By Kyle Roberts

RUSTON — Junior Bearcat running back Dalen Powell ran for 180 yards and four touchdowns Friday night, and a recovered pooch kickoff in the fourth quarter gave top-ranked Ruston the cushion it needed in a 36-22 win over Longview at James Field at Hoss Garrett Stadium.

Powell carried 28 times and scored from 21, 7, 8 and 6 yards out and now through two games has run for 451 yards and nine touchdowns. The Bearcats finished with 389 total yards, 271 of them on the ground, improved to 2-0 and remained No. 1 in the LSWA Class 5A poll. Longview fell to 2-1.

“Longview is a really good football team,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said after the game. “They’ll definitely be a playoff team, make a long run over in Texas. I know they’ll regroup and get back together. It’s unfortunate somebody had to win, somebody had to lose, but I’ll take the win anytime.”

Ruston scored first without the offense on the field. Longview punter James Pierce had his foot in the back his own end zone during a punt attempt for a safety with 5:43 left in the first quarter putting Ruston up 2-0, and Powell’s 21-yard touchdown run at 3:05 made it 9-0 after the first quarter.

Longview answered with its Division-I quarterback in senior Johnny Hamilton, who ran 17 yards for a touchdown to open the second-quarter scoring. Hamilton scored again from 29 yards out at 7:31, and gave the Lobos their first lead at 13-9. Powell put Ruston back in front with a 7-yard run at 4:23 in the second, and Pierce’s 35-yard field goal as time expired sent the game to halftime tied at 16.

Baugh said the two programs were built too much alike for the night to go any other way.

“You look at it, two programs that basically mirrored each other, going back and forth — you knew it was going to be a battle,” Baugh said. “You talk about their quarterback. Hamilton just comes out and makes plays. He makes play after play. He really is a competitor and a tough guy to bring down. He’s like his daddy. He gets after it, and we knew he was going to be tough.”

He also knew the Lobos would not fold.

“Sometimes you have those teams that you feel like you get a couple scores ahead and they may quit on you and let you have it, but Longview’s not one of those,” Baugh said. “I know too many guys over there, know a lot of the players’ dads that were over there on the other sideline. So I knew they were going to keep playing, but I was proud of our guys. I feel like they dug in and did what we needed to get done in order to win.”

The only points of the third quarter came on a call Longview did not appear to expect. Facing fourth-and-short, Ruston rolled senior quarterback Sam Hartwell out of the pocket, and a 30-yard completion to senior tight end Ahmad Hudson moved the Bearcats into scoring range. Hartwell then ran 26 yards for the touchdown at 5:02 and a 23-16 lead.

“Our coaches did a good job of game planning,” Baugh said. “They were heavy, heavy in there on our runs, and it was a little waggle pass to Ahmad, which was unfortunate for them but fortunate for us. The defender slipped down, gave him a little more room, and it was a big, big play for us, for sure.”

Jacaiden Davis scored from 3 yards out early in the fourth quarter to pull Longview within 23-22, but the extra point was missed for the second time in the game. Powell’s 8-yard run at 5:13 then pushed the lead to 29-22, and Ruston went for two rather than the extra point. The try failed.

“I’m going for two down here — make it a two-possession ball game,” Baugh said. “I wasn’t real comfortable where we were defensively, not that we weren’t playing well. They had had some big chunk plays, and I just felt, maybe it was just me, I was going to be more comfortable if we get the two-point conversion. One score, they can’t go for two and tie it up. You at least have a one-score lead, and hopefully our offense can hold on to the football and run the clock out even if we gave up a score. I know a lot of people may disagree with that. That’s just one of those coaching decisions that somebody’s got to make, and it’s great whenever it works and it don’t look so hot whenever it doesn’t.”

Three seconds later, the decision was ultimately proven moot. Ruston’s Joaquin Ramos pooch-kicked, the Longview return man could not handle it, and sophomore defensive back Tristan Nassar recovered at the Longview 29. Powell scored from 6 yards out at 3:37 to finish the 29-yard drive and make it 36-22.

“That’s what we work,” Baugh said. “I know it’s not everybody’s favorite thing, but Joaquin does a good job with his ball placement. We were feeling real good about dropping the ball between the second level and third level. The returner mishandled a couple of balls, which gave us really good field position. The thing about those footballs, once they hit the turf, you don’t know which direction they’re going to go when it becomes a scramble for the ball, and we needed it at that time for sure.”

Ramos made all four extra points on the night, and his work on kickoff coverage came up in the same answer as the two-point decision.

“We were close to giving up a kickoff return, and Joaquin runs over there, makes him have to cut the ball back and we get him tackled,” Baugh said. “If he runs that in, it’s a whole other deal.”

Powell got his numbers the hard way Friday — Longview crowded the middle of the line and finished as a defense with seven tackles for loss.

“It was rough sledding in there for a while. He had a tough, tough go of it,” Baugh said. “They were junked up in the front and squeezing it, making us bounce some runs, but he and Kohl Gray both had some good runs at some crucial times.”

Hartwell completed 11 of 14 passes for 118 yards and ran nine times for 56 yards and the touchdown. Hudson caught eight passes for 108 yards. Gray, a senior running back, carried seven times for 35 yards. Ruston converted 3 of 4 fourth downs and had seven plays of 20 yards or more.

Hamilton finished with 134 rushing yards on 13 carries and completed 11 of 23 passes for 136 yards. Davis added 52 yards on the ground and junior receiver Jaden Hurndon caught six passes for 86 yards. Longview had 351 total yards and averaged 7.7 yards a carry, but was flagged four times for 45 yards.

Senior defensive back Jayden Anding intercepted Hamilton for Ruston’s only takeaway at the end of the night. Junior linebacker Aidan Adams led the Bearcats with five tackles, including one for loss, and freshman defensive back Reed Williams had four. Anding also had four, and senior defensive lineman Jerron Albritton had three and a tackle for loss.

Baugh said the schedule leaves no room to sit with it.

“We got another ball game next week that we’re going to have to flush this one pretty quick and get back after it and, for sure, regroup and straighten some things out,” Baugh said. “We still got a lot of improving to do, and mainly about our practice habits. We’re going to have to practice better if we plan on playing better in a ball game.”

The Cat Box was full for a second straight home game, and Baugh said the noise had something to do with the safety that opened the scoring.

“I think our players feed off of that. That’s a big deal,” Baugh said. “Great home advantage to have all those kids here, filling up the Cat Box and our community coming out, supporting these kids. They’ve worked hard. I talk about our practice habits and that sort of thing, but they’ve worked hard over the spring, the summer, fall camp, and they deserve some support, and our community sure is doing that.”

Ruston plays Edna Karr on Saturday at the Superdome in New Orleans in another marquee matchup.

by Tim Smith

Two thousand five hundred and twenty.

It was Oct. 18, 2019 — 2,520 days since Cedar Creek defeated St. Frederick on the gridiron.

“But who’s counting?” sighed Cougars head coach Jacob Angevine. “It’s a great feeling, and especially to do it at home, in front of this crowd. I mean, it is just fantastic!” he continued. “Especially after the playoff game last year.”

The Cougars, led by a tenacious, unbreakable defense, wore down and wore out the Warriors from St. Fred, 32-10, in front of packed stands on both sides of the field.

“I don’t know if anyone else believed in us except the people right here at Cedar Creek, but man, what a game!”

The game certainly did not start the way the Cougars had hoped. The Cougars defense forced a punt on the Warriors’ first possession, but the home team’s offense sputtered on its first possession. Campbell Woodard’s punt sailed sharply out of bounds, giving St. Fred the ball at the Cougars 33. The defense stood firm once again, forcing the Warriors to settle for a 29-yard field goal.

Trouble struck again when the Cougars could not field the kickoff, turning the ball back over to the Warriors at the Cougars 22-yard line. This time, the Warriors capitalized on the turnover with an 8-yard run for a touchdown just four plays later, and the Cougars found themselves down 10-0 early. But the Warriors would not see the end zone again all night.

After the kickoff, Cougars quarterback Brett Bell kept the ball and escaped for a 78-yard touchdown, reviving the home crowd and stunning the St. Fred faithful. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the score pushed the point-after attempt back 15 yards, and the Cougars failed to convert.

10-6.

The Cougars defense held again, but when senior Hayden Durrett muffed a fair catch at his own 13, the Warriors looked poised to add to their lead. The Cedar Creek defense would have none of it, and St. Fred was forced to try another field goal, but this one missed left.

With time ticking down in the first half, the Cougars mounted their first sustained drive of the night. Bell hit Case Phillips on a 22-yard completion, then kept the ball and gained another 20. Running back Payton Harris and Bell were grinding out yardage, but time was running out.

With no timeouts remaining, Liam Durrett carried the ball to the goal line but came up about 3 centimeters short. Calls to Ann Arbor asking for one more second went unanswered, so the Cougars went to the locker room down 10-6.

“The message at the half is that everything they have, we gave right to them,” Angevine said. “But physically, we knew we were wearing them down, especially our defense.

“We felt like we had the better unit up front, and we had the opportunity to prove it. We believed in our game plan, in our scheme,” Angevine said. “We gave them field position three or four times inside the 20, and we were able to bow our neck and not break.”

The second half would belong to the Cougars.

Bell ran for 20 and kept the drive alive, then two plays later blasted around the left end and outran everyone to the end zone. A 58-yard touchdown run gave the home team the lead for the first time. The extra point was blocked, but the Cougars were up 12-10.

Bell would tally 185 yards on the ground and 25 through the air.

Phillips intercepted a Warriors pass at the 45 and returned it 55 yards for another Cougars touchdown. Woodard’s extra point gave the Cougars some breathing room. But more importantly, the momentum of the game and the mood on both sidelines had changed.

“Once we learned, hey, we are the more physical football team, it was pedal to the metal and full throttle from there,” Angevine said.

It was only a matter of time. You cannot keep “lightning in a bottle” bottled up for too long.

Cougars sophomore Payton Harris finally caused a little thunder in the third quarter. Harris, who is the workhorse for the Cougars ground game, peeled off runs of 7, 5 and 16 yards before punching through the Warriors defense for a 30-yard touchdown.

“Lightning” Harris would add another 22-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, giving him 169 yards and two touchdowns.

“He’s as quick as a hiccup,” Angevine laughed. “I hate to keep saying it, but he is lightning in a bottle.”

That name may just stick.

The Cougars will face Beekman Charter next Friday while celebrating homecoming at Cougars Stadium.

by Malcolm Butler

Mark Ware is a difference maker.

He may not want any of the credit, but the veteran high school coach has already made a huge impact in a very short time since returning to the Cedar Creek sideline this summer.

And if two games into the 2026 season are any indication, the Cougars’ defense has Ware’s fingerprints all over it.

The latest evidence came Friday night at Origin Bank Stadium, where Cedar Creek held St. Frederick to 148 yards on 48 offensive plays in a 32-10 victory.

The Cougars recorded nine tackles for loss and one sack while shutting out the Warriors over the final three quarters after trailing 10-6 at the end of the first.

Not bad against a St. Frederick team that ended Cedar Creek’s season with a 49-6 playoff win last November.

“Our defense was swarming to the ball, taking away plays that last year in the playoff game they absolutely gashed us on,” Cedar Creek head coach Jacob Angevine said. “Our guys, they had that taste in their mouth from last year. They didn’t forget about it.”

Ware previously spent five years as Cedar Creek’s defensive coordinator before leaving to serve in the same role at West Monroe. After two years with the Rebels, the veteran coach returned to Cedar Creek this summer to once again run the Cougars’ defense.

The results are already showing.

Perhaps no sequence Friday night illustrated it better than a second-quarter stand deep in Cedar Creek territory.

With St. Frederick already leading 10-6 and threatening from around the Cedar Creek 10-yard line following a turnover, the Warriors had an opportunity to take control of the game.

Ware’s defense didn’t let them. St. Fred’s was forced to attempt a field goal on fourth down and came up empty.

“Things weren’t going our way, and we needed something good to happen,” Ware said. “The kids bowed up down here, I think, about the 10-, 12-yard line, and just made some great tackles, some good one-on-one plays.

“And then the whole game changed.”

The Cedar Creek defense struck again in the third quarter.

With the Cougars clinging to a 12-10 lead, Case Phillips intercepted a St. Frederick pass. Phillips lost the football during the return, but a Cedar Creek teammate scooped it up and carried it into the end zone to extend the advantage to 19-10.

“That was colossal,” Ware said. “It was a play that we needed at that time. We felt like we were in control of the game, but we needed something to get us up two scores on them.”

Junior defensive back Micah Taylor was another key piece of Ware’s game plan.

With Cedar Creek’s safeties responsible for defending the pitch against St. Frederick’s option attack, Ware asked Taylor to handle one of the Warriors’ top receiving threats largely in man-to-man coverage. Taylor responded with six tackles, including one for loss, while holding his own in coverage.

“Micah Taylor’s a very good defensive back, and he played a terrific football game,” Ware said.

Taylor said Ware has brought something else back to the Cedar Creek defense.

Intensity.

“Last year, our defense was great, but you didn’t have that intensity, that drive to keep pushing,” Taylor said. “Like last year, after the first half, we would kind of let off the pedal a little bit.

“But today, we had the pedal to the metal the whole game. We came out firing on all cylinders.”

Senior safety Brett Bell, who contributed two tackles defensively while also rushing for 185 yards and two touchdowns at quarterback, pointed to Ware’s discipline.

“He brings a lot of energy to the table,” Bell said. “He’s really disciplined, and you saw that tonight. We kept them to 10 points. That just tells you who Coach Ware is right there.”

Angevine believes Ware’s ability to demand plenty from his players while making sure they know he cares about them has helped create the buy-in.

“What I love about Mark is he will be the first guy to go up and love whoever he just ripped a new one,” Angevine said. “You’ve got to have a guy that the kids trust, the kids love, and Mark’s one of those guys.

“He’ll be the first one to chew on somebody, but also be the first one to love them up.”

Ware, predictably, pointed much of the credit elsewhere.

He praised Cedar Creek’s young defensive assistants for believing in the system and teaching the details, while crediting a group of players he believes has developed enough depth that the Cougars no longer have to depend on only a handful of individuals to make plays.

“They believe in what we’re doing. We believe in them,” Ware said. “Instead of having three or four that can make plays, we have a lot of kids that can make plays for us, and that’s huge.”

Ware may not want the credit. But through two games, his defense is making it increasingly difficult for him to avoid it.

by Malcolm Butler

Trap game.

Louisiana Tech at LSU is the perfect illustration of this sports term.

Last week, LSU dominated Clemson by the score of 51-10. It was a performance that left even some of the Tiger fans speechless (well that may be a stretch).

This week, the school — thanks in large part to Lane Kiffin and the football program — was warned by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey about potentially being expelled by the league. Although it didn’t happen, there was a lot of chatter surrounding it.

Next week, Kiffin and Co. travel to his former school — Ole Miss — for the SEC opener. If you think there was chatter this week? Just wait.

So can Louisiana Tech take advantage of its placement on the LSU schedule and catch these Tigers by their tails? Tech fans will find out tonight at 6:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs (1-0) head to Tiger Stadium looking to build off one of the most dominant season-opening victories in program history while facing a significant jump in competition.

Tech was one of only five FBS programs to score at least 70 points in Week 1 and finished the opening week ranked second nationally in team passing efficiency at 280.29, trailing only Indiana at 285.03.

Jalen Mickens led Tech with 164 all-purpose yards, including 133 receiving, and scored on a 75-yard reception on the Bulldogs’ first offensive snap of the season.

Dedrick Latulas also made an impact, becoming the first Bulldog since Paul Turner in 2015 to record a punt return for a touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same game. He finished with 107 all-purpose yards and was named the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.

Transfers Sergio Snider, Jaden Miller, Talyn Shettron (twice) and Joshua Brantley also scored their first touchdowns as Bulldogs.

The offensive explosion came despite plenty of new faces in the lineup. Seven of Tech’s 22 offensive and defensive starters made their first starts as Bulldogs, while only four current players have made at least 10 career starts at Tech — Eli Finley (27), Hayden Christman (25), Kolbe Fields (17) and Ashanti Cole (14).

Saturday’s meeting marks the first time Louisiana Tech and LSU have played in back-to-back seasons since 1940 and 1941.

LSU leads the all-time series 20-1, including 15-0 in Baton Rouge and 9-0 at Tiger Stadium. Tech’s lone victory came 6-0 in Ruston in 1904.

The Bulldogs did hold LSU to 23 points in last year’s meeting, the fewest Tech had allowed against the Tigers since a 20-2 loss in 1913.

Kiffin has faced Louisiana Tech twice as a head coach, splitting two meetings while at Florida Atlantic.

Now the Bulldogs get their first road test of 2026 against a top-10 opponent in one of college football’s most hostile environments.

And maybe at just the right spot on LSU’s schedule.

By T. Scott Boatright

Football is a game of ebbs and flows. There are mountains and valleys through a full season, through a game, through a quarter, through a practice week.

That quote from Seattle Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp epitomizes the way Cedar Creek played Friday night as the Cougars battled past early miscues to pull off a 32-10 upset of longtime rival St. Frederick at Origin Bank Field.

One motivating factor was St. Frederick’s 49-6 win over Cedar Creek in the opening round of last season’s playoffs, something Cougars coach Jacob Angevine repeatedly reminded his team of throughout the week.

“We preached to the guys all week to keep that taste of what happened last year in their mouths,” Angevine said. “We told them on Monday, we got them up here early on Monday after a film session of last Friday’s game. We had a good practice and had good weights after that.

“And the message was, like it’s been all week — 2,520 days. That’s the last time we beat those guys. Are we going to let the same thing boil over and over and over, or are we going to be the guys that flip the script? They took that to heart all day of every single day all week.”

Friday’s win was Cedar Creek’s first victory over St. Frederick since earning a 21-7 win over the Warriors on Oct. 18, 2019.

St. Frederick started its winning streak over the Cougars with consecutive 7-6 victories the next two years, making the drought even harder to forget.

“It’s just one of those things where you’ve seen close games — 7-6 ballgames that I’ve been part of here,” Angevine said. “I’ve been in games like that against St. Frederick, and getting knocked out of the playoffs like we did last year. This moment here, I hope that scoreboard stays up there lit like it is the rest of the week.”

Early on, Cedar Creek appeared in danger of letting the emotions of the rivalry get the better of it.

St. Frederick took a 3-0 lead midway through the opening quarter before the Cougars muffed and fumbled away the ensuing kickoff. Four plays later, the Warriors scored on an 8-yard run to build a 10-0 advantage.

Creek countered with a 75-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brett Bell, but the Cougars then muffed their next two punt returns, losing the second to the Warriors.

“We just let the moment kinda get too big,” Angevine said. “We talked at halftime about how everything St. Frederick got in the first half, we gave right to them. It’s one of those things where we can settle down, and I even got the sideline warning penalty in the first half — just keeping everybody back and keeping my emotions in check.”

Former Cougars head football and baseball coach Ben Haddox, who returned to the Cedar Creek sideline this season as a volunteer coach, said managing those emotions was critical.

“Football is a game of highs and lows and you’ve got to find somewhere in the middle ground to live,” Haddox said. “I think you saw that early in the game — a lot of real big highs and a lot of lows. And in the second half, it takes effect because your emotions start wearing you down physically.

“I felt that we did a really good job in that first half of managing our emotions. We never got too high and we never got too low, and I think that it helped us at the end have a little more juice.”

Haddox said coaching high school football involves as much psychology as X’s and O’s.

“It’s all about kids and understanding that you’re going to need to coach one kid a certain way and another kid another way,” Haddox said. “Coach Angevine has done a tremendous job with these kids. They play hard for him and they trust him. He did a great job with their message all week of being consistent, and the coaches have really bought into it as well.”

Bell said there was no panic in the Cedar Creek locker room despite the Cougars trailing 10-6 at halftime.

“He kept us calm — no concerns,” Bell said of Angevine. “Everybody knows it’s the beginning of the season and those first snaps, it’s going to go a little bit awkward. We got down 10-6, but Coach Ange did a great job of keeping us levelheaded and we just kept going and fighting back.

“We knew big emotions would come into this game. Coach Ange just did a great job of leveling us out — humbling us — and we knew where we were at. We came out and we played hard every snap. It’s been 2,520 days since we last beat St. Frederick. So we knew what we had to come in here to do tonight, and we did it.”

Angevine said Bell also played a role in keeping the Cougars steady.

“The role Brett plays — I get my emotions up and he gets his emotions up, but I know it’s a good thing to have him out there on the field and level everybody out,” Angevine said. “To watch this guy come out last year, after not playing football since the eighth grade, and then do what he’s done and become the player he’s become, there better be some colleges calling his phone tomorrow, because that dude is one heckuva player. One heckuva leader.”

The Cougars outscored St. Frederick 26-0 in the second half, although emotions surfaced again when Cedar Creek was hit with another sideline penalty during Case Phillips’ 55-yard interception return for a touchdown.

“I think it was somebody that was way back behind the play, but it’s one of those things you can correct,” Angevine said. “It didn’t hurt the play. We still got the touchdown. It’s just one of those things where we’ve still got a lot of young guys on the roster and we’ve just got to keep our emotions in check and keep everybody back.”

Haddox said the rivalry made the night even more intense.

“It’s tough anytime you play those guys,” Haddox said. “So this was an easy week to get up for — an easy week to be excited for. I’m just excited the kids played so well. It was just a tremendous effort. We were really thin up front on the offensive and defensive line, and you wouldn’t have known it by watching the game.

“We’ll look at film and see some things that we need to improve on. But this was a fantastic win.”

Angevine told his Cougars to enjoy finally getting over the St. Frederick hump. Then, he said, it will be time to move on.

“Knocking off an opponent like that, one that’s had our number for a while, it’s definitely awesome,” Angevine said. “But our guys, I think we’re a mature enough team to realize that, hey, we can celebrate this win, we can have the weekend and move forward, but we’ve got to come back Monday ready to go back at 0-0.

“But on Monday, last week doesn’t matter. We’ve got another opponent — Beekman Charter — and it’s going to be tough. We’ll have enough distractions with that as it is. It’s going to be a true test of the character of our team.”

By T. Scott Boatright

FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s a classic matchup of David vs. Goliath as Grambling State travels to Texas Christian University for a 7 p.m. showdown on Saturday.

And it won’t help the underdogs that 2-0 GSU will be facing a 0-1 TCU team still smarting after being upset by North Carolina 15-10 in Ireland in the Horned Frogs’ season opener Aug. 29.

It’s simply one of those things HBCUs are basically forced to do — play for the money they can get facing Power 4 conference programs.

After overwhelming two lower-division opponents at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium, the shoe will be on the other foot in TCU’s Amon Carter Stadium.

This will be Grambling’s second time visiting TCU. In 2012, the Horned Frogs won 56-0. 

“Gotta pay the bills,” Grambling coach Mickey Joseph said. “You gotta pay the bills at Grambling. I think that the value in it is that we get to see where we’re at. We get to use it as a measuring stick outside of a Division II school. We’re overmatched. Financially, they’re better than us. Talentwise, they’re better than us. 

“But it’s good to see where this team is at because there are certain things that we’re going to get away with against Division II schools that we’re not going to get away with Saturday night.”

Joseph said his Tigers know what they will be facing but won’t be intimidated.

“Just like last year against Ohio State, we won’t be intimidated.” Joseph said. “We want to be clean. We want to make sure the matchup is clean and we want to come out healthy.”

“Just follow the money in college football,” Joseph said. “Just follow the money in college football and you’ll see who the better teams are. That’s why the team up north in Michigan is having so much hoopla right now — they’ve got more money than Western Michigan, so how did it get like that? 

“Like I told my kids, it’s a one-game series,” Joseph said. “It’s not a four-game series, it’s not a five-game series, it’s a one-game series. So now, we’ve got to go play our best ball for one game. We’ll never have to see TCU again. TCU has nothing to do with us winning the (Southwestern Athletic Conference) West (division). Nothing to do with us winning a SWAC championship or a HBCU championship.”

Grambling has used four quarterbacks this season with Reginald Johnson seemingly taking over the No. 1 reins last week. 

Johnson, a transfer from Florida A&M, got the majority of work at quarterback for the G-Men in the 38-26 win over Central State, completing 18-of-23 passes for 250 yards, including a 50-yard pass to Tyson George, who led Grambling with five receptions for 93 yards.

Jakobe Robinson, a transfer from Southern Mississippi,  first entered the game as Grambling’s second quarterback at the 5:44 mark of the first quarter and completed 1-of-3 passes for 25 yards and a third quarter interception that wasn’t his fault. That pass hit the GSU receiver in the hands, but it went through the attempted receivers and was picked off by the Marauders. 

Sophomore Hayden Benoit directed Grambling’s final scoring drive, taking a QB sneak into the end zone with 31 seconds remaining.

But despite the fact Johnson has recorded 33 of Grambling’s 44 completions and 40-of-66 attempted passes for the G-Men, during his weekly press conference on Monday, Joseph declined to name a No. 1 starting quarterback heading to TCU.

“Yeah, you want to name him (the starter),” said Joseph, a New Orleans native who was a star quarterback for Tom Osborne at Nebraska. “I told him that I’m going to keep him in a (quarterback competition) battle until after TCU. Remember, RJ (Johnson) just got here. We want RJ to keep getting better. 

“Sometimes, with this generation of players, once you say, ‘You’re the guy,’ they get complacent. He knows I’m going to keep the heat on him. He knows if he misses two passes, I’ll pull him out. We’ll start him again, but we’re going to play (Robinson) and Frye also. So, he’s still in a quarterback battle. I know everybody thinks it’s stupid, but I have to do it my way.”

In 1863, the United States of America and the Confederate States of America were in the midst of what we now call the Civil War.  On June 1, 1863, nineteen-year-old Willis Meadows of Lanott, Alabama, joined Company G of the 37^th Alabama Regiment.  Willis was a fierce hunter who realized early on that missing a shot at wild game meant that he and his family would not have any meat on the table.  Within days of his enlistment, his superiors recognized his shooting skills and made him a sharpshooter.  One month to the day after his enlistment, July 1, Willis was helping defend Vicksburg from the Union army.  Through a small hole in a sheet of boiler plate, Willis took careful aim and fired a single shot at a time at Union soldiers so as not to give his position away.  He waited several minutes before firing again so the enemy could not pinpoint his position.  Every few minutes, Willis took down another soldier. 

21-year-old Peter Knapp and three other members of the 5^th Iowa volunteers were ordered to eliminate the sniper.  They slowly scanned the area while they awaited another shot.  Finally, Peter saw a flash come from the small hole in the boiler plate.  Peter was a crack shot as well.  As Willis peeked through the hole in search of another target, Peter fired.  The one-ounce cone-shaped bullet went through the same hole Willis had been firing through and struck him, Willis, in his right eye.  Peter saw Willis collapse and knew he was either dead or dying.  Peter and the other three reported that they had eliminated the sharpshooter and were sent on another assignment.

A short while later, a Union soldier found Willis and realized that he was still alive.  He and other Union soldiers took Willis to their surgeon who transferred the wounded sharpshooter to a federal hospital.  Doctors operated on Willis and concluded that it would be too dangerous to try to remove the bullet.  They stopped the bleeding and hoped for the best.  Despite the doctors’ grim prognosis, Willis’s condition slowly improved.  Except for the loss of his right eye, Willis regained his health.  Willis was eventually paroled and returned to Alabama.

58 years later, Peter was reading the newspaper when he read Willis’s incredible story.  He soon realized that Willis was the man he shot and whom he thought he had killed.  Peter wrote to Willis and they began corresponding back and forth for the remainder of Willis’s life.  The newspaper article which turned former enemies into friends was published on March 22, 1921.  On the day before, Willis, then 78 years old, was in his kitchen when he began coughing.  His coughing progressed into a coughing fit.  Willis held his handkerchief over his mouth, but nothing he tried would ease his coughing.  After several long minutes, Willis’s coughing ended abruptly when something struck his handkerchief.  He lowered the handkerchief from his mouth and stared in amazement.  58 years after being shot through the eye and left for dead, Willis coughed up Peter’s bullet.         

Sources:

1.     The Wellston News (Wellston, Oklahoma), April 1, 1921, p.2.

2.     Phillips County News (Malta, Montana), September 8, 1921, p.1.

3.     “March 14, 1921 Coughing up Bullets,” Cape Cod Curmudgeon, March 24, 2018, Accessed August 30, 2026, https://todayinhistory.blog/2018/03/24/march-24-1921-coughing-up-bullets/.

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Each Monday through Friday, the Lincoln Parish Journal will post a list of non-for-profit upcoming events happening in the parish. If you would like to add your event to this list or advertise your for-profit events, please email us at lpjnewsla@gmail.com. 

Saturday, Sept. 12
8:30-11:30 a.m.: Hazardous Waste Material Collection and Recycling (2609 Farmerville St.)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
9 a.m.: Cotton Country Open Horse Show (North Louisiana Expo Center, 165 Fairgrounds Rd., Ruston)
6 p.m.: GSU volleyball (Fredric C Hobdy Assembly Center)
6:30 p.m.: LA Tech volleyball (TAC)

Sunday, Sept. 13
2-4 p.m.: Tech professor Albino Hinojosa book signing of “The Art of Albino Hinojosa” (Trinity Methodist Church)

Monday, Sept. 14
9-11:30 a.m.: Bulldog Bash (LA Tech, the Quad)
11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
1 p.m.: Ruston Duplicate Bridge Club meeting (Presbyterian Church, 212 N. Bonner St.)
5-7 p.m.: Fall/Winter DND Campaign for Teens & Tweens (Lincoln Parish Library) Please call 318-513-5518 for important information about participation.
6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street)
6-9 p.m.: Creative Meetups (Creatives at Work, 301 N. Trenton)

Tuesday, Sept. 15
6:30 a.m.: Veterans free breakfast (VFW Post 3615, 206 Memorial Dr.)
8 a.m. to noon: College and Career Fair (LA Tech TAC)
10 a.m.: Storytime : Spiders (Lincoln Parish Library)
4 p.m.: Crafternoon : Web Spinning Spider (Lincoln Parish Library)
6 p.m.: Video-Led Exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)

Wednesday, Sept. 16
7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee)
11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
12-1 p.m.: Rotary Club meeting (Historic Fire Station)
3-7 p.m.: Meals of Remembrance (1507 Goodwin Rd — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meals-of-remembrance-tickets-1998454230400)

Thursday, Sept. 17
10:30 a.m.: Ribbon cutting celebrating Tank Burger (300 E. Mississippi Ave.)
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall; Anyone is welcome to come to our meeting,please notify Richard Hamilton of your attendance. 318-518-2121)
1 p.m.: Ruston Duplicate Bridge Club meeting (Presbyterian Church, 212 N. Bonner St.)
4 p.m.: Tween Time : Egg Carton Animal Portraits (Lincoln Parish Library)
4-6 p.m.: Library Board Ice Cream Social and Meet & Greet (Lincoln Parish Library)
6 p.m.: Teen Time : Volunteer Hour (Lincoln Parish Library)
6 p.m.: Southern A’Chord Chorus rehearsal (Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 212 N. Bonner St.; open to all women singers)
6:30 p.m: Books & Bites Book Club; registration required 318-513-5510 (Lincoln Parish Library at Rotolo’s Craft & Crust)

Friday, Sept. 18
10:30 a.m.: Ribbon cutting celebrating HOTWORX (310 E. Mississippi Ave.)
7 p.m.: Cedar Creek football

Saturday, Sept. 19
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
2-4 p.m.: Fall into a Book Festival : Charlotte’s Web (Fall Carnival) with local children’s authors and a music performance by Rickey Pittman (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)

For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox. Just CLICK HERE to sign up.

Anna Essie Lou Hackney Greene, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and devoted servant of the Lord, passed away peacefully at her home in Dubach, Louisiana, on September 9, 2026.

Anna was born in Pineville, Louisiana, on December 2, 1952, to Syble Jeansonne. After marrying the love of her life, William Gordon “Skeeter” Greene, she made her home in Dubach, where she built a life centered on her family, her faith, and her love of music.

Anna attended New Prospect Baptist Church for many years and took great pride in serving as the church’s music director until her health no longer allowed her to continue. Later becoming a member of First Baptist Dubach. Music was woven into the fabric of her life. She spent more than half of her life singing and playing the guitar, she was blessed with a beautiful voice. She travelled with the Grand Ole Opry Road Show even sharing the stage one time with Dolly Parton herself! Gospel music held a special place in her heart, and she loved using her voice to praise the Lord.

Anna loved the Lord with all her heart. She never hesitated to tell others about His mercy, saving grace, and love. Her faith was not merely something she practiced; it was something she lived each day. Through her kindness, music, and willingness to share the hope she found in Christ, she touched the lives of many.

Anna had a heart of gold and was always thinking of others. She loved her family deeply, and family was of the utmost importance to her. Her greatest joy came from loving and spending time with the people she held dear.

She also loved beautiful things and always believed in looking her best. You would rarely see Anna leave the house without her makeup on, her hair fixed, and her “bling” in place. She loved anything pretty and anything that made a person feel beautiful. Her sparkle was reflected not only in the things she wore but also in the way she made others feel.

Anna is survived by her beloved husband, William Gordon “Skeeter” Greene; her daughter, Tara Ailes of Pueblo, Colorado; her stepdaughters, Ginger Roberts of Saline, Louisiana, and Melissa Greene of Gainesville, Texas; her granddaughters, Tyler Ailes, Sara Ailes, and Cheyenne Roberts, Logan Mclean; her grandsons, Dylan Doss, Eric Doss, Trevor McLean, and Quinn McLean; her great-granddaughters, Avallen Doss, Teagan Doss, and Eliza Doss; her great-grandsons, Aiden Doss, Finnegan Doss, and Fletcher Doss, Cohen McLean; great granddaughter, Lakelynn McLean;  and her sisters, Sissy and Ruth.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Syble Jeansonne; her sister, Bonnie; and her brother, George.

Anna leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, music, and family. Although her beautiful voice is now silent here on earth, those who knew and loved her can find comfort in knowing that her singing has not ended.

There is no doubt that Anna is now leading the music in Heaven, singing praises to the Lord she loved with all her heart.

Her family will carry her memory in their hearts, her songs in their memories, and her faith through the generations she leaves behind.

Until we meet again, Anna. Keep singing.

Services for Anna will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, September 13,2026, at First Baptist Church in Dubach.  Officiating the service will be Rev. Larry Bullock assisted by Rev Eddie Robison.   Officiating the graveside will be Rev. Ken Roberts.  Interment will be at Unionville / Colvin Memorial Cemetery in Dubach under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston.    A visitation will be held prior to the service from 1:30 to 3:00 PM at First Baptist Church of Dubach.

Anna Essie Lou Hackney Greene 
December 2, 1952  –  September 9, 2026 
Visitation: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 1:30PM – 3:00PM, First Baptist Church, 7876 Hico St., Dubach 
Service: Sunday, September 13, 2026, 3:00PM, First Baptist Church, 7876 Hico St., Dubach 
Final Resting Place: Colvin Memorial Cemetery, 6598 LA –822, Dubach 

Gerald “Jerry” Robert Dufresne 
July 27, 1948 – Sept. 10, 2026 
Graveside service: Sept. 17, 2026, 10 a.m., Prospect Cemetery, 3415 Keppler Creek Rd., Ruston  

Rosalind Jones  
Monday 12/02/1957 — Saturday 09/05/2026   
Visitation: Friday 09/11/2026 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home  
Wake: Friday 09/11/2026 6:00pm to 7:00pm at King’s Funeral Home  
Graveside: Saturday 09/12/2026 11:00am, Grambling Memorial Garden, Highway 80 West, Grambling  

Cleo Frank  
Wednesday 10/20/1948 — Monday 09/07/2026   
Visitation: Saturday 09/19/2026 8:00am to 10:00am, St. Paul Baptist Church, 2766 LA 1192, Marksville   
Funeral Service: Saturday 09/19/2026 10:00am, St. Paul Baptist Church, 2766 LA 1192, Marksville  
Interment: Saturday 09/19/2026 Following Service, St Paul Baptist Church Cemetery, 2766 LA 1192, Marksville