By Emma Stone

Some of you may have seen my name published in the bylines of articles. My name is Emma Stone, and I am a journalist for Lincoln Parish Journal. 

But I haven’t always been a journalist and my name hasn’t always been what you see today.

In 2002, I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia as Yana Valeriyevna Dreyer.

My birth mother, for unknown reasons, gave me up for adoption at 27 years old. I spent the next two and half years of my life in Baby Home #1, St. Petersburg.

When people ask me for a fun fact, I say I was raised by babushkas, old Russian women, who ran the orphanage. 

---

It wasn’t until June 23, 2004, that my adoptive parents had taken me home to Carlyss, Louisiana through a rigorous adoption process.

Finally, I thought, “Did I find home?”

Home was an image in my mind of comfort and home was what I begged for when I woke up one night complaining of a knot behind my ear.

Little did I know, this knot was a swollen lympnode. I was rushed to the emergency room where I underwent multiple tests and scans. 

The doctors informed me that the lympnode grew to the size of a golf ball. I was six-years-old then. 

St. Jude’s Hospital in Houston, Texas was the closest hospital that could diagnose and treat me accordingly. 

A surgeon was able to remove the lympnode and I was forced to wear a head bandage to stop the drainage. 

I was mortified! This was the end of my six-year-old reputation on the playground.

Due to the bandage and fragility of the pipe inserted behind my ear, I was not allowed to play outside during recess or complete any demanding physical activity.

 

The solution: to be stuck in the front office with a pencil and a composition notebook. 

  

That was the moment my love for writing began. I would draw puzzles and write stories from my wildest imaginations. 

I learned to keep to myself, observe, and most importantly I learned how to live. 

Living had taken on a whole new meaning. Living meant making the most of a singular breath.  

We moved to Madison, Mississippi in 2010, where I had lived up until leaving for college. 

Throughout that time, I would create “books of questions” where I would write down any question that popped into my head. 

It was a lengthy book. 

My notebooks were filled with pages and pages of rhyming poems and small essays. It was there where I could be a superhero flying or a flower blowing in the wind. 

That was my newfound home. 

I graduated high school in 2020, during COVID-19 and applied to Louisiana Tech University for a degree in psychology. 

Then, I changed it to business administration. It was safe to say, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do.

When visiting my grandmother later that year, she had pulled out all my old poems. I remember thinking, “Why did this stop?”

Whether it was life sweeping me away or busy days, I had given up on the ink. I had given up on home.

I changed my major to English with a concentration in Creative Writing. That lasted about a couple months when I took an editorial writing course for an elective. 

By the end of Spring 2021, I was now a Communications major with a concentration in journalism. And I can proudly say it hasn’t changed. 

Well, sort of. 

When I changed to communications, I was left with a lot of English credits, enough for a minor. So, I added an English minor. 

But it looked like I was too on track for graduation. I wanted the most out of college.

I added a Gender Studies minor which was a new curriculum that had very little students completing it. 

You see, throughout this article, I have made one thing very clear: I am ambitious and indecisive.

I added another major, Interdisciplinary Studies. This degree allows me to choose three subjects. I kept English and Gender Studies but added Computer Information Systems. 

One of my favorite things my friends joke about is the hodge-podge mess of a transcript I have. But it’s uniquely me. 

I couldn’t see myself being any different, and life is always showing me that a home can change and grow.

Home is more than the people in it; it is the self that defines it so. 

Once you get comfortable in your own presence and accept that your life can get messy, change and be scary, you learn to live. 

Home is laughing at yourself and picking up the pieces. Home is connection, but most importantly, connection with yourself. 

My name is Emma Stone, the Russian adoptee, the avid reader, the lymphadenopathy survivor, the indecisive mistake-maker, the curious questioner, the notebook filler, and the journalist.

A Ruston woman was arrested on numerous traffic charges early Saturday morning after she was stopped for traffic violations.

A Lincoln Parish deputy saw a Land Rover traveling east on West California Avenue with non-functioning taillights. As the deputy followed the vehicle, the Land Rover straddled two lanes of traffic for some distance.

It was stopped and Sydney M. Jackson, 21, of Ruston, was identified as the driver. The deputy smelled the odor of marijuana coming out of the vehicle. When Jackson stepped out of the vehicle, she was unsteady on her feet and moved very slowly. A search of the vehicle yielded a small amount of loose marijuana in the center console.

---

Jackson’s breath smelled of an alcoholic beverage and sobriety tests were conducted. She was placed under arrest and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where a breath test was administered showing a blood alcohol concentration of .163g%.

Jackson was booked for first offense DWI, possession of marijuana, and several traffic violations. Bail was set at $1,500.

---

To enter this week’s contest, CLICK HERE!

_______________________________

Week #10 of the Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Heard Construction and Martin Presence is underway.

One lucky winner will claim $200 … with the potential to make it $400 if they are perfect on the week (including predicting the No. 1 tiebreaker exactly right).

This week YOU could be our lucky winner. It just takes a few minutes to click on the link above and fill out a form for FREE. It could mean $200 in your pocket if you choose wisely.

Anyone is eligible to participate for FREE and each week’s winner will go home with a $200 cash prize.  Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 13 selected college football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two other games).

The Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Martin Presence and Heard Construction will be conducted over the 13 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games (Sept. 2) and running through the end of November.

There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Lincoln Parish Journal. 

All contest decisions by LPJ management are final. Weekly winners will be notified Monday and will be requested to take a photo that will run that week in the LPJ.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $200 each week (or $400 if you can have a perfect week with the correct tiebreaker).

________________________

The Lincoln Parish Journal wants to thank Karl Malone Toyota, Martin Presence and Heard Construction for their title and presenting sponsorships of this year’s college football pick’em contest.

We also want to thank Super Movers, American Mattress Outlet, the Dugout, the Ensure Agency, National Jewelry, Hart Designs, Tanyard Creek, Ginn’s Autobody, Ruston Eye and Vision, Pearce Lumber and Bearcat Nation Network for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

________________________

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, October 30
11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
5-7 p.m.: Hall-O-Champions for children with special needs (RPAR, Multipurpose Room, 2103 Champions Way)
6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street)

Tuesday, October 31
Halloween
6-8 p.m.: Candy for Costumes (Grambling City Hall and baseball field)

---

Wednesday, Nov. 1
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, November 2
7 p.m.: Cedar Creek football game

Friday, Nov. 3
6:30-9 a.m.: Kiwanis Club of Ruston’s annual Pancake Day Sale (Ruston Civic Center; email humphries@latech.edu for more information)

Saturday, Nov. 4
8 a.m. to noon: Community garage sale (Lincoln Parish Library)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market

On Saturday, October 28, 2023, shortly after 7:00 p.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop F began investigating a single-vehicle fatal crash on I-20 just east of the Start exit.  The crash claimed the life of 60-year-old Vincent Moody of Indiana.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, driven by Moody, was traveling west on I-20.  Moody struck an inflatable jumper, that was obstructing the roadway, and was ejected.

Moody, who was not wearing a DOT approved helmet, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.  A second motorcyclist, who also struck the inflatable jumper, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.  Although impairment is not suspected, routine toxicology samples were collected and will be submitted for analysis.  This crash remains under investigation.

Whether on a motorcycle or in a vehicle, drivers should make good decisions while traveling on the roadway.  Motorcyclists should practice safe and responsible operator behavior, such as obeying speed limits, wearing a DOT approved helmet, and never operating their motorcycle under any form of impairment.  If motorists witness hazardous situations or possible impaired drivers, they may dial *LSP (*577) to be connected to the nearest Troop to report that activity.

Motorcycle riders can find more information on helmet guidelines and rider safety courses by visiting https://lsp.org/services/training/motorcycle-safety/.

In 2023, Troop F has investigated 34 fatal crashes, resulting in 42 deaths.

---

The wild and weird contest featured half the game’s combined score coming on defensive touchdowns with the first coming in the opening moments on arguably the most outlandish play of the game.

On the opening drive of the contest, Bethune-Cookman went for it on a fourth-and-one situation at their own 31-yard line.

Moore disappeared into a pile of players from both teams right near the line of scrimmage as the scrum moved back and forth with no whistle being called.

Suddenly the ball popped up into the air out of that mass of humanity before Wildcats receiver Tink Boyd snatched it out of midair and took off for the goal line, racing 52 yards for the score that put Bethune-Cookman on top 7-0 only 1:37 into the contest.

But Grambling had a trick of its own that provided a treat for fans less than two minutes later after a shotgun snap to Bethune-Cookman quarterback Tylik Bethea, making his first career start, sailed over his head into the BCU end zone.

As players from both teams scrambled into another mass trying to get to the football, Grambling ended up with the recovery that tied the contest at 7-7 at the 11:55 mark of the opening stanza.

Grambling moved out on top on its next possession with a three-yard scoring scamper set up by Chance Williams set up with his own 23-yard run and a 33-yard pass from quarterback Myles Crawley to receiver Javon Robinson.

That was followed by a series of three-and-outs by booths teams until the waning seconds of the first quarter, when Williams broke loose on a 63-yard touchdown run that pushed GSU’s to 21-7 with only 10.8 seconds remaining until the second quarter.

But this time it was Bethune-Cookman which quickly countered as the football was stripped from Grambling running back Floyd Chalk IV with the Wildcats’ Omari Hill-Robinson scooping it up and returning it 73 yards for a score that cut the Tigers’ lead to 21-14 at the 10:25 mark of the second quarter.

The rest of the first half was a defensive slugfest with Grambling’s effort aided by a strong performance by punter Jimmy Iles, who got a pair of punts to bite and be downed inside the Bethune-Cookman 2-yard line.

As the second half began, ghosts got into the machine and delayed the start of the third quarter until play eventually began after it was determined the public address would not function for the remainder of the contest.

Those ghosts in the machine came back into play early in the fourth quarter as the scoreboard malfunctioned with 10:15 remaining in the game as GSU defensive back Trent Henry picked off a Bethea pass to give the ball to the Tigers at the Bethune-Cookman 40-yard line.

After another long delay to try and get the scoreboard working, play eventually restarted with Crawley throwing an incompletion before Chalk picked up nine-yards on a run before breaking free on a 61-yard scoring scamper with 9:09 left on the clock.

That would be the game’s final score, although GSU’s Robinson had a long punt return for what looked to be a score called back by penalty in the final two minutes.

“I’m happy for our seniors to win here at home again,” said GSU coach Hue Jackson after the game. “To finish the home slate 3-1, I’m excited about that for them while I really wish we could have got to 4-0, but we didn’t, But I think all of (GSU’s seniors) contributed to this win today.”

While happy with the win, Jackson was thrilled with an offense that had chances to put several other scores on the board but failed to make it happen.

“I watched it all and we didn’t score,” Jackson said about his team’s trips inside the red-zone while coming away with no scores, including a a pair of missed field goal attempts that didn’t help matters. “I was not happy with the way we played offensively.

“But I thought our defense rose up to the challenge. I thought our offense was very uncharacteristic of how we play. But I give a lot of that credit to Bethune-Cookman’s defense — they did a good job.”

Sundata Anderson led the Tigers defensively with 11 tackles, including a pair of sacks.

“I told him that he had to go dominate in this game and he did,” Jackson said. “Him and Lewis (Matthews) and those seniors over there, our defensive line and linebackers, our secondary, too, they got after it.

“Those guys can play. They’ve been talked about, talked at — I put a lot of pressure on them because we needed to stop the run. I think they handled their business today and they have to grow from this performance and keep getting better.”

Williams led GSU rushers with 119 yards on 17 carries while Chalk ran for 80 yards on nine attempts while Crawley completed 11-for-22 passes for 142 yards, hitting six different receivers with Robinson leading the way with six receptions for 73 yards.

GSU is now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play and will next face Alabama State next Saturday in the Port City Classic in Mobile, Alabama.

Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications

Louisiana Tech soccer players Kalli Matlock and Josie Studer were announced to the 2023 Conference USA Women’s Soccer All-Academic Teams on Friday. Conference USA tabbed 22 student-athletes to its 2023 CUSA Women’s Soccer All-Academic Teams.

Senior Kalli Matlock earned a 3.83 GPA while working towards her degree in Speech Pathology. The defender was named to C-USA First Team All-Academic Team. Matlock has appeared in sixteen games this year, in addition, she has scored three goals and contributed to four assists on the year. This is Matlock’s first selection to the Conference USA All-Academic team.

Graduate Student Studer earned a 3.50 GPA while working towards her MBA. Studer was named to the C-USA Second Team All-Academic Team. Studer has been named to the C-USA All-Academic team three times already. The defender has started and played in every game this season while scoring one goal and two assists.

The 2023 CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship will be held November 1-5 in Ruston, La.
 
2023 Women’s Soccer First All-Academic Team

Name	Year	GPA	Major(s)
Reagan Bridges, FIU2	Jr.	3.98	Chemistry/Natural & Applied Sciences
Camille Sahirul, FIU2	Gr.	4.00	Rehab & Recreational Therapy
Kalli Matlock, LA Tech	Sr.	3.83	Speech Pathology
Ainsley Leja, Liberty	Jr.	3.87	Business Administration
Sascha Nielsen, MTSU	Jr.	4.00	Psychology
Valerie Guha, NM State	So.	4.00	Biochemistry
Mya Hammack, NM State	Sr.	3.74	Biology
Tiana Johnson, Sam Houston	So.	4.00	Kinesiology
Cayman Tamez, UTEP	Sr.	3.81	Criminal Justice
Katie Erwin, WKU3	Gr.	4.00	MBA
Annah Hopkins, WKU	Sr.	4.00	Biology

 
2023 Women’s Soccer Second All-Academic Team

Name	Year	GPA	Major(s)
Kim Schneider, FIU	So.	3.88	Psychology
Baylee Eads, Jax State	So.	3.64	Psychology
Salome Kerguillec, Jax State	So.	4.00	Integrated Studies
Josie Studer, LA Tech3	Gr.	3.50	MBA
Idun Kvaale, MTSU	So.	4.00	Industrial & Organizational Psychology
Manon Lebargy, MTSU	So.	4.00	Commerce
Hannah Suder, MTSU	Gr.	4.00	Criminal Justice
Dana Hanson, Sam Houston	Jr.	4.00	Marketing
Maia Rodriguez, UTEP	Sr.	3.57	Nursing
Maddie Davis, WKU	R-So.	4.00	Architectural Science
Lily Rummo, WKU2	Sr.	4.00	Counseling/Education

 
³ – Three-time all-academic selection
² – Two-time all-academic selection

---

Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications

Tennis

The Louisiana Tech Tennis team closed out the fall portion of its schedule on Sunday at the John Cade Invitational, highlighted by a third-place finish in the Maroon singles bracket for Olga Bienzobas.

Four Bulldogs ended up competing in the three-day event, played on the campus of Mississippi State University at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre and Rula Tennis Pavilion.

Bienzobas opened up the tournament with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Alexandra Mikhailuk of Mississippi State in the round of 16. She backed that up on day two with a gutsy 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2) win against Stanislava Shulzhenko of North Texas to break into the semifinals. She had a big hold at 5-6 to get to a first-set tiebreaker where she overcame one set point to. In the second set, she had three match points to close it out, but took care of business in another tiebreaker after exploding to a 5-1 edge.

The senior ended up falling to the eventual champion Emma Kette of Ole Miss, but rebounded in the consolation match with another victory over a Mississippi State opponent. After losing the first set, 2-6, to Dharani Niroshan, she forced a third set with a 6-2 win of her own. Down 1-3, Bienzobas closed it out with wins in five straight games.

Also playing singles in the Maroon bracket was Tiffani Nash. The senior lost a three-set marathon to Niroshan in the round of 16, but collected a pair of wins in the consolation bracket over Nformi Stadfany (North Texas) by a score of 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (5) and Ibifuro Clement (Louisville) by a score of 6-4, 6-3.

Ana Rodrigues cashed in with one singles win in the White bracket, outlasting Allie Gretkowski of Louisville by score of 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11).

Meanwhile, each doubles team – Rodrigues/Vasquez and Bienzobas/Nash – notched a victory over the same duo from Louisville (Clement/Noguero) by scores of 8-5 and 8-2, respectively.

JOHN CADE INVITATIONAL RESULTS
SINGLES
Olga Bienzobas (Maroon Bracket)
R16 – def. Alexandra Mikhailuk (Mississippi State) 6-3, 7-5
Q – def. Stanislava Shulzhenko (North Texas) 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2)
S – lost to Emma Kette (Ole Miss) 1-6, 2-6
C – def. Dharani Niroshan (Mississippi State) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

Ana Rodrigues (White Bracket)
R16 – def. Jamilah Snells (Louisville) withdraw
Q – lost to Maria Rizzolo (Mississippi State) 3-6, 1-6
C – def. Allie Gretkowski (Louisville) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11)
C – lost to Pitta (Mississippi State) 4-6, 6-1, 0-1 (8)

Valentina Vasquez (White Bracket)
R16 – lost to Lika Persypkina (Louisville) 6-7 (2), 6-3, 3-6
C – lost to Lilly Schultz (North Texas) 3-6, 6-4, 0-1 (7)
C – lost to Chalard (North Texas) 5-7, 7-5, 0-1 (6)

Tiffani Nash (Maroon Bracket)
R16 – lost to Dharani Niroshan (Mississippi State) 5-7, 6-3, 2-6
C – def. Nformi Stadfany (North Texas) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (5)
C – def. Ibifuro Clement (Louisville) 6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES
Ana Rodrigues/Valentina Vasquez
R16 – lost to Allie Gretkowski/Lika Persypkina (Louisville) 3-8
C – lost to Germany Davis/Jamilah Snells (Louisville) 6-8
C – def. Ibifuro Clement/Elena Noguero (Louisville) 8-5

Olga Bienzobas/Tiffani Nash
R16 – def. Ibifuro Clement/Elena Noguero (Louisville) 8-2
Q – lost to Lilly Schultz/Nformi Stadfany (North Texas) 4-8
C – lost to Emma Kette/Reka Zadori (Ole Miss) 2-8
C – lost to Carolina Laydner/Stanislava Shulzhenko (North Texas) 6-8

_______________________________

Soccer

The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5-10-3, 2-4-2) would fall at home against Liberty Flames (14-2-1,5-2-1). The Bulldogs fell 4-1 to the Flames on Sunday evening at Robert Mack Caruthers Field.

“Liberty came out with a purpose because they clearly had something to play for,” said Steve Voltz. “We certainly weren’t at our best early on because of distractions from the senior day and having clinched a spot but that is not our standard. It has to be better and we addressed it at halftime. We certainly came out with a little more purpose in the second half.

“Now it’s tournament time so can we reignite what helped us get here the last couple of weeks for this? Super proud of seniors Joise Studer, Alma Cedefors, Laura Ogando, Sophie Fijneman, and Lauren Egbuloniu and what they have brought to this program. Now we have to make sure we show up on Wednesday night and show everyone what we are capable of.”

In the first half, the Bulldogs conceded four first-half goals to the Flames. Liberty’s Ava Goodman scored back-to-back goals in the 9th and 11th minute. Goodman’s 11th-minute goal was assisted by Bridie Herman. Liberty’s Saydie Holland would score in the 21st minute and Sallie Garner helped an assist. The Liberty’s final goal came from Claire Valentine in the 27th minute, which was assisted by Avenley Monteith.

In the second period, the Bulldogs would pick up its lone goal of the match in the 65th minute. Kyra Taylor scored Louisiana Tech’s only goal of the match with help from Flavie Dube. The Bulldogs did keep the Flames scoreless for the rest match.

LA Tech faces Western Kentucky on Wednesday for the second game of the C-USA Conference Tournament at Robert Mack Caruthers Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

____________________________________

Golf

The Louisiana Tech Golf team recorded their best round of the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational, shooting 291 (+3) to jump two spots to 11th in closing out the event Sunday at the Steelwood Country Club.

After being led by Lake Juban in the first two rounds, it was Hunter Battles who had the top score for LA Tech after shooting 70 (-2) with near bogey-free round of three birdies and one bogey on No. 4. The 70 tied his senior’s season low and marked his third round in the red this season, tying for 37th (78-74-70=222 (+6)).

Will Patrick had his day of the tournament, getting off to a good start with birdies on two of his first three holes in route to shooting 72 (E).

The third score was provided by Juban who matched his third round with his first two rounds with a 73 (+1), an 18-hole effort that included eagles on No. 9 and No. 18. The senior ended up tying for 26th (73-73-73=219 (+3)) on the player leaderboard, his best finish of the season.

Jake Plumb was responsible for the fourth score used by the Bulldogs, overcoming a 42 on the back nine to shoot a 34 on the front with birdies on No. 3 and No. 8 to shoot 76 (+4).

Alabama claimed the team title at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational. LA Tech collected wins over West Virginia, UAB, and Rice in shooting 299-299-291=889 (+25).

---

A Graveside Service for Elizabeth Sheridan Smith, age 57, of Ruston, LA will be 11:00 A.M., November 4, 2023, at Downsville Cemetery in Downsville, LA.  Following the graveside service, there will also be a celebration of life held at The Lincoln Parish Park at 2:00 P.M.

She was born on February 10, 1966, to William Wood and Mary (Lewis) Sheridan in Garland, Tx and passed away after a brief illness on October 21, 2023.

Elizabeth enjoyed time with her family and being a proud Shepherd Band Booster especially when her boys were performing in the band.  She is preceded, in death, by her husband, Kevin Earl Smith; her mother, Mary Elizabeth (Lewis) Sheridan; and her father-in-law, James Earl Smith.

She is survived by her sons, Michael Earl Smith and Jeremy Ryan Smith of Ruston, LA; her father and stepmother, Bill Sheridan, Sr. and wife Emily of Ruston, LA; her mother-in-law, Joyce Smith of Downsville, LA; her brother, Bill Sheridan, Jr. and wife Lisa of Ruston, LA; brother-in-law, Jamie Smith and wife Jennifer of Choudrant, LA; step-siblings; Wayne Gray and wife Marguerite of Gibsland, LA, Devonne Walker of Choudrant, LA, Chris Gray and wife Shonda of Ruston, LA; niece and nephew, Miranda Smith of Choudrant, LA, and Dean Smith of Choudrant, LA; along with bonus son, Aaron Michael Gordon of Abilene, TX.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations made to Shepherd Middle School, 1401 South Byrd Ave., Shepherd, TX, 77371, (936) 628-3377, https://sms.shepherdisd.net

---

Jacqueline Ellyn Sposato
Of Choudrant, LA
Age: 58
Passed: 10/23/2023

Cecilio Carrizales
Of Choudrant, LA
Age: 82
Passed: 10/23/2023

---

The wild and weird contest featured half the game’s combined score coming on defensive touchdowns with the first coming in the opening moments on arguably the most outlandish play of the game.

On the opening drive of the contest, Bethune-Cookman went for it on a fourth-and-one situation at their own 31-yard line.

Moore disappeared into a pile of players from both teams right near the line of scrimmage as the scrum moved back and forth with no whistle being called.

Suddenly the ball popped up into the air out of that mass of humanity before Wildcats receiver Tink Boyd snatched it out of midair and took off for the goal line, racing 52 yards for the score that put Bethune-Cookman on top 7-0 only 1:37 into the contest.

But Grambling had a trick of its own that provided a treat for fans less than two minutes later after a shotgun snap to Bethune-Cookman quarterback Tylik Bethea, making his first career start, sailed over his head into the BCU end zone.

As players from both teams scrambled into another mass trying to get to the football, Grambling ended up with the recovery that tied the contest at 7-7 at the 11:55 mark of the opening stanza.

Grambling moved out on top on its next possession with a three-yard scoring scamper set up by Chance Williams set up with his own 23-yard run and a 33-yard pass from quarterback Myles Crawley to receiver Javon Robinson.

That was followed by a series of three-and-outs by booths teams until the waning seconds of the first quarter, when Williams broke loose on a 63-yard touchdown run that pushed GSU’s to 21-7 with only 10.8 seconds remaining until the second quarter.

But this time it was Bethune-Cookman which quickly countered as the football was stripped from Grambling running back Floyd Chalk IV with the Wildcats’ Omari Hill-Robinson scooping it up and returning it 73 yards for a score that cut the Tigers’ lead to 21-14 at the 10:25 mark of the second quarter.

The rest of the first half was a defensive slugfest with Grambling’s effort aided by a strong performance by punter Jimmy Iles, who got a pair of punts to bite and be downed inside the Bethune-Cookman 2-yard line.

As the second half began, ghosts got into the machine and delayed the start of the third quarter until play eventually began after it was determined the public address would not function for the remainder of the contest.

Those ghosts in the machine came back into play early in the fourth quarter as the scoreboard malfunctioned with 10:15 remaining in the game as GSU defensive back Trent Henry picked off a Bethea pass to give the ball to the Tigers at the Bethune-Cookman 40-yard line.

After another long delay to try and get the scoreboard working, play eventually restarted with Crawley throwing an incompletion before Chalk picked up nine-yards on a run before breaking free on a 61-yard scoring scamper with 9:09 left on the clock.

That would be the game’s final score, although GSU’s Robinson had a long punt return for what looked to be a score called back by penalty in the final two minutes.

“I’m happy for our seniors to win here at home again,” said GSU coach Hue Jackson after the game. “To finish the home slate 3-1, I’m excited about that for them while I really wish we could have got to 4-0, but we didn’t, But I think all of (GSU’s seniors) contributed to this win today.”

While happy with the win, Jackson was thrilled with an offense that had chances to put several other scores on the board but failed to make it happen.

“I watched it all and we didn’t score,” Jackson said about his team’s trips inside the red-zone while coming away with no scores, including a a pair of missed field goal attempts that didn’t help matters. “I was not happy with the way we played offensively.

“But I thought our defense rose up to the challenge. I thought our offense was very uncharacteristic of how we play. But I give a lot of that credit to Bethune-Cookman’s defense — they did a good job.”

Sundata Anderson led the Tigers defensively with 11 tackles, including a pair of sacks.

“I told him that he had to go dominate in this game and he did,” Jackson said. “Him and Lewis (Matthews) and those seniors over there, our defensive line and linebackers, our secondary, too, they got after it.

“Those guys can play. They’ve been talked about, talked at — I put a lot of pressure on them because we needed to stop the run. I think they handled their business today and they have to grow from this performance and keep getting better.”

Williams led GSU rushers with 119 yards on 17 carries while Chalk ran for 80 yards on nine attempts while Crawley completed 11-for-22 passes for 142 yards, hitting six different receivers with Robinson leading the way with six receptions for 73 yards.

GSU is now 4-4 overall and 2-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play and will next face Alabama State next Saturday in the Port City Classic in Mobile, Alabama.

By Kyle Roberts

Friday night left little doubt on the field for the Ruston Bearcats.

Celebrating 21 seniors for the final regular season home game of the year, the ‘Cats (9-0, 4-0 District 2-5A) gave the hometown fans plenty to cheer about, beating the Ouachita Parish Lions (2-7, 1-3 District 2-5A) 49-7, with all the points being scored in the first half.

“I thought our guys did a really good job coming out and being ready to play after kind of an up-and-down week in practice,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “But I told them if if they come out mentally ready, we’ll be we’ll be ready to go.”

Ruston’s offense shot out of the gate on the first play of the game with a 65-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Josh Brantley, who had a stellar performance rushing for 95 yards and going 5-of-6 through the air for 99 yards a touchdown.

Junior running back Jordan Hayes followed shortly after with an eight-yard touchdown run, his first of three rushing touchdowns on the night, including a long run of 73 yards near the end of the second quarter.

“It was just a matter of time for him,” Baugh said about Hayes breaking some long runs. “He is staying steady and not trying to hit a home run all the time; just hitting holes where he needs to. He was going to pop loose and and ended up being able to do that tonight.”

Senior Zhy Scott also hauled in a touchdown grab through the air from 46-yards out following an onside kick recovery by the Bearcats at the beginning of the second quarter. Ruston was able to recover multiple onside kicks after excellent efforts by freshman kicker Joaquin Ramos.

“I know it’s not everybody’s favorite thing unless we get them and that makes me pretty smart whenever we get them and stupid whenever we don’t,” Baugh said about taking chances with onside kicks. “But, you know, we saw some things on video that we were going to take advantage of and our kids like to do it. And any time the kids are pumped up about doing it, I think it’s a bonus for us. We’ll continue to do that if teams give us that. It’s not something we just want to do to do, and it’s just always in the plan. And the kids do a great job to execute.”

Sophomore fullback Lander Smith would also find paydirt from two-yards out with 9:21 to go in the first half. Sophomore Zander Hayes, starting at linebacker for the second time this year, returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown for the final score of the first half to give Ruston an insurmountable 49-7 lead before halftime.

Jordan Hayes would finish the night with 137 yards on 11 rushes with three scores.

Senior defensive back Semaj Jones would also get an interception on the night, while seniors Jadon Mayfield and Nate Johnson finished with five tackles apiece. Senior Geordan Guidry was also credited with a sack.

The Bearcats outgained Ouachita 363 yards to 84 on the night.

The one spot Ruston will need to address from the victory was penalties– Ruston committed eight on the night for a total of 41 yards.

“They do a good job of trying to make you jump offsides with some things that they do with their defensive line, making some calls up front and shifts in their defensive line,” Baugh said. “We’re gonna have to get better at those things.”

Following West Monroe’s 28-23 win over Alexandria Senior High, the Bearcats and the Rebels will clash for the outright District 2-5A championship next Friday night in the regular season finale in what may very well be an electric atmosphere in Rebel Stadium.

“It’s great for our kids to be able to turn around and see the support that we have from not just family, but from the community,” Baugh said of the Ruston fans and faithful. “And that’s been an ongoing deal for the last couple of seasons. Hopefully, we’ll continue that through the last regular season game over at West Monroe and working in the playoffs.”

JOURNAL STAFF

The parents of slain Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell Jr. and their attorneys said Friday they plan to file a lawsuit within the next two weeks against Northwestern State University, the Quad Apartment Complex, and former NSU head football coach Brad Laird.

In a press conference called “in direct response” to NSU’s Thursday announcement of Laird’s resignation, along with the decision to cancel the remaining four football games in the 2023 season, attorneys Troy Pradia and Helen Daniel-Holman said other parties could be added to the suit, which may be filed in either federal or state court.

The event was held in the offices of Cox Pradia Law Firm in Houston and was streamed live on the firm’s Facebook page, where it can be replayed.

They alleged NSU, the Quad (operated by Campus Advantage, an Austin-based management firm) and Laird “failed to protect” Caldwell, resulting in the death of the 21-year-old junior safety and business administration major on Oct. 12 in an early-morning shooting on the grounds of the Quad. The apartments are located within walking distance of the NSU campus, across La. 6 from one of the four gates providing access to the campus, at 3800 University Parkway.

The attorneys and Caldwell’s parents spoke during the press conference. Daniel-Holeman later said Laird “absolutely, horrifically failed Ronnie Jr.” because he allegedly did not act effectively after being notified that Caldwell was threatened with a gun in the apartment on the evening of Oct. 9 by John McIntosh, 27, a non-NSU student who was assigned as a roommate to Caldwell and others by Quad management.

Caldwell Sr. said after he learned of the threat from his son, he contacted Laird by text and asked Laird to remove his son from the Quad and into a hotel, until he could travel to Natchitoches that weekend. Caldwell Sr. said  that did not happen and the next contact from Laird was a call two nights later, to notify him of the death of his son.

Attorneys said Laird was “at the top of their list” of culpable parties. They did not cite specific details which led them to that conclusion and noted the Natchitoches Police Department is continuing its investigation.

They said the family wanted to hold the press conference “in direct response” to Thursday’s release and specifically Laird’s announced resignation.

The university issued a statement acknowledging it was “aware” of the press conference, noting the investigation was continuing, and said “it would be inappropriate to comment or speculate at this time.”

Laird, whose resignation was immediately effective Thursday, did not comment Friday.

While McIntosh and a former NSU teammate of Caldwell’s, Maurice Campbell II, have been arrested in relation to the case, there have been no charges specific to Caldwell’s death. Both men were charged with possession of narcotics and weapons, and Campbell – who left the NSU team after four games this year, before the shooting – has an additional charge of obstruction of justice.

---

Lincoln Parish Scores

High school football fans can check out all of the scores from across the state thanks to GeauxPreps.com.

Just click HERE.

Football Scoreboard

---

By T. Scott Boatright

Coming off a bye weekend, the Grambling State University football team looks to snap a two-game losing streak as the Tigers play host to Bethune-Cookman in a game set for a 2 p.m. kickoff today at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.

GSU stands at 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference while Bethune-Cookman is 1-6 and 0-4 in the SWAC.

Grambling coach Hue Jackson said he feels the bye week gave his team an opportunity to evaluate itself and try to figure out how to best move forward after falling 25-24 at Alcorn State and 45-24 against Alabama A&M in its last two contests.

“I think that what was important is that we got rest … got healed up,” Jackson said. “We got to self-scout our offense, defense and special teams. We just put the last game behind us and are preparing to host a very good Bethune Cookman football team here at home.”

One focus for the G-Men during the bye weekend break was concentrating on trying to slow a plethora of penalties that has plagued his team throughout the season so far. 

GSU has been hit with 72 yellow flags for 635 yards through seven games for an average of 91 yards in losses per contest while its opponents have only been penalized 48 times for 286 yards, an average of 55 yards per game.

“I think that the most important thing that was done is that we continue to bring (the plethora of penalties the G-Men have been hit with this season) to their attention,” Jackson said. “You can really slow it down and let them see it, what it does to your football team and how it impacts your football team negatively — the yards that we’re giving away each game in crucial situations.

“During an off week when you’re not in the grind, I think the players see it differently and I think they were able to focus on it a little bit more and understand that our football discipline is important and what has to be done (to improve it).”

As the Tigers return to play today, Jackson said his team is focused on only the next game ahead as they work to battle back into contention for a potential SWAC Championship game berth.

“We can’t control what everybody else does,” Jackson said. “We can only control what we do. Our thing is we’re going to play this thing one game at a time and not get caught up in what may be or what could be.

“The most important thing is that we go out and win. Winning takes care of a lot of that.”

Jackson knows that the rushing game will play a key factor in today’s game. And that starts with not letting Bethune-Cookman do as much damage with its run game as GSU’s opponents have in recent games.

“We need our defense to play better against the run and we need to run the football better ourselves,” Jackson said. “We need to shore up our gap control on defense.I think that’s what you’ve got to do. You still have to be able to control the clock, play efficient offense and for our defense, we have to play better against the run.”

Jackson said improving his team’s rushing game on offense is another primary need heading into the game against the Wildcats.

“We need to be better at running the football,” Jackson said. “We need to run the ball better in the scoring zone and improve third-down efficiency. I think all of those things are important.”

Jackson also knows special teams improvements are key if the Tigers want to make a late run for the SWAC title game.

“Special teams-wise, we just need to make sure we’re being consistent in everything we’re doing,” Jackson said. “It’s been a really good week. I think we were able to focus on a lot (of things). We saw a lot of different information about our football and where we can help ourselves over this next stretch or last quarter of the season so that we can be the best we can be.”

Jackson also knows getting junior quarterback Myles Crawley back on track will be key for his Tigers against Bethune-Cookman.

Crawley has completed 128-of-217 pass attempts (58.99%) for 1,583 yards and 12 touchdowns. so far this season.

But Crawley has also been intercepted five times this season, with four of those interceptions coming in their most recent two losses.

“Obviously the biggest thing is taking care of the football,” Jackson said of what he needs to see out of Crawley. “We’ve got to take care of the football better. I think he can complete the football at a higher percentage and will. But it’s not just him. Receivers have to be at the right spot, and protection has to continue to be good 

“I think all those things work together. And I think he’ll do that and go be the quarterback that I think he is. I think he’s one of the best in the conference and I think he’ll play like that down the stretch.”

---

By Kyle Roberts

Ruston High honored five senior volleyball players and a senior manager Thursday night before sweeping West Ouachita in straight sets by final scores of 25-15, 25-6, and 25-10.

Seniors Shelby Freeman, Allie Richardson, Hannah Rollins, Jade Smith and Cala Wilson all played in their final regular season home match, with Gabby Sterling as their senior manager.

“They’ve been great to me coming in an stepping in for Coach (Lucie) Hunt,” Ruston head coach Mandy Cauley said. “They didn’t question me, or my decisions; they listened and bought in. And I really can’t express much I appreciate that. And it’s paid off because what they’ve done for each other and for the team is just phenomenal.

---

Cauley was quick to also praise Sterling for her role on the team.

“She’s absolutely phenomenal,” Cauley said. “The girls love her; she loves the girls and the program. She is just really close with all the coach staff and serves wholeheartedly. We just love Gabby.”

Ruston took the first set 25-15 after Smith finished with five kills, while junior Harper Cauley finished with four kills and a service ace. Smith would get three more kills in the second set, while Rollins got three kills and a block en route to a 25-6 win.

Finally, the Lady Bearcats finished the Lady Chiefs off in the third set 25-10 with Rollins getting five kills in the final set.

“The girls executed well tonight,” Cauley said. “I thought we did a great job of playing our game, and that, to me, shows where we’ve grown mentally.”

Already district champions, the Lady Bearcats will travel south for one last tournament at The Dunham school before learning of their seeding for the power rankings on Monday.

As the investigation into the multi-vehicle crash on I-55 progresses, Troopers and forensic examiners have made significant advancements.  It has been determined that the incident tragically claimed the lives of seven (7) victims rather than the initially reported eight (8) victims.

Due to the intense fire and the extensive wreckage, the initial investigation led Troopers to believe that there were a total of eight (8) victims. In collaboration with the St. John the Baptist Parish Coroner’s Office, Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office, and The LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory, it has been conclusively determined that there are no additional or unknown victims of this tragic incident other than seven (7) identified victims.

Throughout this investigation, Troopers have received an invaluable amount of support from the community, who submitted countless amounts of footage and information.  This assistance has greatly aided Troopers in the development of the investigation.

In addition, the public is encouraged to utilize the Louisiana Department of Health behavioral health resource guide for all those affected by this tragic incident: https://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Coronavirus/resources/obh/Behavioral-Health-Immediate-Resources.pdf. 

This crash remains under investigation, and we will continue to update the public as it progresses. All updates will also be posted to the Louisiana State Police Facebook page. 

---

Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications

The Louisiana Tech men’s and women’s cross-country teams will compete at the Conference USA Championship this morning at the Riverview Golf Course at Hobson Grove Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The men’s 8k race begins at 9 a.m. while the women’s 6k race will begin at 10 a.m.

“I am really excited about this XC championship,” said Director of LA Tech Track and Field Brian Johnson. “We have grown as a team, and I know we are ready to compete for a championship.”

The field consists of competitors from FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP and Western Kentucky.

Live Results: Results

The Bulldogs had two weeks to prepare after competing at the Watson Collegiate Classic on Oct. 13. The women finished seventh in the 20-team field, while the men finished 16th out of 25.

Starting with a young core of athletes, LA Tech has seen consistent improvement in times with each race this season.

Jayce Wimbish has come on strong over the last two races he participated in. The two-time CUSA Athlete of the Week has set back-to-back personal bests and has improved his time by over a minute to 25:11.6.

Kenneth Smith and Dillon Moree have also been key contributors to the Bulldogs. Smith has a season-best finish of 10th at the Warhawk Invitational with a time of 25:17.7 for the 7K event. Moree finished 13th at the Mook 4 Invitational with a time of 25:20.1. Both runners finished the only 8K event on the season in under the 30-minute mark.

On the women’s side, Rebecca Quebedeaux has finished as the top-2 Bulldog athlete in every race this season. Quebedeaux earned CUSA Athlete of the Week honors after setting a personal best for the third week in a row with a 19:24.2 at the Mook 4 Invitational.

Brooke Fontenot has set personal bests in all three races she has run this season. The freshman finished with a 20:13.0 at the Mook 4 Invitational.

Lexa Thompson and Victoria Datta have also helped paced Tech to three top-5 finishes and a top-10 finish at the Watson Collegiate Classic. Thompson’s best season finish came at the Bulldog’s home race with a 20:07.3 for a ninth-place finish. Datta finished right behind in 10th with a time of 20:08.3.

---

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.

________________________________________

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.

---

Brenda Faye Robinson 
Sunday 08/22/1954 — Friday 10/20/2023 
Celebration of Life: Saturday 10/28/2023 1:00pm, Rocky Valley Baptist Church, 133 Brasswell Lane, Simsboro 
Interment: Saturday 10/28/2023 Following Service, Rocky Valley Cemetery, Simsboro 

Jacqueline Ellyn Sposato
Of Choudrant, LA
Age: 58
Passed: 10/23/2023

Cecilio Carrizales
Of Choudrant, LA
Age: 82
Passed: 10/23/2023

---

By Kyle Roberts

The Lincoln Parish School Board finance committee met Thursday afternoon to discuss the plan for distributing two stipends for staff and faculty parishwide, which will be brought for a full vote in November’s session.

The meeting consisted of finance chairman George Mack (District 11), Gregg Phillips (District 8), Clark Canterbury (District 3), Hunter Smith (District 7), Danny Hancock (District 5), with Otha Anders (District 10) absent.

---

The committee discussed for nearly an hour options for how to distribute funds for both differentiated compensation stipends and 2023 certificated and support staff stipends, both for the fiscal year 2023-24.

The proposed plan for the differentiated compensation stipend will be used to support teacher recruitment and retention by awarding stipends to eligible classroom teachers who meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Received a highly effective final evaluation Compass rating for the 2022-23 school year in a Lincoln Parish school; OR
• Teach in one of the following critical shortage areas in the 2023-24 school year: Secondary Mathematics (Grades 6-12), Secondary Science (Grades 6-12), Special Education (Grades PK-12)

The proposed stipend for eligible full-time classroom teachers will be $560, while part-time classroom teachers will received a prorated amount based on the percentage of full-time schedule worked in the 2023-24 school year.

Eligible employees must be:

• School board employees (reported as 01 in the staffing data collection);
• Actively working on Dec. 1, 2023;
• Working in positions that meet the LDOE definition of a teacher
• Work at least 10 hours per week on a regular schedule

The longer portion of the meeting was to discussion options for the 2023 certificated and support staff stipends.

A total of $1,332,863 was allocated by the state of Louisiana for Lincoln Parish for certificated stipends, while $404,271 was allocated for support stipends, totaling $1,737,134.

The plan that will be presented to the full school board for vote will be as follows:

• $2,000 stipend for full-time salaried certificated positions
• $1,000 stipend for full-time salaried support positions
• $1,600 stipend for part-time hourly certificated positions
• $800 stipend for part-time yourself certificated positions

Both part-time salaried and hourly certificated positions that work less than 20 hours per week will receive a prorated amount based on the percentage of full-time schedule worked.

This will include previously unfunded Pre-K positions. The general fund from the LSPB will contribute $174,037.67

The full school board will vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m.

By Kyle Roberts

The ol’ adage says “throw the record books out when these two teams play.”

That’s certainly the message Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh is preaching to his program and fans as the Bearcats (8-0, 3-0 District 2-5A) prepare to host the Ouachita Lions (2-6, 1-2 District 2-5A) tonight at “The Hoss” for senior night.

 

---

“If you look at the teams that they’ve played and how good those teams are, you have to put their season in perspective,” Baugh said. “Look at the quality of opponents they have played, and how close those games are. I mean, if you look at our schedule, a two or three games could have gone the other way and maybe we’re 5-3 or 4-4. We’d be looked at differently.”

One of the primary differences between Ruston and Ouachita this year has been Ruston’s overall ability to find ways to win, specifically holding a lead over Lafayette Christian at the end of a furious Knight rally, coming back to win after trailing 10-0 with seven minutes, and keeping Alexandria Senior High at bay when the Bearcats lost a three-touchdown lead.

Ouachita opening with a shocking win over Rummel 21-20 before losing four in a row. The Lions had an early lead over Neville before the Tigers came back to win in Week 2, while the Lions rallied after railing 28-7 at halftime to West Monroe before the Rebels won 31-21.

With Ruston junior linebacker Zheric Hill out following an altercation last week at West Ouachita, Ruston will be looking to junior Zander Hayes at linebacker, who excelled filling in for Jadon Mayfiled two weeks ago against Pineville, who was out with an illness.

“Hayes had a really good game,” Baugh said. “He’s really diligent about making sure he knows what’s going on whenever he’s in there; he started out primarily as a safety, and then we’ve transitioned him more inside, which was a good move for him. This would be another opportunity.

“Anytime somebody is injured or is not going to play in a ballgame, most people focus on what a negative that is. And, while we really want them out them, it’s a great opportunity to get a look at some other guys and seeing what they can do. It’s an opportunity to evaluate the kids in a live situation.”

The Lions will likely be relying on a heavy run-offense after experiencing injuries early in the season to key skill position players, particularly at quarterback.

“Anytime you have to deal with a young quarterback or a position change, you’re going to have to rely on your running game,” Baugh said. “The guys they have running the ball have a good handle on the offense and they’re operating things really efficiently.”

Ruston and Ouachita will kickoff tonight at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on BearcatNationNetwork.com and can be heard on Z107.5 FM.