By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

Rapides Parish’s only undefeated team faces on in a battle of unbeatens to highlight the Week 4 prep football slate, while several programs host Homecoming festivities and the two largest schools face road tests against fellow Class 5A programs. 

Tioga, which has pitched two shutouts over the first three weeks, travels to face one of the surprise teams in Central Louisiana, an unbeaten Marksville Tiger squad under first-year coach Josh Harper. 

Marksville, coming off a double-overtime road win over Grant, is led by juniors Kyreon “Monk” Prier and Elidrick Murray on both sides of the ball. Murray rushed for 251 yards from the quarterback position in the win over Grant, while Prier had 170 rushing yards and three interceptions during the Tigers’ Week 2 win over Sacred Heart. 

Murray (78-534, 5 TDs) and Prier (36-328, 6 TDs) have combined for 862 rushing yards on the season. Prier leads the team with 30 tackles and three interceptions, while Murray has 24 tackles and two interceptions. 

The story of Tioga’s season thus far has been the play of its secondary, which has recorded eight interceptions through three games and returned six of them for touchdowns. 

Although he’s been relatively quiet offensively as the Indians have not needed to rely on their passing game so far, senior free safety Ja’Corian Norris continues to make plays all over the field. He had three interceptions last week and returned two of them for scores. 

Tioga coach Kevin Cook said this is the kind of matchup that fans of both teams should look forward to seeing.

“They’re undefeated, and we’re undefeated,” Cook said. “We’re gonna go over there and hopefully have a really good game.”

While Tioga at Marksville may be the featured game on this week’s slate, three parish teams will have Homecoming contests tonight. 

Peabody (2-1) welcomes Green Oaks (1-2) to W.C. Davis Stadium tonight for Homecoming. It’s the first of two straight Homecoming games for Green Oaks, which will travel to Alexandria Senior High next week for the Trojans’ Homecoming. Buckeye and Northwood-Lena also have Homecoming games as the Panthers (2-1) face off against Vidalia (3-0) while the Gators (0-3) play Beekman Charter (1-1).

The Warhorses look to return to their winning ways after a road loss to Logansport last week, while Buckeye will look for another big game from junior Jim Burlew, who is averaging 215 rushing yards per game and has scored nine touchdowns. Northwood, meanwhile, will look for more consistency and production from its combination of sophomore quarterback A.J. Butler and freshman running back Tyler Bowman. 

ASH and Pineville both travel south tonight to face off against traditionally strong Class 5A programs that are struggling early on in 2023.

The Trojans (1-2), who picked up their first win of the season last week when they defeated Natchitoches Central 56-14, travel south of Baton Rouge to face a winless East Ascension squad. 

Don’t let the Spartans’ 0-3 record fool you, however. EA’s three opponents have been No. 4 Zachary, No. 8 West Monroe and No. 3 Destrehan, last year’s Division I Non-Select state champion. The Spartans lost those three games by an average score of 26-11. 

ASH coach Thomas Bachman said senior quarterback Ty Feaster, in his first year with the program after transferring from Class 1A Glenbrook Academy, is getting more and more comfortable in the Trojans’ offensive system. 

Feaster has thrown for 625 yards with eight touchdowns, including touchdown passes to seniors EJ Scott and Amyrion Mingo along with juniors Darius Washington and JT Lindsey. Feaster has yet to hook up with senior Jaylin Johnson, who joined with Mingo last year for one of the area’s top receiving duos.  

Pineville (1-2) travels to Lake Charles to face a Barbe Bucs team that is also 1-2 but has lost the first two of its District 3-5A contests to Carencro and Sam Houston. 

The Rebels have struggled offensively in consecutive losses to Menard and Tioga as they continue to find ways to feature their best athletes and playmakers. Junior Ty Sanders was the featured running back last week after senior Sebastian Molette got the bulk of the carries during the first two games. 

Week 4 Schedule

Arcadia at Bolton
ASH at East Ascension
Beekman Charter at Northwood-Lena
Green Oaks at Peabody
Menard at Sacred Heart
Pineville at Barbe
Tioga at Marksville
Vidalia at Buckeye

Rapides Parish OWI arrests. An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction.

September 15
Patrick Payne, 49, Pitkin — OWI 1st, driver’s license not in possession, failure to change driver’s address, careless operation of motor vehicle.

September 16
Ryan Cole, 22, Centerpoint — OWI 3rd, driver’s license not in possession,  failure to change driver’s address, careless operation.
Guangyi He, 36, Pineville — OWI 1st, possession first 14.

September 19
Moreas Roberson, 36, Alexandria — OWI 2nd, improper window tint.

Rapides Parish felony arrests. An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction.

September 20

Lester Angus, 26, Lafayette — firearm possession by convicted felon, improper driving on left;
James Hall Jr., 56, Pineville — aggravated assault, contempt of court 2 counts

Rapides Parish felony drug arrests. An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction. 

September 20
Donielle Clark, 49, Glenmora — possession, manufacture, distribute < 2.5 pounds marijuana, tetracycline or derivatives; carrying firearm with drugs 6 counts;

Carl Holden, 58, Glenmora — possession, manufacture, distribute < 2.5 pounds marijuana, tetracycline or derivatives; carrying firearm with drugs 6 counts;

Alex Johnson, 35, Alexandria  — possession CDS I < 2 grams, operating vehicle without insurance;

Kristen Lovas, 42, Pineville — possession CDS II< 2 grams, possession paraphernalia, no insurance, expired driver’s license, improper license plate display;

Craig Ramos, 30, Boyce — possession CDS II < 2 grams, possession paraphernalia, no evidence of vehicle insurance, driving under suspension/revocation, improper driving on left side, contempt of court 2 counts. 

BATON ROUGE — Wednesday on my 67^th birthday with my wife out of town on business, my imagination ran wild.

But not too far and for too long. I get mentally exhausted loading a dishwasher.

What I did before my two dogs left me birthday presents in different parts of the house (“Surprise, it’s a birthday tootsie roll, Daddy!”) was wistfully ponder what life was like without social media.

It made me smile. For a millisecond.

And then I wondered how such a society-transforming communication tool instantly greenlighted unfiltered cruelty and flipped the “on” switch for 24-hour-a-day anger.

It erased the boundaries of simply being mean and advanced to the point of senselessness. School classroom shootings have now become shootings at high school athletic events. Friday Night Lights has become Friday Night Frights.

We’re doomed if a teenager can’t be safe in an innocent social setting like a high school football game. Does the tuba player have to be strapped with a semi-automatic rifle to finish a song? Are you supposed to train one of your cheerleaders to handle a bazooka.

Without social media, we lived in a kinder world where issues and differences were settled with civility and respectful discussions.

It was a more innocent universe that didn’t seem so hurried, so accelerated. Everything wasn’t so sudden because it didn’t have to be. When something happened, good or bad, it wasn’t in front of your face within seconds. There was time to digest, ponder and have a rational thought process.

Now, like last Saturday if you see a Colorado State football player deliver a vicious hit that sends a Colorado player to the hospital, you can quickly go to social media to find published cellphone numbers of the Colorado State player and his mother and the Colorado State player’s campus address and his family’s home address.

It gives you the option of making a death threat online, over the phone, or in person.

Isn’t technology wonderful?

I try hard to ignore the fact we now live in a society in which there has been a complete deterioration of the English language and basic grammar use. Nobody wants to read anything longer than a tweet. How can we expect them to understand the difference between their, there and they’re?

In my little plot of the planet having chronicled college sports for 44 years, the advent of social media in college athletics has proven to be mostly beneficial, but it’s also fraught with challenges.

Schools with the most money and resources employ innovative and imaginative social media departments that are marketing tools stretching beyond reaching just the average fan. The true purpose is extending all the way to recruits.

Ask LSU women’s head basketball coach Kim Mulkey if she could have turned a doormat program into NCAA national champions in just two seasons without steady exposure provided by a tireless social media department.

“We (LSU) have our own social media department and they’re off the charts,” Mulkey told me in mid-May. “They are literally so creative, young, and they’re into what they do.”

What they do is pump out a constant stream of tweets and videos. No doubt recruits have seen Angel Reese dancing in the dressing room or Flau’jae Johnson breaking out in a freestyle rap.

Recruits look at that and think, “That looks like fun. Plus, they’re winning championships and playing for a coach who embraces big personalities. I want to play THERE.”

Mulkey is an old-school soul who understands the value of social media, yet she played for a coach at Louisiana Tech (Leon Barmore) who was all business. He would have nipped at the bud any individual self-promotion by his players.

But having and growing a personal “brand” for a college athlete through social media to attract NIL money is the ultimate recruiting tool.

If you don’t think the rich get richer, there’s no better recruiting exposure than having Reese and LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne featured on the cover of the recent Sports Illustrated “Money Issue.”

The accompanying story pointed out the Tigers have four of the six female athletes ranked in the On3 top 100 in NIL evaluations – Dunne No. 3 at $3.2 million, Reese No. 8 at $1.7 million, Johnson No. 19 at $1.1 million and new basketball signee Hailey Van Lith No. 79 at $550,000.

How will Mulkey this season handle a player (Reese) who now drives a more expensive car (a Mercedes) than she does? Welcome to the new millennium of college coaching.

It’s probable most college coaches approaching or past 60 years old privately abhor social media on several fronts.

Coaches have to motivate players now making bank to play their best.

Coaches often sell their dignity when comes to the “anything goes” approach by using social media in recruiting. Dancing with recruits in videos is simply creepy. Watching LSU head football coach Brian Kelly getting jiggy with recruits is painful. Body parts are falling off.

Coaches assign a staff member to monitor the players’ social media accounts, hoping nothing inappropriate will pop up that will embarrass the player, the program, or the school.

It’s why I can’t imagine past Hall of Fame coaches, from human powder kegs like basketball’s Bobby Knight and football’s Woody Hayes, to basketball’s consummate team fundamentalist John Wooden, could survive in today’s social media tsunami.

If you think Knight could throw a courtside chair far, can you imagine him grabbing one of his player’s cell phones after discovering he made a social media post from the locker room after a game?

That player would be thrilled to tweet using the hashtag #Firstcellphoneorbitingearth.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

The Alexandria Police Department was called to a local rehabilitation facility on Heyman Lane on Sept. 19 around 4:15 am in reference to an inmate from Raymond Laborde Correctional Facility escaping on foot. The inmate was at the medical facility for health reasons and was not in the custody of the Alexandria Police Department.

The inmate is 21-year-old Jackie Brown, a black male 6’0” 110 lbs. with dreadlocks. See attached photo.

The Alexandria Police Department has a heavy presence in the area and is currently being joined by cooperating agencies to apprehend the escapee. If possible, we ask that the public try to stay away from this area and report any suspicious activity.

This is currently an ongoing investigation.

If anyone has any information about this incident or any other type of crime in the Alexandria area, please contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at the phone number (318) 441-6416, or APD Dispatch (318) 441-6559. You may also email information to detectives at:

APD-Detectives@cityofalex.com

For a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers of CenLa at (318) 443-7867. The Crime Stoppers P3 Tipster App can also be downloaded to leave tips and get a claim number for a cash rew

ard at http://www.p3tips.com/community/mobile/

The Alexandria Police responded to a call on Sept. 19 around 10:45 pm at the intersection of Chester Street and Polk Street in reference to a shooting victim. Responding officers located Tyruin Green, 25 of Alexandria, deceased in the roadway.

This is currently an ongoing investigation.

If anyone has any information about this incident or any other type of crime in the Alexandria area, please contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at the phone number (318) 441-6416, or APD Dispatch (318) 441-6559.  You may also email information to detectives at:

APD-Detectives@cityofalex.com

For a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers of CenLa at (318) 443-7867.  The Crime Stoppers P3 Tipster App can also be downloaded to leave tips and get a claim number for a cash reward at http://www.p3tips.com/community/mobile/

The Alexandria Police Department responded to a call on Sept. 19 around 8:27 pm on Mary Street in reference to a shooting victim. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

This is currently an ongoing investigation.

If anyone has any information about this incident or any other type of crime in the Alexandria area, please contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at the phone number (318) 441-6416, or APD Dispatch (318) 441-6559. You may also email information to detectives at:

APD-Detectives@cityofalex.com (mailto:APD-Detectives@cityofalex.com)

For a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers of CenLa at (318) 443-7867. The Crime Stoppers P3 Tipster App can also be downloaded to leave tips and get a claim number for a cash reward at http://www.p3tips.com/community/mobile/

By JIM BUTLER

Trish Leleux had $108,000 on hand as her District 25 state representative campaign entered the final month.

She and Jason Dewitt are running for the seat vacated by term-limited Lance Harris. Dewitt had $37,000 on hand according to the latest campaign filings.

Leleux’s campaign received $46,000 in contributions this reporting period, and a $25,000 loan from the candidate on Sept. 1. It had $64,000 on hand at the start of the period.

The campaign had expenses of $24,000, about half of which went to a Baton Rouge campaign consulting firm.

Political Action Committee contributions totaled $11,000. They included La. Committee for A Conservative Majority and North PAC, both of Baton Rouge.

Other $2,500 contributors included Walker Management Co. of Alexandria; Mrs. Marcia Leleux, Woodworth; Michael Crowell, Longleaf; Claiborne & Mansfield, Winnfield.

Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office Motor Deputy and School Resource Officer at Peabody Magnet High School assisted the Louisiana State Police, Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria Fire Department and Acadian Ambulance in the Sudden Impact Mock Crash. 

This program is sponsored in a partnership between LSP and Rapides Regional Medical Center and is a unique, Louisiana-based teen injury prevention program developed by the University Medical Center in New Orleans over 19 years ago. The program is an all nine areas of the state, implemented by trauma centers hospitals and Louisiana State Police. This is a powerful experience for young drivers and provides productive counter measures to lessen the number of injuries and Metallergy‘s related to motor vehicle crashes. 

We want to thank everyone for their participation in this very important safety endeavor. 

In November, this program will be done at Rapides High School. 

This years recipient of the Kiwanis Club’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award is Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office Captain Travis Davidson, who is with the Uniform Division and a School Resource Officer Section. 

Prior to becoming a Deputy Sheriff, Travis attended and graduated from the Louisiana College, now Louisiana Christian University, with a Bachelor’s of Science. He was a standout basketball player between 1988-1991 where he scored over 1,000 points and had over 500 rebounds in his career.  He was inducted into the LCU Wildcat Hall of Fame in 2017.

Travis began his career with RPSO in 1994, first starting as a Corrections Security Officer working in the jail.  Later that year, he attended and completed the Alexandria Regional Police Academy and was transferred to the Patrol Division as a patrol deputy after graduation.

In 1995, the Community Policing Section was established by then Sheriff William Earl Hilton where deputies were put into areas to build a rapport with the community, which Travis fit into perfectly with his helpful demeanor and winning attitude.

In 2003, a new program was introduced by RPSO, the School Resource Officer program, which, much like the Community Policing Program, put a fully trained deputy sheriff in every school in Rapides Parish.  The deputy’s mission was to protect the students and faculty but also to foster a positive relationship with the students from a law enforcement perspective.  Travis was promoted to Lt., second in command to lead this new initiative.

Over the years, Travis has trained, supervised and mentored deputies assigned to the SRO program to make it what it is today, a model program that has been copied by many other agencies around the state.

Travis’s service before self also carries over into his personal life as an active member his church, Servants of Christ Church in Alexandria where he serves as Chairman and Superintendent of both the deacon and Sunday school ministries.  He has also served the community as a youth baseball and basketball coach for many years.  He also serves as a member of the non-profit Warhorse Tailgaters Association, which supports three local schools, where he is afforded the opportunity to mentor young people.

Travis has been married to his wife Hazel since 1992 and they have 5 children.

“Captain Davidson’s faith in God, selfless service, professionalism and dedication to duty is why we believe he should receive the Kiwanis Club of Alexandria, Lawman of the Year Award,” said Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood.

PINEVILLE — Louisiana Christian University football punter Mason Ingram has been named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Special Teams Player of the Week. 

The LSWA solicits nominees from all 13 state collegiate football programs across all competition levels for its weekly offensive, defensive and special teams awards. Ingram was the sole special teams nominee.

Ingram, a sophomore from Shreveport, averaged 44.0 yards per punt, launching his three boots a total of 132 yards, including a 50-yard blast in a lopsided win over Langston (Okla.) on the road last Saturday night.

While LCU has gotten out to a 3-0 start, the  6-foot-3 Captain Shreve High School alum has had three kicks downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, has lifted two 50-plus yard bombs, and has sent a total of six punts sailing for an average distance of 44.7 yards. 

Ingram and teammates look forward to a Saturday night 6 o’clock homefield showdown with Wayland Baptist. at Wildcat Field.

Updated high school football standings for Rapides Parish teams through three weeks.

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/The Sports Scouting Report YouTube TV

I thought it might be fun to update how Rapides Parish teams have done in the non-district games, because heading into Week 4 we’ve seen some interesting games already played in some tough matchups.

The team that I think is really doing incredibly well so far is Tioga High School. The Indians are 3-0 after a tough non-district battle against Breaux Bridge High School, a 2022 playoff team (Tioga won 34-28). They shut out their closest rival, Pineville,  35-0, and rolled over outmanned Bolton in the opener.

Alexandria Senior High has doubtlessly played the toughest non-district schedule in the area. The Trojans just dominated Jess Curtis’ new Natchitoches Central Chiefs 56-14), after opening with a pair of competitive losses to possible state semifinal teams in St. Thomas More and Carencro High School.

I know ASH is 1-2 but I think Thomas Bachman’s team will go on a winning spree after playing those tough teams early. It will help them in the long run.

I think Pineville is improved despite their 1-2 record. They’ve played some tough non district games too, and their opening game against a solid and well-coached Winnfield team was a close 20-14 loss.

Don’t sleep on Peabody. The Warhorses are off to a good start, 2-1, with the last outing a loss to a possible Class A state title team in always-athletic, and very well coached Logansport High School. Peabody beat a talented Ferriday team 32-22.

Menard is 1-2 but the Eagles have played two big-time teams who will factor in  the state playoffs. Menard did not play well in its opener at St. Frederick, who might be a semifinal team in Class A, and dropped the annual Bishop Bowl to rival St. Mary’s, who also looks every bit a state championship challenger with several potential college recruits lining up as upper classmen for the Natchitoches Tigers.

Also off to a solid start is Buckeye, whose 2-1 record includes a St. Mary’s loss. The Panthers have a strong running game and will contend in district.

Bottom line is this: if ASH, Peabody and Tioga stay healthy the next few weeks, they all have a chance to go deep in the playoffs again in 2023.

The jury is still out on Buckeye, Menard and Pineville, teams that have upside and solid coaching, but I think they can reach postseason and then you never know – we don’t even know yet what the playoff divisions will look like!

Once the LHSAA reacts to the recent court ruling won by Rapides Parish schools, it will be interesting to see how things sort out for the local teams in whatever bracket they land.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

There’s something about the deer we hunt. They’re sharper than we are and the blink of an eye or a slap at a mosquito may be all it takes to cause a deer to turn tail and run.

As a result, it’s more to the hunter’s advantage to hunt from elevated positions as deer usually are looking for danger at eye level or lower. Sitting 16 feet up a tree gives the hunter an advantage and when it comes to waylaying a wily buck, we need all the advantages we can get.

When I started deer hunting years ago, there were no tree stands on the market. If you hunted from an elevated position, it meant gathering up a bunch of two-by-fours, hammer, nails and saw to construct something that would keep you above a deer’s line of vision.

Some of the first ones I constructed were not only weird looking contraptions, they were also unsafe. Switching your Red Man from one jaw to the other was often all that was needed to flip you out and send you to the ground.

Years later as climbing stands and ladder stands came on the market, these proved safer than the man-made contraptions. Because they were so heavily used, news began filtering in of accidents resulting in falling out of stands. 

Dr. Bobby Dale, a life-long hunter, is also an emergency room physician who practices medicine in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. Visiting with Dr. Dale at the annual conference of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association in Johnson City, Tenn., several years ago, we had occasion to talk about what is more likely to injure hunters while hunting. Dale noted that contrary to what many believe, it’s not the older and more fragile hunter who is more apt to be injured; it’s the strong, virile, younger guy.

“From what I’ve observed from patients I have seen in the ER where I practice, it’s the younger one more prone to suffer serious injuries while hunting. This is particularly true concerning falls from elevated deer stands. In fact,” Dale said, “I recently read a report that revealed the majority of bow hunters who fall from tree stands are in their 20s and 30s. Also, about 10 percent of these injuries are alcohol-related.

“While it is true that guys in their 50s and 60s and older have bones that are more easily broken, I don’t see nearly as many injuries from falling from a stand from this older group. It’s just a fact that the older guy is more cautious,” he added.

Dr. Dale noted that a fall, even one from just a few feet, can result in serious injury. Obviously, the further you fall, the more serious injuries become, he said.

“I’ve seen victims who fell from stands come to the ER with everything from closed head injuries, bleeding on the brain, spinal fractures with paralysis, broken arms, legs and ribs, collapsed lungs, ruptured spleens in addition to profuse external bleeding,” Dale said. 

While mishaps using home-made deer stands are more likely to result in serious injuries, manufactured stands can also cause falls if not used properly.

“Manufactured stands have to meet a safety code and the vast majority of these stands are safe when properly used. However, they still have to be secured to the tree in the proper manner to be completely safe. Climbing stands are quite safe but when care is not taken in using them, they can result in twisting or slipping when not correctly secured to the tree. The result can be disastrous,” he added.

With deer season rapidly approaching – archery season begins October 1 — make sure your tree stands are in top-notch working order and that you practice all the safety rules having to do with elevated deer stands. It takes only one moment of lapse in judgement or one misstep to make looking for a big buck the least of your concerns.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Rapides Parish felony arrests. An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction.

September 19
Justin May, 25, Alexandria — Illegal use of weapon/dangerous instrumentality;
Davarius Richards, 30, Pineville — possession firearm by convicted felon, illegal carrying firearm, resisting officer by force/violence.

Rapides Parish felony drug arrests. An arrest is an accusation, not a conviction.

September 19
Janet Baldwin, 47, Hineston — possession CDS II 2-28 grams, possession paraphernalia;

Cedrick Hall, 47, Pineville — possession CDS I third, contempt of court 5 counts;
Jordan Hills, 22, Alexandria — possession CDS I 2-28 grams, carrying firearm with drugs, improper window tint;

Yaser Modares, 59, Alexandria — possession CDS IV, no safety helmet, contempt of court 2 counts;

Moreas Roberson, 36, Alexandria —possession, manufacture, distribution, dispense possession with intent CDS IV 2 counts, CDS I < 28 grams 2 counts, CDS II < 28 grams 2 counts, possession CDS II 2 < 2 grams 3 counts, possession firearm by convicted felon, firearm with drugs, paraphernalia.

This Mexican Street Corn White Chicken Chili is a soup pot of heaven! I used precooked fajita meat to keep this super easy and wanted to just face plant into the bowl! Make this pronto! Soup season is HERE, and no one is happier than I am about it!

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce package precooked chicken fajita meat, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup sliced jalapenos, diced
• 3 tablespoons garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2  tablespoon oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
• 2 cups frozen white corn
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• Cojita cheese
• For serving:  bacon crumbles, tortilla strips, sliced avocado

Directions

In a large soup pot heat olive oil and butter.  Add onion and jalapeno.  Cook until onion is translucent.  Add garlic, oregano, chili powder and stir.  

Add broth, chicken, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  

Add sour cream, cheese, corn, cilantro and lime juice.  

In a small Tupperware bowl shake the cornstarch and water together with the lid on.  Pour into soup.  

Simmer 10 minutes.  Serve topped with cojita, bacon, tortilla strips, more jalapenos and sliced avocado.

Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom and published cookbook author who lives in Minden, La.