All three Lincoln Parish teams are included in the preseason Louisiana Sports Writers Association Top 10 polls released this morning. Ruston High is No. 1 in Class 5A while Lincoln Prep and Cedar Creek are receiving votes in the Class 1A poll. See the full polls below.
Class 5A
School, 1st rec, points
1.Ruston (8) 0-0 129
Karr (3) 0-0 120
Catholic-Baton Rouge 0-0 107
John Curtis 0-0 82
Alexandria 0-0 71
St. Augustine 0-0 67
Zachary 0-0 61
Central 0-0 51
Archbishop Rummel 0-0 39
Southside 0-0 35
Others receiving votes: Acadiana 27, Ouachita 18, St. Thomas More 18, West Monroe 14, Evangel Christian 10, Mandeville 5, Brother Martin 1, Destrehan 1, Terrebonne 1.
Choudrant resident Sam Burns birdied the 10th hole Sunday at the Tour Championship to move to 11-under par, three shots off the lead.
By Doug Ireland, Journal Sports
ATLANTA – With three birdies in a six-hole stretch in the middle of his final round Sunday at the Tour Championship, Sam Burns was not only in position for another top 10 finish, but was only three shots off the lead.
Then East Lake Golf Club and windy conditions did to Burns what it most of the 29 finalists in the FedEx Cup playoffs on Sunday – and the Choudrant resident backed up on the leaderboard.
Burns was 4-over on the last eight holes, beginning with a bogey on the par-3 11th. He had to take a pair of penalty strokes, one from a ball into the water hazard next to the island green on the par-3 15th, and the other on an unplayable lie in a bunker on the 17th on the way to a double bogey.
The damage dumped him to a tie for 18th, nine spots below where he started Sunday’s round. Burns finished with a two-over 72 and 7-under for the week (66-68-67-72 – 273), earning a $460,000 share of the $40 million purse.
But in the PGA Tour’s restructured bonus system, taking into account season-long play, it was a better day for the 30-year-old Shreveport native. He collected a $1.7 million bonus and will receive another $700,000 in deferred money.
He stands ninth in the Official World Golf Rankings and is fourth in the U.S. Presidents Cup rankings. The top six, once officially confirmed, receive automatic berths on the USA roster for that international competition Sept. 24-27 in Medinah, Ill., at fabled Medinah Country Club.
It will be his fifth straight international competition at the professional level.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the $10 million first place prize, and added another $23 million in bonus money, as he shot a 4-under 66 in the final round and won with a 16-under par score.
A company with longstanding ties to Ruston and North Louisiana is putting down more permanent roots near the Tarbutton Road interchange.
JB James Construction owner Jeff James recently purchased additional property near Tarbutton Road, increasing his holdings in the area to approximately 40 to 45 acres while the company moves forward with construction of a permanent North Louisiana office.
James said he already owned approximately 30 acres in the area, property he has held since around the time his company constructed the Tarbutton Road interchange in 2018.
“I did buy the adjacent property recently, but we’re building a permanent office on the site to support our construction operation,” James said.
Work on the office is already underway. James said approximately two acres at the corner have been cleared, and Heard Construction poured the slab for the new building several weeks ago.
“That’s where the permanent office will be for our North Louisiana staff,” James said. “We’ve had work in North Louisiana for 30 years, and we just decided it was time to put something permanent here.”
James said the property will also provide space for material and equipment storage, including support for the company’s ongoing work on the Tech Drive overpass project at Interstate 20.
The recent land purchase consolidates James’ holdings around the site. He said the property has access to Tarbutton Road, the I-20 frontage road and West Alabama Avenue, although residential lots remain along West Alabama.
With Buc-ee’s expected to spur additional commercial development around the Tarbutton interchange, James said the acquisition was not made with another development project currently in mind.
“This was just that the property came for sale,” James said. “Since I’m building the permanent office there, I thought we needed to consolidate the ownership of that corner. It just made sense.”
James said discussions with the neighboring property owner ultimately led to the purchase.
“He needed to buy me or I needed to buy him,” James said. “It just made sense for one person to own that.”
Meanwhile, JB James continues work on the Cooktown Bridge overpass project, another major infrastructure project along the I-20 corridor in Ruston.
“We’re clicking along with Tech Drive overpass,” James said. “Hopefully, we’ll see some girders going in the air here before long, so that’ll be exciting news.”
James acknowledged the project will continue to create traffic inconveniences as construction progresses, particularly because lanes must be reduced during portions of the work.
“The problem with any construction like that is that you have to reduce lanes to be able to build,” James said. “It’s just road construction. The key is to get it done quickly and minimize the impacts to the traveling public. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Traffic on Tech Drive and over the current Cooktown Bridge continues to be a concern for Ruston officials and motorists with students returning for fall quarter at Louisiana Tech.
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, Ruston Athletic Supply, and The Rental Association.
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 5th Annual Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by The Rental Association, Ruston Athletic Supply, 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. 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 Ruston Athletic Supply, Johnson Physical Therapy, and The Rental Association will be conducted for 14 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games.
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. 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.
A 23-year-old Ruston man was arrested Aug. 26 on a methamphetamine possession charge after friends who had driven him to a hospital emergency room found the drug in his pocket and alerted staff.
Sheldon L. Pylant was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance, according to an affidavit.
A Ruston police officer was dispatched at 1:23 p.m. to the emergency room at Northern Louisiana Medical Center in reference to a patient in possession of meth. A member of the nursing staff identified the patient as Pylant and said two friends who had brought him in were in the room with him. One of the friends was holding a small round container of meth and a red torch lighter, and the items were placed into a plastic biohazard bag and turned over to the officer.
One of the friends had been driving Pylant around town that day to help him run errands and said he was acting odd and sluggish. Pylant told her he was not feeling well because of medication his doctors had prescribed him, and he became unresponsive at one point, prompting her to drive him to the emergency room. While he was being treated, she found unused glass pipes in her vehicle and told the other friend, who then searched Pylant’s pants pockets and found the container of meth and the torch lighter in his front left pocket. The two notified emergency room staff.
Pylant was advised of his Miranda rights and asked whether he had anything on his person that police would be concerned about. He answered no, then said “well,” reached into his front left pocket and stopped talking.
Once Pylant was medically cleared, he was placed in hand restraints, advised of his rights again and transported to the detention center.
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.
September is upon us and the crepe myrtles are still blooming. There’s a reason it’s called the “100-day flower.”
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The big forest fire just north of us in Union County, Arkansas shows how conditions are perfect for wildfire. And the La. Department of Agriculture & Forestry says it has responded to 22 wildfires across Louisiana burning more than 109 acres. Lincoln Parish’s burn ban issued August 19 remains in effect despite a smidgen of rain because of elevated fire-weather conditions, high temperatures, and limited precipitation.
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Louisiana Tech’s first football season back in the Sun Belt is approaching. The Bulldogs open at home against the Demons of Northwestern State Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
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The new school year is a good time to review online safety with your children. Review privacy settings, location sharing, friend requests, and disappearing-message apps. Establish clear rules and maintain regular conversations about online activity rather than relying only on device restrictions.
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The Ruston Fire Department will celebrate the Grand Opening of the newly constructed replacement of Station #2 on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at 1609 W. California Avenue.
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The police chiefs in Dubach and Choudrant have opposition from longtime law enforcers in the November 3 election.
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Campaign signs are beginning to appear around the parish. It is the one crop that thrives during a drought. Let’s hope they are “harvested” when the season is over.
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Ruston has so many construction projects underway that the orange barrel may soon replace the peach as the city’s unofficial symbol.
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Dubach is preparing for the Louisiana Chicken Festival, the weekend when chickens are honored, imitated, and eaten. Poultry accounts for more than $142 million in Lincoln Parish. The festival may be entertaining, but the chicken business is no joke.
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Choudrant remains one of the few places where a traffic jam can still be caused by a train, school pickup, or two people stopping to talk from opposite sides of the road.
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Grambling State will open its new Student Success Center Friday. Success has always been encouraged there; now it has its own building.
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.
Grambling State University announced today the launch of its Multiversary Tour, a national series of events celebrating a rare convergence of milestones in the University’s history: 125 years of academic excellence, 100 years of Tiger Athletics, and 100 years of the World Famed Tiger Marching Band.
The tour will bring alumni, supporters, partners, and friends of the University together in cities across the country for special screenings of MARCH ON, a new documentary exploring Grambling State University’s multigenerational legacy. MARCH ON is a Storyboard Studios production developed in partnership with Grambling State University. Each tour stop will include a documentary screening, a moderated post-screening conversation with members of the GramFam and invited guests, and a reception designed for fellowship and connection.
“This tour allows us to share Grambling State University’s story with alumni, friends, and communities nationwide,” said Dr. Martin Lemelle Jr., President of Grambling State University. “As we honor the University’s illustrious legacy, we are also reaffirming the enduring power of HBCUs to shape generations of future leaders and drive meaningful change.”
MARCH ON follows three featured Gramblinites across generations: Denise Young ’77, alumna and former C-suite executive at Apple; Dalvin Adams ’15, alumnus, Los Angeles-based commercial photographer, and entrepreneur; and Rylee Beaudion ’28, a third-generation Gramblinite majoring in Elementary Education and Visual and Performing Arts.
Set against the backdrop of Grambling State University’s historic campus, the approximately 35-minute documentary follows their stories from performing arts spaces and academic labs to the Square and the University’s Digital Library and Learning Commons. Through their experiences, MARCH ON shows how Grambling State University has changed, evolved, and continued to shape the lives of those who call it home.
In addition to MARCH ON, the University’s Multiversary storytelling initiative includes five companion short films that further highlight the people, experiences, and traditions that have shaped Grambling State University’s impact. Select tour stops may feature one or more of these short films as part of the program.
The tour opens this fall with stops in:
September 3 — Grambling, Louisiana — Grambling State University — 11:00 a.m.
September 14 — Washington, D.C. — 6:30 p.m.
September 17 — New York, New York — 6:30 p.m.
September 24 — Dallas, Texas — 6:30 p.m.
Venue details for select tour stops will be shared with registered guests.
The Multiversary Tour comes during a period of continued momentum for Grambling State University. In 2026, the University raised $1.25 million during its most successful day of giving and, for the first time, awarded more than $1 million in endowment scholarships. The World Famed Tiger Marching Band also performed at the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans as part of Coca-Cola’s “The World Is My Yard” platform, while members of the band were featured in Urban Outfitters’ national back-to-campus campaign.
Additional tour stops and Multiversary events will be announced as the celebration continues.
An 18-year-old Grambling State University student was arrested Aug. 21 on a home invasion charge after he forced his way into a female student’s dormitory room to confront her about a social media post.
Marco Bovance, of Grambling, was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on one count of home invasion, according to the affidavit.
Grambling State University police were dispatched to Frederick Douglass Hall about 6 p.m. in response to a disturbance reported through the university’s GSAFE tip line. Officers arrived to find a group of students who were being loud, and Bovance was in the middle of a verbal dispute with another man.
After the students were instructed to return to their rooms, the woman who had called the tip line came out of her dormitory and said Bovance, accompanied by several other people, had used a card to enter her room without her consent and had forced his way in after she tried to stop him. Once inside, he questioned her about a social media post he believed she had made about him and threatened to punch her in the face as he aggressively approached her.
Bovance was advised of his Miranda rights and admitted that he entered the room forcefully and that he threatened the woman over the post. He was taken into custody and transported to the detention center for booking.
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.
(Senior receiver Josiah Morgan hauls in a terrific catch with an Eagle defender draped across his back. Photo by Reggie McLeroy)
By Kyle Roberts
MONROE, La. — Ruston needed only 24 offensive plays to score seven touchdowns Saturday night, closing the 2026 Bayou Jamb with a 49-14 win over Evangel Christian Academy at Malone Stadium.
Junior running back Dalen Powell carried 10 times for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the two 12-minute halves, breaking a 78-yard run for the game’s final score. The Bearcats averaged 14.1 yards per play, gained 338 yards on those 24 snaps and scored on seven of their nine possessions while holding the ball for less than 10 minutes.
“I thought our kids came out ready to play,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “I think they were excited to get out here, and it’s as close to a game simulation as what you can get. We talked about that, talked about their preparation, making sure that we went through the steps that you need to if it were a real game, and I thought our kids did a really good job.”
Powell opened the scoring with a 20-yard run and added a 38-yarder later in the first half. Baugh credited the blocking in front of him, then the running back’s own weight.
“I thought our offensive line did good leaning on those guys, giving him some holes,” Baugh said. “They know that if we don’t have any bust and we get in front of some guys, that Dalen, it doesn’t take much space to be able to get through there. I was really pleased with how heavy he ran. Breaking some tackles and the yards after the first contact was a really big deal. And Dalen’s getting bigger, he’s getting a bigger body and all that. That’s what I really did like to see out of him.”
Ruston finished with 235 rushing yards on 19 attempts and five rushing touchdowns. Senior Kohl Gray scored from 11 yards out and senior Davis DeMoss punched one in from a yard. Senior quarterback Sam Hartwell was perfect on the night, completing all five of his attempts for 103 yards and two touchdowns — an 8-yarder to senior tight end Ahmad Hudson to close the first half and a 33-yarder to senior Josiah Morgan to open the second. Morgan caught three passes for 87 yards. Senior Joaquin Ramos made all seven extra points.
The Bearcats defense kept senior Evangel quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston, the LSU commit Baugh had spent the week describing as a two-way problem, in front of it for most of the night. Houston completed 18-of-30 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and Ruston sacked him twice. Evangel finished with 17 net rushing yards, turned the ball over twice and did not reach the end zone through the air until Houston found Derrick Berry for 54 yards in the second half. Houston’s 26-yard run was the Eagles’ only first-half score.
Junior Aidan Adams led Ruston with three tackles and a sack. Senior Jerron Albritton added a sack, senior Jayden Anding intercepted a pass and senior Kadyn Gray recovered a fumble.
Baugh’s takeaway heading into Friday’s opener against Neville had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
“I don’t think we’re in as good a shape as what we need to be in,” Baugh said. “We’re going to have to push ourselves in practice, and it’s hard to get out and just run. We’ve got to build some stuff in practice, which we do.”
The short jamboree format, he said, hid a problem that a full game will not.
“If we’re having to take a bunch of snaps on offense and defense next week, we’re going to get gassed on one side of the ball,” Baugh said. “So hopefully our offense can keep the ball away from Neville as best we can to give our defense some breaks at times. But at the end of the day, this time of year, that’s what has some growing pains.”
Ruston opens the regular season at home against Neville on Sept. 4, the 101st meeting between the schools.
Each Monday through Friday, the Lincoln Parish Journal will post a list of non-for-profit upcoming events happening in the parish. If you would like to add your event to this list or advertise your for-profit events, please email us at lpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Monday, Aug. 31 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 4 p.m.: DND Fall Campaign Interest meeting (teens & tweens) (Jack Beard Community Room) 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 6-9 p.m.: Creative Meetups (Creatives at Work, 301 N. Trenton)
Tuesday, Sept. 1 6:30 a.m.: Veterans free breakfast (VFW Post 3615, 206 Memorial Dr.) 6 p.m.: Lincoln Parish School Board meeting 6 p.m.: Video-Led Exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)
Wednesday, Sept. 2 7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee) 9:30 a.m.: Lincoln Parish Retired Teachers Association meeting (Lincoln Parish Library) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 12-1 p.m.: Rotary Club meeting (Historic Fire Station)
Thursday, Sept. 3 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall; Anyone is welcome to come to our meeting,please notify Richard Hamilton of your attendance. 318-518-2121) 1 p.m.: Ruston Duplicate Bridge Club meeting (Presbyterian Church, 212 N. Bonner St.) 6 p.m.: Southern A’Chord Chorus rehearsal (Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 212 N. Bonner St.; open to all women singers) 6 p.m.: Video-Led Exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)
Friday, Sept. 4 7 p.m.: RHS football 7 p.m.: Lincoln Prep football
Saturday, Sept. 5 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Sports and TCG Cards (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Video Game Meetup hosted by Ruston Fighting Gaming Community (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: GSU football 6:30 p.m.: LA Tech football
Monday, Sept. 7 Labor Day 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 5:30 p.m.: Ruston City Council meeting (Ruston City Hall) 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 6-9 p.m.: Creative Meetups (Creatives at Work, 301 N. Trenton)
Tuesday, Sept. 8 6:30 a.m.: Veterans free breakfast (VFW Post 3615, 206 Memorial Dr.) 10 a.m.: Storytime : Back to School (Lincoln Parish Library) 4 p.m.: Crafternoon : Cupcake Cards (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Video-Led Exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 7 p.m.: Lincoln Parish police jury meeting (Lincoln Parish Courthouse)
Wednesday, Sept. 9 7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 12-1 p.m.: Rotary Club meeting (Historic Fire Station)
Thursday, Sept. 10 9:30 a.m.: Piney Hills Quilt Guild meeting (Grace Methodist Church) 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall; Anyone is welcome to come to our meeting,please notify Richard Hamilton of your attendance. 318-518-2121) 4 p.m.: Tween Time : Pokémon Bookmarks (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Teen Time : Teen Advisory Board Meeting (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Video-Led Exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 6 p.m.: Southern A’Chord Chorus rehearsal (Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 212 N. Bonner St.; open to all women singers) 7 p.m.: Lincoln Prep football
Friday, Sept. 11 6 a.m.: 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb (Joe Aillet Stadium, LA Tech) 7 p.m.: RHS football 7 p.m.: Cedar Creek football
Saturday, Sept. 12 8:30-11:30 a.m.: Hazardous Waste Material Collection and Recycling (2609 Farmerville St.) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
Sunday, Sept. 13 2-4 p.m.: Tech professor Albino Hinojosa book signing of “The Art of Albino Hinojosa” (Trinity Methodist Church)
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’s Blue Bloods program is gearing up for year two, and the Bulldogs are inviting every registered student to be part of it. Athletics officials today announced the Welcome Back Pep Rally, set for Friday, Sept. 4, inside Memorial Gym, along with a refreshed slate of Loyal Blue Reward Points perks designed to put Blue Bloods back at the center of game day.
The pep rally is part of Louisiana Tech’s Welcome Week, running Sept. 2-11, and sets the stage for the following night’s season opener against Northwestern State at Origin Bank Field at Joe Aillet Stadium – Louisiana Tech’s first game as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the pep rally beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The first 500 students through the doors will receive free pizza, a T-shirt, and Pepsi products. Every attendee will have their Loyal Blue Reward Points scanned at the door, and every scan is an entry to win one of five DAC SRO tickets and food vouchers – a prize package Blue Bloods will offer at every home football game throughout the year. Scanned-in members will also have a chance to join the band and spirit squads on the field for the team’s season opener pregame run-out. Blue Bloods is also exploring courtside seats and Waggonner Room access giveaways for basketball games this season.
New for Year Two: Bigger Trips, Bigger Access
Blue Bloods is raising the stakes on its signature travel experiences in 2026. Two Blue Blood members will be selected to travel with the football team to Baylor, with travel, hotel, tickets, and meals fully covered. The same experience will be offered again for the trip to South Alabama, giving Blue Bloods two chances this season to travel alongside the team on the road. Louisiana Tech will also give away a select number of free tickets to the LSU game.
The first Loyal Blue Reward Points fulfillment date of the year is set for Tuesday, Nov. 17, when the Bulldogs host Jacksonville State in men’s basketball at the Thomas Assembly Center – giving members their first opportunity of the season to cash in points for rewards.
A Program on the Rise
Blue Bloods enters year two coming off a breakout debut season. After registering over 1,100 students in year one, the university’s largest student organization is approaching 1,700 members after adding over 500 incoming freshmen who signed up during summer orientations. The program’s digital footprint has grown alongside it, with Blue Bloods now reaching more than 2,400 followers on Instagram and 1,300 on TikTok.
From the pep rally to the season opener and every Welcome Week stop in between, the message is the same: Blue Bloods isn’t something students watch from the outside – it’s something they’re part of from the moment they arrive on campus.
“What we saw in year one was students buying in – not just signing up, but showing up, scanning in, traveling with us,” said Kyle Kavanaugh, Senior Associate AD for External Affairs and Chief Brand Officer. “Going from where we started to more than 1,600 registered members, with 500 new freshmen already on board before classes even start, tells you the momentum is real. Year two is about giving that energy somewhere bigger to go.”
Refreshed Rewards Catalog
Blue Bloods members will also see a refreshed Loyal Blue Reward Points catalog this year, including:
Top point prizes: soundbar, dart board, and speakers
Louisiana Tech and Blue Bloods branded gear and swag
Bookstore and concessions discounts
Premium game day and suite experiences
Batting practice at J.C. Love Field
Travel with the football and basketball teams
Discounts and specials at participating Coaches Shows
Access to banquets and signature dinners, including Dinner on the Diamond, the First Pitch Dinner, the Hall of Fame Ceremony, and the Techspys
Exclusive ticket deals – discounted or free – for bowl games, conference tournaments, postseason access, and road athletic contests throughout the year
“Blue Bloods is about removing the barriers between our students and this program,” said Ryan Ivey, Vice President and Director of Athletics. “Every scan, every rally, every road trip is one more way for our students to get closer to their team. Year one showed us how much appetite there is for that access – year two is about delivering even more of it.”
Student access passes have already been emailed to registered students, who receive free admission to all LA Tech Athletic home events, and exclusive Blue Bloods digital passes will be sent out next week to all registered members. Questions regarding tickets or passes can be directed to the Louisiana Tech Ticket Office.
Students can register for Blue Bloods and begin earning Loyal Blue Reward Points at LATechSports.com/bluebloods.
Grambling State opened the 2026 football season in impressive fashion Saturday night, racing past Clark Atlanta 49-7 at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers scored 28 unanswered points in the first half and added three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for the convincing victory before 11,337 fans.
With the win, Grambling State opens the season 1-0, while Clark Atlanta falls to 0-1.
Grambling State’s offense piled up 487 total yards, including 223 rushing and 264 passing. The Tigers also produced 28 first downs and averaged 6.6 yards per play.
Quarterback Reginald Johnson provided an efficient performance in his season debut, completing 15 of 17 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson helped Grambling State establish control during the second quarter, completing several key passes on a 55-yard scoring drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown connection to Tyson George.
Johnson’s performance was part of a balanced Grambling State passing attack that finished 26 of 35 for 264 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
The Tigers wasted little time creating momentum.
Tony Phillips Jr. opened the scoring by returning the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. later found the end zone on offense, breaking loose for a 20-yard touchdown run with 14:54 remaining in the second quarter to give Grambling State a 14-0 lead.
George extended the advantage to 21-0 with his 11-yard touchdown reception from Johnson at the 7:47 mark of the second quarter.
Grambling State then put together one of its most impressive drives of the night, going 97 yards on 11 plays. Robinson capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Byron Eaton Jr. with 17 seconds remaining in the half.
The score gave the Tigers a 28-0 halftime advantage.
Clark Atlanta briefly cut into the deficit early in the third quarter when Xzavier Jackson connected with Chry’shawn Sellers on a 64-yard touchdown pass.
The Tigers, however, responded with a dominant fourth quarter.
Clyde McClendon Jr. opened the quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run with 13:53 remaining. Zerrick Jones followed with a 4-yard touchdown run at the 8:53 mark before D’Shaun Ford capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:42 remaining.
Grambling State outscored Clark Atlanta 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers’ rushing attack produced 223 yards on 39 attempts, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Andre Crews led the way with 50 yards on six carries, including a 37-yard run. Ford added 41 yards and a touchdown on six carries, while McClendon Jr. rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. finished with 21 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Jones added 16 yards and a score.
Through the air, Jordan Bride led all Grambling State receivers with seven catches for 72 yards. George also caught seven passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, while Kingston Jones recorded a 38-yard reception.
Grambling State’s defense limited Clark Atlanta to 224 yards of total offense, including just 94 rushing yards.
The Panthers managed only 10 first downs and converted 1 of 13 third-down attempts.
Jalen Guillard led the Tigers with five tackles and forced a fumble. Markeis Sykes recorded a sack, while Grambling State finished with four tackles for loss.
The Tigers also won the time-of-possession battle, 34:03 to 25:57.
Alexander Davis provided a strong performance in the punting game, averaging 44.8 yards on five punts with a long of 54 yards.
Phillips Jr.’s 89-yard kickoff return also gave the Tigers an early glimpse of their big-play ability on special teams.
Grambling State returns to action next weekend when it hosts Central State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium and will be streamed via SWAC TV.
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.
Riley Steubing (#4) celebrates following a point in Tech’s win over HCU.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
VOLLEYBALL
Louisiana Tech experienced both ends of the spectrum during the final two matches of the Jambalaya Jam, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Houston Christian on Saturday before falling in straight sets to Little Rock on Sunday at the Thomas Assembly Center.
The Bulldogs pulled off their first reverse sweep in 10 years Saturday with a 3-2 victory over Houston Christian, winning the final three sets 25-23, 30-28 and 15-12 after dropping the first two.
The victory improved Louisiana Tech to 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
“I am just full of pride watching what those kids accomplished,” Louisiana Tech coach Scott Mattera said. “I started feeling this way since the end of game four because no matter how this ended, I could not have been more proud of how they got back up and continued to fight.
“You can see the level of trust and love this team has in each other. The mix of veteran dependability and freshmen flashes are so special. It is just a super cool team to be a part of.”
Freshman Taylor Woods led a balanced Louisiana Tech attack against Houston Christian, joining Megan Cooley with a team-high 11 kills. Gabrielle Hairston, Kylie Rodriguez and Tyra McKinnie each added 10 as five Bulldogs reached double figures in kills in the same match for the first time since 2007 against Boise State.
Woods committed no attacking errors on 32 attempts and finished with a team-best .344 hitting percentage. Hairston hit .304.
After dropping the opening two sets, Louisiana Tech stayed alive with a 25-23 victory in the third. Woods recorded five kills while hitting .417 in the set, and Violet Morrandez contributed four blocks.
The Bulldogs then survived a marathon fourth set that featured 17 ties and seven lead changes. Louisiana Tech prevailed 30-28 to force a fifth set.
Tech carried the momentum into the deciding frame, winning 15-12. McKinnie recorded consecutive blocks, while Riley Steubing delivered two aces to help complete the comeback.
Steubing anchored the defense with a career-high 31 digs, the first 30-dig performance by a Bulldog in nearly three years. Cooley added 24 digs.
Sydnee Carter finished with 29 assists and Emerson Traylor added 22, marking only the second time in the past year that two Bulldogs recorded at least 20 assists in the same match.
The reverse sweep was Louisiana Tech’s first since Aug. 27, 2016, against Southeast Missouri.
The Bulldogs were unable to carry that momentum into Sunday’s tournament finale as Little Rock handed Tech its first loss of the season, 25-20, 25-22, 25-19.
Louisiana Tech held leads in all three sets but was unable to finish them off.
Tech built a 14-11 advantage in the opening set and later tied the score at 20 before Little Rock closed on a 5-0 run.
The Bulldogs fell behind 10-4 in the second set after the Trojans scored eight consecutive points but battled back to tie the set at 12. Little Rock eventually pulled away for the 25-22 victory.
Louisiana Tech led 15-11 in the third set before the Trojans responded with a 14-4 run to finish off the sweep.
“We faced some adversity today and came close on so many plays,” Mattera said. “It was the little things that kept us from finishing the play. It is part of the growing process and the learning experience. We have got a little more in us, and we are hungry to fix the little things. I am excited to get back in the gym with our kids.”
Woods once again led Louisiana Tech offensively with eight kills while adding 12 digs and five blocks. Hairston finished with six kills, while Morrandez had four kills without an error and hit .308.
Steubing recorded a team-high 16 digs, while Jenna Hehman and Woods added 12 each. Morrandez contributed four blocks.
Woods led Louisiana Tech in kills in all three matches during the Jambalaya Jam, averaging 2.64 kills per set. Carter led the Bulldogs in assists in each of the three matches.
Louisiana Tech (2-1) will return to action Thursday when the Bulldogs face Chicago State at 3 p.m. in the UNO Tourney in Omaha, Nebraska.
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SOCCER
Louisiana Tech scored twice in the opening 31 minutes and held off Stephen F. Austin for a 3-1 victory Sunday at SFA Soccer Field.
The Bulldogs improved to 2-2-1 with their second consecutive road victory, marking the first time since the COVID-19-adjusted 2020-21 season that LA Tech has won back-to-back nonconference road matches.
It was also the Bulldogs’ first victory at Stephen F. Austin after entering Sunday’s match 0-3 all-time in Nacogdoches.
Freshman Juliette Starck gave LA Tech an early advantage, scoring her first collegiate goal in the fifth minute off an assist from Abby Hanton.
The Bulldogs doubled their lead in the 31st minute when Madison Pensom scored her team-leading third goal of the season. Starck started the scoring opportunity with a pass to Hanton on the right side of the box. Hanton sent a first-touch cross to Pensom, who knocked it into the net for a 2-0 advantage.
LA Tech carried the two-goal lead into halftime, its first multi-goal halftime advantage since leading Nicholls 4-1 on Sept. 7, 2023.
Reagan Roberts extended the lead to 3-0 in the 54th minute, scoring from outside the penalty area off a pass from Brielle Buchanan. It was Roberts’ second goal of the season and third of her career, while Buchanan recorded her first assist as a Bulldog.
Stephen F. Austin (1-4) got on the scoreboard in the 65th minute when a cross deflected off an LA Tech defender and into the net.
The Bulldogs were forced to finish the match shorthanded after receiving a red card with just over 10 minutes remaining, but they kept the Ladyjacks from pulling any closer.
“It was another gutsy performance,” LA Tech coach Matt Lodge said. “We scored early and were on the front foot for a lot of the game. I think we could’ve scored a couple more, but we will take a win and move on.
“A missed penalty, an own goal, a red card — we did it all and still found a way to secure the win. Two great wins on the road this week against two good opponents, who both beat us last year. I’m very proud of my team and my staff, and we are excited to play back at home Thursday.”
Roberts led LA Tech with a career-high four shots, while Pensom and Starck had three apiece.
Hanton finished with two assists, becoming the first Bulldog with multiple assists in a match since Peyton Wiseman against UTEP on Sept. 19, 2025. Hanton has recorded an assist in consecutive matches, the first LA Tech player to accomplish that since Pensom did so last season.
Freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Lorkowski earned her second victory of the season. SFA finished with 18 shots, the most LA Tech has allowed in a road victory since New Mexico State recorded 22 on Oct. 11, 2025.
LA Tech returns home Thursday to begin a three-match homestand against McNeese at Robert Mack Caruthers Field. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Glen Erroll Neaville Sep 4, 1935 — Aug 27, 2026 Visitation: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Funeral Service: Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 10:00 am, Salem Churc, 11793 Hwy 151, Dubach Burial: Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 11:00 am, Salem Cemetery, 11793 Louisiana 151, Dubach
Ellen Doss Rogers Feb 8, 1942 — Aug 27, 2026 Visitation: New Prospect Baptist Church, Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 10:00 – 11:15 am Funeral Service: New Prospect Baptist Church, Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 11:00 am Burial: Unionville Cemetery, Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 11:30 am
Dorothy A. Parker Friday 03/01/1957 — Friday 08/21/2026 Visitation: Friday 09/04/2026 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 09/05/2026 11:00am at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Saturday 09/05/2026 Following Service, Bonner Cemetery, Ruston
Kathy Jordan July 16, 1964 — Aug 25, 2026 Visitation: Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, Monday, August 31, 2026, 12:30 – 2:00 pm Funeral Service: Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, Monday, August 31, 2026, 2:00 pm Burial: Simsboro City Cemetery, Monday, August 31, 2026, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Grambling State opened the 2026 football season in impressive fashion Saturday night, racing past Clark Atlanta 49-7 at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers scored 28 unanswered points in the first half and added three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for the convincing victory before 11,337 fans.
With the win, Grambling State opens the season 1-0, while Clark Atlanta falls to 0-1.
Grambling State’s offense piled up 487 total yards, including 223 rushing and 264 passing. The Tigers also produced 28 first downs and averaged 6.6 yards per play.
Quarterback Reginald Johnson provided an efficient performance in his season debut, completing 15 of 17 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Johnson helped Grambling State establish control during the second quarter, completing several key passes on a 55-yard scoring drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown connection to Tyson George.
Johnson’s performance was part of a balanced Grambling State passing attack that finished 26 of 35 for 264 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
The Tigers wasted little time creating momentum.
Tony Phillips Jr. opened the scoring by returning the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. later found the end zone on offense, breaking loose for a 20-yard touchdown run with 14:54 remaining in the second quarter to give Grambling State a 14-0 lead.
George extended the advantage to 21-0 with his 11-yard touchdown reception from Johnson at the 7:47 mark of the second quarter.
Grambling State then put together one of its most impressive drives of the night, going 97 yards on 11 plays. Robinson capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Byron Eaton Jr. with 17 seconds remaining in the half.
The score gave the Tigers a 28-0 halftime advantage.
Clark Atlanta briefly cut into the deficit early in the third quarter when Xzavier Jackson connected with Chry’shawn Sellers on a 64-yard touchdown pass.
The Tigers, however, responded with a dominant fourth quarter.
Clyde McClendon Jr. opened the quarter with a 21-yard touchdown run with 13:53 remaining. Zerrick Jones followed with a 4-yard touchdown run at the 8:53 mark before D’Shaun Ford capped the scoring with a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:42 remaining.
Grambling State outscored Clark Atlanta 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers’ rushing attack produced 223 yards on 39 attempts, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Andre Crews led the way with 50 yards on six carries, including a 37-yard run. Ford added 41 yards and a touchdown on six carries, while McClendon Jr. rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown.
Phillips Jr. finished with 21 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Jones added 16 yards and a score.
Through the air, Jordan Bride led all Grambling State receivers with seven catches for 72 yards. George also caught seven passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, while Kingston Jones recorded a 38-yard reception.
Grambling State’s defense limited Clark Atlanta to 224 yards of total offense, including just 94 rushing yards.
The Panthers managed only 10 first downs and converted 1 of 13 third-down attempts.
Jalen Guillard led the Tigers with five tackles and forced a fumble. Markeis Sykes recorded a sack, while Grambling State finished with four tackles for loss.
The Tigers also won the time-of-possession battle, 34:03 to 25:57.
Alexander Davis provided a strong performance in the punting game, averaging 44.8 yards on five punts with a long of 54 yards.
Phillips Jr.’s 89-yard kickoff return also gave the Tigers an early glimpse of their big-play ability on special teams.
Grambling State returns to action next weekend when it hosts Central State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium and will be streamed via SWAC TV.
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MONROE, La. — Ruston needed only 24 offensive plays to score seven touchdowns Saturday night, closing the 2026 Bayou Jamb with a 49-14 win over Evangel Christian Academy at Malone Stadium.
Junior running back Dalen Powell carried 10 times for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the two 12-minute halves, breaking a 78-yard run for the game’s final score. The Bearcats averaged 14.1 yards per play, gained 338 yards on those 24 snaps and scored on seven of their nine possessions while holding the ball for less than 10 minutes.
“I thought our kids came out ready to play,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “I think they were excited to get out here, and it’s as close to a game simulation as what you can get. We talked about that, talked about their preparation, making sure that we went through the steps that you need to if it were a real game, and I thought our kids did a really good job.”
Powell opened the scoring with a 20-yard run and added a 38-yarder later in the first half. Baugh credited the blocking in front of him, then the running back’s own weight.
“I thought our offensive line did good leaning on those guys, giving him some holes,” Baugh said. “They know that if we don’t have any bust and we get in front of some guys, that Dalen, it doesn’t take much space to be able to get through there. I was really pleased with how heavy he ran. Breaking some tackles and the yards after the first contact was a really big deal. And Dalen’s getting bigger, he’s getting a bigger body and all that. That’s what I really did like to see out of him.”
Ruston finished with 235 rushing yards on 19 attempts and five rushing touchdowns. Senior Kohl Gray scored from 11 yards out and senior Davis DeMoss punched one in from a yard. Senior quarterback Sam Hartwell was perfect on the night, completing all five of his attempts for 103 yards and two touchdowns — an 8-yarder to senior tight end Ahmad Hudson to close the first half and a 33-yarder to senior Josiah Morgan to open the second. Morgan caught three passes for 87 yards. Senior Joaquin Ramos made all seven extra points.
The Bearcats defense kept senior Evangel quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston, the LSU commit Baugh had spent the week describing as a two-way problem, in front of it for most of the night. Houston completed 18-of-30 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown with an interception, and Ruston sacked him twice. Evangel finished with 17 net rushing yards, turned the ball over twice and did not reach the end zone through the air until Houston found Derrick Berry for 54 yards in the second half. Houston’s 26-yard run was the Eagles’ only first-half score.
Junior Aidan Adams led Ruston with three tackles and a sack. Senior Jerron Albritton added a sack, senior Jayden Anding intercepted a pass and senior Kadyn Gray recovered a fumble.
Baugh’s takeaway heading into Friday’s opener against Neville had nothing to do with the scoreboard.
“I don’t think we’re in as good a shape as what we need to be in,” Baugh said. “We’re going to have to push ourselves in practice, and it’s hard to get out and just run. We’ve got to build some stuff in practice, which we do.”
The short jamboree format, he said, hid a problem that a full game will not.
“If we’re having to take a bunch of snaps on offense and defense next week, we’re going to get gassed on one side of the ball,” Baugh said. “So hopefully our offense can keep the ball away from Neville as best we can to give our defense some breaks at times. But at the end of the day, this time of year, that’s what has some growing pains.”
Ruston opens the regular season at home against Neville on Sept. 4, the 101st meeting between the schools.
MONROE, La. — High school football season is back, and Ruston High will close out the 2026 Bayou Jamb on Saturday night, drawing Evangel Christian Academy in the last of eight jamboree games at Malone Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Bearcats get two 15-minute halves against one of the state’s most decorated programs a week before opening the regular season at home against Neville. For Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh, now in his 10th season leading the program, the value of the night is diagnostic rather than competitive.
“I think this will be really kind of similar to what it’s been the past few years for the jamboree — playing a really good football team,” Baugh said. “It’ll give us a great indication of where we are going into week one.”
That indication, he expects, will come with a list attached.
“You would hope to go out and play well to give you a good feeling going into week one, but we know we still got a lot of things to continue to work on,” Baugh said. “They’ll let us know what those things are and where we are at this point on getting those things corrected. We just got to keep our head down and continue to work day to day and see where we land on Saturday.”
The team on the other sideline is built around Peyton “Pop” Houston, a senior quarterback who set a Louisiana Class 5A single-season passing record as a sophomore and is rated among the top quarterbacks nationally in his class. Baugh’s concern is not the highlight reel of Houston escaping the pocket — it is what happens after he escapes it.
“I think a lot of people may think that he’s a guy that just scatters out of there and runs. You see those highlights of him just running out of there,” Baugh said. “But he’s looking to throw the ball if he gets on the run in the pocket, and that’s the thing that makes it most dangerous. If he does decide to run, you can’t hardly get your hands on him to get him tackled, so you’re going to have to tackle really well whenever he does get out of the pocket.”
Houston will also throw on the move, sometimes with the ball nearly at the line of scrimmage, which puts defensive backs in a bind.
“It makes it really difficult for people to decide, are they going to come out of coverage and make a move on him, are they going to continue to stay in coverage,” Baugh said. “He can make some throws that you just don’t see a high school quarterback be able to make. Most of the time there’s guys that are scramblers that are really looking to run the football and you can kind of defend that a little bit better. Or if you know they’re always trying to throw the ball, that’s a little bit easier to defend. But if they do both really well, it’s tough to decide how you want to handle that.”
Ruston will not have a full scout and game plan for Evangel by design heading into the game as they would if it were during the regular season. Baugh said the Bearcats will run base offense and defense and treat the sideline as the point of the exercise.
“That’ll be a great opportunity for us to run some base offense and defense versus the things that they do, get some coaching on the sideline, make some corrections and run back out there,” Baugh said. “See if they can take that coaching and make some corrections without getting frustrated and make some positive things happen.”
That is also his measure of success, and it follows a week in which the coaching staff deliberately went quiet. Baugh said coaches normally spend practice signaling calls and then correcting alignment on the fly — scoot up, scoot over, you’re in the wrong spot. This week they stopped.
“It was pretty quiet after they made the calls, and we let the kids see what they know,” Baugh said. “Just trying to make them comfortable without coaches constantly having to correct them and get them in the right spaces. It’s kind of throwing the ball in their court and making them have to do things themselves and communicate on their own without coaches leading that. It was a test for the coaches too, to be quiet during practice.”
The Saturday date compresses Ruston’s runway into the Sept. 4 opener against Neville, the 101st meeting between the schools in the historic rivalry.
“I’m not real pumped up about the Saturday game necessarily, but it’s nice to be able to play in the Bayou Jamb one way or the other,” Baugh said. “It kind of puts us behind, I guess, in our preparation for Neville. But at the end of the day, we know Neville, and they know us. The kids play them in junior high and freshmen ball, so they’re familiar with them and what they do.”
Evangel opens its regular season against West Monroe.
Campbell Woodard (#7) kicked a 20 yard field goal to beat D’Arbonne Woods 16-13 Friday night. (photo by Tm Smith)
by Tim Smith
Cedar Creek kicker Campbell Woodard drilled a 20-yard field goal with one tick left on the clock to seal a 16-13 victory over the D’Arbonne Woods Timberwolves in the third act of Friday’s jamboree at Cedar Creek’s Origin Bank Stadium.
Cougar head coach Jacob Angevine was elated with the victory.
“That’s Weapon X,” Angevine said with a smile, referring to Woodard. “We were counting on him last year as a freshman to be our kicker, but he got injured in a JV game and his season got derailed.
“We practice setting up the game-winning field goal, and we went through it twice yesterday and he missed both attempts. But he came to me and said, ‘Coach, I will make the next one.’”
The Cougars were offensive-minded from the start against D’Arbonne Woods, winning the toss and electing to receive. Good kick coverage by the T-Wolves left senior quarterback Brett Bell and the Cougars starting from their own 11.
Bell faked a handoff to Liam Durrett and kept the ball himself, slashing his way to the 25 for a 14-yard gain. On third-and-4 from the 31, Bell kept again and escaped for 26 yards down the home sideline. Two plays later, Bell exploded around the right side of the T-Wolves defense and took it 35 yards to the end zone. Woodard added the point after.
The Cougar defense held the Timberwolves on their first possession, forcing a punt. Cedar Creek’s Payton Harris muffed the punt, giving D’Arbonne Woods great field position at the Cougar 16-yard line. The Timberwolves needed just three plays to score, tying the game at 7-7.
After receiving a short kickoff, the Cougars took over at their own 45. Cedar Creek sophomore Payton Harris ripped off a run for 15 yards on the first play of the series. On the next play, Bell gave it to Harris again, who bounced off multiple defenders and squirted free for a 40-yard TD. The point after failed, but the Cougars led 13-7.
On the Timberwolves’ first play of the next series, Case Phillips appeared to have an interception and a return run inside the 10-yard line. The play was overturned on a pass interference penalty, erasing the interception. The Timberwolves mounted a sustained drive capped off by a 19-yard touchdown pass. The T-Wolves mishandled the extra-point attempt, leaving the game tied at 13 with just over a minute left on the clock.
After a short kick, the Cougars began their drive at their own 39. Bell took the snap and tucked the ball securely in the hands of Payton Harris, whom Angevine refers to as “lightning in a bottle.” Before we could hear the thunder, Harris had slipped through the light-blinded defense and ripped off 33 yards, going out of bounds at the D’Arbonne 28-yard line. Harris got the pigskin again on the next play and was tackled at the 20. With the clock ticking down and only one timeout left, Bell handed the ball to Liam Durrett, who muscled his way to the 8-yard line as Angevine scrambled down the sideline to call timeout.
With one second on the clock, the Cougars sent out kicker Campbell Woodard to attempt the 25-yard field goal to win the game. The Timberwolves jumped offside just as the ball was snapped, and the penalty moved the ball to the 3, the exact place from which an extra point is attempted. Woodard showed no sign of nerves as he methodically punched it perfectly through the middle of the uprights for the win.
“I got full belief in that kid,” Angevine said of Woodard.
Angevine talked a little about his playmakers in Bell and Harris.
“He’s special,” Angevine said, referring to Bell. “I kinda like him being greedy and taking the ball. He knows he can pitch it, or get the yards himself. It’s OK, he just wants to win.
“(Payton) was upset with himself about missing that punt, but he went out and made up for it.”
Harris made up for it in a very big way.
“Ripping off a couple of very big runs there at the end,” Angevine said. “He was our guy last year, and he is our guy this year. He had something to prove, and he did it.”
The night began with the Cougars facing the Spartans of Class 2A Caldwell Parish High in what would be the first of three 15-minute contests. The Cougars started slow … again, much to the chagrin of head coach Jacob Angevine, who has noted that his young team has struggled in the early minutes of games, going all the way back to last season.
The offense could not quite find a way to break free from a big and tough Spartan defense. The Cougar defense, on the other hand, held the Spartans to a single, hard-fought touchdown, dropping the game 7-0.
When the Cougars took to the field again in the final stanza against their Union Parish neighbors, they didn’t look like the same team that played only minutes before.
Caldwell also defeated D’Arbonne Woods 7-0 in the second game, setting the stage for the final battle.
Lincoln Prep quarterback Jabari Levingson (1) is pictured looking for running room. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Preparatory School football coach Chaunce Davison got exactly what he hoped for Friday night as his Panthers picked up a pair of single-quarter jamboree wins by the score of 6-0 each over Arcadia and General Trass.
Madison (Parish) High School had been scheduled to join in on the preseason warm-up but called Davison earlier Friday and said it wasn’t going to participate.
“They called today and said they weren’t coming, so we had to adjust,” Davison said. “Arcadia and General Trass were good with the adjustments, so it all worked out.”
Earlier this week, Davison had expressed his desire to see a clean game from his team, and after the Panthers’ second jamboree “game” against Arcadia, Davison said he was more than satisfied with what he saw from his team.
“I was just happy about us lining up and doing things right,” Davison said. “That was one of my big things — lining up right on defense. And I think that worked out for us — helped us. When we’re lined up right, we just play better. That’s just part of the game.”
The Panthers roared out of the gate in their opening game against General Trass, with Jakaylon Armstrong taking a handoff for 20 yards on their first snap of the game.
Lincoln Prep quarterback Jabari Levingston then connected with Karmelo Goins on a 30-yard pass to set up a 10-yard scoring scamper by Armstrong on the next play that gave the Panthers a 6-0 advantage only 1:07 into the quarter, with the point-after pass attempt falling incomplete.
“Armstrong is a big-time player,” Davison said. “He just doesn’t know it yet. But if he just keeps working. Those yards he makes after contact — he’s just so low to the ground (5-6 in stature) and to his credit, he uses that natural leverage he has. He runs strong. He gets after it. I love to see him run.”
On its ensuing drive, General Trass drove as deep as the Lincoln Prep 24-yard line before Goins picked off a Hornets pass to give the ball back to Lincoln Prep.
“Melo caught that thing and went to work,” Davison said. “I love him. I love my players. When they come out and give good energy, I want that.”
It looked like Lincoln Prep would get off to another fast start in its second “game” of the night against Arcadia when, after an 11-yard run by Howard Kirkpatrick, Levingston broke loose while scrambling and took it 59 yards for what looked like a score only 27 seconds into the game.
But a block-in-the-back penalty brought the ball back, and three plays later, the Panthers turned it over on a bad shotgun snap that rolled well wide of the quarterback.
Arcadia drove to within scoring position on the ensuing drive, but a fourth-and-nine completed pass from the Panthers’ 25-yard line failed to gain any yardage, turning the ball back over to Lincoln Prep.
A pair of personal foul calls against the Panthers helped that Arcadia drive into potential scoring territory.
“One of those flags was on me,” Davison said. “We can’t make those foolish penalties. But I made one tonight. I’m going to have to get some running in on Monday to make up for that.”
Armstrong then gained 33 yards on three straight runs, with Levingston running wide right for a 17-yard gain to the Arcadia 26-yard line.
Then, on a fourth-and-nine from the Hornets’ 25, Levingston hit receiver Jaylon Lyons on a crossing route, with Lyons turning on the jets to race in for the score with 4:10 remaining.
On Arcadia’s next drive, Levingston picked off a pass and returned it to the Arcadia 24-yard line before the Hornets returned the favor by picking off a Levingston pass on the next play.
Davison credited the play of Lincoln Prep’s offensive line for what he felt was a strong night for his Panthers.
“We had some missed assignments on the O-line,” Davison said. “We need to know how to and do exactly what we’re supposed to be doing. But it’s early. The regular season hasn’t started yet, so I’m still proud of them.”
Davison said he also saw some things his Panthers need to work on before next week’s season opener at Delhi.
“We’ve got a lot of things to clean up,” Davison said. “We need to wrap up on tackles — just make sure that we gang-tackle with everybody flying to the football. We want that all the time.”
