Grambling State running back Byron Eaton Jr. and the Tigers take on Clark-Atlanta on Saturday. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
by T. Scott Boatright
Grambling State coach Mickey Joseph is keeping both Tigers fans and Clark Atlanta guessing as to who will be behind center to start Saturday’s season opener, set for a 6 p.m. kickoff inside Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.
Transfers Jakobe Robinson from Southern Mississippi and RJ Johnson from Florida A&M via UMass have spent preseason practices battling Ashton Frye and Hayden Benoit, who both started games at quarterback for the G-Men last season.
“We’re going to make sure we find the right guy,” Joseph said. “Bruce Eugene is in there as a new quarterbacks coach. He’s doing a really good job about putting them on paper. We’re going to let the numbers tell us who goes out there first.
“Just because you go out there first doesn’t mean we’re not going to play two quarterbacks. What if Ashton Frye runs out there first because that package is the package we start with? Remember with me, starting is just one play. I can put you in to start because you want to start, and then I’ll take you out the rest of the game. You gotta be willing to help us win games.
“That might mean you’re going in the third series. Right now, I know a lot of people said I said Jakobe will go out there first. He might. Ashton might go out there first. RJ might go out there first. Hayden Benoit might go out there first. Schylar Turnbull might go out there first. We don’t know. But we’re going to do what is best for this team.”
Joseph admits he’s also still guessing what his Tigers will see out of Clark Atlanta. Grambling and Clark Atlanta have met once before, with the Tigers earning a 31-20 win in 2017 in a game played at Soldier Field in Chicago.
“Right now, we don’t have a whole bunch of film on them because they’ve just gotten there,” Joseph said. “So right now, we have to depend on our rules about how we’re going to defend zone reads, how we’re going to defend counter, how we’re going to attack quarters.”
Joseph admits season openers offer many more questions these days than they did in the past.
“Nobody’s been tackling,” Joseph said. “It’s not back in the days where you woke up to tackle. These kids wake up to play seven-on-seven and play finesse football. So, we’re going to see if you want to take on blocks, and we want to see if you want to be gap integrity.”
Joseph has had his players focus on four-minute offense and two-minute defense in fall camp after falling in two of their five losses by only one point during a season in which the Tigers posted a 7-5 record.
“We put them in a lot of four-minute offense,” Joseph said. “We put the defense in a lot of two-minute drives. With the four-minute, don’t give the ball back to them. We got to get a first down. But we got to figure out as a head coach and a coaching staff what personnel needs to be out there.”
One thing there’s no question about is that Joseph wants his Tigers to run the ball, with as many as seven running backs expected to contribute.
“We want to run the ball,” Joseph said. “The only way you can pass is by establishing a solid run game first. Today the start of the scrimmage was scripted for 18 straight run plays. We had some good run plays. But we have to stop the run on defense, too. Today the defense gave up some runs they don’t normally give up. We know they can rush the passer, but we’ve got to have gap integrity.”
Junior Tony Phillips (5-7, 150) had the best preseason performance among GSU’s running backs.
“Tony is probably one of the toughest guys on our team pound-for-pound,” Joseph said. “He’s not very big, but he’s a tough Chicago kid. He believes in us and we believe in Tony. We know Tony can do some special things. Tony might run sometimes where he shouldn’t be. He probably shouldn’t run in that (inside) gap, but we trust Tony.
“He runs with his eyes and he makes that work. Tony can’t do anything but get better. He’s one of the toughest kids on the team. He doesn’t back down from anybody. He plays big. He reminds me of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but he’s faster. He’s small, but he plays like he’s 6-foot, and that’s what I like about Tony.”
Taylor Woods led Tech with 10 kills in her collegiate debut. (photo by Gabe Walker)
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech opened the 2026 volleyball season in impressive fashion Friday night, sweeping Iona 3-0 inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
The Bulldogs used a balanced offensive attack and a strong defensive effort to earn the 25-19, 25-22, 25-18 victory in the first meeting between the two programs.
Tech finished with 41 kills and a .189 hitting percentage while holding Iona to 25 kills and a .025 hitting percentage.
Freshmen led the way offensively for the Bulldogs, accounting for their top three kill totals. Taylor Woods recorded a match-high 10 kills, Kylie Rodriguez added nine and Tyra McKinnie finished with seven. McKinnie hit a team-best .375.
“To come out and beat a solid team, especially in three, was great,” Tech coach Scott Mattera said. “Everyone contributed and had moments to show what we are capable of. Brought in six freshmen and are proud of them. Really proud of how our older players have embraced them and prepared them.”
Louisiana Tech had to overcome an early deficit in the opening set after Iona built a 12-6 advantage. The Bulldogs responded with 12 consecutive points to turn the six-point deficit into an 18-12 lead.
Tech maintained control from there to take the opening set 25-19. The Bulldogs hit .245 in the set and recorded 17 kills compared to nine for the Gaels.
The second set was the most competitive of the match.
After again falling behind early, Tech battled back and pulled even at 21-21. Rodriguez followed with a kill to put the Bulldogs in front before two Iona errors and a Woods kill helped Tech close out a 25-22 victory and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Bulldogs took control of the third set with a 10-3 run after the teams were tied midway through the frame. Gabrielle Hairston eventually delivered the match-clinching kill to complete the sweep.
Sydnee Carter directed the Tech offense with 20 assists and added 10 digs for the Bulldogs’ first double-double of the season.
Riley Steubing led the defensive effort with a match-high 20 digs, marking the eighth time in her career she has reached that total. Megan Cooley added 12 digs, six kills and one ace as Tech totaled 62 digs and six blocks.
Mattera credited Tech’s veterans with helping steady a young Bulldogs team when needed.
“When things were going south, Megan Cooley reined us in,” Mattera said. “Riley Steubing is so reliable in that libero jersey. These girls have come together and trust each other so much. It is special to see how they bounce back.”
The Bulldogs continue their season-opening tournament Saturday when they face Houston Christian at 4 p.m. inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
Funeral services for Ruby Lee Weekly Billups will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM at New Rocky Valley Baptist Church in Grambling. She passed on August 21, 2026 in Minden, LA.
Mrs. Ruby Lee Weekly Billups, the daughter of the late Rodney Weekly and the former Susie Jones, was born on September 5, 1930 on Forrest Plantation in Concordia Parish. In 1947, she graduated Valedictorian of her high school class – Concordia Training School in Vidalia, LA and arrived in Grambling just five days after turning 17 years old. She began working in the Registrar’s Office as a student her freshman year. In May of 1951, she graduated magna cum laude from Grambling College with her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. The day after her graduation, she began permanent employment in the Registrar’s Office as Assistant Registrar. Because of her work ethic, professionalism, leadership skills and integrity, and upon Mr. William Garner’s retirement, she was named Registrar in 1964 and became one of the first female administrators at Grambling College.
While working in the Registrar’s Office, Mrs. Billups continued her education and received her Master of Arts degree in Higher Education from New York University in 1955 and completed further study at LSU in Baton Rouge. She was employed in the Registrar’s Office for 35 years serving as Assistant Registrar for 13 years and Registrar for 22 years. She also served as a part-time Assistant Professor of Education. Mrs. Billups was a dedicated employee of the University until her retirement in July 1986 and received the honor of Registrar Emeritus in 1989.
During her tenure at Grambling State University, Mrs. Billups was known as a firm, but fair professional who believed that good documentation was the key to accurate record-keeping. Her dedication to students is still remembered and echoed in the voices of Grambling alumni. In her own words, she always said, “I was just doing my job.”
Mrs. Billups accepted Christ in 1943 and united with the Young’s Chapel Baptist Church in Vidalia, LA. She joined the New Rocky Valley Baptist Church in 1957 where she served in various positions including an Usher, Deaconess, the Board of Christian Education, Vacation Bible School Registrar, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee, and Chairperson of the Pastor’s Aid Committee. In March 2025, she was honored with the dedication of the Ruby Lee Weekly Billups Blessing Store and honored as a Platinum Member this year.
Mrs. Billups holds the following memberships and distinctions: GSU Hall of Fame (1987 inductee); the Grambling Unit of Retired Teachers where she served as president for six years; the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO); the GSU Drum Major for Justice Award Recipient in 2006; the Greater Grambling Chamber of Commerce Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Education Award in 2014; a City of Grambling Legends Walk of Fame Honoree in 2018. Mrs. Billups was a Charter Member of Alpha Theta Chapter (GSU) and Epsilon Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated as well as a Life Member. She celebrated 75 years of membership and became a Diamond Member on April 7, 2026. She has also received numerous other awards and recognitions.
Mrs. Billups is preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, the late Reverend Oliver Will Billups, whom she met at Grambling College and was also a 1951 Elementary Education graduate; her sister, Corine Weekly Harris; her brother, Percy Weekly; and stepdaughter, Geraldine Billups Richardson (Oliver).
To cherish her memory, she leaves her son, Rodney Claude Billups (Rita), daughter, Susan Billups Wiley (Robert), and bonus stepson, Oliver W. Billups, Jr. (Ruby). However, more importantly, Mrs. Billups was the proud grandmother of Bridget, Ashley, Chauncey, Chelsea (Joseph), and Kayla; and precious great-grandmother of “MoMo’s babies,” Rylin and Robert, III. She was also the proud grandmother of three step grandchildren, Barbara (Norman), Monica and Oliver, III (Chandra); seven step great grandchildren, and two step great-great grandchildren; godsons, Nathanial Carter and Hector Hagan; goddaughter, Lyn Simmons; dear cousins, nieces, and nephews. A trailblazer in her own right, Mrs. Ruby Lee Weekly Billups was a dear friend to many, neighbor, mentor, and maternal role model to others. She touched the lives of so many Gramblinites and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. However, her legacy will forever be remembered!
The family is very grateful for all the loving care provided by our caregivers who helped take care of our Mom in her home, the doctors, nurses and medical team of Minden Medical Center, Phillips Family Medicine, Reflected Grace, Elara Caring Home Health and Lincoln Council on Aging.
The Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:00-8:30 AM at New Rocky Valley Baptist Church. Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:30 – 9:55 AM at New Rocky Valley Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the
Ruby Billups Standard of Excellence Endowed Scholarship
Beverly Waldrop Carroll January 30, 1939 – August 27, 2026 Visitation: Sunday, August 30, 2026, 1:00PM – 2:00PM, Kilpatrick Funeral Home Service: Sunday, August 30, 2026, 2:00PM, Kilpatrick Funeral Home Final Resting Place: Kilpatrick’s Memorial Gardens, 1270 Highway 544, Ruston
Mary Ann Thurman Willis Monday 11/07/1960 — Friday 08/21/2026 Visitation: Friday 08/28/2026 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 08/29/2026 11:00am, Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ, 1405 South Farmerville Street, Ruston Interment: Saturday 08/29/2026 Following Service, New Prosperity Cemetery, Clay
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
Minor Brooks Sunday 01/14/1940 — Friday 08/21/2026 Private burial
Jessie Thompson Tuesday 05/30/1939 — Wednesday 08/19/2026 Funeral Service: Saturday 08/29/2026 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Saturday 08/29/2026, Springhill Church Cemetery, Dicks Store Road, Simsboro
Gloria Parker Friday 09/04/1942 — Wednesday 08/12/2026 Funeral Service: Saturday 08/29/2026 11:00am at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Saturday 08/29/2026 Following Service, China Grove Cemetery, 699 Mondy Road, Grambling
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
Funeral services for Ruby Lee Weekly Billups will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM at New Rocky Valley Baptist Church in Grambling. She passed on August 21, 2026 in Minden, LA.
Mrs. Ruby Lee Weekly Billups, the daughter of the late Rodney Weekly and the former Susie Jones, was born on September 5, 1930 on Forrest Plantation in Concordia Parish. In 1947, she graduated Valedictorian of her high school class – Concordia Training School in Vidalia, LA and arrived in Grambling just five days after turning 17 years old. She began working in the Registrar’s Office as a student her freshman year. In May of 1951, she graduated magna cum laude from Grambling College with her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. The day after her graduation, she began permanent employment in the Registrar’s Office as Assistant Registrar. Because of her work ethic, professionalism, leadership skills and integrity, and upon Mr. William Garner’s retirement, she was named Registrar in 1964 and became one of the first female administrators at Grambling College.
While working in the Registrar’s Office, Mrs. Billups continued her education and received her Master of Arts degree in Higher Education from New York University in 1955 and completed further study at LSU in Baton Rouge. She was employed in the Registrar’s Office for 35 years serving as Assistant Registrar for 13 years and Registrar for 22 years. She also served as a part-time Assistant Professor of Education. Mrs. Billups was a dedicated employee of the University until her retirement in July 1986 and received the honor of Registrar Emeritus in 1989.
During her tenure at Grambling State University, Mrs. Billups was known as a firm, but fair professional who believed that good documentation was the key to accurate record-keeping. Her dedication to students is still remembered and echoed in the voices of Grambling alumni. In her own words, she always said, “I was just doing my job.”
Mrs. Billups accepted Christ in 1943 and united with the Young’s Chapel Baptist Church in Vidalia, LA. She joined the New Rocky Valley Baptist Church in 1957 where she served in various positions including an Usher, Deaconess, the Board of Christian Education, Vacation Bible School Registrar, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee, and Chairperson of the Pastor’s Aid Committee. In March 2025, she was honored with the dedication of the Ruby Lee Weekly Billups Blessing Store and honored as a Platinum Member this year.
Mrs. Billups holds the following memberships and distinctions: GSU Hall of Fame (1987 inductee); the Grambling Unit of Retired Teachers where she served as president for six years; the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO); the GSU Drum Major for Justice Award Recipient in 2006; the Greater Grambling Chamber of Commerce Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Education Award in 2014; a City of Grambling Legends Walk of Fame Honoree in 2018. Mrs. Billups was a Charter Member of Alpha Theta Chapter (GSU) and Epsilon Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated as well as a Life Member. She celebrated 75 years of membership and became a Diamond Member on April 7, 2026. She has also received numerous other awards and recognitions.
Mrs. Billups is preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, the late Reverend Oliver Will Billups, whom she met at Grambling College and was also a 1951 Elementary Education graduate; her sister, Corine Weekly Harris; her brother, Percy Weekly; and stepdaughter, Geraldine Billups Richardson (Oliver).
To cherish her memory, she leaves her son, Rodney Claude Billups (Rita), daughter, Susan Billups Wiley (Robert), and bonus stepson, Oliver W. Billups, Jr. (Ruby). However, more importantly, Mrs. Billups was the proud grandmother of Bridget, Ashley, Chauncey, Chelsea (Joseph), and Kayla; and precious great-grandmother of “MoMo’s babies,” Rylin and Robert, III. She was also the proud grandmother of three step grandchildren, Barbara (Norman), Monica and Oliver, III (Chandra); seven step great grandchildren, and two step great-great grandchildren; godsons, Nathanial Carter and Hector Hagan; goddaughter, Lyn Simmons; dear cousins, nieces, and nephews. A trailblazer in her own right, Mrs. Ruby Lee Weekly Billups was a dear friend to many, neighbor, mentor, and maternal role model to others. She touched the lives of so many Gramblinites and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. However, her legacy will forever be remembered!
The family is very grateful for all the loving care provided by our caregivers who helped take care of our Mom in her home, the doctors, nurses and medical team of Minden Medical Center, Phillips Family Medicine, Reflected Grace, Elara Caring Home Health and Lincoln Council on Aging.
The Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:00-8:30 AM at New Rocky Valley Baptist Church. Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:30 – 9:55 AM at New Rocky Valley Baptist Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the
Ruby Billups Standard of Excellence Endowed Scholarship
Two existing Ruston businesses are expanding their operations following action taken Thursday night by the Ruston Board of Aldermen.
During a special-called meeting at Ruston City Hall, the budget was also adopted for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026, and ending September 30, 2027.
“We do this during August so that we can introduce our budget, which will be coming up in September, September 14th, when we’re meeting,” said Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker.
No action was taken on the budget Thursday. Walker said the proposed spending plan will be discussed at the council’s Sept. 14 meeting.
However, the main order of business was that aldermen unanimously approved two cooperative endeavor agreements that will allow the city to sell separate pieces of property to businesses planning expansions.
The first involves Reaper Boats LLC and approximately 18 acres of the former city power plant property on McDonald Avenue. City Attorney Bill Carter said the property has a long history with the city, but the building located there has been vacant for a number of years.
“The Reaper Boats group plans to come in, renovate the building and possibly construct some additional improvements on the property, all in connection with a boat manufacturing business,” Carter told aldermen.
Reaper Boats is currently operating out of the former Hart Electric building in Ruston and will move at least part of its operation to the McDonald Avenue property. Walker recognized Zach Randall of Reaper Boats, who attended Thursday’s meeting along with members of his staff.
“We build aluminum hunting, fishing boats, as well as future outdoor products is what we’re looking into as well,” Randall said.
Carter said the project will put the vacant property back into productive use while generating property and sales tax revenue and maintaining jobs in the area.
The second transaction approved Thursday involves approximately four acres in the Ruston Business Park.
The council approved a CEA with High Rise Properties Holdings LLC or High Rise Innovation LLC for the sale of Lot 2 in the business park.
Carter said the property is directly north of and across Innovation Drive from Lot 1, where the microchip manufacturing facility is planned.
According to Carter, the local entity purchasing Lot 2 intends to construct a building on the property and lease it to an existing business for use as a warehouse. Carter said that development also is expected to generate property and sales tax revenue while maintaining jobs.
“That’s the first of two pieces of property we’ll sell tonight,” Walker said after the Reaper Boats vote. “Both of them with existing businesses within our city that are expanding. So we’re very excited about that.”
In other business, aldermen approved a cooperative endeavor agreement between the city and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development related to additional improvements along Tarbutton Road at Interstate 20.
Public Works Director John Freeman said the agreement is another step toward development of a frontage road extending west from Tarbutton Road and will allow the city and DOTD to work together on improvements involving the interstate on-ramp and the first portion of the planned frontage road.
Aldermen John Denny and Bruce Siegmund were absent from Thursday’s special meeting.
For many North Louisiana landowners, improving wildlife habitat may begin with something that sounds counterproductive — setting the woods on fire.
That was the message of the Piney Hills Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) Tuesday night during its annual meeting, where landowners and conservation professionals discussed the use of carefully controlled fire to improve forestland and wildlife habitat.
A prescribed burn is far different from a wildfire. It is the planned use of fire under carefully selected weather and environmental conditions to accomplish specific land-management goals.
Fire can remove thick vegetation and leaf litter that crowd the forest floor. Combined with proper timber thinning, it allows more sunlight to reach the ground, encouraging native grasses, wildflowers, and other plants that provide food and cover for wildlife.
“Prescribed burn is the cheapest, easiest way to affect change and take a property back to native status,” PBA President Jesse Davis said. “By putting sunlight on the ground, by thinning, and then burning to let the native seed bank, the seeds that are in the ground, express themselves. It’s the quickest, easiest way to make good quality wildlife habitat.”
The association brings together landowners and others interested in prescribed fire to provide the qualified personnel, equipment, experience, and training needed to conduct burns. For landowners who have never used prescribed fire, Davis said one of the best ways to learn is by first helping with a burn on someone else’s property.
The cooperative approach is at the heart of the organization. Members help other landowners conduct burns, with the expectation that those landowners will return the favor when another member needs help. The association also has equipment individual landowners may not own, including ATVs, burn trailers, drip torches, and radios.
“We provide experience, equipment,” Davis said. “We’ve got plenty of equipment, and we’ve got plenty of experience. Experience and manpower.”
The association has grown considerably since beginning in 2021. Approximately 80 people attended Tuesday’s meeting, and Davis said the organization has 172 people in its communication network and nearly 500 Facebook followers.
The work of the Piney Hills PBA has increased as landowners learn of the service.
Since the previous annual meeting, the association conducted 24 burns covering 924 acres, nearly twice the previous year’s total. During the current year alone, members had already completed 16 burns covering just under 800 acres.
The idea behind prescribed fire is to reproduce a natural process that once occurred regularly across the region.
Davis said much of North Louisiana historically consisted of more open pine and post oak country, with few trees and a ground layer of native grasses and other vegetation. Periodic fires helped maintain that landscape.
“When we started putting out fire, the landscape changed,” Davis said.
Without periodic fire, woody vegetation can become increasingly dense, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor. Returning fire to the landscape can help control that growth and allow native vegetation to return.
Davis pointed to sweet gum as one example. Sweet gum, he said, has become common in North Louisiana uplands in part because fire has been removed from the landscape. Regular fire suppresses young sweet gum and other woody growth that can create a thick understory.
The resulting habitat can benefit a variety of wildlife, but Davis said birds are among the biggest beneficiaries.
“When I started burning, wild turkey was the only thing I wanted to see on my land,” Davis said. “Well, now I’ve got songbirds, I’ve got every species of woodpeckers, I’ve got quail.”
Quail are particularly associated with the open habitat created and maintained by fire. Davis said the combination of sunlight and periodic burning produces the grasses and other low-growing plants the birds need.
“Turkeys, quail, and songbirds are the biggest proponents,” he said.
Evidence of that connection is also being seen through conservation programs operating in the region.
Katherine Huggins, conservation delivery coordinator for the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture, told those attending the meeting about the Open Pine Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which works with private landowners to restore upland habitat.
The program focuses on two primary components — opening forests so sunlight reaches the ground and using prescribed fire to maintain that habitat. Northern bobwhite and eastern wild turkey are among the wildlife species targeted by the program.
Huggins said monitoring since 2022 has detected bobwhite quail on nine project sites. All but one of those sites had experienced a prescribed burn within the previous three years.
While the benefits of fire are central to the PBA’s message, Davis emphasized that prescribed burning is not simply setting fire to a tract of woods.
A prescribed burn begins with a plan.
The plan establishes the conditions under which the fire can be conducted safely, including acceptable temperature, humidity, and wind conditions. Davis said burn plans are prepared in advance and appropriate agencies and local officials are notified before a burn.
“If you just do a fire, it’s not prescribed because you didn’t plan it,” Davis said.
That planning, equipment, and sufficient staffing can present hurdles for private landowners interested in using fire as a management tool. Helping them overcome those hurdles is one of the PBA’s primary purposes.
“If you’ve never done a prescribed fire, then we’re going to help you figure that out,” Davis said.
The association allows interested landowners to attend and help with burns before becoming members. A $40 membership is required when the PBA conducts a burn on a member’s property.
For Davis, the results of returning fire to the landscape are visible on his own property.
He recalled using an app to identify the birds he could hear around him. He counted about 20 different songbirds. Nearby properties included open pasture and commercial forestland that had not been burned.
His burned property, Davis said, was different.
“My place was alive,” he said. “And the only difference is we’re running fire across ours.”
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office joined the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) in two cases this week that led to the arrests of two men on numerous charges related to child sexual abuse material.
LBI said its agents along with investigators from the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested Jawann Randle, 29, of Bastrop on Sunday.
According to officials, the investigation began when authorities discovered a suspect uploading child sexual abuse material from a Bastrop residence. LBI agents located Randle in Union Parish, where they discovered him in possession of additional illicit files.
Randle was booked at the Union Parish Detention Center for 230 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material under the age of 13 in Morehouse Parish and 30 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material under the age of 13 in Union Parish.
Randle’s bail was set $1.5 million. The investigation still remains ongoing.
A Lincoln Sheriff’s Office investigator joined LBI, West Monroe Police, and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office in an investigation Tuesday that led to the arrest of a Monroe man.
Johnny Williams Jr., 35, was arrested for 430 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and 88 counts of sexual abuse of animals.
Bail had not been set as of Wednesday evening.
LBI is a unit of the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General. The Attorney General trains and partners with other Louisiana law enforcement agencies to aggressive investigate cases of possession, manufacture, or dissemination of child pornography that arises from sexual abuse of children. Both the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office and Ruston Police have investigators assigned to that effort.
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.
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Ben Haddox, co-owner and operator of National Jewelry, will assist with the Cedar Creek varsity football team on a volunteer basis on Friday nights this fall.
By Malcolm Butler
For the past three years, Ben Haddox has spent his Friday nights talking about Cedar Creek football.
This fall, he will be back helping coach it.
The former Cedar Creek head football and baseball coach is returning to the Cougars sidelines on a volunteer basis to assist head coach Jacob Angevine and his staff, marking Haddox’s first venture back into high school coaching since leaving Cedar Creek in early 2021 while last roaming the sidelines in the fall of 2017.
Cedar Creek will host a jamboree tonight. The Cougars play a 15 minute quarter vs. Caldwell at 6 p.m. D’Arbonne Woods will then play a 15 minute quarter vs. Caldwell, followed by Creek’s 15 minute quarter vs. D’Arbonne Woods.
Haddox continues to co-own and operate National Jewelry in Ruston, the business he purchased more than five years ago.
For Haddox, the decision to return is about his longtime connection to Cedar Creek, his love of coaching and an opportunity involving his oldest son, Aiden.
“Cedar Creek is near and dear to me and always will be a massive part of my life,” Haddox said. “I loved my time up there, especially coaching. The opportunity to be around kids again — after stepping away for a few years — really reminded me how much I love coaching and being around young people.”
Haddox has never ventured far from the Cougars football program. He has served as the radio color analyst for Cedar Creek football broadcasts for the past three seasons.
But being back on the sidelines will be different.
Aiden is entering high school at Cedar Creek, providing his father with an opportunity Haddox saw other fathers enjoy during his days leading the Cougars program.
“Aiden, my oldest son, is entering high school, and it’s a chance to experience something I watched a lot of dads get to experience when I was head coach — guys like Duke Marcus, Wilton Wall, Gene Vandenlangenberg, and Corwyn Aldridge getting to coach their own kids,” Haddox said. “It was just too unique an opportunity to pass up.”
In some ways, the circumstances bring Haddox’s coaching journey full circle.
Haddox attended Cedar Creek from pre-K through high school and was a multisport athlete for the Cougars from 1997-2000, helping lead the baseball program to a state championship his senior year.
After graduating from Louisiana Tech, Haddox returned to Cedar Creek in 2005 and spent the next 16 years at his alma mater. During that time, he served 15 years as head baseball coach, eight as head football coach, 10 as athletics director and four as the Dean of Students.
Haddox won more than 300 games and a state championship as Cedar Creek’s baseball coach. He also won 63 games as head football coach and guided the Cougars to a pair of state semifinal appearances.
He left Cedar Creek in January 2021 after purchasing National Jewelry in Ruston from longtime owners Tommy and Kenny Phillips. At the time, Haddox said one of the biggest factors in his decision was the opportunity to spend more time with his wife, Larkin, and their children.
Five years later, family is playing a role in bringing him back to the sidelines, albeit in a much different capacity.
So is Angevine.
The relationship between the two goes back to Angevine’s arrival at Cedar Creek. Haddox was the person who originally hired him, and the two have remained close even after Haddox stepped away from coaching.
“Having Ben back is just awesome,” Angevine said. “He’s a guy that people at the Creek still love and respect, and he’s got a wealth of knowledge.
“Ben’s the guy that hired me, and he’s always been in my corner. Even with all the different coaches we’ve had over the last few years, he’s always been somebody I could reach out to not only as a coach, but as a mentor in life.”
Haddox has watched Angevine grow into the job and believes the Cougars have the right person leading the program.
“You talk about the kind of guy you want involved in a small private school — Jacob fits that mold in every way,” Haddox said. “He’s been a tremendous leader for our school these last couple of years.
“He has assembled an incredible staff. It’s a great mixture of some very established veteran coaches along with some young, up-and-coming coaches that are going to be a great asset. I am just lucky to be a small part of it and get an opportunity to share the sidelines with them and my son.”
Angevine and Haddox began discussing the possibility of a return in December without knowing exactly what Haddox’s role or time commitment might be.
“We started having conversations in December about him helping out,” Angevine said. “He didn’t know exactly what it was going to look like or how much time he could put into it, but having him back is really cool.”
Haddox will primarily work with Cedar Creek’s receivers while also assisting with the defensive backs.
But Angevine believes Haddox can provide something even more valuable — the perspective of someone who has already sat in the head coach’s chair at Cedar Creek.
“Some of the things he can help me with as a young coach are huge,” Angevine said. “I’m a control freak and a perfectionist, and I still felt like I tried to do too much last year. With the success he had as a head coach here, he can tell me, ‘Hey, if you worry about all of this stuff, you’re going to drive yourself crazy.’”
For the past three years, Haddox had one of the best seats in the house to watch — and talk — Cedar Creek football.
This fall, he will trade the radio booth for a spot on the sideline in a volunteer role to the school where he grew up and built his coaching career and where he now gets the opportunity to experience Friday nights alongside his oldest son.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:45 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
The Lincoln Parish Journal will proudly resume Saturday publications starting this Saturday, Aug. 29, which will run through the end of football season for all local schools and universities.
See your Friday night recaps and college football preview stories in our Saturday editions by subscribing for free today right here. All you need is to input your email and you’ll have access to the only free daily news source in Ruston and Lincoln Parish.
On Sundays, you can read college football recaps for Louisiana Tech and Grambling State by going to our homepage at www.lincolnparishjournal.com.
A Grambling man is facing three charges after deputies said he swung a fist at his ex-girlfriend, then twice pulled away from deputies attempting to detain him.
Jonathan Daniel Jackson, 43, was arrested Sunday afternoon on counts of simple assault, resisting a police officer with force or violence and resisting a police officer by refusing to identify himself, according to an affidavit.
A Lincoln Parish sheriff’s deputy was dispatched at 1:21 p.m. Aug. 23 to a Grambling residence in reference to an assault that had just occurred. The woman who called told the deputy that Jackson, her ex-boyfriend, had swung at her and attempted to hit her.
The couple had recently broken up and the woman had been trying to get Jackson to move out. She had been out of town for the day with her son, and Jackson had been calling and texting her throughout the day. When she returned home, Jackson was there, and a verbal argument began when she asked him to leave.
According to the affidavit, Jackson began yelling at the woman and calling her names, then swung his fist toward her face. She ducked under the punch and was not struck. Had she not ducked, she told the deputy, she would have been hit.
Jackson left before deputies arrived but returned while the deputy was still speaking with the woman. He got out of his vehicle and walked toward the trailer, and the woman walked away to avoid him.
The deputy tried to speak with Jackson away from the woman to prevent another altercation, but Jackson refused multiple requests to stop, saying he was going into his house. When the deputy attempted to stop him with an open-hand technique, Jackson yanked his arm away and kept walking.
Jackson was eventually placed in handcuffs, and pulled away from deputies again as he was walked to a patrol unit. Once inside, he refused to give his name or date of birth to verify his identity.
He was transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked on the three charges. Bond was set at $1,000 each on the simple assault and refusal-to-identify counts. Bond on the count of resisting an officer with force or violence had not been set.
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 6:45 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
RUSTON, LA — The Dixie Center for the Arts was filled with devoted Ruston Community Theatre patrons, performers, volunteers, and supporters on Thursday evening as RCT celebrated another memorable season during its annual RusTony Awards Celebration. Following the Annual Season Members Meeting, guests gathered eagerly to find out who would take home this year’s RusTony Awards, honoring outstanding performances and contributions from throughout the 2025–26 season.
The evening kicked off with a live performance of the “Opening Number” from The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, followed by a warm welcome from RCT President Britton Kilpatrick, who served as Master of Ceremonies. Audience members reveled in watching compilation photo and video slideshows from each show of the season.
After each montage, the Heart of Community Theatre Award for that respective show was presented. This special award is given to a cast member who exemplifies what it means to be a part of community theatre and is voted on by their fellow cast members. The celebration also featured live performances from some of the season’s most memorable productions. Jude Hanchey reprised the role of teen pop star Joshie, singing “Animal Heart” from Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Two amazing musical numbers were performed from Guys and Dolls: “Adelaide’s Lament,” performed by Chloë Alexander, and the crowd-pleasing hit “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” sung by Preston Anderson and company. Caed Baines gave a sweet performance of “The Candy Man” from Willy Wonka Jr. The evening closed with the sentimental finale, “God Bless Us, Everyone,” sung by the cast of A Christmas Carol.
In addition to awards for outstanding performances, several special awards are chosen by the RCT Board itself. Board member Steele Moegle presented the Kevin Cuccia Comedic Award, which is given to a performer who brightens every rehearsal with good spirits and jovial humor; the Helen M. Thompson Volunteer of the Year Award, presented to a volunteer who has gone above and beyond during the past year to help RCT run smoothly; and the Satish Bharadvaj Creative Contribution Award, given to an individual responsible for an outstanding set piece, prop, or costume that raises the bar in a show’s production value.
The “unsung heroes“ of RCT were also acknowledged through a slideshow, giving recognition to the countless volunteers that make the shows possible. The year’s directors, stage managers, stage hands, technical crew, orchestra members and other creative team members were among the hardworking contributors listed.
The distinct awards for RCT’s junior productions were determined by a new method this year.. Instead of being voted on by the Season Membership as a whole, a committee of carefully selected participants with experience in music or the performing arts deliberated to select outstanding performers from each of the junior shows to receive the newly created Rising Star Award. While every performance is unique and valued in its own way, these particular performers stood out among their peers for their stage presence, enthusiasm, and devotion to their roles.
The RCT youth was also acknowledged as RCT youth council president Elena Baines gave an update on the activities of the youth board. Jude Hanchey will be proceeding her as president for the 2026-27 season, their first run of Java and Jazz was a success. Graduating seniors who have been involved in RCT were also acknowledged with a slide share recognition, and the RCT youth council scholarship was awarded to Teagan Leblanc.
Congratulations to all the winners!
2026 RusTony Award Winners
PLAY AWARDS Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play: Andy Halbrook as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Play: Joe Brown as Murray in The Odd Couple Outstanding Minor Performer in a Play: Logan Poret as the Steward in Murder on the Nile
MUSICAL AWARDS Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical: Chloë Alexander as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical: Preston Anderson as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls Outstanding Minor Performer in a Musical: Jude Hanchey as Joshie in Diary of a Wimpy Kid Outstanding Individual Ensemble Member in a Musical: Levi Stephenson as a Featured Dancer in Guys and Dolls Outstanding Musical Performance: “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys and Dolls sung by Preston Anderson Outstanding Ensemble: “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys and Dolls sung by Preston Anderson and Company
NEWCOMER AWARD Newcomer Award: Carson Terry and Madeline Neal (tie)
Heart of Community Theatre Awards The Odd Couple: Westley Terry Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Carson Walker A Christmas Carol: Greg Green Stinky Cheese Man: Vaida Carroll Murder on the Nile: Madeline Neal Willy Wonka, Jr: Caed Baines Guys and Dolls: Preston Anderson and Jude Hanchey Rising Star Awards The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales: Eli Beech as Jack, Vaida Carroll as Chicken Licken, Sophie Fletcher as Little Old Lady, Luke Forbes as Jack, and Ayden Martin as Ugly Duck Willy Wonka Jr.: Esther Allen as Verruca Salt, Caed Baines as Willy Wonka, Will Easley as Charlie, Jude Hanchey as Grandpa Joe, Van Stake as Augustus Gloop, and Skyleigh Webb as Mrs Gloop
Additional Special Recognition Kevin Cuccia Community Award: Ayden Brown Helen Thompson Volunteer Award: Jude Hanchey Satish Bharadvaj Creative Set Contribution Award: Amy Crittenton
As the curtain closed on the final number, the RusTonys brought the 2025–26 season officially to a close. But… the shows must go on! Memberships are now on sale for RCT’s 49th season, which begins with The Addams Family Musical opening in October. The show has been cast and rehearsals are already underway.
Memberships will remain on sale through the run of that inaugural production. Don’t miss a single show while enjoying the benefits of a Season Membership and becoming part of the RCT family! This upcoming season promises not to disappoint, so stay tuned for more magic on stage.
ATLANTA – It was a smooth 66 Thursday by Choudrant’s Sam Burns, with his 4-under opening round at the Tour Championship carrying him within range of the lead in the 29-player field.
Burns had a bogey-free day with two birdies on each side. Having encountered unusual trouble on par-5 holes in the first two legs on the FedEx Cup playoffs, the 30-year-old solved that Thursday, posting birdie 4s on the sixth and 18th holes.
His other birdies came on the par-4 fourth and the par-3 11th. He stroked home a 17-foot, 6-inch putt to get under par, added a six-footer on No. 6 to get to 2-under, then hit a 207-yard tee shot to five feet on the 11th and drained the birdie effort.
On 18, he reached the 590-yard par-5 in two with a 277-yard second shot and two-putted from 47 feet, dropping in a 40-incher to close his 4-under round.
The leader is Min Woo Lee, who fired a 62, with four birdies on each side of the par 70, 7,440-yard course at East Lake Golf Club, where Shreveporter Hal Sutton won the first Tour Championship played there in 1998.
He sits in a ninth place tie beginning today’s play, paired with Collin Morikawa, who is tied for second after posting a 6-under 64 Thursday. The field slimmed by one from 30 when 2025 U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun withdrew after five holes due to shoulder discomfort.
Burns tied for seventh in last year’s Tour Championship, 12th in 2025 and ninth in 2023.
TV coverage today starts at 10 a.m. on ESPN until noon, when Golf Channel picks it up. Weekend plans have Golf Channel starting coverage at noon Saturday and Sunday before CBS takes over at 2.
Burns and Morikawa will go off the first tee at 11:42 a.m. CT today.
The Tour Championship carries golf’s biggest purse, $40 million, with $10 million going to the winner and the top eight getting a range from $5 million to $1 million. Tommy Fleetwood is the defending champion. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won in 2024 and ran away with the opener in this year’s playoffs, the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis two weeks ago. Two-time U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark was last week’s winner at the BMW Championship.
Burns, a Shreveport native and former LSU two-time All-American, took third at Memphis and tied for 28th in the BMW Championship in St. Louis.
Kyle Roberts and Malcolm Butler are two of the storytellers for Louisiana Tech Athletics as the department has heavily invested in its broadcasting capabilities in recent years.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Every game begins with a story.
Sometimes it’s a rivalry renewed. Sometimes it’s a championship pursuit. Sometimes it’s a freshman stepping onto the field for the first time or a senior playing their last game in a Bulldog uniform.
But at Louisiana Tech, the story doesn’t end with the final score.
Every broadcast is an opportunity to introduce viewers to the university, celebrate the people who make it special, and create one more way for fans, alumni, and the community to connect with Bulldog and Lady Techster Athletics.
As Louisiana Tech enters its first season in the Sun Belt Conference, the Athletics Production Studio returns after successfully completing its first full season of in-house production in 2025-26-a milestone that reflects years of planning, investment, and a commitment to telling the Louisiana Tech story from the inside.
“Every game gives us a story to tell, but our responsibility is bigger than documenting what happened on the field or court,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Brand Officer Kyle Kavanaugh. “We want to tell stories that create connection, build affinity, and give people a reason to care about Louisiana Tech. Bringing this operation in-house gives us the ability to be much more intentional about how we do that and how every production helps advance our brand.”
Building Something Bigger
The vision began taking shape during the spring of 2024, when Louisiana Tech Athletics made the strategic decision to bring its ESPN+ production fully in-house.
It was an intentional institutional investment-one designed to create greater control over quality and storytelling, provide more consistent access for fans, develop Louisiana Tech students through meaningful experiential learning, and build a more fiscally responsible and sustainable production model.
“Bringing our production in-house was an intentional investment in both our people and our brand,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Ryan Ivey. “We believed we could raise the quality and consistency of our broadcasts while creating greater long-term value from the resources we were already investing. What we’ve seen in the first full year validates that vision, but what excites me most is how this operation continues to create new opportunities for our students, our fans and the university as a whole.”
The department began broadcasting its first events under the new model in spring 2025, then went full scale that fall and completed its first full academic year of in-house production throughout 2025-26.
The result was more than a successful transition.
It was the creation of a production operation capable of serving the entire department and university.
Led by Assistant Athletics Director for Broadcasting and Production George “GB” Brandon Jr. and Associate Directors Jack Stribrny and Carson Fryou, the Production Studio produced 107 home ESPN+ broadcasts during 2025-26. In all, 143 Louisiana Tech events appeared on ESPN+ at home and on the road, generating more than 25 million minutes watched.
Those figures represent ESPN+ alone and do not include additional linear television opportunities.
Along the way, Louisiana Tech successfully produced simultaneous soccer and volleyball broadcasts for the first time, before later accomplishing another departmental first by televising three events from three different venues on the same day. The team also navigated numerous crossover dates involving men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball throughout the year.
Those milestones represented far more than production numbers. They reflected a team building the capacity to tell more stories, reach more people and create more opportunities to showcase Louisiana Tech.
“What I’m most proud of isn’t a statistic,” Brandon said. “It’s watching our team continue to grow. Every production challenges us to improve, every event gives our students another opportunity to learn, and every broadcast is another chance to represent Louisiana Tech the right way.”
More Than Game Day
Today, the Production Studio reaches far beyond ESPN+.
The same team helps shape the in-venue experience through video board productions, brings Tech Drive podcasts to life, delivers postgame and weekly press conferences to fans, supports live digital events, and handles streaming efforts that provide access to LA Tech Athletics wherever fans may be.
Owning the production also allows Louisiana Tech to intentionally tell stories that extend far beyond athletics.
Throughout the year, broadcasts have welcomed university leadership, faculty members, alumni, spirit groups, coaches, student-athletes, staff, and community and regional leaders, and even a cameo from the big guy up north, Santa Claus. Those conversations have provided opportunities to showcase everything from academics and student success to university initiatives, traditions, and the greater Ruston community.
“Athletics gives us an incredible platform, and we have a responsibility to use it well,” Kavanaugh said. “When we control the production, we can create access that goes far beyond the game itself-whether that’s introducing our audience to a professor doing incredible work, celebrating an alumnus, showcasing our spirit groups, or giving a community partner a platform. You often hear that Athletics is the front porch of a university. This gives us another way to invite people inside.”
Whether a fan is sitting inside Joe Aillet Stadium, watching ESPN+ from across the country, following a press conference online, or consuming Tech Drive on their phone, the purpose remains the same: create more access and more opportunities to connect with the Bulldogs, Lady Techsters, and the university at large.
Developing the Next Generation
Perhaps the Production Studio’s greatest impact isn’t measured by viewership.
It’s measured by people.
The operation has become another classroom for Tech students, providing hands-on experience in live television production, directing, replay, graphics, audio, camera operation, and digital media while producing broadcasts seen by audiences across the country. And that impact is already being felt.
Students have entered the operation looking for a campus job or an opportunity to get involved and discovered a profession they want to pursue. They’ve developed technical and leadership skills, built professional portfolios, and found mentors while gaining experience that is difficult to replicate inside a traditional classroom.
It is experiential learning in its truest form-students discovering what’s possible by actually doing the work. The Production Studio has created opportunities for nearly 50 Louisiana Tech students since its inception.
“Our responsibility isn’t just producing broadcasts,” Brandon said. “It’s developing people. If a student leaves here more confident, more capable, and discovers a career they love because of this experience, that’s every bit as meaningful as producing a great show.”
That opportunity reflects Tech’s larger commitment to maximizing human potential, creating environments where students can discover their strengths, develop them through real-world experiences, and turn those experiences into meaningful careers.
Built by Bulldogs
The same philosophy extends to the voices behind the microphone.
Rather than relying solely on outside broadcasters, Tech Athletics has intentionally built a broadcast team made up of people who know the university because they’ve lived it.
Malcolm Butler, Teddy Allen and Kyle Roberts anchor that effort, with connections to Louisiana Tech that began decades before they stepped behind an ESPN+ microphone.
A Louisiana Tech graduate and former student worker, Butler spent more than two decades leading Athletics Communications, served as the radio voice of the Lady Techsters and later succeeded legendary broadcaster Dave Nitz on football and men’s basketball radio broadcasts. He continues serving Louisiana Tech today as the sport administrator for softball.
“My Louisiana Tech story began as a nine-year-old attending my first sporting event: a Tech homecoming football game against USL,” said Butler, who nearing 2,000 Louisiana Tech broadcasts in his career. “I was instantly hooked. That first game grew into a passion and ultimately into a career for me. I’ve spent almost three decades telling stories – whether through the written word or on the radio, and now TV – of Tech student athletes, coaches and administrators. Telling stories of the brand; of the logo.
“Everyone has a story. And my goal every time I call a game is to tell the story of the men and women representing the red and blue. My goal is to do my part in advancing the Louisiana Tech brand.”
Roberts also came through the Athletics Communications office after being hired by Butler as a sports information director. A Louisiana Tech graduate and former radio voice of the Lady Techsters, he now serves as an adjunct professor in the College of Business while continuing to tell Tech’s stories.
“My connection to Louisiana Tech goes from being a preschooler running around the Thomas Assembly Center to proud student to now broadcasting and being a professor for my beloved university,” said Roberts. “I’ve been blessed to have many hats for Louisiana Tech, and my alma mater has always taken the best care of me. It’s great to see a current generation of students get the same kind of experience that prepares them for their own journey. I know I’m forever blessed to have been on mine.”
Allen began his Tech storytelling journey as sports editor for The Tech Talk, then as a graduate assistant in sports information before moving on to newspapers. His career eventually earned him induction into the Louisiana Sports Writers Hall of Fame, and today he continues serving his alma mater as part of University Communications.
“With no plans for college, I was lucky to be dropped off at Tech years ago, and the University found a place for me; over and over, I’ve seen the same thing happen for others,” Allen said. “Because of the University’s commitment to broadcasting, today we get to spread that good news, but we also have the privilege of telling the story of Tech’s rich athletic history, game by game, season after season, to fans who care, to listeners and viewers who refuse to miss a chance to pull for the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters – and fans who have a distaste for losing, fans hungry for championships.
“Our crews who make these productions come to life care just as much or more than the fans do,” he said. “I see it all the time, every game, starting hours before we flip the switch and go on air.”
Around them is a roster of analysts who bring their own Louisiana Tech experiences to the broadcast.
Former Bulldog quarterback and 14-year NFL veteran Luke McCown joins Butler for football. Former Bulldog basketball player and current Senior Vice President of Student Advancement and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Dickie Crawford and former Lady Techster player and assistant coach Katie Hall have lent their expertise to basketball. Former Bulldog Alexis Gilio provides softball analysis, Chief Revenue Officer and former conference Coach of the Year Wally Crittenden brings a coach’s perspective to soccer, and Louisiana Tech Club Volleyball Head Coach Caleb Aultman does the same for volleyball.
They’ve been student-athletes, student workers, coaches, communicators, faculty members, and university leaders.
They’ve lived the stories they’re now being asked to tell.
Who better to tell the Louisiana Tech story than the people who helped write it?
Strengthening Every Platform
The evolution of Louisiana Tech’s television operation also created an opportunity to write the next chapter of the university’s longstanding radio tradition.
As Butler, Roberts and Allen moved into expanded television roles, Louisiana Tech welcomed two new voices to its radio broadcasts before the 2025-26 season.
Kyle Schassburger was named the new “Voice of the Bulldogs,” taking over play-by-play responsibilities for football, men’s basketball and baseball. Sam Newcombe joined the broadcast team as the “Voice of the Lady Techsters” for women’s basketball.
Both are slated to return for the 2026-27 season.
Their additions allowed Louisiana Tech to strengthen one platform without sacrificing another, expanding the number of voices, stories, and ways fans can connect with Bulldog and Lady Techster Athletics.
From ESPN+ to radio, in-venue production to podcasts, press conferences to live streams, and to the mobile app, each platform serves a different audience but shares the same purpose: bringing people closer to Louisiana Tech.
Looking Ahead
As Louisiana Tech begins a new chapter in the Sun Belt Conference, the opportunities to showcase the university will only continue to grow.
The Production Studio enters its second full season with greater experience, increased capabilities, and the same commitment to quality, stewardship, student development, and storytelling that guided the decision to bring production in-house.
More broadcasts mean more than more games on a screen.
They mean more opportunities for students to discover careers. More chances for alumni to reconnect. More platforms to celebrate faculty and staff. More opportunities to showcase Ruston and the greater community. More access for fans. And more moments to strengthen and advance the Louisiana Tech brand.
Every game has a story.
Every broadcast is an opportunity to share it.
And who better to tell the Louisiana Tech story than the people who know it best?
Lincoln Prep head coach Chaunce Davison (holding blue water bottle) is pictured talking to his team following a recent practice. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright).
By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Preparatory School football coach Chaunce Davison is looking for two things as his Panthers take on Madison and General Trass in Jamboree action on Panthers Field tonight — clean play and continued improvement.
The Panthers will face Madison at 6 p.m. with Lincoln Prep ending the night with a contest starting around 8:30 p.m. against General Tass.
In between those two Jamboree showdowns, Arcadia will take on General Trass around 6:50 p.m. and then Madison is a game set to start around 7:40 p.m.
“The first thing I need to see is clean play,” Davison said. “We want to see that they understand calls and assignments, and to do that you need a lot of reps,” Davison said. “Hopefully the reps they get tonight will help them prepare for next week and the season opener.
“But we also want to see them continuing to improve. They showed that some last week when they took on host school Winnfield and Grant High School. We did OK last week. But we need to see better this week. We need to see effort. We need to see intensity.”
Davison will be taking a good, hard look at his offense line in tonight’s jamboree.
“We have pretty much all new guys up there,” Davison said. “We lost big (OG/DT) Ryan Randolph, who played that position for years for us. We lost (OT/DT) Jakobe Jones, who also was a longtime starter.
“Both of those guys graduated. We also lost (C/DT) Dylan (NShom). He didn’t graduate, but he left us. So everybody’s that on the offensive line is brand new besides (senior OT Nicholas Nelson). So it’s still a learning process right now and we really need to see them continue to get better.”
The Panthers are without quarterback Josh Kelly, who it was learned early on during the summer had ended up tearing an ACL during Lincoln Prep’s spring game, meaning the Panthers’ “Swiss Army Knife” — Jabari Levingston, will move over from RB/WR to take a majority of the snaps at quarterback.
“We’ve also got Jamel (Willliams), who’s going into ninth grade, behind Jabari at quarterback,” Davison said. “And we also have Karmello (Jones) who can get behind center and take snaps and throw it.”
But first and foremost, it will be Levingston, who is heading into his junior year, leading Lincoln Prep’s offensive attack.
“He’s always wanted to throw the ball,” Davison said. “Even with Josh at quarterback, Jabari wanted to throw the ball. I think secretly he always wanted to be the quarterback. He’s one of those guys who can do whatever he wants to do. He is our Superman.”
Jakaylyen Armstrong takes over as Lincoln Prep’s starting running back role with Karmelo Goins along with sophomore Howard Kirkpatrick, a hard-nosed pounder who showed toughness and solid power rushing at times last year as a freshman, backing Armstrong up.
Goins also played receiver in Lincoln Prep’s spring scrimmage, hauling in a touchdown pass, but Davison is especially excited that his Panthers also feature a strong returning talent at wideout in senior Josiah Spann, who led Lincoln Prep with 657 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last year.
“Josiah played a big role for us last year catching the football and playing in the defensive backfield,” Davison said. “So, we’re looking for even more during his senior season. He’s going to be one of our team leaders. We feel good about having him return for his senior season.
Davison likes the way his defense is shaping up, with Levingston (DB) Nelson (DL), Kirkpatrick (LB) and eighth-grader Keilon Miller expected to play key roles.
“We’re going to be all right on that side of the ball,” Davison said. “We just need to know our assignments and go play football.”
Strabo was a Greek geographer born in 64 BC in what is now Amasya, Turkey. Strabo was from an affluent family which afforded him a good education. When he was about 21 years old, Strabo continued his education in Rome where he studied grammar, writing, history, rhetoric, and philosophy. At some point, Strabo began writing a geography based on his extensive travels throughout the known world. He described the people, places, animals, and collected stories from the places he visited. He published his first edition of Geographica in 7 BC which included the story of a hetaira called Doricha. A hetaira was a highly educated female companion who often served a variety of roles including artist, entertainer, conversationalist, and some say, prostitute. Strabo wrote that Doricha “was bathing, an eagle snatched one of her sandals from her maid and carried it to Memphis; and while the king was administering justice in the open air, the eagle, when it arrived above his head, flung the sandal into his lap; and the king, stirred both by the beautiful shape of the sandal and by the strangeness of the occurrence, sent men in all directions into the country in quest of the woman who wore the sandal; and when she was found in the city of Naucratis, she was brought up to Memphis, and became the wife of the king.” In his story, Doricha became the queen of Egypt. I must stress that there is no evidence that there ever was a queen of Egypt named Doricha.
Strabo’s tale has been told and retold through the centuries. In 1634, Italian Giambattista Basile published a notable version called La Gatta Cenerentola in his book entitled Il Penatamerone. Cenerentola derived from the Italian word “cenere” which meant ash or cinder because the clothes of servants at the time were usually soiled by ash or cinder because of their cleaning duties. In his version, the first to be published in the Western world, Basile changed Doricha’s name to Zezolla. In 1697, Frenchman Charles Perrault published an even more embellished version of the tale in his book which translates to Histoires ou contes du temps passé (Histories, or Tales of Past Time). Perrault changed her name from Doricha to another name which was a reference to her clothes being dirty. It is Perrault’s embellished version of Strabo’s 2,000-year-old tale that we all know because he added a magic pumpkin, a fairy godmother, and a glass slipper. Perrault called her Cendrillon, but we all know Doricha as Cinderella.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:45 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
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.
Friday, Aug. 28 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Medical benefit jambalaya fundraiser benefiting Lux Smith and family (Karl Malone Toyota) 7 p.m.: Cedar Creek football
Saturday, Aug. 29 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 6 p.m.: GSU football
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
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)
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) 6 p.m.: GSU football 6:30 p.m.: LA Tech football
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:45 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
Mackenzie Lorkowski records one of her 12 saves in net to lead Tech to a 1-0 win over Houston Christian.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
VOLLEYBALL
Louisiana Tech will open its 2026 volleyball season at home this weekend as the Bulldogs host Iona, Houston Christian and Little Rock in a three-day tournament (Jambalaya Jam) at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Admission is free.
It marks the first time since 2009 that Louisiana Tech will open a season at home.
The six-match tournament begins Friday and runs through Sunday, with the Bulldogs playing once each day. Louisiana Tech will face Iona at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Houston Christian at 4 p.m. Saturday and Little Rock at 2 p.m. Sunday.
All three Louisiana Tech matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Bulldogs enter their second season under head coach Scott Mattera with a roster featuring nine returners and six freshmen.
Among the veterans is senior libero/defensive specialist Riley Steubing, who recorded 419 digs last season to become just the second Bulldog in the past decade to surpass 400 digs in a season.
Steubing and sophomore setter Sydnee Carter are the only returning Bulldogs who played in every match last season.
Carter led Louisiana Tech with 453 assists as a true freshman, the most by a Bulldog since 2022. She led the team in assists in 19 matches and recorded more than 20 assists five times.
The Bulldogs’ veteran group includes four players beginning their fourth seasons with the program — Steubing, setter Grace Krohn, middle blocker Anaya Hairston and outside hitter Megan Cooley.
Mattera also welcomes his first full freshman class with six newcomers. Outside hitters Kylie Rodriguez, Jenna Hehman and Taylor Woods join middle blockers Tyra McKinnie and Violet Morrandez and libero/defensive specialist Abbi Sells. It is Louisiana Tech’s largest freshman class since 2022, when the Bulldogs’ current group of four-year seniors arrived in Ruston.
The weekend will also begin a new era for Louisiana Tech athletics as the Bulldogs compete in the Sun Belt Conference for the first time since 2000.
Louisiana Tech’s opener against Iona will be the first meeting between the programs.
The Bulldogs will see a more familiar opponent Saturday in Houston Christian. The Huskies lead the all-time series 6-1. The Trojans hold a 21-10 advantage in the all-time series.
The weekend schedule:
Friday
Little Rock vs. Houston Christian, 3:30 p.m.
Louisiana Tech vs. Iona, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday
Little Rock vs. Iona, 1 p.m.
Louisiana Tech vs. Houston Christian, 4 p.m.
Sunday
Iona vs. Houston Christian, 11 a.m.
Louisiana Tech vs. Little Rock, 2 p.m.
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SOCCER
HOUSTON — Louisiana Tech picked up its first victory of the season Thursday night, defeating Houston Christian 1-0 at Sorrels Field behind an early goal from Madison Pensom and a career performance from freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Lorkowski.
The Bulldogs (1-2-1) were outshot 15-8 and faced 12 shots on goal, but Lorkowski stopped all 12 to record the clean sheet and give first-year Louisiana Tech head coach Matt Lodge his first victory with the program.
Pensom provided the game’s only goal in the 17th minute, scoring off assists from Ashley Leonhart and Abby Hanton. It was Pensom’s second goal of the season and third of her career.
Houston Christian (1-2-1) applied pressure after falling behind, taking five of its eight first-half shots following Pensom’s goal. Lorkowski made six saves before halftime, marking the second consecutive match in which the freshman recorded six first-half saves.
The Huskies continued to test Lorkowski after the break. She made two saves during the opening five minutes of the second half before turning away a flurry of Houston Christian opportunities following a corner kick with just over 15 minutes remaining.
The match entered a lightning delay with a little more than 10 minutes remaining. The delay lasted approximately 1 hour, 12 minutes before play resumed at 8:10 p.m.
Louisiana Tech preserved the one-goal advantage after returning to the field, with Lorkowski making her 12th and final save to establish a career high.
Her 12 saves are tied for the third-most by a freshman in a single match in Louisiana Tech history. Lorkowski now owns two of the top freshman single-game save performances in program history after previously recording 11 saves.
“I’m so proud of the group — it’s everything they’ve worked towards and earned,” Lodge said. “Winning is hard so we must enjoy and cherish each one, and that one felt special. The weather delay and sitting on the bus for an hour, they came off the bus ready to finish the job.
“Every player put in a shift against a very good opponent. The goal is to improve every day and we are doing that. Kenz, again, had a fantastic game and she keeps growing in confidence.”
The victory was Louisiana Tech’s first over Houston Christian since 2009 and its first in Houston since 2008. The Bulldogs improved to 3-1 all-time against the Huskies and 10-10-3 in road openers.
It also marked the first road shutout by a Louisiana Tech freshman goalkeeper since Ansley Ittel recorded a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory at Missouri State on Oct. 16, 2025.
The Bulldogs conclude their two-match Texas road trip Sunday when they face Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches. First touch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
