The Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Young Professionals Group of Cenla (YPG) have announced the 2023 class of CENLA 4WARD and Central Louisiana’s “4 Under 40” award winners. LSUA Vice Chancellor of Student Engagement Abbey Bain and Marketing Coordinator Chase Dyess were both honored at this year’s event.

The CENLA 4Ward program, a joint initiative of YPG and the Chamber, is dedicated to celebrating individuals under 40 years of age who embody the four pillars that propel communities forward: community involvement, industry impact, leadership and professional distinction, and unwavering passion and perseverance.

2023 YPG President, Dustin Campbell, said, “It is so important to reward and recognize the achievements of individuals such as these to not only encourage continued excellence but also to motivate future young leaders in our area.” 

Abbey Bain, Ph.D., is the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and Student Engagement at LSUA. She received the highest honor of being named one of the “4 Under 40” awardees. In her role on campus, Bain is dedicated to cultivating a positive and inclusive learning environment, ensuring that all 5,104 students feel valued and supported. One of her nominators described her as possessing “infectious enthusiasm” in her commitment to her work.

Bain extends her passion for Central Louisiana by advocating for professional development and empowerment, particularly for women, in the local business community. Her active involvement in volunteer and board member positions showcases her dedication to enhancing the region’s business landscape. As a young leader in academia, Bain’s role as Vice Chancellor is an impressive achievement, reflecting her status as a statewide benchmark of success within the LSU system and beyond.

LSUA Chancellor Paul Coreil beamed, “Dr. Bain is an amazing, inspirational leader on our campus. Her hard work supporting LSUA’s students and supporting continued campus growth has resulted in record-breaking enrollment and larger graduating classes entering the workforce. The future of higher education in Central Louisiana is indeed in good hands with leaders like Abbey. She is a blessing to our campus and our region!”

Chase Dyess, MBA, is the Marketing Coordinator in the LSUA Division of Strategic Communications and founder of Dyess Designs. He was honored as a CENLA 4Ward Nominee. Chase’s unwavering community involvement through multiple organizations showcases his dedication to elevating businesses, institutions, and groups across Central Louisiana.

His creative expertise and volunteerism have made a profound impact, particularly in the growth and success of LSUA. Chase is known for his remarkable talent, dedication, and commitment to excellence. His work consistently reflects the highest quality, innovation, and impact.

Adam Lord, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications at LSUA, said, “Chase has consistently demonstrated unparalleled creativity, dedication, and commitment to excellence in his role. He is a gifted graphic designer and marketing professional whose artistic acumen can be seen across campus and throughout the region. He approaches each task with enthusiasm, always striving to surpass expectations and deliver results that leave a lasting impact.”

The Central Louisiana community and LSUA are fortunate to have individuals like Abbey Bain and Chase Dyess, who continue to inspire and uplift the region through their remarkable leadership, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

For more information about the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce and YPG’s CENLA 4Ward Awards, please visit https://ypgcenla.org/.

Written by Adam Lord

Photo credit – Sarah Catherine LaBorde | YGP

Pictured – (RL) Abbey Bain, Ph.D.; Chase Dyess, MBA

Rapides felony bookings are accusations, not convictions. 

November 12
Leola Mix, 38, Lecompte — inciting felony, battery, contributing to delinquency, criminal conspiracy, $2,500 bail;
Maxine Mix, 40, Lecompte — inciting felony, battery, contributing to delinquency, criminal conspiracy, $2,500 bail;
Ty’juarr Mix, 18, Lecompte — attempted murder 1st degree, criminal conspiracy, no bond set;
Jacob Rowland, 27, Pineville — intimidation/non-consensual disclosure of private image 12 counts, unlawful communication telephone/telecom improper language/harassing 9 counts, stalking, $20,500 bail. 

Rapides felony drug bookings are accusations, not convictions.

November 12

Shane Herron, 35, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, $3,000 bail.

By JIM BUTLER

Renaissance Home officials and supporters are asking Rapides voters on Saturday to bolster property tax support to allow broadening the facility’s reach. Homestead exemption applies.

The community correction center and juvenile detention home has served as a significant part of the parish juvenile justice system for 50 years. Judicial, law enforcement and community leaders successfully advocated for the Renaissance Home a half-century ago.

Voters first approved financing it with a tax in 1974, and have renewed that support each time asked to do so since.

Now, they are being asked to bump the levy from its current 2.06 mills to 3.89 mills, and to okay a 20-year collection.

With the 90 per cent or so increase, Renaissance wants to add to its role a facility for housing juveniles accused of violent offenses. Currently, there is no such space in the parish system.

Expanding the facility’s reach would be the latest of additions over the years.

What began as a boys-only program added girls in the late 1970s, shelter care in the mid 80s, an education center at the century’s turn and a visitation center this year.

The proposed tax would yield a shade over $4 million in its initial year of collection – a figure that is currently roughly $2 million annually. Based on current property valuations, over the 20-year course of the proposed increase, it would produce about $80 million in funding support for the program, doubling the current impact, while adding the new facility for violent offenders.

I get asked, a lot. In the grocery store. In the doctor’s office. At church. At a bar. On the street, or while eating lunch. That’s just in person. Then come queries by text, Facebook Messenger, or in an old-fashioned phone call — two just Sunday evening.

It is inescapable. I try to be responsive, but I hereby apologize to friends and folks who have asked me and gotten no answer.

It’s unexplainable. The unprecedented cancellation of the final four games of the Northwestern State football season is infinitely more puzzling than say, understanding why Texas A&M is apparently going to pay Jimbo Fisher $76 million to not coach the Aggies football team.

In sports, there are scoreboards and schedules (almost always rock-solid). The final horn or buzzer sounds and there’s a winner, and a loser.

No longer with NSU football. Not until next season. There will be one, university officials say, as a quiet  search aims at hiring a new head coach as fast as possible, maybe by Thanksgiving.

What has happened in the last month in Natchitoches? It will take not weeks, but months, possibly years, to reveal the most accurate version of reality producing the tragedy that has spurned angst, anger and distrust among the involved and more broadly-impacted parties.

This is not a storyline that can be wrapped up like plots are on Law & Order, Criminal Minds or NCIS.

Ronnie Caldwell Jr., a player and person generally admired around NSU and its athletics program, was shot to death just after 1 a.m. Oct. 12, on the grounds of where he lived, the Quad Apartment Complex in Natchitoches. Just across the highway from the NSU campus, so close that some students who live at the Quad walk to class.

Ronnie Caldwell Jr., who reportedly attended church regularly in Natchitoches. Who helped coach a youth baseball team of 9-year-olds this summer, alongside a couple of his NSU coaches. Who had a very good grade point average at NSU, and was on a path to a business administration degree.

It was incomprehensible.

The mushroom cloud that has developed is vast. Two days before NSU was to visit McNeese Oct. 28 for the Cowboys’ homecoming, the university cancelled the final four games of the Demons’ football season. President Dr. Marcus Jones and athletic director Kevin Bostian also announced the resignation of sixth-year head coach Brad Laird.

The statement cited “the mental health and well-being of its student-athletes as the primary reason” for the stunning decision to stop the season.

“While our instinct was to return to the field of play following his death, we’ve since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep,” said Jones in the announcement. “Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches and staff to pause and take this time to mourn.”

There surely were players and team personnel who were emotionally incapable of continuing to compete. There are others who can’t abide the decision to stop playing. But they’re getting accustomed to it.

We’ve seen and heard from several in news reports, on the Billy West Live podcasts, and on social media. I met one, a sophomore, Nov. 4 at the football-free NSU tailgate staged in the annual Homecoming weekend. His perspective is vastly different than the university’s narrative. That gap is what has so many upset – a decision portrayed as reflecting the sentiment of the majority of the team apparently does not.

Two arrests related to Caldwell’s death have been for possession of weapons and drugs. One was a roommate of Caldwell, but not a friend, a 27-year-old arrested years ago on an attempted murder charge, a non-NSU student assigned to Caldwell’s four-bedroom apartment by Quad management. The other, a former teammate, who played alongside him all of the 2022 season, then separated from the squad after four games this season.

Drugs. Weapons. A vile, combustible mix inescapable in our world. Invasive in nearly every community, at every level. Certainly it lurks below the surface in a college town, every college town. For decades there have been drug users who are college athletes, and as tough as it may be to accept, there are drug dealers who are college students, and who are college athletes. Most are experts at deception and avoiding detection – even when walking alongside the innocents.

The investigation into Caldwell’s death will uncover unpleasant truths, some that authorities already know. All that you’ve read and heard to this point is disturbing, and more unsettling news will follow. It already has in the ever-active court of conjecture and the steadily-rolling rumor mill.

It’s a tragedy. Its implications have led to more puzzles, more contradictions, more confusion, and a torrent of discord around the Northwestern community, and especially in Lake Charles, where Cowboy fans are still steaming about losing their homecoming game – after NSU had played Southeastern competitively a week following Caldwell’s death.

I am immensely sorry for the tragedy, but let’s not believe everything that’s said, from any corner. It is all alleged at this stage, except the most dire facts of Caldwell’s death. No witnesses. Just the fatal result of multiple gunshots, reportedly as many as 10.

There will be some bad actors unveiled through this investigation, and plenty of bad decisions, some tragic, that come to light. It may be a lot more simple, less far-reaching or broad in scope, than what was initially speculated.

The call to cancel the season magnified media attention, which has circulated and is percolating across national outlets, and not those who just cover sports. It’s going to shroud not only the football program, but the university and community, indefinitely. Businesspeople in Natchitoches tell me they are on edge fearing NSU’s enrollment dipping as a consequence.

The obvious and conventional alternative — finishing the season, with a reduced roster filled with eager, determined and noble players who had worked relentlessly for many months to play 11 football games, not six – seemed to better serve the majority of those involved, and may have limited the vast outreach.

Over 5,000 signatures on a petition — started by a player and suggested by a student government leader – futilely sought resumption of the schedule. That storyline would have been uplifting, no matter what the scoreboards said.

This is not 48 Hours or Dateline or 20/20, although we might see the sordid facts portrayed on those network news magazines. There won’t be a quick resolution, or simple truths, or a return to normalcy, for quite a while. There will soon be a new coach, and some positivity, for football, direction where none has existed since the cancellation announcement.

There’s a fog around my alma mater. When people ask me if I’m OK, I search for words. I found them Sunday night while watching the series finale of Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth.

Said noted political advisor, observer and strategist Mark McKinnon: “I’m a prisoner of hope.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

There’s a conference football championship to celebrate for the first time in 84 years.

There’s a first-ever berth in the NAIA national football playoffs.

And most of all, there’s the satisfaction of an incredible fourth-quarter rally on the road with those high stakes looking like they were slipping away.

Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, the Louisiana Christian University football program entered the fourth quarter trailing by 14 (24-10), on the road against 15th-ranked Texas Wesleyan, needing an additional 24 points while also shutting out a high-powered offense to earn an automatic bid to the NAIA playoffs.

The unlikely happed. The dramatic finish crowned LCU (9-1 overall) as Sooner Athletic Conference co-champions with a 7-1 mark, and thanks to the league’s tie-breaker policy, the Wildcats earned the SAC automatic berth into the NAIA Championships.

The ‘Cats will travel to Baldwin City, Kansas, this Saturday as the 21st seed in the playoffs, visiting No. 20 Baker (8-2). Kickoff time will be announced today but is expected to be an afternoon start.

The comeback started in earnest with 12:36 left in regulation when Kiaron Rudd burst through the Rams punt protection to block the kick. It was scooped up by Nate Sullivan who took it 40 yards for the score. The deficit was down to seven, and at that moment those in the stadium could feel the momentum shift.

A quick three-and-out by the LCU defense on the following possession further solidified the feeling that things were changing dramatically.

Sure enough, six plays and 71 yards later, Devin Briscoe rumbled in for his second score of the day to tie it at 24 apiece with still over nine minutes left to go.

The Rams punted it away again and the Wildcats took possession with five minutes on the clock. A conference championship was in clear reach (with a win) but the playoff berth (determined on margin of victory) seemed like a pipe dream, until it wasn’t.

Sal Palermo III found a wide-open Sammy Feaster streaking down the middle of the field, nobody within 10 yards of him and they connected for a go-ahead 70-yard TD.

Louisiana Christian had incredibly taken the lead back with three touchdowns in just over seven minutes to build a 31-24 lead with 4:17 left. But that seven-point spread wasn’t quite enough to punch a playoff ticket.

Before the scoreboard could even reach four minutes, the Cats had the ball back yet again thanks to an acrobatic one-handed interception by Cole Jones that gave LCU a short field in which to get the 10-point margin to swipe the playoff spot from the Rams.

The offense stalled at the Rams’ 27-yard line but a field goal was all Cats needed. With the field goal fluttering wide right and Texas Wesleyan reclaiming the ball with 2:55 left, the playoffs got pushed to the back burner as the main focus was keeping the SAC Championship intact.

The Rams couldn’t sustain a drive and punted away, with the margin just enough to give them the playoff spot. However, LCU had a different finish in mind. A 28-yard Taevion Cunningham run all but sealed the win and the share of the Sooner Conference title.

Coach Drew Maddox called a timeout with three seconds left, when a kneel down would’ve secured the SAC title. He wanted the playoffs.

Hunter Martensson, LCU’s long-range placekicker who had lost his grandparents earlier in the season, needed to make a 40-yard field goal to send the Cats dancing. The Rams called a timeout to try to ice him.

His kick seemingly hung in the air for an eternity, then started to veer towards the right goal post but curved back through.

The players stormed the field off the sideline, dogpiling on top of Martensson at the bottom. Hugs were given, tears were shed, a Gatorade shower was bestowed, and choruses of “ring me” were shouted from various student-athletes.

The Louisiana Christian Wildcats, who had never won a conference football championship in 84 seasons dating back to the early 1900s, a program that had made just one previous playoff appearance (NCAA Division III) since being resurrected in 2000, had earned a trip to the NAIA playoffs for the first time in school history.

“It’s an amazing feeling and I’m just so proud for our players and the guys that bought in and worked hard these last few years for us,” said Maddox on the bus ride home.

“Wow! What a year and what a comeback Saturday in Fort Worth. Coach Maddox and the staff and student-athletes of LCU’s football program are to be applauded for the turnaround we are witnessing,” University President Dr. Rick Brewer proclaimed. “Indeed, the strategic move to the NAIA continues to prove to be a significant “game changer” for every athletic program at LCU.”

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports 

The Peabody Warhorses planned to give coach Harry Coleman a night off for his 38th birthday. 

They had to settle for his first playoff victory instead. 

A two-game losing streak to end the regular season knocked the Warhorses out of position to get a first-round bye in the Division II Select playoffs. They slid to 14th in the power ratings and hosted Booker T. Washington of New Orleans in the first round on Friday night. 

The Warhorses clicked on all cylinders, getting contributions from all of their stars on both sides of the football en route to a dominating 42-6 victory. 

“I promised him that we were going to get a win for him,” said senior Dartavin Depass, who scored two rushing touchdowns and provided standout coverage in the secondary in Friday’s win. “We were supposed to be on a bye week, y’know, but we lost twice. It was supposed to be a bye week so he could have his fun, but unfortunately we had a game so I told him on his birthday we were gonna get a win.”

“They represented for Coach tonight,” Coleman said. “They told me they was gonna get one for the old dog, man. That’s why I appreciate it. Happy birthday to me.”

Coleman has said all season that he believes the Warhorses have enough offensive playmakers – quarterback Larry Roberts III, Depass and fellow senior Nate Francis in the backfield, and Depass and junior TJ Hullaby at receiver – to cause matchup problems against most teams. 

That was certainly the case against Booker T. Washington Friday night. 

The Warhorses (7-4) came out intent to establish the run on a rainy, wet night. They did so on their first two drives, which ended in a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Depass and a 6-yard rushing score by Francis, who compiled 82 rushing yards on the first two drives and 120 in the game.

“I told the guys we was gonna be physical the first couple of drives,” Coleman said. “I wanted to see how physical those guys from New Orleans was gonna be. We came out there and just ran the ball right at ‘em, doing what we do best.”

As BTW adjusted to the Peabody running game, that opened the passing game for Roberts and Hullaby, who connected on 34- and 40-yard touchdowns.

The Warhorses didn’t have to pass the ball often, but they were efficient when they did as Roberts finished 5-of-8 for 122 yards and two scores. 

Roberts’ first touchdown pass, in which he connected with Hullaby on a 34-yard post route where he placed the ball between two defenders, gave Peabody a 21-0 lead late in the second quarter. 

But the Lions (4-7) answered with their only scoring drive of the night ,as senior Demyren Washington connected with Lamaaj Nelson, who made a one-handed grab for a 24-yard touchdown to cut the Warhorse lead to 21-6 at halftime. 

Jordan Veal recovered a muffed punt at the 1-yard line to set up the second Depass TD run early in the third quarter, and Hullaby put the Warhorses ahead 35-6 with just over five minutes left in the third quarter when he caught the ball on a curl route, shook a tackler and turned on the jets for a 40-yard touchdown. 

Hullaby later scrambled for 24 yards on a fake punt to get the ball deep into BTW territory and set up the final Peabody touchdown, a 1-yard run by Tru Martin. 

The Warhorses rushed for 227 yards in the game as they dominated both lines of scrimmage. 

“Man, them boys had a hell of a week at practice,” Coleman said. “They paid attention to detail. They understood the game plan. They executed the game plan to the best of their abilities. When I got Nate, Dartavin, TJ, everybody clicking on the same cylinders, it’s gonna be hard to beat us.”

MENARD 23, HOUMA CHRISTIAN 8

Seniors Cooper Scott and Gavin Hilton made big plays on both sides of the ball to lift the Eagles (8-3) to victory. 

Scott returned an interception 45 yards in the first quarter to get Menard on the scoreboard, and Hilton added a 9-yard touchdown run as the Eagles opened a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Hilton also had a big interception in the second half. 

Menard added a defensive safety early in the fourth quarter to take a 16-point lead, but after being in firm control the entire game, it suddenly became a one-possession contest courtesy of an 8o-yard touchdown pass from Brady Marcel to Joseph Landry. 

Scott put the game away with a 49-yard touchdown run with 1:44 to play to propel the Eagles into the second round of the Division III playoffs. Scott’s touchdown was set up by a 15-yard run by Ryan Hicks on a fake punt. 

The Eagles attempted just three passes on a wet night – though Jake Vaughn completed all three for 38 yards – and ran the ball 56 times for 244 yards in the victory. Vaughn led the Eagles with 85 rushing yards on 28 carries, while Scott added 51 yards. 

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports 

Travis Adams rushed for five touchdowns as the Tioga Indians broke open a tie game late in the first half and ran away with a 48-14 victory over L.W. Higgins in the first round of the Division I Select LHSAA football playoffs Friday night. 

The two teams traded touchdowns early in the game, but No. 10 Tioga scored 34 unanswered points to end the game as Adams and Cace Malone combined for 353 rushing yards. 

“He’s good to have back,” Tioga coach Kevin Cook said of Adams, who returned in Week 10 after missing several games with a foot injury. “He had a big night, but honestly the way they structured their defense there at the end, they were just giving it to him, and I was glad to take it.”

The Indians (9-2) wasted no time in jumping on top, scoring in just four plays on their opening drive. After a 46-yard pass from Malone to Josh Loyd, Adams took a handoff 6 yards into the end zone for his first score and a 7-0 lead. 

Higgins, the No. 23 seed, answered right back, driving down the field and cutting the Tioga lead to 7-6 on a 1-yard run by Wardell Mitchell. 

But the Tioga offensive machine was just getting cranked up, as the Indians came right back with a 71-yard drive. Loyd made a beautiful run to score a 30-yard touchdown as he came in motion and took a flip pass from Malone, found his way to the sideline and then sidestep juked his way between two Hurricane defenders at the 5-yard line to find the end zone. 

Mitchell’s second 1-yard TD run tied the game at 14, but that would be the end of the Hurricanes’ scoring. 

The game turned late in the first half when Adams scored his second touchdown from 3 yards out with 1:15 left and the Indians recovered a mishandled kickoff. Adams punched in his third TD of the game from 8 yards out, and suddenly a tie game was a two-score Indian lead at the half. 

Tioga added three more scores in the third quarter as Malone, the Indians’ sophomore quarterback, ran it in from 10 yards out and Adams followed with 31- and 46-yard bursts. 

Cook said the Hurricanes (3-8) brought a safety into the box to try to stop the run, which gave Adams extra room to work when he got to the secondary. He also credited the Indians’ offensive line for wearing Higgins out in the second half. 

“Our o-line just kind of took over, and I’m grateful for the win,” Cook said.

Loyd added an interception and 50-yard return to set up Adams’ 31-yard touchdown. 

Adams finished the game with a career-high 245 rushing yards on 29 carries, and Malone added 108 rushing yards on 12 carries. Malone also completed 4 of 5 passes for 95 yards, and Loyd had two receptions for 76 yards. 

CARENCRO 57, PINEVILLE 7

Cashmire Batiste rushed for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns as the No. 9 Bears (9-2) scored five times in the first quarter and opened a 50-point lead at halftime over the 24th-seeded Rebels (2-9). 

Sophomore quarterback Chantz Babineaux opened the scoring for Carencro with a 35-yard touchdown run, and the Bears made it 15-0 when Kaiden Castille picked off a Pineville screen pass and returned it for a touchdown. 

Batiste then scored the first of his five touchdowns, and the Bears never looked back. 

Pineville’s Tyler Null recovered a fumble on the final play of the third quarter, which set up a 25-yard touchdown run by Hy’keem Mix for the Rebels’ only touchdown.  

DE LA SALLE 42, BUCKEYE 0

The high-powered Panther offense finally met its match in the first round of the playoffs. 

Buckeye (5-6) had scored at least 30 points in eight straight games, but No. 15 De La Salle (5-6) bottled up the 18th-seeded Panthers all game, limiting them to just 52 yards of offense. 

Jim Burlew, the parish’s leading rusher with over 1,500 yards and 28 touchdowns, was held to just 14 yards on 13 carries in the game. 

The Cavaliers scored on five of their seven first-half possessions and got over 200 combined rushing yards and four scores from the trio of Jason Banks, Kobe Pounds and Troy Williams. Evan Arceneaux threw for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns. 

Here is a complete list of the LHSAA football first round playoff scores.

SELECT 

Division I 

16-Jesuit 23, 17-Byrd 2 

9-Carencro 57, 24-Pineville 7 

21-Woodlawn-BR 16. 12-Huntington 6 

13-Alexandria Senior High 58, 20-Bonnabel 9 

14-John Ehret 41, 19-Riverdale 7 

22-St. Augustine 43, 11-McKinley 6 

10-Tioga 48, 23-Higgins 14 

18-Rummel 34, 15-Northwood 14 

Division II 

17-Istrouma 38, 16-Northside 16
9-Livingston Collegiate 11, 24-BTW 8, OT 
12-Evangel 49, 21-Belaire 0 
13-Vandebilt Cath. 28, 20-Frederick Douglass 6 

14-Peabody 42, 19-BTW-NO 6 
11-McDonogh #35 28, 22-LB Landry 0 
10-Madison Prep 54, 23-Woodlawn-Shreveport 0 

15-De La Salle 42, 18-Buckeye 0 

Division III 
17-Ascension Episcopal 34, 16-Loyola 17 
9-Notre Dame 49, 24-Green Oaks 14 
21-Lake Charles Prep 34, 12-Pope John Paul 7 
13-Patrick Taylor 52, 20-Sophie Wright 42 
19-St. Thomas Aquinas 36, 14-Northlake Chr. 25 
11-Episcopal 50, 22-M.L. King Charter 6 

15-Menard 23, 18-Houma Christian 8 

Division IV 
17-Delhi Charter 26, 16-Slaughter Charter 22 
9-Ascension Cath. 48, 24-Central Private 14 
12-Catholic-PC 42, 21-Cedar Creek 0 
20-Covenant Chr. 35, 13-Delta Charter 6 
19-Westminster 7, 14-St. Edmund 6 
11-Glenbrook 49, 22-Sacred Heart 12 
10-Central Cath. 28, 23-Hamilton Chr. 6 
15-Hanson 34, 18-St. John 13  

NON-SELECT 

Division I 
16-Westgate 27, 17-Terrebonne 10 
9-Walker 55, 24-Benton 26 
25-Northshore 9, 8-West Monroe 7 
5-St. Amant 31, 28-Ouachita 3 
21-Mandeville 50 ,12-Sam Houston 36 
13-Southside 42, 21-Thibodaux 9 
14-Belle Chasse 43, 19-Parkway 16 
11-Salmen 20, 22-West Ouachita 17 
6-Zachary 51, 27-Barbe 14 
7-Dutchtown 42, 26-South Lafourche 0 
10-Chalmette 35, 23-Ponchatoula 28 
18-Central-BR 43, 15-East St. John 15 

Division II 
17-DeRidder 28, 16-Lakeshore 21 
9-Plaquemine 45, 24-Albany 0 
8-Iowa 49, 25-Grant 0 
5-West Feliciana 42, 28-Minden 8 
12-Opelousas 57, 21-Rayne 6 
13-Abbeville 34, 20-Pearl River 20 
19-Breaux Bridge 35, 14-Eunice 19 
22-Northwest 42, 11-Franklin Parish 20 
6-Wossman 26, 27-Brusly 7 
26-St. Martinville 46, 7-Leesville 40 
10-Jennings 34, 23-Kaplan 6 
15-Iota 35, 18-Church Point 6 

Division III 
16-Caldwell Parish 13, 17-Richwood 6 
9-Jewell Sumner 18, 24-S. Beauregard 14 
8-Amite 21, 25-Donaldsonville 6 
5-Bogalusa 42, 28-Westlake 7 
12-Loreauville 40, 21-Rayville 12 
20-Port Allen 25, 13-St. Helena 18 
14-North Webster 42, 19-Patterson 0 
11-South Plaquemines 34, 22-Port Barre 16 
6-Many 61, 27-Springfield 0 
7-Pine 38, 26-Red River 16 
23-Avoyelles 28, 10-Kinder 22 
18-Mansfield 31, 15-Marksville 28 

Division IV
16-Franklin 46, 17-Grand Lake 13
9-White Castle 52, 24-Varnado 0 
8-Welsh 42, 25-Basile 20 
5-Jearnerette 12, 28-West St. John 6 
12-East Feliciana 38, 21-Elton 0 
20-General Trass 22, 13-Arcadia 6 
19-Lake Arthur 46, 14-Montgomery 35 
22-Centerville 40, 11-Oberlin 26 
6-Mangham 54, 27-Lakeview 14 
7-Homer 28, 26-Delhi 7 
10-Oakdale 53, 23-East Beauregard 21 
15-Ferriday 34, 18-Jonesboro-Hodge 6 

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Services

BATON ROUGE – LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was in concussion protocol last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

By Wednesday, he was running 20 miles per hour.

By late Saturday night here in Tiger Stadium, he dodged, ducked and darted his way repeatedly through Florida’s defense and sprinted into Tigers’ football lore with the greatest offensive performance in the history of the storied Southeastern Conference.

He had no other choice. As porous as LSU’s defense again played, it was the only way the No. 19 Tigers could escape with a 52-35 SEC victory and a  fifth straight win over the Gators.

In a game featuring eight touchdowns in a wild second half, Daniels set an SEC record for most total offensive yardage in a game. He had 606 yards, completing 17 of 26 passes for 372 yards and 3 TDs and 234 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries, breaking the league mark of 585 total offense yards established by Mississippi State QB K.J. Costello in a 2020 season-opening win over LSU in Tiger Stadium.

“He (God) made me able to be tough and get through stuff quickly,” said Daniels, who recovered from the concussion he sustained in last Saturday’s loss at Alabama to become 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 single game. “It was my first concussion, so I did everything they (LSU’s team doctors and trainers) said I needed to do. I progressed early. It just worked out.”

LSU head coach Brian Kelly said Daniels’ performance removed all doubt he’s the best college football player on the planet this season, despite Daniels’ Heisman Trophy chances being poo-pooed because of the Tigers’ 7-3 record (5-2 in the SEC West).

“You can say whatever you want, we’re 7-3 and somebody else is undefeated,” Kelly said. “That doesn’t mean anything. What matters is who’s the best player. He’s the best player and I’ve watched them all.”

Like in almost every SEC game to date this season, Daniels simply refused to let the Tigers lose.

After Florida took its first lead of the game at 28-24 on QB Graham Mertz’s 1-yard run with 7:16 left in the third quarter, Daniels just dug a little deeper.

He finished off a second half in which he led the Tigers to five TDs on five possessions before taking a knee on LSU’s final snap of the game.

Daniels’ 51-yard TD run, in which he eventually escaped the pocket and glided down the middle of Florida’s defense before cutting to his right and picking up some finishing blocks (“There some things I do I can’t explain,” he said), re-gained the LSU lead for good at 31-28 with 6:09 left in the third quarter. 

While Florida scored just one TD the rest of the way (with LSU matching it with a TD), Daniels and the Tigers’ offense cashed in touchdowns off the three other Florida possessions the Tigers’ defense finally stopped in the game’s last 19½ minutes.

The Tigers finished with 701 yards total offense, averaging 11.5 yards per play. Receivers Brian Thomas (6 catches for 150 yards, including TDs of 37 and 7 yards in the game’s last 9:14) and Malik Nabers (6 for 132) combined for 12 catches for 282 yards.

Florida, which trailed just 17-14 at halftime, finished with 488 total offense yards. Mertz, a transfer from Wisconsin, threw for 311 yards and one TD. Louisiana natives Trevor Etienne (Jennings High) and Montell Johnson (New Orleans De La Salle) led the Gators’ rushing attack with 99 yards and 3 TDs on 18 carries, and 70 yards on 16 attempts respectively.

Great numbers, but not enough to outgun Daniels, who also scooted for an 85-yard TD in the second quarter that’s the longest TD scoring run ever by an LSU QB.

“We probably should have played more for the quarterback run,” Florida linebacker Derek Wingo said. “He (Daniels) is a great player. He came out and competed.”

Second-year Florida head coach Billy Napier praised his team’s effort, but he knew LSU would be a tough out in its house.

“Tiger Stadium is a great venue, it’s a challenge to play here,” Napier said. “LSU is very accomplished on offense. They have an elite group of players and were tough to stop. We stopped them a handful of times but not nearly enough.”

Especially never finding a way to slow down Daniels, who had 10 plays of 20 or more yards vs. the Gators, raising his season total to 75.

“Give him the Heisman now,” LSU running back Noah Cain said of Daniels. “He’s been a difference-maker all season and I don’t think there’s another player more deserving.”

The 102,231 fans who witnessed the greatest home performance ever by a Tiger in Death Valley certainly concur.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

LSU 52, Florida 35

Score by quarters

Scoring summary

LSU – Josh Williams 1 run (Damian Ramos kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:01

FLA – Eugene Wilson III 9 pass from Graham Mertz (Trey Smack kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:01

LSU – Ramos 28 FG, 7 plays, 79 yards, 2:46

LSU – Jayden Daniels 85 run (Ramos kick), 1 play, 85 yards, 0:13

FLA – Trevor Etienne 7 run (Smack kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:51

LSU – Kaleb Jackson 5 run (Ramos kick), 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:32

FLA – Etienne 21 run (Smack kick), 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:28

FLA – Mertz 1 run (Smack kick), 5 plays, 23 yards, 2:16

LSU – Daniels 51 run (Ramos kick), 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:07

LSU – Noah Cain 6 pass from Daniels (Ramos kick), 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:01

FLA – Etienne 5 run (Smack kick), 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:51

LSU – Brian Thomas Jr. 37 pass from Daniels (Ramos kick), 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:13

LSU – Thomas 7 pass from Daniels (Ramos kick), 7 plays, 49 yards, 4:09

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING

FLA – Etienne 18-99, 3 TDs; Montrel Johnson Jr. 16-70; Mertz 7-7, 1 TD; Wilson 1-6.

LSU – Daniels 12-234, 2 TDs; Williams 11-30, 1 TD; Cain 5-25; John Emery Jr. 2-22; Jackson 3-19, 1 TD; Team 1-minus-1.

PASSING

FLA – Mertz 26-38-0-311, 1 TD.

LSU – Daniels 17-26-0-372, 3 TDs.

RECEIVING

FLA – Ricky Pearsall 7-103; Johnson 6-65; Wilson 6-63, 1 TD; Arlis Boardingham 3-21; Hayden Hansen 2-34; Marcus Burke 1-20; Etienne 1-5.

LSU – Thomas 6-150, 2 TDs; Nabers 6-132; Chris Hilton Jr. 2-21; Williams 1-45; Mason Taylor 1-18; Cain 1-6, 1 TD.

TACKLES

FLA – Jaydon Hill 5-2—7; Chris McClellan 1-5—6; Jalen Kimber 4-1—5; Scooby Williams 1-4—5; Caleb Banks 3-2—5; Kelby Collins 0-5—5; Jordan Castell 1-3—4; Mannie Nunnery 2-2—4; Jason Marshall Jr. 3-0—3; Jamari Lyons 1-2—3; Princely Umanmielen 1-1—2; Bryce Thornton 2-0—2; Miguel Mitchell 1-1—2; Derek Wingo 0-2—2; Tyreak Sapp 1-0—1; Cam Jackson 0-1—1; Ja’Keem Jackson 1-0—1; T.J. Searcy 0-1—1.

LSU – Omar Speights 3-9—12; Javien Toviano 5-5—10; Harold Perkins Jr. 6-2—8; Major Burns 5-3—8; Greg Penn III 2-4—6; Jordan Jefferson 3-3—6; Ovie Oghoufo 3-2—5; Andre Sam 2-3—5; Sai’vion Jones 1-4—5; Jacobian Guillory 1-3—4; Bradyn Swinson 2-1—3; Sage Ryan 2-1—3; Ryan Yaites 1-2—3; Laterrance Welch 1-1—2; Paris Shand 1-1—2; Maason Smith 0-1—1; Da’Shawn Womack 0-1—1; Ashton Stamps 1-0—1; Jeremiah Hughes 0-1—1; West Weeks 0-1—1.

Rapides felony arrests are accusations, not convictions.

November 9

Joshua Brown, 39, Monroe — 1st degree rape, aggravated assault/home invasion two counts, resisting, domestic abuse battery, false imprisonment, assault, criminal damage, $2,000 bail;

Noel Cabrera, 31, Alexandria — indecent behavior with juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of minor, no bail set;

Yaniabell Garcia, 26, LeCompte — probation violation, felony flight, motor vehicle theft, contempt, $1,000 bail;

William Sands, 22, Alexandria — firearm possession by convicted felon, no bail set;

Christina Sword, 23, Alexandria — domestic abuse battery serious injury, no bail set;

Ladarius Taylor, 42, Alexandria — murder 2nd degree four counts, bail $1.6 million;

Jimique Tison, 27, Alexandria — aggravated assault/domestic abuse, possession firearm by convicted felon, no bond set.

November 10
Eddie Byrd, 19, Alexandria — felony flight, no driver’s license, tail lamps must emit red, $5,200 bail.

November 11
Trimia Brevelle, 26, Alexandria — aggravated battery, domestic abuse battery, $1,500 bail;

Toby Hall, 34, Alexandria — contraband penal facility, theft, contempt two counts, $3,000 bail;

Trent Lindsay, 20, Pineville — attempted murder 2nd degree, child desertion, cruelty to juvenile, $500 bail;

Antoine Williams, 33, Pineville — possession firearm by convicted felon, resisting, theft, $1,000 bail.

Rapides felony drug arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

November 9
Jenesha Bush, 27, Alexandria — possession, theft, contempt nine counts, $42,000 bail;

Amanda Chamblee, 41, Pineville — possession, paraphernalia, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, contempt two counts, $8,000 bail;

Jason Craig, 36, Alexandria — possession two counts, aggravated assault/domestic abuse battery, $28,500 bail;

Christina Gilchrist, 42, Alexandria — possession, probation violation, contempt, $4,500 bail;

Sincere Holmes, 23, Alexandria — possession two counts, possession firearm in presence of drugs, possession firearm by convicted felon, possession paraphernalia, resisting, contempt, parole violations, $102,500 bail;

Jake Jefferson, 41, Alexandria — possession with intent, possession two counts, running red light, parole violation, $100 bail;

Vence Turner, 39, Alexandria — possession, stalking, home invasion/aggravated assault, contempt two counts, $31,500 bail.  

November 10

Cartavious Daniels, 29, Alexandria — possession, $1,000. 

November 11

Olivia Holton, 22, Alexandria — possession with intent, contempt, $15,000 bail. 

By JIM BUTLER

Alleged violence is a recurring entry on Jeremy Stafford’s rap sheet.

Stafford was arrested Wednesday on charges of aggravated kidnapping, robbery first degree and theft. Two contempt counts are also lodged.

Stafford, 22, of Alexandria remains in jail with bail set at $600,500.

He first entered the legally adult penal world in December 2018, charged with 1st degree rape, two counts of battery, motor vehicle theft, felony flight, resisting and a bevy of traffic charges.

In May 2021 Stafford was back in custody, charged with aggravated assault and home invasion, as well as probation violations.

In August of this year he was picked up on two contempt warrants.

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – After LSU women’s head basketball coach Kim Mulkey raised a stink about the lack of energy displayed by her veterans in Monday’s season opening 14-point upset loss to No. 20 Colorado, the No. 1 ranked Lady Tigers raised their 2023 NCAA national championship banner before Thursday night’s home opener in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

After receiving their national championship rings, LSU finally put the glorious 2022-23 season to rest by burying Queens University of Charlotte 112-55 before a crowd of 10,371.

“When I tell you it (Wednesday’s practice) it was so intense and hard, I had to ask (associate head coach) Bob (Starkey) to take over because I needed to take a deep breath,” Mulkey said. “They (her team) want to please, but they aren’t comfortable yet.

“It’s okay to be uncomfortable right now. I want them to be uncomfortable. I want them to hurt. And I want them to remember how bad that was on Monday. And it wasn’t the loss. It was how you play – no guts, no heart, no fire, no energy.”

Mulkey, displeased about her team’s lack of inside offensive and defensive toughness and lackadaisical rebounding vs. Colorado, was rewarded with LSU’s 68-12 points in the paint and 49-21 rebounding dominations Thursday.

Against a vastly weaker opponent, LSU (1-1) did what it was supposed to do from start to finish.

Returning starters Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson, the most obvious Tigers’ veterans who sleepwalked their way through the stunning 92-78 loss to the Buffaloes in the Hall of Fame Series game in Las Vegas, played with the expected required energy and focus.

Reese’s double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds featured her scoring 21 first-half points as LSU’s 17-0 run to open the second quarter expanded the Tigers’ 13-point first-quarter lead to 26 points (56-30) at halftime.

“I felt I let my team down on Monday and trying to get back to the player that I am and that they know me for,” Reese said. “So I just went for rebounds first and then just trying to score as much as I can and do whatever it takes to win.

“We had to respond tonight. It was important for us to respond. I think we responded.”

Although Johnson’s offensive stats – 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 6 rebounds weren’t as eye-catching as Reese’s – she was a relentless defender with 3 steals and 3 blocked shots.

Mulkey’s only starting lineup switch from Monday’s opener was starting 6-2 returning sophomore Sa’Myah Smith instead of 6-1 DePaul transfer Annesah Morrow.

Smith, who scored 16 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench vs. Colorado, scored a career-high 21 points and collected 8 rebounds in her first college start.

Morrow was solid also, scoring 16 points in 19 minutes. Freshman guard Mikaylah Williams of Parkway High, who got in first-half foul trouble after starting her second straight game, finished with 9 points in 16 minutes.

The fact LSU’s 112 points was the second most in Mulkey’s 70 games as the Lady Tigers’ coach meant nothing to her.

“I don’t even care that we scored in the hundreds,” Mulkey said. “I’m so focused on defense right now. I’m challenging some of them like they’ve never been challenged in their life. From body language to being in a stance to talking on defense, to where are your angles. It’s just got to be that way.”

Junior guard Nicole Gwynn, playing her second game for Queens after transferring from South Carolina State, refused to let her get embarrassed. She scored a team-high 26 points, wowing the crowd by hitting 8 of 14 extremely deep rainbow 3-pointers.

“I’m just super happy and thrilled we got a chance to play against them,” Gwynn said. “This is really big for us.”

Mulkey complimented Queens head coach Jen Brown for allowing her team to sit on its bench and watch LSU’s pregame ring ceremony and banner raising.

“Just being to be able a part of history and talking to Coach Kim and the opportunity to see their ring ceremony and the banners is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Brown, whose team is 0-2 after also losing at Ole Miss on Monday. “It’s something we’ll cherish forever.”

Meanwhile, LSU is back in action with two home games in three days starting with Sunday’s 2 p.m. matchup with Mississippi Valley followed by a Tuesday 11 a.m. matchup with Kent State.

“We’re not a polished product, we’re a work in progress,” Mulkey said. “I don’t know when it’ll be really, really good. But we’ll get there.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com