Natchitoches’ Downtown Riverbank Stage was the place to be Friday, July 28, as the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s Induction Celebration hosted Rockin’ Riverfest. The popular event, long part of the annual induction of each new class of Louisiana sports legends into the Hall of Fame, featured concerts and family fun for children at the riverbank, all free of cost to anyone attending.

Alexandria native and Bolton High alumni, Jason Ashley & the Hot Sauce Band kicked off the festivities with over an hour’s worth of fun music drawn from an eclectic selection of hits. They were followed by the incredible Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr and the Zydeco Twisters who kept the crowd on their feet and dancing throughout the evening. This is the second year this superb act has played at the Rockin’ Riverfest concert. Pierre, the mascot for the New Orleans Pelicans, also got in on the fun, dancing with audience members. The Louisiana Propane Dealers Association sponsored several holes of mini golf on the riverbank for youngsters and their families. 

The 2023 LSHOF Induction Class was introduced to the city during a break in the concert. The 2023 Miss Louisiana and 2023 NSU Lady of the Bracelet, Macenzie Scroggs, was also introduced. After the 2023 LSHOF induction class was presented, festivalgoers were treated to spectacular fireworks show over the Cane River, always a treat. After the fireworks, the event concluded with some more superb music from Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters. 

Over three hundred young people from throughout the area enjoyed a day of sports fun at the 2023 LSHOF Junior Training Camp held on NSU’s campus this Saturday, July 29. Several newly inducted Hall of Fame members, assisted by coaches and players from NSU’s football, and men’s, and women’s basketball teams, put the young people through a series of drills in football and basketball skills. This is the twelfth year the training camp has been held in Natchitoches. Over the years, the Junior Training Camp has become an eagerly awaited tradition for area families.

Players and staff from NSU men’s and women’s basketball teams conducted a series of fast paced drills that kept the campers on their feet and moving as they learned and sharpened their skills. The campers then moved on to Turpin stadium where the NSU football team, joined by visiting Grambling QB Myles Crawley, awaited with a field full of practice drills. The NSU gridiron squad was joined by 2023 LA Sports Hall of Fame inductee and NFL legend, Eli Manning. Each and every child attending the camp got to catch a pass from a Super Bowl winning quarterback and one of the game’s all time greats.

The Natchitoches Sheriff’s Department has been a sponsor of the event since the inaugural camp and brought several deputies who were joined by the Natchitoches SWAT team and their vehicle. Likewise, volunteers from Natchitoches Leadership Through Athletics helped check in children and pass out souvenir camp shirts. Raising Cane’s supplied sweet tea and lemonade to thirsty campers as well as certificates for a free meal. Thanks to the sponsors, the children enjoyed a fun day of physical activity and education at no cost.

The Natchitoches Parish Journal would like to commend the members of the NSU men’s and women’s basketball and football teams who helped at each of the stations. They were unfailingly helpful and gracious to the children. These young men and women embody everything that is right and good about the student-athlete concept. NSU’s WRAC staff turned their facility over to the campers and supplied water for breaks. They and the teams were superb ambassadors for Northwestern State University.

St. Mary’s Catholic School recently announced Antonio Beaudoin as the new Head Wrestling Coach and Assistant Coach for Varsity Football.

Coach Beaudoin is a graduate of Natchitoches Central High School and later returned to his hometown after his service in the United States Marine Corp. He received his degree in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A & M University in 2022.

Antonio spent time coaching at Provencal Junior High as the running back and linebacker coach for the football team. During his time teaching at Weaver Elementary, he founded the Weaver Elites program.

Coach Beaudion is excited for the new school year and looks forward to working with the wresting and football teams.

The Northwestern State sports information office collected a total of six awards in the annual Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s sports information/communications contest with the winners being announced Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the LSWA’s annual conference.

Assistant athletic director for media relations Jason Pugh took home three second-place awards while assistant sports information director Brad Welborn collected a pair of third-place awards. Northwestern State Director of Photography Chris Reich nabbed a second-place honor.

Pugh was honored for a pair of feature stories from the 2022-23 athletic calendar. His story about Demon wide receiver Jaheim Walters’ battles with mental health en route to a productive season was the runner-up in the best football release/feature category.

Pugh also took home the runner-up spot in the best baseball/men’s basketball release/feature category for his story about Demon relief pitcher Kyle Froehlich playing his career in memory of his late brother, who died when Froehlich was a child.

Pugh’s third award came in the game notes category for NSU’s baseball notes package for the April 28-30 weekend series against Nicholls.

Welborn’s game story on the Lady Demons’ “dad strength” series-clinching win against HCU on April 1 earned him an award in the best women’s basketball/softball feature/release category. He matched that finish in the Olympic sports release/feature category for his recap of the NSU volleyball team’s Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinal victory in November.

Reich nabbed his second career LSWA award for his postgame photo following Northwestern State’s men’s basketball home finale in which several players, fans and staff members were gathered around 7-foot-3 Demon center Jordan Wilmore, who held a phone aloft allowing them to watch the closing seconds of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi-Texas A&M-Commerce game that decided whether the Demons would share the Southland Conference regular-season title.

Alexandria’s Four Season’s Bowling Center was the place to be for family fun and friendly competition as the facility hosted the 2023 BOM Celebrity Bowling Bash Saturday, July 29.

The event, a fun part of the three-day celebration of the induction of the 2023 class of Louisiana sports legends into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, was a delightful afternoon of bowling and fellowship.

The bowlers and their guests enjoyed a delicious lunch sponsored by Alexandria’s Walk-Ons.

A DJ kept spirits high throughout the event with a high energy selection of music.

After the meal, members of the 2023 class of LSHOF inductees captained teams of bowlers who competed in a ten-frame set.

After the last team was finished, the inductees were introduced to the crowd.

The winning team was announced as well as the best-and worst-celebrity bowler.

The 2023 BOM Celebrity Bowling Bash was a fun opportunity for the LSHOF inductees to get to know each other and for the LSHOF supporters attending to get to know some of Louisiana’s sports legends. 

The Pineville Airport was the scene of family fun, aviation and raising money for an eminently worthy cause as The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Chapter 614 hosted a charity fly-in Saturday, July 29.

The event was held to raise money for Duffel of Dreams, an organization dedicated to providing children placed into foster care with a loving start in their journey.

Forty pilots flew into the Pineville airport from all over Louisiana and surrounding states. The pilots generously gave airplane rides at no cost to over 100 children.

In addition to the free airplane rides, there were superheroes and Disney characters on hand as well as inflatable playhouses, food, and craft booths.

The fun family event has a serious purpose.

All too often in our community, children have to be removed from their homes and placed into foster care, many times in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

That is where Duffel of Dreams steps in to help.

The organization, a 501c-3 non-profit, gives children placed in to foster care in the CENLA parishes a suitcase filled with personal care items, clothes, and items such as a stuffed animal and blanket that give the children a reminder that there are people who care about them.

In the words of Duffel of Dreams founder and CEO, Danielle Poteet, a 2016 Pineville High School alumna, “The suitcases are a dove sending hope to God’s children in foster care.”

Saturday’s Fly-In for Duffel of Dreams was the first of what will hopefully be an annual event. Thanks to a generous pledge from the Modern Woodmen to match any funds raised, over $10,000.00 will be going towards assisting children facing difficult circumstances.

Duffel of Dreams delivered their first duffels to the Children’s Advocacy Network (CASA) in June and will be delivering 150 more shortly.

The Cane River region has a rich tradition of community celebrations and gatherings. Cane River Creole National Historical Park invites you to our celebration of the 107th birthday of the National Park Service on Saturday, August 26 at Oakland Plantation. There will be games and activities for children of all ages at the park’s first field day!  

“America’s national parks have something for everyone,” said Interpretation and Education Manager Barbara Justice. “Take a break and experience something new, enjoy some fresh air, get some exercise, and see where history happened.”

This FREE event will be held at Oakland Plantation from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for weather and walking conditions. Pack a picnic lunch and drinks and enjoy a picnic at the covered pavilion or outdoor picnic tables. Volunteers are needed to assist with games and activities! Oakland Plantation is located at 4386 Highway 494, Natchez, Louisiana. For more information or to volunteer call 318-352-0383 ext. 316.

The grounds of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nearly 80 original buildings remain, many open for self-guided tours including several that are historically furnished from Wednesday through Sunday. Park staff conducts tours of the plantation grounds daily Wednesday through Sunday. In addition, the park offers tours on the NPS App. The Oakland Main House is open for self-guided tours from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Magnolia Main House is privately owned and is not open to the public. For more information, please visit the park’s website at http://www.nps.gov/cari, find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/canerivercreoleNPS or call the park at 318-352-0383, ext. 316.  

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Detectives are asking for the public’s help while they search for a Campti man with ties to the Shreveport area wanted for Attempted First Degree Murder and Armed Robbery according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright.

Detectives are actively looking for Jamail Demond Stelly, B/M, Age: 19, Hgt/506, Wgt/140, with brown eyes and black hair with a last known address in the 100 block of Bass Street in Campti.
Stelly has ties to the Shreveport area.

Stelly is wanted in connection with an Armed Robbery and Shooting on Burl Pickett Road in Campti on May 10, 2023.

One person suffered life-threatening injuries but has improved and is recovering from gunshot wounds sustained in the armed robbery and shooting.

Detectives have been actively investigating the case since the day of the crime and have established sufficient evidence and probable cause to obtain arrest warrants for the arrest of Stelly signed by a 10th Judicial District Judge.

Detectives have spoken to family members of Stelly.

Stelly who has been placed into the National Crime Information Center as a wanted person is believed to be armed and dangerous.

If you see Stelly, do not approach him, contact the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office at 352-6432, 357-7851 or your nearest law enforcement agency.

Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Welcome Reception Gets the Party Started!

Several hundred sports enthusiasts and area residents enjoyed the opportunity to meet this year’s inductees into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame at the welcome reception for the LSHOF’s 2023 class held Thursday, July 27. The event, a fun local tradition, was free and open to the public and was an excellent opportunity to meet some of our state’s sports legends. The induction events are a true community effort with volunteers from the community, NSU, and the museum’s FLASH organization assisting in making the evening a memorable event.

The official portraits of each inductee were on display for the first time to the general public. Each portrait shows the inductee in the context of his or her sport and is a tradition of the Hall of Fame. In addition, a silent auction of donated items and sports memorabilia helped raise funds for the organization. This year’s reception featured a special treat for the football fans. Billy Cannon’s 1959 Heisman Trophy is on loan to the LSHOF.

The festivities are far from finished. Friday will feature the BOM Celebrity Bowling Bash as well as a concert along the riverbank complete with signature Natchitoches quality fireworks show. The younger set will have a Fun Zone sponsored by the Louisiana Propane Dealers; Association to enjoy at Friday evening’s events. Saturday morning will feature the Junior Training Camp on the NSU campus in which young people will be able to test their abilities, win prizes and learn what it takes to succeed on-and off-the playing field. The weekend will culminate at the induction dinner Saturday evening at the Natchitoches Events Center.

The summer of 2023 will always be fondly remembered as the summer that God winked at me.

This summer was the first summer since becoming a mother that I would not be able to take some kind of little vacation with both of my daughters in tow. Our travels in past few years have truly become the biggest adventures that we have ever encountered. Whether it was a long road trip that took days just to reach our destination, a long lazy weekend at the beach, or a quick two day jaunt to a neighboring state, they were all epic. The trips were loaded with all the elements that one would expect from a car full of ladies.

Fighting over who’s turn it was for a playlist. Too many bathroom breaks. No true agenda or deadlines. Road snacks. Lots of road snacks. Getting lost because we put our trust in Google Maps and not paying attention to our surroundings. A few fights and occasional hurt feelings. Daughters ganging up on mom and making fun of her clothes. Overpacked suitcases. Photo ops. Exploring new restaurants found on Yelp or Instagram. Hunting for historical markers. Critter counting.

Critter counting was an entertaining distraction that we started on our first trip through Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming. It was a simple game. I drove while they counted and announced all of the critters that we were passing by. It also kept my youngest daughter occupied instead of asking how many more miles we had ahead of us. The long trip accounted for many moose, deer, pronghorns, marmots, bears and birds.

So many miles and so many beautiful memories.

I knew with my oldest daughter’s work commitments and my youngest daughter taking her first mission trip, spending time with her dad as well as working at a summer camp, it would be impossible for the three of us to gather. I made peace with the fact that I would spend most of the summer alone, dipping my toes into the waters of an empty nest. I sure was going miss critter counting with my girls.

One Sunday morning while I was taking the beautiful drive to Goldonna to attend church with my dad, I told the Lord that I was sad there would be no critters to count this summer. It truly deflated my spirit. I left my worries with him as I entered church to thank him for my many blessings that he has given me even though I am undeserving.

Like always, I was feeling so refreshed and renewed after church, it made the ride home much easier. I was listening to praise music while I was enjoying the many hills and curves that Louisiana Highway 156 has to offer, when all of the sudden the most beautiful deer bounced out of the woods and leapt across the road. It was so magnificent and such a sight to behold. The Lord and I had a good chuckle. One critter counted.

A few miles up the road a reddish brown fuzzy-tailed fox darted in front of me. I was so amused and delighted. Two critters counted.

Just as I was approaching the sharp curve before Creston, I noticed something large in the road. As I approached it I could tell that it was a wild turkey. Through the many years I have been driving to Goldonna, my peepers have never seen a turkey. I told the Lord, “You are just showing off now.”

Three critters counted. My heart was so full and my smile so large, Texas could not house it.

In my humble opinion, a God wink is simply something sent from above with impeccable timing that is tailored just for us, and it would only make us smile. No one but you would be amused by it. Almost like an inside joke with the man upstairs. God winks at us when we least expect it and need it the most. Sometimes it takes a few moments, even longer, to realize he has in fact winked at us.

I pray your world slows down just a little, so you can quieten the inner critic that whispers ‘you could never be content with what you have’. When you set your gaze on him, he opens your eyes to see his glory everywhere.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine upon you; and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

The City of Natchitoches would like to advise the public that on Friday, July 28 Front Street from Church Street to St. Denis Street will close at 12 pm to vehicular traffic in preparation for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Taste of Tailgating VIP event to be held at Mama’s Oyster House and Papa’s Bar and Grill. 

The following streets will close at 9 pm in preparation for a 9:30 pm fireworks display during the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s Rockin’ Riverfest event on the downtown riverbank. 

• Church Street bridge
• Williams Ave from Whitfield Ave. to Henry Ave.

The roadway and bridge will open upon the conclusion of the fireworks display once the Fire Marshal has given the all-clear. 

In preparation for these events, the Downtown Riverbank will remain closed to all vehicular traffic throughout the day on Friday, July 28.

The City of Natchitoches would like to advise the public that on Friday, July 28, Monday, July 31, Tuesday, Aug. 1, and Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023; Boyd Street will be closed to traffic and the Westbound and turning lane of University Parkway will be closed beginning at 7:00 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. each day.

This street closure is due to Nuline Utility Services replacing gas lines. Please adhere to detour signs during this time. When traveling near the work zone, motorists are advised to exercise caution and observe all warning signs and flagger instructions.

Brick & Row Merci Beaucoup’s Christmas in July Warehouse Sale at 214 Texas Street (old Tommy Stewart Showroom) this Saturday, July 29, 2023, from 8 a.m. till noon.

ALL warehouse merchandise will be marked down 60%, so take advantage of the sale and get a jumpstart on your Christmas Shopping with 60% OFF EVERYTHING!!!!

The sale will be inside the air-conditioned warehouse!

COME SHOP WITH US!!! SEE YOU THIS SATURDAY!!

By JASON PUGH, Special to the Journal

NATCHITOCHES – Thursday afternoon was about “R and R” for 11 members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

This “R and R” session, however, was not about rest and relaxation. Instead, the focus of the annual induction press conference inside the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum was on the inductees’ reactions to their moment in the sun and the relationships that drove them to or were created along the way in their Hall of Fame careers.

Some of those kinships even had a direct tie to Hall of Fame weekend itself, such as the case with 2023 inductee Paul Mainieri and his college coach, New Orleans’ Ron Maestri, a Class of 1994 inductee.

“I thought about that when (Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation President) Ronnie (Rantz) and (Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Doug Ireland) called me,” said Mainieri, who led LSU to the 2009 College World Series championship and five CWS appearances in his 15 years atop the Tiger program. “I had flown down from South Bend, Indiana, because Mase was being inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and I wanted to be here to honor him. I learned so much from Mase in my two years of playing for him – about handling players, promoting your team in the community, about what it took effort wise. At that point in my life, and to this day, he is probably the second-most important male figure in my life as far as guiding me through my baseball career and coaching career.”

Mainieri is one of five members of the Class of 2023 with ties to LSU, joining fellow Tiger baseball players Paul Byrd and M.L. Woodruff, standout football receiver Wendell Davis and Olympic jumper Walter Davis.

Although Mainieri’s relationship with Maestri began roughly an hour east of Baton Rouge, his tie to Woodruff was formed in the LSU baseball locker room long before the Tigers were among the nation’s elite.

Woodruff and Mainieri came into LSU as freshmen together before making their mark as baseball coaches.

Mainieri has the 2009 national title to his name, but it was Woodruff who made winning championships an art form, skippering Parkview Baptist to a remarkable 11 state championships in a 23-year span from 1986-2009.

“After the announcement, Paul was so gracious,” Woodruff said. “He came up to me after the pairing party for the golf tournament and said, ‘M.L., we’re in the locker room at Alex Box Stadium, and someone says, ‘Two of you guys are going into the Hall of Fame.’ He says, ‘Do you think they would have picked us?’ Absolutely not.”

Although not related, Walter and Wendell Davis played into sharing a last name.

“First of all, give it up for my brother, Walter” Wendell Davis said after following Walter’s speech before reflecting on his record-setting career that came in a time that long predated the current pass-happy era of college football.

A Shreveport-Fair Park High School product, Davis was recruited primarily by north Louisiana colleges – Northwestern State, then-Northeast Louisiana and Grambling State – before LSU came in “at the last minute.”

The marriage produced two All-American seasons for Davis, the 1987 SEC Player of the Year as a senior, a career built off a pairing of unsuspecting stars – Davis and his quarterback Tommy Hodson. Davis then produced a six-season NFL career with the Chicago Bears that was cut short because of an injury in Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium that still resonates.

“I look pretty unassuming – you wouldn’t think I played football if you met me on the streets – but Tommy was worse than that,” Wendell said. “Tommy was a skinny kid, great basketball player. You see him on the street, you wouldn’t think he was a player. He was highly recruited, and I thought, ‘I need to get to know him.’ As a redshirt freshman, Tommy and I would work out all the time. We’d lift weights, and we’d go to the field. We’d go up and down the field – I’m running routes and he’s throwing the ball. The hope was this chemistry would carry over into a game. Fortunately, it did. He gained confidence in me, and he knew where I would be on the field. He was very instrumental in me doing what I did.”

While Wendell Davis found success in a team sport, stepping away from basketball led the 6-foot-2 Walter Davis to a track and field career that took the native of Leonville to Barton County Community College in Kansas, back home to LSU and around the world with berths on the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams.

A prep basketball standout, Walter said the individual nature of track and field played a role – as did a coach who mentioned the plethora of 6-2 basketball players and the dearth of 6-2 basketball players who had his track and field ability – into pushing him onto his Hall of Fame path.

“One reason I left basketball was if someone missed an assignment or missed a layup, it was a hack on the team,” he said. “If I went to a track meet and I lost, I have to look in the mirror. That’s on you. That’s why I really stuck with track and field. I don’t have to depend on anyone but myself.”

Right-handed pitcher Paul Byrd, a 14-year major-league veteran, rounded out the LSU-tied contingent. Byrd’s relationship with the Hall of Fame goes right to the top as he was Tiger teammates with Rantz, who noted Byrd was his first former teammate he was able to honor as an inductee.

A school-record 17-game winner at LSU in 1990, Byrd grinded his way through more than a decade in the major leagues that included a 1999 All-Star selection that led him to mingling with National Baseball Hall of Famers at Fenway Park and a 2007 American League Division Series-clinching win against the New York Yankees.

Byrd remained humble throughout his time at the microphone, nearly speaking about fellow inductee Ron Washington as much as himself. Byrd, now a television analyst calling Atlanta Braves games, and Washington, Atlanta’s third base coach and gilded infield instructor, have developed a friendship that was clear from Byrd’s speech – although it started around the time Mainieri first visited Natchitoches.

“Ron Washington, where are you, buddy?” Byrd asked. “When I got called up to the big leagues in 1995, you don’t remember this. I was playing for the New York Mets. I’m not that good. I’m just trying to bob and weave and last as long as a I can. I’m always told I’m too short, and I don’t throw hard enough. I get called in the office and get told I’m going to the big leagues. All my teammates are hugging me and giving me five. Wash’s energy is unbelievable. He makes working hard fun.

“You don’t remember this, but you told me, ‘The big leagues can change you. Don’t let it happen to you. Stay humble and keep working hard.’ Ron Washington can handle success. All that he has accomplished has not changed him. Thank you for that.”

While Washington has remained the same since leaving New Orleans’ John McDonogh High School in 1970 to start a 10-year playing career, he has been a change agent and self-described “ambassador” for baseball. The Crescent City native said he always played above his age group while growing up, and it didn’t take long for him to have the Texas Rangers punching above their typical weight class in his first Major League Baseball managerial job.

Under Washington, the Rangers won at least 90 games in five seasons and reached the franchise’s first two World Series, capturing American League pennants in 2010 and 2011. Washington finally summitted the mountain in 2021, capturing a World Series title with Atlanta in his 51^st season in professional baseball.

It was the relationships Washington built – and the vision he had – from Day One that built a budding dynasty in North Texas.

“When I arrived in Texas, my first meetings were with scouts, and out of the blue, I talked about winning a World Series,” Washington said. “They thought I was crazy. They did. I had the ring sizers, and I was sizing them up. I believe belief is powerful. When you believe and you can put action to that belief, you can get things done.”

Belief was a two-way street that led Matt Forte to the door of the NFL – one he kicked in and enjoyed a decade of top-tier performance with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets.

Forte, a Slidell native, was set on playing football in the SEC, but when the offers did not materialize, he followed his father Gene’s footsteps and signed with Tulane. Flashes of his potential were evident in his first three seasons, but a knee injury late in his junior year – and a coaching change – provided the impetus for a school-record 2,127 rushing-yard season as a senior that led him to become a second-round pick of the Bears.

Forte’s two-a-day workouts put him on a path to the Hall of Fame and to a fast friendship with the Davises, who were the targets of a good-natured shot from the former Green Wave standout.

“It means a lot, especially as a Tulane alumnus around all these LSU people,” Forte said. “Let y’all know, Tulane, we’re up here, too, especially y’all (Davis) brothers over there. When I got the call, I was honestly not expecting it. I was underrated my whole career. I didn’t consider myself underrated. I just think maybe overlooked, but it was God’s plan. Getting this honor at the end of a career was really sweet, because I feel my entire career, some people get their flowers while they’re playing or they come in with a lot of hype.

“I never bought into the hype. I’m glad I didn’t have a lot of hype around myself, because if you don’t turn out to be good the hype doesn’t mean anything. I’d rather be consistent. This was the cherry on top as far as the career I had.”

Consistency was a synonym for Alana Beard’s basketball career.

Four state championships at Shreveport’s Southwood High School led to an All-American career at Duke where she also won the Wade Trophy before playing professionally in the WNBA and overseas.

That career, which began with Beard playing against her older brothers as the only girl, led her to play in 27 countries. It was her relationship with her prep coach, Steve McDowell, she credited with being the linchpin for her globe-spanning career.

“Those Southwood years simply defined who I became,” Beard said. “I decided to play organized basketball in the seventh grade – I was too shy to do so in the sixth grade. That became my journey. That became my love especially when I understood that I had the opportunity to take a burden off my parents’ shoulders. Basketball could be the vehicle to take me where I eventually wanted to go. It wouldn’t have happened without my parents and the foundation they instilled in me, but also with Steve McDowell, the legendary coach at Southwood. I knew I wanted to play for him because he had a championship culture already there, and I had a desire to be a champion.

“I knew choosing Southwood would be hard. I knew the players there were better than me, but that motivated me to want to be one of the best. Any time I think about my success, Steve McDowell is synonymous with that because he taught me the fundamentals of the game. He taught me respect. He taught me discipline. I’ve carried that with me throughout my life.”

While the other eight competitive-ballot inductees carried competitive scars from outcomes that didn’t go their way, world champion weightlifter Walter Imahara’s career was forged in a different setting.

A Japanese-American, Imahara and his family spent three-and-a-half years in a World War II internment camp in California. Instead of a jaded worldview, Imahara took his pleasant disposition – and dogged dedication – to then-Southwestern Louisiana Institute and helped the Bulldogs win an NCAA national championship.

More importantly, Imahara, now 86 years old, found a longtime home among a group of people who treated him like one of their own.

“I was born in California, but I’ve lived in Louisiana for more than 80 years – Louisiana is my home,” said Imahara, who graduated from Baton Rouge’s Istrouma High School in 1955. “When I went to Southwestern, you have to remember, I was like the only Japanese-American on campus. People there were not prejudiced. They were of a Cajun background. How could they be prejudiced?”

Those relationships simultaneously define Acadiana and its 2023 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism honoree Bruce Brown.

A longtime fixture at the Daily Advertiser, Brown was a staple at Lafayette-area sporting events – community-wide or ones with a national focus. In addition to being a talented on-deadline writer, Brown said he enjoyed focusing on sports that didn’t always draw the eye of the greater public.

And while he made Lafayette his home, he had a perfectly pithy response to his honor.

“I think the full quote was ‘Get out of town,’’ Brown said of learning of his DSA selection. “It was unexpected. You don’t live for such a moment, but you take them when they come that’s for sure. I don’t write for the acclaim. I write for the athlete, for the kid. That’s the way I always approached it.”

While Brown wrote about barrier breakers, his fellow DSA honoree broke them herself.

Lori Lyons climbed the ladder at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, starting as a clerk in 1986 before becoming a two-time Louisiana Sports Writers Association Prep Writer of the Year and the second female LSWA President.

During her time as the Times-Picayune’s prep sports reporter in the River Parishes, Lyons chronicled numerous Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers, including 2017 inductee Ed Reed. Now her name – and biography – stands alongside Reed and the other statewide legends in Natchitoches. 

“I have been coming to this event for 30 years,” Lyons said. “I have sat in the audience and cried while people like you stood on that stage and tried to explain what it means or how it feels and what an honor it is. Now it’s my turn, and as good as I am with words, I don’t have the words to do it.

“It is humbling. It is surreal. When I punched my name in that computer database and saw my name and my picture … I saw Walter Davis and said, ‘Come here. You have to do this.’ Then I saw his face. Then I saw Wendell Davis and said, ‘Come here. You have to do this.’ That is the most amazing experience so far of this whole thing.”

The 12^th inductee, football great Eli Manning of New Orleans, is arriving Friday to join the festivities.

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CONTACT: Apply online at www.outpatientmedical.org or email your resume to HR@outpatientmedical.org.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Until filled.

Outpatient Medical Center, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer