Weekend Edition, August 31 - September 1, 2013

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Weekend Edition, August 31 - September 1, 2013
2D
THE NATCHITOCHES TIMES Weekend Edition, August 31 - September 1, 2013
Advertiser Index:
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City of Natchitoches .............7D
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Demon Bookstore ...............11D
McCain Auto ........................12D
Local Restaurants ...............13D
Wayne Lodridge ..................14D
Bank of Montgomery...........16D
Team Index:
Lakeview..........................4D-7D
NCHS .............................8D-11D
St. Mary’s ....................12D-15D
NSU .............................16D-20D
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B IG
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OR
SM A LL
Southern......................24D-25D
WE
SHIP
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IT AL
Grambling ....................26D-27D
Saints ..........................28D-29D
Cowboys......................20D-31D
The Natchitoches Times football preview was produced by
Sports Editor LaMar Gafford and the Natchitoches Times
advertising department.
Weekend Edition, August 31 - September 1, 2013 THE NATCHITOCHES TIMES
3D
Natchitoches Parish gets ready for the football season!
The New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys will square off on Nov. 10 in New
Orleans as both teams look to return to the playoffs. The Saints’ preview is on 28D and
the Cowboys’ is on 30D.
Photo by the Dallas Cowboys
The St. Mary’s Tigers have a young team but they are
ready to make a run in the Louisiana High School
Athletic Association (LHSAA) playoffs this November.
Turn to page 12D for the Tigers’ preview.
Photo by Kevin Shannahan
A new era begins at Northwestern State as Jay Thomas takes over as head coach. More
on the Demons is on page 16D.
Photo by Gary Hardamon/Northwestern State
Natchitoches Central has made the LHSAA playoffs in
each of the past three years, but now they are looking to
get out of the first round. Page 8D is where the Chiefs’ The Lakeview Gators are trying to rebound after a rough season last year. The Gators’
preview begins.
Photo by Kevin Shannahan preview begins on page 4D.
4D
Gators look to improve in Yocum’s second year
By LaMar Gafford
Sports Editor
Head Coach
For the first time in a long
time, the Lakeview Gators
have consistency
at
head coach.
Delaine
Y o c u m
returns for
his second
season
at
the school.
Yocum
While wins
and losses
are important, the building
up of young men is just as
premium to Yocum.
“I’m about the kids,”
Yocum said. “I want the kids
to have success. If it’s not an
8-2 record, but they’re successful, that’s what matters
to me. Sure, I want to win,
I’ve always won where I’ve
coached. I want to win here,
but it’s a work in progress.”
Lakeview has had some
tough times and they have
not won a district game on
the field in over 10 years,
but having Yocum back and
wanting to accept the challenge is a step in the right
direction.
The schedule this season
will not do them any favors
as they will kick off the season against St. Mary’s.
The game against the
Tigers will be the beginning
of a non-district slate that
will see Lakeview play all of
the teams from District 3-1A
except for Block.
In the district, the Gators’
move from District 3-2A to
District 1-2A will call for
longer trips and tougher
opponents.
Lakeview will travel to
Homer on Oct. 11, but will
host state 2A contender
Calvary the following week.
While the Gators are still
far away from an LHSAA
playoff
bid, they can
improve upon last season’s
rough year.
Assistant Coaches
James “Buster” Davis will
be the offensive coordinator
for the Gators this year and
he brings forth a college and
NFL background.
Davis played his college
ball at Florida State before
being drafted by the
Arizona Cardinals in the
third round of the 2007 NFL
Draft. After spending his
three-year career with the
Cardinals, Detroit Lions,
Indianapolis Colts and
Houston Texans, he played
for the Hartford Colonials of
the United Football League
and the Jacksonville Sharks
of the Arena Football
League before coming to
Lakeview.
“He’s a good guy and he
has a lot of football knowledge and playing knowledge,” Yocum said.
Ronald Fontenot is another former college player on
Yocum’s staff after playing
for Benedictine College as
an offensive lineman. With
Davis and Fontenot, Yocum
is optimistic that it could
work for his players’ benefit.
“I’m hoping that it will be
a big positive for the kids,”
Yocum said. “To see that if
you work hard and you do
well at what you do, you
may not play college ball,
but you always can. There’s
a chance if you work hard
that you could get to that
level. I hope that the knowledge of the kids looking at
those guys will make them
say, ‘Those guys cared
enough to come here.’ I
Lakeview Gators head coach Delaine Yocum goes over the daily practice agenda.
Yocum coached Lakeview to a 1-9 record last season but there is hope the team can
improve with a familiar scene and game plan.
Gators head coach Delaine Yocum goes over a ball reaction drill with his linebackers
in the Aug. 15 practice. Lakeview has an athletic bunch at linebacker with Bobby
Mitchell and Caiden Campbell leading the way. Campbell made the All-District 3-2A
second team last year and the Gators will need him to do the same this year.
think that will be a positive
for our team.”
Lawrence Seawood, Tony
Rainey and Kendrick Moore
are among Yocum’s other
assistants that include
junior high school coaches
helping on game nights.
2013 Lakeview Gators Schedule
Sept. 6
St. Mary’s
Sept. 13
Logansport
Sept. 20
@Montgomery
Sept. 27
@Northwood-Lena
Oct. 4
LaSalle
Oct. 11
@Homer*
Oct. 18
Calvary*
Oct. 25
North Caddo*
Nov. 1
@Red River*
Nov. 8
@Lakeside*
*-District 1-2A game
HOME
HOME
AWAY
AWAY
HOME
AWAY
HOME
HOME
AWAY
AWAY
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
Lakeview senior offensive lineman Raykeem Morrison
practices his blocking skills Aug. 15. Morrison is also a
returning All-District 3-2A second team defensive lineman and he will be the leader in the trenches on both
sides of the ball.
Quarterback
Senior Major Bailey will
take over
the reins at
quarterback.
“He’s a
work
in
prog ress,
but he really wants to
Bailey
do it and he
w o r k s
hard,” Yocum said. “Major’s
going to do a good job for us
and he’s going to give me
everything he’s got. If he
gives me 100 percent at the
end of the night, it doesn’t
matter what the scoreboard
says.”
Running Backs
Lakeview will be hurt
with
the
departure of
A r t h u r
Isaac,
but
they do have
All-District
3-2A second
t e a m e r
De’Anthony
Brown
Brown back
shouldering
the lion’s share of the rush-
ing load.
Brown had a 1000-yard
season last year and will be
the focal point of the Gators
running game.
Jaqarius
Hardison,
Gerald Rainey, Montez
Pikes, Jaylin Allen and
De’Michael Pikes will also
receive carries as Lakeview
will run the ball by committee.
“They are good, hardworking kids who do everything that I ask them to do,”
Yocum said.
they are not there, one will
be running the flanker position.”
Senior Caidon Campbell
will start at tight end and
will be a good blocker.
“Caidon works hard in
the weight room, on the
field and off the field. He
just loves the game,” Yocum
said.
Offensive Line
The anchor of Lakeview’s
line will be senior Kenny
Tyler at right tackle, as he
will lead a group of juniors
and sophomores up front in
the trenches.
Donte Turner will move
to the left tackle position,
w h i l e
j u n i o r
J u r o n
Supolo and
sophomore
B o b b y
Mitchell
will be the
two start-
Tyler
See Off. Line, page 6D
Receivers and
Tight Ends
Adrio Bailey and Trace
Stanley
will get the
start
at
receiver.
B o t h
re c e ive r s
are tall and
will
provide Bailey
Campbell
with
a
good, reliable target. Yocum will also
plan use his running backs
in the passing game too.
“I will be running three or
four tailbacks and when
Lakeview Gator offensive linemen practice their toughness in the trenches by hitting
the blocking sled. With athletic players on the roster, Lakeview’s offensive line play
will be key.
We wish
all local and state
athletes a great
football season!
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6D
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Lakeview ...
ing guards. Supolo will be
on the left side and Mitchell
is on the right, while junior
Aquindon Jackson will see
time too. At center, sophomore Richard Gourdon will
get the nod.
Defensive Line
The Gators return an
e x p e r i e n c e d
defensive
line led by
Raykeem
Morrison.
Morrison
is a threeyear starter
Morrison
and
will
help sophomore Jordan Dunaway get
settled.
“I’m looking for big things
on the defensive side of the
ball out of [Morrison] and
the rest of my defensive
line,” Yocum said.
Juron Supolo and Adrio
Bailey will be the starting
Gator defensive ends, however Yocum will rotate other
defensive linemen due to
Supolo and Bailey playing
prominent roles on the
offense.
Linebackers
Bobby Mitchell will start
at
middle
linebacker,
w h i l e
C a i d o n
Campbell
will
man
the strong
side.
The weak
Mitchell
side
line-
backer will be a race to see
who comes out on top.
Junior De’Anthony Brown
will see the majority of time
here, while De’Michael
Pikes will help out.
“I have three that I’m
working there right now
and they’ll also have to play
the strong side position too
to give Caidon a blow from
time to time,” Yocum said.
Secondary
With many players having
to go both
ways and
p l a y
offense and
defense,
Y o c u m
plans
to
use
the
committee
Allen
approach
with his secondary.
Jaylin Allen, Montez
Pikes, Jaquarius Hardison,
De’Michael Pikes, Major
Bailey and Chris Pikes will
all see time in the secondary.
“We are just going to see
who can go out there and get
it. And we are going to do
the best we can,” Yocum
said.
Special Teams
Trey Stanley will be the
punter and
B o b b y
Mitchell
will be the
k i c k e r,
while the
Gators will
look into
Russell
Stanley
Wat k i n s
a
n
d
DeAnthony Brown to run
back kicks and punts.
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Lakeview Gators senior quarterback Major Bailey runs
the option during an Aug. 15 practice. Bailey moves over
from running back and will take over for the departed
Chris Blanchard.
Lakeview in recent years
2013 Lakeview Gators Roster
1
2
4
5
6
9
10
11
12
14
15
16
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
30
34
50
51
52
53
54
55
57
59
63
64
67
75
Chris Pikes
Montez Pikes
Xavier Bobb
Major Bailey
Jaylan Allen
Ronald Bell
Chase Walker
Jaquan Chism
Caiden Campbell
Jaquarious Ardison
Austin Nelson
Adrio Bailey
De’Michael Pikes
Jacoby Bradley
Russell Watkins
Taylor Dobson
Trey Jackson
Davian Andrews
Trey Brown
Trey Stanley
Jerald Rainey
DeAnthony Brown
Colby Pardee
Jordon Donaway
Matthew Anderson
Randy Garrison
Bobby Mitchell
Raykeem Morrison
Kenny Tyler
Casey Tyler
Donta Turner
Juron Supalo
Johnny Dawson
Bralyn Mackey
SE/DB
RB/LB
FL/S
QB/CB
RB/CB
FL/S
QB/DBFr.
RB/LB
TE/LB
RB/S
FL/DB
TE/DE
RB/LB
FB/LB
RB/LB
FB/LB
RB/LB
FL/S
RB/LB
TE/DE
FB/LB
FB/LB
G/DE
G/NT
T/DE
C/DT
G/LB
T/DT
T/DT
G/DT
T/DT
C/DE
T/DT
T/DT
So.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
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Fr.
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So.
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8th
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8th
Coaches
Head Coach: Delaine Yocum
Offensive Coordinator: James “Buster” Davis
Offensive Line/Defensive Line: Lawrence Seawood
7D
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
1-9
2-8
1-9
3-7
1-9
3-7
1-9
1-9
5th, District 3-2A
5th, District 3-2A
6th, District 3-2A
6th, District 3-2A
5th, District 3-2A
5th, District 3-2A
4th, District 3-2A
4th, District 3-2A
failed to make the LHSAA playoffs
2012 District 3-2A Standings
Winnfield
Menard
Many
Red River
Lakeview
9-1
7-3
6-4
3-6
1-9
.900
.700
.500
.333
.100
4-0
3-1
2-2
1-3
0-4
1.000
.750
.500
.250
.000
second round v. Many
first round v. Many
quarterfinals v. Springfield
failed to make the playoffs
Best of luck to our local
teams this season!
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318 - 354 - 8222
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8D
Defensive experience will help Chiefs at another playoff run
Head Coach
Brandon Helms is back
for his sixth
year
as
Natchitoches
Central head
coach.
H e l m s
took over a
dor mant
Chiefs proHelms
gram
that
bottomed out at 0-10 in 2008
and built it to a perennial
participant in the Louisiana
High
School
Athletic
Association (LHSAA) playoffs.
They went 6-5 and lost in
the first round over each of
the past three years, but the
signs of improvement are
there
as
NCHS
has
improved in its seeding each
year in hopes of securing a
first round home game.
Natchitoches Central will
be tested early before district play as the non-district
schedule
features
four
teams that went to the playoffs, including Texas High
School from Texarkana,
Texas.
In the district, the Chiefs
will face their familiar foes
along with Alexandria, as
the Trojans move up from
4A to join District 2-5A.
The Chiefs will look to
narrow the gap between
Ruston, Ouachita and West
Monroe and Helms will
have his team competing
hard yet again.
Offensive Coaches
Helms will double as
Natchitoches
Central’s
offensive coordinator this
year, although he did say
that he might relinquish
those duties midseason.
“At some point this year,
I’m probably going to fire
myself,” Helms jokingly
said. “I’m doing my own
offense this year, so at some
point, I’m probably going to
get mad at myself on that.”
Helms’ will have offensive
line coach Bob Ross, tight
end/running backs coach
Jake Bryan and receivers
coaches Kelly Spann and
Caleb Donaho helping him
out.
Chris
Boyd,
Kedrin
Sistrunk, David Green and
LeBronte Hoover will round
out the offensive coaches.
Defensive Coaches
Longtime assistant Mike
Brown is in
his
third
year
as
Natchitoches
Central’s
defensive
coordinator
and will also
assist
in
Brown
coaching the
secondary.
“He does a great job and
he’s a fundamental coach,”
Helms said. “He’s my righthand man that I lean on
from the defensive side.”
Helping Brown with the
secondary will be Jeramie
Hale---the former defensive
coordinator at St. Mary’s.
“We are blessed to have
him,” Helms said. “He had a
lot of knowledge as the
defensive coordinator over
there. It gives another set of
ideas.”
Reggie Howard will coach
up NCHS’s senior-laden corners.
Former NCHS all-district
and state standout Davin
White will coach the defensive linemen, while Nick
West and Austin Brown will
collaborate to coach up the
linebackers.
Austin Brown was a graduate
assistant
at
Northwestern State last season and a former defensive
back at McPherson College
in McPherson, Kan.
“We’re lucky to be able to
add him on our staff,”
Helms said. “He gives us
some different ideas from
working
with
Coach
[Bradley Dale] Peveto the
last couple of years.”
Quarterback
Sophomore Austin Guy
takes over
as
the
Chiefs’
quarterback this
season for
the departed Robert
Woodard.
Guy
There will be some growing pains early, but Guy
does possess the ability to
be a dual threat---either
being effective on the run
or the pass.
Of his young signal
caller, Helms said, “Austin
has a lot of talent and all
the tools to be a great player. He’s going to learn a lot
this year. He’s going to
make mistakes, but we’re
going to try to coach him
up and do the best we can.”
Running Backs
Once again, there will be
a bevy of
ball carriers
that will get
their chance
to shine for
NCHS, as it
will
be
based
by
committee.
Miller
S e n i o r
Lacedrick
Miller is the most experienced member of the stable while juniors Chris
Reed and Billy Clemons are
also reliable upperclassmen. Sophomore Karlos
Remo is also in the mix for
carries giving the Chiefs a
formidable quartet, as they
will look to roll with the
hot hand.
“We’re going to run the
football with a lot of guys,”
Helms said.
Receivers and
Tight Ends
Despite losing Jarvis
Hamilton
and
Dillon
Walker, the wide receiver
position is loaded with
depth and experience as
2013 NCHS Chiefs Roster
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
15
17
18
19
20
22
23
24
26
27
28
29
30
31
33
34
37
38
39
41
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
62
63
64
66
68
Name
Reginald Turner
Darian Raymond
Chris Reed
Deshon Ficklin
Correion Mosby
Brandon Rachal
Billy Clemons
Kaleb Chesser
Christian Duncantel
Nathan Raymond
Kenneth Morrisette
William Brown
Austin Guy
Cole Kendrick
Cadarius Burton
Donald Mitchell
Rowan Sewell
Karlos Remo
Lacedrick Miller
J’marta Clark
Shamaine Slate
Brenton Lester
Tre Lewis
Conner Collins
Tristan Hare
Bradford Taylor
Tyrek Sowell
Jaylaun Brown
Clint Foster
Adolpho Rodriguez
Isaiah Pier
James Williams
Keandre Johnson
Dylan Myers
Jaylon Casson
Steven Lacaze
C. J. Bouchie
Devin Trahan
Zach Dubois
Edwin Williams
Dequalin Levo
Devonte Pier
Johnquairies Smith
Matt Walker
Ryan Demattie
Elbert Demery
Wade Beard
Crishon Mills
Malcolm Raggio
Jessie Greer
Logan Anderson
Nicholas Wiggins
Ladarius Davenport
Austin Busby
Pos
WR
WR
RB
TE
WR
WR
RB
WR
DB
WR
WR
DB
QB
QB
WR
WR
K
RB
RB
OLB
CB
LB
RB
FS
K
LB
CB
DB
K
K
DB
DB
DB
LB
DT
LB
P
OLB
LB
DE
DE
ILB
LB
C
MLB
LB
LB
LB
ILB
OL
G
DE
G
OL
Yr.
Jr.
Jr.
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2013 Natchitoches Central Chiefs Schedule
Sept. 6
@North DeSoto
Sept. 13
DeRidder
Sept. 20
@North Webster
Sept. 27
Southwood
Oct. 4
@Texas
Oct. 11
@Ruston*
Oct. 18
Ouachita*
Oct. 24
Alexandria*
Nov. 1
@Pineville*
Nov. 8
West Monroe*
AWAY
HOME
AWAY
HOME
AWAY
AWAY
HOME
HOME
AWAY
HOME
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
69
73
74
75
77
79
80
81
82
85
87
88
89
90
93
94
96
97
98
99
Phillip Hester
G
Lyndon Kneuppel
OL
Dominque ChristopheOL
Nic Gistarb
DT
Matthew Robinson
G
Quinterious RobinsonT
Matthew Hamilton
WR
Jean-Ri Oakes
TE
Eric Berryman
TE
Mark Coffey
WR
Ethan Starks
TE
Scott Coffey
WR
Rico Wade
TE
Phillip Hooper
DL
Demetrius Blackman DT
Darien Blake
DL
Arthur Williamson
DT
Greg Williams
DL
Mark Hamilton
DE
Jamal Joseph
DL
So.
Jr.
Jr.
So.
Jr.
So.
Jr.
Sr.
So.
So.
So.
So.
Jr.
Sr.
So.
Sr.
So.
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator: Brandon Helms
Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs: Mike Brown
Running Backs/Tight Ends: Jake Bryan
Wide Receivers: Caleb Donaho
Wide Receivers: Kelly Spann
Offensive Line: Bob Ross
Defensive Line: Davin White
Linebackers: Austin Brown
Linebackers: Nick West
Defensive Backs: Jeramie Hale
Cornerbacks: Reggie Howard
six juniors could see playing time.
Juniors
Re ginald
T u r n e r,
D a r i a n
Raymond
a
n
d
Corrieon
Mosby are
Ficklin
three of the
t
o
p
receivers the Chiefs have
and will provide sure
hands for the young Guy.
Nathan
Raymond---the
team’s lone senior---will
also provide a veteran
presence.
At tight end, Deshon
Ficklin returns for his
junior year after making
the All-District 2-5A second
team last season.
“We’re going to be able to
get the ball in space out to
those guys,” Helms said.
With the junior-laden
corps helping Guy out, it
could cause nightmares for
district opponents for next
year as well.
Offensive Line
The heart of the offensive line is set as junior
Matt Walker returns as the
starter at center and will
be
snapping
the
ball off to
Guy.
However,
it gets no
b i g g e r
t h a n
j u n i o r
g u a r d
Kneuppel
L y n d o n
Kneuppel,
who added 20 pounds from
last season.
“He’s going to be able to
make some things happen
for us,” Helms said. “Being
6-foot-3, 315 pounds, we
have to be able to run
behind him.”
Junior Matt Robinson
occupies the other guard
position as NCHS have the
interior of the line set.
The
graduation
of
Alexander Moses leaves
the Chiefs with a hole at
both tackle positions, but
sophomore
Quinterious
Robinson
and
juniors
Dominique
Christophe,
Austin Busby and Jessie
Greer could come away
with either spot. “There’s a
couple of spots still to be
won, but we’re going to do
what we can.”
See Defensive Line, pg 10D
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9D
10D
Defensive Line
Natchitoches Central has
tons of experience up front
w i t h
seniors
D e v i n
Trahan,
Phillip
H o o p e r,
D a r i e n
B l a k e ,
Malcolm
Raggio,
Joseph
J a m a l
Joseph and Jaylon Casson
manning the trenches.
Trahan was an AllDistrict 2-5A second team
selection last season and
Joseph is a massive defensive tackle that is listed
around 300 pounds.
Either of these guys can
cause
nightmares
for
opposing offensive lines
and quarterbacks.
Depth will not be a problem if either player goes
down, because the Chiefs
have six junior linemen
they can plug in with
knowledge of the game at
the prep level.
Linebackers
All-District 2-5A first
teamer Ryan DeMattie
returns and is the leader of
the defense.
“He
is
one of the
best linebackers in
central
Louisiana,
without a
doubt,”
DeMattie
Helms said.
J’Marta
Clark is another senior linebacker and will help
DeMattie in making crucial
stops.
Junior
Devonte
Pier
rounds out the trio, but
despite being the youngest
of the three, he is just as
valuable.
“He’s our energy guy on
defense,” Helms said. “We
love having him around.”
Secondary
The Chiefs lose a pair of
All-District
s e c o n d
teamers in
D a k o t a
Nichols
and Jarrett
Remo, but
there
is
still experiDuncantel
ence
in
Natchitoches
Central’s second line of
defense.
Seniors Connor Collins
and Nathan Raymond will
get the nod at free and
strong safety, respectively.
At
cornerback,
junior
Jaylaun Brown will replace
Remo
while
Christian
Duncantel keeps his starting position.
“Duncantel’s has been
able to play safety or corner
for us, so we’re going to lock
him in at corner,” Helms
said of his versatility.
to have the inside track for
the kicking duties with
Rowan Sewell, Tristan Hare
and C.J. Boucher pushing
him for the job.
The Chiefs must also
replace All-District punter
Josh
O’Bannon
and
Boucher will also handle
punt duties.
Chris Reed and Reginald
Turner will be the return
men and Matt Walker will
be the long snapper.
Chiefs in the playoffs
2012
2011
2010
First round:
First round:
First round:
Byrd 41, Natchitoches Central 13
Carencro 77, Natchitoches Central 28
St. Paul 42, Natchitoches Central 13
Special Teams
A new year means a new
kicker for NCHS, as there is
a four-man
battle for
the kicker
position.
“It seems
like every
year, we get
a
senior
kicker out,
so we have
Turner
to find a
new one the next year,”
Helms said. “This year, we
have the luxury of having
four young men that are
battling for the job.”
Junior Clint Foster looks
Junior wide receiver Reginald Turner looks to elude a
defender during Natchitoches Central’s scrimmage
against Captain Shreve Aug. 22. Turner will be one of
the receivers the Chiefs will throw to this year and he
will also be used in the return game.
11D
Natchitoches Central in recent years
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
6-5
6-5
6-5
1-9
0-10
2-8
1-9
3-7
1-9
4th, District 2-5A
4th, District 2-5A
3rd, District 1-5A
7th, District 1-5A
9th, District 1-5A
7th, District 1-5A
7th, District 1-5A
6th, District 1-5A
5th, District 1-5A
lost 41-13 in the LHSAA first round v. Byrd
lost 77-28 in the LHSAA first round v. Carencro
lost 42-13 in the LHSAA first round v. St. Paul
West Monroe
Ouachita
Ruston
NCHS
Pineville
8-2
8-2
5-5
6-4
5-5
.800
.800
.500
.600
.500
4-0
3-1
2-2
1-3
0-4
1.000
.750
.500
.250
.000
semifinals v. Barbe
quarterfinals v. Rummel
second round v. Ouachita
first round v. Byrd
Natchitoches Central defensive coordinator Mike Brown
encourages his defense to turn up the intensity in the
Aug. 22 scrimmage against Captain Shreve. The Chief
defense is experienced and will be counted upon to lead
NCHS to its fourth consecutive playoff bid this season.
To All Our Local Teams,
Natchitoches Central head coach Brandon Helms talks
with junior wide receiver Reginald Turner during the
Chiefs’ first practice Aug. 5. Photo by Kevin Shannahan
Chiefs’ sophomore Austin Guy will take over the reins
for Robert Woodard at starting quarterback.
Mayor Lee Posey, www.natchitochesla.gov
The Natchitoches City Council,
& The City Of Natchitoches
Employees
t
a
e
r
G
A
Have
!
!
n
o
s
a
Se
12D
Young Tigers on the prowl for another postseason bid
Head Coach
Charlie Cryer is in his
fifth season
as the head
coach
of
the
St.
M a r y ’ s
Tigers and
has
compiled a 3511 record
Cryer
with
the
school during his tenure.
Cryer has made St. Mary’s
into a perennial LHSAA
Class 1A playoff participant
during that span as well.
However, with the new
LHSAA select/non-select
playoff ruling, the Tigers
will be placed in the newly
created Division IV playoffs
since St. Mary’s is classified
as a select school. Cryer is
among those who is curious
as to how it all will work
out.
“It’s the first year,” Cryer
said. “No one knows how
it’s going to work out in the
playoffs. We’re going to con-
tinue to play our 10-game
like we have been, then we’ll
roll into the playoffs with
the select schools. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it
is.”
While the playoff landscape has been altered
somewhat, St. Mary’s move
from District 4-1A to
District 3-1A has little
change as they will play the
same teams. The addition of
Logansport on the district
slate does not affect St.
Mary’s either, as the schools
met in 2011 and 2012---both
St. Mary’s wins.
In non-district play, the
Tigers will open again
Lakeview in Campti and
will be tested against
Winnfield and Haughton.
“It’s going to prepare us
for the third or fourth round
of the playoffs, I hope,”
Cryer said. “It will prepare
us for Week 11.”
The Tigers look primed
again compete for a district
title.
Cryer will also handle the
defensive
coordinator
duties.
Assistant Coaches
Corwyn Aldredge will
handle the offensive coordinator duties and he brings a
talented
résumé
that
includes a successful run at
Cedar Creek and St. Mary’s.
The addition of Aldredge
will help the Tigers run a
spread offense at some
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St. Mary’s head coach Charlie Cryer enters his fifth year
as head coach with the Tigers and looks to regain a district crown. From left are senior wide receiver Landon
Sturdivant, Cryer and senior linebacker Trevor Metoyer.
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13D
2013 St. Mary’s Tigers Roster
No.
Name
Pos. Yr.
Ht.
2
Garrett Vienne
RB
So.
5-6
3
Luke Lucky
DB
Sr.
5-4
5
Drake Hale
SS/QB So.
5-10
9
Tucker Smith
LB
Jr.
5-10
10
Donovan Ohnoutka WR
So.
5-8
12
Arthur Isaac
RB
Jr.
5-10
13
Tyler McCain
QB/P Jr.
6-0
14
Trevor Metoyer
LB
Sr.
5-8
15
Jackson Carroll
WR
Fr.
5-8
19
Cody Woodard
SS
So.
5-8
20
Landon Sturdivant
TE
Sr.
6-0
21
Jacob Murchison
WR
Sr.
5-8
22
Ryan Cunningham
WR
So.
5-9
23
Grant Ingram
FS
Sr.
5-8
24
Ty Barbour
DE
Jr.
5-9
25
Michael Leone
DB
So.
5-8
28
Hunter Adkins
DE
Fr.
5-9
30
Connor Balthazar
DB
Fr.
5-2
31
Josh Lucky
DL
So.
5-4
32
BJ Bertus
K
So.
5-7
33
Garrison Friedel
DB
Jr.
5-11
36
Ben Gewin
SS
Fr.
5-5
40
Josh Hickman
DE
So.
5-10
42
Hunter Bedgood
LB/RB Jr.
5-7
52
Matthew Chambliss OL
Jr.
5-8
54
Tyler Roberts
OL
Sr.
5-8
57
Joseph Thibodaux
OL
Jr.
5-7
61
Thomas Lirette
SS
So.
5-7
62
David Thibodaux
OL
8th
5-6
63
Nick Miller
DL
So.
5-7
64
Cole Wilkerson
OL
Fr.
5-5
66
Cade Woodard
OL
So.
5-10
70
Behrend Behrendsen OL
Fr.
6-1
75
Tyler Ward
OL
Jr.
5-9
77
Hunter Hendrix
OL
Sr.
6-0
78
Cody Howell
OL
Sr.
5-10
89
Zachary Heard
WR
Sr.
5-10
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator: Charlie Cryer
Offensive Coordinator: Corwyn Aldredge
Quarterbacks: John Brittain
Running Backs: Justin Aldredge
Offensive Line: Ross Gwinn
Defensive Line: Djuan Buckingham
Defensive Backs: Cord Larsen
Assistants ....
points during games
while they
will continue running
the Wing T
at others.
J o h n
Brittain
remains on
Wt.
155
140
175
210
140
195
185
160
140
180
180
140
145
140
165
140
140
115
140
135
170
150
185
165
205
170
235
160
215
160
180
225
200
210
250
245
140
the team by coaching up the
quarterbacks and Justin
Aldredge will work on the
offensive side of the ball as
well. In the trenches, Ross
Gwinn will coach the offensive
line
and
Djuan
Buckingham will help the
defensive line. Cord Larsen
will assist the defensive
backs.
Aldredge
St. Mary’s junior quarterback Tyler McCain zips a ball past defenders during the
Tigers’ intrasquad scrimmage Sept. 16. With a year of experience under his belt, veteran receivers and a talented offense, he is looking for a good season this year.
Quarterback
Junior quarterback Tyler
McCain
will return
once again
as the starting quarterback for
the Tigers.
Last season,
the
McCain
r i g h t y
threw
for
1100 yards in his first year at
the helm, leading to an AllDistrict 4-1A second team
selection.
Along with that experience, he possesses a strong
arm and can be tough inside
the pocket. If McCain does
2013 St. Mary’s Tigers Schedule
Sept. 6
@Lakeview
Sept. 12
Hamilton
Sept. 20
Winnfield
Sept. 27
@Arcadia
Oct. 4
Haughton
Oct. 11
@Block*
Oct. 17
Montgomery*
Oct. 25
Logansport*
Nov. 1
@LaSalle*
Nov. 7
Northwood (Lena)*
AWAY
HOME
HOME
AWAY
HOME
AWAY
HOME
HOME
AWAY
HOME
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
7 p.m.
go down, the Tigers have
sophomore Drake Hale to
take his place.
Running Backs
While the Tigers await a
decision on
the eligibility
on
Lakeview
transfer
A r t h u r
I s a a c ,
junior running back
Bedgood
H u n t e r
Bedgood will be the focal
point of the Tigers’ running
game Bedgood is the workhorse of the St. Mary’s
offense and it will be based
on his performance of how
well the team does.
Last season, he was hampered by injury, but appears
to be fine for the upcoming
season.
If Isaac can get on the
field, he will only strenghen
St. Mary’s running game
that much more. An AllDistrict 3-2A first team
selection last season at
Lakeview,
Isaac
has
impressed in the Tigers’ two
scrimmages thus far.
Sophomore
Garrett
Vienne will be the third running back whenever he is
not playing receiver and he
will take the load off of the
duo.
Receivers and
Tight Ends
While the Tigers primarily run the
football,
the passing
game will
play
an
impor tant
role to help
set up the
run.
S
t
.
Sturdivant
M a r y ’ s
senior receivers Landon
Sturdivant,
Jacob
Murchison and Zachary
Heard will be McCain’s targets yet again and each provides experience.
The main guy will be
Sturdivant, a 2012 AllDistrict 4-1A second teamer,
See Receivers, page 14D
14D
Receivers ...
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who can play both wide
receiver and tight end.
At six feet tall and 180
pounds, he is McCain’s
biggest weapon and they
both will look to continue
their combo.
Sophomores
Garrett
Vienne
and
Ryan
Cunningham will also get
opportunities for a few
catches as well. Vienne will
be mostly used out of the
slot position.
Offensive Line
Four of the five offensive
line positions for St.
M a r y ’ s
have size
along with
a mix of
and experience.
Senior
Howell
C o d y
Howell is the most experienced member of the line
and will protect McCain’s
blind side at left tackle.
Senior Hunter Hendrix will
take over the right tackle
position and he will be
another massive tackle to
provide pass protection
around the edges.
Juniors
Joseph
Thibodaux and Tyler Ward
will be the left and right
guards on the line, respectively.
Howell
and
Thibodaux are returning
All-District 4-1A first team
selections and will be counted on to lead the Tigers in
the trenches.
The third All-District
member---center
Nick
Takes--- graduated and is
not with the team anymore.
He is replaced by Tyler
Roberts. While being undersized at 5-foot-8 and 170
pounds, Roberts is a senior
and has experience. Cade
Woodard will also see time
at center.
Defensive Line
The Tigers saw their
defensive line shrink in size
after Mark Gallien and
Brandon Kelly---both AllDistrict 4-1A first teamers
last season---graduated.
St. Mary’s does not have a
starter on the defensive line
over 180 pounds and Ty
Barbour is the only upperclassman
up front as
a
junior.
Barbour
was an AllDistrict
s e c o n d
teamer last
season and
Barbour
will now be
called upon to be the leader
of the front four.
Cody
Woodard,
Josh
Lucky and Nick Miller are
all sophomores and will
quickly learn experience
from the jump.Sophomore
Josh Hickman will also see
time at defensive tackle
with Lucky and Miller.
“They will run a rotation,” Cryer said of the
plans for his defensive tackles.
The Tigers will have trouble against bigger offensive
lines and will have to rely on
speed and athleticism.
Linebackers
Along with being an offensive workhorse
at
running
back, Tyler
Bedgood
can get it
done
on
defense as
well.
T h e
Lirette
other linebacker is
Thomas Lirette who will
move from strong safety to
linebacker. The sopohomore
will look to assist Bedgood
in making tackles and manning the defense.
Secondary
With St. Mary’s running a
4-2-5,
the
secondary
has to be
athletic
with
the
ability to
m a k e
plays.
At
corner,
the
Ingram
Tigers are
set as senior Grant Ingram
and sophomore Garrison
Fridel return as starters following all-district nods last
season.
At safety, there is a youth
movement with sophomores
Drake Hale and Michael
Leone having those spots,
but senior Trevor Metoyer
moves over from linebacker
to help that bunch out.
Special Teams
Being a small school, St.
Mary’s has
a limited
selection
for specialists,
so
T y l e r
McCain
will also do
the punting
Bertus
and holding duties along with being
the quarterback.
Tyler Bedgood will be the
return specialist once again
and Thomas Lirette will be
the long snapper.
B.J. Bertus will be called
upon to be the team’s kicker.
With an offense that can put
some points on the board,
Bertus will have plenty of
chances to get his leg
worked out on and make
accurate kicks.
“It’s his first year of playing football and he’s done a
great job for us,” Cryer said.
Garrison Friedel will handle the kickoff duties.
St. Mary’s football players lift their helmets together during Aug. 23’s scrimmage battle against Ville Platte.
Tigers in the playoffs
2012 First round: Oberlin 36, St. Mary’s 6
2011 First round: Westminster 46, St. Mary’s 34
2010 Second round: Southern Lab 25, St. Mary’s 3
First round: St. Mary’s 14, Cedar Creek 7
2009 Second round: Oak Grove 55, St. Mary’s 20
First round: St. Mary’s 14, Basile 13
2008 First round: Haynesville 43, St. Mary’s 13
2005 First round: LaSalle 27, St. Mary’s 13
15D
St. Mary’s in recent years
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
7-4
7-4
11-1
10-2
4-7
4-6
2-8
9-2
2nd, District 4-1A
2nd, District 4-1A
1st, District 3-1A
2nd, District 3-1A
3rd, District 3-1A
4th, District 3-1A
4th, District 3-1A
1st, District 3-1A
lost 36-6 in the LHSAA first round v. Oberlin
lost 46-34 in the LHSAA first round v. Westminster
lost 25-3 in the LHSAA second round v. Southern Lab
lost 55-20 in the LHSAA second round v. Oak Grove
lost 43-13 in the LHSAA first round v. Haynesville
lost 27-13 in the LHSAA first round v. LaSalle
Block
St. Mary’s
Montgomery
LaSalle
Northwood (Lena)
8-2
7-3
6-4
4-6
3-7
.800
.700
.500
.600
.500
4-0
3-1
2-2
1-3
0-4
1.000
.750
.500
.250
.000
second round v. Westminster
first round v. Oberlin
first round v. Pointe Coupee Central
Sophomore Cade Woodard and junior Ty Barbour
square off in practice during offensive and defensive
line drills. St. Mary’s will count on both to make an
impact in the trenches.
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Not only is junior Tyler McCain a good passer, but he
also possesses a strong leg as the punter of the Tigers.
CLAY JACKSON [email protected]
1300 Washington Street
16D
New changes bring forth new attitude at NSU
By LaMar Gafford
Sports Editor
Head Coach
Jay Thomas is the new
h e a d
coach at
NSU after
a one-year
stint
at
Missouri
Souther n
as defensive coordinator.
Thomas
While
Thomas is new as a head
coach at NSU, he is not new
to the school having served
as defensive line coach
from 2010 to 2011.
He is also familiar to the
head coaching ranks, having served as Nicholls’
head man from 2004 to
2009, compiling a 27-35
record and a Southland
Conference championship
in 2005.
The players have bought
into his system in the offseason, with the majority
of them participating in
the workout plan.
With a new era ahead
and the community behind
him, there is hope that
everyone involved will
“rise together”.
Defensive
Coordinator
Chris Boone comes to
NSU
after
two years as
Jacksonville
S t a t e ’ s
defensive
coordinator
in 2011 and
2012.
Last seaBoone
son, Boone’s
defense was extremely
tough inside the red zone
and against the pass, ranking third in the Ohio
Valley Conference in those
categories.
Before the two-year stint
with the Gamecocks, he
was at Tennessee-Martin
for five years (2006-2010)
and helped the Skyhawks
to the FCS playoffs and a
No. 13 ranking in 2006.
Boone
and
Thomas
Northwestern State head coach Jay Thomas talks to media members during the Demon
fall sports media day Aug. 7. He returns to Northwestern State after spending a year as
an assistant at Missouri Southern. As a head coach, Thomas is 27-35 in six seasons, all
of which came at Nicholls.
Photo by Gary Hardamon/Northwestern State.
coached with each other at
Nicholls from 2002 to 2003.
Offensive
Coordinator
Robby Brown is also a
newcomer to the Demons,
as he comes over from
NCAA Division II powerh o u s e
Va l d o s t a
State.
Brown
b r i n g s
forth
an
e x p l o s iv e
offense
that averBrown
aged
41.6
points and 469.4 total yards
per game last season en
route to the Division II
national
title
over
Winston-Salem.
He brings in a quick, nohuddle offense to the
Demons that has a chance
to be electrifying if everything clicks.
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
As Don Canyon will be
unavailable until
midseason,
a four-man
battle for
the vacant
quarterback position is the
highlight
Adkins
of camp.
Redshirt
freshman
Daniel Hazlewood appears
to be in the lead as top signal caller thanks to his
showing in the Delaney
Bowl, but the other quarterbacks have also stated
their case during fall camp.
Junior college transfer
Zach Adkins has the most
experience after starting at
Riverside City College last
season, but like Hazlewood
and fellow freshmen J.D.
Almond, T.J. Fleeton, he
has yet to throw a pass in
the Division I level.
Despite the inexperience,
offensive
coordinator
Robby Brown is impressed
with their effort.
“All four guys have done
a really good job competing
on every rep, individual or
team,” Brown said.
The running back position is solid
as senior
R o b e r t
Walker and
sophomore
D a n i e l
Taylor lead
the stable
of running
Walker
backs this
season after leading the
team last season in that category.
The duo last season
showed flashes of brilliance
and whoever gets the hot
hand will be called upon
once again.
Senior Rumeall Morris is
another experienced back
the Demons will use in their
arsenal.
Freshman
De’Mard
Llorens, redshirt freshman
Matthew Flores and junior
college transfer Garrett
Atzenweiler
have
all
stepped up during camp to
give needed depth and a
change of pace whenever
the time is needed.
In Atzenweiler, he brings
a power aspect with his 6foot, 225 pound frame and
impressed during both of
the Demons’ fall scrimmages with his tough running and ability to break
tackles. Llorens and Flores
had the high rush totals in
the two scrimmages and can
provide quickness.
receiver, as NSU will work
in sophomore Ed Eagan,
freshman Shakeir Ryan and
junior college transfer Chris
Fields to the corps.
Wide Receivers
Chris Dever, Tucker
Nims, and
C o r e y
Simmons
are in a
t h r e e - w ay
battle for
the starting
tight
end posiDever
tion.
Dever, a junior, exited the
spring as the frontrunner
and had five receptions for
36 yards and a touchdown
last year.
Fellow junior Simmons
sits at No. 2 on the depth
chart but was a heavily
used receiving target last
year with 20 receptions--three of those being touchdowns.
Nims, a senior, is third
on the chart, but he has the
most experience.
Nims can also double as a
blocking-type tight end
with his 6-foot-3, 262 pound
frame.
Senior Louis Hollier will
occupy one
of
NSU’s
starting
spots
at
wideout following
a
2012 camp a i g n
where he
Hollier
caught 28
passes for 384 yards.
At 6-foot-1, 204 pounds he
provides a good target for
the winner of the quarterback competition as well as
an experienced set of hands.
Junior Sheldon McClain
and sophomore Rod Davis
are early favorites for the
other two starting receiver
spots.
In the first scrimmage,
Davis impressed with three
receptions for 59 yards and
two touchdowns.
Senior Trevor Goodie is
the only other experienced
Tight Ends
17D
Offensive Line
If you are looking for the
strength of
t
h
e
Demons’
offense,
look no further than
the offensive line.
F o u r
Cole
seniors will
line up in
the trenches for NSU and
will be counted on in assisting the running game and to
keep the young starting
quarterback upfront.
Senior Blayne Cole can
play either of the tackle
spots and has 19 starts
under his belt. Senior
Jeremy Raine is another
massive tackle and will be
the left tackle.
Inside, seniors Tchissakid
Player and Warren Jones
provide the experience at
right guard and center,
respectively.
Of the experienced linemen, Brown said, “It doesn’t
matter what scheme you
run, you better be good up
front and you better have a
trigger man. Those offensive linemen are the most
See Off. Line, page 18D
18D
Off. Line ...
Linebackers
mature position on the field,
anchored by seniors who
have been through the grind
and are hungry to win.”
Redshirt freshman left
guard Terrance Boyd might
be the youngest of the quintet, but he has the size and
the awareness to get the job
done.
As a senior at Robert E.
Lee
High
School
in
Baytown, Texas, Boyd was a
first-team all-district selection.
Tackling machine Derek
Rose
has
departed,
but
NSU
still
has
Pat Black
leading the
linebackers in the
middle.
Black
Last season,
the
Jackson,
Miss.
native
recorded 93 total tackles
and recovered three fumbles---showing a penchant
for being around the ball
and
was
named
AllSouthland
Conference
Honorable Mention as a
result.
Redshirt freshman Adam
Jones is leading the charge
at strongside linebacker,
but veterans Luke Turner
and Calvin Morton have
yet to give up the fight.
Juniors Tyler Roussel
and WaDerrious Sellers
both had good seasons last
year primarily as backups,
but this season, both are
looking for a starting position with junior college
transfer Marion Chapman
also in the mix for one of
the other two spots.
Defensive Line
Senior Lesley Deamer
leads
the
d e f e n s ive
line as they
make the
adjustment
to a 3-4
defense.
An AllSouthland
Honorable
Deamer
mention
choice last season, the
Amite native recorded 42
total tackles and forced two
fumbles.
Juniors Deon Simon and
Damon Medcafe will provide support for Deamer
and both have shown to
make tackles whenever they
get playing time.
At defensive end, Keland
Johnson is the favorite for
one of the positions thanks
to his senior leadership, but
sophomore Justin Evans is
making him work for it in
the spirit of competition.
Redshirt
freshman
JeMarcus Marshall and
sophomore
Leroy
Armstrong are battling for
the other defensive end spot.
With the experience at
defensive line, it will allow
time for Armstrong or
Marshall to get comfortable
and grow into their own.
Secondary
The strength of the
Demons’
secondary
is at cornerback
w i t h
juniors
I m o a n
Claibor ne,
F r e d
Claiborne
Thomas
and Rico Albert leading the
charge.
Thomas
last
season
recorded 29 tackles and
broke up a team-high six
passes, while Claiborne
and Albert are good cover
corners.
Of
his
cornerbacks,
defensive
coordinator
Chris Boone said, “Of all
the places I’ve coached,
this place is at the top as
far as quality corners, past
and present.”
At safety, it is a different
story with senior Ryan
Sorell locking down the
free safety position.
Strong safety has a battle
between senior Bert White
and
sophomore
Brian
Joseph.
Joseph has worked hard
in practice, but White’s
game experience could
prove to be the deciding
factor.
Special Teams
Much like the environm e n t
around the
Demons’
l o c k e r
room, most
of the special teams
spots are
fairly new.
Eagan
I o w a
State transfer Chris Moore and freshman Chase Tassin have the
leg up at kicker and punter,
respectively.
Ed Eagan returns as the
full-time returner after
impressing last season and
having an 82-yard kickoff
return for a touchdown
against Sam Houston on his
highlight reel.
Imoan Claiborne, Fred
Thomas and Cody Jones
will help Eagan out, but
Eagan is likely to hold on to
the job.
2013 Northwestern St. Demons Schedule
Aug. 29
@Missouri St.
Sept. 7
Southern
Sept. 14
@Cincinnati
Sept. 21
@UAB
Sept. 28
Langston
Oct. 5
Oct. 12
@Nicholls*
Oct. 19^
Southeastern La.*
Oct. 26
@Sam Houston St.*
Nov. 2
Central Arkansas*
Nov. 9
Lamar*
Nov. 16
@McNeese St.*
Nov. 23
Stephen F. Austin*
*-Southland Conference Games
^-Homecoming
Springfield, Mo.
Natchitoches
Cincinnati
Birmingham, Ala.
Natchitoches
BYE WEEK
Thibodaux
Natchitoches
Huntsville, Texas
Natchitoches
Natchitoches
Lake Charles
Natchitoches
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
2 p.m.
6 p.m.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
2 p.m.
7 p.m.
3 p.m.
7 p.m.
3 p.m.
Southland TV
ESPN3
Southland TV
ESPN3
2013 NSU Demons Roster
No.
1
2
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
8
9
10
10
11
13
14
15
16
16
17
18
19
20
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
30
31
32
33
35
35
36
37
38
39
40
40
42
42
43
45
47
48
49
50
51
51
52
53
55
56
57
58
59
60
62
63
64
65
69
Name
JeMarcus Marshall
Jason Yarbor
Adam Jones
Rumeall Morris
J.D. Almond
Beau Brodhead
Don Canyon
Chase Collins
Patrick Black
Zach Adkins
Marion Chapman
T.J. Fleeton
Bert White
Sheldon McClain
Daniel Hazlewood
Calvin Morton
Wilbur Myers
Trevor Goodie
Christian Van Buren
Louis Hollier, Jr.
Imoan Claiborne
Rod Davis Jr.
Rahkeem Mitchell
Ryan Sorrell
Shane McLendon
Brian Joseph
Fred Thomas
Rico Albert
Jahvez Barnes
Darius Poullard
Manuel Mukes
Cody Jones
Rondarious Morris
Matthew Flores
Russell Owens
Luke Turner
Robert Walker
Ed Eagan
Desmond Lacey
Andy Wickman
Casey Toussant
Jermaine Walker
Brandon Monrose
Sylvester Grimble
Will Anglin
Chris Dever, Jr.
Justin Evans
Tuff McClain
Tyler Smith
Chris Cryer
Roderick Ross
Kevin Garza
Daniel Taylor
Jonathan Lewis
Dannie Harmon
Austin Loup
Tyler Roussel
WaDerrious Sellers
Robert Fabrizio
Orlando Calhoun
Keland Johnson
Paxton Cook
Jacob Merriman
Jordan Sennett
Thomas Little
Zach Schumann
Gary Artiste
Zach Britton
Blayne Cole
Pos.
DE
CB
S
RB
QB
LB
QB
S
LB
QB
LB
QB
S
WR
QB
S
S
WR
DB
WR
CB
WR
RB
S
CB
S
CB
CB
CB
S
CB
WR
WR
RB
S
S
RB
CB
RB
PK/P
WR
CB
WR
CB
S
TE
DE
WR
LB
LB
CB
LS
RB
OL
LB
OL
LB
LB
LB
LB
DE
LB
LB
LB
OL
OL
OL
C
OL
Ht.
6-3
5-11
6-2
5-11
6-1
5-11
6-2
6-0
6-0
6-1
6-1
6-0
5-10
6-1
6-1
6-0
6-0
5-11
6-0
6-1
5-11
6-2
5-8
5-10
6-0
6-0
5-11
6-0
6-0
5-11
5-11
5-10
6-1
5-7
5-10
6-2
5-6
5-11
6-0
6-3
5-8
5-11
5-10
5-11
5-8
6-2
6-4
5-11
5-10
6-4
6-0
6-1
5-10
6-3
6-2
6-2
6-1
5-11
6-1
6-0
6-0
5-9
6-0
5-9
6-1
6-3
6-1
6-2
6-4
Wt.
232
175
190
210
190
196
231
174
212
195
215
175
203
186
183
196
196
192
190
204
183
180
194
182
175
176
150
190
168
172
175
185
190
183
194
194
182
182
175
207
181
170
173
175
178
223
238
170
222
185
195
250
162
293
240
268
210
208
210
198
232
199
213
222
316
283
276
286
291
Yr.
RFr
Jr.
RFr
Sr.
Fr.
RFr
Jr.
So.
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
RFr
Sr.
So.
Sr.
Fr.
Sr.
Jr.
So.
Sr.
Sr.
Fr.
So.
Jr.
Jr.
RFr
RFr
Fr.
So.
So.
RFr
Sr.
Jr.
Sr.
So.
Fr.
So.
Jr.
Fr.
So.
RFr
RFr
Jr.
Jr.
RFr
Sr.
So.
Fr.
Jr.
So.
So.
Fr.
RFr
Jr.
Jr.
So.
Fr.
Sr.
So.
Jr.
Sr.
RFr
Jr.
Jr.
RFr
Sr.
70
71
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
81
82
83
84
86
88
89
90
91
92
93
95
96
98
99
DeMarcus Drumgo
Terrance Boyd
Warren Jones
Jeremy Raine
Luke Burleson
Ahmad Martin
Pace Murphy
Xavier Jefferson
Tchissakid Player
Bryant Mitchell
Kenderick Johnson
Tucker Nims
Larry Copeland Jr.
Ethan Lagarde
Jovhan Jilbert
Corey Simmons
Clarence Lee
Cornist Broadway
Leroy Armstrong
Lesley Deamer III
Isaiah Wheeler
Andrew Bletsch
Damon Medcafe
Deon Simon
Shane Abdullah
Josh Armstreet
Garrett Atzenweiler
Chris Fields
Tremayne Freeman
Hunter Graves
Andre Harris
JeMarcus Johnson
Brandon Kelly
Scott Landry
De’Mard Llorens
Kyle Mack
Chris Moore
Thomas Moore
Marc Paz
Shakeir Ryan
John Shelton
Chase Tassin
Derek Williams II
Delryn Wilson
DT
OL
C
OL
OL
DT
OL
OL
OL
WR
WR
TE
WR
TE
WR
TE
DE
DE
DE
DT
DL
DT
DT
DT
DT
RB
RB
WR
WR
DS
OL
DB
DT
OL
RB
6-0
6-3
6-1
6-4
6-6
5-10
6-6
6-2
6-5
6-1
5-11
6-3
6-3
5-11
5-11
6-5
6-4
6-4
6-1
6-3
6-2
6-2
6-0
6-4
5-10
5-9
6-0
6-2
5-6
5-9
6-3
6-1
6-1
6-2
5-8
265
314
300
301
302
228
271
276
298
175
172
262
182
212
171
251
244
252
239
304
260
274
269
322
317
185
225
183
150
191
318
175
265
290
195
K
TE
WR
WR
K
P
RB
OL
6-0
6-3
5-11
5-9
5-10
5-10
5-10
6-3
190
216
190
160
160
184
204
310
So.
Fr.-R
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
So.
So.
So.
Sr.
So.
Sr.
Sr.
So.
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
So.
Sr.
Fr.
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
Jr.
So.
Jr.
So.
So.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.-R
So.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
So.
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Jay Thomas
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: Robby Brown
Defensive Coordinator/Safties: Chris Boone
Running Backs: Derrick Foster
Wide Receivers: Kyle Manley
Tight Ends: Will Weaver
Offensive Line: Ben Norton
Defensive Line: Jake Landoll
Linebackers/Special Teams: Shep Campbell
Cornerbacks: De’Von Lockett
Strength and Conditioning: Joey Guarascio
Asst. Strength and Conditioning: Evan Coachman
Equipment Manager: Philip Noah
Sports Information Director: Doug Ireland
Southland Coaches’ Poll
1.
Sam Houston State (6)
48
2.
Central Arkansas (1)
42
3.
McNeese State
37
4.
Stephen F. Austin (1)
32
5.
Southeastern Louisiana
26
6. Northwestern State
17
7.
Lamar
14
8.
Nicholls
8
-first place votes are in parentheses
MARINERS
from
RESTAURANT & COVE/DOCKS
Casual Dining Overlooking Beautiful Sibley Lake
19D
20D
Now Open for Lunch!
Tuesday - Sunday
11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
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WiFi Hot Spot
19 Different Beers on Tap
Good Luck this
Football Season!
(318) 352-4884
812 Washington Street • Natchitoches, LA
GO TEAMS!
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Storage to
Help Simplify
Your Life!
(318) 471-9001
332 Rapides Drive “Mill Street” • Natchitoches, LA 71457
Northwestern State senior running back Robert Walker
practices his footwork and agility during a drill. The
Demons will look to him and a plethora of other running
backs to help their offense run smoothly.
Photo by Gary Hardamon/Northwestern State
21D
22D
Tigers under the radar but still a threat in title chase
By Nicholas DeLorenzo
The Sports Network
2012
SEASON
IN
REVIEW: A year removed
from an undefeated regular
season and a loss in the BCS
National
Championship
Game, LSU took a slight
step back in 2012.
Of course, a step backwards for an elite program
is still outstanding by most
teams’
standards.
The
Tigers were ranked in the
AP top-10 all season long,
finishing 10-3 overall and 62 in conference.
The 2012 campaign got off
to a predictably strong start
with five straight wins, but
a trip to No. 10 Florida on
Oct. 6 resulted in a 14-6 loss.
The Tigers still controlled
their own destiny in terms
of representing the SEC
West in the conference
championship game, but a
loss at home to No. 1
Alabama on Nov. 3 (21-17)
put an end to that dream.
LSU managed to close out
the regular season with
three straight victories to
reach the double-digit win
plateau for the third
straight year. They qualified for a bowl game for the
eighth consecutive time
under Les Miles (13th
straight
overall),
but
dropped a hard-fought
matchup with Clemson in
the Chick-fil-A Bowl, 25-24.
“I like the position of the
program,” Miles said. “I
think we’ve made our mark
over time. We’re looking
forward to this fall.”
2013 ANALYSIS
OFFENSE: On the surface, LSU’s offensive numbers a year ago (29.8 ppg,
374.2 ypg) appear to be
strong, but both ranked in
the lower-half of the SEC.
To help improve the unit,
the
program
brought
aboard offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who has
previously established himself as a creative play-caller
in the NFL with the San
Diego Chargers, Miami
Dolphins and Baltimore
Ravens over the past
decade.
Whether
or
not
Cameron’s tricks will stick
relies a lot on quarterback
Zach Mettenberger. As a
junior and a first-year
starter
in
2012,
Mettenberger’s responsibilities were limited as he
averaged fewer than 28 pass
attempts per game, completing 58.8 percent of his tosses for 2,609 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. With the playbook
expected to be more wide
open in 2013, Mettenberger
is expecting big things.
“I have six months left in
my career at LSU and I am
not going to take one
moment
for
granted,”
Mettenberger said. “I’m definitely much more comfortable being it’s my second
year. Coach Cameron has
made a difference. The guy
is a football genius when
you look at his background
and all of the quarterbacks
he has developed.”
The Tigers have one of
the deepest running back
stables in the nation. Alfred
Blue was impressive in
three starts last year (270
yards, two TDs) before
going down with a seasonending knee injury, but he
is fully recovered. Kenny
Hilliard (464 yards, six TDs)
will also see plenty of
action. Jeremy Hill (755
yards, 12 TDs) was the
team’s most productive
back a season ago, but he
has been suspended indefinitely following an offseason arrest.
Mettenberger’s top targets in the passing game are
back as well. Jarvis Landry
(56 rec, 573 yards, five TDs)
is a trusted option when it
comes to moving the chains,
while Odell Beckham, Jr.
(43 rec, 713 yards, two TDs)
has displayed big-play ability.
DEFENSE: The Tigers’
defense was impressive as
usual in 2012, yielding just
17.5 ppg and 307.6 ypg, but
the production was a small
down tick from the dominating previous year (11.3
ppg, 261.5 ypg). The loss of
several key players to the
NFL -- including Eric Reid,
Barkevious Mingo, Kevin
Minter, Bennie Logan and
Sam Montgomery -- doesn’t
help matters much.
Lamin Barrow had a
breakout campaign as a
junior with 104 tackles, 7.5
TFL and two fumble recoveries, and he is expected to
be the leader of the defense
here in 2013. Tahj Jones
made just one start last year
before being ruled academically ineligible but he is
going to be counted on for
big production at linebacker this season.
LSU’s
33
turnovers
gained ranked sixth in the
country last year, and the
return of Jalen Mills (two
picks), Jalen Collins (two
picks), Craig Loston (three
picks, FR) and Ronald
Marin (two picks, FF) in the
secondary is sure to keep
that number high once
again.
Danielle Hunter, Ego
Ferguson,
Anthony
Johnson and Jermauria
Rasco present an all-new
starting front four, although
Johnson saw plenty of
action last season in the
defensive line rotation, finishing with 10 TFL and
three sacks.
While the LSU running and defensive games continue to
do well under ninth-year head coach Les Miles, the passing game continues to lack a spark. Senior Zach
Mettenberger will get the nod once again, but he must
improve on his efficiency for the Tigers to reach their
national championship aspirations.
Photo by Steve Franz/LSU
SPECIAL
TEAMS:
Placekicker
Colby
Delahoussaye and punter
Jamie Keehn will serve as
first-year starters in the
kicking game.
Beckham, Jr. -- an outstanding punt returner in
2012 (320 yards, two TDs) -will likely handle both kickoff and punt returns this
season.
OUTLOOK: In earning
double-digit wins in each of
the last three seasons, LSU
is used to being one of the
nation’s top dogs, but
whereas it came into the
2011 and 2012 seasons
ranked in the top-five in the
preseason AP poll, it is
ranked just 12th in the first
poll this season. Miles does
not see the lowered expectations as a bad thing, however.
“A year like this year,
where you’re not necessarily picked No. 1, basically
there’s a responsibility for
us to control the outcome,”
Miles said.
There’s a reason the
Tigers aren’t considered
among the top-level talents
LSU head coach Les Miles hopes to have a few tricks up
his sleeves as the Tigers are flying under the radar with
a No. 13 ranking from the Associated Press this preseason.
Photo by Steve Franz/LSU
in the SEC in the preseason
rankings, as they showed
last year by coming up
small in big games. Things
will be even more difficult
in 2013 with one of the most
challenging schedules in
the nation, which includes
road matchups against Ole
Miss, Mississippi State,
Georgia and Alabama, as
well as home tilts versus
Florida and Texas A&M.
Perhaps Cameron’s newlook offense can spark an
unlikely run to the SEC
Championship Game, but
more than likely LSU will
be looking at a good-but-notgreat season as it fails to
reach 10 regular-season
wins.
‘
Preseason SEC Poll
Lees FURNITURE DEPOT
EASTERN DIVISION
1.
Georgia (149) - 1570
2.
South Carolina (75) - 1474
3.
Florida (19) - 1300
4.
Vanderbilt - 858
5.
Tennessee - 694
6.
Missouri - 577
7.
Kentucky - 331
WESTERN DIVISION
1.
Alabama (225) - 1681
2.
Texas A&M (11) - 1333
3.
LSU (7) - 1324
4.
Ole Miss - 883
5.
Auburn - 579
6.
Mississippi State - 516
7.
Arkansas - 488
“YOUR HOMETOWN FAMILY FURNITURE STORE”
GOO
D
LUC
TO O K
UR
LOC
AL
TEAM
S
Associated Press Top 25 Poll
Rk Team
Rec
Pts.
1
Alabama (58)
0-0
1498
2
Ohio State (1)
0-0
1365
3
Oregon
0-0
1335
4
Stanford
0-0
1294
5
Georgia (1)
0-0
1249
6
South Carolina
0-0
1154
7
Texas A&M
0-0
1104
8
Clemson
0-0
1083
9
Louisville
0-0
1042
10 Florida
0-0
894
11 Florida State
0-0
845
12 LSU
0-0
802
13 Oklahoma State
0-0
755
14 Notre Dame
0-0
748
15 Texas
0-0
677
16 Oklahoma
0-0
579
17 Michigan
0-0
531
18 Nebraska
0-0
382
19 Boise State
0-0
328
20 TCU
0-0
323
21 UCLA
0-0
286
22 Northwestern
0-0
199
23 Wisconsin
0-0
185
24 USC
0-0
134
25 Oregon State
0-0
129
Others receiving votes: Michigan State 95, Baylor 92,
Virginia Tech 86, Miami (FL) 85, Arizona State 53,
Kansas State 43, Fresno State 36, Vanderbilt 19,
Washington 17, Northern Illinois 16, Ole Miss 11, Utah
State 8, Georgia Tech 6, Cincinnati 3, Arizona 3, North
Carolina 3, Penn State 2, Brigham Young 1.
2013 LSU Tigers Schedule
Aug. 31
Sept. 7
Sept. 14
Sept. 21
Sept. 28
Oct. 5
Oct. 12
Oct. 19
Oct. 26
Nov. 2
Nov. 9
Nov. 16
Nov. 23
Nov. 29
Dec. 7
v. TCU*
UAB
Kent St.
Auburn
@Georgia
@Miss State
Florida
@Ole Miss
Furman
BYE WEEK
@Alabama
BYE WEEK
Texas A&M
Arkansas
SEC Title Game^
*- in Arlington, Texas
^- in Atlanta
23D
8 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
ESPN
ESPNU
ESPN2
TBA
TBA
1:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
CBS
CBS
CBS
1500 TEXAS STREET
NATCHITOCHES, LA
3 18 - 3 5 2 - 6 6 6 1
MON - FRI 9:00 - 5:30
SATURDAY 9:00-12:00
Good Luck to All Our Local
Teams This Football Season
24D
Odums looks to restore Jaguar pride at Southern
By Christopher Jones
Southern University
After salvaging the 2012
season by posting a 4-5
record which included
wins over Jackson State,
Florida
A&M
and
Grambling, Dawson Odums
proved he deserved the
chance
to
resurrect
Southern’s football program.
The university removed
the interim tag in midDecember and handed the
wheels to the program to
Odums. Odums immediately
added
experienced
coaches to his staff to help
tranform the mindset and
culture of the Southern
program. With the addition
of OL Coach Chennis
Berry, WR Coach Chris
Coleman and LB Coach
Lorick Atkinson, Odum is
set to usher in a new dawn
in the storied history of
Jaguar football.
THE OFFENSE
On the heels of a career
season in 2012, Dray Joseph
is creating expectations for
an encore performance in
2013 that could possibly
lead Southern to the SWAC
Championship in Houston.
Joseph (5-11, 215) excelled
as the unquestioned leader
of the Jaguar offense as a
junior, passing for 2,511
yards and 25 TDs. The West
St. John product completed
58.5 percent of his pass
attempts on his way to
earning a spot on the AllSWAC second team. Joseph
punctuated his stellar season by leading the conference in passing average
(228 ypg) and total offense
(2,640 yards).
With the emergence of
redshirt freshman and
Baton Rouge native Lenard
Tillery (5-10, 181), Southern
will look to strengthen its
ground attack and produce
its first 1,000-yard rusher
since the 2003 SWAC championship season. Tillery, a
McKinley High product, sat
out in 2012 but showed
flashes of his explosive
play-making ability during
fall and spring practice.
Senior Darrius Clayton,
who filled in admirable for
injured starter Sylvester
Nzekwe, returns to aid
Tillery in shouldering the
load in the backfield after
rushing for 183 yards in
2012. Senior Brian McCain
and redshirt junior Lee
Mitchell provide veteran
leadership and stability at
the fullback position.
The lone question mark
for a Southern offense that
returns seven starters is at
wide receiver. New Orleans
native Lee Doss (6-2, 175)
returns as the Jaguars
leading receiver after a
career season in 2012 but
the void left after the
departures of
Charles
Hawkins and Mike Berry
will quickly need to be
filled. Doss’ 65 receptions
and 703 yards placed him
among the SWAC’s elite
receiver and earned him
All-SWAC honors.
With a bevy of inexperienced candidates abound, a
viable receiving target
must emerge from a unit
which includes junior college transfer Sam Altman
and redshirts freshman
Justin Morgan. Both players could provide the
dynamic, shifty scoring
threat while freshman
Chuck Baker (6-2, 190), a
Rivals 3-star athlete who
was a LSU commitment,
could enhance the Jaguars
vertical passing attack.
In the trenches, Berry’s
addition has infused new
life to an offensive line that
is charged with protecting
Joseph and churning yards
on the ground. D’Wayne
Houston, who doubled as
the SWAC’s Top Male Field
Performer in indoor and
outdoor track this spring,
and Anthony Mosley, a converted defensive lineman,
continues to get stronger
and have emerged as the
unit’s hardest workers.
LSU transfer and Capitol
High star Corey White is
going to provide depth to
the offensive line while
center Aaron Hall works
his way back from a season-ending knee injury in
2012.
THE DEFENSE
Under
Odums,
Southern’s 3-4 scheme saw
vast improvements from
the previous season but
still faltered late in close
games resulting in four
losses by a combined 11
points. In 2013, Southern
return eight starters, many
whom gained valuable
playing experience in those
close loses.
With
seven
players
returning, the defensive
line possess the potential
for a dominant season led
by two experienced pass
rushers in senior Kadeem
Lewis and junior Arthur
Miley. Dion Palmer is posed
to have a breakout year
after rehabbing a knee
injury the forced him to sit
out. Sophomores Gabe
Echols and Justin Woods
replace Casey Narcisse on
the interior and will look to
improve upon the teams 21
sacks from a year ago.
Spearheading the linebacker corp is Anthony
Balancier, the teams leading
tackler
in
2012.
Balancier, who flourished
in his return to his natural
position after an unsuccessful stint at safety in
2011, led the Jaguars in
sacks (4.5) and tackles-forloss (11.5). Juniors Daniel
Brown, Detrane Lindey
and Franchot West solidify
the group as the strength of
the defense and the most
experienced
unit.
Freshman Jarkeith Ruffin
raw
athleticism
and
intense physicality has
him touted as “not you
average
freshman”
by
Odums.
Though the most inexperienced unit, gone are the
days of the 5’9-sized defensive backs. Three-year
starter and return specialist Virgil Williams remains
the groups most versatile
and fundamental sound
player.
Williams,
a
Shreveport native, finished
tied for second in tackles
with 62. Dionte McDuffy, a
South Alabama transfer
and William’s Evangel
Christian teammate, joins
returning staring corner
Johnathan Mack in the secondary. Omar Cook, a walkon from California, has
worked his way into filling
Levi Jackson’s vacant safety spot.
THE SCHEDULE
Virgil Williams, a Shreveport native and Evangel
Christian product, earned preseason All-SWAC first
team honors at two positions. Williams recorded 62 tackles last season.
Photo by April Buffington
Odums
makes
his
Southern head coaching
debut since having the
interim
tag
removed
against the University of
Houston Aug. 30 in Reliant
Stadium to open the 2013
football slate. The game
will air live on ESPN3 at
7:30 p.m.
The Jaguars contest
against the Cougars will be
the second consecutive season opener against a
Football Bowl Subdivision
(FBS)
member
for
Southern and the second
meeting between the two
schools. Houston defeated
the Jaguars 55-3 in the firstever meeting in 2008.
Southern will also renew
a familiar rivalry with instate rival Northwestern
State
Sept.
7
in
Natchitoches.
The
Souther n-Nor thwester n
State series began in 1993
and served as the coaching
debut and first Southern
win for Louisiana Sports
Hall of Fame coach Pete
Richardson
in
the
Louisiana Superdome. The
2013 Southern Jaguars Schedule
Aug. 30
@Houston
Sept. 7
@NSU
Sept. 14
Prairie View A&M
Sept. 21
@Miss. Valley St.
Sept. 28
Jackson St.
Oct. 5
BYE WEEK
Oct. 12
Alabama A&M
Oct. 19
@Ark.-Pine Bluff
Oct. 26
Alcorn St.
Nov. 1
@Texas Southern
Nov. 9
@Alabama St.
Nov. 16
Clark Atlanta
Nov. 23
BYE WEEK
Nov. 30*
v. Grambling St.
Dec. 7^
SWAC Title Game
*- in New Orleans
^- in Houston
7:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
8 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
TBA
ESPN3
CST
CST
CST
CST
NBC
ESPN3
series is tied at 5-5.
On Sept. 14, Southern
welcomes Prairie View
A&M for its 2013 home and
Southwestern
Athletic
Conference opener in A.W.
Mumford Stadium before
traveling to Itta Bena,
Miss. to face Mississippi
Valley State Sept. 21.
The Jaguars will enjoy a
two-game homestand when
they host Jackson State
Sept. 28 and Alabama A&M
Oct. 12. Defending SWAC
champion Arkansas PineBluff will host Southern in
Pine Bluff, Ark. Oct. 19.
Alcorn State will serve
as the Jaguars’ homecoming opponent on Oct. 26
before Southern concludes
25D
the 2013 campaign with
four November games. The
Jaguars will embark upon
back-to-back road trips at
Texas Southern in Houston
and Alabama State in
Montgomery, Ala. on Nov. 2
and Nov. 9 respectively.
Clark Atlanta, where
Odums served as interim
head coach in 2004, will
travel to Baton Rouge on
Nov. 17 for the first-ever
meeting between the two
schools.
Southern concludes the
2013 campaign looking to
extend it Bayou Classic
win streak to two over
archrival Grambling State
in the 40th annual Bayou
Classic on Nov. 30.
Preseason SWAC poll
WEST DIVISION
1.
Arkansas - Pine Bluff
2.
Southern
3.
Prairie View A&M
4.
Grambling State
5.
Texas Southern
105 (14)
88 (6)
82 (3)
51 (1)
38
EAST DIVISION
1.
Alabama State
108 (15)
2.
Jackson State
102 (9)
3.
Alabama A&M
60
4.
Mississippi Valley State
51
5.
Alcorn State
40
-first place votes are in parentheses
Arthur Miley, a Mangham native who prepped at Mangham High, earned preseason
All-SWAC second team honors at defensive end. Last season, Miley recorded 35 tackles, three sacks and forced a fumble.
Photo by John Posey
Best Wishes
T o ALL L ocal T eams
H ave a Great
Football Season
S HERIFF V ICTOR J ONES
N ATCHITOCHES P ARISH
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
200 Church Street • 352•6432
26D
Grambling looks to rebound after first-to-worst year
2013 Grambling Tigers Roster
Junior D.J. Williams is looking to make his mark as Grambling’s quarterback much
like his father and current Tiger head coach, Doug, did in the 70s. From left are D.J.
Williams and Doug Williams.
Photo by David Bundy/Montgomery Advertiser/AP Photo
By Roscoe Nance
SWAC.org
Grambling State is in an
uncustomary
situation
after going winless in the
conference for the firsttime ever.
Coach Doug Williams
focused the spring drills on
the Tigers getting bigger,
faster and more aggressive
on both sides of the ball.
GSU will also need to
increase their offensive
productivity after averaging just 18.2 points a game
in 2012. Last year, GSU
dropped five games by less
than seven points, including three contests by less
than three.
After winning the SWAC
crown in 2011, the Tigers
will again, rely on quarterback D.J. Williams, the
coach’s son, to run the
offense. Williams passed for
930 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that he
needs to improve dramatically if GSU is to contend
for the title.
Frank Rivers, whom split
time with Williams the past
two seasons, has transferred to Albany State.
The Tigers are deep at
the running back slot with
Cedric Skinner, Juwan
Marin, Jeremy Runner and
Justin Fortson. But again,
productivity is an issue.
Skinner was the Tigers’
leading rusher with 365
yards. Fortson was the
most impressive ball carrier in spring drills.
At receiver, Anthony
McGhee, who recorded 37
catches for 514 yards last
year, and Robert Bailey, 11
catches for 143 yards, are
the top returners at the
slots.
Dennis “Dirt’’ Winston, a
defensive assistant at GSU
from 1992-97, returns as
defensive coordinator and
has installed a 4-3 scheme.
Linebackers Aaron Breed,
Steve Orisakwe and Rod
Stevens were solid in
spring drills, sparking a
sense of optimism that the
Tigers defense will be significantly better.
The addition of freshman
kick specialist Jonathan
Wallace will give the Tigers
a boost on offense and
defense. Coach Williams is
counting on Wallace to handle the punting and placekicking duties.
Wallace is expected to
help the Tigers with field
position and has the ability
to connect field goals
beyond 40 yards.
Preseason All-SWAC First Team
OFFENSE
QB Ben Anderson Arkansas - Pine Bluff
RB
Isaiah Crowell Alabama State
RB
Justin BillingsArkansas - Pine Bluff
WR Lee Doss
Southern
WR LaDarius Eckwood
TE
Dezmond Beverly
OL
Kenny Eagle Arkansas - Pine Bluff
OL
Tre Glover
Prairie View A&M
OL
Damien Love Alabama State
OL
Dillon Bonnet Prairie View A&M
OL
Edmund DavisAlabama State
PK
Bobby Wenzig Alabama State
P
Bobby Wenzig Alabama State
RS
Virgil Williams
Southern
DEFENSE
DL
Robert Simpson
Mississippi Valley State
DL
Damien Lee Arkansas - Pine Bluff
DL
Tedderick Terrell
Jackson State
DL
DeMarcus Berry
LB
Jer-Ryan Harris
LB
Jerome Howard
Prairie View A&M
LB
Anthony Balancier
Southern
DB
Qua Cox
Jackson State
DB
Ryan Shaw
DB
Kevin Eugene Mississippi Valley State
DB
Virgil Williams
Southern
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
23
24
25
26
27
28
28
29
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
39
40
43
44
47
48
49
50
51
52
54
55
56
57
59
61
63
64
65
66
66
69
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
77
78
78
79
Name
McGhee, Anthony
Hunter, Verlon
Myers, George
Williams, D.J.
Morrison, DeShawn
Roach, Mike
Wallace, Johnathan
Leake, Dominique
Dallas, James
Williams, Chad
Domino, Ka’Jandre
Johnson, Stephen
Vazquez, Juan
Orisakwe, Steve
Dottery, Justin
Williams, Johnathan
Stargell, Jordan
Peoples, Nicholas
Terrence, Brenton
Skinner, Cedric
Martin, Juwan
Runner, Jeremy
Smith, Naquan
Hollins, Tyree
Kelly, Jestin
Olivier, Tyler
Ward, Damian
Amphy, Dwight
Smith, David
Jackson, Jameel
Gunn, Andre
Johnson, Craig
Butler, Derwin
Vallot, LeAndre
Francois, Gary
Braham, Kemarley
Stevens, Rod
Taylor, Henry
Smith, Tyler
Johnson, Noble
Fusiler, Dre’
Durden, Tristan
Griffin, Tyler
Goins, Trey
Cooper, Arkez
Eave, Angelo
Roach, Troy
Williams, Byron
Breed, Aaron
Coates, Issac
McClain, Phillip
McCray, Donovan
Bazile, Dwight
Branch, Paxtson
Rush, Kimani
Guillory, Jeremaih
Oshotse, Gregory
Marsh, Clint
O’Dear, Malcolm
Milo, Kenneth
Davis, Myles
Miller, Justin
Cherry, Anthony
Jones, Jhory
Allen, Quinton
Scott, Trent
Stalling, Larry
Yr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
Jr.
So.
Jr.
Fr.
Rf.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
Fr.
Jr.
Fr.
Jr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
So.
Jr.
R-So.
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
So.
R-Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
So.
Jr.
Sr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Sr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
So.
Rf.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
Jr.
Fr.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Jr.
Fr.
Rf.
R-So.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Pos. Ht.
WR
5-10
WR
6-2
DB
5-6
QB
6-4
DB
5-9
DB
5-11
K
6-0
WR
5-11
WR
6-0
WR
6-2
WR
5-10
QB
6-2
K
5-11
LB
5-11
QB
6-2
QB
5-11
DB
6-1
DB
5-11
WR
5-10
RB
5-10
RB
5-10
RB
5-10
DB
6-0
DB
5-10
RB
5-11
DB
5-10
DB
6-1
WR
5-10
LB/DE 6-3
DB
5-11
RB
5-10
FB
5-10
LB
5-11
DB
5-8
WR
6-2
DB
5-10
LB
6-1
LB
6-0
DB
6-0
RB
6-1
RB
5-10
OL
6-3
LB
6-1
OL
6-0
LB
6-3
LB
6-1
LB
5-11
DL
6-4
LB
5-11
DL
6-4
DL
6-1
DL
6-3
OL
6-2
OL
6-0
DL
6-0
OL
6-5
DL
6-3
OL
6-3
OL
6-3
OL
6-4
OL
6-6
OL
6-5
OL
6-4
OL
6-4
OL
6-1
OL
6-5
OL
6-5
Wt.
175
180
165
200
170
185
175
175
185
193
175
180
190
215
251
185
190
180
160
200
200
205
185
185
240
175
185
175
235
185
235
240
215
195
175
200
230
215
210
231
215
302
225
306
225
250
220
268
218
275
225
265
302
308
270
350
225
312
353
300
320
278
296
314
295
304
260
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
92
93
96
98
99
Rogers, Chester
Bailey, Robert
Davis, Jim’ Mario
Byrdsong, Brandon
Brazil, Chris
Hedgemon, Johnny
Hunt, Joshua
Martin, Josh
White, C.J.
Reese, Samuel
Williams, Jevonta
Madise, DeVaughn
Ford, Centerio
Simmons, Weston
Gordon, Marcus
So.
Sr.
Fr.
So.
Fr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
So.
So.
Fr.
R-Fr.
WR
WR
WR
TE
TE
TE
TE
TE
DL
DL
DL
DL
DT
DB
OL
6-1
5-11
5-11
6-3
6-4
6-4
6-3
6-2
6-5
6-2
6-3
6-2
6-3
6-3
6-3
180
175
180
215
240
257
238
250
251
60
270
315
245
315
All-Time Series: Grambling 20, Southern 19
Current Streak: Southern won in 2012
Longest Grambling winning streak: 5, 1974-1978
Longest Southern winning streak: 8, 1993-2000
Biggest margin of victory: Grambling, 43-6 (1980)
Grambling State 33
Southern 12
Southern 17
Southern 13
Southern 14
Grambling State 13
Grambling State 17
Southern 35
Southern 13
Grambling State 41
Grambling State 24
Southern 20
Grambling State 29
Grambling State 31
1:30 p.m.
TBA
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HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
1053 Parkway Dr., Natchitoches 318-354-0501
Family Farm & Garden
It’s Nearing Hunting Season, Get
Your Corn and Food Plot Seed Here!
2013 Grambling St. Tigers Schedule
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
5 p.m.
6 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
2 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
Cade’s Pharmacy, an independent and locally-owned pharmacy that has served
Natchitoches since 1999. We are a full service retail pharmacy that also serves nursing
homes and assisted living facilities. Our staff is always available to answer your
questions and help you with all your prescription needs.
That is why we offer:
Results of the Bayou Classic
Aug. 31
Alabama A&M
Sept. 7
@ULM
Sept. 14*
v. Lincoln (Mo.)
Sept. 21
@Alabama St.
Sept. 28
Lamar
Oct. 5^
v. Prairie View A&M
Oct. 12#
v. Alcorn St.
Oct. 19
@Jackson St.
Oct. 26
Texas Southern
Nov. 2
Miss. Valley St.
Nov. 9
@Ark.-Pine Bluff
Nov. 16
BYE WEEK
Nov. 23
BYE WEEK
Nov. 30+
v. Southern
Dec. 7$
SWAC Title Game
*- in Kansas City, Mo.
^- in Dallas
#- in Indianapolis
+- in New Orleans
$- in Houston
of local football teams and our community!
We know your time is valuable and you shouldn’t have to
wait in long lines to get your prescriptions filled!
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Doug Williams
Offensive Coordinator: Vyron Brown
Defensive Coordinator: Dennis Winston
Special Teams: Kalvin Pearson
Running Backs: George Ragsdale
Wide Receivers: Sammy White
Offensive Line: Ben Wilkerson
Defensive Line: Ezil Bibbs, Jr.
Defensive Back: C.C. Culpepper
Recent results
2012 Southern 38
2011 Grambling State 36
2007 Southern 22
2006 Southern 21
2003 Southern 44
2002 Southern 48
2000 Southern 33
1999 Southern 37
27D
ESPN3
We Support Our Local Teams:
Go Many, NSU,
Natchitoches Central,
St. Mary’s and Lakeview!
HWY 6 West
Just a Short Drive
From Where You Are!
NBC
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Many, LA
(318) 256-3167
Your Feed Store and More!
28D
Payton returns to sidelines for Saints as they look to rebound
By Shawn Clarke
The Sports Network
It wasn’t anarchic as the
storyline from William
Golding’s classic novel
“Lord of the Flies,” but last
season for the New Orleans
Saints was in disarray without figurehead Sean Payton.
Due to his alleged involvement in a bounty scandal,
Payton was suspended without pay the entire 2012 campaign. Payton, the first head
coach suspended by the
league for any reason, was
accused of trying to cover
up a system of payouts on
targeted players from opposing teams.
Even then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams
received an indefinite ban
from NFL commissioner
Roger Goodell.
Payton, one of just seven
active coaches to lead a
team to a Super Bowl victory, is back with the Saints
and excited to resume head
coaching duties.
QB: Brees (5,177 yards, 43
TD, 19 INT) tried desperately to hold the Saints’ offense
together during the tumultuous 2012 season and did
the best he could. Known for
lighting up the sky within
New Orleans’ aerial attack,
Brees has thrown for 5,000plus yards in back-to-back
seasons and could be eyeing
another now that Payton is
back. Brees, though, proved
that he didn’t need his coach
on the sidelines to inspire
another passing masterpiece.
Brees has also thrown 40
or more TD passes in backto-back campaigns and had
thrown a TD pass in 54
games in a row until
Atlanta picked him off five
times in November. His 19
interceptions were the most
since he had 22 in 2010, so
the Saints are hoping he can
keep that down.
GRADE: A
RB: It will be another
running-back-by-committee
approach for the Saints’
backfield
with
Pierre
Thomas, Mark Ingram and
Darren Sproles.
New Orleans struggled on
the ground last season, fin-
ishing 25th in the NFL with
98.6 yards per game, and it
appears nobody wants to
prove their worth as the
starter. Ingram (602 yards, 5
TD) led the bunch in rushing and really hasn’t lived
up to expectations after winning a Heisman Trophy.
Ingram, who’s also injury
prone, also had a team-best
156 carries, while Thomas
(473 yards, TD) was second
in touches with 105.
With Chris Ivory now
playing for the New York
Jets, Sproles could see more
carries. The multi-purpose
back has the most talent in
the backfield yet he is
tremendously undersized.
Sproles (244 rushing yards,
TD) shined in the passing
game with 667 yards and
seven TDs on 75 catches,
third-highest on the team.
GRADE: C+
WR: The reason why
Brees and the Saints’
offense has been so potent
over the last few seasons is
because of the passing
game. Brees helped the
Saints finish first with 312.3
passing yards per game last
season, second in total
yards with 410.9 and third in
points scored at 28.8. With
so many weapons in the aerial assault, there’s no reason
why New Orleans won’t
compete for another NFC
South title.
The Saints nearly had
three 1,000-yard receivers a
season ago, as Marques
Colston (1,154 yards, 10 TD),
Lance Moore (1,041 yards, 6
TD) and Jimmy Graham
(982 yards, 9 TD) garnered
much of the attention.
Graham has been Brees’
favorite target recently and
battled with a wrist ailment
in 2012. It didn’t stop
Graham from playing 15
games and finishing with a
team-best 85 receptions.
Colston and Moore are New
Orleans’ deep threats and
Devery Henderson took his
talents elsewhere in the offseason.
Rookie Kenny Stills was
drafted in April and veteran
tight end Ben Watson was
added in the offseason to
provide stability. Wideout
Joe Morgan suffered an
ACL injury and is out for
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees saw his numbers take a slight dip in
2012, but one can expect those numbers to bounce with head coach Sean Payton making a return to the sidelines.
the season. Sproles and
Thomas are also valuable
commodities out of the
backfield.
GRADE: ATE: Graham is one of the
best tight ends in the game
and his height and size add
to that claim. The surehanded Graham, who led
the Saints in receiving for a
second year in a row, underwent wrist surgery in the
offseason and dropped 15
passes in 2012. That number
must be cut in half this season. Graham, a former
hoops star at the University
of Miami, ranks second
among NFL tight ends and
sixth overall in receiving
since 2011 with 184 catches
for 2,292 yards (12.5 avg.)
and 20 touchdowns. Graham
has deceiving speed and is a
matchup nightmare for
ends and linebackers.
If should anything happen to Graham, health-wise,
the Saints have Watson as
an insurance policy.
GRADE: A
OL: Granted Brees has
enough time and smarts to
hit the open receiver, but
reading defenses doesn’t
always work out. Brees was
sacked 26 times last season,
one short of his career high
in 2005 with San Diego. The
26 sacks, though, tied for
third in the league in fewest
allowed. In fact, the former
Purdue star has been sacked
at least 20 times in each of
the previous four season (95
total).
For the lack of protection
Brees may sometimes get,
the offensive line should be
blamed for last season’s
ineptitude in the ground
game. Guard Jahri Evans,
one of the best in the business, and tackle Jermon
Bushrod were named to the
Pro Bowl last season, but
Bushrod is no longer with
the team. Evans was selected to his fourth consecutive
Pro Bowl, while center
Brian de la Puente is coming off his first full season
as a starter.
An entire offseason and
training camp can only
make this line even more
cohesive. Charles Brown is
penciled in to start at left
tackle, Brees’ blind side, and
Zach Strief is expected to
win the job at right tackle.
GRADE: C+
DL: Switching to a 3-4
scheme could help the
Saints’ awful defense from a
year ago. But if they still
can’t apply pressure up
front or stymie the run
game, then what’s the point?
Defensive end Kenyon
Coleman, who came over
with Ryan from Dallas, will
miss the season with a chest
injury and played in just
seven games last season.
Rookie defensive tackle
John Jenkins and rookie
end Rufus Johnson hope to
see action up front, while
Akiem Hicks (20 tackles)
and Cameron Jordan (66
tackles, 8 sacks) are expected to start at the end spots.
GRADE: C
LB: Since a 3-4 system
moves personnel around,
Will Smith will be playing a
new position from his ordinary DE spot. Smith (58
tackles, 6 sacks) was second
in sacks last season and is
now on the outside.
Junior Galette (20 tackles,
5 sacks) will start on the
opposite end of Smith and is
making a transition from
the defensive line as well.
Galette played well in a rotation last season and his role
will increase in 2013.
New Orleans leading tackler Curtis Lofton (123 tackles, sack) and Jonathan
Vilma (37 tackles, sack) will
man the inside spots for
Ryan’s stop unit. Vilma
reportedly underwent knee
surgery earlier this month
and is expected to play in
Week 1. Vilma played in 11
games last season, starting
10, and allegedly played a
key role in the bounty scandal. If the Saints fail to slow
opposing offenses down up
front, the linebackers will
be in for a long day.
GRADE: C
DB: It’s difficult to imagine the Saints struggling so
badly against the pass last
season with two of the more
talented safeties in the
league. Roman Harper (115
tackles, 2 INT) and Malcolm
Jenkins (94 tackles, INT)
are great tacklers and hitters in this league. They
were beaten in coverage
several times last season
and need to produce more
turnovers. The Saints are
hoping the new defense will
open more holes for both
Harper and Jenkins.
Hard-hitting
rookie
Kenny Vaccaro was drafted
to push either one of the
safeties and may even crack
the starting lineup by midseason.
Cornerbacks
Jabari
Greer (51 tackles, 3 INT) and
Keenan Lewis (71 tackles)
have their work cut out for
them in the NFC South and
the latter was signed away
from Pittsburgh in the offseason. Lewis is a New
Orleans native and led the
league with 28 passes
29D
defensed a season ago.
The Saints have some
depth in the secondary with
Patrick Robinson (63 tackles, 3 INT), who finished
tied for the team lead in
picks, Corey White (31 tackles, INT) and newcomers
Jim Leonard (18 tackles)
and Chris Carr (4 tackles).
GRADE: C
o
o
G
Punter/holder Thomas
Morstead averaged 50.1
yards per punt on 74 tries
(3,707 yards) in 2012 and
landed 20 inside the 20-yard
line. The Pro Bowl pick’s
longest of the season was a
70-yard boom and he handles kickoff duties as well.
GRADE: B
2013 New Orleans Saints schedule
Sept. 8
Atlanta
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Sept. 15
@Tampa Bay
3:05 p.m.
FOX
Sept. 22
Arizona
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Sept. 30
Miami
7:40 p.m.
ESPN
Oct. 6
@Chicago
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Oct. 13
@New England
3:25 p.m.
FOX
Oct. 20
BYE WEEK
Oct. 27
Buffalo
12:00 p.m.
CBS
Nov. 3
@N.Y. Jets
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Nov. 10
Dallas
7:30 p.m.
NBC
Nov. 17*
San Francisco
3:25 p.m.
FOX
Nov. 21
@Atlanta
7:25 p.m.
NFL
Dec. 2
@Seattle
7:40 p.m.
ESPN
Dec. 8*
Carolina
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Dec. 15*
@St. Louis
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Dec. 22*
@Carolina
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Dec. 29*
Tampa Bay
12:00 p.m.
FOX
*- game time subject to change due to NFL flex scheduling
c
ur Local Teams
!
TOMMY STEWART
of NATCHITOCHES
Your Hometown - Neighborhood GM Dealer
SPECIAL TEAMS: For
how dangerous Sproles is
running and catching the
football, he can cause some
damage in the return game,
too. Sproles will handle
both kickoff and punt
return duties even though
he’ll be put in harm’s way.
Sproles had 18 kickoff
returns for 483 yards (26.8)
and 23 punt returns for 183
yards (14) last season. His
small stature makes it difficult for defenders to see him
and Sproles has quick feet
for proper cuts.
Kicker Garrett Hartley
connected on 18 of his 22
field goal attempts last season and nailed all 57 of his
PAT tries. Perhaps no kicker gets more involved in
extra-point
plays
than
Hartley, who kicked the
Saints to the Super Bowl a
few years ago and missed
2011 with a hip issue.
u
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All O
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214 Texas Street • 356-9000
When
planning for your
future or retirement, let the
team at Cross Financial Group
help you in your efforts. We’re
now in our third decade of
providing trusted advice and
exceptional service to the
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community.
Give us a call
or come by
and see us!
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We wish all of
our area teams a
successful 2011
season:
• NSU
• St. Mary’s
• Lakeview
• Natchitoches
Central
Financial Advisor
30D
Cowboys looking to come through when it counts
By Shawn Clarke
The Sports Network
It’s always hot around the
collar in Texas. So imagine
playing or coaching for
stringent Dallas Cowboys
owner Jerry Jones.
Popular for his controlling ways and hands-on personality, Jones’ patience is
running thin with his
Cowboys and 2013 is expected to be a big one for the
franchise. But haven’t we
heard that each of the past
five-plus years or so?
Dallas has missed the
playoffs in each of the last
three seasons and head
coach Jason Garrett should
feel some added pressure to
get the job done. Garrett
could have an easier job
coaching now that he has
relinquished play- calling
duties to new offensive coordinator Bill Callahan.
“Being a head coach is a
big job and being an offensive coordinator or playcaller is a big job. You have
to somehow, someway separate yourself from the two,”
Garrett said in July. “I’ve
divvied up a lot of the
responsibilities I had over
the past couple of years, and
this is just the next step in
doing that.”
Jones actually recommended that Garrett make
it easier on himself with a
team that has finished 8-8 in
each of the past two seasons
and 6-10 in 2010. There’s no
question Garrett has struggled with the headphones
on the sidelines and injuries
have played their role, too.
But there will be no excuse
this year for Garrett if he
fails to live up to his owner’s
high expectations.
And when expectations
are tossed around, how
could quarterback Tony
Romo not be included in the
discussion. Speaking of
high hopes, Romo has carried a lightning rod on his
back for several seasons
now and the conductor that
is a new contract could
weigh him down. Romo
inked a six-year contract
extension in late March and
the deal is reportedly worth
$108 million with $55 million guaranteed.
Did Romo deserve the
added comfort and financial
flexibility?
That remains to be seen
and it’s obvious Jones is in
Romo’s corner. Romo is
coming off a 2012 season
that included a career-high
4,903 passing yards to go
along with 28 touchdowns
and
19
interceptions.
However, his passer rating
of 90.5 was the lowest of his
career. He underwent offseason back surgery to have a
cyst removed and missed
OTAs. Romo, though, is
back for training camp.
“Tony is uniquely qualified to lead this team at the
quarterback position for the
next several years,” Jones
said in a statement. “He has
an abundance of experience
and familiarity with our
offensive philosophy, our
head coach and the personnel around him. He is moving into a period of time
where he can maximize all
of his natural skills while
continuing to build upon
the talents that he has developed since entering the
NFL.”
Romo has the talent
around him, but the defense
was an issue in 2012. So the
Cowboys brought in veteran
defensive
coordinator
Monte Kiffin to run the 4-3
scheme he established with
the great Tampa Bay teams
about a decade ago. Rob
Ryan and his complicated
system got the boot, and the
Cowboys are hoping the
transition bears better
results.
For a team that looks
great on paper, the time is
now to put it on the field.
QB: Romo (4,903 passing
yards, 28 TD, 19 INT) gets
criticized heavily for wins
and losses when it’s not
entirely all of his fault. He
does come up short at times
in crucial situations and is
still one of the more dominant QBs in the league; he
led the NFL in fourth-quarter touchdown passes in
2012. Romo can still improvise with his feet and has
great perception in the
pocket.
“He has a proven veteran
quarterback grasp of the
intellectual side of the
game. He knows how to run
an offense and run a team.
He knows how to win games
and has done it in a lot of
different settings and under
a lot of difficult circumstances,” Jones said when
Romo signed his new
megadeal.
Romo will always be the
scapegoat for Dallas’ failures even though it’s his
right arm that puts the team
in position for possible
greatness. Whether the fans
love him or not, Romo will
be under center in Big D for
a while.
GRADE: B+
RB: The Cowboys were
one of the worst rushing
teams in the league last year
and that’s mainly the reason
Romo received so much
slack. How can a team be
successful when it averages
79.1 yards per game? That’s
what the Cowboys suffered
through in 2012 and running
back DeMarco Murray
played only 10 games
because of injury.
Murray (663 rushing
yards, 4 TD) is not a gamechanging back like Adrian
Peterson or Arian Foster,
but the Oklahoma product
knows how to run between
the tackles and grind out
yards.
Perhaps
with
Callahan calling the shots
on offense, Murray will
achieve more in his third
year. If Murray’s injury
issue rears its head, rookie
Joseph Randle or Lance
Dunbar will be injected into
the lineup.
GRADE: BWR: Dallas wideouts
averaged 312.0 yards a game
last season, good enough for
third in the entire league.
That comes as no surprise
with Dez Bryant, Miles
Austin and tight end Jason
Witten catching passes.
Bryant (1,382 receiving
yards, 12 TD) is a young stud
on the rise and is arguably
one of the best in the NFC
behind Detroit’s Calvin
Johnson and Arizona’s
Larry Fitzgerald. Bryant
seems to have matured from
his early days and makes
Romo that much better a
passer in this league.
Austin (943 receiving
yards, 6 TD) battled with
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo received a sixyear, $108 million extension this offseason ensuring that
he will be with the team until he retires. However, he
must escape the ghosts of Decembers’ past along the
way.
injury from time to time
and can still run with the
best of them The thickthighed Austin may have
taken a back seat to Bryant,
but is still dangerous.
GRADE: ATE: One of the best tight
ends in the NFL, Witten has
been a thorn in opponents’
side since 2003 and has
played in every game the
last nine years.
He missed one game during his rookie campaign and
the durable Witten caught a
career-high 110 passes last
season. Witten (1,039 receiving yards, 3 TD) could get
into the end zone more and
understands that his role is
to block as well. Witten
never caught more than 94
passes in a season before
and will most likely have a
bust in Canton, Ohio down
the road. Witten may be getting older and that shouldn’t stop him from being
Romo’s favorite target.
GRADE: B
OL: Romo has been treated like a rag doll the last few
seasons, getting sacked 36
times in each of the previous two campaigns. In his
last three full seasons, Romo
has been sacked 106 times.
That cannot happen anymore, especially if $55 million is guaranteed. The
Cowboys drafted center
Travis Frederick in April
and are hoping he will learn
enough to start by Week 1.
Doug Free and Tyron Smith
will start at right and left
tackle, respectively, with left
guard Nate Livings and
right
guard
Mackenzy
Bernadeau expected to
anchor the rest of the front.
GRADE: CDL: There’s no debate that
Cowboys defensive end
DeMarcus Ware is the most
dangerous player on that
side of the ball. Offenses
must keep an eye out for the
freak of nature that is Ware,
who has registered at least
11 sacks in each of the past
seven years. Ware (56 tackles, 11 1/2 sacks) has never
missed a game in his career
and should be slighted
somewhat he hasn’t had the
opportunity to play deep
into the playoffs.
With Kiffin running the
new 4-3 defense and Rod
Marinelli guiding the defensive line, Ware could be eyeing another 20-sack seasons,
something he achieved in
2008 and came close to in
2011 (19 1/2).
The Cowboys should send
the Eagles a gift every year
for making a draft-day trade
back in 2007 for DE Anthony
Spencer (95 tackles, 11
sacks). Spencer enjoyed a
career year in 2012 and even
missed two games. DE
Tyrone Crawford is done
with an Achilles tear.
Arguably one of the top
interior linemen in the
game is Jay Ratliff. Ratliff
was limited to just six
games last season and NFC
East opponents were happy
for that. Ratliff is back and
ready to prove his durabili-
ty once again. Jason
Hatcher (51 tackles, 4 sacks)
will start alongside Ratliff.
GRADE: B
LB: There shouldn’t be
much of a problem for the
linebackers in the switch to
a 4-3 defense. Tackling and
reading formations will
always require the same
technique regardless of
what formation the defense
is in. Middle linebacker
Sean Lee (58 tackles) was
limited to six games in 2012
because of a toe issue and
the tough kid out of Penn
State has something to
prove this season. Lee could
be a Pro Bowl selection if
his body allows it and is one
of the smartest on the
defense.
Bruce Carter (70 tackles)
played well in his second
season in 2012 and expectations are high for the 2011
draft pick. Carter has great
speed and size as an OLB
and an ankle injury on
Thanksgiving ended his
season.
Newcomer Justin Durant
(103 tackles, half sack) came
over in the offseason.
GRADE: BDB:
The
Cowboys
allowed 230.2 passing yards
per game last season, which
was 19th in the NFL. That is
an area of concern when
Dallas plays in the NFC and
within a division with the
Giants,
Redskins
and
Eagles. Eli Manning and
Robert Griffin III like to air
it out and both quarterbacks have their own set of
weapons that Cowboys corners Brandon Carr (53 tack-
les, 3 INT) and Morris
Claiborne (55 tackles, INT)
have to deal with.
Claiborne showed flashes
of brilliance and rookie
mistakes in 2012, but with
another offseason and training camp under his books it
should be a bit smoother.
B.W. Webb was drafted in
April out of William &
Mary and provides added
depth. Barry Church (6
tackles) appeared in only
three games last season
because of a torn Achilles
and should be ready to roll
by Week 1.
GRADE: C
SPECIAL
TEAMS:
Dwayne Harris will handle
both kickoff and punt
return duties for the
Cowboys and he averaged
19.1 yards on 11 kickoff
returns in 2012. He shared
time with Felix Jones, who
is with Philadelphia, and
Lance Dunbar, a backup to
Murray. It is very important
for Harris to provide Romo
with decent field position
and he also posted an average of 16.1 yards on 22 punt
returns.
Dan Bailey is Dallas’ go-to
guy foe kicks and he made
29-of-31 attempts last season, including all 37 of his
PAT attempts. He was
money from 30-39 yards,
banging home all 13 tries.
With Brian Moorman with
the Steelers, it will be
punter Chris Jones hoping
to pin opposing offenses
deep in their own territory.
Jones had 12 punts over
four games last season,
averaging 45.3 ypp.
GRADE: C+
2013 Dallas Cowboys Schedule
Sept. 8
N.Y. Giants
7:30 p.m.
NBC
Sept. 15
@Kansas City
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Sept. 22
St. Louis
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Sept. 29
@San Diego
3:25 p.m.
FOX
Oct. 6
Denver
3:25 p.m.
CBS
Oct. 13
Washington
7:30 p.m.
NBC
Oct. 20
@Philadelphia
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Oct. 27
@Detroit
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Nov. 3
Minnesota
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Nov. 10
@New Orleans
7:30 p.m.
NBC
Nov. 17
BYE WEEK
Nov. 24*
@N.Y. Giants
3:25 p.m.
FOX
Nov. 28
Oakland
3:30 p.m.
CBS
Dec. 9
@Chicago
7:30 p.m.
ESPN
Dec. 15*
Green Bay
3:25 p.m.
FOX
Dec. 22*
@Washington
12:00 p.m.
FOX
Dec. 29*
Philadelphia
12:00 p.m.
FOX
*- game time subject to change due to NFL flex scheduling
31D
32D
Natchitoches Board of Realtors
SUPPORTS OUR
FOOTBALL TEAMS!
REALTOR
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318-354-0404
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318-354-1200
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318-214-2126
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318-356-9052
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Weekend Edition, August 31 - September 1, 2013

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