For those who were fortunate enough to grow up and experience Ruston High Bearcat football in the Jimmy “Chick” Childress days, well we were lucky to say the least.
For a decade, Ruston High was the team to beat in Class 4A.
From 1982 until 1900, the Bearcats played in five state title games and won four championships.
But like happens many times when a legendary head coach retires (or departs), Ruston wasn’t able to sustain that success (outside of one state title appearance in 1997).
Fast forward three decades and the Bearcats are back.
Thank you, Jerrod Baugh.
Four years ago when Ruston advanced to its first state title game (since that 1997 appearance, a loss to West Monroe), the Bearcat community was just happy to be back. Seriously. It has been way too long, especially when one of your most “hated” rivals (West Monroe) had played in 16 of them from 1993 through 2018.
Now after four straight trips to the dome — something never accomplished under even Coach Childress — it’s an expectation around the 318.
Thank you, Jerrod Baugh.
Plenty has been written about Baugh and his Bearcats during this four-year run. And deservedly so. Winning is hard, something fans can sometimes forget.
Sure. Ruston is 1-3 in those state title games. But only the 2024 loss to Central was a disappointment. Not because of finishing second, but just because of the on-field performance.
But the 17-10 loss to Destrehan in 2022 and the 21-20 loss to Ouachita this year were one play games. Ruston is that close to being 3-1.
Regardless, Ruston fans have been treated to a historical run by a historical program.
Thank you, Jerrod Baugh.
Bottom line and obvious statement of the day, coaching matters. Yes. You have to have the Jimmy’s and Joe’s to line up and be a state title caliber contender. Ruston has had plenty of Jimmy’s and Joe’s the last four years.
But Baugh has built a program, not a team. The Bearcats haven’t been a one year and done team. That has a lot to do with coaching and with building a program from the ground up. It’s what Coach Childress did in the 1980s. It’s what Don Shows did at West Monroe for decades.
And hopefully it will continue for the Bearcats.
I’ve heard plenty of people say, “Oh, Ruston will be back next year.”
That could very well be the case. Plenty of talent returns. Jerrod Baugh and his staff returns.
But one thing we all need to remember is every year is different. And winning is hard.
So be thankful for the past four years. Celebrate the success. And let’s not take for granted the fact that winning is hard and Baugh and the Bearcats have done a lot of it over the past four seasons.
Thank you, Jerrod Baugh.
