By T. Scott Boatright

After a year’s wait, the countdown is on for movies to return to Ruston.

Celebrity Theatres, which has been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, made a Facebook post on Friday saying that it plans and expects to reopen its doors in late April.

Following is that Facebook message:

“To Our Valued Celebrity Theatres Family,

As most of you are aware, we shared a teaser quite a few weeks ago about our grand reopening. However, as the state of the industry has progressed, we are once again forced to push back our reopening date.

“Distributors continue to push the release dates of their major films back by months. Many of the anticipated releases have been completely pushed from March and April into the summer and fall months. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel with the New York City and California markets being able to begin reopening their doors at limited capacities.

“These two markets are vital to the industry, and having been closed for such a long time is a major factor in why so many films have gone straight to streaming. With the news of these markets opening, we are incredibly hopeful that distribution companies will start holding their release dates and no further pushes on films will be made.

“Barring any new, significant roadblocks, we WILL be opening our doors on April 30. Thank you all so much for your continued patience and support, and we cannot wait until this incredibly long intermission comes to a close.”

 

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Staff Writer

Deep postseason runs, combined with consistent production all season long, have earned seven parish prep basketball standouts All-State recognition from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Simsboro’s state champion Tigers had three mainstays on the Class B boys All-State team announced Saturday, and one Lady Tiger in the spotlight. The Division IV girls state semifinalists from Cedar Creek were represented by a pair of players on the Class A girls All-State team released Sunday, with another local standout from Lincoln Prep’s state quarterfinalists in the All-State spotlight.

The Boro (25-2) placed senior Jamarian Cato on the Class B first team, sophomore Childaydrien Newton on the second team and junior Nick Maryland on the honorable mention list.

Cato was the Tigers’ top scorer with a 19.5 average while Newton’s all-around contributions included a 12.8 scoring average. Maryland hit the winning 3-pointer in the state championship game to topple top-seeded Anacoco.

The Lady Tigers’ Alexia Hester netted honorable mention All-State recognition on the girls squad.

Cedar Creek’s sharpshooting junior point guard Sarah Adams was a first-team girls Class A All-State selection, with teammate Riley Spradlin, a senior forward, receiving honorable mention status.

Adams, who averaged 21 points per game, was flanked by four seniors on the All-State first team list, including state Outstanding Player Emery Wirtz of district rival and state champion Ouachita Christian, and Marin Barras, whose dominant play inside for Highland Baptist was key to its 45-39 semifinal victory over the Lady Cougars (20-4).

The Lady Panthers were represented on the same All-State squad by Tiyan Heard, also an honorable mention choice. Lincoln Prep, seeded 12th, knocked off its district rival Homer in the regional round and almost upset North Central in the Class A quarterfinals, falling four points short (51-47) of Marsh Madness.

In another sport, the Louisiana High School Powerlifting Association issued its all-classifications All-State teams on Thursday and state Division V champion Cedar Creek was represented by honorable mention selection Caden Lillo. He had a combined lift total of 1,480 pounds at the state meet in Monroe, setting a 242-pound class record in the bench press while he won an individual state crown.

BASEBALL: Ruston couldn’t solve West Monroe pitcher Drew Blaylock on Friday afternoon and fell 4-1 at WMHS. The Bearcats were one hit and struck out seven times. J.R. Tollet had the only safety for RHS (12-8), which plays this evening at D’Arbonne Woods and then resumes district action with a two-game series against West Ouachita Friday and Saturday.

Stretching its winning streak to 14, Choudrant notched a pair of blowout wins Friday and Saturday.

The Aggies dumped visiting Family Community Christian 16-3 on Friday, then thrashed Union Parish 11-1 in Farmerville on Saturday.

In the FCC game, Choudrant’s 12-hit attack included three from winning pitcher Brandon Carter and a four RBI day by Landon Hennen.

Against Union Parish, Braden Jones twirled a one-hitter through six innings, striking out 12. The Aggies (17-3) broke open a close game with four runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Jones and Carter each cracked three of Choudrant’s 10 hits, with Carter accounting for three RBI, and Eli Watson homered for the winners.

SOFTBALL:  Ruston rolled over Choudrant 14-4 on Friday, but the Lady Aggies rallied Saturday with a pair of victories over Calvin (10-5) and Loyola (15-4).

The Lady Bearcats and Lady Aggies combined to suffer 13 errors but Ruston cashed in Choudrant’s mistakes more effectively and limited CHS to three hits, half of the winners’ total. Earlier Friday, Plainview had edged Choudrant 8-7 on a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Choudrant’s Tori Martin had a team-best three hits, including a double, against Calvin. Zoey Smith piled up five RBI on three hits to fuel the Lady Aggies’ rout over Loyola.

Simsboro dropped a couple of contests Saturday: 10-9 to Saline, despite four hits from Jacoya Lewis, including two triples and a double; and 11-4 to Union Parish despite pitcher Carlei Wheeler striking out 14 batters.

 

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TODAY
Cedar Creek HS Baseball, home vs. Simsboro, JV 4:30, Varsity 6:30 p.m.
Ruston HS Baseball, home vs. D’Arbonne Woods, 6 p.m.
LA Tech Golf, at Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, Awendale, S.C., all day
Choudrant HS Softball, at Parkway, 5 p.m.
Choudrant HS Baseball, at LaSalle, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY
Grambling Baseball, home vs. ULM, 6 p.m.
LA Tech Softball, home vs. Northwestern State, 6 p.m.
LA Tech Golf, at Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, Awendale, S.C., all day
Simsboro HS Softball, at Downsville, 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek HS Softball, at North DeSoto, TBA

WEDNESDAY
Cedar Creek HS Softball, at Delta, TBA

THURSDAY
Simsboro HS Softball, at Summerfield, 4 p.m.\
Cedar Creek HS Softball, home vs. Sterlington, JV 4:30, Varsity 6 p.m.
LA Tech Baseball, home vs. UAB, 6 p.m.
Cedar Creek HS Baseball, home vs. Bossier, 6 p.m.
Simsboro HS Baseball, home vs. Red River, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY
LA Tech Baseball, home vs. UAB, 2 p.m., doubleheader
Cedar Creek HS Baseball, home vs. Ouachita Christian, JV 4:30, Varsity 6:30 p.m.
Choudrant HS Baseball, at Class B Bash, Maurepas, TBA
LA Tech Softball, at UTSA, 1 p.m. doubleheader
Grambling Soccer, at UAPB, 3 p.m.
Grambling Baseball, at UAPB, 3 p.m.
Ruston HS Baseball, at West Ouachita, 6 p.m.
Simsboro HS Baseball, at Bossier, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY
LA Tech Baseball, home vs. UAB, 1 p.m.
Ruston HS Baseball, home vs. West Ouachita, 1 p.m.
Cedar Creek Softball, home vs. Evangel, TBA
LA Tech Track & Field, at LSU Battle on the Bayou, all day
Ruston HS Track & Field, at Mobile Challenge of Champions, Mobile, Ala., all day
Choudrant Baseball, at Class B Bash, Maurepas, TBA
LA Tech Softball, at UTSA, 1 p.m. doubleheader
Grambling Baseball, at UAPB, 2 p.m.

SUNDAY
Grambling Baseball, at UAPB, 1 p.m.
LA Tech Soccer, at Southern Miss., 2 p.m.

Note – to add your team’s schedule to this weekly Monday feature of the LPJ, e-mail sports@journalservicesllc.com

 

 

Louisiana Tech Communications

The New Frontiers in Biomedical Research will continue its COVID-19 series with the first lecture in the Spring Quarter. The seminar will focus on Health Communication during COVID-19 Pandemic at 3:30 p.m. today on WebEx.

Heidi Y. Lawrence, Associate Professor of English at George Mason University and Scott Barrows, Simulation Programming Manager at Jump Simulations, Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, and Clinical Assistant Professor in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will share their recent involvement in written and visual communication related to COVID-19 vaccine education.

Lawrence will share her research on vaccine hesitation among health care professionals, rural communities, and minority communities. Specifically, she will share how the concerns over the COVID-19 vaccine parallels those that accompany reluctance to the flu vaccine and effective communication in these situations. Lawrence has studied the rhetoric of medical and scientific controversies, particularly public debates about vaccinations, since 2010 through a range of qualitative interview, survey, and text analysis studies.

In her work on vaccination, Lawrence studies the role that professional communication produced by physicians, health officials, and researchers plays in shaping public debate and parental beliefs about vaccines. Her book on vaccine controversy, Vaccine Rhetorics, is available from The Ohio State University Press, and her work on vaccine communication and education has appeared in the journals: The Journal of Medical Internet Research, Rhetoric of Health and Medicine, Critical Public Health, Journal of the Medical Humanities, the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.

Barrows will share with the University community his work in medical visualization and how he has used his skills to share pertinent information about COVID-19. Barrows visited Louisiana Tech in 2018 where he shared his personal history and experiences as a medical illustrator. This year, Barrows will focus on his efforts with a diverse team seeking to improve communication and education in communities across Chicago.

Barrows is a world-renowned medical artist with illustrations in more than 55 medical books and more than 350 journal articles. His passion for art, medicine, and technology has led him to become a visionary in biomedical imaging and visualization. He was previously Vice-President of Marketing at a biotechnology laboratory in Virginia and Vice-President of Creative at a medical software “think tank” in Nevada. He was also the Director of the Biomedical Visualization graduate program at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center for numerous years and still serves on the adjunct faculty as well as an assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

An alumnus of three University of Illinois campuses (Chicago, Urbana-Champaign, and Springfield), Barrows has been the recipient of numerous awards, including recognition from two U.S. Presidents, the Smithsonian Institution, and the University of Illinois Chicago. He is the co-creator of age-progression —a process used to find numerous missing children — and his artwork has been featured in galleries, museums, and health facilities around the world.

As with the previous four seminars in this series, each speaker will share their work for 10-15 minutes, leaving 30-45 minutes for questions from those who are attending the live-streamed event. Discussion will be moderated by series organizers Jamie Newman and Mary Caldorera-Moore, along with Kirk St.Amant, professor of English. Each of these moderators brings a different perspective and encourages a focus on community health for the university and general public.

Events are open to the general public, and registration is required. For more information on this and other events, visit community.latech.edu.

 

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Here comes Peter Cottontail …

Wait, where he did go? … What happened to Peter Cottontail?

The Lincoln Parish Library has an impressive collection of bunnies and rabbits for viewing as we move into Easter Week. Even better, the library’s “littlest patrons” will get the chance through next weekend to play the bunny search game for a chance to win the prize pack pictured above.

Hop on down to the Lincoln Parish Library this week and join in on the bunny search.

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No new Lincoln Parish deaths to report.

By T. Scott Boatright

Legendary Ruston High School Track and Field coach Dave Anderson has always been known for striving to be the best and going the distance.

Between 1991 and 2012, Anderson guided Ruston to nine state titles, including the first ever girls title in school history.

He led Ruston boy’s cross country teams to Louisiana state titles in 1992, 1995, 1997, and 2000. In 20 years at Ruston, his athletes established what was then 39 out of a possible 42 school records.

Anderson will be officially honored for those efforts during today’s “Hoss” Garrett Relays at Ruston High when the RHS track is officially dedicated in his name.

Joining the Bearcats in competing at the relays will be Cedar Creek, Wossman, Byrd, Natchitoches Central, Airline, Ouachita, Rayville and Union Parish.

Admission will be $7 with children 5 and under being able to enter free of charge. The dedication ceremony will start things off at 3 p.m. with field events beginning at 3:30 p.m. and running events at 5:15 p.m.

The dedication ceremony was supposed to happen last spring. But then COVID-19 changed the world.

“I was about to get on a plane headed to New York City for the New Balance Indoor Nationals and they shut everything down because of the COVID pandemic really starting to explode,” Anderson said. “I had a hurdler and a pole vaulter qualify for me and we were going to come down to Ruston the next weekend for the dedication ceremony. But when I say shut down, I mean everything was shut down.

“Everything got put on hold and nobody could say anything or tell you anything because nobody knew what was going to happen,” Anderson said. “And we’re still kind of in a holding pattern to this day. But it looks like we’re pushing ahead and it’s finally going to happen (today).”

Anderson credits the legacy left by Garrett, a Ruston High coaching legend, as the reason he wanted to come and stayed so long in Lincoln Parish.

“When I got hired at Ruston in the fall of ’91, I was teaching freshman English on the second floor and Loyce Garrett’s (Hoss Garrett’s daughter) class was right next to me,” Anderson said. “So we got to know each other pretty well pretty quickly. I had kind of gotten to know Pat a little bit — I knew of his reputation obviously — but I didn’t know him very well. I sheepishly went to Loyce one day and asked, ‘Would you guys be OK if we changed the name of the Ruston Invitational to the Hoss Garrett Relays?’ And she said that she needed to talk to Pat about that. It didn’t take long before he called me and asked me to come sit down with him at his kitchen table and talk about the details — why I wanted to do it. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that I was at Ruston for more reasons than just to promote my own track program — that I would to preserve some history. I really felt like I wanted to have our kids have an appreciation for the legacy that was left for us to be Bearcats.”

That was after the RHS track season of 1993 with the first “Hoss” Garrett Relays happening in 1994.

Anderson, who had previously coached at St. Frederick, Wossman (where Anderson coached with Delton Dearman, Ray Gambino, and Lonnie Callahan and helped the Wildcats win a 1987 state championship) and Neville (under legendary coach Charlie Brown), said that journey led to him having “at least a little” seasoning before coming to Ruston.

“I picked up a lot of things through osmosis,” he said. “Not really Xs and Os and that sort of thing. When I got to Neville, Coach Brown told me I was going to coach freshman football, and was going to be head girls basketball coach and if I wanted to do cross country and track in the spring, that was one me. But I was hired as girls basketball coach and freshman football coach. I could have cared less. I just wanted to be at Neville because I thought I could build a program there.”

The first year at Neville Anderson only had four athletes come out — not even a full team. But the following fall Neville’s cross country team went undefeated all the way to the state championship before losing to Catholic-Baton Rouge by 17 points. The Neville cross country team placed second to Catholic again in the state championships before taking the state title in 1991.

“Over the course of those three years those runners went 367-2,” Anderson said. “We went to Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas and clipped some major wings on some big birds in doing so.”

That was before Anderson got a call from Ruston in the spring of 1991 asking if he could duplicate “some of that” with the Bearcats.

Anderson moved on from Ruston in 2012 and went to Bentonville, Arkansas, to take an assistant coaching job.

“They had never won a state championship in outdoors boys track,” Anderson said. “They were awesome in cross country and had won one indoor title. The girls were a little better off. I think they had won a couple of outdoor titles and a couple of indoors, and cross country there was really good. But when I got there in 2012 we basically implemented ‘the Ruston program’ into Bentonville High. We just won a bunch. We rewrote the record book and won a bunch of championships.”

Five years ago after Bentonville High was split and another school — West High School — opened in nearby Centerton and the athletic director called Anderson in and asked him to go build a program there. That’s where Anderson coaches today.

“The first year we didn’t have seniors, we were just laying the foundation,” Anderson said. “And at this stage of my life, it’s just worked out great. It’s such beautiful country there.”

Anderson admits his emotions are tornadic as this afternoon approaches and the Ruston High Track will be officially dedicated in his name.

“It’s awful hard to express into words,” he said. “I’ve had an awful lot of time to think about it. The dynamics keep changing. The levels of emotions keep changing. They’re going to ask me to speak and I don’t know if I’ll make it through it. Looking up in the stands and seeing all that — so many of my former athletes planning to come back. The surreal part of it is that you walk into that stadium and here’s Chick Childress’ name on one building, “Hoss” Garrett’s name is right over there, and mine is up there, too. It’s crazy. I’ve got a condensed version. I just hope I’ll be able to say everything that I’d like to say. Hopefully I can make it through it without breaking down.

“I’ll be honest — the coolest part for me is going to be two get-togethers planned for afterwards and to be able to see those student athletes they came through Ruston at different times all get together and share that common thread, that price they paid to be part of the legacy and to see their coach honored. It’s going to special.”

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Press Release

The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority (LPFA) on Thursday issued $29,785,000 in state revenue bonds to finance the construction of the new state-of-the-art Lincoln Preparatory School complex.

The school will be constructed at 1455 West Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Grambling.

“This is such an exciting day,” said Gordan Ford, Executive Director of Lincoln Prep. “So many people worked very hard to get this deal done. I am so thankful to our Lincoln Prep Team for getting our school positioned for this next great leap forward. Our faculty, staff, students, and community deserve this. There are also so many folks that helped make this possible. We could not have done this without the contributions of the Grambling High Foundation Board of Directors; Grambling Mayor Edward Jones; the Grambling City Council; Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and State Representatives Patrick Jefferson and Chris Turner; Grambling State University President Rick Gallot; the Louisiana State Treasurer John Schroder and the State Bond Commission, the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority, Caroline Roemer and her team at the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools; and so many others.

“We also thank former Grambling Mayor Richard Gallot and Dr. Mildred Gauthier Gallot for selling us the property for the new school.”

It has been nearly 40 years since the last K-12 education building was built in Grambling and nearly 70 years since a full school complex was constructed in Grambling. The former Grambling Laboratory School Complex was originally constructed in 1953. A new high school wing was added in 1965 and a new elementary building was built in 1982.

“What a historic day for North Louisiana in general and Grambling minor and major in particular,” said State Representative Patrick Jefferson. “Long live the great educational tradition of Ole Grambling High through Lincoln Prep. Congratulations to Headmaster Ford, the board, and all who make up the Lincoln Prep Family. The construction of this state-of-the-art facility will cement its rightful place in the grand fashion of the great educational fortresses this area is known for. Way to go, Panther Nation.”

Grambling Mayor Edward Jones said, “I am elated that a state-of-the-art school system is being reestablished in the City of Grambling. Every city needs an elementary and secondary school system.”

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Staff writer

FRISCO, Texas – Confidence goes a long way at any time, but especially at crunch time.

“If I see that first one go down, I feel like it is going to be a long night for the other team.”

Kalob Ledoux had that feeling Thursday night in the season’s biggest game – so far. Louisiana Tech’s sharpshooter drained six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points, fueling a landmark win for the Bulldogs.

His teammates added five more from beyond the arc, as well as some clutch buckets and free throws down the stretch, sending Tech to the NIT Final Four with a 72-65 victory over Western Kentucky in an NIT quarterfinal game inside the Comerica Center.

LA Tech (23-7), making the NIT semifinals for just the second time in program history, will face Mississippi State at 2 p.m. Saturday in a game that will air on ESPN.

“It is fun to stay in Frisco,” said Tech coach Eric Konkol with a smile.

The Bulldogs are a streaky bunch from deep. In their previous two games, the team combined to make only seven triples. They had more than that at halftime in the quarterfinals, pouring in eight of them.

Ledoux’s third, followed by Amorie Archibald’s swish from three, gave LA Tech a 27-21 advantage. This came after a cold streak of nine straight misses by the squad.

WKU (21-8) fired back with a 10-0 run, taking a four-point lead after a stepback 3-pointer by Taveion Hollingsworth with 3:25 remaining in the first half.

Then came another onslaught of treys by the Bulldogs. First, it was the one-handed Cobe Williams, playing with a bandage on his injured shooting hand. Then Ledoux made it 4-for-4 from deep. Next, Exavian Christon nailed one from the wing. And finally, Williams tacked on another.

The end result … a 12-0 run and a 39-31 halftime lead. WKU never quite recovered.

“There was a timeout with about two and a half minutes to go in the first half, and I told our team that I wanted to get three stops in a row right now and go on a run before halftime,” Konkol said. “That is exactly what our team did.”
Ledoux’s sixth and final 3-pointer came with 10:38 to play in the game. A fastbreak layup by Kenneth Lofton, Jr. followed, giving LA Tech a double-digit advantage at 58-48.

The Hilltoppers did not go away, though. An old-fashioned three-point play by big man Charles Bassey, a pair of free throws by Hollingsworth and a deep 3-pointer by Jordan Rawls put WKU within four at 60-56, forcing a timeout by Konkol.

Tech’s lead was trimmed to four again, 64-60, with a little over a minute remaining.

From then on, LA Tech made the winning plays. Isaiah Crawford bullied his way into the lane for an and-one (missed the free throw). Then Lofton, Jr. sent the Bulldog fans into a frenzy with his steal-and-slam, cutting into the passing lane on the wing to make the swipe and rumbling downcourt for a thunderous one-handed dunk.

Afterward, Crawford redeemed himself at the foul line, calmly sinking both opportunities, as did his teammate Christon to seal the defeat of the C-USA East Division champions.

“So proud of our team,” Konkol said. “They found a way. Our 3-point shooting was really special tonight, but there were key baskets down the stretch. Big free throws. We were able to get enough stops against a really good team. It is now down to just four of us.”

LA Tech shot 47.3 percent from the field (26-55) and 61.1 percent from 3-point range (11-18).

Lofton, Jr. finished with an all-around box score of 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Archibald added 11 points and Crawford tacked on nine to go along with a career-high six assists.

WKU shot 34.8 percent from the field (23-66) and made nine threes, but it took 30 attempts. Rawls had 20 points while Bassey registered 15 points and 16 boards.

But after splitting regular-season meetings at WKU, it was Tech taking the high-stakes rubber match, and continuing to dance in March.

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By T. Scott Boatright

Erick Keene, 56, of San Antonio, remained in the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on a $500 bond on Thursday on charges of criminal trespass, resisting an officer, disturbing the peace by public intoxication and disturbing the peace by loud and profane language.

According to Keene’s arrest affidavit, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s office deputies went to the Walker Road Railroad Track Crossing in Choudrant around 4:30 p.m. after receiving a call about a man lying on a tarp dangerously close to the train tracks.

Keene’s arrest affidavit says that when deputies approached the suspect and asked if he was OK, Keene allegedly stood up and took an aggressive stance, clenching his fists and calling a LPSO deputy a “communist government agent.”

The suspect was reportedly foaming at the mouth and deputies saw several beer cans scattered around the area he was found sleeping.

Keene’s arrest affidavit says he continued to yell at the deputies, using profanity, and also yelling about “the government, the CIA, aliens and spaceships.”

The arrest report said that after Keene eventually became compliant to verbal commands, he was advised of his Miranda rights, handcuffed and transported to the detention center without incident.

 

 

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By T. Scott Boatright

Grambling State University and its football team have dealt with much dismay in recent days.

Things got even worse Thursday afternoon as word quickly spread of the death of Grambling football great and longtime assistant coach Ernest Sterling, Sr.

Sterling originally came to Grambling as a basketball player before being convinced by legendary Grambling and College Football Hall of Fame coach Eddie G. Robinson to play football for the G-Men. Sterling became a standout defensive lineman for the Tigers before going on to play in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys.

After his NFL career ended Sterling returned to Grambling, where he served as Robinson’s defensive line coach for 21 seasons before taking a two-year break.

In the summer of 1995 Sterling returned to Grambling, again coaching the Tigers on defense as well as serving as an academic specialist on Robinson’s staff until Robinson’s retirement after the 1997 season.

Robinson once said of Sterling, “Ernest coached with me for 24 years. He had played for me and then in the NFL. He was like a rock and my foundation guy.”

Current GSU football coach Broderick Fobbs was a running back for the Tigers when Sterling was coaching there.

“Coach Sterling was a giant … a great, gentle and tough giant in so many ways,” Fobbs said Thursday night. “I got the news today from a couple of former teammates. I’m thinking about another of my former teammates, his son, and send my condolences to Coach Sterling’s family.”

Michael Jiles, an assistant coach at Southern University at Shreveport, is another former G-Man who played under Sterling at GSU from 1988-91 and was mourning him Thursday afternoon.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Jiles said. “I knew him all of my life. He was like a second dad. His son Pat and I graduated together. It’s rough. It hit me hard. I’m at a loss for words.”

Grambling athletics director David “Rusty” Ponton was also saddened by the news.

“This is a tremendous loss,” Ponton said. “Coach Sterling was one of the first individuals when I came to Grambling who kind of took me under his wing. I was kind of like his little ‘mentee’ — just like a son. He showed me around and showed me who to see. Basically, he taught me the Grambling way. So I will tell anyone who would listen that Coach Sterling is a large, large part of any success I’ve had at Grambling. He’s a big part of the reason I am who I am here at Grambling State University. It’s tough.”

Former Grambling baseball coach and associate athletics director Wilbert Ellis fondly remembered Sterling on Wednesday.

“He WAS Grambling,” Ellis said of Sterling. “He meant so much to everyone because of his personality and his leadership. He knew how to work, and he knew how to have fun. He was very important to Coach Rob not only as an assistant coach but because of the way he handled the academic side of things. He was a great man and it’s a terrible loss for Grambling.”

 

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Press release

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is awarding more nearly $500,000 in grants to local governments and parish school systems in multiple northeast and north central Louisiana parishes to promote energy efficiency.

The Lincoln Parish School Board will be awarded $76,344.00 as one of the grants.

Those grants will fund installation of high-efficiency LED lights in buildings owned by local public agencies.

“These improvements will lower electric bills by thousands of dollars for these institutions,” Campbell said.

The LPSC Energy Efficiency program for public entities and political subdivisions is an offshoot of the commission’s “Quick Start” Energy Efficiency program, which has helped residential and commercial utility customers lower their power consumption across Louisiana since 2013. Participating utilities are SWEPCO, Entergy and CLECO.

“Energy Efficiency reduces energy costs, improves building comfort and preserves our environment,” Campbell said. “Every dollar that our local governments and public bodies save on their electric bills is a dollar that can help them improve service to the public in other ways.”

Other recipients of Campbell’s 2021 efficiency grants for public institutions in northeast Louisiana are the Franklin Parish Library: $87,450.00; the town of Bastrop: $248,920.88; and the Jackson Parish School Board: $70,559.00.

The deadline for submitting applications for the 2022 LPSC efficiency grants to local governments is Jan. 31, 2022.

For more information, contact Gary Hobbs in Campbell’s LPSC District 5 office in Shreveport at 318-676-7464 or gary.hobbs@la.gov.

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By T. Scott Boatright

It was announced on Wednesday that Grambling State’s next two football games had been canceled due to a COVID-19 breakout within the Tigers’ football program.

That would leave Grambling with only the April 17 Bayou Classic against Southern left on the schedule. It was announced in October that the Bayou Classic had been moved from New Orleans to Shreveport’s Independence Stadium for this truncated Southwestern Athletic Conference spring 2021 football season.

On Friday, Grambling head coach Broderick Fobbs admitted that at this point he’s not really even sure that the still-scheduled season finale will take place.

“Right now everything — football — is shut down,” Fobbs said. “We don’t really know what will happen. All we can do is keep testing, evaluating, and seeing if this thing will spread any further. It’s tough. I’d like to have an answer, but it’s been hard to find an answer for this thing over the past year now. All I can try to do is take care of this team, see what happens and decide on where to go from there. At this point I can’t say whether the Southern game will or won’t be played. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

GSU athletics director David “Rusty” Ponton said that three Grambling football players had tested positive for COVID-19 and that many other team members have gone through contact tracing.

“The three that have tested positive are in isolation,” Ponton said. “The others are in quarantine, so they’re able to do more but still have to take precautions and try to not get around others until we have a better handle on what is happening. We’ll just continue checking and testing. That’s all we can do at this point.”

Grambling fell in its first three games of the spring season, leaving the G-Men with only one opportunity to pick up a win before starting to prepare for the 2021 fall season they hope will take place.

“This is all so hard,” Fobbs said. “You want to move forward but the most important thing is the safety of our student athletes. And you don’t know what will happen not being able to do anything for two weeks and then trying to play that last spring game of the season. You worry about injuries after a long layoff like that. … It’s hard.”

 

 

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Staff writer

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Arguably the two best baseball teams in Conference USA will square off this weekend when 21st ranked Louisiana Tech travels to Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg for a four-game series against Southern Miss.

Game times for the series are 6 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday’s doubleheader (both 7 inning games) will begin at 2 p.m. All four games can be seen live with a paid subscription to CUSA.tv.

Tech fans can also hear all the action on the LA Tech Sports Network on KNBB 97.7 FM with Dave Nitz providing a call of the games.

Southern Miss (13-6) was picked first in the West Division in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches’ Poll while Louisiana Tech (14-5) was tabbed second. Both teams have proven those predictions right thus far with some bigtime non-conference wins.

Tech has won six straight, including victories of No. 1 Arkansas and No. 4 Ole Miss and a three-game road sweep of Tulane. Southern Miss has won four straight and nine of its last 10, including a 5-4 victory over No. 23 Alabama on Tuesday.

LA Tech head coach Lane Burroughs acknowledged the depth and talent of the Golden Eagles pitching staff, which boasts a team earned run average of 2.91.

Walker Powell (3-1, 1.29 ERA), Hunter Stanley (3-1, 2.64 ERA), Ben Ethridge (1-0, 2.45 ERA) and Drew Boyd (1-2, 4.61 ERA) will get the nod on the mound for Southern Miss this weekend.

“Their pitching numbers are pretty staggering and eye popping,” Burroughs said. “They don’t walk anybody (40) and they have a lot of strikeouts (217). It starts and ends there. You know they are going to throw strikes and it must be swing and miss stuff with those kinds of numbers. They have great arms. It’s an older, mature staff. Their bullpen is really good too. They have been pitching at a high level this year.”

The Bulldog pitching staff hasn’t been any slouch themselves as Tech sports a 3.27 team ERA with 161 strikeouts and only 62 walks. Jonathan Fincher (3-0, 1.50 ERA), Jarrett Whorff (4-1, 2.59 ERA), Ryan Jennings (2-1, 3.33 ERA) and Cade Gibson (1-1, 3.54 ERA) will comprise the starting rotation this weekend.

Burroughs said that there is no time like the present to open league play in a match-up of two of the hottest teams in C-USA.

“I wish we were a little healthier, but it is what it is,” Burroughs said. “I think we have opened league play (against Southern Miss) now three of the five years I’ve been (at LA Tech). You are going to have to play them at some point so it might as well be now.

“We get to play each other eight times this year and there is nothing wrong with opening weekend. We just have to keep doing what we have been doing. It’s just another really good opponent that we are going to play, nothing different than what we have been doing.”

Burroughs, a Mississippi native, was an assistant coach at Southern Miss from 1999-2007. Southern Miss pitching coach Christian Ostrander (2016-2017) and assistant coach Travis Creel (2018-19) both spent time on the Bulldog staff in Ruston.

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Staff Writer

The District 2-5A high school baseball race started Thursday evening with the league’s top-ranked teams squaring off at J.C. Love Field, and West Monroe won round one, 11-4.

The Bearcats (12-7, ranked 13th in Class 5A according to GeauxPreps.com) and Rebels (10-6, No. 8) battle again at 6 this evening in West Monroe.

West Monroe’s five-run fourth inning broke open Thursday’s contest, building a 9-2 lead. WMHS cracked 15 hits and was errorless defensively.

Joshua Miller went 2-for-3 to pace the Ruston offense.

CEDAR CREEK: The Cougars rolled 12-1 at home Thursday over River Oaks, rocking the visitors with seven runs in the bottom of the first.

Cedar Creek (9-8) got a complete-game (five inning) nine-strikeout performance on the bump from Jack Parks, who allowed just three hits. He also doubled in a pair during the Cougars’ early eruption as 12 hitters got to the plate.

The Cougars visit Grant at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, then host Simsboro at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

The Lady Cougars begin play in their own Caroline Menzina Classic today, hosting Haughton at 5:45 p.m. and Forest at 7:45 p.m.. Coach Julie Riser’s club notched a big come-from-behind district win at Oak Grove earlier this week, prevailing 11-7 after facing a 5-1 deficit.

“Our bats finally came around and we made plays defensively,” Riser said. “We’re not used to playing from behind, but we played good in that situation.”

The Lady Cougars are young, with sophomores and freshmen accounting for all but two spots on the squad. Their season started late due to the state semifinal run by the Cedar Creek girls basketball team.

“They’re learning. We don’t have any dominant players, just a team that has good solid fundamentals and capable hitters through the lineup. It’s a versatile team,” Riser said.

RUSTON TENNIS: Coach David Poe’s program is preparing to host the Division I, Region I championships April 19-20 at the Ruston Sports Complex and will have some seeded singles and doubles entries.

Thursday, RHS dominated Airline, winning all but one of the 18 matches.

The Bearcats’ No. 1 doubles tandem of seniors Andrew Ellis and Will Johnson have been dominant this spring. Their closest match: an 8-2 win. They’re surging toward the No. 1 regional seed, said Poe.

The No. 2 doubles combo, senior Aaron Williams and Will Findley, are also a likely top 8 seed.

The Lady Bearcats are paced in singles by senior Karen Sternitzky and their top two doubles pairings, twins Sophie and Ellie Puljak at No. 1 and the No. 2 tandem of Anna Albritton and Chloe Lawrence. Poe projects they could all be top 8 regional seeds.

After spring break, Ruston serves it up again April 6 at home against Neville.

RUSTON GOLF: The Bearcats were co-medalists Tuesday at Bayou DeSiard Country Club in Monroe, carding a team plus-27 score that was matched by Sterlington over nine holes. Ouachita Christian (+43), Neville (+53) and Quitman (+53) were also in the field.

CHOUDRANT BASEBALL: The perennial Class B powerhouse is on a 12-game win streak as the Aggies (16-3) posted two road wins this week, 9-2 Monday at Claiborne Christian and 6-2 Tuesday at Union Parish.

CHOUDRANT SOFTBALL: The Lady Aggies (12-6) have won three of their last four, getting the offense rolling, except when they faced a pitching-rich Quitman squad that has won the District 2-B crown already.

This week, Choudrant rolled by River Oaks 15-5 Tuesday and crushed Caddo Magnet 16-3 Wednesday evening.

SIMSBORO BASEBALL: It’s been feast or famine for the Tigers, who have split their last four games, all with at least 10-run margins. In fact, all but one of their games this spring have been blowouts, but some of the squad didn’t hit the baseball field until helping the basketball team win state for the third time in four seasons.

Last Saturday’s 16-6 win over Homer and Tuesday’s 23-3 romp past Arcadia were the highs. At the other extreme, a couple of 17-1 losses, Tuesday at Converse and Thursday evening to Union Parish.

Simsboro goes to Haynesville at 5:30 this evening and visits Cedar Creek at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

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Staff writer

Louisiana Tech is officially one week into spring football workouts as head coach Skip Holtz and Co. will head out to the practice fields this afternoon for workout No. 5.

Following Wednesday’s session, the ninth-year Bulldog Boss said although he has been happy with what he has seen so far, the Bulldogs are far from being a finished project.

“Well it’s four days,” Holtz said. “We got four days in … two days in shorts and two days in pads. Still a long way to go. A lot of new faces. We are putting in an entire offense, an entire defense. Right now we are a long way away from being able to execute almost anything we call on a consistent basis.

“We have a long way to go, but I love the attitude. I love the energy. I love the work ethic and what they are trying to get done out here. Spring ball is an invaluable time for us, especially with so many new transfers and young guys who haven’t played who need this experience.”

The Bulldogs are coming off a year that saw the program participate in its seventh straight bowl game and post a 5-5 record in the COVID-impacted season. Holtz said that despite the fact his team is in its infant stages of schematic implementation, the players are working hard.

“I am encouraged with the talent,” Holtz said. “I am encouraged with the attitude. I am encouraged with the leadership. But we are a long way from where we need to be to become the type of team that we want to become by the fall of 2021.”

The LA Tech Spring Game is set for April 24. Kickoff time is still TBA.

“There’s a lot of position battles going on,” said wide receiver Griffin Hebert “Everybody’s competing. We’re just coming out every day giving 110 percent. Everybody is really pushing everybody else. We look really good, and I am excited about what’s to come in the fall.”

SOFTBALL: After seeing its midweek contest against UL-Lafayette postponed until later in the season due to Mother Nature, Louisiana Tech will travel to Oklahoma this weekend for a three-game weekend series against Tulsa.

Saturday’s doubleheader at the Collins Family Softball Complex will start at 2 p.m. while Sunday’s single game is slated for noon. The Lady Techsters are coming off a weekend that saw them take two out of three on the road at Memphis.

GOLF: The Bulldog golfers will compete at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate at Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, South Carolina, starting Sunday and running through Tuesday.

Tech is coming off a fourth-place finish at the 16-team Linger Longer Invitational led by Sam and Mac Murphy, who both posted 11th place finishes out of 87 competitors.

Fans can follow the action through Golfstat.com.

TRACK AND FIELD: The Bulldog and Lady Techsters will open their outdoor season on Saturday as they travel to Houston to compete in the Victor Lopez Classic hosted by Rice.

TENNIS: The Lady Techsters travel to Denton to play their final Conference USA match of the year today as LA Tech will face North Texas at 3 p.m. at the Waranch Tennis Complex. The Lady Techsters have dropped three straight matches, falling to UAB and Southern Miss this past weekend.

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Staff writer

Not that recent events didn’t have Grambling football fans looking ahead to the fall 2021 season already, but it got easier when the conventional 11-game schedule beginning in September was announced on Monday.

It flew under the radar, but next fall’s slate includes back-to-back visits to 2020 FBS bowl participants Southern Mississippi (Sept. 11) and Houston (Sept. 18) and an opening meeting in the shadow of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, against Tennessee State on Sunday, Sept. 5.

The Pro Football Hall has been extremely supportive of the Black College Football Hall of Fame, and the contest in Canton is billed as the Black College Hall of Fame Classic. Grambling icons James Harris and Doug Williams have been catalysts for the development of the Black College Hall.

Grambling’s fall 2021 schedule includes three home games: Oct. 2 against Alabama A&M, Oct. 16 against Texas Southern for homecoming, and Nov. 13 against new Southwestern Athletic Conference member Bethune-Cookman.

The Bayou Classic is slated for Nov. 27 in New Orleans.

Before this rocky spring season began, Tigers’ coach Broderick Fobbs said he was excited about several additions to arrive this summer to bolster a squad that he expected to develop during the six-game schedule ending April 17 with the Bayou Classic at Shreveport’s Independence Stadium.

Now, due to the COVID-19 halt to football activities by the Tigers, that spring showdown with Southern is the lone remaining outing for GSU until the fall.

BASEBALL: Just when Grambling was getting on a roll, it’s forced into a weekend off due to Prairie View’s COVID-19 issues. The Tigers have won four in a row, including their first road win, 9-7 Wednesday night over Jackson State.

Grambling will resume its schedule at home at 6 p.m. Tuesday against Louisiana-Monroe at Wilbert Ellis Field at R.W.E. Jones Park.

After notching three one-run SWAC wins last weekend over Texas Southern, a six-run third inning put Grambling (4-12) ahead to stay against JSU, although it wasn’t a comfortable lead for long. JSU posted a four-run bottom of the third to close within 6-5 but the G-Men immediately added a pair in the top of the fourth.

Cameron Bufford drove in three RBIs for the Tigers, who got three hits from Jeremy Almaguer and Jordyn Smith. Antoine Valerio calmed Jackson State in a 5 2/3 inning relief outing, allowing only single runs in the fifth and seventh innings to help the G-Men stay on top.

SOFTBALL: Today’s home contest against Mississippi Valley State will be played at the Ruston Sports Complex, Field C1, because the Grambling campus is closed for water system repairs. First pitch is 3 p.m.

The Lady Tigers (4-7, 1-1) will return to their homefield, the GSU Softball Complex, for Saturday’s noon doubleheader.

Wednesday on the road, Grambling rode two home runs by Morgan Adams to a 7-0 lead at Jackson State, then held off a big sixth-inning rally for a 7-6 victory to salvage a split of a SWAC doubleheader. JSU won the opener 12-4.

Adams, a junior, cracked two-run homers in the fourth and fifth innings, and freshman Sherrell Matthews added a two-run shot in the fourth for Grambling. All of Jackson State’s scoring was unearned as Grambling committed four errors, three in the bottom of the sixth.

Jackson State had the tying run in scoring position in each of the last two innings but Grambling came up with the stops both times.

VOLLEYBALL: The SWAC Tournament begins today in Birmingham, with Grambling (8-8, 5-6) meeting Southern at 1:30 p.m. at the Birmingham CrossPlex in a single-elimination, three-day bracket.

If you want to succeed in business, life, church, marriage, and in your faith you must learn to communicate. In business with customers, in church with congregants, in marriage with your partner and in faith with your God, these are the points at which we must communicate clearly. When things start falling apart in any realm, look first at the message you are communicating to the other and see if you don’t find a solution. It is all about communication.

Once, I confess that I took my dogs to have them shaved. We had two Labrador retrievers and in the spring and fall we shaved them. Because the dogs were inside primarily and were “pettin” dogs, there was no need for them to keep that waterproof coat that Labs have. Besides in the spring they were really Shedador Retrievers. They each shed a small poodle’s worth of hair daily in the every spring. We took the dogs to a place that claimed it was about “Smart Pets.”

Well, you know the place and I don’t want to get into trouble with our friendly sponsors. I drove many miles with the dogs to have them shaved. I made an appointment to have them shaved. I arrived on time for the dog’s shaving appointment. They told me to come back in four hours and the task would be completed. Have you ever tried to kill four hours in Alexandria, Louisiana?

When I came back to get my dogs, the nice lady said, “We are almost finished blow drying them.”

“Why are you blow drying them,” I asked?

“Because we gave them a bath.”

“Why did you give a dog you have just shaved a bath?”

“Oh, we didn’t shave your dogs. You had an appointment to have your dogs bathed.”

Moments like that just make you want to cuss.

Now I know I have a southern accent, but “shaved” and “bathed” don’t sound alike even when I say them. I had two very shiny Labs, who went a week later to have their nice shiny coats shaved off. We checked that time with the nice lady to make sure we all understood why the dogs were there!

When things in your life seem to be falling apart, perhaps you need to check the messages you are communicating.

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By Louisiana Tech Communication student Kelly Cole

Over the past 47 years, Louisiana Tech University’s mascot, Champ, has embodied the spirit and pride of its students, faculty, and alumni along with the entire community of Ruston.

Champ shows his pride and enthusiasm for Louisiana Tech by being spontaneous with his interactions whether it be a fist bump with a student or helping cheer on the dogs.

The Louisiana Tech mascot program recently announced that Champ has been invited to attend and compete at the UCA National Mascot Championship for the first time ever.

Zac Little, Louisiana Tech’s Student Government Association president, said Champ’s interactions between students during sports events can encourage students to break out of their comfort zones and give them the confidence to cheer the team on.

“Anyone who interacts with Champ ends up with a smile on their face,” Little said. “At the homecoming game, he came up to the court and fixed the girls’ hair or brushed off the guys’ shoulders. It was a fun time!”

Mascots create a lifelong connection between students and their university. Champ has become a staple at any and all events at Louisiana Tech from social events to dancing with the Regal Blues during sporting events.

“Mascots can be so helpful in advancing a University’s brand as well as in building a strong and dedicated fan base, and Champ is one of the best,” said Eric Wood, vice president and director of athletics.

Sam Speed, dean of student engagement and undergraduate recruitment, said Champ creates an environment that speaks to the history and the culture around Louisiana Tech’s campus.

“If you watch people’s reactions when they see Champ, at events, or just wandering around campus, people see him and think ‘Who let this dog out?’,” Speed said.

Competing at the UCA National Mascot Championship in Orlando, Florida, is a goal that Champ has been working toward for the last seven years. This year, he is one of 10 mascots from across the nation chosen by a committee of fellow mascots. He will compete at the UCA National Mascot Championship to be voted the best mascot in the nation.

“We wish him the very best in the UCA National Mascot Championship; his hard work in and out of the gym has paid off,” Wood said. “We’re all ready to watch him compete, compete, compete on the national stage and represent Louisiana Tech with class.”

Champ will be showing the nation what Louisiana Tech is all about at the UCA National Mascot Championship which can be viewed on ESPN on April 28.

“I can’t wait to show the nation what the Tech Family is all about,” Champ said.

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Louisiana Tech University Communications

Dr. Daniel Promislow, co-director of the Dog Aging Project and professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, will discuss his team’s massive project to study the aging processes of our canine companions at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 12, on WebEx.

This virtual event is free and open to the public. Registration is required; follow this link to register.

The event is part of the Louisiana Tech School of Biological Sciences’ Seminar Series.

The Dog Aging Project is an innovative initiative that brings together a community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers to carry out the most ambitious canine health study in the world. The initiative is a citizen science project, and all dog owners are encouraged to nominate their dogs for inclusion in the study. The goal of the Dog Aging Project is to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging, and to use that information to help pets and people increase their health span, which is the period of life spent free from disease.

“Dogs are a great model for human aging,” Promislow said. “They get many of the same diseases we do. They live in the same environment as we do, get more or less the same physical activity and face issues of overweight and obesity like we do. And what would take many, many decades to learn in humans, we can learn from dogs more quickly.”

To learn more about the Dog Aging Project or to nominate your dog, visit dogagingproject.org. Also, see recent media coverage at these sites: NY Times, AARP, BBC Science Focus and Discover Magazine

The initiative is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the Annenberg Foundation, the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, the William H. Donner Foundation, and by individual donors.

For more information contact Dr. Terri Maness, associate professor and environmental science program coordinator in Tech’s School of Biological Sciences at 318-257-2724 or tmaness@latech.edu.

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Louisiana Tech University Communications

Louisiana Tech University has announced the names of students on its winter quarter president’s and dean’s honor lists.

Students whose names are followed by an asterisk earned recognition as members of the president’s honor list. That distinction signifies achievement of at least a 3.8 academic grade point average on a minimum of nine semester hours completed (100-level or higher), with no grade lower than a B.

To be eligible for the dean’s honor lists, a student is required to earn at least a 3.5 academic grade point average with no grade lower than a C on a minimum of nine semester hours completed (100-level or higher).

Courses yielding satisfactory/failure grades and courses audited do not count toward eligibility for either recognition. Only undergraduates with no incomplete grades are eligible to make either list.

Following is a listing of Lincoln Parish student on Louisiana Tech’s winter quarter Honor Roll:

Choudrant: Victoria Michelle Breeding; Jennifer Rosemary Ford*; Michaela Alexis Ford; Peter James Ford*; Ayanna Alexis Foster; John Colten Green*; Avery Lynn Henry; Hannah Elaine Holbron*; Lena Marie Johnson*; Tanner Blaine Norred; Logan Michael Stevens; James Montana-Guadalu Taylor*; Faith O. Williams

Dubach: Caroline Avery Barfield; Hope E. Colvin; Savannah Marie Davis; Sara Grace Foster*; Jessica Austin Gean; Anna Elizabeth Houck; Morgan Elizabeth Keen*; Allison T. Lowery; Eva Danielle Martin*; Caitlin Raye Owen*; Ka’lee Marie Richardson*; Miranda Renee Tapp*; Miranda Henley Theodos; Destiny Elania Thompson*; Ashley Elizabeth Thorson*; Julia Claire Trull

Grambling: Janiah Dakedra Scott; Lauren Washington

Ruston: Mitchell Reid Adams*, Nicholas Gray Adams, Emma M. Alexander*, Abigail Catherine Ambrose*, Benajah C. Ambrose, Benjamin Avery Armstrong*, Rachel Lane Ball*, Morgan Kylie Bean, Rebekah N. Beck, Anna Grace Bennett*, Jacob Aaron Bertrand, Molly Nicole Bertrand, Trevor Blackstock*, Hayden C. Blount, Heather Taylor Boone*, Noah Alexander Borden, Rose Elizabeth Bowman*, Ethan Wallace Brantly, Logan Brock Brazzel, Baylee Auburn Brown, Mary Michelle Buckman, Sarah Califano, Chloe Adrian Campbell, Ciaran R. Carbery-Shaha*, Kevin A. Claros-Mendez, Cadie Colleen Coleman*, Joscelyn Heather Collins, James G. Colvin*, Sadie Grace Colvin*, Olivia Dalton Copeland*, Dylan Reide Cox*, Leigh E. Cox, Natalie Renee Cox, Alexander Scott Creighbaum, Taylor Cross*, Michael W. Crump, William Joshua Curry, Alexander Grady Davis, Annalee Grace Davis*, Brayden Cole Davis*, Preston C. Debetaz, Emily Nicole Dumas*, Maryam El-Awadi*, Kaitlyn Elayne Elliott, Craig Evan Ellis*, Megan E. Ellis, Connor Michael England, Emily Jane Farmer, Willem G. Flowers, Conley Andrew Floyd, Lauren N. Fogg, Cecile Jennings Foster*, Dylan Cade Foster*, Mary Ashley Funderburk, Mary Lindsay Funes*, Sophia E. Green*, Christian Gremillion*, Meghan Elise Griffin*, Clayton Davis Guyotte*, Joanna Elisabeth Ham*, Joseph Alexander Ham*, Alys Mae Hamlin*, Graham Hanes, Laurel Q. He, Sarah Ann Hegab*, Christopher Layton Henson Jr., Rosario Guadalupe Hernandez, Grayson Elise Hipp, Justin Everett Holmes, Salvador Dushan Huizar, Langdon Hayes James, Anja Jankovic, John Mason Jinks*, Jessica Irene Johnston, Dalton Neal Jones*, Hansol Kang*, Callie Michelle Lanam, William Thomas Lee*, Taylor Madison Linke*, Spencer John Lynch, Riley Paul Mahony, Jennifer L. Martin*, Caroline Matthews, Alli Grace Maxwell, Emma A. McGee, Tyler James McLane, Alexsandra Mendez*, Lauren Alexandra Menzina*, Jared Thomas Miller*, Alma Sloane Moegle*, Jennifer Putnam Morse*, Jenny Kate Moss*, Summer Rayne Nimmers*, Christian Norris, Ndidi N. Nwoha, Emily A. Owens*, Ashley Renee Palmer*, Sean Christian Palmer, Taylor Grace Parette, Abby Patterson, Jalia Marie Payne, Catherine L. Picou, Gabriela Pintilie*, Anna Elizabeth Pody, Jaden Brooks Procell, Chord Ramsey*, Micah Elliott Reese, Madison Kathleen Remrey*, Gabriel David Rivera*, Laney Elizabeth Robbins, Brennan Marie Roberts, Olivia Anne Roger*, Brandon Rosalis, Noah Mitchell Ruff*, Luis Sanchez, Alexandra Nicole Sanders*, Emma Alice Scheaffer*, Hope E. Schichner*, Jordan Elizabeth Scott, Lauren Elizabeth Shirley*, Nabin Shrestha, Chandler Smith, Maryanna Gabrielle Spillers*, Kailey Stevens*, Caroline Burt Summersgill, Martinez Luis Carlos Tapia*, Rebecca Christine Taylor*, Ella Rose Thomas*, Kinsley Madison Thomas, Sadiksha Tiwari, Anna Katherine Tollett*, John Brenner Toups, Cheikh Omar Toure, Fatou Toure*, Julie Vandenberg, Ryan James Vedros*, Brandon Edward Vessel*, Cameron Jules Vidos, Ronald Katrel Wagner, Emma Elizabeth White, Noah Michael White*, Caleb Ray Whitten, Devin Williams, Ryan Jacob Williams, Marissa M. Yeagle

Simsboro: Harlie Noel Robinson*, Madison Elizabeth Scheer*

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By Steve Graf

Last week we looked at one of America’s best bass lakes by breaking down Lake Fork Texas.

This week we’re going to hook up the boat and load the rods and head to Southeast Texas and another legendary bass fishery in Lake Sam Rayburn. I think it’s safe to say that no other body of water gets more pressure than this one.

If you’re looking to get your line stretched or catch that fish of a lifetime, Sam Rayburn is the place to go. Anglers can literally lose sleep the night before they launch their boat on this lake. Today I’ll give you a better idea as to what I’m talking about and why this lake continues to rank in the top 5 nationally and has recently been ranked number one by Bassmaster Magazine.

Sam Rayburn is located on the Angelina River just east of Lufkin, Texas. It’s an Army Corp of Engineer lake built in 1965 as part of the development plan for the Neches River Basin. It’s main purpose; flood control and hydroelectric power generation. It had an estimated cost of $66 million which also included recreational facilities all over the lake.

If you looked at the Sam Rayburn calendar of events from January thru September, you’ll see what I mean by fishing pressure. There’s not a single weekend during this entire stretch of time in which there’s not a bass tournament or two.

Yet week after week and month after month, Sam Rayburn puts out huge numbers of bass as anglers are known to weigh in five-fish limits with as much 40 pounds of bass. It’s common place for anglers to weigh in five-fish limits over 25 pounds each and every event. This is another popular lake (like Lake Fork) that you could end up waiting in line to launch your boat.

Sam Rayburn is a bass fishing factory in that you can catch both quality and quantity. It’s loaded with hydrilla (grass) and coontail moss especially south of the 147 bridge. This is a fishery in which you can catch bass deep (20 to 30 feet) or go shallow in the 2- to 5-foot range. You have great structure with humps and ridges, you have cypress trees and bushes in shallow water all over the lake that hold bass when the lake is at pool stage (164.4) or higher.

If you’re not sure where to start, main lake points are always a good place and can hold good schools of fish. When you get north of the 147 bridge up to the 103 bridge you’ll find standing timber and it’s in this part of the lake you’ll need to be careful as there’s not a marked boat run. Once you get north of the 103 bridge, you’ll find an abundance of cypress trees, bushes and river type of fishing the farther north you run.

And if you’re going to Rayburn on a weekend, you might want to avoid both Umphrey Family Pavilion and Cassels-Boykin boat ramps as this is where the majority of the bass tournaments go out of and can be extremely crowded Friday thru Sunday.

One good thing about Rayburn is that there’s no shortage of boat ramps and you can find one just about anywhere that’s close to where you want to fish. One word of caution, Sam Rayburn can get extremely rough when winds blow out of the south/southeast at 15 to 20 mph. But again, you can pretty much find a boat ramp that will allow you to launch your boat safely. Some of my scariest moments as a bass fisherman have been on big Sam when the winds start to blow as this lake is not very forgiving. Bottom line, keep an eye on the weather.

Make no bones about it, Sam Rayburn is an awesome body of water that’s full of bass big and small. It’s definitely in my top 3 of the best bass fisheries I’ve ever fished and it continues to amaze myself and other anglers just how good it is even with all the fishing pressure day after day and week after week. Next week, we’ll break down another lake that has a great past in Toledo Bend. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf
Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
And Tackle Talk Live

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