For a team that is known for big blasts, Louisiana Tech used a swinging bunt from Adarius Myers with two outs in the top of the ninth to plate the game-winning run in a 4-3 road victory over Liberty Thursday night.
With the win, Tech (39-15, 16-6 CUSA) is now two wins away from securing the regular season conference title. It will have a chance to do it today as the Bulldogs play a doubleheader against the Flames (22-30, 11-11) starting at noon.
With the score tied at 3-3 and runners on the corners with two outs, Myers hit a chopper in front of the plate that Liberty wasn’t able to make a play on in time to get the speedy Tech left fielder, scoring Ethan Bates from third.
Bates then recorded his nation-leading 15th save of the season in the bottom of the ninth as the Bulldogs picked up a crucial CUSA win.
Tech enters today trailing Dallas Baptist by a half game after the Patriots swept a road doubleheader from Middle Tennessee Thursday. Those two teams will play the final game of the series today.
With the win, the Bulldogs also locked up no worse than the No. 2 seed in the upcoming CUSA Tournament which will be hosted by Tech May 22-26 at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Kasten Furr opened up the scoring Thursday with a solo home run down the left field line to give the Bulldogs the early 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Flames responded with a three-run bottom of the fourth inning against Tech starter Reed Smith to take the two-run lead.
However, Tech responded in the top of the sixth inning. Grant Comeaux drove home Michael Ballard with a ground out to first and then Myers scored the tying run on a throwing error by the Liberty first baseman.
Sam Brodersen came on in relief for Tech with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but was able to pitch his way out of the inning without surrendering a run. Brodersen (7-1) picked up the win in relief, working 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and three walks while striking out three.
Myers led Tech offensively with a three-hit performance.
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.
Friday, May 17 Noon: Out to Lunch concert series (Heard Freighthouse Food Truck Park)
Saturday, May 18 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
The Grambling State University baseball team showcased its offensive firepower, pounding 18 hits in a 19-4 rout of Southern in eight innings at Lee-Hines Field on Thursday afternoon.
GSU (21-25 overall, 18-8 SWAC) was relentless in the win, scoring runs in seven of the eight innings played.
Ashton Inman drove in five runs, going 2-for-5 with a home run. GSU’s leading hitter, Kyle Walker, was also hot at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, a double and a homer. Trey Burrell and Julian Murphy also came up big for Tigers with Burrell going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI, while Murphy was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI as well.
Mason Martinez (10-2) grabbed his SWAC-leading 10th win of the season after surrendering four runs on eight hits. He struck out two batters and walked three in 8.0 innings of work.
Due to inclement weather, game two of Grambling State’s series with Southern has been postponed. A makeup date is to be determined.
Louisiana Tech Ethan Bates and Cole McConnell were named Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalists, the Dick Howser Trophy Committee announced on Thursday.
The Dick Howser Trophy, presented by The Game Headwear, is given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager who died of brain cancer in 1987.
The trophy is regarded as baseball’s most prestigious award. Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character, and courage – all qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser’s life.
This year’s 68 candidates come from 18 different conferences and 48 different schools. The Southeastern Conference leads with 16 semifinalists with the Atlantic Coast having 13, Conference USA with six, Pac-12 with five, Big 12 and West Coast Conference with four apiece, Big West, Conference USA, Southern and Sun Belt with three, the American Athletic, Western Athletic, and Ohio Valley with two and the Atlantic-10, CAA, Southland, and SWAC with one.
Bates has 15 home runs with 14 saves this season. The Hot Springs, Arkansas native has 71 hits and 19 doubles with 69 RBI. He also has a 3.86 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 14 walks in 29 appearances on the mound this season. Bates was already named to the 2024 Golden Spikes Watchlist and the 2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
McConnell is batting .389 this season and has a slugging percentage of .729 with an on-base percentage of .469. The Beaumont, Texas native has 79 hits and 65 RBI with 17 home runs this season. McConnell had a stretch of 25 games where he reached on-base. In the game on March 23 against Jacksonville State, McConnell had three home runs.
The winner’s name is inscribed on the permanent trophy – a bronze bust of Howser displayed often at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg – home of the Tampa Bay Rays – an in various national locales. The winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep.
NCBWA voting membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport’s only college media-related organization, founded in 1962.
The ’24 award will be presented at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, the home of the College World Series, for the 12th year. The winner also will be unveiled on MLB Network on Thursday, June 13, in the 9 a.m. (CDT) highlight show hour. A Friday, June 14, news conference with the winner will be held at 10 a.m., the opening day just prior to the first game of the 77th NCAA College World Series, in the Schwab Stadium Media Room.
Courtesy of Louisiana Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech utility player Ethan Bates has been named a John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Semifinalist as announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Tuesday afternoon.
“Whether they’re seasoned upperclassmen or up-and-coming underclassmen, this year’s Olerud semifinalists are making a major impact both for their team and on the game itself,” said George Watson, chairman of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year selection committee. “With only a couple weeks left before the NCAA tournament begins, it will be interesting to see how many of these talented players will lead their team into the Field of 64.”
Ethan Bates is doing it all for the Bulldogs at the plate and on the mound. The Hot Springs, Arkansas native is batting .324 with 51 hits and 67 RBI this season. Bates has 19 doubles with 16 home runs and has a slugging percentage of .626.
On the mound, Bates has a 3.86 ERA and leads the team in saves with 14. Bates broke the LA Tech single-season saves record against Sam Houston on April 26. He also has 46 strikeouts and 14 walks in 37.1 innings pitched (29 appearances). In his two seasons, Ethan Bates has totaled 24 career saves that rank second All-time in Louisiana Tech history. Bates also had back-to-back ten saves and ten home runs seasons.
The award is named for former Washington State University standout John Olerud, who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year.
Of the ten semifinalists for the 2024 award, four of them are making a repeat appearance, having appeared as a 2023 semifinalist.
2024 JOHN OLERUD TWO-WAY PLAYER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS
NameClass.SchoolConference
Ethan Bates, Senior Louisiana Tech Conference USA
*Carson Benge, Junior Oklahoma State Big 12
*Jac Caglianone, Senior Florida SEC
Cameron Jones, Sophomore Georgia Tech ACC
Lyle Miller-Green, Senior Austin Peay Atlantic Sun
Justin Murray , Senior Houston Big 12
DJ Newman, Sophomore Bowling Green Mid-American
Erik Paulsen, Freshman Stony Brook Coastal Athletic
Louisiana Tech’s Will Allen was one of six student-athletes that received the Conference USA Winter Spirit of Service Award, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.
The award honors student-athletes with significant community service endeavors, good academic standing, and participation in their respective sport.
Allen saw action in 28 games this past season while making starts in the first two contests. He totaled 41 points while shooting 46.2 percent from the field as well as 65 rebounds, 35 of those being offensive which was the third most on the team.
He scored a season-high eight points to go along with eight boards in the home opener versus Lyon College. He also registered a season-high 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes of action off the bench at UTEP.
Allen, an Exercise and Health Promotion major, has been honored on the Dean’s List and AD Honor Roll and was a 2022 CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.
The redshirt sophomore also logged several hours of community services included projects with Dogs with a Cause, Hillcrest Carnival, Extra Yards for Teachers, Breakfast with Dogs at A.E. Phillips, and was involved in the Green Out Game with cross country.
The Spirit of Service Award is presented three times throughout the season with Tuesday’s hoor representing the winter sports (bowling, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field). Recipients are nominated by their institutions.
Funeral services celebrating the life of Mrs. Hilda Anne Taylor Perritt, 84, of Ruston, LA will be held at 2:30 P.M. Saturday, May 18, 2024, in First Baptist Church of Ruston with Dr. Chris Craig officiating. The family will receive visitors from 1:30 until the time of service. Interment will follow in the Cook Cemetery under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home. Hilda passed away peacefully at her life-long home on May 14, 2024, after a lengthy illness.
Hilda was born on September 22, 1939, in Ruston, LA to the parents of V.S. “Sport” and Mary Bess Hilton Taylor. She was raised in the Cooktown community where she was active in Cook Baptist Church. She graduated from Ruston High School in 1957 where she was very involved in student council, band, and sports teams. She went on to earn a B.A. and a M.A. in English and History Education from Louisiana Tech University. While at Tech she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, honor societies and student government associations.
Hilda began her career in education by teaching English at U of SW LA. After five years, she moved back to Lincoln Parish where she was a beloved teacher and colleague at Glenview Jr. High then later at Ruston High School. She was a highly skilled teacher who taught English, Louisiana History and Old Testament History, and was chosen in 1974 as Runner-Up. Outstanding Louisiana Teacher of the Year.
Hilda began her political career by serving on the Ruston City Council for eight years. She went on to become the first female Mayor of the City of Ruston from 1991-1998, a role that she was grateful to have been elected to and one that she cherished. Hilda accomplished many things while mayor, but was especially proud of Ruston winning the Cleanest City in Louisiana Award for multiple years as well as the Louisiana Municipal Association Award for multiple years.
As written in the cover of her Bible, Hilda “loves God, her family, Ruston and its people.” She lived her life by those values and had a way of making others feel special and loved.
Hilda was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 38 years, Harold Ross Perritt; and her parents, V.S. “Sport” Taylor and Mary Bess Alexander.
Survivors include her brother, James Ronald Taylor and wife Brenda of Ruston: niece, Heather Ross and husband Dustin: cousins Jean Grable Lee, Tommy Hilton, and Mary Frances Fish. Also surviving are special cousins Jay Grable and Jan Grable Mercer.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the American Cancer Society.
ReNalda T. Harland Osborne Thursday 10/24/1985 — Sunday 05/12/2024 Family Gathering: Friday 05/24/2024 2:00pm Visitation: Friday 05/24/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 05/25/2024 12:00pm, Zion Traveler Baptist Church, 1201 Martin Luther King Drive, Ruston Interment: Saturday 05/25/2024 Following Service, Mt Mariah Cemetry, Chatham
Janie Tatum Lloyd Saturday 12/01/1917 — Saturday 05/04/2024 Visitation: Friday 05/17/2024 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 05/18/2024 10:00am, Mt. Mariah Missionary Baptist Church, Mt. Mariah Church Road, Chatham Interment: Saturday 05/18/2024 Following Service, Mt Mariah Cemetery, Chatham
Franklin D. Mack Friday 06/28/1935 — Sunday 05/12/2024 Family Gathering: Friday 05/17/2024 2:00pm to 3:00pm Visitation: Friday 05/17/2024 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Wake: Friday 05/17/2024 5:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 05/18/2024 1:00pm, St. Rest Missionary Baptist Church, 813 St. Rest Road, Quitman Interment: Friday 05/17/2024 Following Service, Mt. Zion Cemetery, Quitman
Harold Joseph Berry Sr. March 7, 1931 – May 9, 2024 Visitation: First Baptist Church, Ruston, Friday, May 17, 2024, 10:00 am – 11:00 am Service: First Baptist Church, Ruston, Friday, May 17, 2024, 11:00 am Cemetery: Kilpatrick’s Memorial Garden, Friday, May 17, 2024
In a 9-0 vote in Tuesday night’s special called session, Lincoln Parish School Board members passed a resolution to affirm the state’s pursuing of the April lawsuit “State of Louisiana, et al v. U.S. Department of Education, et al” in regards to updates to Title IX protections.
The updated federal protections include new rules primarily around student gender identification, which raises questions around bathroom usage and athletes competing in sports that are counter to the gender they were assigned at birth.
“Several districts in our area have passed a resolution of support for the lawsuit and simply saying that we are standing up girls and for female athletics and that we don’t want transgender athletes competing and transgender students using locker rooms and restrooms (that are not for the genders they were assigned at birth),” LPSB president Gregg Phillips said.
“At the same time, we do want to make a specific note that Lincoln Parish schools are committed to protecting all students from harm or discrimination, and that the parish will continue to investigate any allegations that a student has been harmed, harassed or the victim of discrimination. This board will seek to protect all children from harm, even if there were no laws.”
Assistant LPSB superintendent John Young echoed Phillips in regards to creating safe environments for all students.
“We are going to do our best to protect students in terms of harm and from discrimination,” Young said.
Absent were Dr. Danielle Williams of District 1, David Ferguson of District 2 and Lynda Henderson of District 9.
The entire resolution text is included below:
BE IT FOREVER KNOWN, that by official action taken at its meeting of May 14, 2024, the Lincoln Parish School Board (sometimes referred to as the “Board”) adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education has issued a final rule, titled “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance” (“Final Rule”), which it will publish in the federal register;
WHEREAS, the Final Rule dramatically changes Title IX regulations and acknowledges it will increase complaint investigations;
WHEREAS, the Final Rule will disadvantage the Board by increasing its obligations, compliance costs, and liability risks;
WHEREAS, the Board believes the Final Rule is contrary to federal law and will be detrimental to students, parents, and employees;
WHEREAS, the Board believes the Final Rule, is directly contrary to existing state law, as well as laws currently being considered by the Louisiana Legislature; and
WHEREAS, the State of Louisiana and school districts within the State have challenged the legality of the Final Rule in that matter styled, “State of Louisiana, et al v. U.S. Department of Education, et al” bearing Case No. 3:24-CV-00563 on the records of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by the vote reflected hereinbelow, the Lincoln Parish School Board does hereby express its Support of the State and the various districts who have joined the State as parties in the forgoing litigation against the United States Department of Education and other federal defendants to challenge the Final Rule.
Retired engineer and lawyer Frank Bright, 81, who in April ran his 21st Boston Marathon, will slow down long enough to serve as keynote speaker for Louisiana Tech University’s pair of 2024 spring commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 25, in the Thomas Assembly Center on the Tech campus.
A Tech Class of 1965 graduate in chemical engineering and four-year letterman in both track and cross country, Bright will address the College of Applied and Natural Sciences, the College of Business, and the College of Education and Human Sciences at their commencement at 9:30 a.m. and the College of Engineering and Science and the College of Liberal Arts at their 2:30 p.m. ceremony.
Bright followed up his most recent marathon in April with a hike in May to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, down and back in one day. He has already signed up to run the Manitoba Marathon in June, a qualifying race for next year’s Boston Marathon.
His wife of more than 50 years, Suzzanne, is by her own admission “short” and can get lost in the crowd during marathons. But nothing stops the Brights; she lets her husband know she’s cheering him on by waving high in the air a collapsible pointer stick with pink survey tape on its end.
His running is “a blessing,” Bright said, that Suzzanne, their two sons, their wives, and the grandkids celebrate with him, as they did when he turned 80 and ran the Boston Marathon with the whole family on the sidelines.
After graduating from Tech and earning his Master of Science in chemical engineering from LSU, he spent nearly four years working in the field for Dow Chemical in Baton Rouge. He then turned to law, graduated from LSU with his Juris Doctor in 1974, and practiced in his hometown of Shreveport in a small law partnership before retiring at age 64 in 2007.
No stranger to accepting a challenge, Bright was a student manager for three sports in high school until the track coach noticed he was never tired after running with the teams he was keeping scores for. The track coach wanted him, and the baseball coach agreed to let Bright run—if he won. Lose a race, back to being a manager.
Bright did even better than that. He won a track state championship as a high school senior, and then he earned a track scholarship to Tech.
The late Clem Henderson, father of Tech President Jim Henderson and a coach at Fair Park when Bright was a student there, played a big part in jumpstarting Bright’s running career. The beloved multi-sport athlete and coach also taught the young runner a little about the lessons adversity can teach, something Bright is considering passing along to Tech’s spring graduates.
“Life’s not fair, and if you go through life not realizing that, you’re in for an awful lot of disappointments,” Bright said. “But joy comes in overcoming adversity.”
In addition to the two commencement ceremonies, Louisiana Tech is also hosting the Conference USA Baseball Championship. The latest parking and logistical information for campus visitors is available at latech.edu/graduation.
Panels are being installed on the new video scoreboard in the north endzone of Joe Aillet Stadium.
by Malcolm Butler
The second phase of a multi-million dollar, privately funded project in the north endzone of Joe Aillet Stadium is set to be complete by middle of the summer.
As temperatures around north Louisiana rise, so do the panels on the 90-foot wide by 36-foot tall video scoreboard that is set to be operational by Louisiana Tech’s home opener on August 31 against Nicholls State.
The scoreboard is part of a multi-phase overhaul of the north endzone that started last fall with the addition of the Sarah and A.L. Williams Champions Plaza, an area that houses six statues featuring some of the University’s all-time great student-athletes.
The third phase will be the construction of the two-story student success center over the course of the next few years.
The new video scoreboard includes a new state-of-the-art point source sound system which will deliver full range sound reproduction that entails a powerful and complete audio experience with high quality bass and treble.
“We will be done with the construction by middle of July,” said Tech Deputy AD Gerald Jordan. “It will be instrumental in changing our game day experience. When the old audio system was put in there was no Davison Athletics Complex and there was no new press box so we had sound bouncing all over the place. The new sound system will take into account the current makeup of Joe Aillet Stadium and will provide a much better quality sound system.”
Jordan also said the ability to provide more in-game content on the video boards.
“The fan engagement component will see a tremendous upgrade with the new video boards,” said Jordan. “Due to the sheer size of the board, we will be able to provide more stats, and scores, and corporate sponsor elements. There is just more surface area to utilize for these types of elements.”
The price tag on the video board and sound system and infrastructure for the project (including removal of old video board and excavation of the site) is $7 million and is completely funded through philanthropic giving.
Jordan said a definitive timeline on start of construction on academic success center is still pending, but he anticipates further movement in the first quarter of 2025.
A Ruston man stopped for illegally tinted windows in Ruston last Thursday has been charged with numerous drug-related felonies.
A member of the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team arrested Jeremy Patton, 26, after stopping him for excessively tinted windows Thursday afternoon.
The LPNET officer was on proactive patrol when he was a Chevrolet Cavalier with the illegal tint. Once the vehicle was stopped, the officer saw a tray commonly used to roll marijuana.
A search of the vehicle located another tray and a small amount of marijuana, and a backpack containing two plastic bags of raw marijuana and a Glock 19 9mm pistol.
Patton was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where he was booked for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegal carrying of a weapon during a drug felony, violation of the Controlled Substances Law—Drug Free Zone, and illegal window tint.
Patton’s bail was set at $30,000.
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.
Simsboro seventh- and eighth-graders recently became part of that scientific process by focusing on chemistry during a Middle Grades in the Mix program on the Louisiana Tech University campus.
By T. Scott Boatright
Learning occurs when biological chemicals activate brain synapses to help create and stimulate the thought process.
Neurons release brain chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, which generate these electrical signals in neighboring neurons. The electrical signals propagate like a wave to thousands of neurons, which leads to thought formation.
A group of Simsboro seventh- and eighth-graders recently became part of that scientific process by focusing on chemistry during a Middle Grades in the Mix program on the Louisiana Tech University campus.
Dr. Kristie Ruddick with the Louisiana Tech Department of Chemistry was part of the team facilitating the day, leading lab safety sessions, facilitated chemistry lab experiments and introduced the students to information about careers in chemistry.
The program is part of an EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) grant that was successfully funded through a partnership with Ruddick, Tech professor Dr. Bill Deese, and the SCILS Region 8 LaSTEM Center.
Simsboro middle school science teacher Sara Smith led a group of her students that joined students from Bienville Parish and Jonesboro-Hodge to go through lab safety sessions, facilitated chemistry lab experiments and introduced the students to information about careers in chemistry.
“One of the things they did was the students were given a bunch of clear liquids they were given the formulas for,” Smith said. “And the students had to run some tests on them to see how they reacted. So the students used pH paper to check the pH of each, and then the student had to systematically combine each one with all of the other liquids to see what kind of reactions they would get.
“The instructors wanted the students to look for if the mixing would cause the mixes to precipitate, or produce a gas or see if anything would happen at all. The students had to record all of their observations, and when they were finished with that, the students were given an unknown clear liquid and based on their observations when they mixed the unknowns with all of the knowns and figure out which chemical it was.”
Smith said the annual programs at Tech change up to keep fresh ideas being presented to the students.
“One year they had another program — I think it was the first year we went — where the students didn’t go to the chemistry lab, the students got to go to a virtual anatomy lab and play on the lab tables,” Smith said.
“And then they had a combination of a science and arts program where students helped create images for science textbooks and professional science journals and things like that. That was something that I had never thought or heard of and I think it was really cool that the younger students learned that was just another potential job involving science in a way that most people wouldn’t think of.”
Smith said giving the middle school students a sort of “hands-on look” at the college experience is an important part of the program.
“Just being on campus and seeing some of the things happening there really gets the kid’s minds going on what kind of things they could have ahead of them in the future,” Smith said.
“The kids got to do some hands-on work and learned about what Tech’s Department of Chemistry has to offer. The students were presented with the types of jobs studying chemistry could bring them should they choose to go in that direction, and learned the basics and importance of safety in the laboratory.”
A Ruston man was arrested Monday after police investigated a domestic disturbance.
Davarian J. Jones, 35, was arrested after Ruston Police investigated a complaint he had battered two family members.
According to an officer’s report, a vehicle was seen leaving the area of the call as they responded to the scene. When the vehicle was stopped, the driver was asked to step out and talk to officers. Instead he walked away from the vehicle and onto the driveway of the residence where the incident took place.
Commands were given to the man to stop and turn around and talk to officers. He turned around and as an officer was reading his Miranda rights, he turned and walked away again. He was then taken into custody.
A woman and her juvenile daughter at the residence said the detained man, Davarian Jones, was her relative. According to the woman, Jones had become upset over some details about his cell phone. She said she attempted to calm Jones down, but he took his phone and shoved it into her face, pushing her backward and causing her to lose her balance.
The woman told police her daughter stepped in to stop Jones and he then shoved the daughter also. Officers saw the woman had received a small laceration on her right cheek from the cell phone.
Jones was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for two counts of domestic abuse battery and resisting an officer. Additional charges of misdemeanor probation violation and a hold for the Louisiana Department of Corrections—Probation & Parole were later added.
Bail on the resisting charge and misdemeanor probation violation was set at $2,500 but the bail amount on the battery charges was not available.
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.
Max Brister (center) signs his national letter of intent with Howard College while his parents Dustin and Allison look on Wednesday.
By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek senior Max Brister is getting a chance to play at the next level.
On Wednesday with family and friends in attendance, Brister signed a scholarship to play at Howard College, a Division I junior college located in Texas.
“All of the other coaches and programs I have been talking to have been Division II junior colleges,” said Brister. “This opportunity was one that I couldn’t pass up. Ian Millman really helped me out. He made the call to (Howard). So here I am. They gave me the shot, and I’m taking it. I know it will be a long road. I wasn’t planning on going this far away (8 hours), but I couldn’t pass it up.”
Howard College will lose 15 players from this year’s team, a squad that just earned a regional berth after a regular season that saw them post a 32-19 record, including a 19-5 mark in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
Brister said he was going to visit the Howard campus on May 27.
“I have taken a lot of virtual tours,” said Brister. “I have seen the facilities. They are extremely nice; definitely one of the best in the state. They have a great program. I love their coaches. I have talked to them a long time. I am excited to be there, and they are excited to have me.”
Cedar Creek head coach Chad Yates said he was pleased with Brister’s attitude and focus during the Cougars season.
“Max was one of our guys who bought in from the first time we stepped on campus,” said Yates. “He had a mission, and I don’t know that it was to play at the next level. He just wanted to be the best high school player he could be. He wanted to have the best season he could have. As the season kept moving forward and the competition we were playing, it got him excited about the idea of playing at the next level.”
Brister served as a two-way player for the Cougars during his senior season, but he said he would be focusing on pitching on the next level.
He posted a 5-5 record with a 2.51 earned run average this season, striking out 40 batters in 58.1 innings of work. He allowed 52 hits and walked 12 in his 15 appearances on the mound.
“The coach said if I want to be the closer, that spot is there for me to earn,” said Brister. “I wanted to go somewhere that is going to be competitive and where I am going to get pushed every single day. I feel like that is definitely the place for me.”
He was an integral part of helping Cedar Creek earn its first playoff berth in baseball since 2019 as the Cougars advanced to the second round of the Select School Division IV playoffs. Brister served as one of the program’s top arms while also providing production at the plate.
“He is a heckuva competitor,” said Yates. “He wanted the baseball. He took it and he was locked in. That was something that we could trust and count on. We knew he was going to take the ball and take the mound for us. We are excited for him. We know that he will go there and will compete and give it everything that he has. Hopefully, he will be successful there.”
Brister, who said he plans to continue training with Ian Millman and work out with the Cougars coaches this summer, said he would major in business.
I recently read the story of the carrot, the egg, and the coffee bean. If you haven’t read the story before, it’s just the account of placing each in a pot of boiling water.
The carrot goes into the water hard but softens over time. The analogy here is that an individual can be strong, confident, and firm in their convictions and values. However, when adversity hits, uncertainty enters the picture, and the challenges of life become tough, the individual weakens under the pressure. The adversity of life makes the person weaker in their approach to life, their beliefs, and their impact. They “soften” like a carrot.
The egg goes into the water soft and fragile but turns hard over time. The analogy here is that an individual lacking internal strength, healthy self-esteem, or self-confidence, can be hardened amid adversity. The hardening is closing off to the world, decreasing trust, and becoming further removed from interaction with others. They become defensive, protective, and hardened to life like a hard-boiled egg.
The coffee bean, however, changes the water as the heat is turned up. In fact, the water is turned into something considered more desirable through the aroma and taste. When exposed to adversity, this individual elevates the condition and positively impacts everyone in contact. Adversity leads to a better outcome. The impact of the heat leads to extraordinary results.
Life is full of adversity. It’s unavoidable. Where there is birth, there will be death. Where there is health and healing, there will also be sickness. Where there is growth in relationships, there will also be disappointments. There will be wins and losses. There will be times of clarity and times of uncertainty. There will be success and failure. There will be abundance and want. Life can and will be hard at times!
Adversity can come out of nowhere or we can see it coming. It can be momentary or can last for long periods of time. Adversity can be extremely painful or just a nagging issue that just doesn’t go away. Adversity reminds us that we don’t have all the answers, aren’t above the trials of life, and ultimately directs us toward humility.
The question is not whether we will face adversity or even worry about when tough times will come, but rather how we will respond. How becomes the primary question as opposed to why. How will you respond? How will you impact others around you in the face of adversity? How will you view the challenge?
Consider this: If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you!
Will you be a coffee bean?
Next week, I will continue to look at “being a coffee bean” with some ideas on how to approach life with that perspective.
In the scientific journal Nature on May 16, 1985, three scientists from the British Antarctic Survey announce their detection of abnormally low levels of ozone over the South Pole. Their discovery, commonly known as the Ozone Hole, became a palpable example of mankind’s ability to damage the Earth’s atmosphere as well as one of the most famous success stories in the history of climate activism.
The ozone layer is a region of the Earth’s stratosphere containing high levels of trioxygen, which effectively blocks much of the sun’s most harmful ultraviolet radiation from reaching the planet’s surface. Since the 1970’s, scientists had pushed for the regulation of chlorofluorocarbons, chemicals found in everyday items like air conditioners and aerosol sprays, due to their adverse effects on this layer. The Environmental Protection Agency banned the production of CFCs in 1978. It was the Nature paper by Joe Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin, however, which specifically revealed annual depletion of ozone in a spot above the Antarctic.
The international community was uncharacteristically quick to act, perhaps because the seemingly sudden appearance of a “hole” in the atmosphere made for such a compelling and easily understandable story. Within two years, in direct response to the Nature article and corroborating studies, 46 nations signed the Montreal Protocol, pledging to phase out substances known to cause ozone depletion.
All 197 members of the United Nations would eventually ratify the treaty, and as a result scientists now predict that the ozone layer will return to its pre-1980 levels before the end of the 21st century. The relative speed and unanimous adoption of the treaty around the world led former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to call the Montreal Protocol “perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date.”
People with humble beginnings can achieve great things. Henry Louis was born on February 5, 1934. Henry became interested in baseball when he was a child. His family was too poor to afford a baseball bat or even a baseball. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Hank practiced his batting by hitting bottle caps with broomsticks. He used anything he could find to use as bats and balls. With his makeshift gear, he could hit harder and farther than any of the other kids.
In 1949, 15-year-old Henry got his first tryout with a major league baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Henry’s boyhood idol was the legendary Jackie Robinson, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Everything seemed to be falling into place, but Henry was devastated when he was not selected to join the team. In the same year, Henry joined the Prichard Athletics, an independent Negro league team. While with the Athletics, Henry earned $2 per game. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $24 in today’s money. Next, he played for the Mobile Black Bears, and earned $3 per game.
On November 20, 1951, a baseball scout who had been watching Henry, signed him to a contract with the Indianapolis Clowns where he earned $200 per month. Now, that’s about $2,350 in today’s money. Not too bad. Remember, these teams were in the Negro league, and it was the early 1950s. Racism was rampant. Henry remembered back to a time when he and the other Indianapolis Clowns visited Washington, D.C. for a game:
“We had breakfast while we were waiting for the rain to stop, and I can still envision sitting with the Clowns in a restaurant behind Griffith Stadium and hearing them break all the plates in the kitchen after we finished eating. What a horrible sound. Even as a kid, the irony of it hit me: here we were in the capital in the land of freedom and equality, and they had to destroy the plates that had touched the forks that had been in the mouths of black men. If dogs had eaten off those plates, they’d have washed them.”
The constant racism he had to endure coupled with being homesick, Henry contemplated giving up baseball altogether. His brother, Herbert Jr. convinced Henry to keep working toward his dream. With a pep talk from his brother, Henry worked harder than ever. Word of Henry’s talent spread while he was with the Clowns. After just three months with the Clowns, Henry received two telegrams with offers to join two Major League Baseball teams, the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. Henry later recalled:
“I had the Giants’ contract in my hand. But the Braves offered fifty dollars a month more. That’s the only thing that kept Willie Mays and me from being teammates – fifty dollars.”
Fifty dollars a month may not sound like much, but that would be nearly $600 a month extra in today’s money. Henry decided on the Braves, but remember that he was still under contract to the Clowns. The Braves purchased Henry’s contract for $10,000, just over $117,000 in today’s money. On June 12, 1952, Henry officially joined the Braves. Henry quickly earned a nickname, but that nickname had nothing to do with his powerful hitting. His teammates called him “pork chops.” Henry explained, “it was the only thing I knew to order off the menu.” One of his teammates said, “the man ate pork chops three meals a day, two for breakfast.” Opposing pitchers often called him “Bad Henry.”
Henry prospered with the Braves. By the end of his first season with the Braves, the league unanimously named him Rookie of the Year. In the following year, 1953, the Braves won the league championship. Henry led the league in runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases, and batting average. Henry won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. Still, there was racism aimed at Henry. One sportswriter said “Henry… led the league in everything except hotel accommodations.” While traveling in the South, Henry was segregated from his teammates due to Jim Crow laws. While his white teammates had hotel accommodations made for them, Henry had to arrange his own hotel accommodations.
Throughout his career, Henry earned many accolades, too many to list. In 1973, something big was happening. Henry, then playing for the Atlanta Braves, was closing in on Babe Ruth’s career home run record of 714. During the summer of 1973, Henry received so many letters each week, usually in the thousands, that the Braves hired a secretary to help Henry. Not all of the mail Henry received was positive. Henry received a lot of hate mail and death threats. How dare he even attempt to break Babe Ruth’s record. Due to the high number of death threats, policemen worked in shifts to protect Henry. On September 29, 1973, Henry hit his 713th career home run in a game against the Houston Astros. He had just one more home run to tie Babe Ruth’s record. Two more home runs to beat Babe Ruth’s record. But Henry failed to hit another home run in that game. The season ended the following day.
Henry feared that he would not live to see the 1974 baseball season. During the offseason, his amount of mail, including hate mail, increased. He received so much mail that at the end of 1973, the U.S. Postal Service sent him a plaque for receiving more mail than any other person, with the exception of politicians. He received approximately 930,000 letters that year. The number of death threats increased exponentially. Lewis Grizzard, executive sports editor of The Atlanta Journal, who had been preparing coverage on the home run record, secretly had one of his sportswriters write an obituary for Henry because he was afraid that Henry would be murdered before he had a chance to break Babe Ruth’s record.
Henry did live to play in the 1974 season, but there was a problem. Braves managers wanted Henry to beat Babe Ruth’s record while in Atlanta, but their first three games were away games. The managers were going to have Henry sit out of the first three games, but the baseball commissioner insisted that Henry play in at least two of the three games. On April 4, 1974, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Henry made a home run and tied Babe Ruth’s record. The managers certainly wanted to win the game, but they did not want Henry to make another home run before returning home to Atlanta. Henry did not hit another home run in an away game.
Four days later, April 8, 1974, the Braves played against the LA Dodgers in Atlanta. It was a home game. A record-breaking 53,775 people attended the game. In the fourth inning, Al Downing of the Dodgers pitched the ball. Henry swung. The ball flew over left-center field and into the Braves’ bullpen. Cannons fired in celebration. Henry had broken Babe Ruth’s record. As Henry rounded the bases, he saw his mother proudly waiting for him at home plate to give him a congratulatory hug.
Henry Louis is one of the most revered players in baseball history. And it all started with broomsticks and bottle caps. Even if you are not a baseball fan, you will have heard his name. Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron.
Sam Burns was among the leaders last week in his return to the PGA Tour and will try to contend this weekend at the PGA Championship. (File photo)
JOURNAL SPORTS
While home in Choudrant for the birth of his first child April 22, once things settled down Sam Burns got to polish his game, and returned to the PGA Tour very competitively last week.
Burns flirted with a top 10 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship last week in Charlotte, winding up 13th at 2-under after climbing as high as fifth on the leaderboard. Today, he tees off at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville in his fifth PGA Championship.
The Shreveport native and Calvary Baptist graduate will start at 1:35 CDT alongside 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed and three-time majors winner Padraig Harrington, the 2008 PGA champ.
In 2022, Burns finished 20th at the PGA Championship won by Justin Thomas at Southern Hills in Tulsa for the former LSU star’s best performance in a major to date.
He hopes to become the third Shreveporter to win the PGA crown. Hal Sutton won the 1983 PGA in Los Angeles, and David Toms was the 2001 winner in Atlanta.
The 2023 USA Ryder Cupper stands 27th in the Official World Golf Rankings and is 34th in the FedEx Cup standings this season.
Burns has been up and down in 2024, with a torrid start followed by five less successful outings before his son, Bear, was delivered by wife Caroline, also a Shreveport native. After a restless first week with the baby, Burns said he was able to get clubs in hand for several days and the polish was apparent last week.
He had four top 10 finishes by the end of February at the American Express in La Quinta, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, WM Phoenix Open, and Genesis Invitational. He shot a closing 78 and dipped to a 30th place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, then followed a third-round 65 at The Players with a 76 and tied for 45th.
As the two-time defending champ at the Valspar, he missed the cut and also didn’t reach the weekend three weeks later at The Masters. The following week, he was 44th at the RBC Heritage, then headed home to begin parenthood.
He has played 11 events and made nine cuts in 2024 while racking up S2.5 million in earnings this season, pushing him over the $24 million mark since he turned pro seven years ago.
Burns is also 27th in total strokes gained on tour with an average of 0.729 and 31st in putting strokes gained with an average of 0.398. Burns is scoring well this year as he is currently 22nd on tour in scoring average with an impressive tally of 69.59. Another notable statistic is his birdie average of 4.59 per round which is ranked fourth on tour.
Burns’ last time in the winner’s circle was in 2023 at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event where he rolled over Cameron Young after dispatching Rory McIlroy in the semifinals.
Lincoln Prep’s D’Tavion Wright is pictured during an 80-yard scoring scamper against Delhi early on during Wednesday’s screen scrimmage. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
As the Lincoln Prep football team played host to a three-way scrimmage Wednesday evening joined by Delhi and Jonesboro-Hodge, Panthers coach Glen Hall had only one goal in mind — to see a team improving from last season’’s 2-7 finish.
And while he says his team has a long way to go and much more to do to prepare for the 2024 season, Hall felt the scrimmage was a mission accomplished for his Panthers.
“I liked what I saw,” Hall said. “We still have a very young team, so it’s good that most of them got some experience last year. My lines are averaging being 10th graders. But they came off the ball strong out there today.
“They looked better than they were last year. They weren’t focused on every play like we need them to be, but that’s because of that youth. They just need to learn that they have to play hard every play, every game, if they want to accomplish their goals.”
Lincoln Prep used multiple players at quarterback last season with 2024-25 senior Jordan Brown getting most of the starts.
Brown made some solid plays in the scrimmage, including a 49-yard quick hit pass to Cenario Wilson, who raced 49 yards untouched for a score.
“He’s improved, but he has to keep improving if he wants to be my quarterback,” Hall said of Brown. “I like guys who know they have to keep improving and not be satisfied by just doing OK. I think the improved line helped him and I hope they all keep improving. My line did a good job blocking for him.”
“Our center, Ryan Randolph — he’s a man. “He’s a grown man and has that kind of attitude. He’s been to a couple of camps and has been staying in the weight room. It’s just exciting with these new facilities going up around the field putting in the effort to get out here and do something. I need all of my players to have that kind of attitude.”
Lincoln Prep’s second touchdown in the scrimmage came when D’Tavion Wright broke loose and raced 80 yards down the sideline for a score.
Wright had the biggest offensive performance on the day for the Panthers, but Jaydon Huntley and fullback Verlanski Glosson also turned in a solid day.
“We’ve got a two-headed monster at running back with Wright and Huntley,” Hall said. “Glosson gives us good work at fullback and can also give the other two some relief at running back and let them get a blow.
“But I tell you, D’Tavion Wright, he’s been working hard and developing and is going to be my senior leader this year. I told him that this is his team. Whatever happens, it’s his team.”
Lincoln Prep’s defense looked solid through most of the scrimmage despite giving up a 16-yard touchdown pass to Delhi early on, even picking off a pair of passes later in the workouts.
Jonesboro-Hodge moved down to the Lincoln Prep 19-yardline before the scrimmage ended, but Hall wasn’t concerned about that.
“It was late in the scrimmage and we were making some changes and putting different guys in,” Hall said. “We wanted to give everyone a chance to get in there and play. We gave up a couple of big plays, but we did some good things on defense, too. We didn’t give up the real big one like we did so many times last year.
“We need to find some young guys to give our starting defensive line a break sometimes, because those starters are going both ways. And that’s some of what you saw late in the scrimmage.”
But all in all, Hall felt it was a good scrimmage for his Panthers, who will begin offseason conditioning work on June 3.
“The thing I really like is that we were out there playing Lincoln Prep football,” Hall said. “We’ve got to run the ball, tackle, and throw play action passes. If you noticed, that’s all we were doing. But that’s how we want to play. That’s Lincoln Prep football and that will never change.”
A total of 66 Louisiana Tech student-athletes received the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for the 2023-24 academic year, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
The 66 Bulldogs and Lady Techsters tied for the second-highest total ever. For a third straight year, 20 percent of all LA Tech student-athletes received this academic achievement that is given to those who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or better (based on GPA in fall quarter only).
Since joining CUSA over a decade ago, LA Tech has had over 600 honorees become academic medalists.
Louisiana Tech also placed 226 of its student-athletes on the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
It marked the third straight year of having 200+ Bulldogs and Lady Techsters receiving this honor, which is given to those who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better for the 2023-24 academic year (based on GPA in fall quarter only).
LA Tech set a new record in percentage of all student-athletes earning this distinction as 64.85 percent were named to the CUSA Honor Roll (the previous record-high 61.8 percent occurred last year).
Since joining CUSA a decade ago, LA Tech has had over 1,950 honorees for this academic achievement. For this season, five programs – golf, men’s track and field, softball, women’s basketball, and tennis – set a new record high with Honor Roll recipients.
The following is a complete list of the LA Tech award winners for the Commissioner’s Honor Roll, listed by sport:
BASEBALL (5) Baylor Cobb, Grant Comeaux, Harrison Hooks, Slade Netterville, Ryan Porche.
FOOTBALL (10) Hank Bachmeier, Abraham Delfin, Dedric Latulas, Gabe Pugh, Patrick Rea, Ryan Rivera, Judd Rouyea, Charles Thorson, Jack Turner, Zach Zimos
SOCCER (10) Alma Cedefors, Emma Duguay, Madita Ehrig, Laerke Holst, Kalli Matlock, Laura Ogbando, Jordan Porter, Lena Raedler, Carmen Suarez-Gonzalez, Kyra Taylor
Louisiana Tech’s Niilo Maki-Petaja racked up on postseason awards Wednesday, highlighted by being named as the Conference USA Freshman of the Year.
Maki-Petaja, who is currently competing at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional as an individual, became the third Bulldog in program history to earn conference Freshman of the Year honors. He was named First Team All-CUSA and a member of the CUSA All-Freshman Team.
He capped off his freshman campaign by tying for 27th at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional which concluded on Wednesday, hosted by LSU at the University Club.
Maki-Petaja shot 76 (+4) in his third and final round, finishing with a scorecard of 71-73-76=220 (+4). It was a day that had just two birdies to go along with four bogeys.
The native of Finland has had one of the best seasons in school history and done so in his first year of collegiate golf. Going into the regional, he competed in 11 events with a 72.15 stroke average (70.8 adjusted) and 19 rounds at or under par (third most in program history).
Maki-Petaja started his collegiate career off at the home event, the Argent Financial Classic, where he shot 70-71-75=216 (E) to tie for 23rd. All he did in his second event was shoot a season-low 64 in round one of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate, setting the freshman record.
The freshman, who is currently ranked No. 209 in the country, really found his groove in the spring portion of the schedule, registering five of his six top-20 finishes after Christmas. And of those top-20 finishes, four of those were in the top five.
The spring started with a tie for fourth at the Sea Best Invitational, shooting 70-69-70=209 (-1). He also tied for fourth at the Louisiana Classics in Lafayette, carding 72-68-70-210 (-6).
Maki-Petaja later broke through for his first collegiate win at the Aggie Invitational, shooting 70-74-73=217 (+1), and then finished third at the Conference USA Championship.
2024 Men’s Golf Conference USA awards First Team Joshua Ryan, Liberty Owen Stamper, Middle Tennessee Erik Jansson, Jacksonville State Niilo Maki-Petaja, Louisiana Tech Bret Gray, Sam Houston Luke Fuller, WKU
Second Team Dylan Teeter, UTEP Michael Barnard, Middle Tennessee Hugo Trommetter, Sam Houston Josh German, Sam Houston Ting-Wei Hsieh, Sam Houston
Third Team Markus Varjun, Middle Tennessee Greg Holmes, UTEP Javier Delgadillo, New Mexico State Isaac Simmons, Liberty Kevin Jegers, Middle Tennessee
All-Freshman Team Niilo Maki-Petaja, Louisiana Tech Hugo Trommetter, Sam Houston Sheldon McKnight, Middle Tennessee Patrick Foley, UTEP Camden Braidech, Liberty
Player of the Year Joshua Ryan, Liberty
Freshman of the Year Niilo Maki-Petaja, Louisiana Tech
