Northwestern State University’s Soccer team was honored during a pre-council meeting before the Natchitoches City Council on Feb. 14. Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr. They are both Southland Conference Champions and Southland Tournament Champions. This is the first time NSU has done this in 21 years. Head Coach Stuart Gore, from the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, is in his first year coaching Lady Demons soccer.
Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court David Stamey announces that the Clerk of Court’s office will be holding a School of Instruction for new election commissioners. It will be held at the main courtroom of the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse, 200 Second Street, on Tuesday February 22, 2022 at 5:30 pm.
The school is for new persons wanting to be certified as Election Commissioners. If you are already an Election Commissioner, you do not have to attend.
Stamey stated that Natchitoches Parish is lucky to have great commissioners but with turnover, he is always looking for new commissioners throughout the parish. The office operates 50 precincts at 42 different polling places when holding parish wide elections.
The qualifications to serve include:
You must be a qualified voter who does not require assistance in voting. You cannot be a candidate in the election or have an immediate family member who is a candidate at the precinct in which you serve. To become an election commissioner, you cannot have been convicted of an election offense. You must attend the course of instruction for new election commissioners.
By attending this school, you would be eligible to be selected to work at one of the election precincts on Election Day. Pay is $200 per election.
If you have any questions, please call the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s office at (318) 352-8152.
Student athletes on the Natchitoches Central Powerlifting Team recently competed and took home lots of medals as LHSPLA University of Louisiana Lafayette Raw Invitational Champions.
Three of the best lifter awards went to NCHS athletees Nathan Lovemore (1st place 132 lbs, 1,020 total), Mackenzie Johnson (1st place 132 lbs, 730 total), and James Jackson (1st place 242 lbs, 1,320 total).
Many others placed:
1st place- Jayda White, Mackenzie Johnson, Branteal Layton, Ethan Hudson, Nathan Lovemore, Hayden Jackson, James Jackson, Jeron Larry, and Dillan Young
2nd place- Deitra Jackson, Alexx Gibson, Dinah Ellzey, and Tum Tum Adeleye
3rd place- Summer Richardson and Kaveon Pichon
The Virtue of the Month for January was Courage. Students from St. Mary’s Catholic School chosen are Kahill Methvin, Easton Ables, Daniel Han, Cohen Gandy, Emilee Harper, Colie Mathews, Lexie Metoyer, Kollyns Duhon, Madison McGuffee, Lila Lewis, Levi Aton, Luke Johnson, Russ Hillhouse, Emma Broadway, Brooklyn Evans, and Ava Wren. Pictured with them is Principal Jason Lachica.
August 26, 1937 – February 13, 2022
Charles Lester Pilcher, 84, of Many died at his home Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, surrounded by his family.
Services will be at Rose-Neath Funeral Home of Many at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16. Graveside services will follow at Beulah Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15 at the funeral home.
Charles was born Aug. 26, 1937, in Rodessa, the oldest child of Henry Lester Pilcher and Esther Lopez Pilcher. He attended Alliance School as a youngster and graduated from Negreet High School in 1955. Upon completing high school, Charles worked on the pipeline and served in the U.S. National Guard.
On July 1, 1961, he married Sarah Walker, also of Negreet, and they shared over 60 years together, settling outside Zwolle and rearing three children.
Charles had a long career in the oilfield starting in Sabine Parish and working up to become a senior toolpusher / OIM in the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, the Middle East and South America. He was also a cattleman and spent many years farming in Zwolle and on Recknor Road. He was a 50-year member and past Master of Little Flock Masonic Lodge and member and past president of the El Karuba Sabine Parish Shrine Club where he served as secretary for many years.
After retirement, Charles and Sarah took several trips around the country in their travel trailer before building their home at Lanan Bay on Toledo Bend, in the area where he grew up. They became involved in the Toledo Bend Lake Association and made friends with other retirees on the lake. Charles served as a board member of TBLA for several terms and assisted in organizing the Bass Unlimited program for several years.
In addition to his parents, Charles was preceded in death by brothers Wayne, Jerry and Stanley Pilcher. He is survived by Sarah, who was his devoted caregiver, and their children, Karla Migues and husband Lonny, Cade Pilcher and wife Tina and Leah Jackson and husband Clay. Grandchildren are Claire Wilson and husband Regan, Joey Migues and wife Katy, Gracyn Migues and fiance Luke Lowery, Cale Pilcher and wife Heidi, Chas Pilcher, Clayton Jackson Jr. and Walker Roe Jackson. Great-grandchildren are Karly, Joseph, Olivia and Lily Kate Wilson. Also surviving are a brother Jim Pilcher, sisters Bonnie Pilcher and Connie Suazo and a large extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be grandsons Joey Migues, Joseph Wilson, Cale Pilcher, Chas Pilcher and Clayton Jackson and nephew Wade Pilcher. Honorary pallbearers are Kenneth Anderson, Clint Anderson, Shannon Gandy, Billy Guay, Carroll Salley and Bennie Walker.
The family wishes to thank Paige Procell and Mary Farmer who assisted with Charles’ care.
NIA Community Initiative launched its Kids Café Backpack Program last month. The program provides an after-school snack and backpacks filled with meals and snacks to children enrolled in after school programs at Weaver and East Natchitoches Elementary Schools. Backpacks are filled and distributed every Thursday for children to take home, helping them eat healthy and fill the gap so that children do not go hungry on the weekends.
“We are so proud to serve the community through this program and extremely grateful for the grant award from the Louisiana Department of Revenue, which helped fund us”, said Executive Director Nicole Gray. A Feed America study found that 21% of residents in Natchitoches Parish (approximately 7,600 residents) are food insecure. This program serves as a way to improve food accessibility for more than 120 students in the program.
NIA Community Initiative was founded in 2021 to address the needs of Natchitoches youth and close the opportunity gap that many youths in rural and impoverished communities face. The organization has three program objectives: mentoring/academic assistance, juvenile justice alternatives, and child nutrition.
Natchitoches Regional Medical Center is currently hiring Environmental Service Technicians in our Environmental Services Department.
Required Education and Experience
Preferred Education and Experience
NRMC Offers Great Salaries & Benefits.
To view and apply to these openings, please visit: www.nrmchospital.org/jobs/.
If you have questions or would like to speak to our Recruiter, please contact Larissa Cameron at 318-214-5819 or at larissa.cameron@nrmchospital.org
Julia Ann Drive within the City of Natchitoches Distribution System did experience a low pressure problem on Feb. 14 in the above mentioned area of the water supply system. This drop in system pressure below 20 pounds has been caused by a water main break in which the water supply had to be shut off for a period of time.
Because of this drop in system pressure, the water within our water distribution system is of questionable microbiological quality.
Therefore, as a precaution, the City of Natchitoches Distribution System is issuing a BOIL ADVISORY effective immediately for Julian Ann Drive. This BOIL ADVISORY is to remain in effect until rescinded by the Water System.
It is recommended that all consumers in the above mentioned area disinfect their water before consuming it (including fountain drinks), making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation or rinsing of foods by the following means:
Boil water for one (1) full minute in a clean container. The one minute starts after the water has been brought to a rolling boil. (The flat taste can be eliminated by shaking the water in a clean bottle or pouring it from one clean container to another, or by adding a pinch of salt to each quart of water that is boiled.)
Again, please be sure to disinfect your own water prior to consumption until you have been advised otherwise.
This Boil advisory does not affect the remainder City of Natchitoches Water Distribution System.
BATON ROUGE- Due to the extremely dry conditions statewide and the overwhelming emergency responses recorded by local fire officials, State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning, along with Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, have issued a statewide cease and desist order for all private burning, pursuant to authority under R.S. 40:1602.
Private burning shall only be allowed by permission of the local fire department or local government.
This order is effective as of 8:00 a.m., February 15, 2022, and shall remain in effect until rescinded.
This ban shall not apply to prescribed burns by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, by those trained and certified by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, or by those who conduct prescribed burning as a “generally accepted agriculture practice” as defined by the Louisiana Right to Farm Law (R.S. 3:3601 et seq.).
Violation of this Fire Marshal order could result in criminal and/or civil penalties.
Student members of the Future Business Leaders of America club at St. Mary’s Catholic School recently attended the Regional District III Leadership Conference at NSU and brought home numerous awards. Students receiving First Place and Superior ratings will advance to the State Competition, March 27-29 that will be held in Lafayette.
1st Place (Advancing to State): Emma Broadway, Word Processing; Sophia Brossett, Supply Chain Management; Kadence Creamer, Public Speaking; Sophia Hogg; Intro to Public Speaking; Anna Kate Jackson, Current Events; Luke Johnson, Intro to Business Procedures; Peter Kautz, Securities and Investments; Anna Grace Mabile, Intro to Business Communications; Mason McCart, Current Events and Help Desk; Adam Parker, Client Services; Payne Williams, Current Events
Superior (Advancing to State): Camille Ball, Marketing and Word Processing; Emma Broadway, Marketing; Sophia Brossett, Business Law; Gracie Chasteen, Human Resource Management; Colton Cross, Intro to Financial Math, Securities and Investments; Will deVargas, Healthcare Administration; Ava Errington, Intro to Business Concepts; Graeme Fidelak and Cole Fisher, Sports & Entertainment Management; Caroline Godfrey, Entrepreneurship; Abigail Guillet, Job Interview; Reaves Hogg, Mr. FBL; Sophia Hogg, Intro to FBLA; John Henry Ingrish, Business Law and Organizational Leadership; Anna Kate Jackson, Impromptu Speaking; Baylea Johnson, Accounting; Luke Johnson, Journalism; Peter Kautz, Advertising; Preston Martinez, Intro to Business Concepts and Introduction to Financial Math; William Mayeux, Sports and Entertainment Management; Trent Middendorf, Accounting and Economics; Sheridan Pesnell, Public Speaking; Georgia Kate Philen, Intro to FBLA; Lily Anna Sklar, Business Calculations; Emma Stewart, Entrepreneurship; Cal Sukerek, Business Law
Excellent: Ainsley Armstrong, Intro to Public Speaking; Cole Fisher, Computer Problem Solving; Olivia Gillis, Healthcare Administration and Journalism; Gabby Godfrey, Organizational Leadership; Emma Haecker, Political Science; Baylea Johnson, Business Law; Andrew Kautz, Intro to Information Technology; Andi Kelly, Agribusiness and Job Interview; Anna Marie McClung and Gunner Nash, Agribusiness; Abigail Ramian, Economic and Business Communications; Lily Anna Sklar, Accounting; Clary Smiley, Help Desk; Destanee Stewart, Business Ethics; Alex Sukerek, Cybersecurity, Introduction to Information Technology; Cal Sukerek, Business Calculations; Anna Thibodaux, Intro to Business Calculations.
Students pictured on first row from left are William Mayeux, Emma Broadway, Camille Ball, Sophia Brossett, Sheridan Pesnell, Chloe Nash, Lily Anna Sklar, Clary Smiley and Andi Kelly. On second row are Colton Cross, Preston Martinez, Peter Kautz, Luke Johnson, Reaves Hogg, Trent Middendorf, and Andrew Kautz. On third row are Adam Parker, Payne Williams, Cole Fisher, Graeme Fidelak, Mason McCart and Will DeVargas. On fourth row are John Henry Ingrish and Cal Sukurek.
SABINE:
Ezra James Powell
October 30, 1950 – February 11, 2022
Service: Thursday, February 17 at 1 at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel
WINN:
Lucille Bedgood
January 21, 1945 – February 13, 2022
Service: Wednesday, February 16 at 2 pm at Goldonna Cemetery
Jackie Carol Stanfill
March 10, 1943 – February 11, 2022
Service: Tuesday, February 15 at 11 am at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Winnfield
RED RIVER:
Glynda Sue Stansbury
April 11, 1943 – February 13, 2022
Service: Wednesday, February 16 a 11 am at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel
The Natchitoches City Council will have a pre-council meeting beginning Monday, Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. to discuss non-agenda items. The City Council meeting will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month and will be reserved to only items on the Agenda. The public is invited to both the pre-council meetings and council meetings with the understanding that items not on the agenda will not be discussed at the scheduled council meetings, but the public is welcome to discuss any topic at the pre-council meetings. The City Council Meetings are held at the Natchitoches City Council Chambers located at 716 Second Street in Natchitoches.
https://www.facebook.com/NPJNatLa
AGENDA:
PROCLAMATIONS:
#012 Elie Resolution Proclaiming The Month Of February 2022 As African American History Month In The City Of Natchitoches.
ORDINANCES – FINAL:
#006 Harrington Ordinance Amending The 2021-2022 Budget To Reflect Additional Revenues and Expenditures.
ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION:
#008 Petite Ordinance, Upon The Recommendations Of The Finance Department, That The City Of Natchitoches Enter Into An Agricultural Lease Of A 96.82 Acre Tract, More Or Less, With Russell & Mary Edith Stacy Farms, And Authorizing The Mayor, Ronnie Williams, Jr., To Execute Said Lease On Behalf Of The City Of Natchitoches, And To Provide For Advertising.
#009 Nielsen Ordinance To Amend And Reenact Section 30-42 (C) Of The Code Of Ordinance Of The City Of Natchitoches, Which Is Located In Article Iv Of Section 30 Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Natchitoches, Entitled “Utilities” Said Amendments Being Made To Implement Changes In The Rate Schedule For Water For Industrial Users Inside The City Limits, Which New Rate Structure Has Been Proposed Following A Water Rate Study, Providing For Advertising, Further Providing For Severability, And Further Providing For A Repealer
#010 Elie An Ordinance To Designate Funds From The American Rescue Plan To The City Of Natchitoches Police Department To Otherwise Provide With Respect Thereto.
#011 Harrington Ordinance Creating The River South Commons Economic Development District, State Of Louisiana And Defining The Boundaries Thereof; Appointing Special Counsel; And Otherwise Providing With Respect Thereto.
#012 Petite An Ordinance Approving That Instrument Titled Cooperative Endeavor Agreement Between The City Of Natchitoches And Chick-Fil-A, Inc., Which Agreement Provides For Cost Sharing For The Installation Of Infrastructure, Including Traffic And Drainage, Which Improvements Will Serve The Proposed Restaurant Facility At The Corner Of E. 5th Street And Highway 494.
RESOLUTIONS:
#013 Nielsen Resolution Approving An Amendment To Change Order No. 6 Increasing The Contract Total To Include Pavie Street For The Phase 3 Street Rehabilitation (BID NO. 0629)
#014 Harrington Resolution Authorizing The Mayor To Execute A Certificate Of Substantial Completion To The Contract Between The City Of Natchitoches And Regional Construction For Phase 3 Street Rehabilitation (Bid No. 0629)
#015 Petite Resolution Authorizing The Mayor To Advertise And Accept Bids For (1) 750 KVA 3 Phase Pad Mount Transformer (Bid No. 0645)
#016 Elie Resolution Appointing The Finance Director For The City Of Natchitoches
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The next scheduled City Council meeting will be Monday, February 28, 2022.
The offices of the City of Natchitoches will be closed Monday, February 21, 2022 in honor of President’s Day.
Over 30 units rolled through our city Saturday, February 12 in the Natchitoches Black History Parade. The parade, themed “Expressions of a Culture”, began on Texas St. and went through Martin Luther King St. and concluded at the Ben D. Johnson Center.
NSU president Dr. Marcus Jones served as Grand Marshal with NCHS Alumna Miss Anastasia Nelson as Queen. Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams and First Lady Tiffany Williams were on hand for the first Black History Parade of his term. The hard-working and studious young men and women of the Weaver Elites performed for the spectators. Community leaders from the school board and city council were joined by churches, NSU’s African American Caucus, National Pan-Hellenic Council and civic groups. Campti Mayor Laron Winslow also joined in the parade. Eager spectators lined the route as the parade rolled by. Children were treated to candy and throws from the parade’s many participants. The parade ended at the Ben D. Johnson Center where the facility held an open house to showcase their community programs. In addition to their well-known community garden and Legacy Café, the center also has a well regarded job readiness and training program aimed at preparing young people for the workforce. The center is also starting a community food bank. The Ben D, Johnson Center is a definite force for good in our city!
The Natchitoches Black History Parade was more than family fun. The event was also a celebration of the history, resiliency and accomplishments of our African-American community.
Natchitoches Regional Medical Center is currently hiring Medical Lab Scientists & Medical Lab Technicians in the Laboratory department.
Required Education and Experience – MLS
Required Education and Experience – MLT
NRMC Offers Great Salaries & Benefits.
To view and apply to these openings, please visit: www.nrmchospital.org/jobs/.
If you have questions or would like to speak to our Recruiter, please contact Larissa Cameron at 318-214-5819 or at larissa.cameron@nrmchospital.org
While the 2021 severe weather season was fairly active across Northern Louisiana, there were fewer severe weather reports than what has been observed in previous years. 16 tornadoes were reported across Northern Louisiana from January through December of 2021 with many of these coinciding with our typical springtime severe weather season. With the 2022 spring severe weather season fast approaching, the National Weather Service, in cooperation with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, has designated the week of February 13th as Severe Weather Awareness Week. This is a safety campaign designed to help residents in the state of Louisiana prepare for the spring storm season.
The tornado drill that coincides with Spring Severe Weather Awareness Week for Louisiana schools will be held Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9:15 a.m. The test warning message will be the signal for those participating to let them know that the drill is in progress. If your school is using the Midland WR-100 model, the tone alert will be visual only on the display, not audible during the test.
For Louisiana’s 2022 Severe Weather Awareness Week, the following safety topics will be highlighted:
Monday, Feb. 14: Severe Thunderstorms – Exploring the dangers of large hail & damaging wind gusts.
Tuesday, Feb. 15: Flash Flooding – Highlighting the danger of flash flooding.
Wednesday, Feb. 16: Tornadoes – Highlighting safety tips to help people identify safe shelters, and develop a family emergency action plan before storms arrive.
Thursday, Feb. 17: Lightning – Highlighting the importance of seeking a grounded, fully enclosed structure with ANY storm that approaches, with a special emphasis on delaying outdoor activities until the threat of lightning ends.
Friday, Feb. 18: Watches, Warnings, and Reception – Providing information on what it means to be under a Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Watch or Warning, and what actions are recommended when watches and warnings are issued.
Saturday, Feb. 19: Mobile Home Safety – Sharing information on prompting action to keep mobile home residents safe.
Being a country reared fellow, there is one thing I have encountered — and if you grew up in the country you did, too — it is snakes, creepy crawly reptiles with no shoulders that hopefully get my immediate attention.
Over the course of my life, I have had up close and personal encounters with snakes that have slithered themselves into my memory vault.
One of the most memorable events took place when I was a kid down on the creek at the swimming hole. I was enjoying the cool clear waters of Molido creek with my brother, Tom and our cousins Doug and Sambo. Also along on the trip was my little puppy whose name escapes me; I’ll just refer to him as Fido.
While paddling along with Fido, I suddenly felt a sharp pain behind my knee. I thought at first that Tom, Doug or Sambo had sneaked up behind me and pinched me but glancing up, I saw all three on the opposite bank; it was obviously something else that had me by the leg. Reaching down, I pulled up a big black snake as long as the leg he was nibbling on. When my companions saw the snake, they were as concerned as me especially when they saw blood streaming down the back of my leg.
Doug, who apparently was bent on one day becoming a surgeon, reached for his rusty Barlow pocket knife and was preparing to slice into my leg to release the venom. Just before Doug began his procedure, we noticed that there were no fang marks at the site of the bite, just a row of teeth marks indicating I was attacked by a non-venomous water snake. Doug was the only one of us disappointed because he missed his chance to show his surgical skills.
On another occasion, I was hunting squirrels down on Clear Branch when I spotted a squirrel in a tree across the narrow stream. It was an easy hop across to put me on the same side of the water as the squirrel, so I made the leap to the other side. While halfway in my leap, I saw a flash of white at exactly the spot my momentum would have carried me to touch down. The white I saw was inside the mouth of a venomous cottonmouth. What I did next was to defy gravity; somehow, I was able to add to my leap another three feet while airborne and I landed safely on the other side of the snake. To this day, I still don’t know how I was able to do that.
Recently, I encountered another snake but this one presented no threat whatsoever to me. My wife and I were having lunch when I looked out on the driveway and saw a snake that was struggling with something it was trying to swallow. I grabbed a shovel, walked out the saw that the snake – I wasn’t sure of the species – was trying to swallow a toad.
I nudged the snake with the shovel, it released the toad which probably set some sort of record in leaving he scene; I never knew a docile toad could move that fast.
I nudged the snake again and it spread its neck like a cobra. Nudging it again, the snake immediately flipped over on its back making me believe it had expired. I knew what it was immediately since I have encountered spreading adders or hog nosed snakes before. It is a completely harmless variety so I walked away leaving it to flip back over and crawl away to safety. A snake and a toad have me to thank for saving both their lives.
If you are out and about this time of year, there is a good chance you’ll encounter a snake. In my case, I was bitten by a non-poisonous one, leaped past a bad one and had the opportunity of seeing nature do what it does to protect its own.
Natchitoches Regional Medical Center is currently hiring Environmental Service Technicians in our Environmental Services Department.
Required Education and Experience
Preferred Education and Experience
NRMC Offers Great Salaries & Benefits.
To view and apply to these openings, please visit: www.nrmchospital.org/jobs/.
If you have questions or would like to speak to our Recruiter, please contact Larissa Cameron at 318-214-5819 or at larissa.cameron@nrmchospital.org
All the shots that hadn’t been falling for Northwestern State over the past five games found their homes on Saturday in a much needed 90-72 win against rival McNeese.
The Lady Demons (10-10, 3-6) shot 53 percent from the field in the game, a season high, with first and third quarter totals over 60 percent by dominating play around the basket. Jordan Todd recorded her fifth double-double of the season, seemingly scoring at will, and finished the game with 28 points, a new career high, on 13-of-17 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Fellow post player Jasmin Dixon added a career-high 11 points as NSU had four players reach double figures, three of which scoring more than 15 in the game.
“In addition to how good Jordan is down low, she’s also so selfless that she created possessions for other players,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “To the guard’s credit, they moved without the ball, something they hadn’t done as good a job of the past five games. We saw things come to light that way and they saw the success from it so it helps them continue to buy into that.”
The strategy was clear from the opening tip that the Lady Demons were going to attack the basket, with Todd at the tip of the spear. She started the game making six of her first eight attempts, racking up 11 points in less than five minutes of the first quarter. She finished the quarter with 13 and NSU needed every one as the frenetic pace of the first 10 minutes led to a shooting gallery for both teams.
McNeese (9-13, 4-5) matched NSU shot-for-shot in the first quarter keeping pace primarily with the 3-pointer that they are known for. The Cowgirls made five shots from behind the arc in the first quarter and only trailed by a pair, 25-23, at the end of the period.
The second quarter start for the Lady Demons was Candice Parramore who opened the period with a pair 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the quarter to push NSU’s lead to 31-25. It was her jumper with 1:45 remaining in the half, her 10th points of the frame, that were the first of seven NSU points to end the half.
Todd put a cherry on her 15-point first half with another layup with six seconds left to give NSU the 47-40 edge at the break, matching her previous best scoring nights of the season in 15 minutes of first-half action.
A 9-2 run started the third quarter, capped by the bucket that gave Todd a new career best, putting the Lady Demons up 56-42 just over two minutes into the half.
“Coach was talking to us before the game saying that she believed in us and the team was behind us,” Todd said. “So, having that no pressure mentality was really good for us.
“I’m just excited that I was able to get my career high with this team in particular. We said before the game that we could not lose this game because five in a row is already a lot. So, we said we had to go out there and put it all on the floor tonight and that’s what we did.”
The Lady Demons were able to create some distance between themselves and McNeese in the quarter, thanks to a long 3-point drought by the Cowgirls and another exceptional shooting quarter for NSU.
After making five deep shots in the first quarter, McNeese went more than 17 minutes without a 3-pointer as NSU continued to rack up paint points in the second half. Twenty of the 25 points for NSU in the first quarter came inside the paint and 18 of the 28 in the third were from the same area.
By the end of the third NSU had built a 75-55 lead and held it through a lengthy fourth quarter that included multiple official reviews and nearly 20 foul calls between the teams.
“I think the difference tonight was we were able to get some high-percentage shots that gave them early confidence,” Nimz said. “They rallied around that and played a complete game together, maybe not 40 minutes, but a complete game together. It’s exciting but we still have a lot to learn, we had some turnovers there in the last little bit that If we didn’t have the lead would have made things a little tighter, but we can grow from that and learn from it for UIW on Thursday.”
Woodson and Parramore joined Todd and Dixon with double-digit points, scoring 16 and 19 respectively. Monette Bolden matched a career high with nine assists as NSU reached the 20-assist mark for the second time this season.
The win snaps a five-game conference losing streak as the Lady Demons embark on their final regular season road trip of the season next week beginning with UIW on Thursday night.
“Our game keys for today were believe in your ability, win at all cost, trust and play through your team,” Nimz said. “We continued to reiterate how much we believe in them and this is what this team is capable of when you put 35 plus minutes of basketball together. I’m happy for the staff, I’m really happy for the girls and I think this is what we need to continue to grow.”
Northwestern State couldn’t have asked for a better day to open the 2022 softball season, and it couldn’t have asked for two better performances in the circle for the first two wins of the season.
Making their first career starts, freshman Sage Hoover and redshirt freshman Maggie Darr each through complete games, allowed just three combined hits and struck out 19 as the Lady Demons (2-0) picked up a pair of shutout wins, 1-0 against Chattanooga and 4-0 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
“They did great, were really confident and did the things we’ve seen them do in scrimmages and in practice,” head coach Donald Pickett said. “They work hard for us and it really plays off for us on days like today. We struggled offensively but made some plays behind them on defense and really just proud of them for going out there taking the ball and being confident.
“For them to come out on opening day and be able to handle the anxiety, the excitement and the emotions and do what they did, I’m really happy for them and believe they’re going to do great the rest of the year.”
It only took a handful of key hits in both games for the Lady Demons to provide enough offense to support the dominant pitching efforts.
Laney Roos provided the back-breaking blow to Chattanooga with a one-out home run to left center in the bottom of the sixth, and Kat Marshall cleared the left field wall in the fourth against UAPB to start a four-run frame that gave plenty of insurance to Darr.
“We kept adjusting during the game, but in the early innings we weren’t able to do a lot,” Pickett said. “We got a couple of runners on early against Chattanooga but couldn’t make something happen. Laney (Roos) came up and got that big hit in the sixth and the Kat (Marshall) came through against Pine Bluff. When you’re struggling hitting sometimes you have to hope for that big hit, and we got a couple today.”
NSU continues play in the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission Lady Demon Classis with two more games scheduled for Saturday. First pitch against UT Martin is scheduled for approximately 11:30, or 30 minutes following the day’s opening game that starts at 9 a.m. The Lady Demons then take on Baylor 30 minutes after their game with the Skyhawks.
NSU 1, Chattanooga 0
The nerves of your first collegiate start being an opening-day start quickly faded for Hoover who struck out the first two batters she faced as Lady Demon, retiring the side in order on 11 pitches.
“It’s really crazy being a freshman getting the first start of the year,” Hoover said. “There’s nerves there but also so much excitement. I was so ready to play after scrimmaging against each other so many times just ready to get out there and play someone else.”
After an efficient start, Hoover saw her first pressure situation after a pair of errors put runners at first and second with one out. An easy pop up to second and a quick snag and tag by Maggie Black at third base ended the frame with no damage done.
Hoover navigated three more runners-on situations in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, getting key strikeouts in two of the frames and a big defensive help in the other.
“Really felt like my rise ball was my best pitch today,” she said. “I was able to throw it low and get them to foul it off. My curveball wasn’t great, but I have so many different pitches to back it up that I wasn’t worried about it. And the defense was great behind me today, so I felt pretty good the whole game.”
As Hoover was dancing through trouble for the Lady Demons, Chattanooga’s Brooke Parrott was doing the same in the bottom halves of the innings. After retiring the lineup in order the first time through, NSU threatened in the fourth with runners at second and third and two out but left runners stranded.
A lead-off walk in the fifth was also left wanting to send the game to the sixth inning with no runs for either side.
Roos was finally able to break through with one swing off the bat as she cleared the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth to give Hoover and the Lady Demons all the run support needed to notch the first win for both.
“It’s hard when it’s 0-0, because if you give up one run then they’re up and you don’t want that to happen,” Hoover said. “So when she hit that I felt relief, relaxed and so much better going into the seventh inning. I was ready to go.”
The freshman from Edgewood, Texas, ended her day in the circle the same way she started it – striking out the first two batters and inducing a soft ground ball on the infield to end the game – using her change up to seal the deal.
“At the beginning of the game it wasn’t working,” Hoover said about the off-speed pitch. “I couldn’t get that drive and pop I needed but I finally found it. It was good to use a different pitch at the end of the game instead of the rise ball to throw them off balance.”
NSU 4, UAPB 0
After a gem from Hoover in the first game of the day, Darr provided her own diamond-level performance in the second.
She retired the first 10 batter of the game in order before a base hit found its way just out of reach of the glove of short stop Keely DuBois in the fourth inning, the only hit and base runner of the day for the Golden Lions. Darr was efficient and effective in her start getting first-pitch strikes on 17 of the 22 batters she faced on the day, just one over the minimum for the seven-inning game.
The NSU offense produced four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning that likely felt like 40 runs thanks to Darr’s dominance.
The initial spark came against off the bat of Roos, who led the inning with a single through the left side. Two batters later, Marshall unloaded a ball deep over the left field wall, her second extra-base hit of the day, to give the Lady Demons 2-0 lead.
Tristin Court immediately followed with a double that banged off the wall and Maggie Black reached on an infield single for the third straight hit of the inning. After a Nani Winger walk loaded the bases, Taylor Williams dumped a ball into left to bring in two more runs another double.
“I think we really focused the second time through the lineup on just getting our hands through the ball and extending through it instead of trying to make that big swing and getting underneath the ball,” Marshall said about the big inning. “She was working mostly middle-out and had been throwing a low rise ball so I was trying to lay off of that and wait for the ball to come middle-out and attack.”
The four runs provided plenty of cushion for Darr in the circle who retired the final eight batters of the game in order after the fourth-inning single and struck out the side in the seventh for her first career win.
“All of our pitchers have been working extremely, extremely hard all year,” Marshall said. “We’ve been facing them in practice and we knew they were going to be dominant when they came out here.”
Photo: Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
For the second straight day at the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission Lady Demon Classic, host Northwestern State was involved in two shutouts.
The one difference for the Lady Demons on Saturday was one went against them.
Northwestern State opened its back-to-back games with a taut 1-0 win against UT Martin before falling to Baylor, 5-0, in NSU’s final game of the tournament.
The Lady Demons’ 9 a.m. Sunday game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been canceled because of expected freezing temperatures in the morning.
“We had good pitching all the way through the weekend,” head coach Donald Pickett said. “The last game should have been a one- or two-run game, but we made some mistakes. We were in position to make the plays, but we didn’t execute. We complicated two of them. You can’t give good teams those opportunities. They take advantage of them.”
Against UT Martin (2-2), Northwestern State followed a similar script from its two Friday wins.
NSU (3-1) got a strong starting pitching performance from Kenzie Seely (1-0), who worked four scoreless innings against a Skyhawks’ lineup that had scored 22 runs in their first three games of the tournament.
Seely allowed just four baserunners (two hits, two walks) in her four innings, and the Northwestern State defense backed its pitcher with a couple of key plays, including the final out of Seely’s outing.
With two on and two outs in the fourth inning, Kaci Fuller singled to second baseman Taylor Williams, who made a lunging play on the ball. Kaitlyn Kelley, who began the play at second base, never broke stride rounding third.
Williams made a perfect throw home to Tristin Court, who dropped the tag on Kelley to maintain the Lady Demons’ 1-0 lead.
For the second straight day, Kat Marshall provided a big swing for Northwestern State, breaking a scoreless tie with a towering solo home run to left center off Alexis Groet (1-1) in the second inning.
Because of Seely and three scoreless innings from Sage Hoover, who shut out Chattanooga on Friday, the Lady Demons collected their second 1-0 win of the weekend.
“Offensively, we struggled all weekend,” Pickett said. “We know we’re better than that, and we will be. Being able to have that good pitching and timely hitting, it’s like how you play in the postseason. We got those timely hits with Laney (Roos) and Kat over the weekend that gave us a chance to win games. You have to keep playing until you find a way to win, and the girls found a way to win this weekend.”
The Lady Demons pressured UT Martin late but could not convert in the final two innings, stranding three runners in scoring position.
NSU could not continue to build on that momentum in its second game of the day against Baylor.
The Bears (2-0) jumped to a 1-0 lead on Aliyah Binford’s two-out, RBI double in the first inning, which gave Binford all the run support she needed.
Binford tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout, striking out 11.
Tristin Court had both of NSU’s hits, breaking up Binford’s no-hit bid with a fifth-inning single.
Court’s flare to right field followed a Marshall walk, part of an inning in which the Lady Demons loaded the bases with one out. However, Binford started an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play to maintain the shutout.
“We got better as the weekend went on,” Pickett said. “We faced some really good pitchers – other teams’ No. 1s all weekend. It was a good learning experience, a good starting point and good foundation for what we need to keep working on and improving. The girls are really hungry to do that. I’m excited to see what this team can do going forward.”
Northwestern State returns to action Wednesday, traveling to Ruston to face Louisiana Tech at 6 p.m.
PHOTO: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services
by Caroline Bland/NSU Sports Information
With doubles being cancelled because of looming rain, Northwestern State excelled in singles to grab a 5-1 victory against Texas State on Saturday at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.
NSU (3-2) won four of those singles matches in straight sets, although two of those sets needed tiebreaks to decide.
“We had to alter our schedule a bit and start with singles because of the bad weather that came in,” head coach Jonas Brobeck said. “I thought the girls didn’t flinch, didn’t overthink that we didn’t start with doubles and just went out and competed really well.”
After being out the previous week due to health, freshman Ayu Ishibashi finished with a win in straight sets against Sofia Fortuno, 6-1, 6-2.
“I was nervous, but I was trying every point. I was aggressive,” Ishibashi said. “Everyone was competing, and we all supported each other.”
At No. 5 singles, sophomore Viktorie Wojcikova fell to Maria Lora of Texas State, 7-5, before coming back with a 6-2 second-set win to force a third-set tiebreaker.
Wojcikova walked away with a 6-2 victory in the third-set to push the Lady Demons to a 4-1 lead.
In the No. 2 slot, Tjasa Klevisar bested Kate Malazonia 7-6 (9) in the first set before blitzing her way to a 6-0 win in the second set.
“We took care of their court, and it showed in the result against a good Texas State team,” Brobeck said. “It feels really, really good to have everyone back. I thought it showed today the way we competed.”
Mariella Minetti started the NSU scoring with a 6-2, 6-1 win against Mae McCutcheon in the No. 3 position before the Lady Demons went up 2-0 with Ishibashi’s win at No. 4.
The Bobcats captured their lone point with Hana Kvapilova;s 6-4, 6-2 win against Roazlie Dohnalova in the top spot.
NSU capped the match as Patrycja Polanska recorded her second straight win after not playing for nearly a year with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) victory in the No. 6 hole.
The Lady Demons continue the homestand Sunday as they host Steven F. Austin. The match has been pushed back to noon because of rain water at the Jack Fisher Lady Demon Complex.
Saturday’s Results
Singles (against Texas State)
Hana Kvapilova (TXST) def. Rozi Dohnalova (NSU) 6-4, 6-2
Tjasa Klevisar (NSU) def. Kate Malazonia (TXST) 7-6 (9), 6-0
Mariella Minetti (NSU) def. Mae McCutcheon (TXST) 6-2, 6-1
Ayu Ishibashi (NSU) def. Sofia Fortuno (TXST) 6-1, 6-2
Viktorie Wojcikova (NSU) def. Maria Lora (TXST) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
Patrycia Polanska (NSU) def. Renata Gonalez (TXST) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)
PHOTO: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services
For the second straight game, Northwestern State was in an advantageous position around the seven-minute mark.
But the Demons went cold in the final minutes as McNeese scored 16 straight points to pull away for an 85-80 win Saturday. NSU has dropped three straight after its three-game winning streak.
NSU (7-19, 3-6 SLC) led McNeese 66-61 at the 6:36 mark after a Jovan Zelenbaba layup, but the Demons went scoreless for nearly six minutes during the Cowboys 16-0 run.
The Demons finished with a flurry, scoring nine points and forcing two turnovers in the final 42 seconds. NSU had a chance to cut the lead to one possession, but a missed front end free throw ended the comeback bid.
“This is going to sound strange but I told them how proud I was that they didn’t fold the tent when we had the bad stretch,” said NSU coach Mike McConathy. “That is a growth moment for the program.
“But when we were up five, there was a series of fouls and putbacks that McNeese had that basically tied the game up. McNeese did a great job switching things and made us play four small guys.”
The poor finish Saturday comes on the heels of two straight bad finishes. Houston Baptist scored the last 13 points of a 76-69 NSU loss after McNeese ended on an 18-8 run to win 93-84 on Feb. 5.
Down 66-61, McNeese’s Christian Shumate makes 2-4 free throws before Brendan Medley-Bacon completes a three-point play off the last miss for a five-point swing to tie the game.
That started McNeese’s 16-0 run, and 11 of McNeese’s final 19 points came from the line.
The Cowboys made 24-37 from the stripe compared to just 10-13 for NSU in a physical contest.
“We might be pressing too much trying to get back in games,” McConathy said. “We had some shots go in and out during that stretch.
“But we have to figure out how to get to the free-throw line more. A guy like Brian White drives to the hole a lot, but he’s only taken two free throws in conference play.”
Kendal Coleman led the Demons with 21 points on 7-11 shooting and 7-8 from the free-throw line (career high).
Coleman added eight rebounds in just 26 minutes because of foul trouble. The 20-point effort is his fifth this season.
“Kendal had a great night, and he continues to get better and better,” McConathy added.
Carvell Teasett added 13 points on 5-10 from the field and 3-5 from 3-point range. NSU made 9-27 from deep after early struggles (3-13).
McNeese’s Zach Scott scored 21 points with six rebounds and three steals to add to double-digit efforts from Medley-Bacon (14 points), Shumate (14) and Trae English (13).
NSU’s bench held a 35-14 edge with effective nights from Cedric Garrett (nine points), Larry Owens (eight points) and Emareyon McDonald (eight points).
LaTerrance Reed added two huge 3-pointers to cap an 11-0 run in which NSU snatched a 62-57 lead.
McNeese led by as many as nine points early in the second half before an 11-4 NSU run with four Owens points slashed the Cowboys’ edge to 53-51.
NSU did have 14 assists to 11 turnovers one game after committing 23 against HBU.
After a hotly contested first 15 minutes that featured 10 lead changes, McNeese charged ahead by ending the half on a 12-4 run to build a 42-35 lead.
With NSU’s Coleman and Owens on the bench in foul trouble, the Cowboys attacked the paint for the majority of the points in that run as five different players scored. McNeese held a 20-14 edge in points in the paint in the first half and finished up 32-28.
McNeese constructed a 21-14 lead earlier in the period before NSU’s second wave took charge.
Garrett and McDonald made 3-pointers and Coleman added four points during a 13-4 run to lead 27-25.
The Cowboys shot 52 percent in the half compared to just 41 percent for the Demons.
The Demons hit the road this coming week for the final time with games Thursday at UIW and Saturday at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
PHOTO: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services