From Thursday through Saturday, Downtown Alexandria will turn into a vibrant festival playground with Alex River Fête. Enjoy three days of music, featuring an eclectic mix of big-name and emerging artists across multiple stages.
Dinner on the Bricks: Start the festivities from 5-9 p.m. on Thursday with a feast of local flavors on Third Street, where dining meets community spirit.
Que’in on the Red: Experience fierce competition in our barbecue battle, sanctioned by the Barbecue Competitors Alliance, featuring categories like chicken, pork spare ribs, and beef brisket.
Art Fête: Explore a world of creativity with stunning artworks in various mediums, perfect for art enthusiasts looking to add to their collections or just to browse and enjoy.
IndieFête: Celebrate the spirit of local, independent creativity at IndieFête, offering a unique blend of crafts, art and performances.
Food and Refreshment: Indulge in a variety of delicious offerings at Food Truck Alley and unwind in the Beer Garden for those over 21.
Luminary Procession (Friday, 8 p.m.): The Alexandria Museum of Art’s Luminary Procession is a dazzling parade of hand crafted, life sized art pieces made by local artists and community members!
Join us for a weekend of joy, culture, and community spirit. Alex River Fête is more than just a festival — it’s a vibrant showcase of what makes Alexandria unique. For more details, visit alexriverfete.com. Come hungry, leave inspired, and make lasting memories!
James Arlis “Jim” Dyess July 3, 1938 – April 26, 2024 Service: Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 1pm at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home, Alexandria.
Madelyn Blaize Kleinpeter Gaspar May 26, 1928 – April 25, 2024 Service: Friday, May 3, 2024, 11am at St. Rita’s Catholic Church, Alexandria.
Nancy Simpson Davis September 25, 1946 – April 26, 2024 Service: Friday, May 3, 2024, 2pm at Hixson Brothers Alexandria.
Hannon Louis Roy jr January 13, 1952 – April 22, 2024 Service: Saturday, May 4, 2024, 10am at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery #2, Marksville.
Quincy Delmonte Martin Alfred August 20, 2003 – April 22, 2024 Service: Saturday, May 4, 2024, 1pm at Calvary Tabernacle, 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 playground at Alexandria’s Compton Park was recently improved and dedicated in tribute to the late Jonathan Martin.
By JIM BUTLER
The late Jonathan Martin was a familiar sight at Alexandria’s Compton Park, a regular walker and persistent litter fighter.
Now his name will be associated with the park off Herman Lane adjacent to Nachman Elementary as long as there is a park.
Formally opened and dedicated last week, the Jonathan E. Martin Memorial Grove passed the kid test over the weekend, hosting dozens of youngsters out with families for a breezy Spring day Saturday or Sunday.
In addition to the latest in playground facility, other contributions in the package include improvements to the walking trail, placement of limestone benches and the addition of several cypress trees.
Trees, of course, are the base product for what has become RoyOMartin, the company Johnathan had led as chairman, CEO and president. He passed in 2019 at age 70.
“Johnny loved to visit Compton Park and we can’t think of a better way to honor his life,” said Roy O. Martin III at the dedication.
The City Council at its meeting today is expected to accept the low bid Tuesday for demolition of the former Rush Cleaners site on Bolton Avenue.
That is the next step in eventually moving the ATRANS transfer hub from 2nd & Murray Streets to the former laundry location.
That transfer is part of the long-range redevelopment of the Bolton corridor.
The tract is a Brownfield site, a federal designation referring to land previously used for commercial or industrial purposes and likely containing hazardous waste or pollution.
Rush operated on the 210 Bolton site for the last half of the 20th century. The city over time has purchased what is now essentially slum property.
Previous testing found no asbestos in the dilapidated structures on site but detected very high concentrations of carcinogenic dry cleaning chemicals in groundwater and soil tests to a depth of 32 feet.
EPA funding is being sought for the cleanup. With proper remediation and restoration the site can be reclaimed for other uses.
LSU’s women’s gymnastics team won its first national championship in the program’s 50th year 10 days ago, and we Alexandrians have a local connection to this historic team, even though she has not lived here most of her life.
Annie Beard, a 5-foot-5 sophomore, wasn’t a regular competitor for the Tigers this season — after being sidelined with injuries all last season — but she was there with social media sensation Olivia Dunne and superstar Haleigh Bryant and all other big-name gymnasts on the team at meet after meet. She was deservedly there in all the championship celebrations because, as Coach Jay Ward often said during the season, each person on the team was important to the team’s success.
She had to prepare just like everyone else each week because there were times when she was the first alternate and had to be ready, should one of the starters be sidelined, to step up to the moment and shine as brightly as all the others.
“My role this year was to be the best teammate I could be,” Annie said the day after the champions’ parade in Baton Rouge. “Coach always emphasized we are a team. We represent LSU. We win together. Nothing is ever about an individual. No matter what role we play, we are a part of the team.”
The Tigers bought into that philosophy.
“Our generation’s perception is how can you better yourself, what’s best for you,” Annie said. “On this team, it was all about ‘we.’ Everybody played their role and committed to each other. We represent the team and the university.”
And then there’s this pride Annie has about representing Alexandria, the city where she was born. This is the city where her 86-year-old paternal grandfather, Glenn Beard, was the police chief from Feb. 8, 1983-May 17, 1991. It’s where her uncle, Greg Beard, is the chief judge of the Ninth Judicial Court, and where her father, Ronnie, is an assistant district attorney for Rapides Parish. “I claim Alexandria as my hometown,” she said, “because in competing for LSU I get to represent my home state.”
Annie’s lack of time in Alexandria is all about gymnastics. Her parents, Ronnie and Jennifer, noticed Annie’s extraordinary talent in gymnastics at an early age, and believed she could best develop those skills elsewhere.
“We did a lot of things and made a lot of sacrifices where we could give her the best training possible,” said Ronnie. That included a move with her mom to Coppel, Texas, where Annie could train under former Olympic and world champion Kim Zmeskal, who started Texas Dreams Gymnastics in 2001. She trained there for about 10 years and under his direction, she was a top-5 finisher in at least three major events. That included at age 12, a Junior Olympics all-around championship in, of all places, Fort Worth, Texas – the site of LSU’s NCAA title performance.
Another career highlight came in 2017 when she qualified for “elite” gymnastics status in Allentown, Pa. That thrill prompted her on a sightseeing trip with her dad to Philadelphia, about 90 minutes down the road, to do something memorable. She did the Rocky Balboa run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and she did the Rocky celebration dance by the statue of the famous boxing champion of the silver screen.
A big inspiration on the road to her achieving a lifetime dream of signing a national letter-of-intent to LSU was her older sister, Caroline, a cancer survivor who now works in nursing administration at Rapides Regional Medical Center. She spent a significant part of her life at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. It was an ordeal that included losing one of her eyes.
“She’s my best friend,” Annie said. “We’re four years apart. I’ve been through some injuries and surgeries, but the strength she has shown in her fight with cancer blows my mind. She’s a major role model in my life.”
Annie’s life has had its share of fond memories, especially being an integral if not obvious contributor to LSU’s national gymnastics championship, but as the line of a famous song says, “It’s only just begun.”
The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame has announced that the Natchitoches based Rock & Roll and R&B group, Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs will be inducted into the Hall with their formal presentation being made at the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival on May 11th at the close of the Moondogs’ main set on the main stage at approximately 6:50 p.m.
According to Hall of Fame Executive Director, Mike Shepherd, the Moondogs check off several critical boxes that the Hall used for determining the band’s eligibility. “The main thing is just the band’s extensive contributions to Louisiana music and Louisiana musical heritage over the three decades of the Moondogs’ existence.”
“The Moondogs have been widely respected as a top quality show band not only in Louisiana but throughout the South for 30 years and that alone may have qualified them for inclusion into the Hall,” Shepherd continued. “But, their contributions to the music of our state goes far beyond that.”
Shepherd went on to say that the Selection Committee also considered the band’s charitable contributions. Over the years, they have unselfishly helped various charitable organizations raise millions of dollars. One of those charities is the James Burton Foundation for which the band has helped raise money to buy thousands of guitars for children in schools and hospitals.
The Moondogs also recorded an album several years ago, “Reflections on the Cane,” and donated all the proceeds from the sales of that album to the Louisiana Special Olympics which recognized that the Moondogs and the album as having been that organization’s “Project of the Year.” The Moondogs have also recorded several other albums of both original music and covers which received wide-spread critical acclaim. Their music has been featured on compilation albums and in a Hollywood movie.
“The fact that the band has its own syndicated radio show which regularly features Louisiana music, both recorded and live in the studio, was also a factor in determining the band’s eligibility for the Hall.” Shepherd went on to say. “I know that no other band in Louisiana has its own radio show, and seriously doubt if there is another regional band in the United States that has one.”
Over the band’s storied 30-year existence, they have performed and worked to bring together many legendary and iconic musical artists. The Moondogs brought together Elvis Presley’s former band members, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, James Burton and D. J. Fontana, along with former Elvis backup singer, Estelle Brown, and had them performing together for the first time since the King’s death in 1977.
In addition, the Moondogs have performed with Rick Derringer, Trombone Shorty, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Wayne Toups, Jo-El Sonnier, Sonny Landreth, Steve Lukather, T. Graham Brown, John Gros, Sam the Sham, Mitch Ryder, Albert Lee, and Peter Rivera of Rare Earth, to name just a few. Johnny Earthquake, himself, has been invited to perform as a guest artist with The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, BadFinger and Percy Sledge, among others.
In short, Shepherd says that the inclusion of Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs into this hallowed group is probably long overdue. “Oh, we’ve been following them for years,” concluded Shepherd. “We
Inducted their bandleader and Johnny Earthquake himself, Rodney Harrington, into the Hall several years ago and it was just a matter of time before all members of the Moondogs, past and present, were brought in as well. It is extremely well deserved to show our great appreciation for their contributions to the rich musical heritage of our state.”
Having the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame golf tournament in Alexandria is nothing new. It just hasn’t happened in six years.
In a couple of weeks, a couple dozen state sports stars will come from around Louisiana and beyond for a festive evening event and a scramble golf tournament the following day.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Spring Celebrity Golf Classic is Tuesday, May 14 at Oakwing Golf Club in Alexandria. There’s a Pairings Party at Oakwing on Monday evening, May 13. To participate, visit LaSportsHall.com to register using a credit card.
It’s been since 2018 that Oakwing has been the host for the LSHOF golf event. Then, it was held as part of the annual June induction weekend. Since, the LSHOF Foundation, led by Menard High graduate and former LSU baseball pitcher Ronnie Rantz, has staged separate Golf Classic events in the fall and spring.
During the summer Induction Celebration June 20-22, Cenla is still included on the itinerary in two months with the BOM Bowling Bash. It’s set for Friday, June 21 at Four Seasons Bowling Center. For details and participation opportunities including great food, festivities and kegling with the Class of 2024 are available now through LaSportsHall.com.
But first, the Spring Golf Classic is more than just 18 holes of great fun on a course in peak condition.
The event has been staged over the past few years at the University Club in Baton Rouge, at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, and at Squire Creek outside of Ruston.
The Monday evening, May 13 Pairings Party runs from 6-9 p.m. inside, and outside, at the Oakwing clubhouse. It includes experiences and sports and music memorabilia available in a silent auction, with a festive and casual vibe with a DJ, food stations, an open bar for beer, wine and soft drinks, with a cash bar for call drinks.
All golfers will get two tickets to the party, and those who are not playing can also take part in Monday evening’s festivities by purchasing tickets online.
Oakwing’s 128-yard No. 10 par-3, cozied up to the back patio, will host Closest to the Hole and Hole in One contests for $10,000. A $25,000 Putting Contest will begin and culminate the following afternoon.
On May 14th, golfers go off in a shotgun start at 10 a.m., with registration opening at 8:30 when breakfast is available and the range opens. Also, the golf contests ramp back up.
The golf scramble format: Three-man teams paired with a celebrity or four golfers with no celebrity. This is a fundraiser for the LSHOF Foundation’s efforts hosting the annual induction festivities as well as improving the amazing museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches, so there is a cost: $1,200 per team, or individuals can get in the game at $350 per player. Each foursome gets eight tickets to the Pairings Party; individual entries receive two Pairings Party tickets.
Tee sponsorships are available.
What’s for dinner Monday night? Says Rantz, who knows good food when he sees it: “We’ll have typical Cajun Monday night dishes – red beans, rice and sausage; fried catfish; chicken drumettes, Natchitoches meat pies.
“On Tuesday, out on the course will be eight food stations, four on each side, along with complimentary beer, water, sports drinks and soft drinks. The food vendors will be some of Cenla’s best and others traveling from Baton Rouge and Natchitoches and Cajun country,” he says.
For those who are not internet savvy, call the Hall of Fame Foundation office at 318-238-4255 for info.
JUMP UP: LSU has won its last two SEC series while Gage Jump has given the Tigers two shutdown opening-game starts. (Photo by SIERRA BEAULIEU, LSU Athletics)
By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – Former LSU head baseball coach Skip Bertman passed his adage of shrugging off occasional non-conference losses to Paul Mainieri, one of his successors.
But current Tigers’ coach Jay Johnson doesn’t subscribe to such an approach.
Especially not this season when LSU (28-17, 7-14 SEC), by winning 4 of its last 6 conference games after a 3-12 start in the league, is scrounging for every positive morsel to stick on a resume to rally for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
It’s why prospective home wins over Grambling (18-22) tonight in Alex Box Stadium and Northwestern State (18-26) next Tuesday in the last two non-conference games of the regular season are suddenly huge.
“Tuesday is a must-win game, there’s no question about that,” Johnson said of playing Grambling. “If we can win those two (Grambling and NSU), then we’ll be 23 and 3 outside the league. I don’t know that there’s five teams in the country that can say that.”
There probably hasn’t been a defending national champion from the SEC that lost its first five conference series the following season and rallied down the stretch to steal an at-large NCAA tourney invite.
Three weeks ago, LSU had just about written its obituary for the 2024 season after being swept at Tennessee, the fourth of five SEC teams ranked nationally in the top 6 to hammer the Tigers.
But by finally playing and winning series over league bottom-feeders Missouri and Auburn the last two weekends, LSU’s NCAA Tournament chances now have a faint heartbeat.
“When it could have been easy to pack things in, I’ve watched a lot of guys show up to the ballpark every day, still put in work and still grow and still compete,” LSU grad student catcher Alex Milazzo said. “That’s what I’m most proud of right now.”
While the Tigers’ offense has hit a collective .293 in taking 2 of 3 games (12-1, 7-8, 6-2) at Missouri and 2 of 3 (5-0, 3-2, 5-7) at home vs. Auburn, it still averaged just 6.3 runs and batted .157 (3 of 19) with runners in scoring position.
What has finally come alive for LSU is what Johnson has been waiting on since league play started in March.
“Why we’re winning right now is the pitching staff,” Johnson said.
In their last two league series, 14 Tigers’ pitchers have combined for a 3.18 earned run average with 11 strikeouts and 2.2 walks per game in 51 innings.
Finally, against Auburn, the starting pitching moons aligned in Game 1 and Game 2.
UCLA transfer Gage Jump threw 7 scoreless innings in the series-opening win, allowing 2 hits. Alabama transfer Luke Holman followed in Game 2 by giving up 2 runs (1 earned) and 2 hits in 6.2 innings.
“This is the first weekend where Luke and Gage pitched really well together, and we won the series,” Johnson said. “Those were the two best pitchers in the transfer portal.”
Jump, who missed all of last season at UCLA rehabbing from Tommy John arm surgery, has been a terror the last two weekends as a Game 1 starter after his first five starts (3 as a Game 2 starter and one each as a Game 1 and a Game 3 starter) were painful learning lessons.
Against Mississippi State, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, Jump had a combined 7.66 ERA while striking out 22 and walking 13 in 22.1 innings.
In his last two starts vs. Missouri and Auburn, his combined ERA was 0.64 in a pair of 7-inning appearances. He allowed 5 hits and 1 earned run with a 20 to 1 strikeout to walks ratio.
“I always want to learn things, so the more I pitch the better I am,” Jump said. “Right now, it’s learning hitters’ swings, especially in the at-bats. The past couple of games I read a swing and I decided on a pitch I wanted to go with.”
LSU has a chance to make a huge statement to the NCAA tourney selection committee this weekend when the Tigers host No. 1 ranked Texas A&M (38-6, 15-6) starting Friday night.
“I feel like the mentality with this team is we’re right there,” said LSU outfielder Josh Pearson, who had the game-winning walk-off single in a 3-2 Game 2 win over Auburn. “We know how we can play and we know we haven’t been playing how we can. We know we just got to get over the hump and then we’ll be there.”
Those who voted approved six tax proposals in Rapides jurisdictions Saturday.
The squeaker was in Ball where 115 said yes to a 5-mill 20-year tax for the fire service. “No” votes were cast by 106, according to complete but unofficial count.
Estimate is that the tax will generate $105,000 the first year.
A few miles south on US 165 Pineville voters said yes to renewing a 7.41-mill for School District 52. The count was 289-129.
The 10-year tax will generate an estimated $686,000 in the first year. Proceeds are divided 50/50 between general school operations and technology.
Another school tax, in Big Island District 50 (Buckeye), was renewed 384-219. The 6.36 mills will generate an estimated $277,000 in the first of 10 years.
Cheneyville voters, 46-12, said yes to a new, 1.25 percent sales tax to fund a range of services and projects. Estimated first-year revenue is $313,000. The approval is for 10 years.
Road District 1A renewed a 25.03-mill levy for 20 years, yielding $545,000 first year. The vote was 243-97.
Fire District 12 voters, 79-11, said yes to 14.86 mills for 10 years in lieu of renewal of a previous tax.
LONG GONE: Pineville junior first baseman Madelyn Halle (7) hits a three-run homer in the second inning to give the Lady Rebels a 5-1 lead in their Division I Select semifinal against John Curtis at Sulphur’s North Frasch Park on Friday. (Journal photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By LAMAR GAFFORD, Journal Sports
SULPHUR – Pineville has been known for its fight all season and Friday was no different as it returned to the LHSAA state softball tournament for the first time since 2021.
However, that fight was not enough as the Lady Rebels lost 9-7 in the Division I select semifinals to John Curtis in 10 innings.
Pineville (21-14) led 7-5 entering the bottom of the seventh, but a two-RBI single by Curtis senior Katie Kempton forced extra innings. With both teams making great defensive plays in extras, the Lady Patriots broke the deadlock in the bottom of the 10th as Kinsley McInnis hit a walkoff two-run home run.
“This team is filled with fighters,” Lady Rebel coach Allison Frye said. “I’ve never questioned that about them the entire time. We’ve battled adversity all year and this game was no different.”
Pineville trailed 1-0 after the first inning but scored five in the top of the second as Madelyn Halle hit a three-run home run to dead center.
John Curtis (24-7) tied it up at 5-5 in the third with McInnis stealing home, but the Lady Rebels regained the lead in the fourth after sophomore Ava Moore’s double to drive in Bailey Byrnes and Halle to make it 7-5.
Pineville junior Addalyn Burch matched Tempton pitch for pitch as she struck out eight and managed to limit the damage against a Lady Patriot team with three signees – two to Division I schools.
“We’ve worked a lot on mentality this year,” Frye said. “This is a tough group.”
The Lady Rebels opened the season shaky at 10-11 overall and 0-5 in District 2-5A, but soared to the No. 6 spot in Division I select by closing the regular season on a 9-2 clip. They followed that up with playoff shutout wins against Lafayette and Tioga.
Despite the loss, the Lady Rebels should be in good shape for the future.
They only lose three seniors – two of them starters – and have a good mix of mostly juniors and freshmen returning.
“I think this will make them hungrier,” Frye said. “This team hasn’t been to Sulphur in a couple of years and I think this is going to make them fight even harder.”
Curtis followed up their semifinal win with a 2-1 loss to Catholic League rival Archbishop Chapelle in the championship game Saturday.
WYNN-ING PERFORMANCE: Grace Christian sophomore center fielder Wynnlee Vincent rips a two-run triple in the second inning of the Lady Warriors’ 12-2 win over Family Community in the Division V Select state title game on Saturday. Vincent, who went 7-for-8 and drove in seven runs during the two-day tournament, was named the Most Outstanding Player. (Journal photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
SULPHUR – Grace Christian stared at two major hurdles as they arrived back at North Frasch Park, home of the LHSAA state softball championships.
The Lady Warriors had never won a state title.
In fact, they’d never even made it to the championship game before.
Hurdles cleared.
Sophomore center fielder Wynnlee Vincent went 4-for-4 with a triple and five RBIs to earn the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award as top-seeded Grace (24-10) defeated No. 2 Family Community 12-2 on Saturday to win the Division V Select softball title.
Vincent hit a two-run triple in the second inning to give Grace a 4-1 lead, and the Lady Warriors were never threatened from there. She added a two-run single in the third as Grace took a 9-1 lead, and Vincent ended the game with an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“No words,” Vincent said when asked to describe the feeling of winning Grace’s first softball state title. “It’s a dream.”
“It’s a dream come true,” said junior pitcher Rylee Guillot, who missed last year’s state tournament with an injury.
Grace Christian coach Mark Rosier was no stranger to Sulphur or the pressure that comes with the state softball tournament. Rosier won two state titles with Oak Hill, the last of which came in 2000, and returned to Sulphur multiple times while coaching at Alexandria Senior High and Buckeye.
“This is a history-maker for (Grace),” Rosier said. “I guess it just solidifies everything we stand for – hard work, loyalty, sticking together, doing your part for the team – and all that just gonna pay off in the end.”
Rosier said Guillot’s return to the circle this season helped to raise the confidence level of everybody on the team. The Lady Warriors took that confidence onto the field Saturday and didn’t play like a team that had never been in a state championship game.
“The last speech that I gave them before the game, I said, ‘The Lord gave you the talent. He put you in this place. It’s your day. Let’s go do it,’” Rosier said.
And do it, they did, despite a start that could be described as less than ideal.
Family Community (15-10) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when pitcher Jadyn Hutchinson singled on a hard hit to left field that was misplayed, allowing Hutchinson to race around the bases and score.
But before the Warriors from Winnsboro could threaten again, Grace had the game firmly in hand. Family Community added a second run in the fourth inning when Hannah Brown tripled and scored on a groundout, but by then the Lady Warriors led 9-2.
Just as they did in a 9-4 semifinal victory over St. Joseph’s of Plaucheville on Friday, when they ripped three doubles and two triples, the Lady Warriors pounded out six extra-base hits in the championship game.
Vincent went a combined 7-for-8 on the weekend with a triple, two doubles, seven RBIs and three runs scored. Leadoff batter Sydney Avery had three triples and a double over the two games with four RBIs and four runs scored.
“I was ready to win,” Vincent said.
“She’s one of our most humble players,” Rosier said of Vincent. “For her to have a great day like this, it means all the world. I’m so happy for her.”
Rosier credited the team’s only senior, shortstop Ava Guillot, for her leadership in helping the Lady Warriors to the championship. A year after stepping in as pitcher after her younger sister’s injury, the senior Guillot locked in down the stretch at the plate and in the field.
“Ava’s not a real outspoken player,” Rosier said. “She just goes out there and does her job. Again, the last two weeks you could just see a difference in her eyes – how focused she was, listening, hanging onto every word, helping the young ones stay focused. It’s just been unbelievable. It’s just been a great ride the last few weeks.”
FIGHTING UNTIL THE END: Buckeye senior pitcher Olivia Henry celebrates after hitting an RBI single in the seventh inning of the Lady Panthers’ 7-3 loss to Vandebilt Catholic in the Division II Select state softball championship. Buckeye managed just four hits in the game and was unable to win its third straight state title. (Journal photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
SULPHUR – The dream of a three-peat for Buckeye softball faded away Saturday afternoon as the top-seeded Lady Panthers lost to Vandebilt Catholic, 7-3, in the Division II Select championship game.
Buckeye won the Class 3A state title in 2022 before beating Vandebilt for the Division II Select title last season. After making it back to the championship game for a third straight year, the Lady Panthers’ bats went cold on Saturday.
The two teams were scoreless through three innings before Vandebilt put four on the board in the fourth inning, including a two-run home run by pitcher Corin Talbot and an RBI double by Ava Lirette.
When the Lady Panthers had a chance to respond at the plate, they went down in order in the fourth, and Talbot helped her cause with a second two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Terriers a 6-0 lead. A sixth-inning RBI single by shortstop Lauren Baudoin made the lead seven.
Like any good defending champion, Buckeye fought back. Adysen Mitchell’s RBI double in the sixth scored Sidney St. Pé to get the Lady Panthers on the board, but Talbot struck out Rosalee Richey to end the inning with two runners on.
St. Pé’s one-out single in the seventh brought the score to 7-2, and senior all-state pitcher Olivia Henry’s RBI single cut the lead to four with two runners on. However, Mitchell lined out to end the game and Buckeye’s hopes of a three-peat.
Buckeye coach Justin Kees said the Lady Panthers’ bats stayed quiet for too long on Saturday.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Kees said. “We laid everything we had on the field today. Everything’s good. I’m very proud of what we’ve got.”
Buckeye scored three runs in the first inning and held on to defeat E.D. White 3-2 in Friday’s semifinal to advance to the championship game. That was enough for Henry, who gave up just four hits and struck out seven batters in the semifinal victory.
On Saturday, though, Henry just wasn’t enough. In softball, she said, sometimes that happens.
When the Lady Panthers won their first title in 2022, they were ranked seventh and Iowa was the top seed.
“Everybody had their bets on Iowa,” Henry said. “Everybody knew they were the better team, but we were the better team that day. And last year when we played Vandebilt, we were the better team that day. And today, they came out and they were the better team.”
Kees said he is extremely proud of his senior class led by Henry and including St. Pé, center fielder Allison Brossett and utility player Kennedi Hines. That group was a part of the first team in school history to win back-to-back championships and to make the title game three straight seasons.
“Buckeye is used to coming to Sulphur, but coming on Saturday for three straight years is unprecedented,” Kees said. “We laid the groundwork – that’s the real legacy. Like I told them, it’s not about what we did. It’s about those little 9-year-old, 10-year-old kids that are looking up and want to wear No. 3 because Liv wears No. 3, that want to wear No. 12 because Sid wears 12 and 4 because Allison wears 4 and 19 because that’s what Kennedi wears. That’s what means the most to us. I couldn’t be more proud of these girls. They left a true legacy.”
That legacy is what really matters, Henry said.
“That’s really all that I wanted to accomplish,” she said. “Looking back at my eighth-grade year and my freshman year, if you would have told me I would accomplish all this – I mean, yeah, I’m sad right now, but I would have thought you were a liar. Just looking back and seeing all that we have accomplished has been amazing. I hope that I’ve been a good leader and a good role model to these younger girls.”
As she gets ready for graduation in three weeks and then prepares to head off to Southeastern Louisiana, where she signed a scholarship to pitch, Henry took time Saturday to reflect on what wearing a Lady Panther uniform has meant to her over the past five seasons.
“This program means everything to me,” Henry said. “These girls, they’re not just my teammates; they’re my sisters. … I think I spent more time on that field and in the cages than I did in my classes. I mean, this program has been everything to me. This community is everything to me. Like you see here, everybody loves everybody. I walk around the school and everybody knows everybody. I wouldn’t want to go to any other school or be in any other community than Buckeye.”
HEADED FOR MORE — Alexandria Senior High junior catcher Brayden Rachal (21) rounds first base on the way to a triple in the Trojans’ Game 1 win over Riverdale in the second round of the Division I Select baseball playoffs. The sixth-seeded Trojans travel face No. 3 Rummel this weekend. (Journal photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports
Five Rapides Parish teams remain in the pursuit of a baseball state championship.
Alexandria Senior High, the sixth seed that defeated Riverdale 8-1 and 15-1 last week, will travel to face No. 3 Rummel in the Division I Select quarterfinals.
Game 1 will begin at 4 p.m. on Friday at Mike Miley Stadium in Metairie, followed by a doubleheader at noon on Saturday.
Menard, the 4 seed in Division III Select, will host No. 5 Dunham in the quarterfinals. The teams will play at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Game 3, if necessary, will begin at noon on Saturday.
Three parish teams remain in the Division V quarterfinals this week. Unlike the top three divisions, Division V does not feature a best-of-three series.
Oak Hill, the 8 seed, will play at No. 1 and defending state champion Avoyelles Charter at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
No. 5 Rapides travels to Baton Rouge to face fourth-seeded Family Christian at 4 p.m. on Friday, while second-seeded Grace Christian hosts No. 7 Downsville at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Merrill Blackburn Field at England Air Park.
ASH’S RIVET TO SIGN TUESDAY: Alexandria Senior High discus thrower Hunter Rivet will have a signing ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the ASH cafeteria.
Rivet is one of the top throwers in the state of Louisiana, having broken the ASH school record in the discus on four different occasions this season.
His longest throw of the season was 173 feet, 5 inches at the District 2-5A meet, and he finished second at the Region 1-5A meet with a throw of 170-8.
Rivet has won nine of the 10 meets he entered this season and has the No. 2 throw in the state going into Saturday’s Class 5A state meet in Baton Rouge.
STATE TENNIS RESULTS: Menard’s boys tennis team finished third at last week’s LHSAA Division III tennis championships held in Monroe, while the Lady Eagles finished seventh.
Alexandria Senior High’s boys finished seventh in the Division I tournament, while Grace Christian’s boys tied for 15th in Division IV. ASH and Grace Christian’s girls also competed but did not score at the state tournament.
Junior Tommy Monceaux and the doubles tandem of sophomore Jude Meadaa and senior John Eric Laborde paced the Eagles’ team effort by making the quarterfinals.
Senior Jad Meadaa and the doubles duo of seniors Matthew Ritchie and Andrew Cowart each won a match and advanced to the second round.
Senior Lauren Sampey and the doubles tandem of eighth-grader Macie Myrick and sophomore Adacyn Stehr advanced to the state quarterfinals after winning the regional tournament for the Lady Eagles.
Junior Ahsan Mansoor, ASH’s regional singles champion, advanced to the Division I state quarterfinals, while seniors Hashem Halawani and Cameron Chaudhry made the doubles second round to pace the Trojans.
Junior Owen Spears scored for Grace Christian’s boys by advancing to the second round of the state tournament.
STATE GOLF PREVIEW: Two Rapides Parish golfers will tee off at the LHSAA state golf championships that begin today in the Lafayette area.
Morgan Goudeau of Tioga will compete in the Division I girls state tournament to be held today and Tuesday at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Club in Youngsville. The state golf tournament is a two-day, 36-hole tournament.
Menard’s Hunter Vaughn will compete in the Division III boys state tournament that will tee off today and Tuesday at The Farm d’Allie golf course in Carencro.
Although no Rapides Parish teams qualified out of regionals, there is one parish tie in the Division IV boys tournament. Former Pineville High student Bode Blackmon, a senior at St. Mary’s in Natchitoches, will play the No. 3 spot for the Tigers at The Wetlands golf course in Lafayette.
Blackmon is the grandson of Pineville resident Byron McGee, who spent 35 years working in a variety of roles for Louisiana Christian University and recently came out of retirement to accept a role as director of development and alumni for the university.
