Louisiana Tech women’s basketball head coach Brooke Stoehr announced the signing of forward Adna Halilbasic.
The 6-foot-2 forward comes to Ruston from Recklinghausen, Germany, where she saw a successful career on the international circuit.
Halilbasic becomes the first German to play for the Lady Techsters and is the 11th international player. She joins Melissa Mwanza (Zimbabwe) and Isla Airey (Australia) to give Tech multiple international players for the sixth consecutive season, dating back to the 2019-2020 season.
“We are excited to add Adna to the Lady Techsters family,” Stoehr said. “Adna is post who can score in the paint and will bring added size, international experience, and depth to our interior group. She has good instincts and feel for the game. We look forward to welcoming Adna to Louisiana Tech.”
On the international stage, Halilbasic started with the U14 team, which finished second in the German Championship in 2019. She followed that up by winning the German Championship in 2022 as part of the U16 team.
As part of the Jugendbundesliga U18 in the WNBL, she won the conference championship in three consecutive seasons (2022, 2023, 2024) and finished third in the German Championship in 2024. Her 2024 team finished in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
Halilbasic was also a member of the U16 and U18 Bosnia national teams, which competed in the European Championships in 2022, 2023, and 2024. With the U18 organization, she finished fourth in 2023.
Funeral services for Carolyn Louise Ferguson, 85, of Leesville, LA, formerly of Ruston, LA, will be 10:00 A. M. Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel in Ruston, LA. Officiating the service will be Rev. Larry Emory assisted by Rev. Paul Watts. Interment will follow in Mt. Zion Cemetery in Vernon, LA under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston.
A visitation will be prior to the service from 9:00 A.M. until service time in the Chapel of Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston.
Carolyn was born on October 25, 1938, in Jackson Parish, LA to James Fred and Jearlene Whitman of Choudrant, LA and died June 18, 2024, in Leesville, LA. She graduated with the Class of ’57 of Choudrant High School. Carolyn is preceded in death by her husband Billy Ray Ferguson; son, Marshall Alan Ferguson; parents, Fred and Jearlene Whitman; brothers, James Roy Whitman, Grady Earl Whitman, and sister, Linda Akins.
She is survived by her children: Billy Ferguson (Lisa) and their children, De’An Gates ( Jamie), Melissa Atkins (Justin), Kari Ferguson; Jimmy Ferguson ( Jamie) and their son Dusty Ferguson; Timothy Ferguson (Melany) and son Corey Ferguson (Kelsey); daughter-in-law, Rhonda Ferguson and children Tiffany Robertson (Shay), Chris Ferguson (Rebekah), and Braedyn Webb; sister, Beverly Kelly- Cook (Glen); brother, Troy Wesley “T-Roy” Whitman (Dot); and a host of nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Corey Ferguson, Dustin Ferguson, Christopher Ferguson, Shay Robertson, Justin Atkins, and Jamie Gates.
Many thanks to her wonderful friend and caregiver Vada “Francis” Williams; and Woodlands Nursing Home and Staff in Leesville, LA.
Robert “Bud” Frasier September 19, 1938 – June 14, 2024 Cemetery: Mineral Springs Cemetery, Tuesday, July 2, 2024, 10:00 am
Gloria Rabon Monday 04/08/1940 — Wednesday 06/12/2024 Memorial Service: Friday 06/21/2024 1:00pm, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 2586 Hwy 150, Grambling
John Robert Jackson Sunday 09/10/1967 — Sunday 06/16/2024 Family Gathering: Thursday 06/20/2024 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Thursday 06/20/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Friday 06/21/2024, New Hope Baptist Church, 204 W Vaughn Ave., Ruston Interment: Friday 06/21/2024, Bonner Cemetery, Ruston
Dorothy Gray Wednesday 02/01/1956 — Saturday 06/15/2024 Visitation: Friday 06/21/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Saturday 06/22/2024, Grambling Memorial Garden, Highway 80 West, Grambling
Drucilla Sherrard October 14, 1932 – June 14, 2024 Visitation: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 1:00 PM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Graveside Service: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 2:00 PM, Forest Lawn Cemetery, 2500 West California Ave, Ruston
(Pictured left to right: Louisiana National Bank President/CEO Brian Woodard, Ruston’s Josh Brantley, Zheric Hill, Aidan Anding, Sam Nations, Jerrod Baugh and LNB CFO Brandon Norris)
By Kyle Roberts
Members of Ruston High’s football program were presented with a nice gift from Louisiana National Bank Tuesday — a big check for nearly $25,000 to help cover the cost of the state championship rings that have already been given to players and staff in a spring ceremony.
The donation covered 50 percent of the total cost for the rings.
“Louisiana National Bank has always been supportive of us — not just the football program, but they do yearly start-up money for every sport including cheerleading,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “A lot of places are not fortunate enough to have that. Louisiana National Bank and (president/CEO) Brian Woodard have been very good to our athletic programs, state championship or not.
“And then you add this to it, and they didn’t blink an eye. They contacted me and said they were open to doing whatever we needed. We’re very fortunate to have somebody i the community here that knows what it takes to be able to provide for the kids.”
Baugh added that other businesses and people also gave private donations to help with the ring costs.
For Woodard, a Ruston High alum from the class of ’84, it was a no-brainer to offer support.
“(The championship) was a big event for our community and for the kids,” Woodard said. “Anything we can give back to our schools is great for education. It was worthwhile to do that.
“Football was a big deal when I was in high school and the years after, and Jerrod has brought it back. I’m very proud of what he’s done and we’re very supportive of him and the coaching staff. They’ve got a great group.”
The Bearcats will begin their title defense with a home opener against Acadiana on Friday, Sept. 6.
Wilbert Ellis (second from left) will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame later this month.
By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT
Written for the LSWA
Some great athletes are born to be that way based on God-given talent that can be improved on with a solid work ethic, sheer determination and love of the game.
But it can sometimes work the opposite way for great coaches, who don’t always have great careers as athletes but become great coaches based on the same kind of God-given talent combined with a solid work ethic, sheer determination and love of the game.
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 inductee Wilbert Ellis was one of those types of coaches. Ellis spent 30 seasons as Grambling’s head baseball coach after serving the previous 13 as an assistant under Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones.
Ellis retired in 2003 after posting a 743-463-1 record with three Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, five SWAC Western Division crowns and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
He was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 2011 and American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007. Now, he joins the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Ellis is part of the 12-member Class of 2024 to be honored June 20-22 in Natchitoches. For participation opportunities, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.
Those coaching credentials warranted strong consideration for LSHOF induction, but what sealed the deal, and made Ellis even more worthy was what he’s done out of a baseball uniform.
Ellis is the second recipient of the Hall’s Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, established in 2020 when Shreveport-based national broadcaster Tim Brando was the winner.
The award is presented only occasionally and honors long-term exemplary contributions to the perception of Louisiana by an individual who has ties to the state’s sports landscape.
“Throughout his life, as a coach and in many ways since then, Wilbert Ellis has been a tremendous representative of our state and his beloved Grambling State University,” said LSHOF chairman Doug Ireland. “Our selection committee believes he is the ideal person to be the second winner of the Ambassador Award as a man who has been nationally prominent in his field while constantly benefiting Louisiana through words and deeds. Coach Ellis has bolstered our state’s identity and its well-being.”
Ellis is nationally regarded as one of the country’s finest representatives of college baseball, beloved by Grambling alumni for his expansive yet now unofficial, longstanding role at the university.
He has been a trusted advisor for generations of presidents, athletic directors and coaches at Grambling, and to others in Lincoln Parish and statewide in community and governmental affairs.
Ellis was instrumental in the establishment of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum in Grambling, and the school’s Grambling Legends sports hall of fame. He still conducts baseball clinics for kids in Lincoln Parish and elsewhere, and serves as an NCAA Regional site supervisor.
In 2015, the Ruston-Lincoln (Parish) Chamber of Commerce presented Ellis with the 2015 Robert E. Russ Award, which is the highest award that is given for community impact in Ruston or Lincoln Parish, and in 2021 Ellis received that year’s Bill Best Humanitarian Award from the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.
That award was established in 1997 by the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce to recognize a local citizen for their outstanding contributions to humanitarian interests, unselfish giving, and service to others.
Ellis oversaw construction of Grambling’s baseball facility that houses Wilbert Ellis Field at Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Park and serves as president of the Friends of the Eddie Robinson Museum organization.
And in 2022 Ellis was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame in Baton Rouge for his proactive approach in working with youth conducting clinics teaching hardball skills at the same time as offering instruction on the importance of life skills such as staying in school and completing their educations, staying away from drugs and alcohol and becoming productive citizens upon entering adulthood.
Those clinics include nearly 15 years worth of free Wilbert Ellis Youth Baseball Clinics in Ruston and more than 20 years guiding similar youth camps in conjunction with the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
“My whole life has been about guiding people and especially children and young people,” Ellis said. “For me, it was never about the wins and losses – instead, I wanted to see what I could teach them about the game of life through the game of baseball. Every year I’d attend the national coaches convention to learn different ways to make an impact in the kids’ lives, and those lessons have helped me make a difference here in Louisiana. We now have youth camps in Grambling, Ruston, and Lincoln Parish where 200-300 kids come out for the sessions.
“All I’ve wanted to do since I was young was lead coach others in all phases of life and with his grace the Good Lord has granted me with that honor, just as the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is granting me this upcoming honor. Being honored and joining all the great athletes, baseball coaches and players from Louisiana, the state I’ve always lived in, is incredibly thrilling and rewarding. It’s been a good life for this kid who coached on the east end of Ruston.”
_______________________________
Scott Boatright, a Louisiana Tech graduate, works in university communications at Grambling State and also writes for LincolnParishJournal.com.
Bernice Police and the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting Friday night to find one man critically wounded.
Multiple arrests have been made and an additional suspect is being sought, according to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting occurred on 6th Street at the Willow Village Apartments shortly after 9 p.m. Friday night.
The victim, a 21-year-old man, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was airlifted to a regional hospital.
Authorities are searching for Lamar Hamilton, 17, of Junction City on a charge of attempted second degree murder.
UPSO said Hamilton is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached.
Already in custody are a 15-year-old male, a 16-year-old male, and Jamartez Simmons, 17. The two juveniles were placed in a Jackson Parish juvenile facility while Simmons was booked into the Union Parish Detention Center for attempted second degree murder.
Numerous agencies responded to assist UPSO and Bernice officers with the initial call, the subsequent investigation, and the execution of search warrants, including Louisiana State Police, Spearsville Police Department, Junction City Police Department, Bernice Fire, and Pafford EMS.
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.
It’s been an amazing three years with many more to come.
And with that, the Lincoln Parish Journal publishing staff would like the invite the public to come join for its official ribbon cutting to be held Thursday, June 20, at 2:00 p.m. at the Experience Ruston – Events Center located at 2111 N. Trenton St in Ruston.
“Serving as co-publisher for the Lincoln Parish Journal has been one of the best professional endeavors I could ever have taken,” co-publisher Kyle Roberts said. “We have been overwhelmed by the reception we have received from Ruston and Lincoln Parish since our group launched in 2021, and we hope to see many of our community partners and subscribers join us Thursday. Without them, this would not be possible.”
On hand will be staff members from the publishing team to writers to photographers to sales people.
“We are a little late in our ribbon cutting, but we are looking forward to the event,” said co-publisher Malcolm Butler. “We don’t have an office per se. Our office is Lincoln Parish and its businesses and our homes. We have formed a great team of writers, sales reps, photographers and more. And we want to use this to celebrate our great team that makes up the Lincoln Parish Journal.”
Light refreshments and goody-bags will be provided to those in attendance.
The Lincoln Parish Journal is 100 percent free of charge to subscribe. Every weekday morning at 6:55 a.m., the journal is delivered digitally via email. Those wishing to subscribe can do so by clicking here.
Ruston student artists showcased their work at the annual Senior Talented Art Show presented by the Ruston High School Talented Art Department the Creative Exchange Studio. The gallery featured work from 11 student artists in a wide variety of mediums including oil, acrylic, graphite, watercolor and mixed media.
Each student was able to choose up to five pieces to display in the show. Featured artists included Xavier Barker, Chad Hamlin, Olivia Moran, Laina Parkman, Jayden Revels, Allie Richardson, Claire Roane, Amelia Roger, Preslea St. Andre, Bailey Timm and Lyla Turner. They displayed artistic pieces such as paintings, drawings, pottery, photography, mixed media pieces and more.
“I am so thankful that this program is offered in Lincoln Parish,” Ruston High talented art teacher Deana Revels said. “The part I enjoy most about this show is the support and feedback the students get from the community. We always have such a great turnout, and the positive feedback is so great for their confidence.”
Revels acknowledged the importance of instilling skills and confidence in young artists as they embark on their artistic journeys.
“So many times, artists are so hard on themselves when it comes to their artwork. I feel like this show really helps boost their artistic confidence to help them to continue to create,” Revels said. “They have to work together to plan the event and I feel like this is such a great experience for them.
This year’s show was the second time being hosted at the Creatives at Work Gallery. In preparation for the event, students took a field trip to the Creative Exchange where owner Dylan Sanders discussed with students the process of preparing their artwork to be displayed and the pricing of original art and prints.
Senior artist Preslea St. Andre created abstract stroke artwork and watercolor pieces and noted that she specializes in hand lettering and writing in her art. The young artist explained why the Talented Art Show is so important to her now and inspiring toward her future plans.
“I love people to begin with and having the people I love come and support me as well as my fellow artists is so special,” St. Andre said. “It was very encouraging as well as I am going to continue to pursue a degree in graphic design at Louisiana Tech.”
Senior artist Olivia Moran echoed St. Andre’s appreciation for the program and described why she enjoyed being a part of the Talented Art Show.
“What I really enjoy about the Talented Art Program is the opportunity it has given me to explore different mediums and to push my artistic abilities,” Moran said. “The show gave me an opportunity to share my artwork with others and talking about something that I am truly passionate about.”
The Talented Art program in Lincoln Parish is one in which students must be evaluated and accepted by state approved specialists in the arts. Many of the students in the art show have been involved in the program since as early as sixth grade. The Senior Talented Art Show gives students the opportunity to showcase their artistic works while learning more about the business of art.
This week a new College World Series champ will be crowned, and that champ will be from the South, and that is unlikely to change any time soon.
For the foreseeable future, unless they redo geography, Omaha in June is likely to look a lot like this year’s All SEC-ACC showdown.
Before LSU won its first NCAA baseball title in 1991 and began a string of southern teams showing up in the CWS as often as biscuits show up with butter, the Bible Belt Baseball Boys were generally out of the running by the end of May. In college hardball, the South just couldn’t hang. Didn’t care, really.
You can take this train of thought back to the inaugural Series in 1947, when California, led by future American League MVP Jackie Jensen, beat Yale two games to none.
(USELESS INFORMATION ALERT HERE: Yale was the first team to have the popular mascot of Bulldogs. Louisiana Tech was the second. Also, Yale finished 19-10-1 that season, 9-3-1 in the always competitive Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League. The other teams in the league finished either 7-5 or 6-6, which means they were the equivalent of any division in today’s NFL.)
Consider for a moment that Yale played 13 regular-season conference games back then. It was like a college football season today, with every game counting. Also of note (or could possibly be considered as More Useless Information), the Eli Nine were helped to the Series in ’47 by infielder George H.W. “Hot Corner” Bush, the future president, who is rumored to have kept his old Yale glove in his Oval Office desk drawer; never hurts to have your leather handy.
So, the game has changed — the Golden Bears finished the season 31-10 and got to play more games than the weather-addled Yale team — but what’s the same is that Yale and California weren’t from the South then and still aren’t. What the Golden Bears did was start a trend, one aided by the South’s love for football and the West Coast’s love for the more laid-back game of baseball. Pacific and Mountain Time teams would continue to dominate the Series for years, even decades, until LSU came along.
Check the record books pre-1990 and you will see a CWS dominated by Southern California, Arizona State and Arizona. Every now and then, a Texas or Miami would show up. During those formative years, teams from the north had all the impact of a snowball in a five-alarm fire, and that impact is the same today. To put it in perspective, Ohio State won a national title in 1966, the year Bush was first elected to the House of Representatives. A lot has happened since then, but one thing hasn’t: a Northern Team hasn’t sniffed the CWS.
Southern teams have won 11 of the past 14 College World Series — and finished second the three times Southern teams didn’t win it all.
For years and years, the West Coast had it made, baseball-wise. They had it made for sure — right up until the time the South started caring. And we won’t quit caring any time soon.
Wink is almost 4 months old and is the sweetest girl.
Wink was found abandoned in terrible shape along with her 3 siblings. She is actually missing an eye possibly from infection, since the pups were in such bad shape when they arrived.
Wink has seen the vet, is up to date on age-appropriate vacs, will be spayed in the near future, and is thriving at 4 Paws.
Please email 4pawsruston@gmail.com to schedule a meet and greet.
Ruston Police arrested a Bastrop woman Thursday after an altercation with another woman.
Kylie Bruner, 31, was arrested for aggravated battery at an Arcadia Drive residence following the investigation of a disturbance.
Responding officers found the victim with bleeding wounds to the face outside the residence. She said Bruner was on the back porch. Burner was detained while the victim was interviewed.
The victim said she called Bruner a profane name which caused the woman to lash out. She said Bruner walked up to her and struck her with a glass picture frame, causing lacerations to her face.
Bruner said she and the victim were arguing, and when the victim walked aggressively toward her, she was afraid of what was going to happen and grabbed the picture frame and struck her over the head. When asked if the victim was trying to hit her, Bruner said she did not know, but thought she was.
Bruner was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. Bail was set at $3,500.
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.
Hundreds of kids who dream of playing in the pros – or, kids who just love to play – are registered for the already filled-to-capacity free New Orleans Saints & Pelicans/Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Junior Training Camp on Saturday morning on the Northwestern State campus in Natchitoches.
The JTC annually provides two hours of full throttle fun alongside Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members and NSU coaches, and staff from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans community relations department. It is presented by Natchitoches Regional Medical Center.
Everyone who registered should have received an email Monday with a link to an easy-to-complete JTC waiver form that needs to be submitted online by Friday at 5. Those who don’t return that form online will have to complete it Saturday morning before being able to join the fun. JTC organizers are using the online form to hopefully avoid a bottleneck of kids whose participation could be delayed by having to fill out the form on Saturday.
If there are questions about the waiver form, or if it wasn’t received, call the LSHOF Foundation office at 318-238-4255. The camp filled to capacity last month.
The LaSportsHall.com website has the full schedule for the Induction Celebration this weekend. The JTC is one of three free events, beginning with the Thursday evening Welcome Reception from 5-7 at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches. The biggest free ticket is Friday night’s Rockin’ Riverfest concert from 6-10:30 on the downtown riverbank, featuring a fireworks show after the Class of 2024 is introduced at 9:15.
The Junior Training Camp runs from 9-11 a.m., starting with registration between 8-9 a.m. at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center (WRAC) gymnasium. Due to the full capacity of 350 campers signed up, it’s important for parents to get their campers checked in well before the fun starts at 9 a.m. Then, campers get introduced to the sports stars who will be coaching them for the next two hours, inside focusing on basketball skills, and outside at Turpin Stadium, with football and general sports skills instruction.
Every camper will bring home two free T-shirts, other items, and a coupon for a meal at Raisin’ Canes. Photos from the camp will be posted on the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Facebook page, and so will a highlight video.
The goals of the JTC are simple – a fun, and thrilling, experience for the kids, free of charge; skills instruction from some of the best to ever play, or coach, the games; and promotion of health lifestyles and positive life choices.
The campers are separated into two groups. One stays inside for the first hour for basketball instruction, while the other is next door at Turpin Stadium, having football fun. The groups switch locations in the second half of the camp.
Parents can follow their favorite campers and watch all the fun from the stands in the gym and on the east side of Turpin Stadium – where it will be sunny, and hot, watching some really cool memories being made.
Last week we covered some of the issues going on with anglers on our lakes and waterways. We talked about the confrontations taking place daily as guys compete for water space. Every angler of course, wants an area of the lake to themselves. Twenty-five to thirty years ago, this might have been possible but not in 2024! Since the Covid pandemic, it is crazy how many people have taken to the outdoors, and specifically the water, for either fishing or just pleasure boating.
So, with so many people on our lakes and rivers, competition for water space is at an all-time high. Today, I’m going to grab my whistle and put on my coach’s cap and teach anyone willing to listen (boat captains and high school anglers) on the unwritten rules of tournament bass fishing. Actually, these rules should apply to all anglers!
Rule #1: Don’t back your boat down the ramp if you’re not ready to launch. This is a major sore spot with anglers as so many times some anglers will block the ramp by loading all their gear, putting on the running light, loading their rods, removing the trailer bar and unhooking all the trailer straps. Do all this before you get to the ramp! Same goes for pleasure boaters; do all your prepping away from the ramp. Now when you get to the ramp, you’re ready to drop the boat in the water and get out of the way.
Next, brush piles….Rule #2: You don’t own a sunken brush pile. This might be the most controversial topic among tournament anglers and can be a major source of tension. But you must understand, that even though YOU spent hours sinking brush piles all over the lake, in reality, you do not own them. Once anything is sunk on a public waterway, it is no longer YOUR personal fishing spot, it’s public. YOU DO NOT OWN THAT OR ANY OTHER BRUSH PILE! Anyone and everyone have just as much right to fish that brush pile as the person that put it there.
Now, with all this being said, if I know that an angler in the tournament put out a particular brush top, I’ll honor him by not fishing it. Also, if I see a good friend fishing a particular brush pile, I’ll check it off my list of places to fish out of respect for him.
Here’s the thing about brush piles; most lakes have hundreds of brush piles all over the lake. All you have to do is use your electronics and go find them. Which leads us to Rule #4: Go find your own fish! Don’t rely on another angler to find fish for you! Find them on your own! You’ll get a greater satisfaction from fishing when you do it on your own.
Rule #4: Don’t cut another angler off! This is the most controversial unwritten rule there is and the one that has created the most verbal wars on the water. Nothing sets a bass fisherman off quicker than another angler cutting them off. If you see a boat going down a stretch of boat docks, grass line or tree line, don’t run in on him and start fishing a few hundred feet in front of him. THIS IS A MAJOR NO NO! Give the angler his space and go at least 300 yards or more before dropping your trolling motor. Or start behind the angler and go away from him which is what he would prefer anyway.
Rule #5: Don’t run up on another boat and shut down on top of them. This is more of a problem on lakes that have a defined boat lane with little to no wiggle room. If another angler is fishing close to the boat lane, shut down at least 40 yards from them and idle by him a few yards before getting back on pad.
In some cases, anglers will motion you with a hand signal waving you on to stay on pad and run by them. I personally would rather have someone just run by me on pad rather than shutting down and throwing a 2-foot wake on me. A running boat produces a smaller wake than one with a fast idle. But it’s always good to be courteous and let the other angler tell you what they want you to do.
Rule #6: Never drop waypoints with your GPS of another angler’s fishing spot. This one is a major issue with all tournament bass anglers. Just because you see one of the local favorites on a particular body of water fishing a specific spot, does not mean you should idle by him and drop a waypoint. I’ve seen anglers go out of their way to mark another angler’s location only to return and fish the same spot. If you can’t find your own fish, don’t enter the tournament!
Rule #7: At no point should an angler have a pair of binoculars in their boat! This really makes an angler using them look pitiful. It shows you’re spending time sitting and watching other anglers catch fish while you’re waiting for them to leave so you can fish that spot. Don’t do this! Binoculars have no place in a bass boat!
The next two rules (#8 and #9) apply mainly to anglers fishing a pro/am tournament. Rule #8: Don’t throw past the front of the boat. This is actually a written rule, but also the most overlooked or ignored rule by co-anglers. Some co-anglers think they can cast anywhere they want, but that’s not the case. The co-angler should fish the water from the imaginary line from the middle of the boat to the back of the boat. My advice to co-anglers…if you want to fish in front of the boat, then sign up as a boater/pro.
Rule #9: Make sure to help the boater/pro with gas on tournament day. Most guys will never ask for the money, so it’s up to you (co-angler) to offer. It’s pretty much understood that unless gas prices are high, $40 is a good offer. Some boater/pros may not take it, but it’s a courteous gesture on your part to offer, especially if you covered a lot of water that day.
Finally, Rule #10: Your bass boat is not a rocket ship! You’re not impressing anyone on the lake by going fast. So SLOW DOWN and be courteous and respectful of all boaters. In the words of former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jimmy Johnson…speed kills! Now obviously he was talking about football, but the same rule applies for going too fast in a bass boat.
Whether we think it or not, we (anglers) do not own any portion of the lake. Everyone is entitled to all areas of any public lake or river. So be respectful of all boaters using the lake. As hard as it can be, exercise patience and try to be nice.
The rules listed above have been passed down to me by previous generations of anglers during my many years of tournament experience. These are things that all bass fishermen need to be reminded of from time to time.
We all get frustrated, but today our lakes and waterways are overrun with boaters and it’s up to us to educate each other as to what is considered acceptable behavior on the water. If you know of anyone, like a boat captain, high school angler or someone new to tournament bass fishing, please share this information with them. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt…set the hook!
The Lincoln Parish Journal will send out the LPJ Digital Deals email each Thursday that will include coupons from local businesses, giving out loyal readers opportunities to take advantage of special savings from local businesses.
In order for a business or individual to participate, their coupons must contain (a) a savings and (b) an expiration date that falls within one month if the date of run.
Any business who wishes to take advantage of this new piece of inventory may contact the LPJ at LPJNewsLA@gmail.com.
The cost of the weekly coupon to run within the special Thursday afternoon email and then again on Friday morning as an all-inclusive LPJ Digital Deals is $125 per week (or a discounted rate of $350 for a 4-week run).
This is just one more way that the Lincoln Parish Journal can bring its advertising partners together with our loyal readers.
Louisiana Tech’s Michael Ballard was named an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Finalist, the ABCA announced on Tuesday. Ballard would be the second Louisiana Tech player to win the award, following the footsteps of Tech’s former second basemen, Taylor Young, who won it in 2021.
Ballard finished the 2024 season batting .312 at the plate with 77 hits and 38 RBI. The Florida native had four homers and 12 doubles while having a 21-game on-base reach streak, and his longest hitting streak was 15 games.
In his 64 starts at second base, Ballard had just one error with 121 putouts and was involved in 37 double plays in 2024. Ballard, in his first year with the Bulldogs, had a fielding percentage of .997.
The ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove teams were first recognized in 2007 and are presented annually to the top defensive players from each division of collegiate and high school baseball.
The winners of the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award will be announced on Wednesday, June 19.
Dorothy Dean Vining Clark was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister who died peacefully at the age of 90 at home in Ruston, Louisiana with family around her after a lengthy illness. She was born in West Carroll Parish in the village of Forest to Mike Lee Vining and Stella Oldham Vining on July 23, 1933. Her parents preceded her in death.
The Vining family was a large and happy one. Her siblings who preceded her in death included Dixie Vining Harrison, Long Allen Vining, Robert Vining, Michael “Mitch” Vining, and Harry Vining. Those surviving include Joy Vining Ferrell, Mary Vining Morgan, and Mike Vining (Sammie).
Dorothy graduated from Forest High School and immediately enrolled at Louisiana Tech. There she met the love of her life, Glenn E. Clark, who passed in December 2019. They were married on July 1, 1954 at First Baptist Church and proceeded to live in Ruston the rest of their lives with short stints in Baton Rouge, College Station, Texas, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee for educational purposes. Between the two of them, they achieved three advanced degrees after their marriage. They built their first home together on Dogwood Street in 1963 and remained there until death while raising their four daughters: Glenna Clark Fallin (Russell) of Baton Rouge; Connie Clark Schavrien (Steve) of Frisco, Texas, Karen Clark Canterbury (James) of Richardson, Texas, and Cynthia Clark of Ruston.
Dorothy and Glenn, both educators, were proud of their grandchildren who all received college degrees and some with advanced degrees: Laura Schavrien Rummel (Hayden) of Frisco, Texas; Christopher Fallin of Baton Rouge; Lisa Schavrien of Baton Rouge, Rebecca Fallin Allen (Mark) of Fort Worth, Texas, Sarah Canterbury Kyne (Eoghan) of Seattle, Washington; and Jason Canterbury (Heather) of Austin, Texas. Left to cherish her memory are five great-grandchildren: Eloise Allen, Madeline Allen, Eamonn Kyne, Seamus Kyne and Caroline Canterbury.
Many will remember Mrs. Clark as the Algebra I or English III teacher at Ruston High School which was a highpoint of her life, whether it be in the classroom, sponsoring students at the Louisiana High School State Rally, preparation for ACT exams or at Ruston High School football games.
Mrs. Clark was active as a volunteer in Girl Scouts, church youth groups, Lincoln Parish Retired Teachers’ Association, and served as treasurer for the Pierian Club.
Services for Mrs. Clark will be held at First Baptist Church of Ruston where Mrs. Clark was a member for 70 years on Friday, June 21, 2024 led by Dr. Chris Craig and Rev. Clayton Owen. Visitation time is 1:00 pm followed by the service at 2:00 pm.
Graveside services for Drucilla Sherrard, age 91, of Chattanooga, TN will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, June 20, 2024 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Ruston, LA. Services will be under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Mrs. Drucilla was born, October 14, 1932 in Monroe County, AL to the union of George and Lillie Belle McClammy. She died, June 14, 2024 in Chattanooga, TN.
Drucilla’s lifelong passion was gardening and she took great pride in all of her flower beds. Her family will dearly miss her.
Mrs. Drucilla is preceded in death by her parents: Fred and Lillie Belle McClammy; husband, E.B. “Buddy” Sherrard; son Mike Sherrard; and her brothers: David McClammy and James McClammy.
She is survived by her son, Rick Sherrard and his wife Elizabeth; grandchildren: Ashley Price and her husband Joseph, Annie Ewing and her husband Brenson, and Austin Sherrard and his wife Autumn.
Visitation will be held at Owens Memorial Chapel in Ruston, LA on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM. To leave an online memorial message for the family, please visit http://www.owensmemorialfuneralhome.com
Gloria Rabon Monday 04/08/1940 — Wednesday 06/12/2024 Memorial Service: Friday 06/21/2024 1:00pm, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 2586 Hwy 150, Grambling
John Robert Jackson Sunday 09/10/1967 — Sunday 06/16/2024 Family Gathering: Thursday 06/20/2024 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Thursday 06/20/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Friday 06/21/2024, New Hope Baptist Church, 204 W Vaughn Ave., Ruston Interment: Friday 06/21/2024, Bonner Cemetery, Ruston
Dorothy Gray Wednesday 02/01/1956 — Saturday 06/15/2024 Visitation: Friday 06/21/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 06/15/2024 11:00am Interment: Saturday 06/22/2024, Grambling Memorial Garden, Highway 80 West, Grambling
Drucilla Sherrard October 14, 1932 – June 14, 2024 Visitation: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 1:00 PM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Graveside Service: Thursday, June 20, 2024, 2:00 PM, Forest Lawn Cemetery, 2500 West California Ave, Ruston
Rixie Thompson (center wearing pink dress) cuts the ribbon during Saturday’s ceremony celebrating the opening of Jonetta’s Locs of Love. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
Freedom can come in many forms and ways.
So, it is only fitting that in the midst of the city of Grambling’s biggest day of observance of Juneteenth, with much of the city congregating on Main Street for a parade and other festivities, a smaller ceremony celebrating a different kind of freedom was held nearby inside Heavenly Hair Beauty Salon.
Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed.
Saturday afternoon, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held inside the Heavenly Hair Salon for its latest addition that will offer a different form of freedom — a little peace of mind in troubled times — as the grand opening of Jonetta’s Locs of Love Wig Parlor located inside the beauty salon was celebrated.
It is a specialized shop established in large part by the More Than Conquerors Breast Cancer Support Group to provide wigs free of charge for breast cancer survivors as well as those patients currently undergoing chemotherapy.
“Unless you’ve experienced it, been a woman to lose every hair on their body to chemotherapy, you don’t know what it feels like and what it can do to you during an already hard and emotional time,” said Rixie Thompson of More Than Conquerors. “And getting to wear a wig and feel you look like you should that can be very important to some of those who are battling or have battled breast cancer. So, this is a freeing kind of thing, letting breast cancer patients be who they want to be, and that is very important.”
Jonetta’s Locs of Love Wig Parlor is named in honor of the late Jonetta Collinsworth of Lincoln Parish, who passed away in 2009 while battling breast cancer.
More than 200 wigs donated by Collinsworth’s daughter, Tamishia Moats, a Louisiana Tech graduate and wife of former Louisiana Tech and NFL running back Ryan Moats, has provided a good start for Jonetta’s Locs of Love.
Moats said it is all about honoring her late mother and her legacy.
“I was always committed to do something for her legacy and I’m so grateful to Ms. Rixie, who went through the same fight with my mom, and all of the others because I’m running around all over the country so much,” Moats said. “They’ve kept my mother’s and the legacies of many others that were a part of the group alive. And that’s very important.”
Moats said the wigs from Jonetta’s Locs of Love are either human hair or premium, high-quality synthetic hair and that some type of fundraising event will be held annually to maintain the supply of wigs for Jonetta’s Locs of Love.
She also said the caring approach the shop will take toward its clientele is an important part of what Jonetta’s Locs of Love has to offer.
“When my mom first lost her hair, she had not worn a wig,” Moats said. “She had never worn weaves or anything. She didn’t like them and said they were too hot. But I remember going to stores to look with her at wigs and the workers weren’t very friendly. And when people are going through chemo, they’re dealing with a lot at that time. So, when we opened our store in Frisco (Texas), we made sure to make everybody feel welcome.
“I didn’t know what my purpose was in all this when it all started. My background is in sports administration. So, I asked myself, why am I here? And when the clients started coming in, I realized that this was my testimony. So, every day I’m listening to people. It starts with breast cancer. But a lot of times it grows into other things and problems, people who just are just looking are looking for a friendly face willing to listen.”
Counseling, educational seminars and financial support from More Than Conqueror are among other resources that will be available through Jonetta’s Locs of Love.
And while the shop is Grambling based, it is willing to provide help to breast cancer patients and survivors across the nation.
“This isn’t only for Grambling, this is for the entire United States,” Thompson said. “We ship wigs anywhere in the country as long as it’s going to someone undergoing chemo or a survivor who lost their hair during their fight against the disease.
“All they have to do is get in touch with the More Than Conquerors Breast Cancer Support group and we will be there for them.”
Say the name “Womack” to any bull ’round these parts and watch him shudder — they don’t take too kindly to that name.
That’s because for decades Ruston Fire Chief Chris Womack had also been one of the most well known bull fighters in the professional rodeo circles, and now, his son Tanner will be taking the family business by the horns — literally — after rustling up a partial scholarship to bull fight for the Panola College Ponies in Carthage, Texas, where he hopes to study how to work on HVAC units.
“Tanner’s a great kid,” Panola rodeo head coach Jeffrey Collins said. “He knows that he’s going to be underpaid for the job he does. But guys that fight bulls — they’re wired differently. They’ll go in there and take a hit for a rider. Sometimes it’s multiple hits, and they can just get up again and again. I’m very proud to have that.”
After playing football for most of his high school life, Tanner decided it was time to try the rodeo for the past year and found that he truly had a niche gift for taking some licks.
“I tried bull riding first, but I got hurt a lot and quit doing that,” Tanner said. “I found out I was pretty good at fighting bulls and getting its attention. So if somebody’s going to get hit by a bull, it’s going to be me.”
The primary role for a bull fighter in modern rodeo is to distract the bull after it’s bucked its rider. Two to three bull fighters at a time will then do their best to distract the bull while the rider is tended to on the ground and moved to safety.
It’s a challenge that the recent Ruston High grad is certainly up for and has the endorsement of his dear old dad to boot.
“He’s doing a great job,” Chris said of his son. “And if this will help him get an education and ease the burden on “mom and dad,” then it’s a win for everybody.”
Take an even higher view and you’ll not only see the father-son connection between bull fighting, you’ll see that the main purpose is to put yourself on the line in service of others — something Chris does for a living as the city’s Fire Chief and now Tanner gets to do as a bull fighter.
“It gives you goosebumps when you think about it that way,” Collins said in conclusion. “It’s pretty cool stuff, because that’s going to be Tanner’s role here.”
During Collins tenure the head coach at Panola College, the Ponies won the 2019 national championship, competing against larger schools such as Sam Houston State and McNeese State.
Bankers from across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi participated in the third year of the Louisiana Tech University School of Banking, June 3-7, in Ruston.
Presented by the College of Business in collaboration with the Louisiana Bankers Association, the week-long professional development program expands the skills and knowledge base of rising bank leaders. The 75 participants engaged in trainings and discussions about fintech, regional economic development, and cybersecurity to hone skills that have become increasingly critical to the banking industry.
“My classmates and I engaged in discussions with industry leaders about issues affecting us today and some that will affect us in the very near future,” said Angelle David, vice president and business development officer for b1BANK. “In the classroom, instructors guided us through deep dives of banking from every angle.
“This allowed us to learn more about other departments and more fully understand how each works together. Our class represents every corner of our field, and we each look forward to going home and serving our organizations as better bankers and leaders because of the opportunity to attend Louisiana Tech University’s School of Banking.”
Courses taught by Louisiana Tech faculty members, top banking executives, consultants, and regulators covered a variety of topics including operations, risk management, liquidity, marketing, sales, and regulations.
“The Louisiana Tech School of Banking is not just for those who are early in their banking career; it is also for those who have had years of experience in the banking field,” said Kim Lee, vice president and compliance officer for Community Bank of Louisiana. “I had the opportunity to network with other banking professionals and to share ideas that directly impact our day-to-day operations. I am thankful that my employer allowed me to attend this school to gain more knowledge in an ever-changing economic environment.”
The event concluded with a graduation ceremony celebrating 35 bankers who completed their second year of the School of Banking.
2024 School of Banking Graduates
Mitchell Best, Louisiana Land Bank, ACA
Jason Blalock, Red River Bank
Kaila Boire, b1BANK
Royce Boyer, b1BANK
Courtney Carter Duplessis, Bank of Zachary
Jarred Cram, Bonvenu Bank
Reagan Cunningham, BOM Bank
Josh Curry, Origin Bank
Melissa Dickson, First Federal Bank of Louisiana
Chad Doucet, South Louisiana Bank
Chuck Elkin, Winnsboro State Bank
Jennifer Freeman, United Mississippi Bank
Bill Gibson, Gibsland Bank & Trust
Jessica Jester, Bonvenu Bank
Dylan Knotek, BOM Bank
Layne LaBudde, First Horizon Bank
Brenner Mabry, Bank OZK
Titan Marler, BOM Bank
Anna Martin, Bank of Oak Ridge
Vicky Meyer, b1BANK
Ross Michel, First National Bankers Bank
Amanda Moran, Bank of Zachary
Colby Nagem, Tensas State Bank
Clinton Oliver, BOM Bank
Albert Paxton, Bank of Oak Ridge
Josh Payne, Delta Bank
Robin Pearson, FISC
Wayne Robinson, Jr., Synergy Bank
Kyle Sisson, Mer Rouge State Bank
David Stephens, Citizens Progressive Bank
Reed Trisler, Guaranty Bank & Trust
Jonathan Vedros, b1BANK
Jonathan Wall, BOM Bank
Trent Williams, Winnsboro State Bank
Mackenzie Willis, Louisiana National Bank
A cohort of 40 bankers completed their first year of courses and will return in June 2025 for a second year featuring BankExec simulations and case studies that will complement classroom discussions.
2024 School of Banking First-Year Participants
Kaitlin Ainsworth, Caldwell Bank & Trust
Jake Bennett, Caldwell Bank & Trust
Amy Blaylock, Caldwell Holding Company
Whitney Boyd, Bank of St. Francisville
Jack Colvin, b1BANK
April Craft, Concordia Bank & Trust Company
Tia Culpepper, Origin Bank
Angelle David, b1BANK
Amy Flint, Caldwell Holding Company
Angelice Fried, Bank of St. Francisville
Misty Guidry, Synergy Bank
Danielle Hearne, Louisiana National Bank
Devon Hebert, State Bank & Trust Company
Wesley Lazarus, Progressive Bank
Kim Lee, Community Bank of Louisiana
Jonathan Little, Origin Bank
Elliot Macks, South Louisiana Bank
Kade Madden, Home Federal Bank
Lindsay M. McClaran, Gibsland Bank & Trust
Hilie McFarland, Delta Bank
Julie McMillin, Merchants & Farmers Bank
Kylie Middleton, b1BANK
Rusti Morel, Rayne State Bank
Greg Nichols, Barksdale Federal Credit Union
Dillon Patel, Louisiana National Bank
Briar Prewitt, b1BANK
Darryl Pruitt, Bonvenu Bank
Andrea S. Randall, First National Bankers Bank
Logan Reeder, Home Federal Bank
Trey Roberson, Century Next Bank
Karri Shaver, Century Next Bank
Kendall Shaw, b1BANK
Susan Skapura, Century Next Bank
Jessica Slaughter, Century Next Bank
Justin Stanley, Delta Bank
Mallory Taylor, Century Next Bank
Neil Thomason, Jonesboro State Bank
Peyton Underwood, Century Next Bank
Katie Vegas, State Bank & Trust Company
Michael Wilkes, Century Next Bank
For Whitney Boyd, vice president and branch manager for Bank of St. Francisville, attending the School was an opportunity for both personal and professional growth.
“The School of Banking is an excellent investment,” said Boyd. “It allowed me to hear and interact with the best speakers in a comfortable setting, enhancing our understanding of each concept. The program as a whole is an unbelievable experience that I highly recommend. I’m incredibly grateful for the connections I made while there—all made possible by my bank’s belief in me.”
Each second-year banker participated in BankExec, an intensive simulation designed to provide an understanding of financial management challenges in banks. Divided into seven banks, teams competed throughout the week and presented their final results prior to graduation. The following team was the 2024 winner:
Bank of Hope
Chad Doucet, South Louisiana Bank
Layne LaBudde, First Horizon Bank
Reed Trisler, Guaranty Bank & Trust
Jonathan Vedros, b1BANK
Mackenzie Willis, Louisiana National Bank
Sponsors for the Louisiana Tech School of Banking include b1BANK (presenting), Bonvenu Bank (gold), Origin Bank (gold), Century Next Bank (silver), Caldwell Holding Company (bronze), Gibsland Bank & Trust (bronze), and the Louisiana Bankers Education Council (bronze).
Registration will open in January 2025 for the next cohort of participants. For more information on the School of Banking, visit business.latech.edu/banking.
Louisiana Tech alum Tom Burnett is the recipient of this year’s Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award.
By TEDDY ALLEN
Written for the LSWA
There are several people to blame for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award being presented to former Southland Conference commissioner and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee chairman Tom Burnett, not the least of which is Tom Burnett.
We’ll get to that.
Burnett, still surprised by his pending turn in the spotlight, is part of the 12-member Class of 2024 to be honored June 20-22 in Natchitoches. For participation opportunities, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.
The reason a once-unlikely Dixon/Burnett pairing has come to this starts with Keith Prince, Louisiana Tech’s Hall of Fame sports information director from 1969-1993, who saw in the mid-1980s a kid from West Monroe by way of Houston — we’ll call him Tom Burnett — show up “in our office at a time when he was still searching for something,” Prince said, “maybe just something to care about … or even a reason to be in school.”
Prince let him hang around, and soon Tom was enjoying his new responsibilities, looking for more and even taking ownership of the job — a full-time assistant on a student assistant’s pay.
After graduation, Burnett dipped his toe into the sports writing waters in Monroe, felt a chill, and retired back to the safety of Ruston, where he pestered Prince for more loose change so he could hang around the SID office a bit longer, Things might have ended there, with Tom replacing a retiring Prince in 1993, had the next culprit not appeared.
Enter the new American South Conference and commissioner Craig Thompson, who found Tom on either a Ruston streetcorner or the baseline at Thomas Assembly Center — accounts vary — and offered him 20 bucks plus dental to manage communication and media services from the New Orleans-based office.
Over time, the “other duties as assigned” clause came into play and Burnett was overseeing staff, formatting league schedules, managing championship events, dealing with coaching issues, helping birth the New Orleans Bowl, hosting NCAA hoops gigs at the Superdome and, well, “through all that,” Burnett confessed, “I guess I became an administrator.”
“During those early days, I saw his passion for doing things the right way,” said Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame writer Dan McDonald, the sports information director at then-USL when Burnett was just getting his young administrative feet wet. “He was ‘old-school’ like me, and we did a lot of things at conference championship events that were special at the time — things that are taken for granted these days.
“He was dedicated to making events special for the student-athletes and coaches, but he also appreciated and understood the job that the media did and their importance at the time to making those events successful.”
The snowball was rolling. Roughly a dozen years passed and Burnett, at this stage with the Sun Belt Conference, still in New Orleans, was constantly spotted telling sportswriters where to sit and when to shut up at this Sun Belt event and then that, at this NCAA event and then that, until one day the next perpetrator, the Southland Conference Board of Directors, stepped in and made him, at 38, the commissioner of the entire SLC. A fellow named Greg Sankey had left for a job with the Southeastern Conference.
Now Burnett was telling not only sportswriters, but also coaches where to sit and when to tap the brakes. Same with athletics directors, ditto with the oddest species on the entire college athletics food chain, the university presidents.
But instead of weeping and gnashing of teeth, there was an air of respect for the young man in the necktie and helpful smile, a steady stream of gratitude for a guy who was proving himself a leader in an ego-heavy business because he was “mostly a great friend and a constant presence for many like me who have benefited from his years of insight, experience and humor,” Herb Vincent, associate commissioner for communications for the SEC since 2013, said.
“Tom carried the weight of being a leader and its responsibility — a responsibility which directly impacted as many as 12 universities and thousands of student-athletes — with a steady, caring and passionate approach for over 20 years,” said former Northwestern State athletic director Greg Burke. “He was a communicator with the conference board of directors, presidents, athletic administrators, coaches and many others, always with the goal of making decisions which were best for the overall good of the membership.”
“Tom’s always maintained the ‘hand in the dirt’ mentality that he got from working for Keith Prince at Tech, the philosophy that you do the grunt work just as gleefully as you do anything else, and you enthusiastically embrace doing it,” said Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Doug Ireland, SID at Northwestern from 1989-2019. “He also models Keith in his ability to work with anyone and make everybody feel welcomed and part of the team.
“I don’t believe there was anyone at any level involved as a competitor, as a coach, or as an administrator who didn’t understand that even if Tom had to make an unpopular decision, he kept everyone’s best interests in mind and always wanted the best outcome for all. … Tom’s enthusiasm, pride and sheer joy in seeing Southland teams excel in out-of-conference and postseason competition was always apparent.”
Sadly, everyone asked about Burnett’s LSHOF honor ultimately points to the No. 1 culprit: Burnett his own self. So does his ‘commissioning’ record.
Named to the Division I Committee on Academic Performance in 2003, shortly after the NCAA ramped up scholastic standards and created the Academic Performance Rate (APR) and shortly after he became commissioner, Burnett found himself surrounded by reps from the Ivy League, Big 10, Pac-10, ACC, SEC — none of which had APR problems like the Southland’s.
Faced with significant penalties for failure to comply, the conference responded after Burnett convinced the presidents of just how real the problem was. That triggered an immediate improvement in the league’s APR scores; one of the poorest performing schools at first became a model of such dramatic improvement that it was featured in the NCAA’s quarterly magazine, and sooner rather than later, one year the SLC had a better collective APR score in men’s basketball than the ACC did.
When Burnett was a rookie commissioner, precious few SLC contests were televised. The league semi-invented its own in-house TV network of weekly football games and men’s and women’s basketball doubleheaders.
The Southland Conference Television Network, an old school “over-the-air” operation, grew into close to three dozen affiliates across the South and Southwest, before an enhanced ESPN agreement and an expansion into volleyball, softball and baseball telecasts.
Eventually, SLC schools were producing hundreds of digital telecasts combined (like most leagues do now), which allowed for negotiation of the Southland’s multi-million-dollar agreement in 2020.
In 2007, Burnett approached the Big 12 about combining the two leagues’ football officiating programs into a consortium, something that was being done between leagues in other college sports, but not football. Officiating consortiums between FCS and FBS leagues are common throughout the NCAA today — but the Southland was the tip of the spear.
The Southland simply took ownership of the FCS Championship Game. Before the 2010 season, Frisco, Texas won the bid to host and the SLC embraced the event, put passion behind it, and 12 of the first 13 title games sold out. Besides leading to the Frisco Bowl’s birth, the game is estimated to bring in $16 million in economic impact annually.
In 2014, the Southland was the first FCS league to adopt full-time instant replay at every home game like the FBS leagues had.
Easier said than done, but somehow in between the league’s spring meeting and the first game — 90 days — the league installed cameras, cables, extra power, developed a set of four stationary cameras in each stadium and, well … it worked. Soon after, the Big 10 added stationary cameras in their stadiums for additional replay angles, and although it took a few years, everyone in FCS was eventually in the replay business.
Five March Madness wins followed, the first one courtesy of the Northwestern State over Iowa in 2006, the league’s first win in the Round of 64 since the Karl Malone-led Louisiana Tech team in 1985.
While Demons coach Mike McConathy waited for his postgame interview on CBS, Burnett planted a can’t-help-myself “big wet kiss on his cheek,” Burnett said. “I hope he’s forgiven me for that. But it was such a needed validation for the league, proving what our teams were capable of doing, winning in the national tournament and belonging in the mainstream of Division I.”
That win also triggered another first for the league — NCAA Tournament revenue-sharing the conference had never realized previously.
Along with providing two of those March Madness wins, Stephen F. Austin upset No. 1 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2020, the SLC’s first-ever win against a top-ranked team and Duke’s first nonconference home loss in over 20 years.
Thanks to Sam Houston State, the league finally won its football national championship in the COVID-delayed 2020 season, played in the spring of 2021.
“The conference was a trendsetter nationally among its peers,” Ireland said, “because Tom was an innovator and bold enough to give new ideas a chance.”
Then in 2021-22 — and who knows where the blame lies here, maybe with the NCAA? — Burnett became just the ninth commissioner and first since 2009 to chair the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee, the first FCS commissioner to serve in the role.
This is, of course, the group that manages the selection and administrative processes of the national championship, just about the most important college athletics showcase in the whole world, and this is the truth because right there on national TV on Final Four Weekend in 2022, there was NCAA president Mark Emmert introducing Tom, who congratulated the Kansas team for winning the title and handed to Jayhawks coach Bill Self the actual trophy, right there on the floor of the Superdome in the city where Burnett first began administrating.
Cinderella story is all it is. A happy ending for a necktie-wearing but purposeful blend of an i-dotter, t-crosser, dice-roller, smile-wearer, and problem-solver, the longest-tenured commissioner in the SLC’s history.
“I’ve always felt college athletics was something special, and when I was involved, I worried about its future,” McDonald said. “But I always felt better knowing people like Tom were in charge and were doing the right things to help keep it special.”
“I’ve never been surprised by Tom’s career success,” Prince said. “He’s a natural leader, and his vision for things that are needed and will work has always been exceptional. He proved that many times over as a conference commissioner and as chairman of the NCAA basketball selection committee.
“No doubt he deserves to be in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He’s been in mine for a long time.”
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Teddy Allen is a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee as the 2022 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. He writes for LincolnParishJournal.com.
