Hoss Garrett Stadium will be the site of one of the premier high school games in the state when 5th ranked Ruston (8-1) hosts 7th ranked West Monroe (7-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.
In addition to the District 2-5A title, playoff seeding is on the line for both teams as the Bearcats can secure a top 4 seed and a first round bye with a victory over the Rebels.
However, in order to do so, Ruston must snap a three-decade losing streak against the Rebels which dates back to 1991.
Tickets for the game will go on sale this morning at 8 a.m. (until 1 p.m.) at the home side ticket booth of Hoss Garrett Stadium (booth located on Everett Street across from the cemetery). Tickets will be sold at same time and location on Tuesday.
Reserved tickets are $12 and general admission are $10.
A sellout is anticipated and some standing room only tickets will be sold.
Following Tuesday, any remaining tickets will be sold from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Wednesday in the RHS Ticket Office located in the school.
A man was arrested early Friday morning after he allegedly fired numerous gunshots at a local bar.
Grambling Police responded to a shooting at The Revelry of Ruston on the South I-20 South Service Road about 1:00 a.m. Friday morning. On arrival, officers were advised security personnel had told a man he could not enter the establishment with alcohol and that the bar was closed.
According to officials, the suspect became irritated and fired a handgun six to eight times in the parking lot. After authorities questioned witnesses, they located the suspect at a local hotel.
Grant Alexander Godeaux, 27, was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where he was booked for aggravated assault by drive-by shooting, illegal carrying of a weapon, and illegal use of a weapon.
The Revelry of Ruston is within the Grambling city limits.
The shooting remains under investigation.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A Homer motorist was arrested last Wednesday night after he allegedly ran his vehicle into a ditch and then threatened to kill a man who came to his aid.
Lincoln Parish sheriff’s deputies responded to a call on La. Highway 146 (White Lightning Road) about 7:00 p.m. Wednesday reporting a vehicle had run into the ditch and the driver was being aggressive with the homeowner.
As deputies arrived, a man could be heard calling for help. The man said he was in his garage when he saw a truck enter his yard through the ditch and stop. He approached the vehicle to render aid and found the driver passed out behind the wheel.
The homeowner said he opened the door to attempt to wake the driver who pushed him out of the door and threatened to shoot him in the head. The man grabbed the driver’s arms as he tried to reach for something while his wife called 911. The man said he had to restrain the driver until deputies arrived.
The driver, Alan A. Defario, 66, of Homer, was taken into custody. A Kimber .45 pistol was found where in the area Defario was trying to reach when he made the statement about shooting the victim in the head.
Defario was transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and administered a breath test that indicated his blood alcohol concentration was .229g%, nearly three times the legal limit.
A records check showed Defario had a prior DWI conviction and a suspended license. He was booked for aggravated assault, DWI-second offense, careless operation, and driving under suspension.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Wellspring hostedatwo–day Civic Engagement Institute for YouthTuesday, October 25from 4–7p.m. andWednesday,October 26from9a.m. to4p.m.in theJack Beard Community Roomat theLincoln Public Library.
The Civic Engagement Institute for Youth is designed to engage students in the democratic process and teach best practices of civic engagement. High school sophomores and juniorsfrom Cedar CreekSchool, Choudrant High School and Lincoln Preparatory Schoolwereorganized into teams to research topics of local and national concern.
“Civic EngagementInstitute for Youthis aremarkable opportunity for both the youth and the community,” said The Wellspring’s Youth Empowerment Program Coordinator Ann Thompson. “On day one,Joey and Jessica Slaughter with Friends of Ruston Skateparktalked to the studentsabout their role in developing the skatepark.
“Tara Stone and Elizabeth Turpin with The Well of North Louisiana spoke to thestudentsthe next dayabout supporting foster families through building relationship in the community.Both groups of speakers touch on how it takesa groupof people to make a difference and see impactful results.”
Each team used the information they collected to create a proposal for change.Onday two, the teams presented their presentations to local community and business leaders. The panel guestsquestioned the students about their recommendations on the social issue or policy chosen by their team.Civic Engagement Institute for Youthhelped empower students byimprovingtheir communication skills and identifying community issues.
AboutThe Wellspring The Wellspring is an umbrella organization that focuses on strengthening the lives of individuals and families throughout Northeast Louisiana with programs that include mentoring for children; counseling, therapy and supervised visitation services; and an array of homeless and Veterans’ programs and services. Learn more at http://www.wellspringofnela.org.
Ruston Police arrested a man early Thursday morning after spotting him attempting to hide from a patrol car.
Sergeant K. D. Loyd was patrolling through the Celebrity Drive area regarding an ongoing problem with burglaries and catalytic converter thefts when a moving shadow caught her eye. Loyd did not see anyone initially but looking back in her rear view mirror saw a man jump up from behind a business sign and walk quickly into a wooded area on Celebrity Drive.
The man, equipped with a backpack, was wearing dark clothing and attempted to hide in the trees. Additional officers were called to the scene to search for the man. An officer spotted the man and ordered him to stop but he continued running. Another officer saw the suspect behind Walmart and again ordered him to stop but had to chase him down.
The man gave his name as Joseph Gaines Pryor, 30, no known address, but possessed no identification. The backpack he was carrying contained a large amount of assorted change and jewelry. Pryor also possessed a head lamp and gloves.
Pryor was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for three counts of resisting an officer. His identity had not been confirmed at press time.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Ruston moved into No. 1 spot in this week’s power ratings while Cedar Creek sits at No. 16 and Lincoln Prep at No. 24. (Photo by Reggie McLeroy)
Here are the latest Power Ratings for the Non-Select Division I football schools. These are used to determine playoff seeding at the end of the regular season.
Click HERE to see the complete list for each Select and Non-Select Division, including where Ruston (Non-Select Division I), Cedar Creek (Select Division IV) and Lincoln Preparatory (Select Division IV) are ranked.
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ABOUT THE POWER RATINGS
The changes the LHSAA made to the Power Ratings formula a few years back will have coaches and fans alike wondering why your calculations do not match GeauxPreps.
The top reason for mismatches is calculating Opponents’ Win points. Win Points are no longer just a straight up number of Wins by teams you have played. Points are now based on the number of wins vs number of games played. This was done to make up for playing opponents who did not play a full 10-game schedule.
See the summary below on how PR is calculated:
Result of Game: If you win, you get 10 Power Points. If you lose, you get none.
Classification: If your opponent is in a higher class, you get 2 points for each class higher
Opponents Wins: To calculate opponents wins: divide the number of wins by total games played, and multiple by 10.
Add these three components, and this is the PR for that specific game played.
Do this for all games played, add them all up, and then divide that total by the number of games you played.
You can compare your calculations with ours by looking at the Team Schedules Pages, there you will see how many points we calculated for each matchup.
Another major factor that causes mismatches, is Out of State opponents. We strive to make sure that we have to most accurate Win/Loss record for each out of state opponent. Since schools enter the W/L records for their OOS opponents, and because we don’t know how the schools get their record, we often are off on several matchups.
In addition, a team’s strength factor shall be determined by adding the sum of the opponent’s class to the sum of the opponent’s wins and dividing the result by the total number of games played. The strength factor is used when a tie exists between two or more teams and a head-to-head matchup does not exist.
GeauxPreps.com auto-generates its Power Ratings every two hours for football. If you think that you have seen an error or have any other questions, please contact hbower@geauxpreps.com.
When Construction Engineering Technology senior and Oak Grove native John Kyler Hill learned that the program was offering a Surveying option, he knew he’d found the perfect course sequence to prepare him for the career he wanted.
Hill, who came to Louisiana Tech University with four years of pipeline construction experience, wanted a degree to train him for a good-paying career that he could do outdoors. The Construction Engineering Technology program also having approachable professors who showed an interest in his success – well, that was just lagniappe.
Next fall, Hill will be one of the first graduates to earn a degree in Construction Engineering Technology with the Surveying option, which prepares students for surveying licensure in Louisiana, increasing pay, and employment opportunities.
“A lot of people don’t realize that the job outlook for surveyors is growing,” Hill said. “Right now, more surveyors are retiring than are joining the workforce, and there’s a growing demand for well-trained surveying professionals. On top of that, the surveying specialization offers multiple career paths. You can work on heavy civil projects, like roads and bridges, as a local surveyor measuring properties, or as a hydrographic surveyor flying drones over coastal areas or large bodies of water. There’s the potential for travel, maybe even contracting out to different countries. You could even work behind a computer after you get your surveying license.”
After taking three classes toward the Surveying option during his junior year, Hill earned an internship with HGA. He said that while the courses’ hands-on experience with surveying equipment and the technical knowledge to understand the equipment, the accessibility of Construction Engineering Technology faculty contributed most to his success in the position.
“I’d like to thank Dr. [Jeff] Pike [Senior Lecturer of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology], Mr. [Reginald] Jeter [Program Chair and Professional in Residence of Construction Engineering Technology], Mr. [J. Walter] Ballard [Adjunct Instructor of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology], and Dr. [Jason] Howell [Lecturer of Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering],” Hill said. “All of them are very approachable and more than willing to help students find internships and give us advice about jobs and equipment. Their interest in my education helped me get the internship with [Hunt, Guillot & Associates] HGA and find the right educational path for me.”
Ballard, a Survey Manager who supervised Hill’s internship at HGA, says that he was impressed with Hill’s performance on the job.
“Kyler gained valuable experience in assisting field personnel on a preliminary alignment survey to replace two large diameter pipelines from locations that conflict with the planned route of the Comite River Diversion Canal in East Baton Rouge Parish,” Ballard said. “He persevered through long days and challenging conditions to quickly earn the respect of the other field crew members. He was eager to learn and brought energy and a sense of determination to work each day.”
LA Tech captured the title at the Dezy Strong Classic.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
CORAM, NEW YORK — The Louisiana Tech women’s bowling team brought home first place in the Dezy Strong Classic this weekend with a strong performance in a strong field.
On championship Sunday, the Lady Techsters fell to Youngstown before rallying to defeat both Vanderbilt and Youngstown, in a rematch of the meeting earlier in day.
“I think this weekend shows how resilient our team is,” said Tech head coach Matt Nantais. “When we struggled, they worked their way out of it to finish the tournament with the championship. It was a total team effort, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. We still have a lot to work on and we’ll try to do some of that in next two days before we head to our next event.”
Lindsay Manning (1,091 pins) and Allie Leiendecker (1,045 pins) both earned a spot on the all-tournament team while teammate Danielle Jedlicki (1,008 pins) finished in the top 10 of total pin count.
DAY 1 LA Tech competed in five Baker games on Friday to start their weekend. They began the day defeating Mount St. Mary 1,098-1,028, followed by a 926-865 victory over Long Island. The Lady Techsters then fell in game three to Sacred Heart 987-970, but were able to redeem themselves in the final two games against Fairleigh Dickenson 994-896, and St. Francis -Pa. 951-949.
DAY 2 The Lady Techsters began traditional play on Saturday with a their first of three match-ups with Youngstown throughout the weekend. Youngstown came out hot and defeated LA Tech 1,028-971 before the Lady Techsters were able to gain a 1.069-044 victory over Marrimack. The Lady Techsters continued the winning streak by defeating St. Francis-Brooklyn 991-778, Adelphi 1,104-886, and Molloy 942-775 to give them the top-seeded spot going into Sunday’s match with 9,975 total pins.
DAY 3 For the second time over the weekend, the Lady Techsters were set to face the No. 2 seeded team, Youngstown. LA Tech started off 2-0 on the game before Youngstown gained momentum to defeat the Lady Techsters 4-2 (171-203, 182-244, 170-150, 189-156, 223-149). The Lady Techsters didn’t settle and came back in match two ready to play. Starting match two by falling in the first two games but a 4-0 come back to take down Vanderbilt 4-2 (166-205, 150-258, 223-195, 219-200, 234-169- 236-197) to bring earn a spot in the Championship game.
Set to face Youngstown for the final time, the Lady Techsters were out for revenge. In a back-and-forth match Youngstown didn’t make things easy for LA Tech. The Penguins began the match with a 225-192 win. The Lady Techsters bounced right back winning by four pins, 172-168, in game two. Youngstown didn’t back down and took the next game 174-156. The Lady Techsters weren’t going to hand the match over though. With a 52-pin lead, LA Tech defeated the Penguins 208-156. Game six was taken by Youngstown with a 220-202 win to force game seven. The Lady Techsters turned it on and were able to claim the tournament title after beating the Penguins 227-222 in the final game.
God bless our school teachers tomorrow, who will be dealing with students crashing from too much fun, too much excitement, and likely way too much candy. Maybe that’s just my kids, though. Maybe no one else has to ensure their kids floss or don’t only eat candy on Halloween night or convince their kids to go to bed after trick-or-treating festivities.
However, we have a new ally on the parent team. We introduced a tradition in our household a few years ago, though, that has benefited our dentists, our kids’ teeth, and even my college students.
Say hello to the Halloween fairy.
This is not an original idea of mine by any means, but it has been highly effective in eliminating our household of way too much sugar post-Halloween. Every Halloween night, our little family goes trick-or-treating for a couple of hours, and in that couple of hours, my kids eat just about as much candy as their tiny stomachs can hold. They can’t eat all of it though, because they need to have some to share with the Halloween Fairy.
This invisible, sweet-loving fairy comes after Halloween to collect any excess candy the children may have in their bags. The girls leave their bags by the front door, and the Halloween fairy comes that night and exchanges their candy for a toy or a book or something basically non-edible. Often we find the Halloween Fairy likes to shop at Five Below.
The next morning, the girls are so excited to see what little present the Halloween Fairy has left them, and they have not one sad tear shed for the candy they lost.
So where does the candy really go, you may ask?
Honestly, not to me and my husband. No, by the time Halloween rolls around, we are done with the sweets and don’t want to see another Milky Way, Snickers or Starburst until next Halloween. No, the true winners of the Halloween Fairy are my college students.
So dear students, if you’re reading this, make sure to come by and grab some Halloween candy from the Halloween Fairy. Because it needs to go.
The Lady Techster Tennis team continued a strong fall showing this weekend at Mississippi State. (Photo by Kane McGuire)
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
The Louisiana Tech Tennis team challenged themselves again this fall, and again the Lady Techsters rose to that challenge by tallying 12 victories against top-tier competition this weekend at the John Cade Invitational hosted by Mississippi State.
Playing in a round robin against MSU and Memphis, both nationally ranked teams last season, and ACC foe Louisville, LA Tech went an impressive 5-4 in doubles with brand new lineups and collected seven victories in singles, including one over a nationally ranked player.
In doubles, the Lady Techsters went 2-1 versus the Tigers and Bulldogs and 1-2 against the Cardinals.
“I could not be more happy with how we competed this weekend,” said Tech head coach Amanda Stone. “We are continuing to prove how much our program has elevated. It is tough to pick a single moment because our team did so well. Our doubles looked much better and we played great again in singles, but Leonie beating Mississippi State’s All-American in straight sets was the highest of the tournament. It was an incredible win for her and our team.”
“This team has put in a lot of hard work this fall. We have to stay hungry and push each other to get even better. We are very excited for the direction we are going.”
The duo of Alexia Romero and Valentina Vazquez shined all weekend by winning all three matches on court three. On day one, they went back-to-back with victories of 8-6 and 8-5 over Farres Carreter/Dolavee Tumthong (Memphis) and Gia Cohen/Emily Surcey (MSU), respectively. On day two, they continued their winning ways with an 8-5 victory versus Sasha Gorchanyuk/Tyra Richardson (UL).
Olga Bienzobas/Ana Rodrigues dismantled Memphis’ top duo of Camila Soares/Aran Teixido by a score of 8-2 and Leonie Schuknecht/Ilana Tetruashvili outlasted MSU’s Emmanouela Antonaki/Sydney Hrehor by a score of 8-5 on court two.
The seven victories in singles came from the trio of Schuknecht, Rodrigues and Vazquez. The biggest win was that of Schuknecht who took down 52nd-ranked Antonaki of Mississippi State, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1. She followed that up by outlasting Louisville’s No. 1 Rhea Verma, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.
Rodrigues continued her strong fall, winning all three of her matches against Miriam Grosmann (Memphis) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, Maddie Bemisderfer (MSU) 6-4, 6-1, and Sasha Gorchanyuk (UL) 6-2, 6-1.
Meanwhile, Vazquez bounced back from a three-set loss in her first singles match to produce two three-set wins of her own against Emily Survey (MSU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-0 and Joy Callwood (UL) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
NOTABLES
LA Tech now has singles wins over Arkansas, Tulane, LSU, Mississippi State, Memphis, and Louisville this fall.
Leonie Schuknecht’s win over 52nd-ranked Emmanoeula Antonaki was the first victory by a LA Tech over a nationally ranked player since 2015 (highest ranked singles win ever).
Ana Rodrigues went a perfect 3-0 in singles to bring her fall record to 9-4, the most wins on the team
Leonie Schuknecht improved to 8-3 this fall in singles after going 2-1 at the John Cade Invitational
Alexia Romero and Valentina Vazquez went a perfect 3-0 in doubles. Romero now has a team-best 5-5 doubles record this fall.
UP NEXT LA Tech will close out its fall season on its home courts when they host the LA Tech Invitational on Nov. 12-13.
Louisiana Tech officials have announced that, weather permitting, the east bound lane of Dan Reneau Drive between South Monroe Street and Adams Boulevard will be closed to through traffic from Oct. 31 through Nov. 14.
This closure will occur between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. each day.
This closure is necessary for the City’s Monroe Street Corridor Project.
The longtime mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs will be the featured speaker for the North Central Louisiana Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet this year.
Dan Meers has spent the past 25 years as the Kansas City Wolf, the mascot for the NFL’s Chiefs franchise and will serve as the speaker for this year’s fundraiser set for Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Davison Athletics Complex.
“Honestly, KC Wolf — that’s what I do,” said Meers. “It’s not who I am. I am first and foremost a follower of Jesus Christ. My identity is I’m a child of God — that’s my true identity right there. KC Wolfe is what I do, and I love what I do. And one day, I’ll pass it on to somebody else, but while I have a platform, I hope to use it do make a positive impact in this world.”
The proceeds from ticket sales will go to benefit the local FCA which helps fund scholarships for camps, bibles, food for teams and huddle groups, and speakers for leadership seminars.
Tables of eight are $750 while corporate sponsorships are available as well. Call Craig Moss at 318-243-8565 or email cmoss@fca.org.
Each Monday and 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.
Monday, Oct. 31 Halloween 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 5-8 p.m.: Fall Family Fun Fest (Cook Baptist Church) 5:30-7 p.m.: Trunk or treat (Grace United Methodist Church) 5:45 p.m.: Movie Night at Lincoln Parish Library 6-8 p.m.: Trunk or Treat by La Tech Student Athlete Advisory Committee (Thomas Assembly Center)
Tuesday, Nov. 1 6 p.m.: Lincoln Parish School Board meeting (410 S. Farmerville St.)
Wednesday, Nov. 2 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
Thursday, Nov. 3 7 p.m.: WOR in concert (Dixie Center for the Arts) 7 p.m.: Fall wind ensemble concert (Howard Auditorium, Tech)
Friday, Nov. 4 6-9 a.m.: Kiwanis Annual Pancake Day (Ruston Civic Center) 2-4 p.m.: Preventing Fraud in Your Organization class (La Tech College of Business, Room 126) 7 p.m.: Voice area recital (Stone Theatre, Tech) 7 p.m.: NCLAC Presents: Terrance Simien (Dixie Center for the Arts) 7 p.m.: Ruston home football game
Saturday, Nov. 5 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 2 p.m.: GSU Homecoming Game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2 p.m.: LA Tech football v. Middle Tennessee
The Ruston Kiwanis Club will hold its annual Pancake Day on Friday, November 4 from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Ruston Civic Center. The pancakes may be eaten at the Civic Center or purchased for carrying out.
The annual pancake sales help to finance the Kiwanis’ youth projects which have included over the past few years: Support of the Boys and Girls Club, The Holiday Basketball Camp, MedCamp, Christmas Party at the Methodist Children’s Home, Back Packs for students at I. A. Lewis, Fireworks at Temple Baptist on the Fourth of July and Kiwanis International EliminateNeo- Natal Tetanus Program.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased from any Kiwanian member and at the door.
Hoss Garrett Stadium will be the site of one of the premier high school games in the state in 2022 when 5th ranked Ruston (8-1) hosts 7th ranked West Monroe (7-1) at 7 p.m. Friday.
In addition to the District 2-5A title, playoff seeding is on the line for both teams as the Bearcats can secure a top 4 seed and a first round bye with a victory over the Rebels.
However, in order to do so, Ruston must snap a three-decade losing streak against the Rebels which dates back to 1991.
Tickets for the game will go on sale Monday and Tuesday mornings from 8 a.m. (until 1 p.m.) at the home side ticket booth of Hoss Garrett Stadium (booth located on Everett Street across from the cemetery).
Reserved tickets are $12 and general admission are $10.
A sellout is anticipated and some standing room only tickets will be sold.
Following Tuesday, any remaining tickets will be sold from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Wednesday in the RHS Ticket Office located in the school.
Grambling’s Maurice Washington led the Tigers with 67 rushing yards and a score in the Tigers 35-6 home win over Alcorn State. (Photo by Glenn Lewis/GSU)
By T. Scott Boatright
Grambling State University football coach Hue Jackson smiled more than once late Saturday afternoon.
When handed a stat sheet just before his postgame press conference began, Jackson laughed incredulously, saying “wow” out loud.
A few minutes earlier, just before receiving a midfield Gatorade shower, Jackson looked up to the scoreboard and grinned.
That’s because while it’s hard to believe looking at final game stats, Grambling State not only defeated, but dominated Alcorn State in a 35-6 win that gave the Tigers their first home and first Southwestern Athletic Conference win of the Jackson Era.
The win pushed the Tigers to 2-6 and 1-4 in the SWAC while Alcorn State fell to 3-5 and 2-3.
“I’m excited not only for our team, but for our fans,” Jackson said. “Our fans have hung in there with us. They showed up again. We can hear them. We can feel them. I just can’t thank them enough for being there.
“It’s great to win at home. I think our players deserve it. We’ve been close the last couple of games prior to today, and we were looking for the breakthrough. We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when. But the guys stuck to it and the coaches did a great job of preparing them and today we got a victory.”
That they did, even though game statistics by no means made that obvious.
Alcorn State outgained GSU in total offense by more than 100 yards – 312 – 209.
The Braves had 21 first downs compared to 10 for the Tigers.
Alcorn dominated time of possession 37:12 – 22:48.
But two quick touchdowns in the opening 5:04 of the contest propelled the Tigers to a win in a game during which the Braves never threatened to make it close.
“Today we were able to capitalize on a couple of breaks we got early in the game and we capitalized on that momentum,” Jackson said. “We were able to ride it all the way home.”
That momentum came on the game’s opening kickoff.
Alcorn State’s Manny Jones received the kick at his eight-yard line and returned it to the Braves’ 21 before GSU’s Kevin Thomas forced a fumble that was recovered by the Tigers’ Ken Pierre-Charles at the 22-yard line.
Four plays later, a four-yard scoring scamper by Grambling’s Maurice Washington put the Tigers up 7-0 only 3:07 into the contest.
Grambling’s special teams were back at it on the ensuing Alcorn possession. The Tigers held the Braves to no yards on a three-and-put before G-Man Kiani Noah blocked ASU’s attempted punt, with GSU’s Patrick Marshall pouncing on the ball at the Alcorn 16-yard line.
Three plays later Grambling’s Chance Williams plunged one-yard to paydirt to put the Tigers on top 14-0 at the 9:54 mark of the opening stanza.
While Jackson appreciated the win, he knows his Tigers have a lot of things to fix, including the plethora of penalties that have plagued GSU all season long. Against Alcorn, Grambling was flagged nine times for 79 yards while Alcorn was penalized only twice for 19 yards.
“We got over the (win) hump, but I’m still ticked,” Jackson said. “That has been an Achilles heel for us. You can’t score touchdowns and have them called back. That’s something that’s a problem.
“Until I can fix that, I don’t think I’ve done that part good enough, and we as a staff have not done that part good enough. We still have way too many penalties, and that will stop us from becoming the team we want to be, so it’s something we’re going to continue to harp on, something we’re going to continue to fix, but am I excited today — you’re exactly right I am. I just want one more point than the other team. I didn’t think it was going to be 29. Just one more point than the other team and we get the victory, and we were able to do that today.”
Grambling stretched its lead to 21-0 with 7:01 remaining in the second quarter as Myron Williams returned a 68-yard pick six to paydirt before the Tigers made it 28-0 at halftime after true freshman quarterback Julian Calvez scored on a two-yard run with 1:40 remaining in the first half.
Alcorn State’s lone score came with 19 seconds left in the third quarter on a four-yard pass from Tre Lawrence to Tavarious Griffin while Grambling’s Floyd Chalk closed out scoring with a 23-yard touchdown with 14:15 remaining in the contest.
Washington led Grambling’s ground attack with 67 yards on nine carries while Calvez connected on seven-of-14 attempted passes for 58 yards while adding 10 rushing yards.
Grambling’s Lewis Matthews led the Tigers with 13 tackles while Joshua Reed added 12.
Lawrence Asiedu totaled 2.5 sacks as part of his six-tackle performance for the Tigers while Brian Powell added 1.5 quarterback takedowns.
“I’m excited about all those guys on defense,” Jackson said. “Brian Powell, Lewis Matthews, Joshua Reed … Rey Estes makes an interception. How he caught that ball I have no idea. I’m just happy for our guys because I know how much work they put in.”
Grambling returns to Robinson Memorial Stadium next weekend as the Tigers celebrate Homecoming 2022 with a game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff set for a 2 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.
Others receiving votes: East St. John (8-1) lost to Destrehan, 48-7, Carencro (7-2) lost to Acadiana, 21-20, Acadiana (6-3) beat Carencro, 21-20, Airline (6-3) beat Parkway, 41-20, Scotlandville (5-3), Archbishop Rummel (5-4) lost to Edna Karr, 35-14, Slidell (8-1) beat Fontainebleau, 35-0, Dutchtown (5-3) lost to Denham Springs, 21-17, Brother Martin (5-4) lost to John Curtis, 23-14.
Class 4A
St. Thomas More (8-1) beat Westgate, 42-34
Warren Easton (7-1) plays Abramson Saturday
Teurlings Catholic (8-1) beat Northside, 45-14
Lafayette Christian (7-2) beat North Vermilion, 34-0
University (6-3) beat Collegiate Baton Rouge, 48-0
Madison Prep (6-3) beat Glen Oaks, 48-12
Carroll (8-0) beat Richwood, 19-16
Bogalusa (7-1) beat Pine, 56-15
Parkview Baptist (8-1) beat Port Allen, 37-0
Others receiving votes: John F. Kennedy (8-1) beat Patrick Taylor, 48-6, St. Louis (7-2) lost to Iowa, 29-21, Abbeville (5-4) lost to St. Martinville, 42-19, Amite (6-3) beat Sterlington, 26-20, Sterlington (4-5) lost to Amite, 26-20
Class 2A
Many (8-0) beat Red River, 42-0
Newman (7-1) beat M.L. King Charter, 41-12
Dunham (8-1) beat Baker, 41-6
Mangham (8-1) beat Rayville, 62-8
Calvary Baptist (7-2) beat Lakeside, 63-0
Notre Dame (7-2) beat Grand Lake, 45-7
St. Charles Catholic (6-3) beat Country Day, 35-14
North Caddo (6-3) lost to Loyola Prep, 41-22
Welsh (8-0) won via forfeit
Oak Grove (6-3) beat General Trass, 51-8
Others receiving votes: Rosepine (7-2) lost to Avoyelles, 68-45, Episcopal-BR (8-1) beat East Feliciana, 46-26, Avoyelles (6-3) beat Rosepine, 68-45, East Feliciana (5-4) lost to Episcopal-BR, 46-26, General Trass (6-3) lost to Oak Grove, 51-8
Class 1A
Ouachita Christian (8-1) beat West Marion, Miss., 49-18
Vermilion Catholic (9-0) beat Central Catholic, 44-7
Homer (6-3) lost to Glenbrook, 21-14
Southern Lab (5-3) lost to Kentwood, 33-26
Kentwood (8-1) beat Southern Lab, 33-26
Logansport (6-3) lost to St. Mary’s, 24-8
Riverside (8-1) beat Varnado, 56-0
Glenbrook (9-0) beat Homer, 21-14
Haynesville (8-1) beat Ringgold, 64-0
Ascension Catholic (7-2) beat White Castle, 54-12
Others receiving votes: Catholic-PC (8-1) beat North Central, 44-0, Central Catholic (7-2) lost to Vermilion Catholic, 44-7, St. Frederick (6-2) beat River Oaks, 54-6, St. Martin’s (8-1) beat Cohen, 40-0, Opelousas Catholic (6-3) beat Sacred Heart, 40-6, Basile (8-1) beat Merryville, 41-12, St. Mary’s (7-1) beat Logansport, 24-8
Tech offensive lineman Joshua Mote has been nominated for the prestigious Wuerffel Trophy.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech redshirt senior offensive lineman Joshua Mote was one of 109 FBS college football players nominated for the 2022 Wuerffel Trophy, the organization announced Thursday.
The Wuerffel Trophy is known as “College Football’s Premier Award for Community Service.”
Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from the University of Florida, Danny Wuerffel, the Wuerffel Trophy is presented in February annually in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society and inspire greater service worldwide.
Mote’s community service projects have included Willis-Knighton, Night to Shine, Buddy Ball, Special Olympics, Big Event and the voting registration drive.
Mote is the Bulldogs active career leader in starts (32) and was an All-Conference USA honorable mention selection in both 2020 and 2021. Mote has helped anchor an offensive line that has played a large role in the Bulldogs passing offense which ranks 23rd nationally at 290.4 yards a contest.
The Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast more than 800 recipients, dating back to 1935.
LA Tech’s Josie Studer and Maci Geltmeier were both named to the Conference USA Women’s Soccer All-Academic Team.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communicactions
Louisiana Tech’s Josie Studer and Maci Geltmeier were named to the Conference USA Women’s Soccer All-Academic First Team, announced by the league office on Friday.
The All-Academic Teams are comprised of 11 players on First and Second Teams represented across the 11 competing Conference USA institutions.
To be eligible, nominees must have a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, at least a sophomore class standing, and be a starter or key reserve member of the squad.
Studer, a native of Waxhaw, N.C., carries a 3.81 GPA while majoring in Marketing and is a three-time C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient and C-USA Academic Medalist.
The senior defender has started in nine matches this season on the back line, after missing the first eight due to injury.
Since her return, LA Tech has amassed a 5-2-2 record in conference play earning their first Conference USA Tournament bid since 2019 and are locked in as a top-four seed.
Studer has logged 795 minutes, going the distance in seven matches, and playing all but 15 minutes in her nine appearances. She scored her first goal of the season on a game-winning penalty kick against UTSA on Oct. 6 which began a four-game win streak for the Techsters that currently still stands.
This is Studer’s second C-USA All-Academic honor.
Geltmeier, a junior forward, is a two-time C-USA Honor Roll recipient and Academic Medalist, carrying a 4.0 GPA while majoring in Marketing.
The Cleburne, Texas native has appeared in all 17 matches for the Techsters this season while making 14 starts and logging 933 minutes.
She is currently tied for the team lead in shots (18) putting seven on goal, and also scored a goal against UTSA that helped kickstart the Techster’s current win streak.
LA Tech will travel to Denton, Texas to face North Texas in the regular season finale before heading to Charlotte, N.C. to compete in the 2022 Conference USA Women’s Soccer Championships.
Studer and Geltmeier become the first pair of Lady Techster teammates selected to the C-USA All-Academic team since Nomvula Kgoale and Haley Laque in 2017.
Geltmeier becomes the ninth overall LA Tech player to earn the award in program history (Josie Studer, Nicole Jaquemet, Kathryn Sloan, Madison Doll, Haley Laque, Nomvula Kgoale, Kaylee Zettler and Amber Posthauer).
For all the latest in LA Tech Soccer, follow them on Twitter (@LATechSOC), Instagram (@LATechSoccer) and Facebook (LATechSoccer).
MONROE, La. – Last season, Ruston held on to a one-point overtime win at the Lions’ Den on the campus of Ouachita High School.
This season, there was never a doubt from the opening whistle who would win between these two teams as the Ruston Bearcats (8-1, 4-0 District 2-5A) completely dominated the Ouachita Lions (4-5, 2-2 District 2-5A) on all sides of the football by a final score of 47-13.
“I thought we came out ready to play,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “I thought the kids did a great job being competitive and they played hard. I’m disappointed with a few mistakes we made in the first half that we need to clean up. I talked to them about that at halftime. We kind of sputtered around on offense to start the second half and maybe got comfortable. But I thought our defense kept plugging. I thought we had a good plan all around; we’ll try to keep working to clean up some of those things, and hopefully we’ll get those things done so we can play well next week.”
After both teams punts in the first quarter, Ouachita found itself starting a drive at its one-yard line. On the first play of that drive, the Ruston defense hauled junior running back Carldell Sirmons down in his own end zone for a safety, and the Bearcats took a 2-0 lead with 7:25 to go in the first quarter.
On the ensuring Bearcat drive, senior running back Dyson Fields carried the entire load by himself on the 40-yard drive that capped off with a one-yard touchdown rush for Fields to give Ruston a 9-0 lead. In his return game after taking care of a leg injury, Fields finished with 105 yards on the ground with two touchdowns on 23 carries.
The Bearcats exploded offensively in the second quarter to add 21 points to their lead before halftime. First, junior fullback/linebacker Jadon Mayfield pushed through for a one-yard touchdown with 9:16 to go in the second quarter; shortly after, Mayfield tore off a 43-yard touchdown run with 4:35 to go before halftime. Finally, sophomore running back Jordan Hayes joined the fun with a 68-yard touchdown run with 1:50 on the clock in the second quarter. Ouachita added a quick score before halftime, and the Bearcats took a large lead into the halftime locker room 30-7.
From a scoring perspective, Ruston only put three points up in the third quarter with a 27-yard field goal from senior kicker RJ Brown, who also was perfect kicking extra points on the night. In the fourth quarter, Fields added his second touchdown of the night from one-yard out.
After Ouachita was forced to punt later in the quarter, senior Trey Williams ran the ball back for a 35-yard touchdown return that sent the Bearcat sideline into euphoria. A late Lion touchdown would prove meaningless as Ruston topped Ouachita for the 47-13 final score.
Ruston has beaten Ouachita every year since 2015.
The win for the Bearcats sets up a showdown at James Field at “Hoss” Garrett Stadium for Friday, Nov. 4, when the West Monroe Rebels come to play only their second road contest of the season. Both teams have one loss apiece and will be playing for an outright district title.
For Ruston, winning out this season could propel the Bearcats to one of the top two seeds in the Power Rankings as the playoff picture is becoming more crystallized. The top four seeds in the new format will receive a first round bye.
Lincoln Parish Events Center Committee members (clockwise from left) Bill Jones, Amy Miller, Sandra Dupree, Deborah Gilliam and Richard Durrett (back to camera) are pictured during Thursday’s discussion. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Parish Library Board of Control knows it has to make the LPL Events Center profitable for budgetary reasons and is exploring ideas to be able to do so.
On Thursday, the Board’s Events Center committee gathered at the library to do just such, with the discussion focusing on a potential teaming with the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A big factor in any such deal concerns whether or not an election is held to consider making amendments to the city of Ruston’s alcohol ordinances that could help that happen.
The embryonic idea proposes a possible partnership between the LPL Board and the Convention and Visitors Bureau, with the CVB providing management and marketing services in an attempt to increase rentals of the Events Center in hopes of having it pay for itself.
Potential changes to Ruston’s alcohol ordinances could be a lynchpin toward making such an agreement beneficial to both the Events Center and the CVB.
More than 3,300 people signed a recent petition to allow Ruston voters to decide whether or not to make such changes, and The Louisiana Economic Growth Committee, with the support of Brookshire’s and Walmart.
Louisiana law dictates the committee had 60 days to get 2,454 signatures to secure an election. Lincoln Parish Registrar of Voters, Sharon Parnell was given 30 business days to verify the signatures.
Ruston’s City Council will be required to order such an election if enough of the petition’s signatures gathered by the Hutch Consulting group are verified.
The push behind the petition is to allow Ruston grocers Grocery retailers in Ruston to sell “hard liquor” that has alcohol content higher than the less than 6% by volume beer and low those stores are currently allowed to sell.
Any potential election would include five propositions that would all have to pass for any changes to be made.
Should the CVB offer a plan to try and make an agreement with the LPL Board of Control, it will likely want alcohol ordinance changes to be passed in order to allow Events Center renters to be able to serve alcohol on premises during the events the rentals are made for.
And that’s where the rule that the five propositions Louisiana Law requires must all be passed comes into play for a potential Library Board/CVB deal.
Those propositions that would have to all be passed are:
1. Shall the sale of beverages of alcoholic content containing not more than six percent alcohol by volume be permitted by package only and not for consumption on the premises in Ruston?
2. Shall the sale of beverages of alcoholic content containing not more than six percent alcohol by volume for consumption on the premises be permitted in Ruston, Louisiana?
3. Shall the sale of beverage alcohol containing one half of one percent alcohol by volume and above for consumption on the premises be permitted in Ruston?
4. Shall the sale of beverages of alcoholic content containing one half of one percent alcohol by volume and above be permitted by package only and not for consumption on the premises in Ruston?
5. Shall the sale of beverages of high and low alcoholic content be permitted only on the premises of restaurant establishments which have been issued an “R” permit as defined by law in Ruston?
The issue has been voted on in Ruston before with the most being only three of the five propositions be passed during an election..
Should the petition be verified in upcoming weeks, Ruston’s Board of Aldermen would have to vote during its December to hold an election on the matter, likely on March 25 of next year, which would be the next Louisiana election date.
LPL Board committee chair Bill Jones during the discussion said that something has to be done to make the Events Center pay for itself, and that will take dedicated management.
Library Children’s Director Marcie Nelson is currently doing double duty by also serving to manage the Events Center.
“The library staff has done as good a job as they can do all these,” Jones said. “But they’re library staff and we haven’t had dedicated management (for the Events Center). The CVB has expressed an interest. We have exchanged information.
“(CVB Director Amanda Carrier) said they’re going to work up not necessarily a proposal, but a projection, of what usage of the Events Center would be if it was actively marketed by someone dedicated to that role and not also have to work with the library.”
Jones said that if and when such a potential proposal should come about, it would only be for one year to judge its effect for both parties.
Another part of any such plan would require the Lincoln Parish Police Jury, which owns the library property, to change its regulations of no alcohol allowed on LPPJ property to OK the use during potential rental events held at the Events Center.
But for now, it’s a waiting game for the Library Board as it waits to receive more information from Carrier as well as awaiting the outcome of Ruston’s alcohol ordinance situation.
