LAKE CHARLES – Visiting its Southland Conference rival for the first time in four years, Northwestern State was unable to slow McNeese’s running game as the Cowboys built a sizeable halftime lead en route to a 50-3 victory Saturday night at refurbished Navarre Stadium.

“There wasn’t a lot of good today,” second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “That was probably the most disappointing loss since we’ve been here. I thought we had a really good week of practice, and I thought our kids came in feeling good and confident. When the game got going, it got away from us in a hurry. It shows just how far we have to go.”

The Demons (1-8, 0-5) overcame a first-play interception to take a first-quarter lead for the second straight week as Kaden Mackey’s interception two plays later and subsequent 39-yard return gave Northwestern possession at the McNeese 26.

Camryn Davis’ 4-yard rush on third-and-1 moved the Demons inside the McNeese 15 before Northwestern settled for Grayson Lytton’s 33-yard field goal.

From there, McNeese (3-6, 2-3) turned to its running game to take control.

Led by quarterback Jake Strong, the Cowboys rolled up 244 first-half rushing yards with all four of their first-half touchdowns coming on the ground – including a pair from their quarterbacks.

The first score came when Coleby Hamm bulled in from the 1-yard line on a fourth and goal after Northwestern snuffed out a third-down jump pass from backup quarterback Devin Lippold. 

Strong added a 35-yard scoring run while Lippold scored from 2 yards out, sandwiching those scores around a 10-yard touchdown run by Tre’Vonte Citizen.

While McNeese found its offensive rhythm on the ground, the Demons struggled to extend drives in the first half until Kolbe Burrell broke a 38-yard run just ahead of the two-minute timeout. Burrell followed that explosive play with a 14-yard run that helped give Northwestern its deepest drive of the night.

However, the Demons could not convert a fourth down, seeing its drive end at the McNeese 19-yard line.

“Physically, we got dominated,” McCorkle said. “We’re too small and too young right now to hold up against a team of that size and stature. McNeese, just like they’ve been for a hundred years, is a big, big, massive physical football team. You have to be able to hold up, and on both sides of the line of scrimmage, we weren’t able to do that. We weren’t able to generate much in the run game inside, which hurt us, and our defensive line struggled to hold up for four quarters against their offensive line.”

The Demons were able to slow the Cowboys’ ground attack in the second half, allowing 69 yards, but McNeese used its quick-passing game to pick up the slack.

McNeese found success with pop passes, including a 23-yard touchdown from Jonathan Harris.

Northwestern could not get its offense untracked after halftime as the Demons compiled 64 of their 178 yards in the final two quarters. That came a week after Northwestern put together a season-best total offense performance against then-No. 15 Lamar, posting 307 yards against the 15^th-ranked Cardinals.

“Last week against Lamar, we didn’t win the game and we lost by a decent score, but there were some things that gave us some confidence,” McCorkle said. “You couple that with people telling them McNeese wasn’t very good. We’re not mature enough to handle those two things right now, and we didn’t handle those two things tonight. We have to go back to work and do a lot better, because what happened tonight is not acceptable.”

The Demons return to action at home Saturday when they host UIW. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. inside Turpin Stadium.

A Louisiana judge has ordered the suspension of all board member access to the financial accounts of the Natchitoches Community Improvement Foundation following allegations of unauthorized transactions and missing documentation.

Judge Jimmie C. Peters of the 10th Judicial District Court signed the order Oct. 13, granting sole access to court-appointed special master Christopher M. Sylvia. The ruling comes in an ongoing lawsuit filed by Citizens of Democratic Action Inc. and Helen Obioha against the foundation.

According to court documents filed by Sylvia, a CPA hired by the foundation discovered debit card transactions and cash withdrawals from an NCIF checking account that lacked supporting records or documentation. Mark Thomas, the accountant, had been retained to analyze financial records and prepare tax returns for the period from January 2019 to the present.

The motion states that despite requests for documentation to explain the purchases and withdrawals, no records were provided to account for the transactions.

Under the new order, no board member of the Natchitoches Community Improvement Foundation may access any bank account, investment account or funds belonging to the organization. Only Sylvia has been authorized to access accounts and financial records.

The court also ordered that any investment brokers, financial institutions, banks or other entities holding NCIF funds may only release property to third parties as instructed by Sylvia. He now has signing authority on behalf of the foundation.

Sylvia’s motion noted that he had previously controlled all NCIF funds but had turned over control to the newly elected board. The special master was appointed by the court as part of the litigation between the community organization and the foundation.

The case is docketed as number 94091B in Natchitoches Parish. Attorneys Connor L. Dillon, Jeffery H. Thomas and Alan Pesnell are copied on the order.

A letter dated Sept. 2 from Peters to the Natchitoches Parish clerk of court indicates the executed order was sent electronically to avoid the need for formal service, though counsel were notified.

The foundation could not immediately be reached for comment.

BOARD MEMBERS

According to a May 2025 order filed in the case, the following individuals were identified as board members or representatives of the Natchitoches Community Improvement Foundation:

Earnestine Armstrong
Takesha Barnum
Harold Bayonne Sr.
Marvin Blake Jr.
Linda Franklin
Brenda Milner
Helen Obioba
Tan’Keia Palmer
Rene Porter
Deborah Roque
Ernest Sawyer
Kevin Stafford
Jerry Walters
Yvette Williams
Davin White

The court order suspending board access to financial accounts applies to all board members of the organization.

See ALL DOCUMENTS and RELATED BACKGROUND below:

Natchitoches   34
Huntington  14

SHREVEPORT – The Natchitoches Central Chiefs football team notched a key District 1-5A victory over Huntington Thursday night at Independence Stadium, with 20 unanswered second-half points fueling a 33-14 win over the Raiders.

NCHS improved to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the district with one regular-season game remaining, next Friday at Benton (2-7, 1-6).

Huntington fell to 3-6 overall, 3-4 in district.

The win will boost the Chiefs’ LHSAA power ranking, as would a victory next Friday, as other bubble teams lose. The Chiefs were not among the state’s top 24 in Non-Select Division I before beating the Raiders, and the two dozen highest-ranked teams reach the playoffs.

NCHS overcame four turnovers to win. Senior quarterback Owen Smith ran for touchdowns of 12 and 2 yards and threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Demarcus Nicholas. Chiefs’ workhorse Kelton Howard ran for a 4-yard TD and Kaden Kuykendoll scored on a 14-yard scamper.

THIBODAUX — While a share of a Southland Conference title is impressive, winning it outright is even more impressive.

The Northwestern soccer team (12-4-3, 7-2-1) put an exclamation point on a conference championship with a 5-0 road win at Nicholls (4-9-5, 1-5-4) on Thursday night to claim outright possession of the SLC regular season crown.

“We played really well tonight,” head coach Ian Brophy said. “We were able to get three goals right away with Riley, Paige and Emily and really put us in good position to win. We were able to rebound and play our brand of futbol.”

The Demons scored three times in the first 23 minutes, as NSU left no doubt in rebounding following a 2-0  setback a week ago at Lamar. Paige Baumgarner, Emily Senatore and Riley Stern put distance between Northwestern and Nicholls midway through the opening half.

The victory clinched the top overall seed in next week’s SLC Tournament at Beaumont.

Baumgartner scored in the 11th minute, her eighth goal of the season, to set the tone. Despite only playing 24 minutes, she scored three points with a goal and an assist.

“Paige played really well,” Brophy said. “She was active right away and with the three points and she was a big reason why we had the 3-0 lead at halftime. It was good we were able to get the big lead and give her some rest before the tournament.”

Her 18 points are tied for third in the conference in overall games, tied with teammate Riley Stern, who had a spectacular day of her own. The redshirt junior from Fort Worth collected her first multi-goal game with a pair of goals to push her point total to 18.

While Baumgartner scored the first goal in the 11th minute, and Stern scored the third and fifth goals, the SLC’s leading scorer found the back of the net for the second tally.

Senatore, who tied for the team lead with Dawson Marrs with five shot attempts, scored her 12th goal of the season, tied for the most in the conference.

Her 12 goals ties Kayce Schultz for the seventh-most in a single season in NSU history, while her 23 career goals ties N-Club Hall of Famer Hillarie Marshall Coleman for eighth all-time.

The Demons used an 11-1 shots edge in the first half to put away the game in the first half, leading 3-0 at recess.

Overall, Northwestern outshot Nicholls 23-8.

NSU used a pair of goals in the second half to put the stamp on the dominating performance. The first one came on an own goal in the 74th minute before Stern collected her second of the game in the 86th minute.

The only item left to accomplish was to keep a zero on the scoreboard for Nicholls. Kennedy Rist made sure of that. Overall, she recorded three saves, but none more impressive than her penalty kick save.

Shortly after Stern’s second goal, Nicholls received a penalty kick after a foul in the box.

Mia Gallina’s shot was saved on a leaping stop by Rist to preserve the shutout and enhance her candidacy for SLC Goalkeeper of the Year.

“We talked at halftime that one of the things we wanted to accomplish was keeping a clean sheet,” Brophy said. “That penalty kick save was huge to keep that clean sheet. It was one of the best saves I have ever seen in my life.”

The Southland Conference Tournament opens Tuesday at Lamar with top-seeded NSU is taking on in-state rival McNeese.

LAKE CHARLES – Northwestern State continues its path through a season built on growth and young talent on Saturday with another chance to measure that progress on one of the Southland Conference’s proudest stages.

For the first time since 2021, the Demons (1-7, 0-4) head back to Lake Charles, meeting rival McNeese (2-6, 1-3) under the lights with a 6 p.m. at Navarre Stadium, with coverage on ESPN+ and 100.7 FM KZBL in Natchitoches, along with Baldridge-Dumas Communications affiliates in Leesville, Many and Winnfield.

The Demons enter the meeting coming off a hard-fought battle with No. 15 Lamar, a night that again showed encouraging pieces of what this team is becoming. NSU went toe-to-toe with a conference title contender for three quarters, undone by a handful of first-half mistakes and a late surge from the Cardinals. Even in defeat, the flashes of explosiveness on both sides of the ball continued to grow brighter.

“Our kids are resilient,” second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “They’re a really unique group in that they are young yes, but mature in their youth. I think they understand the big picture of our program and who we are, why we’re where we are and where we’re going. Every week they get excited to play. They recognize this is a rivalry week. McNeese has one of the best atmospheres in FCS football in a great venue.”

McNeese returns home after a tough trip to Nicholls where the game swung on a pick-six and a clock-draining, 17-play that covered nearly the entire third quarter. The Colonels stretched the lead to 24-7 in the fourth quarter and sealed things with a deep strike, but McCorkle sees a Cowboys team capable of much more than the results have shown.

“They had a tough one at Nicholls last week where Nicholls kind of got away from them a little,” McCorkle said. “But as I watched that game and followed those teams this year I think if they play 10 times they would go 5-5. Nicholls just got the best of them last week. We’ll have our work cut out for us. Coach (Matt) Viator is back there and putting a little juice back in the program.”

Saturday’s matchup could hinge on the ground game. Both defenses enter allowing more than 200 rushing yards per game, opening the door for a physical, possession-driven contest. The Demons, though, will aim to keep balance after their most productive passing performance of the season a week ago.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Abram Johnston delivered 284 yards, the second-highest total of his career, and a touchdown against Lamar. Seven or more receivers caught a pass for the eighth time this season, led by true freshman Brendan Webb’s breakout game with 126 yards on four catches, both career highs.

“We need to start fast and start well,” McCorkle said. “Get some confidence early and really try and make a game of it. McNeese hasn’t had the season I think they thought they would but when you turn on the film they still look like McNeese. That means something in FCS football. They’ve got some big offensive linemen and good size on their defensive ends. They’re physical and they do some really good stuff. They’re sound and know what they’re doing.”

As the Demons take another step in their development and return to one of the league’s iconic venues, the message inside the locker room remains simple and steady.

“The focus this week should be staying together and knowing what we can do,” offensive lineman Ralee Jackson said. “Every week is a toss-up in conference play. No game is ever guaranteed. It doesn’t matter what anybody says. Every week is a toss-up and we are capable of going and getting this one.”

Following a grueling season, the Northwestern State men’s and women’s cross country teams wrap up their fall season with the Southland Conference Championships.

The teams don’t have to travel to compete, either, as NSU hosts the meet on its campus this morning.

The women kick off the meet with a 6K race at 8:32 a.m., followed by the men’s 8K at 9:32 a.m. Both races can be viewed on ESPN+.

“It will be very nice to run at our course,” head coach Payten Vidourek said. “All the guys and women are waking up in their own beds. It’s almost like a regular practice. Day in and day out, we’ve been practicing on that course. We’ve been on the course a lot, which I think will show with the placements of everybody.”

Both races start behind the soccer field and finish between the soccer field and Walter P. Ledet Track and Field Complex.

It is the first time since 2014 NSU has hosted the conference meet.

Competing in his final conference meet of his career, John Klein aims to put a bow on a successful career with the Demons. Klein has placed in the top 12 in four of the five meets during the pre-conference races, including in the top three on two occasions. That includes a personal-best 25:58.8 in the 8K at the UT Tyler Cross Country Opener, finishing second.

“It’s a bittersweet moment for sure with it being my final cross country race,” Klein said. “I am glad I can have it at home. I’ll have my family and friends here and hopefully I can perform well and put out a performance I am proud of.”

In the NSU Pre-SLC Cross Country Meet last month, Klein finished in 10th place, clocking a 19:07.3 in the 6K race, which featured some of the conference’s best distance runners.

“I am really excited,” Klein said. “We’ve trained on that course all year and we know every pothole, every curve, everything about it. I think that will work to our advantage Friday, so we’re ready.”

While Klein has led the men, junior Lalaina Wood has consistently been the top finisher on the women’s side.

Wood has led the Lady Demons runners in every race she’s participated in. The Oak Ridge native has been at her best as the season has gone along, recording personal bests in each of her final three meets of the season, in three different distances.

In the last race at Mississippi College, she ran a 24:28.4 in the 6K on Oct. 17.

“Lalaina has been doing great every single race,” Vidourek said. “Ever since her injury, she has gotten better each race she runs in. Obviously a huge PR at McNeese and then followed that up with another PR in the 6K at Mississippi College.

The two leaders help guide a group of young athletes, especially on the men’s side.

The meet concludes the cross country season.

VOLLEYBALL:  The Northwestern  volleyball team was swept by the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals Thursday night (25-11, 25-16 and 25-20) in Southland Conference competition at San Antonio.

The Demons (1-24, 0-11 SLC) play Saturday afternoon at Houston Christian. The Cardinals (12-11, 8-3 SLC) completed a season sweep of NSU.

As the cool November breeze drifts through Red River Parish, it’s time to remember one of autumn’s most familiar rituals — “falling back.”

This Sunday, November 2, marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, which means you’ll need to set your clocks back one hour before heading to bed Saturday night. That’s right — we all get an extra hour of sleep! 

While that bonus hour is something to celebrate, the time change also signals a shift in our daily rhythm. Mornings will be brighter, but evenings will get darker earlier — a sure sign that cozy season has arrived. Expect porch lights to flick on sooner, sunsets to paint the sky before dinner, and maybe even a few yawns earlier in the evening.

Make sure to double-check your clocks — especially those old-fashioned wall or oven clocks that don’t update automatically. It’s also a great time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms — a small task that could make a big difference.

So this weekend, as you enjoy that first real hint of sweater weather, take a moment to soak in the slower pace. “Fall back” isn’t just about adjusting the clock — it’s a reminder to reset, recharge, and enjoy the calm that comes with the changing season.

Tip: Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before bed Saturday night — and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!

Louisiana will use $150 million monthly in state funds to continue food assistance for elderly, disabled and child recipients after federal SNAP benefits halt Saturday due to the government shutdown, Gov. Jeff Landry announced Wednesday.

The state will automatically provide November benefits to approximately 565,000 vulnerable residents without requiring requalification, Landry said. Payments will be uploaded to EBT cards during the first four days of November.

About 53,000 households with able-bodied adults will not receive the temporary state benefits. Landry encouraged those recipients to seek employment, citing more than 100,000 job openings statewide.

Nearly 793,000 Louisiana residents — roughly one in five — rely on SNAP benefits, according to the governor’s office. That includes about 356,800 children, 88,200 seniors and more than 120,000 people with disabilities.

The Louisiana Legislature unanimously approved a resolution Friday authorizing the state Department of Health to tap its budget and the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund for the emergency funding. Landry signed an emergency declaration Oct. 23 enabling the fund release.

Louisiana is one of eight states and the only one in the Gulf South providing such assistance during the shutdown.

Join Marvin as he addresses the SNAP benefits and the State of Louisiana providing the funds to cover SNAP benefits for the month of November 2025.

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is announcing that due to the federal government shutdown in Washington, D.C., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will not be issued to recipients starting November 1. Any unused SNAP benefits from previous months will remain on recipients’ Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and can be used as usual.

Brought to you by Lance Lopez with Farm Bureau, Harrington Law Firm and the Sharpco Hotel Group.

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THIBODAUX — With a share of the Southland Conference regular season soccer crown locked up, Northwestern State aims to make sure it is the only team that can claim the title.

Northwestern (11-4-3, 6-2-1) tries to rebound from only its second loss in league play when it travels to Nicholls (4-7-5, 1-3-4), aiming to win the regular season outright, just like it did in 2021.

Kickoff tonight is at 7 p.m. at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex with live stats coverage available through NSUDemons.com. There is no ESPN+ coverage.

The Demons have the opportunity to earn their 12th regular season victory, the most since collecting 13 in 2000.

Despite a 2-0 loss last time out at Lamar, NSU earned at least a piece of the SLC regular season title with Stephen F. Austin’s tie at UIW.

“It is always important to look at a loss like we had at Lamar and take a lesson from it and to learn and grow and make sure we don’t just ignore it,” head coach Ian Brophy said. “We don’t want to turn that loss into two and just move past it, but we want to learn the lessons and apply ourselves in training this week and learn and grow from that result and we can use that as something that helps us moving forward.”

With SFA’s win over Nicholls this past Sunday, the Demons need to earn at least a tie to clinch the title outright.

One strength of the Demons is to overcome adversity and turn a loss into a positive and rebound quickly. NSU has gone 2-0-1 following a loss this season and is 4-0-3 in its last seven games following defeats. After falling to Houston Christian, the Demons rattled off five straight victories before falling at Lamar.

“I think after a game like HCU or Lamar, we really come together,” graduate student Emily Mougia said. “We have a heart-to-heart about what we need to do and how we can get better, and we work for it. That is what’s great about this team. Everyone is willing to put in the work, and everyone is willing to go 100 percent and be all in and it comes out in the results.”

The Colonels are a dangerous team, as they are fighting for their lives, just two points out of a conference tournament spot.

Nicholls’ seven points are tied for 11th in the league and UIW and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi are currently tied for eighth with nine points.

“Nicholls is a much better team this year than in years past,” Brophy said. “They have picked up wins and points this year, and are still alive to make the playoffs. We know they are fighting for a lot and will come out and fight for everything, so we know it is going to be a tough match, and we’ll have to come out and play our best futbol.”

Earlier this season, the Colonels took down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for their first conference victory since 2018.

Before a loss last time out at SFA, Nicholls posted four consecutive ties, including drawing at Southeastern Louisiana and at home against Lamar.

The Demons next play in Beaumont, Texas, at the SLC Tournament beginning Nov. 4.

VOLLEYBALL:  The Demons visit the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals tonight at 6 p.m. on the heels of perhaps their best set of the season last Saturday. The Demons (1-23, 0-10 SLC) went toe-to-toe in the second set against league-leading Stephen F. Austin (14-7, 9-1 SLC) before falling 25-23.

“We really did a lot of good things in that match,” said Demon head coach Ben Kaszeta. “I think we’re continuing to grow each day, and we saw that Saturday. “That (SFA) is a really good team we played and I think we can build on it.”

UIW (11-11, 7-3 SLC) defeated UNO Saturday to remain tied for fourth place in the conference standings.

The Demons will head east to take on Houston Christian Saturday at 1 p.m.

Patience is a virtue — and one the Northwestern State football team is learning to master through experience.

As perhaps the youngest team in America, the Demons have faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, testing a roster filled with underclassmen against championship-caliber opponents week after week. The results haven’t always shown up on the scoreboard, but the progress has, in flashes of big-play potential, in resilience, and in the growing confidence of a team building toward its future.

“We are one of the youngest teams in America, so for us young guys we have to step up,” redshirt freshman Braden Woods said. “I see that trend a lot in the locker room for the younger guys having to step up and compete with the older teams that we’re playing. It’s a great thing to see.”

That youth movement is no small thing — 23 players classified as true or redshirt freshmen have seen game action this season. For head coach Blaine McCorkle, now in his second season leading the rebuilding program, it’s a sign that the foundation for long-term success is being laid one rep, one lesson and one game at a time.

For Woods, a Natchitoches native, the journey has been a fast-moving one. He recorded his first career tackle, an eight-yard sack, in unforgettable fashion – against Minnesota, a Power Four opponent, earlier this season. Since then, his role has steadily expanded, especially in recent weeks as injuries and defensive scheme adjustments have created new opportunities. Woods has seized them, becoming a player defensive coordinator Matt Conner increasingly leans on.

He rewarded that trust with a career-high seven tackles and a sack in last week’s game against No. 15 Lamar, underscoring the kind of work ethic that his classmates possess and continue to display since day one.

“If I had one word to describe my class, it’s that we grind,” Woods said. “We know we’re not as big, strong or fast, so we just have to grind to get better week in and week out.”

That grind has come against a gauntlet of opponents — including two Power Four programs and two straight Top 20 FCS teams, one of the toughest schedules in the country this year and in program history — but the effort is starting to bear fruit. In that Lamar matchup, true freshman receivers Brendan Webb and Alexandria Senior High’s Jimmie Duncan combined for 199 receiving yards on six catches, both hauling in passes of more than 50 yards. Those breakout plays offered a glimpse of the future — explosive, confident and ready to rise.

“This week in particular Coach McCorkle talked a lot about ‘the turning point,’” Woods said. “We knew we’ve been playing ranked teams. We played two really good P4 teams. So we’ve been grinding and getting better each week and we’re just waiting for that turning point. It could come tomorrow or next year, we don’t know, but I think it’s coming soon and this program is on the uprise.”

Signs of that turning point emerge every week, not just in numbers, but in moments that reveal the team’s heart. 

When senior center Caleb Billiot helped spin freshman quarterback Abram Johnston, the only freshman starting quarterback in the Southland Conference, into the end zone against Lamar to cap an eight-play scoring drive, it became more than a highlight. It was a snapshot of what McCorkle’s program is all about: veterans leading, young players learning and everyone pushing together.

“That’s the kind of grit our coaches like,” redshirt freshman offensive lineman Ralee Jackson said. “The relentless effort. Just trying to get everything you can. That’s exactly what Caleb showed. The coaches call him a ‘foxhole guy,’ somebody you can rely on and has your back. Him doing that type of thing shows how everybody should be playing at all times.”

Moments like that have also helped tighten the bond of a roster that’s growing up together.

“My freshman class got here and we got close fast,” Jackson said. “We were having game nights the first week we were here. All of us just gelling together. And the majority of the team being young I think makes us closer.”

That chemistry has carried onto the field, where underclassmen are not only gaining experience but contributing in meaningful ways. Jackson is one of three starting offensive lineman classified as a sophomore or younger, alongside Logan Brady (redshirt freshman) and Garrett Morphis (sophomore). 

They were three of the six redshirt freshman starters in NSU’s most recent game against Lamar.

“A lot of us are playing right now,” Jackson said. “We had six redshirt freshmen touch the ball last game. We had redshirt freshmen making tackles, making plays — whatever the case may be. That shows the guys that aren’t on the field yet that if we all work together and stay here for four or five years, we can totally flip this program. Coach McCorkle talks about that all the time. He makes sure that we know we’re really close and we need to stick to the process and stay consistent and we’ll get there.”

That process, and the patience it demands, has been McCorkle’s consistent message since his arrival.

“There’s a verse in Galatians we talk about as a team all the time.  Galatians 6:9 says: ‘Don’t grow weary in doing good, for in time you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up,’” McCorkle said. “Sowing and reaping don’t happen in the same season. You sow your seeds. You work, water and plant, and when the time comes, you harvest. It’d be nice to do it all in the same season, but it doesn’t always work that way. We’re doing a lot of sowing right now, but we know good days are ahead. Every day we are one day closer to turning the corner — and that’s exciting and gives us hope.”

Through the grind, the growing pains and the glimpses of promise like Webb and Duncan’s breakouts and Woods’ rising impact, that hope feels more tangible than ever.

“We can have a very narrow eyesight at times,” Jackson said. “So when things like that happen, it kind of opens things up. I think it takes away some doubts that people might have in the team or the players and shows them that we can do it — we just have to execute.”

The future of Demon football continues to be written every single week, on the field, in practice, in the classroom and in the hearts and minds of a connected group of players all striving for the same goal. 

Over the past two years, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation’s “Join the TEAM” membership drive has generated $85,000 for aesthetic and technology upgrades at the now 12-year-old LSHOF and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in the Natchitoches Downtown Historic District.

Of the approximately 150 individuals and businesses that have supported the membership drive to date, only 20 percent of them are from Natchitoches. That percentage, respectfully, must be higher and there are good reasons why.

As the LSHOF Foundation often stresses, state funding pays salaries and basic operating expenses at the museum but upgrades – which are imperative to the continued livelihood and even survival of the museum – must be generated by privately raised funds.

Furthermore, many may not know that Natchitoches, in conjunction with NSU, hosted the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony for over 50 years before the three-day event weekend, with its economic impact of over $1 million, could very well have been moved elsewhere as other cities expressed willingness to build a true museum home for the Hall. But city and community leaders along with legislators developed plans which blossomed into the opening of the $23 million state museum building on Front Street in 2013. Natchitoches remained home of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and has enjoyed statewide and national recognition, plus continuing economic impact.

The third annual LSHOF TEAM drive begins November 1, and it is my goal to increase the number of Natchitoches members. There surely are 100 local businesses and sports fans who can become a TEAM member at one of four levels and for as little as $10-$20 per month. Membership comes with a nice set of benefits, including the first-ever LSHOF commemorative poster featuring inductees such as Shaquille O’Neal, Kim Mulkey and “Pistol Pete” Maravich; LSHOF gear; entry in a monthly giveaway drawing; a discount on merchandise sales; the exclusive “Insider” quarterly newsletter and more. It is easy to join online at lasportshall.com or checks can be sent to 500 Front Street in Natchitoches.

I will be making calls, sending text messages, hitting social media, and knocking on doors to generate an uptick in local support for the LSHOF membership drive which, combined with efforts on a statewide level, will make 2026 the most successful year yet for the foundation.

Natchitoches – this is our museum! Please consider stepping up to make it a stronger and more vibrant asset for our community – Join the TEAM!

Greg Burke
LSHOF Foundation Director of Business Development and Public Relations

The addition of closed party primaries brings about several changes for next spring’s elections.  The Natchitoches Parish Clerk’s office will do our best to help you navigate these changes.

First, the attached card by Secretary of State Nancy Landry gives some great tips on the changes and how to prepare for them.

Not all races fall under the new closed party primary system.:

Federal races (U.S. Senate and the U.S. House), The Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are the races that will now be decided in the closed party primaries.

Other Statewide, Parish Wide and local elections will remain open to all voters and be handled the same as they have been.

In the Closed Party Primary Races, Democrats vote for Democrats and Republicans vote for Republicans.  The main change is other voters are all considered No Party.  In Natchitoches Parish we have over 5,000 voters listed as No Party.  They will be able to decide, at the polling place, which party primary they want to vote in.  The winners of each primary will face each other in the runoff.

Know your political party!  Not sure?  It is easy to find out.  You can go to the GEAUXVOTE.com app and look yourself up.  Want to change?  You can do that right online.  You can also find out your information by calling the Natchitoches Parish Registrar of Voters at 318-357-2211 or go by their office in the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse.

More information including spring election dates will be released soon.  If you have questions, check in with the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s office.

By JIM EICHENHOFER, NBA.com

Joe Dumars took the stage at his first press conference in New Orleans in late April. He grabbed both sides of the podium; took a breath; paused. “Happy to be home,” he said, smiling. “It’s been a whirlwind journey for me.”

A whirlwind is an understatement. Dumars’ story is more of a basketball odyssey — from backyard hoops in his hometown of Natchitoches, La., to Bad Boy Pistons, winning back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990, landing in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and ultimately, returning home.

This spring, Dumars was hired by New Orleans to lead its basketball operations department and guide the Pelicans back to and beyond their recent level of winning (playoff appearances in 2022 and 2024, a 49-win regular season in 2023-24), after a painful 2024-25 that featured a devastating series of injuries and the franchise’s worst regular season record in two decades.

The roster Dumars inherits has talent — including two-time All-Star forward Zion Williamson, first-team All-NBA Defense selection Herb Jones, and rising standout forward Trey Murphy— and Dumars has added a few key pieces in veterans Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Saddiq Bey, along with rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen. 

But the roster is only one ingredient in a recipe for success. “Right time, right place, right people,” Dumars has repeatedly echoed in the offseason. For him, New Orleans is exactly the right place — and the right fan base. “When you’re from here, you understand what it means to be a fan,” he said at his first press conference in New Orleans (and in case you were wondering, yes, he is a lifelong Saints fan).

“Sometimes opportunities come along and you just know,” he added with a nod. “That’s what has happened here with the Pelicans. And I want to thank Mrs. (Gayle) Benson (governor of the New Orleans Pelicans) for this opportunity to come home.” 

An old door and a bicycle wheel

In the early 1970s, you could find a young Joe Dumars dribbling a basketball on a patch of grass and red clay in Natchitoches — a small college town in north-central Louisiana. The improvised court may not have had any bells and whistles — his hoop was made from a bicycle wheel and an old unhinged door — but it stood directly across the street from a family friend’s store, where bright outdoor lights illuminated the neighborhood, allowing young Dumars to practice even after the sun went down.

Off the makeshift court, Dumars lived in a one-story house with his parents — Joe II and Ophelia Dumars — and six siblings. His father — a salt-of-the-earth World War II veteran — worked long shifts as a truck driver, while Ophelia worked as custodian at nearby Northwestern State University.

“They were old school — all about (hard) work (and) doing things right,” said Chris Maggio, a lifelong friend and now-retired former NSU president, whose father owned and operated the neighborhood store. “The mom demanded respect. They were ‘yes ma’am, no sir’ people who did things the right way.”

“They were the example,” said Dumars, recalling his parents from his office inside the Pelicans’ practice facility this summer. “They insisted (we) always carry (ourselves) with some dignity, with humility. The treatment of others was emphasized. That was a big theme in our house.”

Joe II and Ophelia expected good grades and steady attendance from the Dumars boys — and they delivered — but the brothers all truly excelled in athletics. None more so than Dumars, who could do just about anything he put his mind to. “He was a heck of a football player in middle school,” said Maggio.  “Tennis. He could swim… He was a great athlete.”

But while his brothers took to football, Dumars ultimately turned his attention to basketball, “the one sport you can truly practice by yourself,” he said. Once his older brothers moved out (four went on to play college football), he spent hours in his yard shooting baskets. “And to be quite frank, I also wanted to carve my own path. I always heard about my brothers, how good they were (at football). I thought, ‘I’m the youngest, I’m going to make my own name.’”

A home court advantage

As a teenager, Dumars played on a New Orleans-based AAU team featuring multiple future NBA players, including Karl Malone (native of Summerfield, La.) and John “Hot Rod” Williams (Sorrento, La.).

In 2025, a star-studded scholastic group like that would likely end up restricting college options to historic national powers like Duke, North Carolina or Kentucky – but Dumars, Malone and Williams all remained in-state. Dumars chose McNeese State in Lake Charles, while fellow future Hall of Famer Malone went to Louisiana Tech in Ruston. Williams opted for Tulane in New Orleans. “We all knew we were going to pick a place where we could step on the court and make an immediate impact,” said Dumars.

He used all of his eligibility at McNeese, playing four seasons and taking a patient approach to preparing for a pro career. “Staying four years, you can see that you got better and better every year,” he said. “You can see your growth. As opposed to playing one year, then having to project how good you could be. For me, not for everyone, that was huge. I could see it and feel it — from 18 to 22 years old — it was night and day how much better I got over those four years.”

By the end of his sophomore year at McNeese, Dumars suspected he had an NBA future, but he never looked too far ahead. Instead, he carried himself the way his father taught him to: work hard, stay humble, “I just wanted to be the best player on my team. The best player in the Southland Conference. I wasn’t even thinking about the NBA.”

“He seemed older, more mature,” said longtime friend and McNeese supporter Billy Rose. “No shenanigans. He carries himself just the way his dad did. No BS.”

Any journalist visiting Lake Charles looking for negative background stories about Dumars would be guaranteed to leave disappointed, Rose joked. “An investigative reporter would have to say, ‘Went there. Found nothing.’ He’s dull. But that’s what you want from your team’s superstar. No baggage.”

Going heads-down on hard work, patience and integrity ultimately paid off. Dumars was selected 18th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 1985 NBA draft. He was named to the All-Rookie first team that year, and just four years later, won his first of two NBA championships (the first of which he was named Finals MVP) as part of the Bad Boys Pistons squad.

Despite the team’s aggressive reputation on the court, Dumars remained quiet, respectful and level-headed, as always. In the 1995-96 season, seven years after his father’s death, he received the first-ever NBA Sportsmanship Award — now called the Joe Dumars Trophy — perhaps the accomplishment that would have made his father proudest. 

“My dad never (told people) I had an NBA career,” said Dumars. “He said that I have a ‘really good job.’ He never got caught up in the hype or any of that. It was like, ‘Son, you have a really good job there. A well-paying job.’

“Treat people the right way, be respectful, (and) be humble. I take all of that with me. Everything he taught, I live that every day.”

At one point during Dumars’ lucrative Detroit playing career, he wanted to buy Ophelia a new house, to upgrade from the one-floor structure he grew up in. But — comfortable in their family home and neighborhood — Ophelia declined. Instead, her son simply added on to the property. Ophelia died in 2020, but the modest Natchitoches home is still owned by the Dumars family to this day.

All roads lead home

After working for the NBA’s league office in New York City in recent years as executive vice president and head of basketball operations, Dumars said during his April introductory press conference that there weren’t many opportunities that could cause him to leave that position. Leading basketball operations for his home state’s NBA franchise was an obvious exception.

He’s now tasked with bringing to New Orleans the same kind of success he produced as a player, as well as early in his tenure as Detroit’s top basketball executive (2004 NBA champions; 2005 Finals trip with Game 7 loss at San Antonio; six straight conference finals appearances from 2003-08).

“He’s going to lead the Pelicans with integrity,” said Maggio. “The players are going to respect him, and he’s going to respect the players, the coaches, the ownership, the community. He hasn’t changed at all since we were young.”

For Dumars, like most things, his new role starts with lessons learned at home. “When it’s at its best, the product on the (court) reflects the city,” he said in April. “New Orleans is resilient. They don’t fold here. They don’t just give up. You want the team to reflect that.

“This is an incredible fan base. I’m super happy to be here and super happy to be home.”