Prairie View A&M controlled the ground game and capitalized on timely turnovers to hand Grambling State a 28-13 defeat in the State Fair Classic on Saturday night at the Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Grambling (3-2 overall, 0-1 SWAC) hung close through three quarters but was unable to overcome Prairie View’s 224 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The Panthers (3-2, 2-0 SWAC) struck first midway through the opening quarter as quarterback Tevin Carter capped an 8-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing score. The Tigers responded with a 10-play, 61-yard march that ended in a 27-yard field goal from Theodore Caballero.
Prairie View extended its lead to 14-3 in the second quarter behind an 8-yard touchdown run from Cameron Bonner. Grambling answered just before halftime when Caballero drilled his second field goal of the night, this one from 25 yards, to cut the deficit to 14-6.
The Panthers seized control in the third quarter, turning a Grambling miscue into points. After a Tiger turnover deep in their own territory, Lamagea McDowell punched in a 1-yard score to make it 21-6.
Grambling mounted a response early in the fourth. Quarterback C’zavian Teasett engineered a 13-play, 67-yard drive, capping it with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Keith Jones Jr. to bring the Tigers within 21-13.
Prairie View iced the game with 2:09 remaining when Chase Bingmon broke free for a 15-yard touchdown run, closing out a 6-play, 80-yard drive that sealed the 28-13 victory.
Grambling State returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 11, when the Tigers host Texas Southern for Homecoming at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m on SWAC TV.
Alonzo Jackson (23) celebrates following his interception return for a TD in the fourth quarter. (Photo by Josh McDaniel)
JOURNAL SPORTS
On a night where the Louisiana Tech offense committed four turnovers, the Bulldogs defense did one better.
Tech’s defensive unit continued its stellar play, recording five interceptions and returning two of them for TDs in the second half to lift the Bulldogs to a 30-11 win over UTEP at The Sun Bowl Saturday night.
“Great team win,” said Tech HC Sonny Cumbie. “The first road trip where you take a plane, the guys were locked in. I think they had a great maturity about how they handled the trip.
“Defensively, I continue to be amazed by our guys. Coach Olson and that staff do a great job preparing. They are playing fast. Excited to be 4-1 and 2-0 in conference. There are not going to be any easy games in this conference.”
With the victory, Tech (4-1, 2-0 CUSA) won for the their weekend in a row. It’s just the third time in its last 21 road games dating back to the start of the 2022 season that the Bulldogs have won away from Ruston.
UTEP entered the game ranked among the nation’s top teams in explosive pass plays, but outside of a meaningless 35-yard TD pass with 3:34 to play in the game and Tech with the outcome in its grasp, the Miners weren’t able to do damage against the Bulldogs.
Miners QB Malachi Nelson, fresh off a 400-plus passing effort in last week’s contest against ULM, completed just 17-of-37 passes for 71 yards and four interceptions before being lifted midway through the fourth quarter with his team trailing 24-3. Nelson’s longest completion was just 11 yards.
Jakari Foster returned an interception 67-yards for a score with 10:22 to play in the fourth quarter to extend Tech’s lead to 17-3. Alonzo Jackson put the final nail in the coffin with a 23-yard interception return for a score with 1:44 to play in the game.
“There are playmakers on the back end,” said Tech HC Sonny Cumbie. “They are football smart. They have great anticipation. It is a huge relief when that happens. When we needed a play, those guys elevated and made the plays. Their confidence is very high.”
Michael Richard, Chief Leota and Kolbe Fields also recorded interceptions in the game.
The one piece of bad news for Tech’s defense was the fact Fields had to be carted off the field in the third quarter following his interception with an apparent knee injury. The extent of the injury is not known.
Offensively, Tech struggled to find any type of rhythm during the game.
Blake Baker was 18-of-26 passing but for just 137 yards. He threw an interception in the endzone in the first half with Tech leading 7-0 and the ball on the Miners six-yard line. Baker also lost two fumbles, including one late in the second quarter with the Bulldogs in field goal range.
Baker did find Marques Singleton for a 5-yard TD strike in the first quarter that gave the Bulldogs the early 7-0 advantage.
Clay Thevenin carried the ball 19 times for 68 yards with a 4-yard TD run with 4:58 to play in the game, putting the Bulldogs up 24-3.
UTEP outgained Tech 271-232 in total offense with more than 100 yards coming in the final five minutes after the Bulldogs had taken the 21-point lead.
Tech leads the country in defensive TDs with five and has now forced 13 turnovers in five games.
Tech will travel to face Kennesaw State on Thursday, Oct. 9.
Peyton Harris rushed for 89 yards and two scores in the Cougars win. (Photo by Tim Smith)
By T. Scott Boatright
The resurgence of the 2025 Cedar Creek football team continued Friday as the Cougars roared past Glenbrook 31-8 in the District 1-A opener for both teams at Origin Bank Field.
After going 1-9 last season, the Cougars have already beaten that win total and now stand at 3-1.
But more important for Cedar Creek coach Jacob Angevine was seeing his Cougars defeat Glenbrook for the first time since the schools started playing each other.
“These seniors have never beaten Glenbrook going all the way back to their Pee-Wee days, their middle school days — they never had a chance to beat Glenbrook,” Angevine said. “So, for them to have this feeling on their home turf and their last time playing (Glenbrook) in the regular season, because who knows, we might see them in the playoffs, but that was a great effort by them and I’m so excited for them.
“It was a great team win, especially after last week (a 64-13 loss at Class 4A Loyola College Prep), this is a great bounce back victory for our guys.”
Even better for Angevine was the statement the Cougars made earning their third win of the season.
“We told the guys that before fall camp,” Angevine said. “We’re not the doormat anymore. We’re not the doormat. We’re here to kick the door down and take what’s ours and today was a good first step in that process.”
That first step came on the Cougars first drive as they took the opening drive and ran right the whole way down the field, with quarterback Brett Bell powering his way to paydirt on a two-yard run that put Cedar Creek on top 6-0 at the 7:22 mark of the opening stanza after Bell was stopped on a two-point conversion run attempt.
Glenbrook looked like it would counter by scoring on its opening drive, but that didn’t happen as Creek defensive back Micah Taylor picked off a pass in the Cougars’ end zone to shut down the Apaches’ opening drive.
Cedar Creek extended its lead to 14-0 with 2:52 left in the first quarter as Peyton Harris slashed into the end zone from three yards out before adding the two-point conversion on another run up the middle.
That score was set up by Taylor’s second interception of the contest that gave the Cougars possession at the Glenbrook 26-yard line just minutes earlier.
The Cougars took a 16-0 lead into the locker room at the half after a snap on a Glenbrook punt attempt from the Apaches’ 39-yard line sailed way over the punter’s head before rolling out of the back of the end to give Cedar Creek the safety.
Cedar Creek extended its lead to 24-0 with 8:02 left in the third quarter as Bell burst up the middle before angling left and running down the sideline on a 42-yard scoring scamper. Harris then recorded his second two-point conversion run.
The Cougars at first opted to kick the point after touchdown before an offsides call against Glenbrook made them reconsider and go for two after the ball moved closer to the goal line.
Glenbrook’s lone score came on a two-yard run with 10:52 remaining, but Cedar Creek added its final score on the ensuing drive as Bell connected with Ryan Coleman on a 6-yard touchdown pass.
Fittingly, the game ended with Taylor’s sixth tackle of the game.
“Micah’s had a great week of practice, and they put him in two bad situations (that Taylor ended up with interceptions),” Angevine said. “He made a great play on that second one and on the first one, the ball was already thrown, so for him to flip his hips real quick, get his eyes on the ball — that’s big for a sophomore. So, I’m excited. That dude is playing lights out right now.
Harris led the Cougars in rushing with 89 yards on 20 carries while Bell added 86 yards on 11 attempts while Trigger Woodard chipped in with 40 yards on eight totes.
“I told Peyton last week, ‘We’re going to put the weight of the world on your shoulders, get ready to carry the rock,’ and he did a heckuva job tonight,” Angevine said. “That kid is ready and Trigger Woodard, having the year that he had last year, and the offseason he had, he knows that he’s got to step up, be a leader and take that next step in the right direction.”
Facing Glenbrook’s spread offense, Angevine said his Cougars went in determined to play old-fashioned, smashmouth football.
“That’s our identity,” Angevine said. “And our offensive line and defensive line came ready to work. They knew what happened last week and wanted to find their identity. They had an awesome week of practice battling each other in the trenches in one-on-one drills and everything else, so they put the team on their back and said we’re getting it done tonight.”
Through the air, Bell completed 6-of-10 passes for 67 yards while Harris and Bryce Martin had two receptions each.
Defensively, Blake Robinson, Eli Slocum and Noah Smith all joined Taylor in leading the Cougars with six tackles each.
“What helps the defensive backfield out (handling Glenbrook’s spread offense) is that defensive line — having a lot of older guys, having a lot of experience up there getting pressure. Because that quarterback is good. He’s going to be real good when he’s older. I think he’s only a sophomore. By the time he’s a senior he’s going to be one of the better players in this district.
“So, for our guys to get pressure on him and take pressure off of our back-end guys, our defensive backs and linebackers gave a tremendous effort tonight.”
Next up for the Cougars will be a home game against Delta Charter (2-2), which lost 14-8 to Logansport, next Friday at Origin Bank Field.
Louisiana Tech has proven through one month of the season that it can win at Joe Aillet Stadium.
The Bulldogs are a perfect 3-0 in the friendly confines of their Dogs’ house.
However, in order for head coach Sonny Cumbie and Co. to make a true run at the Conference USA title, Tech (3-1, 1-0 CUSA) must show — on the field — that it can win in enemy territory.
Tech, whose only road game this year was a 23-7 loss at Top 5 LSU, will get another chance tonight when it faces the UTEP Miners (1-3, 0-0) at The Sun Bowl. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
The Miners dropped three of their first four games, but all of them have been competitive with losses to Texas (27-10), Utah State (28-16) and ULM (31-25). Tech is coming off a 30-20 win over Southern Miss last weekend in a contest that wasn’t as close as the final score may have indicated.
Miners head coach Scott Walden, who saw his team almost rally back from a 24-point deficit to ULM last Saturday, told the El Paso media this week that he knows the challenge his team has in front of it heading into tonight’s contest, especially against a Bulldog defense allowing just 14.3 points per game.
“(Louisiana Tech) is a very physical program,” said Walden. “They play very, very hard. You can watch the LSU game. (Tech’s) defense is flying around. Their defense is one of the tops in the league. They have the No. 1 rush defense in the league for a reason.
“They have a great scheme. They let their kids go play. Their three linebackers are as good a three linebackers as we will see the rest of the season. They are special.”
UTEP averages less than a 100 yards per game on the ground, but the Miners total 270 yards per game through the air and rank Top 5 in the country in plays of 30-plus yards. Quarterback Malachi Nelson has passed for 1,069 yards and eight scores through four games.
Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie knows his team is in for a test.
“UTEP played Texas similar to how we played LSU,” said Cumbie. “It was a very close game …. This is a football team that plays very tough. They play very physical. They are very fast on offense. They are able to stretch the field.
“You can see the arm talent that Malachi Nelson has. He throws the ball really well down the field.”
Offensively, Tech has been explosive in the first half of its last two wins over New Mexico State and Southern Miss, scoring 58 points. However, Tech has only scored 14 points (offensively) in the second half of those two games, something Cumbie knows much get remedied in league play
However, the Bulldogs biggest obstacle tonight may be mental. Tech is just 2-18 in road games since the start of the 2022 season with six of those defeats being by one score. One of the two wins was a 24-10 victory over the Miners in El Paso in 2023.
DALLAS — Throw the records out of the window, because now it gets real.
Grambling State University opens its Southwestern Athletic Conference football season starting at 6 p.m. Saturday as the Tigers face off against Prairie View A&M in the 100th annual Texas State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Coming off two consecutive nailbiting home wins, GSU coach Mickey Joseph knows his 3-1 Tigers will be playing in a game on a whole new level than that pair of victories.
“Right now, it’s SWAC play,” Joseph said. “These last two opponents came in ‘The Hole’ (Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium), and that was their Super Bowl. I told our kids (for the Prairie View game), ‘Don’t look at the scoreboard. This is a Classic.’ You can throw records out of the door. It’s a Classic. When they say Classic at an HBCU, oh yeah, it’s on.”
Grambling’s recent wins came over Division II Kentucky State (37-31 in overtime) and then Southland Conference member East Texas A&M (31-28) last weekend. Joseph said those two wins are misunderstood by those who feel his Tigers should have won those games by larger margins.
“After watching the film (East Texas A&M) is a very good football team,” Joseph said. “They played SMU and they played Florida State, so they played two money games. So, I take my hat off to them.
“At the end of the day, we fought. It doesn’t matter what level they’re on, when it gets down to DII and FCS, the big difference is Power 5 and the FCS, DII and FCS. If you’ve been in coaching, been in this game, you know that’s not much of a difference. That’s the same type of kids. One university has more scholarships, but it’s the same type of kids.”
Now the Tigers open SWAC play with a game that Joseph expects to be an old-fashioned smashmouth football game featuring a lot of running, at least by the Panthers (2-2, but 1-0 after starting the season with a 22-21 SWAC win at Texas Southern).
“We’re going to have to be gapped out on defense because they’re going to run the ball,” Joseph said of the Panthers. “I think they ran for 352 (last weekend) against Northwestern (State). I think they had one kid go for 186 and the quarterback ran for more than 100. So, they’re going to run the ball. They’re going to be plus-one with the quarterback run game so we’re going to be gapped out. We need to have gap integrity and use our safeties to try and make them throw the ball over our head.
“Now that’s easier said than done about gapping it out because they’ve got a really good offensive line and a really good quarterback. He started at Memphis, went to Middle Tennessee State and now he’s at PV. I think he was Memphis city player of the year, so he’s a kid to be reckoned with.”
Tevin Campbell is that Memphis product and has completed 33-of-59 passes for 327 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding 171 rushing yards and four scores on 33 carries.
But Joseph believes the Panthers will also utilize quarterback Cameron Peters, who has completed 33-of-39 passes for 385 yards and two touchdowns along with one interception while adding 76 yards and a score on 21 carries.
“I think he’ll play both,” Joseph said of Prairie View’s head coach Tremaine Jackson. “After hearing him on the call-in (SWAC video press conference), I think he’ll play both.”
And while he’s preparing his Tigers to face the pass, he knows his defense will be facing a solid Prairie View rushing attack led by Chase Bingmon, who leads the Panthers with 361 yards on 60 carries.
That averages out to 6.0 yards per rush by the Prairie View freshman.
“I think it’s a well-balanced offense,” Joseph said. “With Tremaine’s background, and what he did at Valdosta, they’re going to run the football. So, we’ll need gap integrity, but we’re going to need to run with them when they throw it.”
Grambling will also stick to the run a lot on the offensive side of the ball, but Joseph said the Tigers are willing to throw if that’s what’s needed.
“I think we do what we have to do to win,” Joseph said. “But I think we do have to take more shots down the field.”
On September 24, 2025, the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit (LSP SVU), in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched an investigation into the sexual trafficking of minors in Ouachita Parish.
The investigation ultimately resulted in the arrests of 43-year-old Boris Briggs of Ruston and 28-year-old Aston Fabela of Monroe.
Based on the findings of the investigation and information obtained, LSP MFO secured arrest warrants through the 4th Judicial District Court. Briggs was arrested and charged with trafficking of a child for sexual purposes, indecent behavior with a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile, and attempted carnal knowledge of a juvenile.
Fabela was arrested and charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation of a juvenile, and attempted carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Briggs and Fabela were processed into the Ouachita Parish Correctional Center without incident.
These cases remain active and ongoing. No further information is available at this time.
LSP SVU works to rescue and seek justice for the victims of crimes involving the exploitation of children and the trafficking of humans for sex or labor. The public plays a vital role in identifying suspects accused of these crimes and is urged to report criminal or suspicious activity.
The Louisiana State Police online reporting system is available to the public through an anonymous reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. The form can be found by visiting http://la-safe.org/ and clicking the “Suspicious Activity” link.
Funeral services for Faye Gaspard Foreman, age 94 of Ruston, LA will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, September 29, 2025 at Owens Memorial Chapel with Pastor Sarah Ingram officiating. Burial will follow in Forest Lawn Cemetery under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston.
Faye was born May 24, 1931 and passed away peacefully at home Thursday, September 25, 2025 surrounded by her loving family. In 1952, Faye graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA, where she received her Registered Nursing Degree with the very first nursing class at Northwestern. She began her nursing career at St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, LA but later joined Dr. A.N. Evans Pediatric Clinic where she worked until 1968.
Faye met her “knight in shining armor” Paul, at the England Air Force Base NCO Club after her friend, Ruth, arranged for him to ask her to dance. They married a year later and moved to Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, with three teenage children, two cats, and a dog. Two years later, they moved again to Ruston, LA after Paul accepted a position at LA Tech ROTC program. Faye began working in pediatrics at Green Clinic with Dr. Brown, Dr. Moncrief, and Dr. Everist, and later with Dr. Daher and Dr. McGehee. She was very devoted to her patients and absolutely loved being able to reward them with a sucker at the end of their visit. Faye ended her nursing career of over 25 years in 1993 as Dr. Everist personal nurse.
Faye and Paul loved traveling in their motor home, as members of the Good Sam Club, with their beloved fur babies, Pepper and Booger, a tradition her parents started after they retired. Faye enjoyed dancing, going out to eat, (cooking was not her thing) and loved eating her sweets. She and Paul made many friends while attending Ruston Church of God, then later, North Hodge Church of God. They enjoyed worshipping, witnessing salvation of souls, revivals, and fellowship with their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Faye was preceded in death by her parents, Lemay Joseph and Edna Cole Gaspard; and her husband of 52 years, the love of her life, Paul R. Foreman. She is survived by her children, Kathy Lacaze (Bubba), Vicki Staples (Leon), Johnny Thiels (Jennifer, Daughter-in-love), and Joey Foreman; six grandchildren: Keith Melancon (Simone), Greg Melancon, Michael Lacaze (Holly), Mindy Bassham (Charlie), Tommy Thiels (Avery), and David Thiels (Tanya); seven great-grandchildren and a host of other family and friends.
The family would like to thank her loving caregivers, Michelle Galbreath, who gave her constant love and attention for the past two years, Cheyenne Morrow, who was her bingo buddy and kept her laughing this past year, Allegiance Home Health, and Premier Hospice team, Kim Roberson, Lacy Youngblood, and Amy Wilson Vance.
In lieu of flowers, the family request contributions be made to St. Jude’s Children Hospital.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM, Monday, at Owens Memorial Chapel.
Judge James H. Boddie, Jr. August 15, 1949 – September 23, 2025 Visitation: Saturday, September 27, 2025, 12:00PM – 2:00PM, The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 504 Tech Drive, Ruston Service: Saturday, September 27, 2025, 2:00 PM, The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 504 Tech Drive, Ruston Final Resting Place: Douglas Cemetery, Douglas-Sibley Rd, LA 821, Ruston
(Senior Jeremiah Freeman rushes in for his first touchdown of the season. Photo by Reggie McLeroy)
By Kyle Roberts
ALVARADO, Texas – It wasn’t pretty, but it sill was a 49-21 win.
After amassing a huge first half lead, Ruston High (4-0) had some uncharacteristic struggles in the second half on defense and special teams, allowing Midland Legacy (1-4) to creep back and stay somewhat competitive for the final two quarters of the night before the final horn sounded.
“I’m pretty disappointed with our play and execution in a lot of different areas,” Ruston High Head Coach Jerrod Baugh said. “We’ve got a lot of things to clean up, and we need to get those things straight. I know it’s a long trip, but we should be used to that stuff by now. I did sense a lack of focus when we got here. We’ll get a chance to look at things tomorrow and talk to the team and hopefully regroup.”
Ruston looked to be in total control of the game early after junior Jayden Anding picked junior quarterback J.P. Reyes off and returned it into the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown with 11:53 to go in the first quarter of play for a 7-0 lead.
On Midland’s ensuing drive, the Bearcat defense was suffocating and forced a three-and-out, which led to a negative 5-yard punt by the Rebels to set Ruston’s offense up for its first drive of the night at the Midland 13-yard line. Four plays later, senior fullback Lander Smith took a dive play up the middle for a two-yard touchdown run with 8:32 to go in the first quarter for a 14-0 score.
Sophomore Dalen Powell scored a few minutes later for Ruston from seven yards away at the 6:01 mark of the first for a 21-0 lead, and junior Sam Hartwell got his first touchdown of the night on the ground from seven yards away, as well, nearly four minutes later for a 28-0 lead.
The ‘Cats got their five-score lead 35-0 after senior Jeremiah Freeman got his first touchdown of the season from 30-yards away with 9:44 to go in the first half.
The Rebels finally got on the scoreboard on their ensuing drive after H-back Humberto Hernandez hauled in a 10-yard reception to cut Ruston’s lead to 35-7. The Bearcats had another chance late in the first half to add points to the board, but a turnover on downs ended the drive and Ruston took the 28-point lead into the halftime locker room.
“We jumped on them early, and it’s eerily similar to the ball game last year — we intercepted a pass and ran it in,” Baugh said. “But they recovered and played better as the ball game went on and it went the other way for us. We took advantage of some miscues on their part early, and then it’s like we wanted to coach from there. I thought their kids continued to play hard throughout the ball game, and we’ve got to do a better job of staying focused on what we need to take care of, regardless of how good or bad the other team is.””
Midland Legacy came out to start the second half with an onside kick and recovered. Reyes would complete a long pass to sophomore Ja’Braylen Anders for 47 yards on third down to set up a first-and-goal from the three. Two plays later, junior running back Hayes Hamm scored from two yards away to cut Ruston’s lead to 35-14 with 11:33 to go in the third.
The Bearcats answered on the ensuing drive after Powell scored his second touchdown of the night at the 10:21 mark of the third — this time from 34 yards away to give Ruston a 42-14 lead. Hartwell added another touchdown a few minutes later with a 13-yard touchdown to go up 49-14 with 3:38 to go in the third.
Midland would score its final touchdown of the night late in the third when senior wide receiver scored on third down to cut the Bearcat lead to 49-21.
The night saw multiple penalties for both teams and punting miscues, including a negative yardage punt for the Rebels and an errant snap before the punter took the field for the Bearcats.
“I’ve been coaching a long time and I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that,” Baugh said. “It was too late by the time I noticed to call a timeout. It’s really uncharacteristic of what it is that we do, and I’m disappointed in that. We were originally going to try a field goal and missed an opportunity to do that. And then the punt team turns into that. It’s a lack of focus particularly in the second half, and it snowballed on us.”
Unofficially, Powell and Hartwell combined for over three hundred yards rushing and a pair of touchdown apiece. Altogether, Ruston rushed for 409 yards compared to just 50 yards for the Rebels. Midland’s Reyes finished with 217 yards passing and two touchdowns.
The Bearcats will return to action Friday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. against Stephenville in the final non-district matchup of the regular season. The game will be held at Longview High School for a neutral site contest.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
It was simply that kind of game for the Lincoln Preparatory School Panthers.
“Old Mo” danced back and forth across the sidelines seemingly more times than Grambling State University’s Orchesis Dance Troupe has performed at the Texas State Fair Classics and Bayou Classics combined, but as the final seconds ticked off the clock Thursday night, momentum was on the Jonesboro-Hodge sideline and the Tigers escaped with a 36-28 win at Panthers Field.
Momentum started out dancing with the Panthers, as on the game’s opening possession, Lincoln Prep defensive back Jabari Levingston picked off a Jonesboro-Hodge pass and raced it 72 yards for a score before Brysen Slate ran in a two-point conversion for a 8-0 lead only 2:32 into the contest.
And on the ensuing series, Levingston picked off another Jonesboro-Hodge pass on an identical pass pattern.
But momentum jumped over the Tigers’ sideline early in the second quarter as Jonesboro-Hodge running back Lonte’vious Burns ran toward the right sideline before coming to a sudden and complete stop before changing directions to the left and scoring on a 9-yard run to cut the Lincoln Prep lead to 8-6 at the 10:30 mark of the second quarter after a failed two-point pass attempt.
The Panthers were held to a three-and-out on the ensuing possession before a bad snap forced Slate, the punter, to try to run with it.
But Slate was stopped for a one-yard loss before the Tigers scored on a nine-yard run on the next play and added a two-point conversion pass to move on top 14-8 with 8:15 left in the first half.
“We’re just not getting the snaps back (to both the quarterback and punter),” Davison said about multiple costly snaps for his Panthers. “We have two centers and they’re both young. Both are freshmen. It’s just one of those things. Growing pains. It is what it is.”
It looked like the Tigers were going to add to their lead with a little more than three minutes remaining before intermission before Zion Hicks picked off a JHHS pass three yards deep in the Tigers’ end zone and returned it 103 yards the other way for a score that tied that game at 14-14 with 3:18 on the game clock.
The Tigers drove down inside the Lincoln Prep 5-yard line with 1:03 remaining in the second quarter, but they had used all three of their first-half timeouts early, and the clock ran out before they could find paydirt to keep the score knotted up at 14-14 at intermission.
Lincoln Prep had a punt blocked on the first possession of the second half, but a Jonesboro-Hodge player picked the ball up before fumbling it away, giving possession right back to the Panthers at their own 24.
While seeing Trey Spann turn in a big game isn’t anything new, junior Josiah Spann, Trey’s brother, turned in one of the better nights of his football career, making several pass breakups and hauling in 12-yard catch on the play Hicks lofted a pass that Spann turned around to face his quarterback, making a leaping catch before turning around and taking it for a 50-yard score that put the Panthers on top 20-14 with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter.
“It’s always been set for him to do that,” Davison said of Josiah Spann. “That’s what he does. He can catch the ball. He did that all summer. That was a good thing about the game.”
After Lincoln Prep held the Tigers to a three-and-out on the ensuing possession to force a punt on the ensuing possession, the Panthers took over deep in their own territory.
But on third-and-12 from the Panthers; 5-yard line, Hicks faced heavy pressure standing in his own end zone and fired a pass to the ground.
After a short conference game officials ruled the play a safety because of illegal grounding in the end zone to cut Lincoln Prep’s lead to 20-16 with 5:55 left in the third quarter.
Fifty seconds later the Tigers scored on a 1-yard run that put them back in front 22-20.
After forcing another three-and-out for the Panthers, the Tigers scored on a 40-yard pass play that stretched their lead to 29-20 with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter.
“We’d have a positive play, and then we’d have negative plays, and those negative plays hurt,” Davison said. “They put in holes. We were undisciplined, just doing stuff you can’t do in football and expect to win. Penalties. Personal fouls. Bad snaps. Just stuff like that.”
The Panthers regained some momentum of their own on the ensuing possession, with Hicks connecting with Trey Spann on a 13-yard scoring strike before the duo hooked up again for a two-point conversion pass that cut the Tigers’ advantage to 29-28 with 25 seconds remaining in the third stanza.
But “Old Mo” then jumped back over to the opposing sideline as Jonesboro-Hodge countered with nine-play, 68-yard possession that chewed 5:16 off the clock to give the Tigers the game’s final score with 7:08 remaining.
Lincoln Prep drove into Tiger territory in the game’s final minutes, but a fourth-and-three stop with 34 seconds left on the clock sent the Tigers into victory formation as they knelt on the ball on the game’s final play.
“I felt like it shouldn’t have been like that,” Davison said. “If we take care of some plays, do what we are supposed — what we were told — to do, it could have been different. It’s just one of those things. We have to learn what we’ve been told. Just believe in what we’re doing. That’s it. We just need to believe in what we’re doing.
“We have to stop the negative stuff, everything that’s negative. And just keep fighting. Every play, not just some plays.”
Next up for the Panthers, now 1-3, is a home game next week against Haynesville, which stands at 3-0 before facing Plain Dealing tonight in a neutral site contest.
The 5th annual Lincoln Parish Park Fest will be held this Saturday (September 27) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lincoln Parish Park (211 Parish Park Road in Ruston). It is the festival’s fifth anniversary; therefore, admission is FREE for all festival goers.
It will be a day and an event full of arts, food, family and fun and is presented by Friends of Lincoln Parish Park.
All other proceeds from The Park Fest will go to Lincoln Parish Park for upkeep, renovations, and new adventures.
Lincoln Parish Police Juror Annette Straughter said that after funding was cut from the park almost five years ago, she put thought into how additional funds could be raised. And the fifth annual Park Fest is one of those avenues.
“Lincoln Parish Park is an amazing jewel,” said Straughter. “There is something new and exciting to explore every day. We thank all the volunteers that are helping to make this festival successful!”
The event will include arts and crafts booths, a concrete canoe demonstration performed by the Louisiana Tech, Concrete Canoe Association, a Kids Zone with bounce houses, a rock climbing wall, a huge obstacle course that the National Guard will set up, antique car show, food trucks with a variety of items and desserts, live entertainment with a variety of music, and much more.
The Louisiana Blood Bus will also be on site.
Rick Godley will also serve as the emcee and DJ for the event.
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office will be on hand along with the K9 units to entertain the crowd with canine demonstrations, while a Bearcat rescue truck will be on display. The Ruston Ambulance and Fire Department will be on hand to provide coverage for the event.
Thank you to Rapid Signs (t-shirt donations), all Lincoln Parish Police Jurors, and Twin City Transportation (sponsor).
We also appreciate the local Boy Scouts as well as the Louisiana Tech Concrete Canoe Team.
We share some of the top photos from our LPJ photographers and staff members from the past week. Enjoy!
Tech’s Devin Gandy makes an acrobatic catch in Saturday’s win over Southern Miss. (photo by Darrell James)Spire on the Tech campus. (photo by Kyle Roberts)Cedar Creek spirit groups lined up for the national anthem prior to Friday night’s contest at Loyola Prep. (photo by Tim Smith)Cayla Lane fishes in Lake Alabama at the biannual Tall Pines Retreat hosted by MedCamps of Louisiana at Camp Alabama in Choudrant. (photo by Josh McDaniel)Ruston High students carrying the flags during Friday night’s Bearcat win over Longview. (photo by Reggie McLeroy)A man plays his guitar and sings in the parking lot of Wal-Mart in Ruston. (photo by Malcolm Butler)The sun begins to set in the West during Saturday night’s Tech game. (photo by Trenton Richard)The waterfall at the Lincoln Parish Park bicycle hub. (photo by Darrell James)Some brave soul flying over the stadium at Loyola Prep prior to Cedar Creek’s game Friday. (photo by Tim Smith)
Local law enforcement agencies are partnering with Zion Travelers Baptist Church and local businesses for the upcoming National Night Out on Tuesday, October 7.
National Night Out is a community-building event filled with food, fun, entertainment and more that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.
Locally the event is sponsored by the City of Ruston, the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Ruston Police Department, Zion Travelers Baptist Church, Origin Bank, Century Next Bank, Real Change of Ruston, and Gibsland Bank and Trust.
Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Iris Winston is currently seeking additional vendors and sponsors for the event which will be held at Zion Baptist Church in Ruston.
“We are looking for all types of vendors,” said Sgt. Winston, who said she already has around 15 vendors confirmed. “We are not limited. We have a good variety already, but are hoping to add more prior to the event. We want as many vendors as our location will fit.”
Sgt. Winston said that there is no charge for anyone to become a vendor at the event, but there is one main restriction.
“The only thing is they cannot sell anything that night,” said Sgt. Winston. “It can be informational-only.”
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor for the event or signing up to be a vendor, can reach out to Sgt. Winston at iwinston@lpsheriff.org or call 318-251-6440. Interested vendors can also use the QR code below to sign up.
Sam Burns smiles on the practice range earlier this week while preparing for this weekend’s Ryder Cup competition. (Photo courtesy RyderCup.com)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
President Trump and Sam Burns, figuratively speaking, will probably arrive at the 45th Ryder Cup competition about the same time today.
The president is expected at Bethpage Black on Long Island outside of New York City in time to watch the afternoon four-ball session between four teams from the USA and Europe.
Burns will not play in the opening early-morning session of foursomes (alternate shot), but most expect him to be announced late morning as part of an American duo teeing it up in the second round of the day.
The 29-year-old Choudrant resident, who plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, was left off the starting lineup for morning foursome (alternate shot) action by USA captain Keegan Bradley when this morning’s four matches were unveiled Thursday afternoon. Bradley said the lineup was set a while ago and was no secret among his team, and that pairings for ensuing rounds were already established. Those might be adjusted, but Bradley said he wants to proceed “according to plan.”
Burns and the other players were not available to media after the mid-afternoon pairings announcement. But earlier Thursday, he was bursting with pride about President Trump’s visit today and a massive charitable gift he will direct back home.
“It’s a huge honor to have our president come to this event, support our team,” said Burns. “This is about representing the United States of America, and who better to represent that than our president. I think we are all excited.”
He was also excited discussing about how he will collect a half-million dollars this weekend earmarked for the folks back home. All 12 USA team members will get $500,000 to allocate as they choose to charitable causes, a stipend increased by $300,000 since the 2023 Ryder Cup.
“I’m extremely grateful the PGA of America is doing this. I live in a small town in Louisiana and that amount of money in that community for those charities is going to go a long ways,” said Burns in his media session Thursday morning. “It’s going to have a huge impact on our community and I’m just extremely grateful.
“To steward that money in our own communities at home – that’s a great thing,” he said.
But his main focus is doing what he’s done in two President’s Cup competitions as a pro, and two other international matches in his days at Calvary Baptist (2014 Junior Ryder Cup) and LSU (2017 Arnold Palmer Cup). Burns is in it to win it for America.
That did not happen in his first Ryder Cup appearance in 2023 at Rome. Burns went 1-2 over the weekend in Italy, but his victory, paired with Collin Morikawa in four-ball play Saturday afternoon, rekindled American optimism. They rolled 4&3 over Viktor Hovlad and Ludvig Aberg, who had routed two other USA duos, notably the power tandem of Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.
It was only a temporary surge for the Americans, who were whipped 16 ½ – 11 ½. That outcome is on the minds of Bradley and his team, determined to prevail on home turf against a European roster that has all but one player and captain Luke Donald back from 2023.
“Losing is never fun. It doesn’t matter what sport or what game, whatever it is you know losing sucks,” said Burns. “We want to use those memories as fuel this week. Everyone that was on that team or watched vividly remembers what that feels like. You don’t want that feeling again.”
Today’s play will be carried on USA Network. NBC picks up coverage Saturday starting at 6 a.m. CT for two more rounds of foursome and four-ball action, and Sunday’s 12 singles matches slated to begin at 11 a.m.
A Georgia man was arrested Tuesday evening after he refused to leave the bar of a of Ruston hotel.
Ruston Police responded to a hotel on Maxwell Boulevard regarding a reportedly drunk man who refused to leave the bar after being told to do so.
Officers found Mikal M. Ward, 25, of Chatsworth, Georgia, who appeared to be highly intoxicated. The bartender told officers Ward had been told he needed to go to his room, but he apparently was not listening. Officers had difficulty understanding Ward because of his slurred speech. He was asked multiple times to go to his room, and he refused. An officer asked him to walk outside for a private conversation and Ward ran into a door while walking.
Ward was given multiple chances to go to his room, but he refused. He also refused to provide his room number after hotel staff told him he was no longer allowed in the lobby or bar. He still refused to leave and was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.
Ward was booked for disturbing the peace by appearing intoxicated and remaining on premises after being forbidden.
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.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
Louisiana Tech University’s School of History and Social Sciences has officially changed its name to the School of Human Inquiry, a new title that better reflects the school’s purpose and mission.
“Within the context of broader realignments going on in the College of Liberal Arts, and the addition of our colleagues from Communication Studies, the school decided the time was right to reevaluate our purpose and our identity,” said Dr. John Worsencroft, director of the School of Human Inquiry.
“Rather than picking a name that merely listed our disciplines, we chose the School of Human Inquiry because it captures the essence of what we do as scholars, as well as in the classroom. Although we each approach problems from our disciplinary perspectives, at root we are all striving to understand humanity in all of its fascinating complexity. The new name captures that spirit.”
The School of Human Inquiry brings together programs in history, political science, sociology, geography, geographic information science, and communication, preparing students to approach complex questions about society and culture with perspective and insight.
“School of Human Inquiry reflects the commitment of the faculty and students to explore the complexity of human experience — past, present, and future — through critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration,” said Karl Puljak, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
The School of Human Inquiry continues to provide students with opportunities for research, collaboration, and engagement with questions at the heart of human life and society.
A man on a bicycle at 2:30 a.m. in the morning was arrested for drug possession in a Ruston neighborhood Monday.
Lamont Montrell Rogers, 37, of Ruston, was pedaling on Cypress Springs Avenue when he was stopped by a Ruston patrol officer. A records check showed Rogers was wanted for failure to appear in Third District Court on a drug charge.
Rogers was arrested and searched. A smoking pipe typically used to smoke crack cocaine, and a white substance believed to be cocaine were located.
Rogers was booked for possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of cocaine, and the district court warrant.
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.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
Lincoln Parish Journal readers have an opportunity each week to win FREE money in the Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em presented by Johnson Physical Therapy, FanBase of Ruston, and Martin Presence.
And the best part is it’s FREE … just like your subscription to the LPJ.
Bigger question. Are you ready to win $150 in cash … with the potential to make it $300 if you are perfect on the week (including predicting the No. 1 tiebreaker exactly right).
The Lincoln Parish Journal is holding the 4th Annual Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by FanBase of Ruston, Martin Presence, and Johnson Physical Therapy.
If you live in the deep south, you know College Football is King!
Anyone is eligible to participate and each week one lucky winner will go home with a $150 cash prize (maybe $300). Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 15 selected college football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).
The Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by FanBase of Ruston, Martin Presence, and Johnson Physical Therapy will be conducted for 14 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games (August 30).
There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to SUBSCRIBE to the Lincoln Parish Journal where it will come to your inbox every weekday morning at 6:55 a.m. It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.
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 in the following week’s 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 $150 each week!
Follow the Lincoln Parish Journal each morning at 6:55 right to your inbox. It’s FREE! Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
Cedar Creek opens district action tonight when the Cougars host Glenbrook at Origin Bank Stadium in the District 1-1A opener for both teams.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be heard on 99.3 FM with Ray Creasy and Ben Haddox providing a call of the action.
The Cougars (2-1) look to put behind them last week’s 64-13 loss at (4A) Loyola Prep as the second season begins for head coach Jacob Angevine and Co.
“We are excited about moving into district play,” said Angevine. “We are happy that we play nothing but 1A opponents from here on out. We keep telling the kids that it’s a brand new season. It’s district play. These are the games that matter when you are looking for a district championship.”
Cedar Creek has already surpassed last year’s win total when the Cougars were just 1-9, and Angevine said the first three non-district games were preparation for district action.
“We wanted to see what kind of team we had,” said Angevine. “We wanted to see what kind of fight we had. I wanted to see how our guys would respond having a new coach, having a new defense, having a new offense. I feel like we have responded well.”
Glenbrook enters the contest with a 2-1 mark, including wins over Magnolia School of Excellence (64-6) and Ringgold (54-32) and a loss to 4A Bossier (49-20).
Angevine said the Apache look a little different this year with the departure of Easton Sanders (LA Tech baseball signee) and a head coaching change.
“Offensively, they have switched it from last year,” said Angevine. “They have a new coach. Last year they depended a lot on their run game; a run game really utilizing their quarterback. This year they are wanting to open it up a little bit more. They are wanting to throw it around. It’s more of an air-raid style of attack.
“Their quarterback this year can run. He is not as physically gifted as (last year’s QB was), but the kid is still really quick and makes good decisions.”
Although Glenbrook has shown to play more of a 3-3-5 scheme defensively, Angevine believes the Apache will tweak it a little for tonight’s game against the Cougars.
“Defensively, they like to base out of a 3-3 from what we’ve seen,” said Angevine. “We think we will see more of a four- or five-man front against us since we like to run the ball a lot. I think they will switch it up against us. I think they are going to focus on stopping the run.”
