

Momentarily, we would hear a sound for which our young ears were not trained. It sounded like something scratching. Dad would point to the source of the sound as a squirrel scurried up the trunk.

“Y’all sit still and watch,” he’d say as he eased up from the log, his shotgun at port arms and he’d ease along, using other trees and saplings as a shield until he stopped, raised the gun and fired. A fat fox squirrel would tumble to the ground to the delight of two little guys.          

As we grew older, we were allowed to take our .22 rifles and under dad’s watchful eye, we tried to mimic what we had learned until finally with practice, both Tom and I learned to successfully hunt squirrels and we owe it all to a dad who took the time to teach us.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

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Can Tech reboot in Raleigh?

/ Megan Lowe

Louisiana Tech plays NC State Saturday at noon Eastern at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, not a marquee game — unless you’re a Bulldog or a Wolfpacker, and then it feels a bit pivotal.

Even though it’s barely mid-September.

If a preview of this game carried a song title, maybe it would be Brooks & Dunn’s “Workin’ On My Next Broken Heart.”

Wait: why Brooks & Dunn? It’s a stretch, but  … hang with us a second.

Tech alum Kix Brooks, half of the most-record-selling/most awarded country music duo act of all time, was in Aillet Stadium for his team’s 25-17 season-opening win over Nicholls State, a game in which the Bulldogs sloshed to a win despite five turnovers and back-to-back fumbles during a second-quarter rainstorm that left the turf slicker than Kenny Chesney’s head.

“It that was a country song,” Brooks, a visitor to the radio broadcast booth said at the time, “it’d be too sad to write.”

(An aside: we call Brooks & Dunn “Kix & Brooks” in this bureau. If Ronnie Dunn doesn’t have a team — and Kix says he doesn’t — he’s welcome in the Tech Camp, as the Bulldogs could use the company and the help. Also, as part of their “Reboot” Tour, Kix & Brooks will play the PNC Arena in Raleigh and the Spectrum Center in Charlotte in March. Never too early to plan, unless you just want to stay over after the game for seven months …)

Back to ball: despite the turnovers and backed by country-flavored rooting from Kix, the ’Dogs pulled through, thanks to a stifling defense against the defending Southland Conference champs. Since, the team has enjoyed a rare second-week-of-the-season open date to figure things out and heal a hurt quarterback, Jack Turner, who semi-limped off the field in the first quarter and didn’t return. (Brings to mind another Kix & Brooks tune: “How Long Gone Are You Gonna Be?”)

But back to that “broken heart” deal: for different reasons, times have been tough lately in Ruston and Raleigh.

The Bulldogs are coming off three straight 3-9 seasons — “too sad to write” — victims of a perfect storm generated through the new NIL and transfer rules and the law of averages following seven straight bowl seasons.

So there’s that.

Now in its 12th season under coach Dave Doren, NC State, 1-1, has been to nine bowl games but are 2-15 against Top 10 teams in that span, including a lopsided 51-10 dismantling at the greedy hands of Tennessee in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte in primetime Saturday evening.

Bad look for the Wolfpack and the 20-plus players from Charlotte on its roster.

The Wolfpack is a 21.5-point favorite over the Bulldogs. Local journalists (we’re keeping up with the Carolina scribes) foretell of an “easy” week for the Wolfpack. We’ll see: State was a 33.5-point favorite in its opener against Western Carolina and won by only 17, then a 9.5-underdog against Tennessee and lost by 41.

In that game, thanks to an 85-yard Pick 6, Tennessee scored more points off NC State’s red zone possessions than the Wolfpack did.

Intriguing to look in the rearview and the most recent time these two played. October 2, 2021. Down 14 midway through the fourth quarter to a team that had beaten Top 10-ranked Clemson the week before and had one of the best defenses statistically in the country, Tech was intercepted in the end zone from 22 yards out on the game’s final play and lost, 34-27, at Carter-Finley.

Tech left the stadium that day 2-3. Besides that heartbreaker in Raleigh, the Bulldogs had last a 20-point fourth-quarter lead in Starkville in a 35-34 season-opening loss to Mississippi State and had lost at home to SMU, 39-37, on a final-play Hail Mary two weeks before going to NC State.

The loss to the Wolfpack started a five-game slide that hasn’t ended. Saturday, a different team returns to the same scene of the crime.

Saturday, it’s a chance for the ’Dogs, like Kix & Brooks, to reboot.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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Savage’s noble gesture only part of the story for Shreve QB

/ Megan Lowe
ALMOST A UNICORN:  Captain Shreve quarterback Brodie Savage, who has bounced back from a season-ending injury, is a rare personality not only for the Gators, but in the prep ranks.  (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Immediately upon the conclusion of last week’s win over Ouachita, Captain Shreve quarterback Brodie Savage did something you rarely – if ever – see at a high school football game.

No, he didn’t grab a cell phone and start recording a TikTok. Nor was there any kind of showboating dance at midfield.

Instead, while his teammates tried to find more and more water buckets with which to douse head coach Jeremy Wilburn, Savage made a point to shake hands with the head referee (even though the same official had blown an inadvertent whistle that could have cost the Gators the game).

Then he shook hands with the side judge. And the umpire. And the field judge. If he could have found the clock operator, he would have shaken his hand too.

“That’s just something I’ve been doing since youth football,” Savage said later. “Every single game.”

If that were the only thing that made Savage special, it would be enough. But there’s a lot more to the 6-foot-1 senior.

“He’s the heartbeat of the team,” Wilburn said. “He’s shown the resiliency you’d want out of a leader. He never flinches at anything. Whatever we ask him to do as far as leadership in concerned, he does it.”

Resiliency? No doubt about it. Savage started the 2023 as the Gators’ backup, but played so well in the opening game that he was named the starter in Game 2. Things were rolling along quite nicely until the fifth game, when a scramble by Savage resulted in a knee injury.

“The turf monster got me,” he said.

He was done for the season.

But not for the off-season and Savage worked his way back to health in order to be ready to play his senior year.

“It was hard watching from the sideline,” Savage said. “You want to be on the field with your guys. I had a couple of bumps in the road along the way to getting back. But in July, I felt like I was back to normal.”

Still, Savage was not cleared to play until the week before school started.

In a way, the injury may have actually helped his progress in becoming more of a pocket passer.

“The injury may have slowed down what he was trying to do running with the ball and getting out of the pocket quicker,” Wilburn said. “He’s taking things slower now and letting his reads progress. When you do that, it can make you look really good really quick.”

There is definitely a different look to Savage this year in how he plays.  Against Ouachita, he was 10 of 16 for 179 yards and two touchdowns and showed greater arm strength and touch than a year ago.

“Definitely spent a lot of time in the weight room,” he said. “That’s about all I could do in the off-season is work on the upper body.”

“He’s got a lot of confidence in himself without lacking the ability to be coached,” Wilburn said. “That’s always the golden zone you try to get players in. You want them to believe in themselves and the system, but also never get arrogant and remain coachable and hungry.”

Savage and the Gators will take on Huntington Thursday night at Independence Stadium as the Gators try to move to 2-0. Wilburn knows Savage will be a key factor in the Gators’ success.

“He’s everything you’d ask for in a senior quarterback,” Wilburn said. “We are really lucky to have that.” 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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Bad weather produces really good matchup between Calvary, visiting Neville

/ Megan Lowe
TOP SHELF MATCHUP:  Calvary Baptist will square off against Neville of Monroe Friday night at home in a quickly-arranged contest that will feature Cavaliers’ senior tailback John Simon, a University of Texas commitment. (Journal photo by GAVEN HAMMOND, landgphoto.com)

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

During the pandemic, we all learned to pivot on a dime as circumstances changed quickly.

That ability to adjust on the fly has produced one of the more compelling matchups of the high school football season.

Calvary Baptist, the defending state Select Division III champions, riding a 15-game win streak, was already facing a stout opponent at home Friday night in Westgate, the No. 6-ranked team in Class 4A. But the approach of Francine, which was upgraded to a hurricane Tuesday evening, sent south Louisiana squads scrambling for shelter, not practice.

Westgate had to cancel its trip to Shreveport Friday night for a rematch of last season’s intense 32-22 loss at Calvary.

Meanwhile, Southside of Lafayette also had to scuttle a planned homefield battle with Neville of Monroe, the No. 7 ranked team in Class 5A. 

Opportunity knocked, and neither Calvary coach Rodney Guin or Neville’s Mike Collins blinked. Both coaches crave strong non-district competition. They’ll get it in Friday night’s hastily-arranged contest at Jerry Barker Stadium.

The Cavaliers (1-0), No. 1 in Class 2A after overpowering a strong second-ranked Oak Grove team 62-41 last Friday night, will step up to play one of the state’s premiere all-time powerhouses. Stepping up to 5A competition was no problem for Calvary in 2023, as the Cavs blasted a pair of good local 5A foes, Byrd and Captain Shreve, in their 14-0 championship season last fall.

But this is Neville (1-0), a perennial state power, which appears to be one of the top squads of 2024 in the state’s largest classification.

“You want to win every game,” said Guin, “but we’re not going to worry about a win streak and not play a good team when we get the chance. It’s one of those games we could play well and still not win, and we’re OK with that.

“We’re in it for the long haul, November and December,” he said in a KTBS Sports interview Tuesday. “This game will help us down the road regardless of what the outcome is.”

Guin said his players embrace the challenge. On a Friday night when many teams in south Louisiana will suddenly be sidelined, lots of eyes around Louisiana will focus on the Calvary-Neville battle.

The Tigers will make their second straight ride west on I-20 to Shreveport. Neville won 42-24 last Friday at Evangel, which a week before had topped West Monroe in the Bayou Jamb at Monroe. West Monroe is 10th in the Class 5A rankings this week.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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Can’t help but smile about the hold Maravich has on our imaginations

/ Megan Lowe

Something that was not mentioned during the panel discussion about Pete Maravich in Natchitoches at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame museum last Thursday night was a unique picture in the “Showtime: LSU’s Spectacular Pistol Pete” exhibit that celebrates the man’s legacy.

It’s a rare picture of Maravich smiling.        

John Musemeche, the longtime photographer from Baton Rouge whose work is featured in the exhibit, explained Monday how he captured that special shot. It was during the time Maravich was enjoying a record-setting NCAA college basketball career at LSU, and Musemeche and a friend who was a big LSU fan were with Maravich at Foxy’s Health Studio in Baton Rouge.

“We spent three days with him doing some photo shoots,” said Musemeche, then a sportswriter and photographer and “low man on the totem pole” for the sports staff of the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. “Pete liked to go to Foxy’s to work out because nobody made a big deal about him being there.”

Musemeche told Pete he needed to get some “head shots.”

“You know, Pete,” Musemeche said, “I’ve never gotten a great picture of you smiling.”

Maravich answered, “It’s kind of hard to sit there and smile.”

Understand, Maravich, as nearly supernatural as his basketball skills and showmanship were, was not given to smiling easily. He already had a hardscrabble life with lots of injuries and troubles – some self-induced – and he forever nurtured an intense, serious focus on becoming the best, most entertaining basketball player there ever was.

“So I proceeded to tell some really bad jokes, and he says, ‘You’re really trying’ hard,’” said Musemeche, “and I said, ‘I guess I’m not a big shot like you,’ and with that he flashed a big smile, and I caught it. That’s the way he really acted when he was out of the glare of all the cameras.”

One of the attractions at the LSHOF event last week was an eight-minute documentary on Pistol Pete Maravich by 46-year-old filmmaker and Ohio native Drew Tewell that featured Musemeche. The documentary “We Were Fans” placed second at a recent international film festival.

Tewell, who resided in Baton Rouge from 2014 until about a month-and-a-half ago before returning home to the Columbus, Ohio area, said in a phone call Monday he has been developing a full-length movie about Maravich for the last 10 years.

“It’s a biopic, covering a good portion of his life from his childhood to after he retired,” said Tewell, noting his movie will focus mostly on Maravich’s 10 years in the National Basketball Association but with attention, too, on his childhood and his time at LSU. “I finished the script about six years ago. I talked to an actor I met while working on another movie, Damon Lipari, about playing the role of Pete.

“He looks exactly like Pete,” said Tewell of the 46-year-old Lipari, a Louisiana native of Patterson. “He’s a little shorter, but he played basketball through high school. He went to LSU and was going to play basketball but got the acting bug and followed that path instead.”

Tewell couldn’t say when the movie would be released because production hasn’t yet started. “We’re trying to find investors, and we’re trying to find a well-known actor, possibly to play Press Maravich (Pete’s father and coach at LSU) to help draw a crowd.”

I think investors would be wise to sign on to the Maravich movie project. I don’t know of another Louisiana athlete, past or present, who has such an enduring grip on the Bayou State as someone who never ceases to amaze and inspire, even during football season.

In truth, his stretch of magnetism reaches well beyond Louisiana.  Bob Dylan, for heaven’s sake, wrote in his memoir how he idolized Pete Maravich when the Pistol  was playing professional basketball in New Orleans. Magic Johnson admitted he “stole” some of Maravich’s moves in his “showtime” as a basketball legend.

An autographed basketball from his 68-point scoring night for the New Orleans Jazz in 1977 against the New York Knicks sold for $131,450 in a 2009 Heritage auction.

And Californians cannot forget him since he died at age 40 in their state on that fateful day – Jan. 5, 1988 — in Pasadena, Calif.

On a basketball court.

During a pickup basketball game.

He had flown from his home then in Covington, La., to tape a segment on evangelical author James Dobson’s radio show. He and Dobson and some others played that pickup game in the morning before the scheduled afternoon taping.

Dobson said Maravich’s last words, less than a minute before he collapsed and died due to a congenital heart defect, were: “I feel great.”

Considering in his final years he got his hard-driving, hard-cussing father to convert to the Christian faith before Press died in 1987, and he repeatedly said he wanted to be remembered not as a basketball player but as a Christian, I can only guess why in the final minute of his life he felt the urge to say – with a smile, no doubt — “I feel great.”

The translation, from 2 Timothy 4:7-8: “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Contact Bob at btompkins1225@gmail.com

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First rankings provide points of contention

/ Megan Lowe

JOURNAL STAFF

They say it takes a few weeks to truly determine how football teams should be ranked, but who’s got time for that?

The first Shreveport-Bossier Journal poll of the year showed the battle for the top spot was a tough one between two Bossier Parish schools — Parkway and Airline.

Airline’s road win with a late field goal to beat Barbe (Lake Charles) was impressive, but Parkway was a dominant in a 30-point win over Carroll. Perhaps, at least for now, the Panthers’ jamboree win over Airline served as a tie-breaker?

Just as impressive was Calvary putting a 62-spot on defending state champion Oak Grove that gave the Cavaliers the No. 3 spot in the poll, just ahead of two 5A rivals with big wins — No. 4 Captain Shreve and No. 5 Byrd.

There’s no shame in Evangel’s loss to Class 5A power Neville, which put the Eagles in at No. 6.

Northwood edged Benton last week on Thursday night and edged the Tigers in the poll as the two came in at Nos. 7 and 8, followed by Huntington at No. 9 and Haughton, a winner over Homer in coach Matthew Sewell’s first game, at No. 10.

Week 1 SBJ Top 10

  1. Parkway (1-0)
  1. Airline (1-0)
  1. Calvary (1-0)
  1. Captain Shreve (1-0)
  1. Byrd (1-0)
  1. Evangel (0-1)
  1. Northwood (1-0)
  1. Benton (0-1)
  1. Huntington (0-1)
  1. Haughton (1-0)
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The opener is in the books, but what is in the memory banks?

/ Megan Lowe

JOURNAL SPORTS 

For all the local high school football teams except for Southwood, the season is underway.

Mike Green’s Cowboys make their debut this week. “Make room,” he calmly and firmly stated a couple weeks ago today, at a Caddo Parish School Board media event showcasing the system’s prep football programs. 

He was expressing confidence his players would redefine the perception of the Southwood program, which has been mired in a seasons-long skid. It was impressive bravado. Best of luck to the Cowboys!

Meanwhile, the other local teams have a game under their belts and it’s Week 2. We asked head coaches to share thoughts on things they took away from the season opener – not necessarily football impressions. 

What were their takeaways from Week 1? 

AUSTIN BROWN, Northwood: “Just being back out there. Pageantry of a Friday night. Tailgate walk, band, cheer/dance, fireworks. It was great to be back.”

MATTHEW SEWELL, Haughton:  “We had two seniors (Jakobe Delaney and Preston Peters) that had suffered multiple injuries in the past and had never started a game before this season, catch touchdown passes and play big roles in our win. It was awesome watching them break through and see how excited they were to help their team win a game. It stood out to me as a testament to hard work and love of the game.”

STACY BALLEW, Byrd:  “Any win on the road in south Louisiana is a good win.” (The Yellow Jackets were impressive at St. Amant, posting a 26-10 victory.)

CLINT WALKER, Plain Dealing: “Hard to believe another season is here. Seems to go faster and faster every year the older you get.”

STEPHEN DENNIS, Huntington: “Seeing my players not be fazed by the atmosphere of West Monroe. We didn’t play well (in a 40-7 defeat), but it wasn’t because of the atmosphere, we didn’t execute at an elite level.”

JEREMY WILBURN, Captain Shreve:  “I noticed that our band plays a terrific rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and we have a well-trained color guard that raises our flag perfectly pregame.”

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Evangel’s Wilson picks up national honor for Gents

/ Megan Lowe

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director  

Lots of fall sports competition is underway for Centenary but there’s no doubt the positive vibes are still being felt from last Saturday’s official return to football competition.

Although the Gents didn’t prevail, good things continue to spin out of that opener. 

FOOTBALL:  Freshman defensive back Jacob Wilson was honored nationally on Tuesday as he was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after he had a pair of interceptions on Saturday night in the Gents’ season-opening loss at home to Hendrix. His second pick of the game led to a Centenary TD two plays later.

Wilson, a former Evangel Christian Academy Eagle, finished with two solo tackles to go with his two picks.

In their official return to NCAA college football, the Gents fell 43-20 to the Hendrix College Warriors in front of an overflow crowd at Atkins Field but the final score could not deter the excitement and buzz that was evident the entire day leading up to the game and throughout the contest itself.

The Gents will hit the road as they open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in Seguin, Texas. 

CROSS COUNTRY:  The Centenary men’s and women’s teams opened their seasons last Friday evening as the Ladies and Gents competed in The Opener at Mississippi College at Choctaw Trails.

In the men’s 5k race, Centenary’s times:  Phillip Hughes, 19:53.1; Joseph Coleman, 23:04.2; Evan Halbert, 23:43.0; Clayton Hancock, 24:18.0;  Herman Pride, 26:30.4; Richard Ross, 30:41.6. 

In the women’s 5k, the Ladies’ times: Amiyah Barrow, 25:52.9; Julissa Cabrera, 25:55.3; Brooklyn Cooper, 30:04.8; Bethany Leach, 35:29.7. 

The Ladies and Gents return to action in the Nicholls XC Invitational in Thibodaux on Sept. 28. 

MEN’S SOCCER: The Gents earned a 1-1 tie against the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets last Friday in a non-conference contest and the Gents’ home opener at Atkins Field.

The Gents (1-1-1) and Yellow Jackets (0-1-2) each scored their goals in the first half and a scoreless second half followed. Centenary now leads the all-time series 3-0-1.

Howard Payne struck first as Ian Bryant scored with the assist going to Taylor Hefner in the 11th minute. Senior Hunter Booth tied the score in the 39th minute, notching his second goal of the season.

Booth, following a corner kick, headed the ball into the next for the tying score after a pass from junior Eoin Hamill who was credited with the assist. Freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Lutin started for the third match in a row for the Gents and played all 90 minutes, making three saves.

Centenary remains at home and will play a pair of home matches this weekend as the Maroon and White will square off with Mississippi University for Women on Friday before Ouachita Baptist, a Division II program, comes to town on Sunday.

VOLLEYBALL: The Ladies will play three matches this weekend in the Millsaps Invitational in Jackson, Miss. Against Huntingdon College, LeTourneau, and the host Majors. 

WOMEN’S SOCCER: The Ladies are on the road this weekend for a pair of non-conference contests as they face LaGrange College on Saturday and Huntingdon College on Sunday.

GOLF:  Centenary’s men’s and women’s golf teams tee off their seasons on Sunday at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Preview in Whitney, Texas. The tournament runs through Tuesday.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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The anticipation of hunting season

/ Megan Lowe

Every year there are certain seasons that people look forward to: Week 1 of the NFL, opening day of baseball season and for me it’s the arrival of both the spring and fall seasons.

For most outdoorsmen, it’s hunting season! This is like Christmas morning for anyone who enjoys chasing a squirrel, dropping ducks from the sky or finally shooting that trophy buck of a lifetime. 

Let’s look at what hunting season means to so many outdoorsmen. Let’s start with dove season which is basically a tailgate party with guys carrying shotguns. Dove season, like football season, kicks off the new year for all hunters. They gather in small groups and enjoy some time in the field hopefully where there are plenty of birds passing through. Dove hunts are simply a social hunt and a great way to introduce kids to hunting. 

Next comes teal season (mid-September) which brings out a totally different kind of hunter. These guys are serious about shooting what just might be the hardest duck to hit on the fly. Teal are the F-16’s of the duck hunting world and can do a fly-by quicker than some hunters can get a gun up. Teal are also a great tasting bird and make great table fare.

The first of October is the official start of deer season as bow hunters take to the woods in search of some good venison backstrap. Bow hunters are very committed and put in a lot of time practicing in their back yards or on a bow range. Deer hunting in general, is probably more popular than any other wild game that’s pursued.

Bow hunting requires a lot of skill in order to be effective and take a deer with good arrow placement. The popularity of bow hunting is due to the fact it’s a throwback to how our ancestors used to hunt. Bow hunters might be the most dedicated group of hunters there are due to the amount of effort and skill required.  

Fast forward to mid-October. The opening day of rifle season triggers a landslide of deer hunters taking to the great outdoors in search of that monster buck they’ve been watching on their trail cameras for the past two months. No other wild game opening day is more popular than the opening day of gun season as deer camps are overflowing with both excitement and the anticipation. It’s like a child waiting on Christmas morning; they literally cannot sleep! 

There are so many traditions that revolve around different types of hunting seasons. Deer camps have been a part of family traditions for decades and most would give up their home before giving up their deer camp. 

Many outdoorsmen plan their entire year around their favorite hunting season. It determines when they will take their vacation or request extra time off from their daily jobs. They are literally consumed with everything that revolves around hunting.

They plan Thanksgiving and other holidays around hunting season. It’s like people planning their lives around their favorite football team; nothing else is more important! If you’re one of the fortunate that have a great hunting camp; count your blessings and never let it go. Because once it’s gone, you will have a hard time replacing it. 

‘Til next time, good luck, good hunting and to all outdoorsmen, have a great hunting season! 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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Tigers hit where it hurts, but opportunity arises for Evangel’s Reliford

/ Megan Lowe
MAKING HIS POINT:  Coach Brian Kelly talks to the LSU Tigers minutes before the start of Saturday’s hard-fought win in Tiger Stadium over Nicholls. (Photo by GUS STARK, LSU Athletics)

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – A priority position where 16th-ranked LSU can’t afford to lose a player because of an injury is defensive tackle, especially their most experienced.

Which is exactly what happened in the Tigers’ 44-21 victory over Nicholls Saturday night in Tiger Stadium when senior starter Jacobian Guillory suffered a season-ending torn Achilles. As a result, Evangel product Gabe Reliford seems likely to get a battlefield promotion.

“Jacobian was a very technically sound, physically strong football player,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said during his weekly Monday in-season press conference previewing the Tigers’ (1-1, 0-0 SEC) upcoming SEC opener at South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday. “He’ll be the first to tell you he wasn’t a very dynamic pass rusher. We know what he was and what he wasn’t, so now you’ve got to look who can make up for that.

“Anytime you lose a good player, you don’t necessarily make up for what he did. You try to do some other things differently that complement the guys you have.”

Guillory played in 41 LSU games, starting 5. The remaining defensive tackles next in line to replace Guillory are mostly young, talented, and inexperienced.

Sophomore Shone Washington, a 6-4, 298-pound sophomore transfer from East Mississippi Community College, had 3 tackles vs. Nicholls when he took over Guillory’s vacancy. Dominick McKinley, a 6-5, 273-pound Lafayette Acadiana High standout who was rated the state’s best high school player last season, may also be thrown into the fire.

“There’s also some guys that maybe we can move inside from defensive end to give us some more snaps,” Kelly said. “We’re talking 15 to 20 more reps inside.”

The likely D-end candidates who might slip into the tackle rotation are senior Paris Shand (6-5, 275) and true freshman Gabe Reliford (6-2, 270) of Shreveport and Evangel Christian Academy.

Reliford, credited for 4 tackles in the win over Nicholls, turned heads throughout preseason practice.

Kelly also addressed LSU’s rushing attack, which ranks 116th of 133 nationally and last in the 16-team SEC averaging 88.5 yards per game.

He said quarterback Garrett Nussmeier checked four run plays to passes vs. Nicholls when Nussmeier noticed the Colonels had one extra player in the box that would have gone unblocked.

“This has to do with how teams have wanted to defend us,” Kelly said. “They don’t want us to run the football.

“I told (offensive coordinator) Joe Sloan that we don’t have to run it and show everybody we’re big and bad. If we have an offensive line that protects like they have, I’ll get Garrett Nussmeier to throw against Cover 1 (man-to-man defense.).”

Nussmeier has completed 57 of 76 passes for 610 yards and all 8 of LSU’s touchdowns.

KNOW THE ENEMY

No. 16 LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC) at South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC), Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, Saturday, 11 a.m. CT (ABC)

Last game for Gamecocks: Won SEC opener at Kentucky 31-9. QB LaNorris Sellers threw two touchdown passes and Nick Emmanwori returned one of South Carolina’s two interceptions for another score. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders rushed for a 6-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to help break the game open.

Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 19-2-1. LSU won 52-24 in 2020 in Baton Rouge when Tigers QB TJ Finley threw for 285 yards and 2 TDs and WR Terrance Marshall had 6 catches for 88 yards and 2 TDs.

South Carolina head coach: Shane Beamer (22-18 in four seasons overall and at South Carolina)

THIS AND THAT

Early betting line: LSU by 7

Number of Louisiana natives on South Carolina roster: 1

Number of South Carolina natives on LSU roster: 0

Number of transfers on South Carolina roster from 4-year schools: 19 players from 18 schools including 10 players from 9 Power 4 Conference schools

SOUTH CAROLINA PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB LaNorris Sellers (20 of 37 for 280 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception, 57 yards rushing and 1 TD on 30 carries), RB Rocket Sanders (142 yards rushing and 2 TDs on 37 carries), WR Mazeo Bennett Jr. (5 catches for 81 yards, 1 TD), DE Dylan Stewart (6 tackles, 2 ½ sacks, 2 QB hurries, 2 forced fumbles), DE Kyle Kennard (5 tackles, 3½ sacks, 2 forced fumbles), PK Alex Herrera 4 of 5 field goals, 6 of 6 extra points), P Kal Kroger (46.4 ypp, 3 fair catches, 3 inside the 20, 4 50-yard plus punts).

THREE AND OUT

1. What football movie was filmed in Williams-Brice Stadium?

A. The Waterboy

B. The Program

C. Remember the Titans

D. All the Right Moves

2. Who’s the only South Carolina player to win the Heisman Trophy?

A. Roy Riegels

B. Roy Rogers

C. George Rogers

D. Fred Rogers

3. Who guided South Carolina to its only conference football championship in school history?

A. Lou Holtz

B. Steve Spurrier

C. Sparky Woods

D. Paul Dietzel

ANSWERS: 1. B 2. C. 3. D

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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Near-perfect start bodes well for BTW

/ Megan Lowe

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

A wise coach once said, “you can’t win ‘em all if you don’t win the first one.”

There wasn’t much doubt going into the season opener last week that Booker T. Washington was going to beat an outmanned Class A Lakeview team.

The Lions left no doubt. It was 52-0, and not that close, last Friday night as the home crowd left happy at Leonard C. Barnes Stadium.

For that near-flawless performance, BTW is the first 2024 Shreveport-Bossier Journal “Team of the Week.”

Coach Gary Cooper’s second year in charge at BTW began as it was drawn up, because his players did not take their own performance for granted.

“We harped on them all week long about execution. Throughout the course of the game, do things the right way, the way we teach it, and our kids bought into it. They’re really trying to do what we ask them to do,” said Cooper.

“In a game like that, it’s repetitions against a different opponent, not a practice player. Just do the things we ask you to do. I was pleased with what the film showed. It feels good to get a win, sure enough, and evaluating the guys on film, 95 percent of the things were done correctly.”

There’s a basic checklist Cooper applies to each game film, and his squad made its marks against the Gators. Watching the film, the Lions’ coaches saw work pay off.

“The effort is there. The attempt to execute perfectly is there. So everything we ask for was done,” said Cooper.

There were standouts, even if they didn’t come close to playing all 48 minutes. The Lions dressed 55 players. Everybody got good time on the field.

The individual star was Aaron Dillard, just named to the National Football Foundation McNaughton Chapter North Louisiana Preseason Scholar-Athlete Watch List due to superior academic and competitive credentials, and extracurricular activity. The senior running back needed just eight carries to collect 154 yards and 2 TDs.

“Aaron ran the ball extremely well, and the O-line played very well,” said Cooper, acknowledging the unsung heroes. “For a running back to be that productive and explosive, something had to happen up front.”

Impossible to overlook: receiver D’Travion Mitchell, who scored twice as he “made two toe-tap catches, crazy catches, that got us going,” said Cooper.

Another strong element was obvious.

“Our defense has been really good for us the last couple of years, and those guys played well to get a shutout,” said Cooper.

All indicators are positive as BTW steps into the more arduous part of the season after a tune-up contest.

“The kids are doing great. They’re buying what we’re selling, and they’re accountable. We hold them accountable, they hold each other accountable, and as a coaching staff, we hold ourselves accountable as well,” said the coach. “We are trying to give them the best high school experience possible.”

This Friday, the price of poker goes up. BTW goes to Bastrop, a tradition-rich program that still has plenty of talent in Morehouse Parish north of Monroe. The Lions are reflecting back to how they started two weeks ago.

“We look at this like the jamboree, when we played Woodlawn and Southwood, teams that are going to be in our district, teams that are going be very, very well coached teams, highly competitive teams, teams that play fast. We got the experience from that, going to this,” Cooper said. “Our kids understand this is not going to be easy. It’s not going to be last week.

“This is a game of what have you done for me lately. Last week is over. We’re on to a new week now.”

But for this week, the Lions are the SBJ Team of the Week.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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ECA basketball gives an assist to the Eagles’ football program

/ Megan Lowe

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

TJ Grider from Evangel Christian has bounced into focus as a player to watch this fall.

Grider is a newcomer to the Eagles’ football program, best known as a basketball standout, and has a chance to become one of the best in his role in Louisiana high school football before the season is over.

He is a pass rusher, an outside linebacker/defensive end for Evangel. Grider stands 6-3 and weighs 235 pounds with legit 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash. He already had offers from Centenary and Ouachita Baptist before even playing in a varsity football game for Evangel Christian.

Here’s another attribute: he owns a 3.9 GPA.

“TJ is a freakish athlete. This is the strongest basketball player I’ve ever come across at the high school level, said Fabian Carter, head strength coach and assistant head football coach for Evangel.

“The spring of 2024 was his first time coming out to football and athletically he was farther ahead than I thought. He is strong and quick,” said Carter. “There could be some improvement in his football workout agility but that is understandable for a guy who sat out of football almost his entire high school career. With his speed and quickness, TJ will live in the offensive backfield in 2024.”

Grider is the ultimate diamond in the rough as far as Class of 2025 football recruiting is concerned. He is a raw talent in the sport, very teachable and a quick study, and has the respect of his Eagles’ coaches.

Defensive coordinator Josh Alexander said all the X-factors point toward Grider becoming a rising prospect as the season goes on.

“First of all he is a great kid, as good an individual as he can be as a football player,” said Alexander. “The thing about TJ is that he is still learning how to play the game so he is only going to get better. He has tremendous upside when you talk about athletic ability.

“He actually did some things in the spring that reminded me and our defensive line coach of one of the best to pull on shoulder pads here, Gabe Reliford, who is now at LSU as a freshman. Gabe played for us in 2023 and was awesome.

“TJ just doesn’t have the experience yet but will only get better,” said Alexander. “The sky is the limit for him.”

Evangel has moved up to Class 5A and is in the tough 1-5A district. The Eagles have scheduled aggressively in recent years to prepare for the postseason – this year they opened with a slugfest at home against Neville, and they begin an eight-game district schedule this Friday at Natchitoches Central.

The Chiefs play their home games at Turpin Stadium, homefield of the Northwestern Demons. I wouldn’t be surprised if by season’s end, Grider is getting some long looks not only from coach Blaine McCorkle and the Demons, but other Division I FCS programs and maybe even all of the programs in north Louisiana. He’s an intriguing prospect with incredible upside.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com 

Lee Brecheen has been covering high school football and recruiting in Louisiana since the early ‘90s. He is owner of Louisiana Football Magazine and can be followed on X @LeeBrecheen. He hosts a YouTube show, The Sports Scouting Report with Lee Brecheen. Previews of all state high schools are available on lafootballmagazine.com.

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Two more prep games shift to Thursday

/ Megan Lowe
FAST START:  A week after throwing 7 touchdown passes, tying for second on the all-time Shreveport-Bossier single-game list, Calvary Baptist senior quarterback Abram Wardell will lead the Cavaliers into a tough matchup against visiting Westgate Friday night. (Journal photo by GAVEN HAMMOND, landgphoto.com)

JOURNAL SPORTS

The shortage of available game officials is impacting and adjusting high school football schedules statewide.

That seems to be the case locally as two more games have been shifted to Thursday, making it three total. The preseason slate had all of the local contests set for Friday night lights.

It’s likely these late changes will continue through much of the fall.

Week 2 local prep football games

THURSDAY

Arcadia at Southwood, Leonard C. Barnes Stadium, BTW

Magnolia at Lincoln Prep

Captain Shreve at Huntington (Independence Stadium)

FRIDAY  

Benton at Airline

Haughton at Byrd, Lee Hedges

Evangel at Natchitoches Central

Woodlawn at Parkway, Preston Crownover Stadium

BTW at Bastrop

Glenbrook at Bossier

Peabody at Northwood, Jerry Burton Stadium

Logansport at Loyola, Messmer Stadium

Westgate at Calvary, Jerry Barker Stadium

Green Oaks at Mansfield

North Webster at North Caddo, Sanders-Prudhomme Stadium

Plain Dealing at Ringgold

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Calvary stays atop Class 2A, Airline near 5A Top 10

/ Megan Lowe

JOURNAL SPORTS 

The first week of prep football featured the 1-2 battle between Calvary Baptist and Oak Grove atop Class 2A. The Cavs’ 62-41 win kept them at No. 1 and didn’t drop the Tigers very far. 

Airline’s exciting road win at Barbe kept the Vikings in contention to break into the Class 5A rankings soon if they can enhance their stock. Rival Benton visits Airline Friday night hoping to sour those hopes. 

Voting in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association polls are done by 12 media members from around the state. 

Class 5A 

School, 1st place votes, record, total voting points, previous ranking 

1. Ruston (12)                 1-0, 144, 1 

2. Karr                             1-0, 132, 2 

3. Catholic-BR                1-0, 119, 4 

4. Acadiana                     0-1, 101, 3 

5. Zachary                       1-0, 100, 6 

6. Destrehan                    0-1, 77, 5 

7. Neville                        1-0, 71, 8 

8. John Curtis                  0-1, 45, 7 

9. St. Augustine               1-0, 43, 10 

10. West Monroe             1-0, 20, NR 

(tie) Carencro                   0-1, 20, 9 

Others receiving votes: Alexandria 15, Airline 10, Brother Martin 7, Holy Cross 7, Mandeville 6, Dutchtown 6, Central 4, Archbishop Rummel 4, Warren Easton 2, Barbe 1, Evangel Christian 1, Sam Houston 1, Terrebonne 1, Walker 1. 

Class 4A

School, 1st place votes, record, total voting points, previous ranking 

1. North DeSoto              (8)   1-0, 139, 2 

2. St. Thomas More        (4)   1-0, 101, 4 

3. Opelousas                           0-1, 99, 1 

4. Cecilia                                 1-0, 97, 5 

5. E.D. White                          1-0, 94, 6 

6. Westgate                              1-0, 92, 7 

7. Archbishop Shaw                0-1, 75, 3

8. Teurlings Catholic              1-0, 65, NR 

9. Lutcher                                1-0, 56, 9 

10. St. Charles                         0-1, 31, 8 

Others receiving votes: Assumption 23, Franklin Parish 13, Wossman 6, Leesville 2, Franklinton 1, Iowa 1, McDonogh 35 1.  

Class 3A 

School, 1st place votes, record, total voting points, previous ranking 

1. University (11)                    1-0, 143, 1 

2. St. James (1)                       1-0, 130, 2 

3. Northwest                           1-0, 119, 3 

4. Sterlington                          1-0, 107, 4 

5. John F. Kennedy                 1-0, 97, 7 

6. Bunkie                                 1-0, 73, 8 

7. Jena                                     1-0, 62, 10 

8. Madison Prep                      0-1, 60, 5 

9. Amite                                  0-1, 58, 6 

10. De La Salle                       0-1, 36, 9 

Others receiving votes: Bastrop 28, Parkview Baptist 11, Lake Charles College Prep 9, Jennings 5, Donaldsonville 1, Marksville 1. 

Class 2A 

School, 1st place votes, record, total voting points, previous ranking 

1. Calvary Baptist (12)            1-0, 144, 1 

2. Newman                              1-0, 122, 4 

3. Oak Grove                           0-1, 116, 2 

4. Lafayette Christian              0-1, 111, 3 

5. Notre Dame                         1-0, 92, 6 

6. Dunham                               1-0, 86, 7 

7. Union Parish                        0-1, 75, 5 

8. Ouachita Christian               1-0, 69, 8 

9. Episcopal-Baton Rouge       1-0, 45, 10 

10. Catholic-New Iberia         0-1, 26, 9  

Others receiving votes: Mangham 10, Ferriday 8, Homer 8, Northlake Christian 8, South Plaquemines 5, Pope John Paul II 1. 

Class 1A 

School, 1st place votes, record, total voting points, previous ranking  

1. Southern Lab (11)                1-0,143, 1 

2. Vermilion Catholic (1)        1-0, 133, 2 

3. Haynesville                          1-0, 115, 4 

4. Kentwood                            1-0,101, 5 

5. Riverside                               0-1, 95, 3 

6. Logansport                            1-0, 83, 6 

7. St. Martin’s                           1-0, 70, 7

8. Ascension Catholic               1-0, 65, 8 

9. Opelousas Catholic               1-0, 45, 9 

10. Central Catholic                   1-0, 25, NR 

Others receiving votes: Catholic-Point Coupee 22, Covenant Christian 18, White Castle 7, Jeanerette 5, St. Frederick 4.

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Ticket sales start for Dec. 8 LSU-Grambling basketball featuring Parkway great Williams, Mulkey

/ Megan Lowe
HEADED HOME:  Parkway great Mikaylah Williams was a breakout star last season in her first year at LSU, and will be playing in her hometown Dec. 8 as LSU meets Grambling in Bossier City at Brookshire Grocery Arena. (Photo courtesy LSU Athletics)

JOURNAL SPORTS 

Ticket sales begin today for the “Tiger Takeover” women’s college basketball matchup Dec. 8 at the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City bringing home former Parkway All-American Mikaylah Williams and her LSU women’s basketball teammates to face a resurgent Grambling State squad. 

Tickets go on sale this week at www.Ticketmaster.com and at the b1BANK box office at Brookshire Grocery Arena (ticketing@brookshiregroceryarena.com). AT&T is serving as the presenting sponsor for the game, which will be a Sunday afternoon contest. 

“As two of Louisiana’s great institutions, LSU and Grambling, come together for the Tiger Takeover, it’s more than just a game – it’s a celebration of community, connection, and shared passion,” said AT&T Louisiana President David J. Aubrey. “At AT&T, we’re proud to support this exciting matchup that unites these incredible fan bases.” 

Starting today a special pre-sale will begin at 9 a.m. until Thursday at 10 p.m.  The public on-sale begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, promoters said in a press release. 

LSU won the 2023 NCAA national championship under the leadership of former Louisiana Tech great Kim Mulkey, and reached the national quarterfinals last season as Williams was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. 

The Tiger Takeover presented by AT&T is produced and presented by Russ Potts Productions, Inc. in collaboration with the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission and Brookshire Grocery Arena, managed by ASM Global.    

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Tigers struggle against outmanned Colonels, but finally pull away

/ Megan Lowe
SIX DOES THE TRICK: LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw six touchdown passes Saturday night, leading an otherwise sluggish Tiger team over Nicholls. (Photo courtesy LSU Athletics)

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – It took LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s school-record-tying six touchdown passes to subdue a 46½-point underdog here Saturday night.

Nicholls State, whose annual athletic revenue doesn’t equal the contracts of LSU’s new defensive coaching staff, gave the 18th-ranked Tigers all they could handle in their home season opener.

The Colonels, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) program, trailed 23-21 with the second half just two minutes old after Colin Guggenheim’s 67-yard Wildcat QB keeper. Afterward. LSU scored 21 unanswered points for a 44-21 victory before a Tiger Stadium crowd of 100,242.

“A win is a win,” LSU linebacker Greg Penn III said. “It’s easier to learn from stuff you did wrong while winning.”

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was hoping to see the usual first-to-second-game leap of improvement coming off last Sunday’s 27-20 loss to USC in Las Vegas.

He said he saw a tired team operating on a short week of practice that didn’t play with the same physicality as it did against USC.

“I know what this team can be,” Kelly said. “I’m not here to make a million excuses, but that was a fatigued team, and it affected them.

“That’s not going to be their best work. We were still able to win by 23 points. They’re not going to say that it was their `A’ work.”

For the second straight week with an anemic rushing game despite the LSU offensive line outweighing Nicholls’ defensive front by an average of 65 pounds per man, Nussmeier had to carry the Tigers’ offense.

He completed 27 of 37 passes for 302 yards, spreading his scoring strikes to Kyren Lacy (32, 6 and 7 yards), Trey’Dez Green (1 yard), Ju’Juan Johnson (4 yards) and Zavion Thomas (4 yards).

“The coaches let Nuss loose a little bit,” said LSU tight end Mason Taylor, who had four catches for 40 yards. “That comes with the trust the coaches give him because he did a great job in practice and the USC game.”

Five Tigers had five or more catches, including Liberty transfer wide receiver CJ Daniels. He had four receptions for 71 yards in his Tiger Stadium debut period.

“We have lots of playmakers in the receivers’ room,” Daniels said. “We hone in when the ball is in the air. We have to make the play.”

As efficiently as Nussmeier played – he’s the first LSU QB in history to pass for 300 more yards in each of his first three starts dating back to last January’s ReliaQuest Bowl – the Tigers’ rushing attack was again missing in action.

After rushing for just 117 yards on 25 carries vs. USC, LSU completely went in the tank against a considerably smaller Colonels defensive front. The Tigers ran for a meager 64 yards on 24 carries.

That’s a huge concern for a team that opens SEC play on the road next Saturday at South Carolina. The Gamecocks (2-0) went to Kentucky as a 9½-point underdog for their SEC opener Saturday and clobbered the Wildcats 31-6.

“We’ve got to look closely at what we’re doing in the running game,” Kelly said. “Nicholls gave us a lot of man coverages to throw. I know there were a lot of (running) plays we checked out of the line of scrimmage because of the extra (defensive) hat (in the box).”

Just as problematic for the Tigers was a defense that allowed Nichols running back Guggenheim, to run for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, most of them lining up in the Wildcat formation as a QB and taking a direct snap.

His 67-yard TD romp through the heart of the LSU defense on the Colonels’ third offensive snap of the third quarter was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on the Tigers.

So was Nicholls’ trick play, a lateral pass from quarterback Pat McQuaide to wide receiver Quincy Brown in the left flap, who then lofted a perfect 18-yard scoring strike to tight end Lee Negretto to cut LSU’s lead to 9-7 with 12:17 left in the second quarter.

“We drew that play up in the dirt,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said. “We’ve been working on that, and we’ve done a good job. We’ve been connecting and trying to save it for the right moment.”

The Colonels never led in the game, but their 295 total offense yards (to LSU’s 378) helped them possess the ball more (31:09 to 28:51) than the Tigers.

The game didn’t get away from Nicholls until LSU scored on its first three possessions of the third quarter period.

“We had some nice momentum offensively, we’ve got to get balance running the ball,” Kelly said. “When our defense finally started to play well, our offense never really complemented our defense.

“Now, you’ve got to go on the road against a South Carolina team that’s going to have a lot of momentum. The clock is ticking. We’ve got to play complementary football and be more physical on both lines.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

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District 1-5A gets going early with games in Week 2

/ Megan Lowe
DISTRICT DEBUT: Airline will host Benton to open the District 1-5A season in what has been a high-scoring matchup in recent seasons.  (Journal file photo)

By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

This week, District 1-5A games kick into gear early in the 2024 high school football season with the district enlarged by one school, now including nine teams.

Four district games, three locally, will start 1-5A competition with Benton (0-1) playing at Airline (1-0) and Haughton (1-0) facing Byrd (1-0) at Lee Hedges Stadium while Captain Shreve (1-0) and Huntington (0-1) vie at Independence Stadium. Evangel (0-1) is on the road at Natchitoches Central (1-0).

Parkway (1-0) plays a non-district game at home against Woodlawn (0-1).

After having last week off, Southwood opens its season with a non-district battle against Arcadia (0-1) at Booker T. Washington’s Leonard C. Barnes Stadium. It will be the first time the schools have met on a football field.

Booker T. Washington (1-0) travels to play at Bastrop (1-0). The Rams have won the last four, the last time in 2002.

Bossier (0-1) opens its home slate with Glenbrook (1-0) and Loyola (0-1) hosts Logansport (1-0) for its home opener.

Northwood (1-0) and Calvary (1-0) are both at home for a second consecutive week to start the season. The Falcons welcome Peabody (0-1) to Jerry Burton Stadium. It will be the first time to play the Warhorses since 1984. Calvary hosts Westgate (1-0) after playing them for the first time last year at home, a hard-fought win for the Cavs, 32-22.

North Webster (0-1) will make the trek from Springhill to face North Caddo (1-0) at Sanders-Prudhomme Stadium in Vivian. The Knights lead the series with the Titans 5-2 but the schools met up 50 times before Springhill was merged with other Webster Parish schools to form North Webster.

Green Oaks (1-0) will take to the road to face Mansfield (0-1). The Wolverines lead the series 15-8, last played in 2021.

Plain Dealing (0-1) is on the road to District 1-1A foe Ringgold (0-1). The game will not count as a district game as the Redskins chose not to play for district honors this year and next year and are not eligible for the postseason.

In the only Thursday game of the week, Magnolia Charter (0-1) is on the road for a non-district game in Grambling at Lincoln Prep (0-1).

All other games will be played on Friday, Sept. 13. If anticipated rain arrives in midweek, it could be an unlucky night for conditions on grassy surfaces.

Week 2 local prep football games 

DISTRICT 1-5A

Benton at Airline

Haughton at Byrd, Lee Hedges

Captain Shreve at Huntington, Independence Stadium

Evangel at Natchitoches Central 

NON-DISTRICT

Woodlawn at Parkway, Preston Crownover Stadium

Arcadia at Southwood, Leonard C. Barnes Stadium, BTW

BTW at Bastrop

Glenbrook at Bossier

Peabody at Northwood, Jerry Burton Stadium

Logansport at Loyola, Messmer Stadium

Westgate at Calvary, Jerry Barker Stadium

Green Oaks at Mansfield

North Webster at North Caddo, Sanders-Prudhomme Stadium

Plain Dealing at Ringgold

Magnolia at Lincoln Prep (Thursday)

Contact Lee at leeh051@hotmail.com

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Gents’ football debut draws a crowd but doesn’t produce a win

/ Megan Lowe
BACK IN BUSINESS:  Centenary officially returned to the ranks of college football schools Saturday night as the Gents opened with a big crowd at Atkins Field. (Photo courtesy Centenary Athletics)

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

It was the spectacle Centenary fans eagerly anticipated, but the outcome of the Gents’ first official intercollegiate football game in many decades wasn’t what they wanted.

The Centenary football team fell 43-20 to the Hendrix College Warriors Saturday evening in front of an overflow crowd recorded at 1,978 at Atkins Field on the Centenary campus.

The Gents (0-1) fell behind the Warriors (1-0) by a score of 36-6 at halftime but outscored them 14-7 in the second half. Centenary wound up with 290 yards of total offense while Hendrix had 401 yards.

Centenary’s previous football history began with the Gents’ first game in the fall of 1894 and ended in November of 1941, with a brief attempted revival in the 1960s. The anticipation and excitement after a half-century of the sport being gone was on full display Saturday night.

“So many people have worked for years to make this day happen,” said head coach Byron Dawson. “People invested their time and hard-earned money and I am so happy and grateful that we had college football in this city tonight and we are going to keep pushing forward.”

Hendrix, 3-7 last season, scored on the game’s opening series. Jason Sullivan’s 4-yard touchdown run lit up the new scoreboard and the Warriors converted a two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead at the 11:43 mark, capping an eight-play dive that covered 75 yards in 3:17.

Centenary’s Kobe Chambers took the ensuing kickoff and the 10-yard line and cut to the far sideline, racing to the end zone for an apparent 90-yard TD as the Atkins Field was in a fever pitch but it was unfortunately negated by a holding penalty.

The Gents were only able muster five yards on their first drive and the Warriors followed with a 5-play, 47-yard TD drive to take a 15-0 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first quarter.

Sophomore linebacker Vance Feuerbacher, last year’s starting quarterback, came up with a big defensive play later in the quarter as he recovered a Warriors’ fumble and raced down to the four-yard line. One play later, junior running back Bobby Shanklin Jr. found the end zone to make it 15-6 with 5:01 remaining in the first period. The Gents attempted a two-point conversion that failed but they were on the board.

Hendrix extended its lead with an early TD in the second quarter to make it 22-6 and an 11-play, 95-yard drive by the Warriors capped by a Buniff to Turley eight-yard score made it 29-6 with 5:27 remaining before halftime. Another Hendrix TD with a mere 59 seconds left before the break made it 36-6.

Centenary brought on freshman Preston Doerner from Airline High School for a 39-yard field goal attempt just before halftime but his kick was blocked and the Warriors went to the locker room with a 30-point lead.

Hendrix scored again midway through the third quarter to take a 43-6 advantage. The Gents’ defense was impressive over the final 25 minutes of the game. Freshman Jacob Wilson intercepted and two plays later freshman Kody Fuentes found sophomore receiver Jay Richardson for a 15-yard TD at the 8:07 mark of the fourth period. Chambers ran it in for a two-point conversion to make it 43-14.

Fuentes added a 1-yard scoring run with 1:09 left to get the Gents within 43-20 after a Feuerbacher two-point rush attempt failed. Wilson finished with a pair of interceptions in the game.

Hendrix had a 410-290 total yardage advantage. The Gents couldn’t establish a run game, trying only 17 and netting minus 9 yards. Centenary threw for 299, all by Fuentes.

The Gents will hit the road next Saturday as they open Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in Seguin.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

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Demons fall one foot short to Prairie View A&M

/ Megan Lowe
 PRIME TARGET: Myles Kitt-Denton had his first career 100-yard receiving game for Northwestern State Saturday night. (Photo by CHRIS REICH, Northwestern State)

By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Sports Information Director

NATCHITOCHES – A fast start had the Northwestern State football team feeling great in its 2024 home opener Saturday night in Turpin Stadium.

The final play of their matchup with Prairie View A&M delivered the opposite emotion.

Northwestern quarterback JT Fayard was ruled to have been stopped a foot short of the goal line on a ”tush push” sneak on an untimed down, allowing the visiting Panthers to hold on for a 37-31 victory in front of a crowd of 9,132.

“I’m incredibly proud to be the head coach at Northwestern State,” first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “I took this job nine and a half months ago for nights like this. We didn’t win, and that hurts, but we didn’t give ourselves the chance to win. We didn’t earn the right to win the game tonight. We had way too many mistakes, way too many penalties that didn’t give us the right to win the game.

“There were many opportunities that we blew to do just that. At the same time, knowing this football team and where they’ve come from and who they are – and knowing the perception of this football team, which is very real to many people – giving ourselves a chance to win the game on the last play, I couldn’t be prouder of that. These guys know how to fight and stay together. We’re not winning games, but we’re killing assumptions and stereotypes about what Northwestern State football is.”

What the Demons (0-2) were at times Saturday night were explosive and opportunistic.

A week after scoring on the second play from scrimmage at Tulsa, Northwestern one-upped itself on a first-play, 71-yard touchdown pass from JT Fayard to Myles Kitt-Denton, taking a 7-0 lead 14 seconds into the game. McCorkle said the play “was called back in March” because he wanted to make a statement in front of the home crowd about the aggressive posture of his program.

That started a salvo of big plays from both sides as the Panthers (1-1) squared things at 7 on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Peters to Arthur Thomas IV at the 9:12 mark of the first quarter.

On Prairie View’s next possession, Demon cornerback Emanuel Brown snared his first career interception and weaved his way up the left sideline for a 37-yard touchdown to regain the lead for Northwestern.

The Panthers then mixed a patient approach with sprinkles of downfield catches from Shemar Savage (6 catches, 133 yards and a touchdown) to build a 20-14 halftime lead.

Once again, the Demons answered with a chunk play – a 55-yard Kennieth Lacy touchdown rush – to regain the lead.

For all their big plays, however, the Demons struggled to sustain drives, converting just two of 13 third downs. The Panthers, meanwhile, were 10-for-20 on third downs and won the time of possession battle by nearly 15 minutes, running 85 plays to Northwestern’s 59.

Prairie View outrushed the Demons, 188-105, taking advantage of their offensive line’s size.

“That’s a lot of plays no doubt, but I didn’t see a lot of guys cramping up,” McCorkle said. “I didn’t see a lot of guys going down. I give a lot of credit to our strength coach Jason Smelser for having those guys ready to go. When you play around 90 plays on September 7 in Louisiana, that’s a lot of football.”

Following Lacy’s touchdown run, the Panthers scored 10 straight before the opportunistic Demons struck again.

Junior linebacker Cadillac Rhone gave Northwestern its second pick six of the game, intercepting Peters and returning it 16 yards for a score to slice the lead to two.

“I’ve seen my teammates making plays, and I wanted to make a play,” said Rhone, who scored his first touchdown in Turpin Stadium as a collegian after doing so in Many High School’s state title game victory here in 2020. “We all want to make plays on defense. We want to help the offense the best way we can. Special teams, also. Just try to put points on the board. Eman had his pick six, so I wanted to get one too.”

Rhone’s interception breathed life into the Demons, who survived a fourth-quarter interception of their own to summon a nearly perfect ending to McCorkle’s home debut.

Taking over at its 1-yard line, Northwestern marched to the Prairie View 31-yard line with 1 second left. Fayard hit a diving-out-of-bounds Twon Hines near the front right corner of the goal line as time expired, a play upheld on a replay challenge. A personal foul penalty on the Panthers gave the Demons another chance.

After a Panther timeout just before the snap spoiled a tackle for loss, Fayard’s forward progress was deemed to be stopped short of the goal line. This time, replay didn’t help the Demons.

“We felt like it was late in the game and their defensive line may have been a little tired and we could get a push,” McCorkle said. “When it’s that close, just poke it in. I’m not questioning the call. I feel like it was the right call. It’s safe. I have to trust the review, and there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

The Demons return to action in five days when they travel to Mobile, Alabama, for the first matchup with South Alabama in program history. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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Grambling roars early, riles coach late in romp over Tuskegee

/ Megan Lowe
HEADED IN: Grambling receiver Javon Robinson heads to score on a 53-yard reception during Saturday’s home win over Tuskegee. (Photo by T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal)

By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

GRAMBLING — A win is always a good thing, and Grambling State head football coach Mickey Joseph was happy to get his first one as head coach of the Tigers Saturday night.

But that doesn’t exactly mean he liked everything saw during GSU’s 37-20 win over Tuskegee in the Tigers’ home opener at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.

And after it was all over, Joseph didn’t mince words talking about what he had seen out on the field from his team.

“You gotta take the win because you’re on the plus side,” Joseph said. “You’ve got to take the win. But you’re not going to beat many teams in this conference the way we played tonight. And I expressed that to the kids. We won’t win many games like that if we play that way.”

The Tigers started out in strong fashion, taking advantage of an interception that set them up to start their second possession at the Tuskegee 18-yard line.

On first down quarterback Myles Crawley connected with receiver Nicholas Howard on a pass that was initially ruled a touchdown. But after a lengthy video, officials ruled that Howard only made it to the 1-yard line before his knee hit the turf.

Crawley connected with tight end Cordavis Knighten on a 2-yard scoring strike that put GSU on top 6-0 (Ryan Harradine’s point after kick drifted wide right) at the 11:44 mark of the opening stanza.

Grambling quickly scored again as Crawley’s 53-yard pass to Javon Robinson set up a 9-yard touchdown pass to Howard, who twisted and stretched out over an attempted tackler to reach the ball over the goal line for a 13-0 lead just three minutes later.

Grambling stretched the spread to 20-0 on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tony Phillips 1:33 into the second quarter. A 36-yard field goal by Harradine made it 23-0 with 2:38 left in the half.

A minute later, the Tigers scored again with 1:32 left before intermission as Crawley connected with Robinson on a 53-yard touchdown pass.

The G-Men weren’t done as Josh Darling returned a Golden Tiger fumble 19 yards for another score to make it 37-0. Tuskegee’s Lorcan Ryan hit a 46-yard field goal with one second left to make it a 37-3 halftime score.

But as strong as they started the game, the Tigers came out flat in the second half as Tuskegee outscored GSU by 20 in the final 30 minutes of the contest.

“Good football teams come out and finish games,” Joseph said. “But we’re not a very good football team right now.”

Joseph has preached cleaning up a penalty problem that plagued Grambling last season, but ended up being disappointed with the way his team handled that aspect.

“I thought we played good for 20 minutes out of 60,” Joseph said. “I thought we were clean for 20 minutes. But the other 40 were bad. We had 16 penalties for 166 (yards lost). That’s terrible. 

“We can’t revert back to foolishness and that’s what we reverted back to. I’ve got to do a better job as a head coach and I will and my assistants have got to do a better job. We’ll clean that up.”

Crawley completed 16-of-26 passes for 304 yards and four scores before being pulled in the third quarter while Robinson led Grambling with four catches for 151 yards.

“We got a little complacent in the second half but we’ll get better,” Crawley said. “We’ll celebrate the win and get back to work.”

Joseph wasn’t happy with a run game that saw GSU average only 2.4 yards per carry. 

“We had explosive players, so if we can get the ball into space to our kids that are explosive, they’re going to make something happen,” Joseph said. “But we have to establish the line of scrimmage. We did not establish the line of scrimmage on the offensive side of the ball and I was disappointed in that because I thought we were going to be able to run the ball.”

Personal fouls played a significant role in GSU’s plethora of penalties, something that really bothered Joseph, especially after a personal foul extended a final minute Tuskegee drive and resulted in a Golden Tiger touchdown.

“Some of the penalties were stupid things,” Joseph said. “They always catch the second guy. Our kid said ‘they slapped me in the face.’ OK, but he caught you though. So who’s guilty? You are. 

“We had some calls that didn’t go our way. But good teams play through things like that. We’re just not a very good football team right now.”

Andrew Jones led the G-Men with 11 tackles and added half a sack while Bryce Cage added six takedowns with one sack.

Grambling (1-1) will next play at 6 p.m. next Saturday at Southland Conference member Texas-A&M Commerce (0-2), a 36-22 loser at UC Davis Saturday night.

Joseph expects to see a better performance from his team next weekend.

“Like I said, we’re just not a very good football team and I’ve got to get it fixed,” Joseph said. “I’m not a very good head coach right now and I’ve got to fix it. I will.”

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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All the sights show football has really been rekindled at Centenary

/ Megan Lowe

You see it, so you believe it. There it is — shoehorned in among neighborhood homes, a restaurant and what used to be a medical building — just a block off East Kings Highway.

There’s a football stadium there now. The bleachers are only on one side, but the structure is larger than you might have thought.

It sits there as if it is waiting on you. As if to say See, this is really happening.

Centenary College is about to play a football game. Just how long it has been since that happened depends on how deep you want to go to classify what it means to play college football. There was club football in the 1960s; the last varsity football goes back to the ‘40s.

Atkins Field, which won’t even become Atkins Field until about 20 minutes before gametime on Saturday, is symbolic of all that has gone on during the last three years since Centenary announced. Just keep doing whatever it is that seems like the right thing.

Give Centenary credit: A plan was put in place and they didn’t tip-toe its way along. Turn a grass soccer field into a synthetic turf football stadium? Done. Tear down tennis courts and build another half-field for practice purposes? You got it.

Might as well change the name of the facility previously known as Mayo Field while you’re at it.

It’s hard to get a read on just what is about to go on here. It’s either the most exciting thing or the scariest thing the Gents’ athletic program has ever undertaken. Probably both. Dropping down from Division I to Division III in 2011 was child’s play compared to this.

It’s a school in which the greatest football moment came when it was part of a game that set a national record for total punts (77). That was in 1939, three years before Centenary punted the actual program itself.

This is a school that has an undergraduate enrollment number that not only wouldn’t be in Class 5A high school football, it wouldn’t even be in Class 4A.

Hasn’t mattered. Doesn’t matter.

Especially to head coach Byron Dawson.

When he was hired in March 2022, he basically had to sell air. He travelled the state on recruiting trips, but what was he recruiting for? You try selling a product that doesn’t exist and let us know how that works out.

“It’s been a challenge, but it’s also been a great joy,” Dawson says. “It’s been an adventure to not even know what is out there, but to go for it anyway.”

Oh, they are definitely going for it. If you haven’t even thought about Centenary football since that first grand announcement, you are probably going to be more than a little surprised at what has happened.

There’s nothing makeshift about what has been done to get it off the ground.

But let’s not forget that this is still Division III. Do yourself a favor and don’t draw any comparisons to what you see on television on Saturday afternoons. Take this simply for what it is and don’t look for any games against Texas or Oklahoma on the schedule any time soon.

There are some curious things that have gone on, especially for those who thought the rebirth of Centenary football would be brought forth with trumpets blaring. It’s almost as if they didn’t want to metaphorically wake the neighbors (who, in actuality, do live across the street).

There wasn’t even a roster on the website until a week ago. (Florida State had already lost two games by then.)

But it’s here and it’s happening. The Gents will take on Hendrix Saturday at 7 p.m.

“I’m just ready for the game,” Dawson said. “I’m excited for the players and the coaches but also for the community. This is a great moment.” 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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Thursday’s prep football scores, tonight’s games

/ Megan Lowe
CAVS’ CORNERSTONE:  Senior running back James Simon is the cornerstone of the Calvary Baptist offense as the Cavs, No. 1 in Class 2A, host No. 2 Oak Grove tonight in a matchup of reigning state champions. (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

JOURNAL SPORTS 

Thursday scores

Northwood 24, Benton 21

St. Frederick 8, Loyola 6

Friday games

Airline at Barbe

Byrd at St. Amant (Broadcast at 1130AM The Tiger)

Ouachita at Captain Shreve, Lee Hedges Stadium (Broadcast at The River, 95.7 FM)

Neville at Evangel

Homer vs. Haughton, at Airline High School

Huntington at West Monroe

Carroll at Parkway

Lakeview at BTW

Bossier at North Caddo (Broadcast at KNCB 1320 AM, K104 FM)

Oak Grove at Calvary (broadcast at Promise 90.7 FM)

Woodlawn vs. Green Oaks, at Northwood

Glenbrook at Magnolia

Tensas at Plain Dealing

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Winning hand: 21 local seniors make NFF chapter’s Scholar-Athlete Watch List

/ Megan Lowe
PAYOFF:  Several members of the 2023 National Football Foundation North Louisiana Chapter Preseason Watch List were among the $1,000 scholarship recipients at this spring’s NFF Scholarship Dinner at East Ridge Country Club in Shreveport. (Photo by ROBERT FREDERICK, NFF McNaughton Chapter)

JOURNAL SPORTS

The fourth annual National Football Foundation McNaughton Chapter Preseason Scholar-Athlete Watch List just announced includes 21 competitors from Bossier or Caddo parishes among the 37 remarkable high school seniors in North Louisiana who have been nominated by their coaches.

These young men, from all around the 318 area code in north and central Louisiana, have at least a 3.2 grade point average, have won all-district honors, and are involved in extracurricular activities.

Annually, after each season, the NFF’s S.M. McNaughton Chapter solicits nominations for its scholarship program, and as many as eight senior scholar-athletes are honored in the spring with $1,000 college scholarship awards at a banquet in Shreveport. This Watch List is designed to provide recognition for not just the ultimate scholarship winners, but all of the young men in the Ark-La-Tex who are high achieving senior football players.

Additionally, KTBS Channel 3 in Shreveport continues to honor the memory and legacy of former NFF Board member Bob Griffin, the iconic sportscaster at KSLA and then KTBS for over 50 years, by weekly Tuesday evening profiles of one of the players on the NFF Scholar-Athlete Watch List. The winners will will be eligible for a separate Griffin’s Scholar-Athlete Scholarship at the close of the season, presented by KTBS and Southern Classic Chicken.

Griffin, a 2009 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee as a sports journalist, covered Ark-La-Tex high school football in an incredible six decades before he passed away early in 2020. Because of Griffin’s commitment to the NFF Scholar-Athlete program, the S.M. McNaughton Chapter of the NFF and KTBS have created this partnership to celebrate these outstanding seniors.

The initial group of high school seniors nominated for the Scholar-Athlete Watch List:

Josh Allen, OL, Airline

Cole Austin, LB, Benton

Jaxon Bentzler, QB/P, Northwood

Christian Blackmon, RB/TE/DE/LB/LS, Northwood

Gavin Borland, HB/LB, Grant

Jackson Bradley, QB, Oak Grove

Jack Budziszewski, OL/DL, Loyola

Montrevion Chatman, DL, Booker T. Washington

Cole Corey, WR, North DeSoto

Darrell Cottonham, DE, Byrd

Aaron Dillard, RB, Booker T. Washington

Carter Doyal, TE/LB, Loyola

Caleb Duncan, OL/DL, Evangel

Aiden Eldridge, DB, Ouachita Christian

Jamey Fisher, H-Back/LB, D’Arbonne Woods

Thad Franklin, WR/CB, D’Arbonne Woods

Landon Fredieu, RB/LB, Grant

Jayden Gladney, OLB, Airline

Sam Greer, LB, Byrd

Josh Isaac, RB, Evangel

Isaiah Jones, DL, Oak Grove

Makin Lenard, RB, Ouachita Christian

Evan Lirette, FS/K, Loyola

Christian McGuire, WR/DB/KR, Jonesboro-Hodge

Miller Malley, S, Benton

Isaiah Mckinney, WR/CB, Grant

Devon Oliver, DT, Parkway

Jaylen Oneal, SS, Booker T. Washington

Ethan Plunkett, OG, Parkway

Quan Scott, QB, Bossier

Desmond Simmons, FB, Byrd

Xavier Simmons, C/DT, Magnolia School of Excellence

Raidon Smith, DB, North DeSoto

Ben Taylor, QB, Airline

Brody Towns, C, D’Arbonne Woods

John Turner, OL, Ouachita Christian

Abram Wardell, QB, Calvary

This Watch List will be updated entering the fifth week of the season. Additional nominees may be submitted by text to NFF board member Doug Ireland at 318-471-2086.

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