DeQuincy  20
SMS  35

The St. Mary’s Tigers completed the first phase of their 2021 football season in typical style Friday night, taking control after halftime against a larger-classification opponent to notch another impressive victory.

SMHS (4-1) dispatched DeQuincy 35-20 at Turpin Stadium, outscoring the visitors 21-7 in the final two quarters. The Tigers remain No. 1 statewide in the LHSAA’s Division I power points rankings after topping their third straight Class 2A opponent, and winning their fourth game overall in a first-half slate that included five bigger foes.

Tigers coach Aaron York is impressed with his team, but isn’t fazed by the No. 1 ranking.

“It’s exciting to see us up there, but it’s not our end goal. Halfway through the season, there’s a lot of football left. We’ll have a target on our backs in district,” he said. “We have the pre-district season, then the district season and then the playoffs. We have to play well in district to give us an advantage and earn home playoff games.”

His players were not fazed when DeQuincy (2-3) nearly erased a 14-0 first half SMHS advantage, missing an extra point 17 seconds before halftime and trailing 14-13 at the break.

One thing we stress is finish, finish, finish. The last three weeks we’ve finished strong. That’s been our problem in the past, but now we’re looking good in the third and fourth quarters, and that makes a coach proud,” said York.

The Tigers jumped on top five minutes into play on a 22-yard touchdown pass by second-team quarterback Mixon Bankston to Ben Bienvenu, and the first of five successful extra point kicks by Payne Williams. Their lead doubled to 14-0 with 8:44 to go in the half on Adam Parker’s 19-yard scoring strike to Ethan Busby.

But DeQuincy got a pair of touchdown runs from talented quarterback Reese Ashworth in the last six minutes of the second period to challenge St. Mary’s.

The Tigers answered the bell. It was Williams with the game-changing play, scooping up a fumble and scoring from 65 yards out at the 7:14 mark of the third period for a 21-13 lead. Drake Griffin, who notched his first 100-yard rushing game (102 on 22 carries), notched the first of his two touchdowns on an 8-yard rumble 1:03 before the end of the quarter to make it 28-13.

“Our offensive line had one of its better games. We ran the ball well when we needed to in the second half,” said York. “We put in a few new wrinkles this week and our kids executed them well.”

DeQuincy finally got on the board with 4:20 remaining in the contest when Ashworth tossed a 22-yard TD to Taige Ceasar, but St. Mary’s responded quickly, making it 35-20 with 2:44 to go on Griffin’s 13-yard run.

Logan Watson, who recovered a fumble, topped the Tigers with 6.5 tackles while Bankston made six. Graeme Fidelak and Bienvenu each had five.

Williams added an interception to his scoop and score, and broke up two passes. His kickoffs were booming, and that combination earned him the Tigers’ player of the game honor.

The Tigers had only one turnover and remarkably, just one penalty for five yards.

“I felt pretty good about all phases Friday night, and once again our kids played hard, played physical, and that’s what we want going into district,” said York.

The Tigers celebrate homecoming on their own on-campus field next Friday night, opening 3-1A play against Northwood-Lena.

Bunkie  36
Lakeview  12

You probably don’t see progress in a 36-12 loss, but Lakeview football coach Brandon Helms knows better.

His Gators hung tough Friday night at Bunkie, in a game much more competitive than the final score indicates.

The young Lakeview squad, with only two senior starters, showed resiliency in the wake of a Monday team meeting that refocused a struggling team. The Gators (1-4) came out of that gathering with a sense of purpose and it showed on a rainy night against the Panthers (3-2).

“Our kids played hard. We executed better,” said Helms. “It came down to depth, and we got worn down. They pulled away late after we got it to a one-score game late in the third quarter.

“I’ve got some kids who played close to 140 snaps Friday night. Bunkie dressed out 68 guys and played 49. That is tough to overcome. It’s not insurmountable, but it’s a hill to climb,” said Helms. “I was proud of the way we competed.”

The rain arrived shortly before kickoff and continued through most of the first half, limiting both teams’ offensively and creating a field position battle. Bunkie opened a 16-6 advantage.

The Gators bounced back, mounting a long drive to net the second touchdown of the night by talented junior quarterback Dillon Pikes. After a 3-yard TD in the first half, he scampered 26 yards to paydirt midway through the third quarter.

Bunkie answered with a scoring drive to go ahead by two touchdowns. In the fourth quarter with the clock grinding away, Helms decided to gamble on a fourth down at midfield and the Panthers made the stop. Bunkie scored a clinching TD and stretched out the final margin.

“We’ve got to clean up some things in special teams, but offensively and defensively I was very pleased with how we attacked. I didn’t see us with our heads down when they scored,” said Helms. “I saw us starting to try to make the next play. That’s the big thing I wanted to see, us fighting for 48 minutes.”

Pikes again had over 100 rushing yards, including his scoring runs, despite Bunkie’s defensive game plan focused entirely on him.

Panthers’ coach Nick Pujol told Helms, “We had nine guys keying him, and he still made us look like a fool.”

That was no surprise to Helms.

“He’s just a competitor. The kid just loves to compete. He never looks at the scoreboard, never. It’s just about getting better on the next play,” said the Gators’ coach. “If you can get a team full of those, you’ve got something. I hope our younger guys are seeing his leadership, because he’s one to follow.

The team’s other standout leader, senior linebacker Matthew Howard, had a great night with 16 tackles, one for lost yards, and a forced fumble.

“Wherever the football was, he was there. He played extremely hard and kept us going on the defensive end,” said Helms. “They don’t come any finer.”

The outcome, however, stings. Losing stinks. However, the effort and intensity and progress Helms saw were encouraging.

“It’s small steps, but we’ve got to take ‘em,” he said.

With a squad of under 40 players, the six seniors include two who have never played before, two who haven’t played much, and then two who are veterans. There’s at least five games left, next against powerful unbeaten Avoyells, but Helms is upbeat considering what he saw from his Gators all week long and Friday night.

UIW  38
NSU  27

The Northwestern State football team checked off some of what it needed to do Saturday night against Incarnate Word.

The Demons won the turnover battle against the Cardinals inside Turpin Stadium, but UIW took better advantage of NSU’s miscues as the visitors scored a 38-27 Southland Conference victory.

“I’m disappointed for the guys,” fourth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “They deserved the opportunity to win the game. One thing we talked about today was finish – not necessarily finishing the game but finishing each play, doing your job. I thought our guys did that.”

For the second straight week, the Demons (0-4, 0-1) found themselves down double digits in the first quarter as UIW (4-1, 2-0) used its quick-strike offense to build a 14-0 advantage less than seven minutes into the game.

From there, the Purple Swarm defense settled into the pattern it displayed against UT Martin on Sept. 18, playing more soundly in its assignments and cutting down on missed tackles.

After surrendering 28 first-half points, the Demons allowed just 10 in the second half, allowing NSU to slice an 18-point lead to eight late in the third quarter.

The deficit could have been even less had Northwestern State taken better advantage of the Cardinals’ three turnovers.

NSU turned its three extra possessions into just seven points as Kaleb Fletcher hit Javonis Isaac for a 1-yard score with 5:01 to play in the third quarter, cutting UIW’s lead to 28-20. It was Isaac’s first career touchdown catch in a Demon uniform and part of a career-best 319-yard passing game for Fletcher on 36-of-48 passing.

“(Winning the turnover battle) was one of the big keys – us coming in minus-4 and them coming in plus-4 or plus-5,” Laird said. “That was one thing we had to do. Now, we have to take the next step when we get those opportunities and turn them into points. We weren’t able to do that tonight.”

Isaac’s touchdown catch came after the first of two PJ Herrington interceptions as the junior safety stepped in front of a Cameron Ward pass at the 50 and returned it 7 yards to the UIW 43. Five plays later, Fletcher found Isaac on a play-action pass, capping a drive where NSU moved the ball exclusively through the air.

Herrington added another interception early in the fourth quarter, grabbing a desperate Ward heave at the NSU 9. The Natchez, Mississippi, product had a third interception – and ensuing 90-plus-yard return – erased by an offsides penalty in the fourth quarter.

“(During) the second half, we knew we had left a lot of plays out there in the first half,” said Herrington, who finished with a team-high eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in addition to his two picks. “Starting off slow hurt us. In the second half, we warmed up and we just play.

“In high school, my freshman year, I had three picks in a game. It was something I never thought I’d experience again, but God blessed me to make plays like that.”

The Demon offense made enough plays to record a season-high 501 yards, but two plays loomed large as Northwestern State lost a pair of fumbles inside the UIW 10-yard line.

Although the Cardinals were unable to convert those into points, the Demons returned that favor in the third quarter. Jared Pedraza recovered a muffed punt – his third fumble recovery in the past two games – at the UIW 27.

However, the Demons managed just three yards and came up empty as Eddie Godina’s 39-yard field goal drifted wide left, leaving Northwestern State down 28-13 with 9:00 to play in the quarter. Godina did connect on attempts of 30 and 40 yards in the first half.

“We did a pretty good job moving the ball, but we have to avoid those three and outs and avoid those two turnovers,” said Fletcher, who completed a career-high 36 passes in 48 attempts with a pair of touchdown passes. “Turnovers in the red zone really bit us. We’re still going forward. We still have things to work on.”

Down 21-3, Fletcher found Jay Griffin on a slant and the two-time Mountain West 200-meter champion flashed his sprinter speed, finishing a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown – one of three scoring plays of more than 50 yards between the teams.

The Cardinals answered Griffin’s bolt with one of theirs as Ward connected with Kevin Brown on a swing pass the running back turned into a 54-yard touchdown that gave UIW a 28-10 lead with 5:48 to play in the first half.

Ward, the reigning Jerry Rice Award winner as the top freshman in FCS, finished 25-for-37 for 348 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Ward entered Saturday’s game having thrown one interception in UIW’s first four games.

“Early on, with some of the setbacks we had, it would have been easy for the guys to lay down, but they didn’t,” Laird said. “I couldn’t be more proud of their effort. I told them after that, this thing is going to turn. We continue to put the work in, we continue to fight and finish and play for each other – things are going to turn.”

The Demons return to action Oct. 9 at Houston Baptist in their Southland Conference road opener. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Husky Stadium.

Photo: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services

After successfully competing against opponents at home to open the fall season, Northwestern State will get a taste of the road as the Lady Demons head to the UCA Second Fall Invitational.

NSU coach Jonas Brobeck said his team succeeded in controlling what it could, but one area outside of the Lady Demons’ control this weekend is the weather.

Expected storms pushed the event back to a Sunday start with a Monday finish.

“We’ve done a great job of controlling the things we could control, like the girls showing up in shape this fall or the newcomers adjusting to a new scoring system and having matches being played around you,” Brobeck said. “We want to build on those positives from the first weekend, a weekend where we did well overall.

“Our process was good, and we got better the longer our tournament went. We’ve been working on some things in doubles this week that we hope to improve on, and we want to take that into this weekend’s competition.”

A pair of NSU newcomers reached the finals of their draws at the Natchitoches Women’s Care Lady Demon Invitational as freshman Tjasa Klevisar won the Black singles draw and freshman Ayu Ishibashi fell in the White singles draw.

Freshman Rozalie Dohnalova and sophomore Gig Kanaphuet won their consolation finals.

NSU will compete against opponents from a different region of the country this weekend, including Austin Peay and Missouri State along with familiar foes like Central Arkansas and Louisiana Tech.

“We get to see some teams we don’t usually see, so that’s a benefit for us,” Brobeck said. “We’ve had a good week of practice this week, and this team has handled their business with maturity after shaking off some nerves in the first weekend.”

PHOTO: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services

Northwestern State was on the receiving end of a clean and efficient attack Saturday afternoon in a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-13) loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Islanders (7-7, 3-0) hit above .300 in each of the three sets with their three primary attackers each turning in attack percentages over .350 for the match. The loss is the third in a row for the Lady Demons (6-12, 0-3) to start conference play.

“They’re efficient with their swings and when you take something away most of their attackers are very good about making immediate changes,” head coach Sean Kiracofe said. “We played much better than Thursday night, which I was happy with, and did a lot of good things to start the match.

“Unfortunately, you can flip a coin 10 times and it can land on tails all 10 times, so even though we were much better at following the scout it didn’t always result in points.”

An early 4-0 run for the Lady Demons gave them the lead in the first set. Two uncharacteristic-for-the-day errors from the Islanders along with a kill and ace from Piper Boydstun made it a 7-3 game.

The tide quickly turned as Corpus stormed back ahead with a 6-0 run to answer and eventually took a 15-10 lead. Jaylibeth Garcia-Rosa, who led the Lady Demons and tied for the match high with 11 kills, brought NSU back with two kills and an ace making it a one-point game.

Still down by just a point at 19-18, the Lady Demons had another chance to tie the game, but a strong finish from the Islanders sparked a 5-0 run that led to the first set win.

The Lady Demons were unable to take advantage of the early miscues by the Corpus offense. The chances the remainder of the match were even fewer and farther between.

The efficient Islander offense made just three errors in the second and third sets that were not a result of an NSU block, keeping the Lady Demons from building any momentum the rest of the way.

A 9-2 run early in the second helped the Islanders pull away and take a 15-8 lead. NSU was unable to string any points together in the set as Corpus converted on 12-of-13 sideout opportunities. They finished the match 22-for-27 in the metric across the final two sets.

An early lead in the third slipped away after three straight Corpus kills followed a pair of NSU errors turning the two-point advantage into a four-point deficit. A 10-2 run started a few serves later and spelled the end for the Lady Demons.

Garcia-Rosa reached double-figure kills for the fifth time this season and the second during conference play. The junior middle is hitting .440 through the first three league matches.

The Lady Demons return to Prather Coliseum for the first of two straight Southland Conference home matches on Thursday night against Houston Baptist.

Photo: Gary Hardamon

NATCHITOCHES:
Detre Willis
March 28, 1972 – September 22, 2021
Service: Sunday, October 3 at 11 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

Natchitoches Central High School
Natchitoches Central  23
C.E. Byrd  10

NCHS Season: 5-0

St. Mary’s Catholic School
St Mary’s  35
DeQuincy  20

Lakeview High School
Lakeview  12
Bunkie  36

Note:   NPJ Detailed High School Coverage Sunday Morning at 6:55am – Join us!

The 2021 Natchitoches Classic Car Show got off to a fun start Friday, October 1, as several hundred car owners and car lovers gathered at the downtown riverbank. The evening’s events started a bit earlier in the day with the traditional poker run, back after a hiatus in 2020. The fun then moved to downtown as the car owners enjoyed a superb fried fish dinner prepared by master chef Layne Miller and a crew of hard-working volunteers. The car show attendees also enjoyed live entertainment on the riverbank stage.

NSU’s Presidential Leadership Program (PLP) and chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order supplied volunteers to set up for the dinner and take tickets. PLP participant and newly crowned Lady of the Bracelet, Makenzie Scroggins came by in her PLP t-shirt, tiara and sash to work at the show.

The Natchitoches Classic Car Show is in its 15th year of family fun. The show will be held Saturday, October 2 in downtown Natchitoches. There is no cost to attend. Come to the show to see over 350 cars, ranging from lovingly restored classics to fanciful art cars.

Jacob Logan was sitting at his house in Deer Park, Texas, spending some quality time playing video games with his brother in December.

It had all the makings of a perfect semester break – family time, relaxation and a chance to regroup before returning to Northwestern State for a six-game spring football season that marked his first in a Demon uniform. Then the phone rang, and Logan’s world changed.

As Northwestern State prepares for Saturday’s #ForkCancer game against Incarnate Word, Logan will do so with a different perspective that began with his teary-eyed mother, Karen, telling him and his brother she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I hadn’t seen her all day and saw she was tearing up,” said Logan, a senior tight end who transferred from McNeese ahead of the 2019-20 academic year. “I asked what was wrong. Usually, she keeps things from me especially major things that would hinder me from school and football. Whenever she came inside and sat us down and broke everything down, it was very emotional for me. It put everything in perspective for me. I hit a block for a second. I had to sit down and really go over everything in my mind and keep to myself for a while.

“It hurt my mental health for a while, and to be honest, I’m still trying to shake back from that.”

Logan played in all six games in the spring season and has appeared in the first three games this fall for the Demons. A versatile tight end who can split out wide, Logan has caught five passes through three games of the fall season.

Watch Logan – a long-haired, tattooed 6-foot-3, 245-pounder – play and an observer will see a fiery individual who is not afraid to mix it up with opposing defenders and speak his mind. That on-field demeanor, Logan says, has been shaped by what his mother and father have gone through medically well before Karen Logan’s breast cancer diagnosis in December.

“For the most part, my emotions on the field come from stuff that has happened to me off the field — whether it’s my mom being diagnosed with cancer or my dad having Parkinson’s disease or my mom having Stage 3 kidney failure,” Logan said. “That all comes into play. The only way I can let it out safely is on the field.”

Speaking about his mother’s battle with both kidney disease and breast cancer, Logan displays the side most often seen by his family and his girlfriend – the part he calls “very calm and very chill.”

That is the side most of his NSU teammates see on a daily basis with the exception of their time between the sidelines.

“Sometimes we don’t realize what’s going on off the field and what some individuals have to deal with,” fourth-year NSU head coach Brad Laird said. “Some they speak about, some are not spoken about. It’s a credit to him and what he’s been able to do as he’s gone through these tough times with his mother. He’s one when he steps between the white lines, he takes care of his business. You appreciate what those guys are going through to be able to combine not only what he’s doing on the field and what he’s dealing with off the field.”

Logan said he draws inspiration from his parents’ battles with their health.

“Every day I see my mom wake up and see her do things I don’t know if I could do in a day,” he said. “There was one point where she worked two jobs and was battling kidney failure when I was in high school. She comes home and takes care of my dad, who has Parkinson’s disease and gets into bed at night to plug into her dialysis machine so she doesn’t miss that, which is critical to her health. She does so much every day for me and my family, and I hope one day I can give back to her as much as she’s given me.”

Northwestern State fans can give back to those like Karen Logan throughout this week by texting “FORKCANCER” to 71777 and making a donation to the American Cancer Society. Additionally, Demon fans will have the opportunity to pick up and wear a purple ribbon Saturday, honoring cancer survivors.

As of 7 p.m. May 18, 2021, those who follow Jacob Logan’s Twitter account (@flyinhiwian_15) learned Karen Logan had joined that list of people who have survived cancer.

“I was sitting at my house, and my girlfriend was on the way from Natchitoches to Houston to come see me,” Jacob Logan said. “My mom called me, and she was crying again. I was like, ‘Man, this can’t be good.’ I thought, here we go again. She sent me the picture (of her ringing the cancer bell at the hospital), and I immediately posted it on Twitter. I wanted to let friends and family and everyone who knew – and everyone who didn’t know – what was going on and what just happened. It was one of the happiest days of my life.”

A Natchitoches man suffered moderate injuries in a farm tractor/auto crash on La Hwy 1 just north of Powhatan this evening according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office.

This evening at approximately 7:23pm, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Patrol Division, Louisiana State Police, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS, and Natchitoches Parish Fire Protection Districts #6 and #10 responded to NATCOM 911 Center reports of an injury crash involving a farm tractor and passenger car with injuries on La Hwy 1 north of Powhatan, La.

Deputies say a 2012 Ford Fusion operated by a 29-year-old Natchitoches man was traveling southbound on La Hwy 1 north of Powhatan when he struck a Kubota M9540 farm tractor operated by a 68-year-old Powhatan man that was also traveling south with its slowing moving hazard flashers activated.

The Ford Fusion impacted the rear of the farm tractor and its implement attachment.

The operator of the Ford Fusion was transported from the scene to a Shreveport hospital with moderate injuries.

The operator of the tractor was treated at the scene by paramedics for minor injuries and released pending further evaluation by a family physician if needed.

The crash is being investigated by Troopers assigned to LSP Troop-E Alexandria.

Deputies say distracted driving is one of the leading causes of traffic crashes on our nation’s highway. Always wear your seat belts, pay attention to the road and avoid distracted driving.

If you are traveling through the area, drive carefully and slow down while law enforcement investigates the crash and towing services clear the scene.

BOM made a donation to St. Augustine Catholic Church to help purchase two new freezers for their church hall. Pictured are St. Augustine Catholic Church Priest, Father Charlie Ray, and BOM’s Claudy Vallery.

NATCHITOCHES:
Williw Lee (Moody) Taylor
September 19, 1945 – September 23, 2021
Service: Saturday, October 2 at 11 am at the North Star Baptist Church, located at 734 Hwy. 485 in Powhatan

Linda Marie Willis
May 26, 1957 – September 19, 2021
Service: Saturday, October 2 at 9:30 am at the Baptist Cemetery in Allen

Detre Willis
March 28, 1972 – September 22, 2021
Service: Sunday, October 3 at 11 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

Joseph Lynch
September 20, 2021
Service: Saturday, October 2 at 2 pm at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

James Clark
September 21, 2021
Service: Saturday, October 2 in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

The Natchitoches Central High School football team has made big strides forward so far this season. Tonight, they’ll find out how they measure up against the best Class 5A program in northwest Louisiana, C.E. Byrd.

Having ditched a skid that dated back 11 games to 2019, the Chiefs are unbeaten through four games, as are the Yellow Jackets. Byrd reached the Division I state finals last December in Turpin Stadium and were knocked off by Catholic of Baton Rouge. This year’s team is ranked 10th in the Class 5A top 10 voting by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

But the upstart Chiefs have status in the LHSAA’s power points rankings. Natchitoches Central stands third in the state in Class 5A through four weeks, rated at 13.13 and trailing only Northshore and West Monroe.

Byrd is No. 2 among the dozen Division I (select schools, magnet and private schools) football teams in the LHSAA power rankings with a 14.25 total. Byrd has outscored its opponents 120-45, with a dominating district opener last Friday, 38-7 at Haughton.

The Yellow Jackets have routinely played in “big games” for years now. This will be the first time in years the NCHS football squad has taken the field in a high-stakes contest. The winner will join Captain Shreve as the top contenders for this year’s District 1-5A championship.

MATCHUP: Natchitoches Central Chiefs vs. C.E. Byrd Yellow Jackets

WHEN/WHERE: Tonight, 7 p.m., Lee Hedges Stadium, Shreveport

RADIO: 95.9 Kix Classic Country, play-by-play from Steve Graf. Pregame show 6:45.

LISTEN LIVE: KIX CLASSIC COUNTRY

RECORDS: NCHS (4-0, 1-0), C.E. Byrd (4-0, 1-0)

LAST GAME: Natchitoches Central defeated Airline 28-7. Byrd beat Haughton 38-7.

NOTES: Natchitoches Central is off to a hot start at 4-0. The last time the Chiefs were 5-0 was 1984, nearly 40 years ago. NCHS has outscored its opponents 134-27.

The Chiefs are led by dynamic senior running back Caylin Demars, who was last week’s KTBS TV Griffin’s Game Ball winner as the area player of the week. He was spotlighted in Tuesday’s sportscasts on Channel 3.

Defensively, safety Justin Aaron and linebacker Logan Saucier hold down ringleader roles on the Chiefs defense. Tredarius Brown has grown into his new role, switching from offensive line to defensive line, and had a dominating game against Airline last week.

NCHS head coach James Wilkerson was an assistant coach at Byrd for 12 seasons before taking over the Chiefs’ program for the 2020 season.

The Chiefs will have their biggest challenge tonight taking on another undefeated district foe C.E. Byrd. The Yellow Jackets have a tough, physical football team. Longtime coach Mike Suggs retired at the end of last season after 23 years as head coach, building Byrd into a powerhouse. Stacy Bellow, former defensive coordinator for the Yellow Jackets, was the pick to step in as head coach. Byrd will feature an offensive machine running the triple option, led by running back Mitchell Ramsey.

NCHS COACH JAMES WILKERSON SAYS: “We are going up against a very solid team with no weaknesses. They are well coached and are physical. We will be looking in a mirror every possession, and every play will mean something in the outcome. Our guys are looking forward to the challenge.”

The NCHS community gave its football team a rousing send-off to Friday’s game against the C.E. Byrd Yellowjackets with a pep rally Thursday, September 30 at the NCHS practice field. The 4-0 Chiefs look to continue their winning ways Friday, October 1 at 7:00 pm. as they meet the 4-0 Byrd Yellowjackets at Byrd’s Lee Hodges Stadium in Shreveport. The Chiefs aim to emerge 5-0.

The crowd of loyal Chief fans’ spirits were honed to a fever pitch by performances by the school’s spirit groups and the Pride of the Tribe Band. The Chiefs will face the Yellowjackets Friday night with the knowledge that the entire NCHS community is behind them!

The Natchitoches Parish Journal wishes this superb group of hard-working young men all the best as they embark on a most remarkable season. Go Chiefs!

Makenzie Scroggs of Marksville was named winner of the 64th Annual Miss Northwestern – Lady of the Bracelet Scholarship Program held Thursday at Northwestern State University.

Scroggs, a sophomore dance major, will represent Northwestern State in this summer’s Miss Louisiana Competition. She will receive more than $8,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Bailey Willis of Opelousas was first runner up and Marissa Rowsey of Haughton was second runner up.

Scroggs won the talent competition. Chileigh Mitchell of Lafayette won the Liz Carroll People’s Choice Award. Emma McElwee of Many won the Carley McCord Miss Congeniality Award.

Scroggs is the daughter of Rebecca and Derek Scroggs. Rebecca Scroggs was the 1998 winner of the Miss Northwestern-Lady of the Bracelet Scholarship Program.

Makenzie Scroggs is a member of the Demon Dazzlers, Dance Organization of Students and the Presidential Leadership Program. At Avoyelles Public Charter School, Scroggs was National Honor Society treasurer, a top 10 graduate, CLI Ambassador, Elite Competition Dance Team Member and National Talent Winner.

By Tommy Rush

Last week while helping with the clean up from Hurricane Ida in south Louisiana, I met some pretty awesome people. I really enjoyed a conversation I had before breakfast one morning with a gentleman from Little Rock, Arkansas. He had been a broker in the hotel industry for over 35 years before retiring. His job consisted of traveling the country to negotiate the buying and selling of major hotels. He had sat at the table with multi-millionaires several times throughout his career and met a lot of interesting people. He then said, “But the greatest and most memorable experiences of all were the times God blessed me with the opportunity to share the gospel and see a person accept God’s gift of salvation. It doesn’t matter how rich or how poor a person is, the one thing everyone has in common is the need for a Savior.” He told me that God had always blessed him with the ability to share his faith with anybody, anywhere. It was evident that sharing God’s love with others was the joy of his life.

Recently I read “Giving It All Away… And Getting It Back Again” the story of Hobby Lobby’s founder, David Green. He began building picture frames in his garage as a hobby and today his company employs over 32,000 people across the country. In the book he writes, “We are put on this earth to give, to devote ourselves to a radical brand of generosity that God can use to change lives eternally!”

I’ve thought about the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:19-20 that says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in or steal…” It’s so easy to find ourselves focusing too much on the material things of this world, which are temporary and not enough on spiritual things which are eternal. The Apostle Paul encouraged his young friend, Timothy to“remind those who are rich in this present world not to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and eager to share.” Paul wanted Timothy to know that a godly life is the greatest thing a person can possess and if a person has that, he or she should be deeply satisfied.

It’s good to be reminded often that every blessing in life comes from the gracious and loving hand of God. David Green also said, “Count your blessings, but also make your blessings count.” We make our blessing count when we use them to point others to the awesome goodness and grace of God.

By Joe Darby

It’s late Thursday night and I just watched a great football game. And once again former LSU great Joe Burrow prevailed over Trevor Lawrence, formerly of Clemson and a chap who I think if you looked up California Surfer Dude in the dictionary, you would find his picture.

I know, if you’re a football fan, you will well recall LSU’s triumph over Clemson in the 2019 National College Football Championship. If you love the Tigers like I do, we will always cherish that amazing 2019 season, in which Burrow and a great core of receivers put together a season that has seldom been equaled in collegiate football history. I said at the time that we should enjoy it to the fullest because it wasn’t likely we would see another like it.

In the championship game Burrow and the Tigers of LSU took care of the undefeated Tigers of Clemson and their quarterback Lawrence, 42-25. I must admit that Lawrence’s appearance rather put me off, being the old conservative geezer that I am. With his shoulder length hair and demeanor, I could just imagine him saying something like, “Whoa, Dude, surfs up today. Let’s get the woody and go to the beach.”

He in actuality is probably a nice young man, but I much prefer Joe Burrow. So, let’s set the stage for the game that I just watched. Joe is in his second year with the Cincinnati Bengals, so he remains a Tiger. And Lawrence, rookie QB of the Jacksonville Jaguars, also remains a predator feline. So I, and I think a lot of other football fans, were looking forward to Thursday night’s game. Going in, the Bengals were 2-1 and the woeful Jags were 0-3.

Jacksonville was very competitive and took the lead at times during the game. But the great Joe Burrow led his team on a last minute drive deep into Jaguar territory and the Bengals won on a field goal, 24-21, as time expired.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game and the victory of Joe and his team mates. I am a huge Joe Burrow fan, if you couldn’t tell before now. I think he’s a great young man and will have a great future in the NFL. For the last few years the Bengals have been terrible but with Thursday night’s victory they are 3-1 and in first place in their division. Lawrence’s Jacksonville is 0-4 and I don’t feel sorry for them.

I know a lot of folks have lost interest in the NFL because of the tendency of some players taking a knee during the National Anthem. That ticks me off also and I think it’s disrespectful to all of our men and women who have died defending our flag. But I’m not going to get the actions of a few misguided overpaid athletes deprive me of the pleasure of watching pro football.

I’m a Saints fan and was a big fan of the magnificent Drew Brees . I’m also now a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals. Wouldn’t it be great to see those two teams in the Super Bowl. Probably won’t happen, but us sports fans can always dream. So, here’s a late night toast to the heavenly ones and the big cats. Go Saints, go Tigers and go Bengals.

Success against a strong schedule has the St. Mary’s Tigers No. 1 in the state’s LHSAA Division IV power points rankings.

Coach Aaron York and the TIgers take pride in that, but are more interested in making another step forward tonight at Turpin Stadium against DeQuincy.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. as the Tigers wrap up an ambitious first-half schedule preparing them not only for the five-game District 1-3A slate, but even more so, the state Division IV playoffs.

St. Mary’s is 3-1, losing a competitive 43-23 opening outing at home against Abbeville, then streamrolling 3A Buckeye (38-6), rallying past rival Menard (2A) on the road (31-17) and outflanking 2A Oakdale (30-19) in another road game last Friday night. That Class 3A Abbeville team, by the way, is 4-0 and sixth in its state power rankings.

The Tigers have piled up a 16.13 power rating that is a full point ahead of second-place Southern Lab in the select schools rankings. The 16.13 rating also tops any of the non-select Class A schools, who are led by a 15.50 posted by Slaughter Community Charter, so it’s fair to say St. Mary’s is the best small school football team in the state in the LHSAA’s power polls.

“We’ve run a pretty tough gauntlet for a school our size, and it’s really showing us who we are and that we can play with bigger schools,” said York. “It’s going to help us down the road. I know our kids are wondering why we’re playing all up, but every Friday we’ve got to play our best, or we’ll get beat. That will benefit us going through the rest of the season and especially when we’re in the playoffs.

After a pair of opening losses (34-15 at Westlake, 28-21 at home to Erath), DeQuincy has won its last two games, 21-14 at South Beauregard and 35-0 at home over Lake Arthur. The Panthers are 16th in the LHSAA’s Class 2A power rankings.

“We’re gonna have to play physical. DeQuincy is going to be one of the better teams we’ve seen to this point,” said York. “If we can contain their running game, play physical up front and get our receivers out on the edge and get the ball out quick, we can pick up the W.

“I don’t want it to be easy, and it won’t be. We’ve got to play our best game, and if we do, I feel good about our chances,” he said.

Tonight’s game is St. Mary’s “Pink Out Game” spotlighting local efforts to support the fight against breast cancer. Next Friday will be homecoming for St. Mary’s with the Tigers playing on their campus field against Northwood-Lena, in a game that has been relocated from NSU and moved off its original Thursday playing date.

When the Lakeview Gators football team heads down to Bunkie for tonight’s non-district matchup, it’ll be running on some recharged batteries.

A team meeting Monday has produced exactly what the doctor ordered, said head coach Brandon Helms. Pair that with some adjustments in strategy and personnel, and the Gators don’t look or feel like a 1-3 team that’s dropped its last two games.

“We’ve had our best week of practice,” said Helms. “The guys came in and went to work. We made a few personnel changes, some due to injury and some due to needing to be better, up front on both sides of the ball.

“We had a big team meeting Monday and talked about pride and culture. Each of us has responsibilities in those areas, it’s up to all of us,” he said. “I want losing to hurt. I’ve seen it hurt, and that’s the first step. We will find ways to win, with guys who don’t want to lose, because they’ll give that extra effort.

“It seems like there’s been a different attitude this week, a different pace to how we worked. If what you’re doing is not successful, you’ve got to change, and that’s what we are doing,” he said.

Among the team leaders spearheading the bounce-back, one has especially stood out — Matthew Howard, Lakeview’s senior middle linebacker.

“He has been a great leader this week,” said Helms. “He’s had two knee surgeries since our last game in 2020. He’s fighting through it, and as long as he can go, he’s gonna go.

“He’s not going to lay down, and that attitude has bled over into a good number of the other players. He said, ‘I don’t have another shot. This is it, and I’m doing everything I can.’ “

Like Lakeview, Bunkie is coming off a lopsided loss on its homefield. The Panthers (2-1) outscored Marksville and Pickering 57-8 in their first two games, sandwiched around a open date, then were blasted by district foe Avoyells 54-13 last Friday.

“They’re very unique on offense. They spread you out, do a great job of running the ball,” said Helms. “I’m very impressed with their offensive line. They come off the ball very well and play hard. Their quarterback is an excellent athlete, a competitor, a grinder. He can be a game changer and he makes everybody around him better.

“They’ve always been really good on defense, well prepared, and they make it hard on you. They figure out what you do best and make sure you won’t be able to do it against them. They’re solid and well coached.

“They’re gonna have so many guys on (Lakeview quarterback) Dillon Pikes, it’s not going to be funny. We’ve been working on doing some things differently. They’ll key on Dillon. He knows that, our team knows that. They’re going to try to take him out of it, and we have to find ways to keep him in it,” said Helms.

Everywhere he went in a 31-year career coaching high school football, former St. Mary’s head coach Charlie Cryer made friends and won admirers.

That has been evident by the outpouring of sadness and affection, and professional respect, from around the state and beyond in the aftermath of Cryer’s sudden passing Tuesday afternoon at age 59.

He was stricken by an apparent heart attack during practice at Houma’s Vandebilt Catholic High School, where he was in his first season as defensive coordinator.

Cryer had successfully overcome a diagnosis of non-alcoholic cirrhosis forcing a liver transplant two years ago.

“He was doing great. He was moving along,” Chris Cryer, Charlie’s son and a former St. Mary’s and NSU football player, said speaking to the New Orleans Times-Picayune/Nola.com. “Then he didn’t feel too good on Tuesday. It’s just so sudden, but we’re doing all right. We’ve received so much love and support from all over. It’s truly been amazing to see how many lives my father touched.”

Cryer was a head coach for 15 seasons, winning a Class 1A state championship at Abbeville’s Vermilion Catholic in 2003 and earning state coach of the year honors. He was head coach there from 2002-04, then took his next head coaching role in Natchitoches with St. Mary’s in a very successful stint from 2009-13. He moved to St. Louis Catholic in Lake Charles and was head coach from 2014-17, then was in charge at Pope John Paul II in New Orleans from 2017-2020, stepping aside during his liver crisis in 2019.

Before taking over at that fledgling program, and managing only four wins in three seasons, Cryer had a 84-41-1 coaching record.

But the numbers aren’t the story with Cryer. He was described as a “master motivator,” a “perfect southern gentleman,” “very caring,” and first and foremost, a family man.

“Every person that ever had an interaction with Charlie walked away with a smile. One of the most unselfish people I have ever known,” Vandebilt Catholic head coach Tommy Minton told the Houma Courier. “He’s a good friend of mine for a long time. It’s a huge loss for Vandebilt and the Louisiana high school coaching community.”

Former St. Mary’s coach Eric Held, how director of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association, told CrescentCitySports.com Cryer was “a giant of a man and always had a smile on his face. He always got the most out of his players. His teams always played hard for him.

“I met Coach Cryer when he was head coach at Vermillion Catholic, fresh off winning a state title. I had just gotten the job at St. Mary’s in 2004 with a similar enrollment, roster size and demographics to Vermilion Catholic. I asked every dumb question you could ask. He patiently answered every question.”

His son told the Times-Picayune “I knew that a lot of people liked my dad. We’ve heard from NFL players to someone just working a regular job who played for him. He changed so many lives. It’s tough to lose him, but the impact he had on people will live on.”

Cryer, a Shreveport native, played football at LSU.

He is survived by his wife, Kristie, and along with Chris, two other adult offspring, daughter Kacie and son Cody. Funeral arrangements were pending as of Thursday night.

CITY OF NATCHITOCHES JOB OPPORTUNITY: FINANCE DIRECTOR

POSITION: Finance Director – Finance Department

DESCRIPTION: Performs a variety of complex supervisory, professional, administrative and technical accounting and finance functions in maintaining the fiscal records and systems of the City. Will serve as chief financial advisor to the Mayor and prepare and maintain financial reports and records. Oversees payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, Utility Service Center, Information Technologies and Programming and Promotions Department.

QUALIFICATIONS: The successful applicant shall have graduated from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in accounting. A working knowledge in Governmental Financial Accounting and GASB rules and regulations are required. An MBA or Certified Public Accountant is preferred.

CONTACT: City of Natchitoches, Human Resources Department located at 1400 Sabine Street, or P.O. Box 37, Natchitoches, LA 71458-0037. Applications may also be picked up upstairs at City hall, located at 700 Second St., or you may download an application on line at http://www.natchitochesla.gov

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Applications will be accepted through October 11, 2021

THE CITY OF NATCHITOCHES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Oct. 4-5 – Fall break. Administrative offices will be open.

Oct. 6 – Classes resume after Fall break.

Oct. 6 – NSU Jazz Orchestra, Magale Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m. Livestream at capa.nsula.edu.

Oct. 7 – Volleyball vs. Houston Baptist, Prather Coliseum, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 9 – Volleyball vs. McNeese, Prather Coliseum, 1 p.m.