Thursday’s opening round of the BMW Championship was an up-and-down day for former LSU star Sam Burns.
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
ST. LOUIS – In his summer-long run on the PGA Tour, former LSU All-American Sam Burns has overcome slow starts. For example, he was 1-over through 18 holes at the U.S. Open, and roared back to be runner-up. At the British Open, he was 3-over after the first round, and finished third.
Thursday’s opening 1-over 71 at the 50-man BMW Championship isn’t the desired start in the second event of the three-round FedEx Cup playoffs, but it’s hardly a significant stumble. Especially when the Choudrant resident is already assured of advancing to next week’s 30-player Tour Championship thanks to his No. 6 ranking in the FedEx Cup points race coming into this week’s play.
Burns is coming off a third-place tie in the playoff opener, the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week in Memphis. The runaway winner there, Scottie Scheffler, shot 2-over 72 Thursday. Burns is tied for 37th among the 50 qualifiers and Scheffler is tied for 44th entering today’s second round.
He hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation and nine of 14 fairways, averaging 338 yards on his drives, sixth in the field. But he had the worst average shots gained on approach, minus 2.88 shots, ranking 50 out of 50 players. His season average is 31st on tour, plus .392.
In Thursday’s round, Burns was 1-under until the last two holes, when he bogeyed the par-5 17th and the par-4 18th.
He started the day with an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first hole but double bogeyed the par-4 second. After a 15-footer on the par-3 sixth got him back to even for the round, Burns bogeyed the par-4 10th and slipped back to 1-over.
The Shreveport native hit a 108-yard approach on the par-4 14th to three feet for a birdie to get back to even, then moved to 1-under with a 14-foot birdie on the 229-yard par-3 16th, but wasn’t able to sustain the momentum.
Burns and his playing parter, Wyndham Clark, tee off at 1:33 today at Bellerive Country Club. Golf Channel coverage begins at 2 o’clock. Clark is among five players atop the leaderboard at 6-under, including Rory McIlroy.
All 50 players continue into the weekend. Golf Channel will carry Saturday and Sunday play from noon-2 p.m., with CBS picking up the rest of the afternoon action.
– The Arna Bontemps House before a City of Alexandria crew’s visit last week (left); the scene after the cleanup (right).
The City of Alexandria sent a crew last week to clear the overgrowth that surrounded the historic Arna Bontemps House in downtown Alexandria.
The city owns the lot but the Arna Bontemps Foundation owns and is responsible for the house, which remains dilapidated after closing several years ago.
In a weekend story in the Baton Rouge Advocate about the forlorn former museum, Alexandria Deputy Administrative Officer Michael Caffery said the city has sought to contact the point person for the foundation since Mayor Jacques Roy’s administration took office in 2022, but attempts have been unsuccessful. The foundation’s status as a Louisiana nonprofit was revoked in 2024, according to the Louisiana secretary of state’s website.
The issue was brought to the public’s attention by a column some weeks ago in the Rapides Parish Journal by Bob Tompkins.
The house honors Arna Bontemps, who was born in Alexandria in 1902 and became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. He wrote acclaimed books, poems and essays while befriending other Black luminaries likes W.E.B. Du Bois and Langston Hughes.
“We implemented an administrative hearing agency to try to hold people accountable,” said Kay Michiels, Director of Planning for the city.
“The agency is in its infancy stage. Previously we had to bring people to city court,” she added, noting that was a lengthy, mostly unsuccessful effort. Community Development inspects, cites, condemns and demos a number of properties each year.”
This has become more expensive in recent years, which makes it more difficult to deal with for a city strapped for cash, she said.
The question of what to do with the house is a “daily, ongoing matter,” said Michiels. “It is a very complex problem.”
BOM Bank is proud to support the Glenmora High School Model United Nations Club! Our sponsorship will help these outstanding students travel to Washington, D.C., where they will compete in the Model United Nations Conference alongside students from across the country. The Model United Nations program provides academically advanced students with real-world enrichment opportunities that demonstrate how their education applies beyond the classroom. Through collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving, students gain valuable experiences that help prepare them for future success. We are honored to invest in programs that empower the next generation of leaders and make a lasting impact on our communities. Pictured left to right: BOM’s Holly Cloessner, Savannah Niette, Damien Alejandre, and Lara Mathews.
Congratulations to our Spring 2026 LBA Leadership School graduates: Anna Lee, Robin Thompson, Tiffany Ostbloom, Kimberly Wilkerson, and Jessi Norman! Over the six months, these outstanding bankers have dedicated their time to strengthening their leadership skills and investing in their professional growth through the Louisiana Bankers Association Leadership School. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and this well-deserved accomplishment.
BOM Bank made a donation to the Pineville High School Cheer Team to support its athletes as they build teamwork, leadership, school spirit, and a tradition of excellence both on and off the sidelines. We are proud to invest in local students and programs that help young people develop confidence, discipline, and lifelong skills through extracurricular activities. Pictured left to right: Aubryi Adcock and BOM’s Jessica Brunson. At BOM Bank, we’re always cheering on the next generation of leaders!
Allison Frye, who coached Pineville High School to the Select Division I state softball championship in May, is a featured speaker this morning at the Louisiana High School Coaches’ Association clinic in Baton Rouge.
It’s the second straight year Frye has presented at the clinic, a mecca for the state’s high school coaches in all sports. Her talk is not softball specific and begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Crown Plaza Hotel.
Her topic will be “Team Building That Works” and her expertise is apparent.
Along with this year’s state title at her alma mater, Frye coached Holy Savior Menard to the Class 2A state championship in 2015 and the state finals in 2016 and 2018. She’s been a consistent winner at both schools.
Her Lady Rebels finished with a 29-9 record this year, wrapping up with a dominant playoff run culminating in the school’s first state softball crown in 28 years. In postseason, Pineville run-ruled all four opponents, outscoring them 52-5 in just 21 innings, scoring at least 12 runs each game.
She was a clear-cut choice for Class 5A state coach of the year honors from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Frye took the Pineville post after the 2018 season. She was a three-time All-State infielder for the Lady Rebels when she played from 2003-06, then an all-conference player at Louisiana Christian.
Join us in congratulating Matthew Hicks, son of BOM’s Jared Hicks, on receiving the LBEC Freshman Scholarship! Matthew is the son of Jared Hicks, Senior Vice President and Government Guaranteed Lender at BOM Bank. This scholarship, established by the Louisiana Bankers Education Council, recognizes individuals with bright futures and strong potential in banking and beyond. We are proud to celebrate this exciting achievement and can’t wait to see all that Matthew accomplishes in the future. Way to go, Matthew!
No surprise. Waffles don’t lose. Not on my menu. Whether Chicken and Waffles, Belgian Waffles or just plain Waffles, they top the breakfast treat rankings.
Belgian Waffles have deeper pockets for more toppings (strawberries, blueberries, powdered sugar and chocolate sauce are fan favorites) and have a lighter texture and richer flavor.
Until Monday night, Belgian Waffles were said to be more popular In the USA than regular Waffles.
Until that soccer game in Seattle left America sleepless. The Belgians topped the USA (I refuse to cave to the international style and write Belgium “beat USA” or “USA were beaten …”) in the World Cup Round of 16.
Surely if Belgium had a mascot, it would be the Waffle.
Soccer fans know there are World Cup mascots, 50 years worth (seriously) for this global event, contested every four years. Three for this year – Maple the moose (Canada), Zaya the jaguar (Mexico) and Clutch the bald eagle (us) — the first time more than one has been in use.
The most popular: Zakumi, described as “a friendly leopard,” for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Footix (France, 1998) is high on the list. Looks a lot like the Kansas Jayhawk cradling a soccer ball.
The original was World Cup Willie, for the 1966 event in England, when the Beatles and James Bond were sizzling. So was the home side. It won.
The home side this summer did not. For the fourth straight World Cup, the USA was halted in the round of 16.
We hear soccer in America is better than ever. More popular, obviously. Better?
I’m no student of what is called the beautiful game, but I’ve seen enough to recognize Belgium dominated Monday’s match like the 4-1 final appears. The talking heads, most with foreign accents, said it was one-sided.
Even the USA’s coach, Argentina’s Mauricio Pochettino, said his team was unable to meet the moment.
“We were not good enough today. We don’t need to find another excuse.
“We need to learn. It’s a process to learn. We need to assess that game and see why we didn’t approach that game in the same way [we did] the rest of the World Cup. Different result, maybe the explanation is easy. It wasn’t our day collectively and individually. Of course the responsibility is [mine]. We need to check what we did, because it wasn’t the way we normally play.”
Give him credit for a standup reaction.
Leading up to Monday evening’s flameout, the buzz was about President Trump’s successful call to FIFA’s leader, Gianni Infantino, seeking reinstatement of the USA’s standout player, Folarin Balogun. He had been issued a contested red card suspension for a foul in the Americans’ Round of 32 victory.
Pochettino and players said they were unfazed by the upheaval. Obviously Belgium wasn’t, either, although its coach earlier said he thought it was an April Fool’s joke.
Believe it or not, Belgium was without two of its top players Monday, idled by injury, and still dominated. Moments after the game ended, the visitors’ social media team fired off a post showing teammates celebrating with the catchphrase, “Overturn this.” Fair comment.
Twist of irony: Balogun was born in Brooklyn when his English parents, with Nigerian roots, were visiting and airline officials decided his mom’s (mum’s, they say across the pond) pregnancy was too far along for her to prudently fly home. Balogun’s fit on the USA roster is what the president is trying to eliminate — birthright citizenship, given to anyone born in America, just upheld by the Supreme Court much to Trump’s disgust.
But if the president was king, the guy he just lobbied to play for the USA wouldn’t be an American.
Back to soccer, where logic also only occasionally prevails. A team can get outshot 18-3 and win. Not the case Monday night, but it happens.
Pochettino was hired in August 2024, touted as one of the world’s best. He’s paid $6 million, three times as much as the U.S. Women’s National Team coach. That makes me queasy.
Poch’s proponents can say America won its World Cup group play for the first time since 2010. Including all those “friendlies” played with no stakes, his two-year USA coaching record is 18-2-11. Looks good, but the bottom line is the bottom line. He was hired to do better than his predecessor in the World Cup. He had two years to do it. He didn’t.
The USA soccer leadership doesn’t need to carry this any further. There’s a very easy solution. After hearing over and over in the postgame breakdowns that the USA suddenly didn’t believe in itself at this point of the tournament, I’m convinced a coaching change is necessary.
Take Me Home, Country Roads. Time to turn to Ted Lasso for World Cup 2030.
Makes more sense than President Trump backing Balogun.
Join us in celebrating Nicole Williams on 5 wonderful years with BOM Bank! Nicole is a Trainer at our Coliseum branch in Alexandria, LA, and plays a key role in supporting and developing our team members with knowledge, patience, and a passion for helping others succeed. Thank you, Nicole, for your dedication, leadership, and the positive impact you’ve made over the past five years. We’re so grateful to have you on the BOM team — here’s to many more milestones ahead!
Dr. Elizabeth Beard officially takes over today as chancellor at LSU Alexandria.
By JIM BUTLER
Dr. Elizabeth Beard’s first official event as LSU Alexandria chancellor occurs in New Orleans today, taking part in welcoming LSU-NO into the LSU System.
That comes on heels of Tuesday afternoon’s groundbreaking of the school’s $43 million downtown health campus, the largest capital project in the school’s history, and a reception Tuesday evening welcoming her as successor to the retiring Dr. Paul Coreil.
Beard’s successor as provost is yet to be determined, with campus visits by candidates scheduled Monday and Wednesday next week.
Today also marks start of the state’s Fiscal 2026-27, effective date of a 4% average merit raise for unclassified employees of the university.
Records indicate those merit-based increases compare to 3% at LSU-BR, 3%; LSU-Shreveport, 3.8%; and LSU-Eunice, none.
Classified employees get a step increase from the state at mid-month.
The Alexandria campus benefits substantially from the state’s adoption of an outcomes-based higher education funding formula.
Most recent official count of fall enrollment is 5,587, approaching 1,000 more than same time last year.
About half the 2025-26 enrollment consisted of online students.
John James Marshall (right) talks with LPB’s Victor Howell during Saturday night’s induction ceremony. (Photo by CHRIS REICH, for the LSWA)
By JASON PUGH, Written for the LSWA
Last weekend was an interesting bookend in the ongoing career of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee John James Marshall.
As a junior quarterback at then-Jesuit High School in Shreveport in 1976, Marshall became a state champion, throwing the game-winning screen pass in the Class 3A title game at Winnfield.
That may have portended athletic greatness, but Marshall wasn’t destined for a future in football. He was an All-City third baseman for the Blue Flyers, but was not a college athlete.
He always loved sports and followed that passion to a career that has brought him innumerable awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, an organization Marshall served as president of before his 30th birthday.
His writing prowess is just one of the tools in a multi-faceted toolbox that helped lead Marshall to the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism and enshrinement in the Hall of Fame last Saturday night at the Natchitoches Events Center.
“I couldn’t do anything else,” Marshall said. “I spent my whole being around sports. In baseball season, it was baseball. In football season, it was football. I just loved sports. Eventually, I kept loving sports when my friends were off becoming accountants and lawyers. I missed that train. This was a logical thing, keep doing sports. I can write about it. Everything in sports, what goes into players, coaches, the intricacies, everything involved in it fascinated me.”
In an appropriate iron sharpens iron moment, Marshall and 2022 DSA awardee Teddy Allen shared the 1987 Associated Press Sports Editors national best feature award, writing about Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Lee Smith from Castor.
“A guy like J.J. will make you work an hour longer, ready a little more copy, make another phone call because you know he’s going to be that good,” Allen said.
Marshall had plans on being a “40-year newspaper veteran,” but the industry had other ideas.
Marshall pivoted as deftly as a second baseman turning a 6-4-3 double play and teamed with his brother, Ben, to launch and develop “Sports Talk with J.J. and Bonzai Ben” on Shreveport sports radio.
Thirty-four years later, the back-and-forth banter between brothers remains on the air as Louisiana’s longest-running sports talk radio show. Along the way, Marshall has served his alma mater, now Loyola College Prep, educating the next generation of journalists and becoming a part-time documentarian whose latest labor of love is a documentary about that 1976 state championship Jesuit squad, which Marshall hopes to unveil at the team’s 50th anniversary reunion in September.
“I was going to be a sports writer my entire life,” Marshall said. “In 1981, that’s what you thought. Those guys were 40-year veterans.”
But a year after his first full-time newspaper job dried up when the Shreveport Journal shut down, and a year into time on the morning newspaper staff in town, Marshall’s fledgling radio show suddenly became a full-time gig. A comment his brother made on air about the paper riled the executive editor, who presented Marshall with a choice – leave radio or get fired.
“I had to make a decision. When opportunity knocks, you answer the door. I didn’t know what it was going to lead to.”
His broadcasting career flourished and a year later, he began teaching and working at Loyola. In the last few years, he’s become an award-winning columnist and writer for the four-year-old Shreveport-Bossier Journal.
A second opportunity came knocking for Marshall’s fellow 2026 DSA winner, Gil LeBreton.
Like Marshall, LeBreton’s career started before he earned his college degree.
LeBreton was working for the Times-Picayune part time in his hometown of New Orleans while attending LSU-New Orleans.
The schedule – and LeBreton’s affinity for sports – led him to drop a couple of classes, which made him eligible for the military draft during the Vietman War and landed him a one-year stint in the combat zone.
Once he returned from his military service, LeBreton had a plan and a career path in mind.
“When I came back, I used the G.I. bill and said, ‘Now, I can finally pay my way through LSU,” he said. “I was able to get a degree in journalism, and I was able to work for (legendary LSU sports information director) Paul Manasseh for three years.”
That experienced launched a 54-year career that began in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. LeBreton joined the Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff for the final 37 years before retirement.
LeBreton’s resume includes Sports Writer of the Year awards for both Texas and Louisiana from the National Sports Media Association.
It also includes coverage of 26 Super Bowls and 16 Olympic Games – nine summer and seven winter – that were handled with the signature touch of a man whose opinions were rooted in belief and in the reflection of one of his early idols, the Times-Picayune’s Peter Finney.
“If you can give your opinion and back up what you’re saying – and if you’re fair, it works,” LeBreton said. “Most people appreciate that. I just watched the people I admired coming up. I watched Peter Finney and the gentleman he was. You don’t have to have a hot sports opinion and go for the throat. You get more done by listening and being kind.”
The respect LeBreton held for Finney came his way from figures he covered in the highly competitive Dallas-Fort Worth market, which has teams from the four major sports and big-time college football at TCU and SMU.
“Good or bad, Gil told the true and right story,” said former TCU head football coach Gary Patterson said. “He did it in a good way.”
Added Dan McDonald, a 2017 DSA winner: “It didn’t matter what the story was about or what sport it was about, if Gil’s name was at the top, I would read it.”
Health Clinic Building site, Lee Street. Far right background, Ben Bradford Field.
By JIM BUTLER
Alexandria will accept bids through Tuesday for renovations to its health care clinic building.
The City Council’s consent agenda for its meeting later that day includes authorizing the mayor to accept the low bid.
The clinic will be housed in the former Handiworks Building at 2700 Lee.
Specifics of the work include creating interior spaces for exam rooms, offices and waiting area, new finishes, new HVAC and lighting and exterior improvements.
Pan American Engineers estimates cost at $460,000.
Also on the consent agenda are introduction of ordinances authorizing the city attorney to settle three pending suits at a total expense of $850,000.
The cases are docketed for upcoming trial in Ninth Judicial District Court.
They are:
Mia Landry vs City of Alexandria, Mia Trent and Hammerman and Gainer, $350,000; Debbie Smith and Mack Smith vs Timothy Foreman and City of Alexandria, $250,000; Magadelene Guillory vs City of Alexandria and Charles Love Jr., $250,000.
Allegations in the civil actions are not included in the agenda summaries.
BOM Bank is proud to sponsor the 3rd Annual Cruising for Kindness Car Show at Lake Buhlow in Pineville, LA. We love supporting events that bring the community together for a great cause, and all proceeds from this event benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana. From classic cars to community kindness, it was a wonderful day making a difference together! Pictured left to right: BOM’s Titan Marler and Nashua Paul.
Members of the 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction class include (front row, l-r) Jonathan Lucroy, John James Marshall, Warren Morris, Kathy Holloway, Gil LeBreton, (back row, l-r) Dewain Strother, Todd McClure, John Brady, Mike McConathy, Pat Williams.
By JONATHON ZENK, Written for the LSWA
NATCHITOCHES — The power of family and relationships was on full display during Thursday afternoon’s introductory press conference for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
The inductees shared their gratitude and fondness for the state that helped them the people they are today and led them to be enshrined in the state’s athletic hall of fame, the top honors an athlete from Louisiana can receive.
The 10 inductees speaking, as well as former New Orleans Saints legend Joe Horn and LSU women’s basketball great Sylvia Fowles, are being officially enshrined Saturday evening.
Family came up during everybody’s speech, but not everybody works with a family member, which is exactly what John James Marshall does. He co-hosts with his older brother Ben on “SportsTalk with J.J. and Bonzai Ben,” the longest-running sports talk show in the state.
“It’s easy arguing with my brother for an hour,” Marshall, who is being awarded the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, said. “We grew up doing that. He’s a Red Sox fan and I grew up as a Yankees fan—until (former New York Yankees owner George) Steinbrenner came along. We argued about Yankee-Red Sox things our entire lives.
“If I was talking with (fellow 2026 inductee) Warren Morris, I’d be very careful what I said to Warren Morris. With your brother, you can say anything you want at any time and not worry it is going to offend him. And he does the same to me.”
As an accomplished sportswriter as well, Marshall always has that in him.
“I’ve done a lot of writing, and I’ve done a lot of talking, and now I try to find a way to combine both of those.”
While Marshall works with his brother, former Florien High girls basketball head coach Dewain Strother was able to coach his granddaughters, leading them to a state semifinal appearance in his 39th and final season.
“Who would have ever thought you’d be coaching long enough to coach your grandchildren?,” Strother asked. “I was able to coach my daughter and while I didn’t coach my son, I coached him at home. After my grandchildren were done playing, I knew it was time to go.”
Strother, who has the second-most wins nationally with 1,235 and is the all-time state leader in girls basketball coaching victories, led Florien to six state championships, five runner-up finishes and 21 semifinal appearances.
Legendary Northwestern State basketball coach Mike McConathy had his two sons play for the Demons as he continued the legacy left behind by his father.
While a great player in his own right, ‘Coach Mike’ received words of wisdom from his father, N-Club Hall of Famer Johnny McConathy, at a young age.
After the younger McConathy was a fourth-round NBA Draft pick after a great career playing at Louisiana Tech, he was cutting yards in Bossier City waiting for training camp, and told his father that he bet no other NBA picks were doing that.
“He told me, ‘Son, you can take that draft choice down to the coffee shop and coffee is still 35 cents a cup.’
“He was saying to me that I am who I am and I am no better than anyone else,” said McConathy.
McConathy, through his time at Bossier Parish CC and NSU, is the state’s all-time coaching wins leader (682) for college basketball. He led the Demons to unprecedented heights, notably three NCAA Tournament berths, including two wins, with one coming in an upset of third-seeded Iowa on a corner 3-pointer from Jermaine Wallace.
Like McConathy, former LSU men’s basketball coach John Brady came into a program down on its luck and turned it around in a quick fashion.
In his third season, he guided the Tigers to the Sweet 16, led by Shreveport native Stromile Swift.
During the 2005-06 season, the team had to deal with the adversity of Hurricane Katrina, and it only strengthened an already-strong bond between the team members, as five of the players were from Baton Rouge and two more were from close by.
All they did was knock off No. 1 Duke on their way to the Final Four behind Baton Rouge natives Glen Davis, Tyrus Thomas and Garrett Temple.
“We were displaced after Katrina hit,” Brady said. “We had to practice at different facilities, but because that group was so close, they tried to do something for the state to be proud of and they took them to the Final Four.”
While Jonathan Lucroy is originally from Florida, he made a name for himself in Louisiana to start his career, setting records at UL Lafayette, and eventually became a two-time All-Star in MLB and a gold medalist in the 2017 World Baseball Classic for Team USA.
He looks back at his time at UL with fond memories, making it to the NCAA regionals twice in three seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns. He credited his late coach for that success and being a cornerstone for him and all the players he encountered at UL.
“Coach Tony Robichaux is a Hall of Famer here,” Lucroy said. “Outside of family, he is probably the most influential man in my life, and most every player he has had says that. It’s a special thing when you have a special coach and he was very impactful in my life. If it wasn’t for playing for him, I never would have made it to the big leagues.”
Like Lucroy, Warren Morris also made it to the big leagues and won a medal with Team USA. The Alexandria native owns an Olympic bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games, a few weeks after the most pivotal swing of his life.
Morris, who will receive the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, made his biggest mark for LSU in the bottom of the ninth inning of the 1996 College World Series championship game. He hit a game-winning homer for the Tigers.
He is only the third ever recipient of the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, which combines athletic involvement with advocacy of the state.
“As a young man, I never really thought the home run would be something we still talk about 30 years later,” Morris said. “I remember the next day, we were walking through the airport to fly back to Baton Rouge, I remember seeing my picture on the front page of the Omaha paper. I thought ‘That’s awesome that they put me on the front page.’”
For years, there’s been a statue of Morris in Omaha commemorating his historic blast.
While baseball was the first love for Todd McClure, the Baton Rouge native made a name for himself in football for LSU and in the NFL.
After All-America honors with the Tigers, McClure was a 14-year veteran at center for the Atlanta Falcons, blocking for quarterbacks such as Michael Vick and Matt Ryan.
A seventh-round draft pick in 1999, he had an unfortunate beginning to his career, as he tore his ACL during training camp as a rookie, but came back and carved out a sensational career and earning a spot on the Falcons Ring of Honor.
McClure, who loved LSU throughout his life, did not think his dream of being a Tiger would come true.
“Early on, I wasn’t a very physical kid,” McClure said. “I remember my dad getting on me about not wanting to hit anybody or be physical. But one day, it clicked.
“I was a tight end/defensive end in high school,” he said, remembering his move to center at LSU, and a preseason major injury to the starter there. “I was told ‘McClure, you’re in.’ I had a training camp and eight games to get ready for the SEC. At the end of the season, coach (Gerry) Dinardo told me I had a future in the NFL.”
One of the guys McClure blocked in the NFL was Monroe native and resident Pat Williams, who was a massive defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings, where he was part of the ‘Williams Wall’ with Kevin Williams.
Williams was key on a defense that was either No. 1 or No. 2 in opposing yards per carry from 2006-08 and in the top 10 every year from 2006-10.
He was awarded 37 game balls throughout his NFL career.
“I got my first one from (Pro Football Hall of Famer) Bruce Smith,” Williams said. “Ted Washington got hurt and I came in and got three sacks.”
Williams’ first taste in playing organized football came after seeing his friends walking down the street with pads and then asking his mom if he could sign up. She said yes, and the rest is history.
Gil LeBreton, who will also be awarded the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, grew up in New Orleans and graduated from LSU to become a goliath in the industry. He spent 50 years as a writer and columnist and covered 26 Super Bowls, 16 Olympics and 13 World Series.
Even though he spent 37 years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, his roots remained back home.
“LSU was so important in my life and career,” LeBreton said. “After serving in the Vietnam War, I decided I am going to use the G.I. Bill to get a degree in journalism at LSU. Those years, working for (former LSU SID) Paul Manasseh, working with those people you got to meet. Out of the first 12 recipients of the distinguished service award, I worked with eight of them.”
Kathy Holloway is the recipient of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award. The Rapides Parish native and resident was the first woman president of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association and a few years later, broke the glass ceiling as leader of the National High School Coaches Association.
She received the news of her selection a bit different from everybody else, at a Christmas Eve program at her church in Pineville.
“(Louisiana Sports Writers Association president John Marcase) is in our church and asked to speak at the service. My son, the pastor, was delighted. John said, ‘Many of you know her as the pastor’s mother’ and asked me to come to the podium. John announced it and I was shocked. It was a really sweet time.”
Before she was the president of the high school coaches association, she was a terrific basketball coach at Tioga High School. But she moved into an administrative role and quickly became prominent statewide in that capacity.
“A lady from Thibodaux saw there was a committee on girls athletics,” she said. “She wanted to know who was on the committee and no one was on it. The LHSCA president appointed me, the woman who wrote the letter and (Jennings coach) Charlotte Creed to serve on that committee. So that was the start of it.”
The Class of 2026 all have different stories, but they all share pride and roots in the state of Louisiana.
“I’ve lived in different places, and I’ve been to other places, but there is no place like this,” Morris said.
The Rapides Library had cash and cash equivalents of $10.2 million at the close of its fiscal year December 31, according to an audit report released this week.
It should be noted that most of the system’s $8 million in annual property tax revenue (7.08 mils) is collected at year’s end.
The library net position increased to $24.4 million from $23 million a year earlier, according to the report, with $16.5 million unrestricted in its use.
Auditors pointed out the Library Board of Control has committed to automation improvements estimated to cost $789,000, fleet vehicles replacement requiring $280,000 and HVAC upgrades totaling $116,000.
Total general revenues for the year were $8.4 million.
Net expenses were $7 million, about $4.7 million of that required for payroll and benefits costs.
CCAC
CENLA Community Action Committee had $228,000 cash and cash equivalents on hand when its fiscal year closed September 30.
Its audit was delayed for a second consecutive year due to issues relating to awarding its auditor contract, a delay officials believe resolved, according to the report.
The agency, a nonprofit assisting low-income residents with basic needs, had revenues of $2.44 million and expenses of $2.32 million.
Payroll and related expenses required $551,000.
Program costs: energy assistance, $1.6 million; community services, $648,000; seniors services, $62,000.
Jake DuPree has been named LSUA head men’s basketball coach after two successful seasons leading an NAIA program at his alma mater, a small, suburban Ohio university that just closed its doors.
Ending its 68th year this spring, Lourdes University was a private Franciscan university in Sylvania, just south of the Michigan border outside of Toledo. Declining enrollment (under 1,000) and rising costs were primary reasons university officials cited announcing the decision to close.
Despite the downward trends for the institution, DuPree put a superior product on the court.
After helping the Gray Wolves to a pair of NAIA Tournament appearances as a player, DuPree climbed from a graduate assistant post to head coach in 11 seasons on the staff at Lourdes.
He was the Gray Wolves’ head coach for the past two seasons, promoted from interim to permanent head coach late in the 2024-25 campaign. He was named the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Champions of Character Coach of the Year in 2025-26.
DuPree led Lourdes to a pair of 20-plus win seasons with an overall record of 42-18. The Gray Wolves posted a 29-13 mark in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
The Gray Wolves made an NAIA National Championship Opening Round appearance in his first season via an at-large bid.
DuPree will begin his role as the Generals’ coach on July 6, LSUA said in its announcement Wednesday. He replaces Dimario Jackson, who accepted the head coaching post at Paul Quinn College in Dallas after leading the Generals for the past three seasons.
“We are thrilled to have Coach DuPree join us at LSUA as the next head men’s basketball coach,” said Assistant Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Tyler Unsicker. “His commitment to success, both on the court and off, will help continue the tradition of success and excellence within the program. His five foundations for the program will have a positive impact on the student-athlete experience and building champions on and off the court.”
DuPree produced 13 first team All-Wolverine-Hoosier Conference honorees, eight second team All-WHAC selections, two honorable mention All-WHAC picks, seven WHAC All-Freshman members, five All-Defensive Team honorees, two WHAC Newcomers of the Year, and a WHAC Player of the Year in Shaunn Monroe. In 2024-25, Monroe earned NAIA second team All-American honors. A year later, Derek Fairley was named NAIA third team All-American after leading Lourdes in scoring (23.2 PPG) and assists (106). DuPree has also coached a pair of NAIA honorable mention All-Americans. Lourdes student-athletes earned 20 WHAC All-Academic Team honors during his tenure.
“First, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” DuPree said. “Without Him, none of this would be possible. I also want to thank Assistant Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Tyler Unsicker, (new LSUA chancellor) Dr. Elizabeth Beard, (retiring chancellor) Dr. Paul Coreil, and the rest of the search committee for this amazing opportunity. This program and university have a rich history of success across the board. The leadership is outstanding, and I could tell that the people here are committed to and dedicated to changing the lives of all students in the most positive way possible.”
“I am very much looking forward to having a positive impact on our student-athletes’ lives while helping them reach their potential both on and off the court,” DuPree added. “My staff and I will do this through our foundations of faith, accountability, discipline, teamwork, and toughness. We will be committed to representing LSUA and the Alexandria community with the highest level of integrity while, at the same time, pushing our student-athletes to be the best versions of themselves on and off the court. I firmly believe that when this is done the right way, success will follow. When our student-athletes graduate from LSUA, they will be confident in knowing that they can handle any obstacle or challenge that life may throw their way.”
As a player, DuPree was a four-year letterwinner at Lourdes. He served as team captain in both his junior and senior seasons. He garnered a WHAC All-Defensive Team selection in 2024-15 and earned honorable mention All-WHAC honors in his senior campaign. DuPree was a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District first team honoree and a three-time NAIA Scholar Athlete. He made a pair of NAIA National Championship appearances, including during the 2012-13 season in which the Gray Wolves won a record 22 games.
He graduated from Lourdes in 2015 with a degree in business marketing and earned his master of business administration degree from Lourdes in 2018.
“I also want to thank my mom, my dad, and my family for their continuous love and support,” DuPree said. “I would also like to thank all the coaches I have worked with throughout the years who have helped me get to this point. I am very blessed and excited to be a part of the LSUA family!”
LSUA Athletic Communications provided most of the information for this story.
BOM Bank is proud to continue our support of the LA Purge Youth Football Team. Organizations like LA Purge help young athletes develop teamwork, discipline, leadership, and confidence while creating opportunities to grow both on and off the field. We are honored to invest in programs that make a positive impact on the lives of local youth and strengthen our communities. Pictured left to right (back row): JQ, Demarcus, and Coach Knicholaus Black.
Pictured left to right (front row): Mari, Jayden, Jaymychal, Jeremiah, Caiden, and BOM’s Alexis Gongre. Thank you to the players, coaches, families, and supporters who help make youth sports a success!
Monday’s deluge pushed Red River to its highest stage at Alexandria-Pineville this year.
The river rose 2.47 feet overnight, reaching 23.47 feet on Tuesday. Flood stage is 34 feet.
According to the Corps of Engineers, previous high-water mark this year was 21.49 feet on Jan. 14. The low was reached a month later, 19.6 feet.
By Thursday afternoon this week’s surge had receded leaving the river at 20.89 feet.
Meanwhile tropical Arthur poured cats and dogs to the south Thursday with Avoyelles overwhelmed by upwards of 30 inches – let’s write that again, 30 inches – of downpour. Perspective: Alexandria’s annual average is 60 inches.
Cats and dogs is figurative, unlike instances in the mid-20th Century when it literally rained fish and frogs in Marksville.
The piscatorial event occurred in 1947 on Main and Monroe streets. A state biologist breakfasting there witnessed the finny event and collected several examples to preserve for museums around the state. He noted fish were falling about one per square yard for several blocks.
A decade later, The Town Talk reported frogs from the sky during turbulent weather the day before. Evidently any legs collected were not preserved.
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City Judges disclosure
Alexandria City Judge Richard Starling Jr. and Pineville City Judge Gary K. Hayes have filed financial disclosure statements that raise no conflict of interest issues.
The reports are required by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
As of June 17 Starling’s most-recent posted report was in September.
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Pineville personnel change
James Rachal has been appointed Pineville’s Public Works director, succeeding James Robertson.
The City Council approved Major Joe Bishop’s recommendation at its June meeting. Minutes reflect there was no discussion.
Bishop had not responded through Thursday evening to a query regarding the change.
Rachal had been serving as Parks and Recreation Director.
Under Robertson the city won the 2024 Cleanest City title in its category.
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Timber talk
State Sen. Heather Cloud, whose district includes parts of Rapides, has asked Gov. Jeff Landry to expand the geographic base of Louisiana Forestry Commission members.
She notes the heavy presence of the forestry and timber industry in Central and North Louisiana as obvious reasons to have some of the commissioners from those areas.
The state forester post is vacant and there are available commissioner appointments, any or all providing opportunities for such appointments, she wrote.
ASH sophomore Carter Rivet earned LSWA All-State honors in the shot put and discus with the best marks by any Louisiana thrower in both events this spring. This photo was taken by Nyla Stewart, who also made All-State and with her victory in the girls discus, helped the Lady Trojans capture the 5A state title.
After guiding the Alexandria Senior High Lady Trojans to a dominant Class 5A LHSAA track and field team title, Sedarrin Freeman was a convincing pick as the all-classes Coach of the Year on the LSWA’s All-State Outdoor Track and Field Team for 2026.
Trojans’ sensational sophomore thrower Carter Rivet also won top billing as the boys Outstanding Field Event Athlete.
Athletes and relay teams with the top three performances in each event throughout the spring season were recognized on the All-State squad compiled by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Individual awards were chosen by an LSWA panel.
Freeman’s Lady Trojans posted a 20-point victory, 85-65 over Zachary, to capture the Class 5A girls team trophy May 9 on a rainy day in Baton Rouge. It was the school’s first state track and field championship in 19 years with four event champions and eight more top four finishes at LSU’s Bernie Moore Stadium.
Rivet had the state’s best marks this spring in the shot put (62 feet, 9 inches) and discus (203-7, 15 ½ feet past the second-ranked throw). He won the discus state 5A crown and was a close second in the shot put.
The ASH girls put three individual competitors and two relay teams – both with the same four sprinters — on the All-State roster.
Nyla Stewart had the state’s best discus mark,148-2. Noelle Williams’s 40-3 leap was Louisiana’s third-ranked triple jump this season.
Ja’Nya Gray ran the state’s second-fastest 200 meter dash, 24.18. She also ran on both of the Lady Trojans’ top-ranked relay teams – the 4×100 (47.16) and the 4×200 (1:36.47, nearly three seconds better than the second-fastest time).
Gray’s All-State relay teammates in both events were Jamaria Byrd, Amari Dupar and Devan Williams.
No other Rapides Parish competitors made the All-State lists.
(artwork by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
By RAYMOND PARTSCH III, Special to the LSWA
If not for a determined crop-dusting principal, Dewain Strother would have likely spent decades working in lumber mills, instead of becoming one of the winningest girls high school basketball coaches in United States history.
Despite being an all-district guard at Plainview High School for Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Famer O.D. West and helping the Hornets claim the state championship in 1965, Strother had no intentions of going to college.
Raised in the Rapides Parish woods west of Glenmora, Strother firmly believed he was done with schooling upon graduation. Thankfully, Plainview principal Mike Irving had other plans.
“I had been in school for 12 years. That was long enough,” recalled Strother.
During his senior year, Strother wanted to take shop class, but the school had him in English 4. So Irving made him a deal. He could take shop class, but if he messed up, then back to English he would go.
“I left school without permission one day,” Strother said. “I think they were watching me under a magnifying glass. I was put back in that English class. (Irving) then helped register me for Northwestern State, flew me up there in his little four-seat Cessna plane to take a test, and that is how I got up there.”
That would set into motion a storied career, as Strother would lead Florien High School to six state championships, five runner-up finishes, and 21 semifinal appearances. His 1,235 victories are the most by any girls basketball coach in state history, and the second most in the nation.
“It ain’t about me,” Strother said. “It’s about those girls on the floor. They put the work in. They bought into what they needed to do. All the players who have gone through my program are successful. Nurses, police officers, teachers. I am amazed. I am just amazed. They are successful in society.”
Many will be in the audience watching Strother in the spotlight Saturday evening, June 27, culminating three days of activities celebrating him and the rest of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s 12-person Class of 2026. For participation opportunities and more information, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.
“It is well deserved,” said former longtime NSU women’s coach James Smith. “I have been hollering for a long time. It is really hard to believe. He can go back to the first game he coached. He still has a scorebook. He still has every book. That’s amazing to me. He is a special coach and a good guy. He gave himself to Florien and girls basketball for a long time.”
Like many young boys in rural Rapides Parish during the 1950s and 60s, Strother fell in love with basketball.
“I always loved the game of basketball,” Strother said. “At home, when we finished our chores, I would go outside and play basketball until mama hollered about supper.”
That love would carry over as he would go to play for West at Plainview, first as a bench player and then as the starting point guard. The lessons that he would utilize in his own coaching career are rooted in the time spent in the small gymnasium at Plainview.
“He basically made sure that we were well-behaved kids, and made the grades, and in the gym, he made sure we were fundamentally sound,” said Strother.
Those lessons were also done in a condensed amount of time, due to the school’s rural location.
“We didn’t practice after school,” Strother said. “We had 30 minutes during gym to work on fundamentals. We didn’t have any way to get home if we practiced after school.”
His on-court career came to a close upon graduation in 1968, but thanks to his principal, he would return to the hardwood in a different capacity, but not before one more detour.
In 1970, Strother married and stepped away from his studies at NSU to provide for his family. It didn’t take long to realize the plywood mill wasn’t for him after all.
“I realized that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in the mill,” Strother said. “My late wife, Charlotte, got a job at Ft. Polk, and her pay took care of everything. She said, ‘Go back and finish school.’ With her support, I went back.”
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1974, Strother would be hired as an elementary physical ed teacher at Florien, located roughly 40 miles southwest of Natchitoches. He would keep books for the boys team before being asked to begin the girls basketball program in the early 1980s.
It didn’t take long for Strother to mold the Black Cats into one of the state’s best programs. In his second season, the team won the district championship, and then in 1986, they advanced to the semifinals, losing to Starks. Then came a state runner-up finish in 1987 to Starks.
The girls at Florien had bought into his style of “90-foot basketball.”
“The girls saw what we were doing,” Strother said. “It was exciting. The goal for the next year was to get back to state. We went back and made it to the finals. That started everything for us.”
“He was very intense at the time,” said Florien coach Angela Anthony, who played for Strother. “Kids nowadays could not have played for him. We had a good time, but we took care of business. All the girls were 100 percent bought in, and our parents were bought in.”
The seeds had been planted for one of the greatest runs in girls’ basketball history in Louisiana.
Florien claimed its first state championship under Strother in 1989 by rolling Chatham, but the next year lost the title game to Sabine Parish rival Zwolle, 47-35. That championship loss would be the last one for more than a calendar year.
In 1990-91, Florien went 48-0, defeated Holden for the state crown, and was ranked No. 13 in the nation — the perfect season.
Florien would repeat in 1992 by beating Pitkin for the state title, then win the title again in 1993 over Zwolle, and defeat Doyle for the crown in 1994.
In six years, Florien went to six consecutive title games, hoisting the title trophy five times.
“It was amazing,” said Strother’s daughter, Jessica Caroline, who played for her dad. “Florien, it was on the map. Everybody knew about Florien. Everybody knew Dad. Everybody still knows Dad. They will say, ‘he is so amazing, and I wish we had a coach like him.'”
“They always had great players,” James Smith said. “Dewain’s kids were well coached. You weren’t getting kids who were raw and had to teach them everything. They were disciplined and fundamentally sound. They had so many games and practices, and it showed. They just wanted to win. No one intimidated them.”
The key to Strother’s coaching success was humility, as the coach never stopped trying to learn and improve.
“After my first year as head coach, I thought I knew basketball, but I didn’t,” Strother recalled. “You have to find out who the five best players are playing together, not the five best overall. That summer, I went to Bobby Knight’s coaching clinic. I wrote in pad after pad of notes.”
Strother added, “Anytime I got a chance, I went to clinics. Jody Conradt, Dean Smith, Jim Calhoun, and Geno Auriemma. I have seen all of them and listened to them. I educated myself on the game and never looked back.”
“He was always wanting to learn something new,” daughter Caroline said. “The coaches these days are not like they used to be. Even through all of his fussing or screaming on the floor, he was still teaching us something. You don’t get that nowadays.”
Strother retired after the 2022-23 season following a storied career filled with a gym full of accomplishments and even more memories. The legendary coach imagined spending his days playing golf, but that first year, he didn’t play at all due to knee replacement surgery. It didn’t take long for him to have the coaching itch.
This past year, Strother returned to Florien to help his former player, turned assistant coach and then head coach. The Black Cats won 18 games and earned a playoff berth.
“He came back with a vengeance,” Anthony said. “He had rested up for two years, and he was raring to go. They (our girls) got something they weren’t expecting to get.”
“I truly enjoyed it,” Strother said. “My whole demeanor had changed because I felt useful again. It is great to be back.”
Strother is back where he was destined to be — on the hardwood of a small high school gymnasium.
Sam Burns acknowledges cheers after sinking a 14-foot par putt Thursday on the par-3 17th hole, his eighth of the first round of the U.S. Open. (Photo by DUSTIN SETLOFT, United States Golf Association)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Former LSU All-American golfer Sam Burns entered Thursday’s opening round of the U.S. Open as one of the players expected to contend, and he quickly showed why.
Burns birdied two of his first four holes to jump into the lead among the morning tee times. But he slipped back with three bogeys, carding a 1-over 71 at Shinnecock Hills to stand in a tie for 29th in the 155-man field.
His threesome tees off in the afternoon today, at 12:51 CDT. Seven of the top eight players on the leaderboard played in the afternoon round Thursday, including five who were still on the course when play halted at dusk – led by Wyndham Clark, four shots clear of the rest of the field with a 6-under card and two holes left.
A two-hour fog delay Thursday kept Round 1 from being completed.
A look at his scorecard indicates Burns, the 29-year-old Shreveport native, had a lot going right and ran into trouble on three of the four toughest holes on the course.
He ranked second in the field by hitting 13 of 14 fairways. He found 12 of 18 greens in regulation, 27th overall. Burns stood fifth in strokes gained off the tee with his driving accuracy.
But he was 101st in shots gained on approaches, and 103rd on shots gained in the short game. Burns ranks fourth in putting this season on the PGA Tour, but Shinnecock’s notoriously challenging turtlebacked greens mitigated his strength Thursday. His 31 putts were 97th in the field.
Playing the back nine first, Burns laced his tee shot on the 155-yard 11th hole to six feet and drained the putt to get under par. On the 367th-yard 13th, he sank a 7-footer to get to 2-under.
His first bogey came on the 620-yard 16th, where he had his only three-putt, from 32 feet on a hole that was fourth-toughest to play Thursday.
Burns slipped to even par on the 474-yard fourth hole – the toughest for the field Thursday — after his only missed fairway of the round. He didn’t recover onto the green out of a fairway bunker and two-putted from 18 feet.
The last bogey came on No. 7, a 180-yard par 3 that was third-hardest Thursday, when his tee shot sailed over the green and he two putted from 21 feet.
Defending champion and tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler finished at 2-over 72 Thursday.
Burns, who lives in Choudrant and plays out of Squire Creek Country Club there, is aiming for his third straight top 10 finish at the U.S. Open. He was ninth in 2024, then held the lead in the final round last year before winding up seventh.
Today’s TV coverage is on Peacock throughout the day beginning at 6:30 a.m., with NBC picking up coverage at 1:30.
USA Network will have morning coverage on the weekend rounds with NBC and Peacock taking over at noon each day.
