DEVIL’S RACEGROUND, Ruby — It begins with what sounds like an echoing gurgle as twilight’s pink turns toward purple.

As purple creeps toward black, the gurgle is more a high-pitched moan.

With darkness, the moan becomes a shriek, something one can imagine coming from a guest of Dr. Lector.

It raises goosebumps and stands neck hairs on end.

It is haunting enough to cause well-armed men to throw another log on the fire and huddle a little closer to it, but not too close to each other. People might talk.

Old-timers say the wail is that of a panther, or cougar, preparing for its nightly prowl. Many of the huge oaks and cypress hereabouts were saplings with only ambitions of reaching the forest crown the last time there was a confirmed big cat sighting in this swamp.

Supposedly there are no cougars in these parts. Those who hunt this tract will tell you the wildlife experts don’t know what they are talking about.

They’ll tell you of big, strong hounds occasionally disappearing during a nocturnal race with something bigger and faster than the raccoons they normally pursue.

And they’ll tell you about every once in a while just plain losing a dog — no chase, no jump calls — just a lost dog.

And these aren’t beagles or terriers. These are Catahoula curs and black-and-tans – heavy-duty dogs, canine Humvees capable of the most-demanding sporting chases.

The shriek might be a nightly occurrence year-round, but it is most often heard by humans as people trapped in cities for their livelihood gather for the autumnal rite known as hunting season.

Going to camp is a common denominator between Southerners of otherwise unshared interests and backgrounds.

Across the state this week, bankers and borrowers, preachers and plumbers, teachers and tile layers are preparing to go as Saturday’s opening day of the largest portion of gun season for whitetail deer approaches.

They’ve been watching weather forecasts, checking and rechecking lists, packing and repacking, and sleeping fitfully. Many will be unaccounted for by Thursday.

Some will end up in palatial facilities, others in cold, leaky tents. Some will eat beef filet Friday night;  others will dine on bologna sandwiches.

Most of them will sleep restlessly and awaken in the wee hours Saturday, heading to tree stands long before daylight, bringing an end to the nocturnal stirrings of any cougars or other creatures about.

When a feline, or whatever it is, squalls for the last time before advancing sunlight, those men and women and boys and girls will be convinced anew that the old-timers, not the experts, know what they’re talking about, and will squeeze that .06 more tightly.

Jim Butler, a Bolton High School alumnus, was an acclaimed writer and editor at the Alexandria Town Talk for 36 years, the last 23 (1977-2003) as editor-in-chief. He led Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina for the Gulfport (Miss.) Sun-Herald in 2005. Butler returned home to Cenla a few years ago, and shares his talents and insight with Rapides Parish Journal readers.

By JASON PUGH, Northwestern State Athletic Media Relations Director

AUSTIN, Texas — Northwestern State head football coach Brad Laird stood in the pulpit at Olivet Baptist Church and counted to three.

Each number stood as a point of emphasis for NSU junior safety Ronnie Caldwell, whose too-short life was celebrated Saturday afternoon in a packed Baptist church just east of the Texas state capitol building.

Caldwell, 21, died in the early hours of Oct. 12 after being shot at an off-campus apartment complex. Saturday, Northwestern football staff members and his teammates  made the 10-hour round trip and attended his funeral.

“Ronnie came to Northwestern State as a football player, but we quickly learned he was more than just a football player,” Laird said. “One, last year, Southland Conference Academic Honor Roll. Southland Conference Academic — I said academic not athletic— Honor Roll. Two, he gave back to the community. He loved people, and he loved kids. He spent all last summer and last spring coaching a youth baseball team in the city of Natchitoches.

“Three, Ronnie was hurt this season. He had not played this season. At every game, he was a coach. At practice, he was a coach. At the games, he had a headset. That’s what we thought, his teammates thought, Northwestern State University thought of what we called ‘Ro.’”

“Ro” was one of several names bandied about during the nearly 100-minute service to honor Ronald LaWayne Caldwell Jr.’s life as Laird and family member reminisced on a “life well lived.”

The big brother persona Caldwell cultivated in the NSU locker room came naturally as did a family-minded attitude.

“We knew him as Ronald, Ronnie, Doogie and big brother,” said Caldwell’s older sister, Rhonda. “He was our brother. He was our protector. He was our best friend.

“He was funny. He was a jokester. He was loving. I have two boys. My brother would come here and make it his business to stop by my house and work with my boys. My youngest son, his father’s not in his life. Doogie stepped in.’’

Though Caldwell had not played a down in the 2023 season due to a foot injury, he started in 10 games and appeared in all 11 during the 2022 season, finishing seventh on the team with 42 tackles, including 4.5 for loss.

Laird referenced Caldwell playing safety and a requirement of that position as having “to be tough.” That instinct came naturally to Caldwell as well.

Even beloved family members weren’t spared from seeing Caldwell’s toughness though many times the combatants were left with love and smiles in the following moments.

“Even though he was younger than me, he never let me push him around,” said Caldwell’s older cousin, R’mani Leavell. “Like most cousins, we had our share of squabbles, but since this is Doogie’s day, I’ll say he won most of them.”

Caldwell’s work ethic pushed him from a walk-on at Tyler Junior College to a spot in Northwestern State’s starting lineup – something that did not surprise Caldwell’s older brother, Alfred Carter.

“That boy was going to work,” said Carter, who at 19 years older than Caldwell said he considered his younger brother more like a son. “That’s one thing about my brother – he was going to put in the work. He was outside every chance he could get. He had his nets on the ground, all the boxes, whatever he needed to get better. One thing about Doogie, he was going to put in the work.”

Caldwell’s work ethic – and football knowledge – made him a pivotal piece of the NSU football team, even through his injury, and left a lasting impact on his family, friends and classmates.

Said Laird: “On behalf of Northwestern State University, the Northwestern State football team, coaches, administrators and the city of Natchitoches, to the family we say, ‘Thank you for sharing Ronnie with us for the past several years.’’

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

SURPRISE, Arizona – Louisiana Christian’s perfect record was dashed Saturday afternoon after the Wildcats came up a few inches short on a fourth-down try with under three minutes remaining and Ottawa ran out the clock on a 27-24 Sooner Athletic Conference triumph.

It was the first loss in over a calendar year for LCU, 7-1 overall, 5-1 in the SAC. Ottawa, ranked 24^th in the NAIA Top 25, rose to 6-1 overall, and also 5-1 in league play.

The Wildcats lost for the first time in 14 games.

Sal Palermo III played a role in all three Wildcats touchdowns, scoring the team’s only rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak and tossing a pair through the air. He finished the night completing 67 percent of his passes (22-of-33) for 174 yards.

Ethan Christman was the Wildcats’ top target in the passing game with five receptions and 60 yards including his second career score. Marc Denison came down with the other touchdown grab. 

Devin Briscoe also caught five, setting a new career-high in the process in addition to topping 100 total yards of offense (104 total, 71 rushing, 33 receiving). 

Daylon Charles ran for 83 yards to lead all game participants as he averaged 6.9 yards per carry Andre Reed was the top tackler for the defense with nine (five solo) on top of 1.5 tackles for loss. Ernest Simons made half of his takedowns in the Ottawa backfield, fronting the Wildcats with a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss among five tackles. 

Logan Brimmer had the lone sack of the evening, and collected seven tackles plus a forced fumble while Detavius Eldridge logged a multi-TFL outing (2) and Jordan Oglesby popped the pigskin free as well. The trio of Pop McGhee, Cole Jones, and Bennie Clark III all knocked down one pass attempt apiece. 

Hunter Martensson made his one field goal attempt from 31 yards away to go along with a kickoff touchback plus two PATs. 

The Cats forced multiple fumbles for the first time in 2023 but could not recover either loose ball. It was only the second contest this year without a forced turnover by LCU.

Louisiana Christian will look to take out its frustrations Saturday at 2 p.m. in the annual homecoming football game at Wildcat Field.

Photo courtesy LCU Athletics

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – The end zones were painted with Army camo.

With three almost-perfect on-field landings and not into somebody’s tailgate party in a surrounding parking lot, the Army Silver Wings parachute team stole the pregame show by flawlessly swooping from the sky to deliver the United States, Army and POW/MIA flags and the game ball.

Both teams – in a scene straight out of a feel-good movie from the 1940s or ‘50s – gathered together postgame in front of their respective bands to sing each other’s alma mater.

On a historic Saturday night when the Cadets from West Point, N.Y. made their first Tiger Stadium appearance ever, there was no red, white and boo.

After the LSU faithful debated all week on social media whether to be on their best behavior or scream “Tiger Bait” (and worse) at the 20-something-year-old young men training to defend our country, the No. 19 ranked Tigers issued one of their most polite and respectful Death Valley beatdowns ever in the program’s 130-year history.

LSU second-year head coach Brian Kelly got the 300th win of his 33-year career and his 15th against a service academy in a 62-0 Homecoming howitzer that sent the Bayou Bengals into next Saturday’s open date with a 6-2 record.

“For us, it was about how do we get better,” Kelly said. “So, it’s the consistency of performance on the offensive side of the ball and continuing to make that improvement (on defense) necessary to have a team that can compete for an SEC championship.

“We ran into a couple of rough spots as we moved through our schedule, but our guys have really put themselves in a good position with four games remaining to be in the thick of the SEC race.”

With a looming Nov. 4 showdown at No. 11 Alabama that will factor heavily in deciding the SEC West Division winner, LSU skated through three hours of football against the 32-point underdog Cadets in a game light on injuries (except for Tigers’ starting cornerback Zy Alexander) and heavy on stats inflation.

“We have great momentum right now,” said Josh Williams, one of LSU’s five running backs who contributed to the Tigers rolling for 570 total offense yards. “Both the offense and the defense played great tonight. We can’t get concerned about Alabama yet. We’ve just got to take it day-by-day in our bye week and get ready.”

The blowout transpired much like LSU’s 72-10 win over Grambling on Sept. 9 when Tigers’ QB Jayden Daniels threw for 269 yards and five TDs as LSU took a 42-10 halftime lead. The 32-point cushion afforded Daniels the opportunity to sit out the second half.

In sprinting to a 38-0 halftime advantage over Army, Daniels threw for 279 yards and three TDs and ran for another. And again, he was able to put up his feet and rest the final two quarters as Kelly eventually used 70 players in the blowout.

Tigers’ backup QB Garrett Nussmeier started the second half, launched a 51-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Malik Nabers on LSU’s fourth snap of the third quarter and kept his foot on the Tigers’ offensive accelerator.

Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. had virtually the same brilliant receiving performances.

Nabers had four catches for 121 yards and two TDs. Thomas had three receptions for 122 yards and two TDs, including an 86-yard catch and run off a Daniels’ scramble that was the third-longest pass play in LSU history.

True freshman Trey Holly, the Tigers’ fifth running back, ended up as LSU’s leading rusher with 91 yards on six carries. He busted loose on a 67-yard TD run for LSU’s final score with 40 seconds left.

With the Tigers’ starting offensive line outweighing Army’s defensive front by almost 60 pounds per man, it wasn’t a fair fight from the moment the Cadets got off their team bus.

“They (LSU) look like an NFL team out there,” said Army head coach Jeff Monken, whose team fell to 2-5 as it suffered its second consecutive shutout. “We made mistakes, they got up early and didn’t let their foot off the gas. I don’t know what we learned from that (game). It’s an unbelievable atmosphere (in Tiger Stadium) for our team to experience, but to get beat 62-0 is hard.”

What made it worse for the Cadets was that their usual starting quarterback Bryson Daily was sidelined with injuries suffered in last Saturday’s 19-0 loss to Troy.

As a result, Monken used freshmen QBs Champ Harris and Larry Robinson and both got swallowed by LSU’s aggressive defense that limited Army to 193 yards and forced four turnovers leading to 17 Tigers’ points.

Harris was yanked after a rough first half in which he finished just 13 total offense yards and committed three turnovers (two interceptions) and a fumble leading to 14 LSU points.

Robinson had 37 total offense yards and threw a third-quarter interception that the Tigers converted into placekicker Damian Ramos’ second and final field goal.

LSU’s defensive star of the night was safety Andre Sam, an Iowa, La. native who’s a senior transfer from Marshall University. Sam had two interceptions, a pass breakup and three tackles.

“I should have had four (interceptions) because I dropped two,” Sam said. “But I’ll take two. I’m good with that.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

LSU 62, ARMY 0

Score by quarters

Scoring summary

LSU – Logan Diggs 2 run (Damian Ramos kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:55

LSU – Brian Thomas Jr. 86 pass from Jayden Daniels (Ramos kick), 2 plays, 92 yards, 0:52

LSU – Thomas 8 pass from Daniels (Ramos kick), 3 plays, 33 yards, 1:13

LSU – Daniels 1 run (Ramos kick), 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:20

LSU – Ramos 35 field goal, 7 plays, 24 yards, 2:42

LSU – Malik Nabers 26 reception from Daniels (Ramos kick), 3 plays, 72 yards, 0:27

LSU – Nabers 51 pass from Garrett Nussmeier (Ramos kick), 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:22

LSU – Ramos 32 field goal, 11 plays, 20 yards, 5:25

LSU – Noah Cain 2 run (Ramos kick), 13 plays, 60 yards, 8:20

LSU – Trey Holly 67 run (Ramos kick), 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:53

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

Army – Knye Udoh 21-108; Larry Robinson 2-17; Miles Stweart 4-14; Dewayne Coleman 2-7; Tyrell Robinson 7-7; Hayden Reed 1-3; Jakobi Buchanan 1-2; Tobi Olawole 1-2; Champ Harris 4-minus-9.

LSU – Holly 6-91, 1 TD; Cain 7-40, 1 TD; Diggs 6-26, 1 TD; John Emery Jr. 6-23; Kaleb Jackson 2-14; Daniels 5-6, 1 TD; Malachi Lane 1-1.

PASSING

Army – Harris 4-9-2-22; L. Robinson 2-6-1-20.

LSU – Daniels 11-15-0-279, 3 TDs. Garrett Nussmeier 7-12-0-90, 1 TD.

RECEIVING

Army – Casey Reynolds 4-26; Ay’jaun Marshall 1-9; Liam Fortner 1-7.

LSU – Nabers 4-121, 2 TDs; Brian Thomas Jr. 3-122, 2 TDs; Kyren Lacy 3-28; Josh Williams 2-46; Chris Hilton Jr. 2-19; Aaron Anderson 2-13; Mason Taylor 1-11; Diggs 1-9.

TACKLES

Army – Jimmy Ciarlo 3-3—6; Casey Larkin 4-2—6; Quindrelin Hammonds 2-3—5; Kalib Fortner 2-3—5; Brett Gerena 2-3—5; Max DiDomenico 2-2—4; Camden O’Gara 1-3—4; Leo Lowin 2-1—3; Trey Sofia 0-3—3; Jack Latore 0-3—3; Elo Modozie 0-2—2; Chance Keith 0-2—2; Tano Latuli 0-2—2; Cameron Jones 0-1—1; Kyle Lewis 0-1—1; Chris Frey 0-1—1; Bo Nicolas-Paul 1-0—1; Larry Robinson 1-0—1; Jabari Moore 1-0—1; Champ Harris 0-1—1; Aaron Bibbins 0-1—1; Damon Washington 0-1—1; Donavon Platt 0-1—1; Adam Cash 1-0—1; Nathaniel Smith 0-1—1; Kalvyn Crummie 1-0—1; Tobi Olawole 0-1—1; Veshe Daniyan 1-0—1; Jake Rizzo 0-1—1; Cody Winokur 0-1—1; Darius Richardson 0-1—1.

LSU – Omar Speights 0-6—9; Harold Perkins Jr. 2-5—7; Major Burns 1-5—6; Jordan Jefferson 3-3—6; Bradyn Swinson 0-5—5; Zy Alexander 4-1—5; Creg Penn III 2-3—5; Jacobian Guillory 1-3—4; Maason Smith 1-2—3; Andre Sam 2-1—3; Da’Shawn Womack 0-3—3; Whit Weeks 0-3—3; Sai’vion Jones 0-2—2; Princeton Malbrue 1-1—2; Ovie Oghoufo 1-0—1; Sage Ryan 1-0—1; Kylin Jackson 0-1—1; Javien Toviano 1-0—1; Fitzgerald West Jr. 0-1—1; Quency Wiggins 1-0—1; Paris Shand 1-0—1; Dylan Carpenter 0-1—1.

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

Buckeye coach Ben McLaughlin knows his defense may not get many stops each week.

But he only needs the Panthers to make a few to outscore their opponents.

That’s exactly what happened last Friday night as the Panthers made several important second-half defensive stands on their way to winning a thrilling 47-42 shootout over Caldwell to improve to 5-3 on the season and 2-1 in District 2-3A play. 

The Panthers, who trailed by two touchdowns in the first quarter, have relied on the powerful legs of Jim Burlew all season, and Friday night was no different as the dynamic junior running back rushed 44 times for 178 yards and five touchdowns. 

“This is the first time someone has held him to 4 yards per carry,” Buckeye coach Ben McLaughlin said. “He was getting 2 yards, 3 yards early on. Those runs in the first quarter were hard to earn, but in the second half he started ripping off 6, 7, 8 yards per carry. The offensive linemen started imposing their will, and he gets stronger as the game goes on.”

But when it came time to rally for victory in the fourth quarter, McLaughlin put his trust in the right arm of junior quarterback Adam Brodnax, the first-year player who continues improving with each game.

The Panthers took their first lead of the game on the first play of the fourth quarter when Brodnax found Haidyn Boone for a 20-yard touchdown and a 40-35 lead.

After recovering an onside kick, Brodnax hit Boone again on a nearly identical play call for a 35-yard touchdown that was delivered perfectly for a 47-35 lead. 

“He has definitely gotten better at understanding what we are trying to accomplish,” McLaughlin said of his quarterback, who has thrown for 1,441 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

Burlew, who has now rushed more than 40 times in three of the past four Buckeye games, scored on first-half runs of 3, 6 and 2 yards as the Panthers trailed 28-21 at halftime. He added 6- and 1-yard TD runs in the third quarter, setting the stage for Buckeye to complete the comeback victory in the fourth. 

With another sensational showing, Burlew pushed his season totals to 1,350 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns. While he carried the Panthers for three quarters, it was the Brodnax-to-Boone combination that brought home the win. 

The two star baseball players continued to hone their blossoming connection on the gridiron as Brodnax completed 15 of 26 passes for 245 yards – a career high in completions and just five yards shy of his top mark. Boone caught five passes for 127 yards, his second-best game of the season, but his final two receptions were by far the most important of the year so far. 

“We know the style of football we want to play,” McLaughlin said. “Our whole goal is to try to sustain that level of uptempo football.” 

MENARD 16, ROSEPINE 0

The Eagles’ defense continued its impressive run of performances with a third shutout of the season and second in District 4-2A play as Menard (5-3, 3-0) moved within one win of a district championship. 

The Eagles scored on their opening drive for the third consecutive game as they marched into the red zone and capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run by Gavin Hilton on a jet sweep to take a 6-0 lead. 

On Menard’s next offensive possession Hilton ran by the defense and caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Jake Vaughn for a 13-0 lead.

After scoring twice quickly to start the game, the Eagles didn’t score again until Ryan Hicks connected on a 20-yard field goal with 4:53 left to play in the game. 

Rosepine (3-5, 1-1) was bottled up all game by Menard’s stingy run defense, gaining just 50 yards in the game and zero yards in the second half. 

The victory gave the Eagles at least a share of the district championship. They will host Oakdale Friday night for Homecoming, and a win in that game will give Menard the district title outright. 

PEABODY 45, GRANT 16

Peabody struck first, last and many times in between on its way to an easy victory to set up a huge showdown at Tioga in Week 9.

Senior safety Eric Vories, who made 10 tackles in the game, capped the Warhorses’ scoring efforts with a 102-yard pick-6 in the fourth quarter as Peabody improved to 6-2 on the season and 1-1 in District 2-4A. 

Dartavin Depass had two first-half rushing touchdowns, while Nate Francis added two in the second half and Larry Roberts III threw two TD passes to TJ Hullaby as a big third quarter broke open a 12-8 game at the half. 

Roberts passed for 267 yards in the game, while Hullaby had nine receptions for 120 yards. Francis added 138 yards on the ground, and Depass finished with five catches and 114 combined rushing and receiving yards.

TIOGA 50, PINEVILLE 14

JT Lindsey rushed for three touchdowns while Ty Feaster passed for two and ran for one of his own as Alexandria Senior High scored 50 unanswered points in the first half and cruised over Pineville.

The Trojans scored on all six of their offensive possessions in the first half and even added a defensive touchdown on a pick-6 by free safety Jason Blackwell.

Rapides felony arrests are accusations, not convictions.

October 17
Savannah Mestas, 19, Pineville — criminal conspiracy, aggravated burglary, aggravated assault with firearm, home invasion, aggravated kidnapping, $4,000 bail;

Cheyenne Trajan, 26, Pineville — fugitive, no bail;

Austin Trapp, 23, Pineville — aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault with firearm, aggravated assault, home invasion, criminal conspiracy, $88,000 bail;

Alex Warren, 19, Glenmora — carnal knowledge, contributing to delinquency two counts, $26,000 bail.

October 18
Mayon Jones, 23, Ferriday — parole violation, aggravated assault with firearm, firearm in possession of convicted felon, $200,000 bail;

Lina Williams, 71, Alexandria — attempted murder 2nd degree, $300,000 bail.

October 19
Jonathan Couvillion, 36, Alexandria — possession firearm by convicted felon two counts, criminal conspiracy, criminal damage, burglary, $45,500 bail;

Jarvis Gaston, 39, aggravated assault with firearm, $5,000 bail;

Demorrire Means, 19, Alexandria — attempted murder 2nd degree, carnal knowledge, contempt, $335,000 bail.

October 20 
Thomas Morris, 48, Ball — aggravated strangle domestic abuse strangulation, $25,000 bail;

James Nugent, 59, Pollock — domestic abuse battery serious injury, contempt, $25,000 bail;

Joseph Rachal Jr., 79, Deville — battery, aggravated assault with firearm, $1,500 bail;

October 21
Robert Drakes III, 20, Alexandria — terrorizing, contributing to delinquency, illegal possession stolen firearm, handling machine gun unlawfully, no bail set;

Brian Mitchell, 44, Alexandria — manslaughter, $300,000 bail. 

Rapides felony drug arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

October 17
Kenneth Fields Jr., 34, Pineville — possession with intent CDS II 28 grams or more and with child present, cruelty to children, resisting officer, intentional littering, no child restraint, felony flight, $18,600 bail;

Alex Isaac, 58, Ball — possession CDS II 28 grams or more, no bail set. 

October 18
Brandon Cox, 51, Pineville — possession CDS II < 2 grams, possession paraphernalia, $3,000 bail

October 19
Jacob Boone, 34, Pollock — possession CDS II < 2 grams, $10,500 bail;

Karado Johnson, 49, Alexandria — possession CDS II < 2 grams, possession paraphernalia, $3,000 bail.

October 21
Troherro Batiste, 39, Alexandria — possession CDS II < 2 grams, possession paraphernalia, resisting officer, contempt, $5,500 bail. 

by Bill Sumrall

First United Methodist Church Alexandria’s annual Pumpkin Patch marks 25 years this October of the fall fruit appearing on its Jackson Street lot.

During this time, various church projects have benefitted from sales of this popular variety of squash, along with Native American growers in New Mexico.

“Did you know that the pumpkins come to us at no cost? About 70 percent of our sales go back to the farmers, who depend on this crop for their livelihood,” states Dr. Rev. Ramonalynn Bethley, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church Alexandria (FUMCA).

“Each grower hires a team of workers, most from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. These pumpkins change lives! This means FUMCA gets to keep 30 percent of the sales to support our own mission and ministries, like youth and children’s activities, music camp and choir ministries, local outreach and community needs. It’s not a fundraiser – it’s a mission!”

The daily hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 14-31.

“And a pumpkin decorating table, so you can take your pumpkins that you pick out … to a table and there’s going to be stickers and things to decorate them with,” said Allee Cantrell, Family Fun Day organizer.

Food trucks are expected where the Farmer’s Market typically is behind the Patch, with a police officer to help visitors who park at the church building to cross Jackson Street into the Patch, Cantrell added.

“There might be a few spots over there (behind food trucks) for people (to park) but a lot of it will be blocked off,” she said.

All Family Fun Day activities will be in the Pumpkin Patch. “Bring everybody, there’ll be something for every age group,” Cantrell said.

For more information, contact the church office at (318) 443-5696.

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

Coming off their best victory of the season last week, the Tioga Indians hit the road tonight for their toughest test yet. 

A week after a come-from-behind home victory over Franklin Parish kept them unbeaten in District 2-4A, the Indians (6-1, 2-0) will travel north along U.S. Highway 165 to Monroe to face off against Neville. 

The Tigers (6-1, 2-0) are ranked No. 3 in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A poll and are sitting second in the Division I Non-Select power ratings behind the only team that has beaten them so far this year, Class 5A Ruston. 

Tioga, meanwhile, currently has the No. 7 power rating among Division I Select schools and is among the others receiving votes in the LSWA Class 4A poll. 

Neville is led by its defense, which has been particularly strong over the past four weeks. The Tigers have given up just 16 points during that span, pitched two shutouts and opened district play with 51-0 and 41-6 wins over Peabody and Grant. 

The Tigers have been the kings of District 2-4A for years, having not lost a district game since 2010. This will be the fourth time they have played Tioga in district play during that span, having won the three previous games by an average of almost 40 points per game. 

Tioga coach Kevin Cook said the Indians approached tonight’s game like any other, regardless of the name on the opponent’s uniform.

“We don’t really ever change anything that we do,” he said. “I think it’s kind of important not to do that. We’ll approach it the same way we always do. It’s either gonna be enough or it ain’t. We’re gonna unload the clip so to speak.”

The Indians may lean more on sophomore quarterback Cace Malone, who rushed for a career-high 101 yards last week and led the Indians on a game-winning touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to defeat Franklin Parish 20-16. 

Malone hasn’t been asked to do much in the passing game, as Tioga has leaned heavily on its defense and junior running back Travis Adams, who leads the team with 573 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Malone has passed less than 10 times per game for 519 yards and six touchdowns. 

But Cook knows his young quarterback may have to show more production against Neville.

“We’re not worried about Cace putting the ball in the air,” Cook said. … “Everybody who knows me knows I love to throw the football. I’m all about the ball being in the air 100 percent of the time.”

While Tioga travels north to battle for control of District 2-4A, there’s a key District 2-5A rivalry contest going on in Rapides Parish tonight as Pineville hosts Alexandria Senior High in the Red River Rivalry. 

Pineville is coming off back-to-back losses against West Monroe and Ruston to start district play, but the Rebels get a boost with the return of sophomore running back Ayden Tate, the team’s leading rusher who missed last week’s game with a concussion. 

Bell said the Rebels had a good week of practice because the coaches didn’t have to offer much motivation in a rivalry game like this one.

“These kids are neighbors here in this open enrollment community,” Bell said. “They played Dixie baseball together. They played Red River football together. They go to church together.”

While the Rebels fell to 2-5 after last week’s loss, ASH improved to 4-3 with a 35-10 victory over Ouachita. ASH coach Thomas Bachman said the Trojans are excited for the opportunity to play a game close to home against a rivalry opponent.

“We don’t get to do this very often,” Bachman said. “Everything’s two hours on a bus when we get on a bus. This is refreshing and exciting for us because it’s something locally.”

The two teams met nine weeks ago at the Pineville Jamboree, a game the Trojans won 31-0 in only a half of gametime action. Bell doesn’t believe that result will play any role in tonight’s game and said the Rebels are ready for another shot at ASH.

“We feel like we’re not the same team they beat in the jamboree eight weeks ago, nine weeks ago,” Bell said. “We feel like our defense is getting better and better. We have to get first downs. We have to move the football. We have to win the time-of-possession battle against them.”

Bachman said Pineville is a much more experienced team than it was last year or even in the jamboree. Senior Jaylan Witty is a third-year starter at quarterback, the Rebels are big across the offensive line, and he singled out the play of junior safety Jacob Miranda and junior linebacker Lamarcus Thirs. 

But the Trojans are rolling after an 0-2 start, winning four of their last five games. Junior JT Lindsey is averaging more than 115 rushing yards per game and has scored 12 rushing TDs, senior quarterback Ty Feaster is playing much more efficiently and the Trojans have multiple weapons at the skill positions.

“We’ve gotten better with every day of practice,” Bachman said. “We’ve gotten better every week. Hopefully, we just continue to improve. You’re getting to the point of the year where you want to start to peak in the second half of the season.” 

Other games featuring Rapides Parish teams tonight include Peabody hosting Grant, Buckeye at Caldwell, Menard at Rosepine and Northwood-Lena at Rayville. Bolton lost to Marksville, 56-0, on Thursday night. 

The result of Northwestern State’s matchup with Southeastern on Thursday night was secondary to the fact the Demons were on the field.

Playing for the first time in 12 days – seven days after a shooting at an off-campus apartment complex killed junior safety Ronnie Caldwell – the homestanding Demons fell to Southeastern, 37-20, in Southland Conference play at Turpin Stadium.

“When we first met going into the week – we have a word of the week – and it was honor,” sixth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “When we talked about honor, you want to honor how Ronnie played the game. That was the challenge to our guys, seven days removed from a devastating situation for these young men and our coaches.

“We talked about honor in a lot of different ways. Honor your family. Honoring how they live their life each and every day. Yes, we had a football game to play seven days from that incident, but our biggest thing was wanting to come out and play how Ronnie would play. He played with great effort and had fun playing the game. That’s what I wanted our guys to do, and I was proud of our guys.”

The Demons’ early effort and execution offensively helped them keep pace with the Lions (1-7, 1-3), who followed an emotional first play of the game by scoring on a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Bauer Sharp’s 1-yard touchdown run.

Northwestern State (0-6, 0-2) and Southeastern began the game with Lions quarterback Zachary Clement, a former NSU signal caller, running 10 yards to Caldwell’s black No. 23 jersey and kneeling down, placing the football on the jersey.

“That first play, giving (Caldwell) the tackle, showed he was still with us,” said safety Cadillac Rhone, who honored his fellow safety by producing a team-best nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pair of forced fumbles. “We wanted to come out and honor him – play fast, play hard, play a 60-minute game. That’s what we tried to do.”

A little less than 17 minutes into that 60-minute game, the Demons had their lone lead of the game when Stanley King made a highlight-reel, one-handed grab of a 29-yard pass from Tyler Vander Waal to give NSU a 17-14 advantage.

It was King’s second career touchdown grab – both of which have come against Southeastern in Turpin Stadium. His first career scoring catch was a 45-yarder from Clement in an October 2021 matchup with the Lions in Natchitoches.

King’s scoring grab and a 2-yard Vander Waal rushing touchdown that answered Sharp’s game-opening score were sandwiched around a 38-yard Brett Money field goal to account for the Demons’ 17 points in the first 16:44 of Thursday’s game.

That strong start offensively allowed Northwestern State to roll up a season-high 396 yards total offense.

The Demons were unable to carry over the same offensive momentum in the second half as Southeastern used a pair of big-play scores – a 58-yard Victor Tademy interception return and an 81-yard Deantre Jackson run – to extend a four-point halftime lead and grab their first win of the season.

“I don’t think we understand what those young men have gone through,” Laird said. “To be able to come out and play this type of game – a fast, physical football game – that’s what I was most proud of. It didn’t always look pretty, but our guys they settled down and played with great effort and played in a way that would make Ronnie proud.

“I’m proud of our guys and how they’ve gone through this week. We’ll get together (Friday) morning and get on a bus Saturday to go to Ronnie’s funeral.”

The Demons return to action Oct. 28 when they travel to Lake Charles to face McNeese for the first time since the 2021 season finale. Vander Waal is likely out for the rest of the season after suffering a possible broken leg early in the fourth quarter on an attempted fourth-down conversion.

Dear Friends,

Our hearts are overwhelmed with gratitude for the support this past year as we ran our campaign for Senate District 31.  I learned much and made many new friends while traveling through 10 parishes!  

I am so thankful for all those who helped, who prayed , who physically worked, and who encouraged me.  I am proud of what we accomplished.

Let’s continue to support Louisiana and each other, our future depends on it.  

May God continue to bless!

Coach Mike & Connie

According to the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office, after a jury trial on Oct. 17, Alex Issac was found guilty of one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13. The case was prosecuted by ADA Charles E. Johnson.

Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) and LSU Health New Orleans are thrilled to announce the launch of the first dental hygiene program in Central Louisiana. Working together, LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry expanded its Dental Hygiene program to an Off-Campus Instructional Site located in LSUA’s downtown campus.

The dental hygiene program is a two-year Bachelor of Science program that spans students’ junior and senior years of college. The curriculum is designed to challenge and empower students, covering courses like Oral Diagnosis, Radiology, and Physiology. Six students are selected each year, ensuring a focused and personalized educational experience. Students graduate from LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry.

“Although we are in New Orleans, we serve all of Louisiana – North and South. East and West. Urban and Rural,” notes Dr. Steve Nelson, Interim Chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans. “Because Alexandria is recognized as a Health Professional Shortage area and there is a great need for dental hygienists and improved access to care, we have been working with LSUA since 2019, along with a strong local contingent of dentists, association reps, the Louisiana Dental Association, and the Louisiana legislature to expand our dental hygiene program here. We owe special thanks to Senator Jimmy Harris for putting the funds in the budget and State Senator Glen Womack for helping to keep them in.”

Dental hygienists are licensed healthcare professionals who work closely with dentists to ensure patients maintain optimal oral health and dental hygiene. Their primary objective is to treat and prevent oral diseases affecting the teeth and gums.

In 2019, shortly after becoming Chancellor of LSUA, Paul Coreil received an outreach from Dr. Trey Carlton, President of the Central Louisiana Dental Association, who expressed the community’s strong desire to establish a dental hygiene pathway at LSUA. Together, they engaged with the Dean of the LSU Dental School in New Orleans, who embraced the idea. Tragically, the dean’s untimely passing and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic temporarily stalled these plans. 

In 2021, Carlton and Coreil joined forces with Annette Droddy, Executive Director of the Louisiana Dental Association, LSU Health New Orleans Interim Chancellor Dr. Steve Nelson, and School of Dentistry leadership. United in their mission, they collaborated to secure state appropriations that would enable the expansion of the dental hygiene program to Alexandria.

“It is no secret that oral health is very important to overall health, but most people do not know that there is a national shortage of dental hygienists. Central Louisiana is no exception,” noted Dr. Trey Carlton, former president of the Central Louisiana Dental Association. “The vision and commitment from LSUA, LSU Health Sciences Center, and our legislators to open this dental hygiene program is providing a huge opportunity for much-needed health care for our community.”

With funding secured and renovations completed at a downtown Alexandria facility by Rapides Regional Medical Center, the dental hygiene program launched this fall.

This momentous achievement brings access to high-quality dental hygiene education to Central Louisiana, enhancing the region’s healthcare resources and contributing to the broader goal of promoting oral health in the community.

“As we celebrate this dental hygiene program, we know we could not reach our goals without partnerships with LSU Health School of Dentistry and the local and state dental associations,” said Paul Coreil, LSUA Chancellor. “This program embodies our commitment to fill a vital workforce gap in Central Louisiana. It is a milestone showcasing how collaboration and foresight can elevate educational and healthcare outcomes in our community.”

LSUA continues to offer the most affordable tuition in Louisiana, allowing students to graduate career-ready and debt-free. This program adds another dimension to LSUA’s diverse degree offerings, further solidifying its reputation for delivering high-quality, cost-effective education.

At least three of every four dentists and hygienists practicing in Louisiana today are LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry graduates. The School is unique among all U.S. dental schools in offering degrees in dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental laboratory technology. By teaching all aspects of dentistry, LSU Health New Orleans School of Dentistry provides a level of training that has earned a national reputation for outstanding academic and clinical education.

Written by Adam Lord (LSUA) and Leslie Capo (LSU Health New Orleans)

Photo credit – Nathan Parish (LSUA Strategic Communications)

LCU’s annual jam-packed Homecoming and Spirit Week begin Monday culminating in the football game against Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. 

The 2023 Homecoming Court will be presented during the annual Homecoming Chapel service on Tuesday. The following students make up this year’s court:

Senior Court

• Isabel Armand, exercise science-clinical wellness major from Opelousas
• Gabrielle Daigle, nursing major from Crowley
• Sydni Gross, psychology major from Lambertville, Michigan
• Hannah Miller, math education major from Iowa
• Camille Soileau, communication studies-public relations major from Ville Platte
• Holly Tony, social work major from Haughton

Junior Court

• Kate Campbell, exercise science major from Baton Rouge
• Samantha McCollough, psychology major from Oakdale
• Elisabeth McGrath, business administration-economics/finance major from Westlake

Sophomore Court

• Camille Allgood, history major from Denham Springs
• Skyler Garza, social work major from Stonewall

Freshmen Court

• Grace Artigue, missions and ministry major from Opelousas
• Annemarie Campbell, biology major from Patterson
• Kayla Condrey, education major from Rayville

The 2023 Homecoming Queen will be crowned during halftime of the game Saturday. 

Events scheduled for Homecoming Week include:

• Homecoming Hoe-Down, Thursday, 7 p.m. at Lynn Alumni Center
• Pep Rally/Bonfire, Friday, 8 p.m. at Lynn Alumni Center
• Homecoming Parade, Saturday, 11 a.m. in the LCU Circle
• Wildcat Carnival, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. near football stadium
• Wildcat Tailgate, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. in Cottingham lot
• Alumni Reunion Reception, Saturday, noon in Granberry Conference Center