On Nov. 16, 224 6th-9th graders from 17 schools statewide participated in the 22nd Annual McGrath Math Competition hosted by the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA)’s Math and Computer Science department.
Top Winners of Team Test:
Caddo Middle Magnet Team A
Caddo Middle Magnet Team B
Natchitoches Central High School Team A
Cope Middle School – Team A
Sterlington High School – Team A
Top Winners of Individual Test:
Aiden Zhao, Caddo Middle Magnet
Brian Han, Caddo Middle Magnet
Pravir Radadia, Caddo Middle Magnet
Alison Key, Natchitoches Central High School
Top Student on Individual Test from Each School:
Caddo Middle Magnet – Aiden Zhao
Church Point Middle – Connor Matte
Cope Middle School – Noah Harkins
East Ouachita Middle School – Lillianna Rose
Grace Christian School – Morgan Huffman
Griffin Middle Academy – Ter’Larrnee Newson
Lakeview Jr Sr High – Carlie Spears
Natchitoches Central High School – Alison Key
Pitkin High School – Emerson Pollard
Poland Junior High – Aubrey Hebert
Rapides Academy for Advanced Academics – Nathan Stephenson
Sterlington High School – Bailey Mills
Sterlington Middle School – Vashnavi Morampudi
St. John Berchmans Catholic School – Kate Kerney
St. Mary’s Catholic School – Jacob Thibodaux
Southfield School – Kingston Adams
Participating students could not be enrolled in or have previously taken Algebra II or any higher mathematics course. The competition consisted of individual and team portions, with unlimited students able to take the individual test, and a max of 12 students from each school participating in the team competition. Exercises in each contest came from Algebra, Geometry, and other areas of mathematics, but not from any specific curriculum, with questions designed to challenge students to draw from their knowledge of mathematics and to think logically, synthesize concepts, and solve problems.
LSMSA, who is ranked a World’s Best Boarding School by Fortune magazine and whose faculty is ranked #1 statewide and #5 nationwide, is a tuition-free, public high school for high-achieving rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a nominal room and board fee to cover housing, meals, and campus activities. The LSMSA Foundation offers assistance for families in need to ensure no eligible student is denied the school’s 40-year legacy of a premium college-level living/learning experience. For more information about LSMSA’s application process or to apply for the 2024-25 school year, please visithttps://www.lsmsa.edu/apply.
Madelyn “Maddie” Paige Gray April 29, 2009 – November 18, 2023 Service: Friday, November 24, 2023, Noon at Hixson Brothers, Marksville.
Jessie Marie Jackson December 8, 1930 – November 20, 2023 Service: Saturday, November 25, 2023, 12:30pm at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Alexandria.
The Rapides Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or RPJNewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to RPJNewsla@gmail.com)
The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office welcomed six new deputies to its ranks on Nov. 16.
For the last 17 weeks, these deputies have undergone Intense training to become Peace Officer Standards & Training (POST) Certified sheriff’s deputies.
These deputies receive training in de-escalation techniques, criminal law, traffic law, defensive driving, defensive tactics, firearms, first aid/CPR, and DUI enforcement.
Deputy James Hockersmith earned the Jeremy Carruth Physical Fitness Award.
These deputies will now report to their assigned shifts for Field Training.
Congratulations to the 93rd Alexandria Regional Police Academy Graduating Class. Pineville Police Department welcomes Officer Cameron Long, Officer Billy Caldwell, Officer Robert Harrison and Officer Cade Moreau.
Rarely does a Thanksgiving come and go that I am not reminded of Thanksgiving, 1974.
I was 23 and single at the time and living in Shreveport, where I worked for the Shreveport Journal, a splendid afternoon paper that competed with Shreveport’s morning paper, the Times. But I had been ordered by my doctor to return home for a few weeks to New Orleans, where I could be cared for and fed properly to recover and heal from mononucleosis and a mild case of hepatitis.
Home around Thanksgiving that year was more like a sick bay because my younger brother, Peter, at age 13, was in a makeshift downstairs bedroom, healing from a broken leg. I was quarantined in the upstairs “boys” bedroom. No visitors allowed. The doctor hadn’t prescribed any medicine for me but insisted I get plenty of rest and eat well. The second part was something mom took as her responsibility and did so above and beyond the call to duty.
The NFL football game on TV that Thanksgiving Day was between two bitter rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, and my parents let me watch it on the portable, black-and-white TV that was usually in the kitchen. That was a great tonic for this lonely soul, especially since the game was a classic. The Cowboys rallied from a 16-3 deficit, but Captain Comeback, Roger Staubach, the veteran starting quarterback, didn’t direct the rally.
Dallas’ backup quarterback — baby-faced rookie Clint Longley – who had never played a down of professional football, came off the bench to deliver the game of his life, after taking over for an injured Staubach. He fired a 35-yard touchdown pass to future Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Billy Joe Dupree. He engineered a 70-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard TD run by Walt Garrison. Finally, with 28 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, he connected with Drew Pearson for a 50-yard touchdown pass that gave the Cowboys a 24-23 victory.
My instinct, after such an epic contest, was to want to write about it, but I was away from the office, without my typewriter and without a telecopier to transmit it back to the Journal. My father, upon hearing of my plight, pointed to the bulky, black typewriter on the old-fashioned desk in the middle of the two beds.
“You want to write a column?” he asked. “Well, have at it.”
“It’s going to be too dated to use by the time I get back to Shreveport,” I said.
“Call your boss and see if he’ll take your column on the game, even if it’ll be late, and you could mail it,” he suggested.
I called Jerry Byrd, the legendary Journal sports editor at the time, and he heard me out.
“If it’s good enough,” he said with some of his usual stuttering, “it won’t matter if it’s a month late. Go ahead.”
Thus it is my column on that game, which was voted by ESPN in 2008 as the second best game in the history of Texas Stadium, ran in the Dec. 3, 1974 edition of the Shreveport Journal.
Some footnotes are necessary about Longley. In the 1976 Cowboys training camp, Longley, according to a book written by teammates Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters, sucker punched Staubach in the locker room, and another time, Longley challenged Staubach to a fight during practice. Staubach agreed but on a different field after practice, and there proceeded to “beat the hell out of him,” according to former personnel director Gil Brandt. Longley was quickly traded to the San Diego Chargers, where he flamed out quickly, and never played in the NFL again.
That trade to the Chargers, incidentally, got them a couple of guys they later traded to land the No. 2 pick in the ’77 draft, Heisman Trophy winning running back Tony Dorsett, who promptly led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl XII championship.
Longley did have a brief stint with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, and do you know where he finished his playing career? A bit ironically for this former Shreveport sports scribe, who wrote from his sickbed about Longley’s surprising Thanksgiving Day heroics, Longley closed his football career with the minor league Shreveport Steamer.
A male Red cockaded woodpecker works his way along a loblolly pine. The bird gets its name from an almost-indistinguishable red line on its cheek from below the eye to the neck.
By JIM BUTLER
The U.S. Forest Service proposes altering management of and access to a portion of Kisatchie National Forest near Bentley.
The Sandy Branch ecosystem management plan would restore the long leaf pine ecosystem to promote forest health and public safety.
According to the USFS, the project would improve current and future Red-cockaded woodpecker habitat on the 5,572 acres involved west and north of Bentley.
The woodpecker, which is not red and small in stature, and about two dozen other species, including the big snake, rely on longleaf forests, which once blanketed Central Louisiana and the rest of the South, for their well-being.
About six miles would be closed and about one mile of USFS road opened to motorized vehicles on the acreage, which is in Forest Compartments 35, 36, 52, 53 and 54.
The Kisatchie encompasses about 800,000 non-contiguous acres across Central Louisiana. Management promoting the woodpecker habitat is long-standing.
For additional information contact Anthony Page, 318-765-3554, or Anthony.Page@usda.gov.
Deadline for written public comment is in mid-December.
NSU QB Jayden Daniels slaps hands with fans running off the field after Saturday’s 56-15 win over Georgia State in Tiger Stadium. (Photo courtesy of LSU Athletics)
BATON ROUGE – With Heisman Trophy ballots a week away from being distributed, Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Trophy campaign manager/LSU head football coach Brian Kelly said here Monday that his senior quarterback is “playing the game of football at a level that I have never seen before.”
Daniels won SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the fifth time this season (sharing it with Missouri QB Brady Cook). With another record-setting performance in last Saturday’s blowout of Georgia State, he joined 2021 Heisman winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M as the only players in SEC history to pass for 3,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
In 11 games for the 8-3 Tigers, Daniels has passed for 3,577 yards and 36 TDs and rushed for 1,014 yards and 10 TDs.
Heisman finalists are announced in two weeks on Dec. 4 and the winner is revealed on Dec. 9 in New York, so LSU’s last regular season game Saturday vs. SEC West rival Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium is Daniels’ final chance to gain more votes.
He’s done a good job of that the last two Saturdays.
Daniels’ 8 TDs – 6 passing and 2 rushing – in the 56-14 pounding of Georgia State tied 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow’s LSU single-game record for TD responsibility. What’s more, Daniels’ 509 total offense yards made him the only player in SEC history with more than 600 and 500 total offense yards in consecutive games.
“I’m chasing to be great each and every week,” Daniels said after the win over Georgia State. “I’ve still got a long way to go. I put in the work, day in and day out. You can’t cheat the game of football. You really got to go out there and just give it your all.”
Two Saturdays ago, in the Tigers’ 52-35 win over Florida, Daniels set an SEC single-game total offense yardage record of 606 yards (372 passing, 234 yards) and 5 TDs (3 passing, 2 rushing). He also became the first player in FBS (NCAA Division 1-A) history to pass for more than 350 yards and rush for more than 200 yards in a game. His rushing yards were the most ever by an SEC QB in a game.
Daniels, who leads the nation in seven stat categories, and Oregon QB Bo Nix (an Auburn transfer) are in a two-man race for the Heisman. On Monday, Daniels moved to the top of the Heisman odds on BetMGM.
He’s No. 1 nationally in total offense (417.4 ypg), passing efficiency (208.34), passing TDs (36), rushing yards per carry (8.18), rushing yards by a QB (1,014 yards), points responsible for (278) and points responsible for per game (25.3).
Also, Daniels has made 81 plays of 20 or more yards (more than 7 per game) with 64 passing and 17 rushing.
“I’ve watched the other players (Nix, Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.) and they’re terrific players, too,” Kelly said. “But what he’s (Daniels) doing is so different in terms of what I’ve seen in my career, in terms of pushing the ball down the field, the accuracy in terms of dropping balls into tight coverages. running the football and the assertiveness he’s shown throwing the football.
“These aren’t screen passes. These aren’t swing passes. These aren’t cupcake throws. All of his throws are vertical throws, and he’s pushing the ball down the field, and his runs are not like, `Wow, where is everybody? ‘He’s making people miss.
“He’s taken hits to run the football. We can count on one hand the times he’s slid. He doesn’t slide. He shows toughness.”
Last game for Texas A&M: Won at home Saturday 38-10 over Abilene Christian. The Aggies had 448 yards, while the defense held its opponent from scoring an offensive touchdown for the fourth time this season.
Series record and last meeting: LSU leads 35-22-3. Last November in College Station, Texas A&M won 38-23. A&M’s Devon Achane rushed for 215 yards and 2 TDs on 38 carries.
Interim Texas A&M head coach: Elijah Robinson (1-0 overall)
THIS AND THAT
Early betting line: LSU is an 11-point favorite.
Number of Louisiana natives on Texas A&M roster: 5
Number of Texas natives on LSU roster: 13
Number of transfers on Texas A&M roster from 4-year schools: 17 players from 16 schools including 7 players from 6 Power 5 Conference schools
TEXAS A&M PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Jaylen Henderson (27 of 42 for 410 yards, 4 TDs, 1 interception) RB Amari Daniels (505 rushing yards, 5 TDs on 92 carries), WR Ainias Smith (45 catches for 736 receiving yards, 2 TDs), LB Edgerrin Cooper (75 tackles, 16 TFL, 7 sacks, 8 QB hurries, 2 PBU, 2 FF), DE Shemar Thomas (31 tackles, 10½ TFL, 6 sacks, 3 QB hurries), PK/KO Randy Bond (22 of 30 field goals, 43 of 43 extra points, 60 kickoffs for 63.2 pko, 30 touchbacks, 1 out of bounds), P Nik Constantinou (36 for 40.83 ypp, 18 fair catches, 14 inside the 20, six, 50 or more yards), PR Ainias Smith (19 for 289 yards, 1 TD) and KR Rueben Owens (8 for 154)
POP QUIZ
1. How much has Texas A&M paid collectively in buyouts to its last four fired head football coaches?
A. $56.8 million
B. $42.3 million
C. $98.2 million
D. $39.7 million
2. What did the Aggie say when he called the locksmith?
A. “Do you unlock just houses?”
B. “Can you open combination locks?”
C. “How much do you charge?”
D. “Please hurry. I locked my car keys in my convertible, the top is down and it’s starting to rain.”
3. How many consecutive seasons at one point did LSU play Texas A&M in Baton Rouge?
Kicker Bodie Van Dyke is a reliable asset for the ASH Trojans. (Journal file photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
Alexandria Senior High is the lone local representative in the LHSAA football playoff quarterfinals and the Trojans are on the road again Friday against another traditional big-school powerhouse.
It’s a second straight trip to New Orleans, aiming for a win that could take the Trojans back there for the state championship game in the Superdome next month.
ASH, seeded 13th with an 8-4 record, will face No. 5 Edna Karr (9-1) in the quarterfinal matchup in Select Division I.
The Trojans shocked the 2022 state finalists, Brother Martin, by 23-0 last Friday, ending the season of the No. 4-seeded Crusaders.
Karr blasted 21st-seeded Woodlawn (Baton Rouge) 50-0 last week in the second round after drawing a bye in the opening round. Karr won its first eight games, then lost the regular-season finale 41-7 to John Curtis.
Karr has won six state championships, including four straight from 2016-19. Like ASH, the Cougars’ primary colors are purple and gold.
Karr was beaten in the quarterfinal round a year ago.
SELECT
Division I
8-Acadiana (9-2) at 1-Holy Cross (9-2) 13-Alexandria Senior High (8-4) at 5-Karr (9-1) 6-John Curtis (8-2) at 3-Catholic-BR (9-2) 18-Rummel (6-6) at 7-St. Paul’s (10-1)
Division II
8-St. Michael (8-2) at 1-St. Thomas More (11-0) 5-Shaw (10-2) at 4-John F. Kennedy (10-1) 11-McDonogh #35 (8-3) at 3-Lafayette Christian (9-2) 7-Teurlings (9-3) at 2-E.D. White (11-0)
Division III
9-Notre Dame (9-3) at 1-St. Charles (11-0) 21-Lake Charles Prep (5-6) at 4-University Lab (10-1) 11-Episcopal (10-2) at 3-Newman (9-1) 10-Parkview (10-2) at 2-Calvary (11-0)
Division IV
9-Ascension Cath. (10-2) at 1-Vermilion Cath. (11-0) 5-Riverside (10-1) at 4-St. Martin’s (9-1) 6-St. Mary’s (8-2) at 3-Ouachita Christian (10-1) 10-Central Catholic (9-3) at 2-Southern Lab (9-1)
NON-SELECT
Division I
9-Walker (10-2) at 1-Ruston (11-0) 21-Mandeville (8-4) at 4-Airline (10-1) 6-Zachary (10-1) at 3-Destrehan (11-0) 18-Central-BR (9-3) at 7-Dutchtown (10-1)
Division II
8-Iowa (9-3) at 1-North DeSoto (10-1) 12-Opelousas (9-3) at 4-Lutcher (8-2) 22-Northwest (9-3) at 3-Assumption (9-2) 10-Jennings (8-3) at 2-Cecilia (10-1)
Division III
8-Amite (7-4) at 1-Jena (11-0) 5-Bogalusa (7-4) at 4-Union Parish (7-4) 6-Many (9-2) at 3-St. James (9-2) 7-Pine (10-2) at 2-Sterlington (10-1)
Division IV
8-Welsh (9-3) at 1-Logansport (10-1) 5-Jeanerette (10-2) at 4-Haynesville (10-1) 6-Mangham (7-4) at 3-Oak Grove (9-2) 7-Homer (9-3) at 2-Kentwood (9-2)
Pineville High senior swimmers Trey White, Kennedy Daigrepont, Linzay Taylor, Kiersten Huff, and Luke Ward finished a strong season with quality competition at the LHSAA meet. (Submitted photo)
By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
Senior Anna Chelette posted a pair of podium finishes, while eighth-grader Cadence Dessens added two top-10 swims as Holy Savior Menard finished 10th overall in the girls team standings at the LHSAA Division IV State Swim Meet in Sulphur last week.
Despite taking just those two swimmers, the Lady Eagles beat out 12 other teams to finish in the top 10 at the state finals that were held on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
Chelette finished second in the 100-yard freestyle, lowering her qualifying time of 59.19 seconds to 57.84 in Wednesday’s preliminaries and then again to 56.86 in Thursday’s final. Chelette also exceeded her fourth-place seeding in the 200 freestyle by nearly 2.5 seconds to land a spot on the podium by finishing in 2:07.64.
Dessens finished sixth in the 500-yard freestyle race (6:07.15) and eighth in the 200 freestyle (2:17.73).
The Eagles’ boys team, which had four boys competing in six different finals races, tallied 96 points to finish ninth in the team standings.
Eighth-grader Jacques Roy paced the Menard boys with a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:11.72) and a sixth-place finish in the 200 individual medley (2:22.58).
The Eagles’ teams of Roy, Parker Sketo, Gunner Dessens and Baylor Fall finished sixth in the 400 freestyle relay (4:39.82) and eighth in the 200 medley relay (2:23.46).
Sketo turned in a pair of top-10 performances in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle, finishing ninth in the 500 (6:30.10) and 10th in the 200 (2:21.25), cutting more than four seconds off his preliminary time in the latter race.
Fall and Gunner Dessens also both scored points for the Eagles in the 500 freestyle. Dessens finished 14th with a time of 7:23.99, while Fall was 15th in 7:30.68. The top 16 swimmers in each race score points for the team total.
Pineville, led by four finals qualifications, placed 10th overall in the boys Division I State Swim Meet held Friday and Saturday with 78 points, while the Lady Rebels finished 14th overall in the team standings with 38.
Senior Linzay Taylor paced the Lady Rebels with two fourth-place finishes. Taylor lowered her seed time in the 100 freestyle by nearly 1.5 seconds to 53.98 and also swam nearly a second faster in the 100 backstroke, finishing fourth in both races.
The Lady Rebels also scored in the girls 400 freestyle relay, placing 13th in a time of 4:21.52.
The Rebels were paced by a sixth-place finish by sophomore Curtis Malone in the 100 backstroke (53.20). Malone also finished eighth in the 200 individual medley (2:00.53).
Liam Alletag, another sophomore, finished seventh in the 100 butterfly (52.76), and the Rebels finished eighth in the 400 freestyle relay (3:30.63).
Alletag and senior Trey White also qualified for the consolation finals on Saturday with Alletag finishing 12th in the 200 freestyle (1:49.42). White finished 15th in the 200 IM (2:06.42) and 16th in the 500 freestyle (5:15.41).
The Rebels also finished 11th in the boys 200 medley relay (1:45.68).
Alexandria Senior High had two male swimmers and one relay team score to lead the Trojans to an 18th-place finish at the Division I state meet.
Cason Leleux finished 12th in the 100 freestyle (49.90) and 13th in the 100 backstroke (57.52), while Owen Elliott finished 15th in the 100 butterfly (55.51). The Trojans also finished 14th in the boys 400 freestyle relay (3:40.27).
Calling all high school church musicians and worship leaders to join us at Louisiana Christian University!
LCU will host its inaugural Nex Gen Worship Collaborative on Feb. 23-24. High school-aged praise bands will have the unique opportunity to visit campus and share their music while receiving quality feedback from our clinicians.
All participants will be considered for LCU scholarships.
“There are many students, throughout Louisiana and beyond, who are deeply involved in music outside of the school day at home and in churches, yet they likely have few opportunities to play in a setting like this,” said Jacob Wittkopp, coordinator of Department of Fine Arts. “We seek to do our part in helping to engage and equip the future generation of worship leaders.”
Next Gen Worship Collaborative provides a place where students can share their talents and walk away with new inspiration and a broadened community.
“We want to provide an outlet for youth praise bands to grow and learn more about worship and how to play skillfully,” said LCU President Dr. Rick Brewer. “This annual event will also provide students with in-depth information regarding LCU’s new Worship Arts and Production major. “
Praise bands may register from churches, youth groups or schools. The event will be held in Guinn Auditorium on LCU’s campus in Pineville.
Maria Pineda Stockton Cook August 15, 1934 – November 18, 2023 Service: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 3:pm Fairfield Pentecostal House of Praise
Damon E Johnson December 19, 1977 – November 14, 2023 Service: Tuesday, November 21, 2023, 11am at the Rose of Sharon Baptist Church, Alexandria
The Rapides Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or RPJNewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to RPJNewsla@gmail.com)
Rapides felony bookings are accusations, not convictions.
November 16
Andrew Howard, 34, Beaumont, TX — attempted murder 1st degree, home invasion 2 counts, aggravated assault, aggravated battery 2nd degree, aggravated assault with firearm, possession firearm by convicted felon, stalking, $451,000 bail.
November 17
Chandler Johnson, 26, Pineville — parole violation, simple strangle/domestic abuse battery strangulation, resisting officer with force or violence, no bail set;
Danny Bordelon’s election Saturday to the District E Police Jury seat leaves one seat unresolved.
Bordelon defeated Travis Herrington in the runoff to succeed Rusty Wilder.
Who will succeed the late Theodore Fountaine in District D remains officially unresolved.
Fountaine died Nov. 13. The jury has 20 days to appoint a successor for his unexpired term, which ends in January. Otherwise it is a gubernatorial appointment.
But come the second Monday in January the new jury takes office and Fountaine’s new four-year term begins.
Because more than 18 months will remain in that term, to which Fountain was re-elected in October, the jury will evidently have to again appoint a successor as well as call a special election.
Again, the 20-day requirement apparently applies, with the governor handling the matter if the jury fails to.
There is already a special parish election schedule in March, called by Gov. John Edwards for selecting a successor to District Judge John Davidson, who retired in September.
Jimmie Duncan and the ASH Trojans posted one of the state’s more impressive wins Friday night in the LHSAA football playoffs. (Journal file photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
Peabody senior Dartavin Depass caught two passes for 120 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown, in the Warhorses’ loss to Lafayette Christian in the second round of the Division II Select playoffs. (Journal file photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
Peabody picked off Lafayette Christian star quarterback Ju’Juan Johnson three times at the goal line, but the Warhorses didn’t have enough firepower to score with the Knights as they fell 54-20 in the second round of the Division II Select playoffs Friday night.
LCA jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter as Johnson, an LSU commitment, tossed two touchdown passes, including a 99-yarder to Brennan Walker, Jalen Noel scored an 8-yard touchdown run and the Knights got a defensive safety.
The score could have been worse, but TJ Hullaby made a leaping interception of a Johnson pass at the 2-yard line. Hullaby made a second interception at the goal line on the first play of the second quarter, and Dartavin Depass picked off Johnson at the 1-yard line on the Knights’ next possession.
The Knights (9-2) extended their lead to 41-8 at halftime courtesy of a 30-yard punt return by Walker, a 14-yard TD pass from Johnson to Walker and a 30-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
Peabody (7-5) got on the board when junior quarterback Larry Roberts III connected with Hullaby on a 52-yard touchdown with 4:39 left in the half.
Peabody second-year coach Harry Coleman said the Warhorses knew they faced a “tall task” against a Knights team that finished as state runner-up two years in a row.
“The coaching staff knew that going in that we had to play a nearly perfect game,” Coleman said. “That team just lost in the high school championship game a year ago and brought most of the team back, a seasoned team. And Ju’Ju Johnson, he’s different.”
Noel’s second TD run of the game, a 1-yarder to end the Knights’ first drive of the second half, pushed the LCA lead to 47-8, and Trey Parker ended the Knights’ scoring with a 7-yard TD run in the third quarter.
The Warhorses added two late touchdowns when Roberts found a wide-open Depass for a 93-yard score in the third quarter and hit Cedric Allen Jr. for a 22-yard score in the fourth quarter.
Roberts completed 8 of 21 passes in the game for 235 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Depass led the way with two catches for 120 yards and a score, while Depass and Nate Francis combined for 100 rushing yards in the game.
Coleman turned the Warhorses around from an 0-10 season before he arrived to winning a playoff game in his second season. Although they lose a strong senior class, Coleman said they have a number of pieces returning to build off a strong 2023 season.
“The standard has been set,” Coleman said.
PAUL’S 38, TIOGA 14
St. Paul’s pitched a second-half shutout and scored 31 unanswered points Friday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Division I Select playoffs.
Tioga struck first on the opening drive by going 80 yards on seven plays for a 7-0 lead. Christian Iles had the big play on the drive with a 39-yard run, and sophomore quarterback Cace Malone called his own number the next two plays, finishing the drive with a 16-yard TD.
After St. Paul’s tied the game with a 4-yard touchdown run by Cody Corales, the Indians took their second lead of the game. Adams found some running room off the right side for a 28-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead with just over 10 minutes left in the first half.
Unfortunately for the Indians, that would be the last time they found the end zone. St. Paul’s added a 41-yard field goal by Drew Talley and then a 4-yard Corales TD run with 1:01 left in the first half to take a 17-14 lead.
The seventh-seeded Wolves (10-1) scored on all three of their first-half possessions and added three touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half.
Ben Buisson scored a 35-yard TD on the Wolves’ opening possession of the second half, Troy Willis added an 18-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and Corales capped the scoring with an 18-yard TD run, his third of the game.
Corales led the Wolves with 98 rushing yards on 15 carries as St. Paul’s racked up 252 rushing yards in the game.
Tioga (9-3) was led by Adams’ 68 rushing yards on 15 carries. Malone ran for 39 yards and completed 12 of 15 passes for 102 yards.
CALVARY BAPTIST 49, MENARD 0
Abram Wardell passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns as No. 2 Calvary (11-0) knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs in the Division III Select second round.
The No. 15 Eagles (8-4) got off to a great start, getting a fourth-down stop at the 10-yard line on the opening drive to keep Calvary out of the end zone, and also stopping the Cavaliers on their third drive of the game.
But Calvary hit some big plays, including 21-yard and 23-yard TD runs by five-star running back James Simon, a 17-yard TD pass from Wardell to senior Jay Simon and a 72-yard double pass from Kolby Thomas to Aubrey Hermes.
The Cavs added three more second-half scores – a punt blocked by Cole Miller that was recovered in the end zone by David Weeks and Wardell TD passes to Chris Jackson (19 yards) and Thomas (5 yards).
The Eagles got just one first down in the fourth quarter on a penalty, and they were held to just 10 yards of offense.
“Obviously, this is a great team right here,” Menard coach David Perkins said. “We have nothing to hang our heads about.”
ASH senior cornerback Amyrion “MyMy” Mingo had one of the Trojans’ two interceptions Friday night as they shut out No. 4 Brother Martin in a 23-0 victory to advance to the Division I Select quarterfinals. (Journal photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
Thomas Bachman has been bragging about his team’s improved defense to anyone who will listen.
The Alexandria Senior High Trojans (8-4) backed up their coach’s praise Friday night with their most complete performance of the season, shutting out No. 4 seed Brother Martin 23-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Division I Select football playoffs.
Bachman said the Trojans “played really well defensively,” and that started with the game plan devised by defensive coordinator Josh Mercer and the defensive staff.
“They had ‘em ready to go,” Bachman said. “We’ve just gotten better and better and better. (Brother Martin) didn’t threaten us really but twice.”
The two players who changed the trajectory of the Trojans’ defense made two of the biggest game-changing plays on the night.
Senior cornerbacks Jaylin Johnson and Amyrion Mingo, who moved over to defense from wide receiver after the start of the season, intercepted passes in the game. Johnson’s pick was near the goal line late in the first half to keep the Crusaders (7-4) out of the end zone and off the scoreboard, while Mingo’s came late in the fourth quarter to set up ASH’s final score and seal the shutout.
“We always know we have the capability of (getting a shutout),” said Mingo, who had a first-half interception wiped away by a questionable pass-interference penalty. “We were just locked in.”
The first half was a defensive slugfest that featured only three points as each team was held to less than 100 yards of offense.
ASH held a slim 3-0 lead at the break thanks to a 25-yard field goal by senior Bodie Van Dyke.
The Crusaders came into Friday night’s contest carrying a resume that showcased a strong defense, and that was certainly the case for most of the night, especially against the run as they held Trojan junior running back JT Lindsey in check for three quarters.
But the Trojans started to show some offensive life immediately in the third quarter, as they took the opening drive of the second half 80 yards on 11 plays for their first touchdown.
The drive’s two biggest plays came courtesy of senior quarterback Ty Feaster, who played a brilliantly efficient game with his arm and feet, connecting with junior receiver Darius Washington, the Trojans’ biggest weapon Friday night.
Feaster and Washington connected on a 15-yard pass play on the drive, and then that duo connected on a 32-yard go route for a touchdown and a 10-0 Trojan lead.
In the fourth quarter, as Brother Martin continued to bottle up Lindsey and limit him to 2 or 3 yards per carry, Feaster began to pick up chunks in the ground game – 6 yards here, 4 yards there – until he finally popped a big one.
Starting a drive at their own 30, Feaster nearly delivered a home run for the Trojans as he kept on the read option and raced up the middle of the field for a 63-yard gain inside the Crusaders’ 10-yard line. Two plays later, Lindsey scored his first TD of the game from 8 yards out for a 16-0 lead.
Mingo’s interception and return into Brother Martin territory on the next drive set up a Lindsey 21-yard touchdown to seal the victory for the Trojans.
Lindsey and Feaster both surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark as Lindsey gained 111 tough yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries and Feaster added 107 yards on 13 carries.
Bachman said even though the Crusaders played well defensively against the run, the Trojans were committed to continuing to churn up yards on the ground.
“We had 45 rushing attempts the other night,” Bachman said. “You can stay committed to it when your defense is playing that well.
Feaster finished 10-of-15 passing for 161 yards and one touchdown toss to Washington, who caught seven passes for 69 yards. Junior tight end Tanner Townsend finished with two receptions for 86 yards.
While the Trojan offense finished the job, the story of the game was the lights-out execution of ASH’s defense, which limited the Crusaders to 98 yards rushing on the game and harassed junior quarterback Seth Dazet into a 7-for-19 passing performance for 67 yards and two interceptions.
Senior linebacker Omarion Ford led the Trojans with seven tackles in the game, and Jaylon Kirk finished with six tackles and a tackle for loss. The Trojans sacked Dazet twice in the game and pressured him all night.
Mingo said the Trojans played well at all three levels defensively, boosted by the return of senior free safety Jason Blackwell, who Mingo said showed he is a weapon defending the run and the pass.
“He adds more value to our defense, which really eliminates a lot of weaknesses,” Mingo said. “I don’t think we really have any weaknesses in our defense.”
The 13th-seeded Trojans advanced to face No. 5 Edna Karr in next week’s Division I Select quarterfinals. Karr defeated Woodlawn of Baton Rouge 50-0 in the second round.
The Trojans proved last week they are capable of going on the road and beating one of the best teams in the Catholic League. Now they get a chance to do it again against the league champions.
“We always feel confident,” Mingo said. “We know what we have and what we are capable of.”
BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – The Louisiana Christian football team did not trail until deep into the third quarter and it was still a one-possession ballgame with three minutes remaining, but three scores in the final 2:47 turned a nail biter into a deceiving 56-28 loss Saturday in the first round of the NAIA playoffs.
The Wildcats (9-2) ended the year with a school-record nine wins, the best winning percentage (.818), and the first conference football championship in program history spanning 84 seasons. Baker advanced with a 9-2 record.
The heartbeat of the Wildcats’ defense, fifth-year senior Andre Reed, left it all out on the field as he logged seven tackles (four solo), a game-high two tackles for loss, and scored his first career touchdown with a 20-yard scoop-and-score on the contest’s opening possession.
Another one of the pillars that built the LCU program over the past five seasons was quarterback Sal Palermo III, who went for a contest-best 177 passing yards and a score while also punching one in on a QB sneak.
LCU’s D’Mario Weathersby flew around Liston Stadium, tallying a Wildcats/2023-most 10 tackles (four solo). Wilbert Robertson made a season-high six tackles and forced a fumble for the second straight week, and Cole Jones broke up a pass for the tenth time in 11 matchups this year to wrap up these graduating seniors’ careers.
The final Wildcat who had a substantial impact on Saturday that will be graduating was Devin Briscoe, who tied for the team lead with four receptions including his third career touchdown as a receiver, ending the day with 82 total yards.
Pop McGhee entered the postseason as the top defensive back in the NAIA with 14 pass breakups and added two more to his final tally, winding up with multiple passes defended in each of his last three contests.
Daylon Charles was the clear frontrunner for LCU’s offensive MVP, gashing the BU defense for 122 yards on 16 carries for a 7.6 average. He also had the longest play from scrimmage on either side as he rumbled a career-long 60 yards for a touchdown while also notching a season-long 20-yard catch. All-in-all, Charles piled up 153 all-purpose yards on 19 total touches for a combined average of 8.1 per play.
Kavin Touriac raised his benchmark for tackles heading into next season, posting a career-best nine tackles which included two behind the line of scrimmage and an impressive seven solo takedowns.
CENTURY CLUB: Malik Nabers was tops among three LSU receivers with at least one TD catch and 100 receiving yards Saturday night, with his 140 yards moving him 143 away from the Tigers’career receiving yardage record. (Journal photo by PETER FOREST)
JOURNAL SPORTS
LSU 56, Georgia State 14
Score by quarters
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
GaSt
7
7
0
0
— 14
LSU
14
21
7
14
— 56
Scoring summary
G – Talique Williams 6 pass from Darren Garinger (Liam Rickman), 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:07
LSU – Malik Nabers 18 pass from Jayden Daniels (Damian Ramos kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:33
GaSt. – Robert Lewis 9-63; Carroll 4-51; Williams 4-22, 1 TD; Cadarrius Thompson 3-37; Ja’Cyais Credle 2-35; Jacari Carter 2-5; Adams 1-3.
LSU – Nabers 8-140, 2 TDs; Lacy 5-101, 2 TDs; Thomas 4-103, 1 TD; Williams 3-36; Mason Taylor 3-25; Holly 1-5; Markway 1-3, 1 TD.
TACKLES
GaSt. – Jeremiah Johnson 5-5—10; Jontrey Hunter 5-2—7; Josiah Robinson 3-2—5; TyGee Leach 5-0—5; Justin Abraham 2-3—5; Tavian Brown 2-0—2; Shamar McCollum 1-1—2; Tony McCray 2-0—2; Cody Jones 2-0—2; Jordan Veneziale 1-1—2; Ricard Williams Jr. 1-0—2; Gavin Pringle 0-1—1; Bryquice Brown 0-1—1; Javon Denis 0-1—1; PJ Simmons 0-1—1; Ronald Cooper 1-0—1; Makkah Jordan 0-1—1; Corey Warren 0-1—1; Anthony Blume 1-0—1.
LSU – Omar Speights 3-7—10; Ashton Stamps 8-0—8; Greg Penn III 2-5—7; Ovie Oghoufo 0-6—6; Harold Perkins 3-3—6; Maason Smith 0-5—5; Major Burns 1-4—5; Jordan Jefferson 2-3—5; West Weeks 23—5; Bradyn Swinson 0-4—4; Andre Sam 1-2—3; Sage Ryan 2-1—3; Jacobian Guillory 0-3—3; Jordan Allen 1-1—2; Princeton Malbrue 1-1—2; Sai’vion Jones 0-1—1; Quency Wiggins 1-0—1; Paris Shand 0-1—1.
