Due to the high rain on Tuesday, the Town of Many Tree Lighting Ceremony was moved to Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 pm at Many City Hall with a reception to follow at the Community Bank of Louisiana at 6:30 pm.

Sabine Parish Tourist and Recreation Commission will hold a Jingle & Mingle Holiday Open House on Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 9:30-11:30 am at the Tourist Commission, located at 1601 Texas Hwy. in Many.

Time for our annual Best Books of the Year list. Read a lot of good books but failed to score a five-star read, unlike last year when I couldn’t turn around without running into something that hit me just right. 

So it goes in the Reading World. You win some, you lose some, but you show up and read and if a book’s no good, chunk it and, guilt-free, pick up another one. 

Still, much enjoyment this year from reading, and hopefully you will get a charge out of at least one or two of the titles below, or something will jog your memory and help you pick out a just-right Christmas gift for someone.  

If nothing else, we can be grateful we are past all the pandemic-related bestsellers like LOCKDOWN!: Your Place or Mine?, or everyone’s least-favorite companion reads, Why Masks Work and the sequel, Why Masks Haven’t Even Ever THOUGHT About Working, Ever Ever Never. 

Mercy on all that … And now on to the bookmobile. 

Batting leadoff is All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business, by Mel Brooks, my favorite of a lot of biographies. Others that were really good, if you’re interested in these people, are The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man by Paul Newman, A Life in Parts by actor Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Home Work by Julie Andrews (had a crush on her since Mary Poppins as I was an impressionable youngster), Miracle and Wonder by Malcolm Gladwell about singer-songwriter-stud Paul Simon (you have to listen to this one for the conversations with Simon and his occasional singing), My House of Memories by Merle Haggard because, well, Merle Haggard, and finally, Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, by Rick Bragg. 

A quick aside about Jerry Lee Lewis: he was nothing short of a keyboard genius. Any piano player from Elton John to Ray Stevens will tell you that nobody should be able to play that fast and that well and sing at the same time. A prodigy and bona-fide genius. 

More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell was released in 1987 and reads as a short (128 pages) research document about the historical Jesus and is much worth your time if, like me, you’d missed it all these years. 

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal is about the “tumultuous” making of The Godfather and was my second-favorite book of the year. If you like the movie, you’ll enjoy it. How the picture got made is semi-miraculous.  

Speaking of movies, The Church of Baseball by Ron Shelton is about the making of Bull Durham, which he wrote and directed; it’s a baseball thing. 

Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen is funny and good, as you’d expect from Carl Hiaasen. Speaking of fiction, if you’ve never read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson or The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, as I hadn’t until this year, you could probably skip those. Didn’t happen for me. But … it’s always wise to consider the similar themes of those two books, which is how the bad part of our nature, which is the main part, runs wild if unchecked, even if that wasn’t our intention. 

Churchill’s Band of Brothers by Damien Lewis was good but a better suggestion would be Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose, which I’ve read three times, about E Company with the 101^st in World War II. The British equivalent is interesting but not nearly as rich. 

Also, you will feel a lot better after reading either Everybody Always or Love Does by Bob Goff, or both. Check him out if you haven’t already. 

Books in my on-deck circle for 2023 include You Are Looking Live! How the NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting, by Rich Podolsky, When the Garden was Eden by Harvey Araton, about the glory days of the New York Knicks (they were good and fun when I was a boy, believe it or not), Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley because I haven’t read him and have meant to, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and Prayer by Tim Keller because I really like Tim Keller and because you need the prayers and Lord knows I need the practice. 

Let me know if you come across anything good. Read on! 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

JOURNAL SPORTS STAFF 

ROSEPINE – Many had its backs against the playoff wall Friday after Rosepine intercepted a Tackett Curtis pass with 10 minutes remaining and the Eagles clinging to a 7-0 lead. 

But the Tigers didn’t panic. 

All the previous playoff experience and winning paid off in the fourth quarter as Many’s defense held three times and the Tigers mustered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 14-7 quarterfinals win in the Division III Non-Select playoffs. 

Many (11-0) trailed for the first time in the second half all season, but the Tigers secured their seventh straight trip to the semifinals with the comeback. 

“Our experience in big games helped us pull through,” said Many coach Jess Curtis. “We know in the playoffs, it’s tough to win on the road. I was proud they found a way.” 

The defensive-minded game on a muddy field took shape as No. 9 seed Rosepine (10-3) ate up nearly the entire first quarter that ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jake Smith to give the Eagles a 7-0 edge. 

That’s the only score Many would surrender as they held stud running back Grant Ducote to 55 yards on 22 carries. 

Perhaps the most important stand the defense made was forcing a Rosepine three-and-out after Smith intercepted Curtis early in the fourth quarter. 

But the Tigers’ D stonewalled the Eagles and kept Rosepine from going on any more of their time-consuming drives. 

“Our defense has been lights out all year, and on (Rosepine’s) first drive, we had a couple of penalties to keep their drive going. And then they hit the big throw on fourth down.” 

Many’s own rushing game never got fully churning against a stout Rosepine defense, but the Tigers weathered penalties and turnovers to put together two scoring drives in the fourth quarter. 

Jamarlyn Garner, who lost a fumble in the first half, scored on a six-yard run as Many tied the game on an extra point from kicker Deacon Lafollette at the 6:57 mark in the fourth quarter. 

The touchdown was set up by a 53-yard jaunt from running back Jeremiah James, who led all rushers with 103 yards on 11 carries. 

“No penalties and no turnovers – that was the difference late,” Curtis said. “I’m proud of them for digging deep after Rosepine did a good job of playing keep away. When we had the ball, we shot ourselves in the foot.” 

Many’s defense answered the bell again with another three-and-out, setting up Many’s go-ahead touchdown. 

After a couple of strong Trent Williams’ runs, Many grabbed the lead with a Tackett Curtis 1-yard plunge to go up 14-7 with 1:51 remaining. 

Rosepine attempted one last gasp, but Many shut the Eagles down on four plays to end the game. 

It’s the second straight year in which Many topped Rosepine in the semifinals, although this past season’s 50-12 win lacked the drama of Friday’s nailbiter. 

Now Many will return home to face a hot No. 4 seed St. James squad that whipped No. 5 Avoyelles 48-24. 

Scoring Summary 

First Quarter 

2:12 R Jake Smith 8 yard TD pass, kick good 7-0 

Fourth Quarter 

6:57 M Jamarlyn Garner 6 yard TD run, Deacon Lafollette kick 7-7 

1:51 N Tackett Curtis 1 yard TD run, Lafollette kick 14-7 

Passing 

M Curtis 1-3-12, 1 Int 

R Smith 3-9-19, 1 TD 

Rushing 

M James 11-103, Aldredge 8-31, Williams 6-43, Curtis 6-21, Garner 3-6, Mitcham 1-(-3) 

R Ducote 22-55 

Receiving 

M Aldredge 1-12 

R 3-19 

Tackles 

Williams 8, Curtis 8, Carheel 6. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Shannahan/Journal Sports 

The 15th Annual Zwolle Christmas Festival will take place Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Zwolle Festival Grounds. Festivities start at 10 am with Bicycle Registration. Vendors will start selling their wares at 12 pm. Opening Ceremonies are set for 2 pm. The Noble Sons will hold a Bicycle Giveaway at 3 pm. There will be fireworks at 6 pm. THis event is hosted ny the Town of Zwolle and the Noble Sons Riding Club. FOr more information contact Torrie Sepulvado at 318-315-1241.

By Brad Dison

1939 was a hard year for Bob May, his wife Evelyn, and their four-year-old daughter Barbara. For the past two years, Evelyn had been fighting a losing battle with cancer and was now bedridden. Bob’s ambition had been to be a novelist, but, so far, his talents had only gotten him as far as creating catalogue copy for Montgomery Ward. Bob said many years later, “Instead of writing the great American novel, as I’d always hoped, I was describing men’s white shirts.”

Montgomery Ward’s salary was a steady, much needed paycheck. Evelyn’s medical expenses took all of Bob’s earnings and more. Bob was nearing bankruptcy. He was also exhausted. Day in and day out, he took care of the many needs of his wife and little Barbara while working a full-time job. Bob never once complained, but put on a brave, cheerful face for his wife and daughter.

One day in early 1939, Bob’s boss came to him with a project that seemed to fit Bob’s talent and his situation perfectly. In previous years, Montgomery Ward had purchased coloring books to give away to children during the Christmas season. The coloring books cost the company a substantial amount of money. To cut down on costs, the company decided that they wanted to create their own children’s book to give away during the 1939 Christmas season. The project fit Bob’s situation in that it allowed him to work from home so he could be available for his wife and daughter.

The company wanted the story to be a cheery tale in poem-form about an animal who was an “ugly duckling,” a misfit. Bob had a difficult time writing the cheery tale because of his concern for his wife. He could see that Evelyn was growing weaker with each passing day. Each time he finished a draft of the story, he read it to little Barbara and watched carefully for her response. In this way, he tweaked and reworked the story.

On July 28, 1939, Evelyn lost her battle with cancer. Bob and little Barbara were distraught. To ease Bob’s burden, his boss offered to transfer the project to another writer. Bob made it clear that it was his project, and he would complete it. Bob continued to write drafts and read them to little Barbara. Finally, one day in late August, Bob called little Barbara and her grandparents into the living room. He read the draft of the story and paid special attention to each of their faces. He said later, “in their eyes I could see that the story accomplished what I had hoped.” With the story completed, Bob turned it over to Montgomery Ward artist Denver Gillen for illustration.

During the holiday season of 1939, shoppers fell in love with the story. Montgomery Ward gave away 2.4 million copies that year and planned to give away at least that many the following year. With World War II on the horizon, the United States War Production Board rationed paper, which limited the number of books published in the country. Bob’s “ugly duckling” story could have fallen into obscurity.

Following the end of the war, Montgomery Ward decided to revive the book giveaway. In 1946, RCA Victor contacted Bob because they wanted to record a spoken version of Bob’s story. Unfortunately for Bob, Montgomery Ward, his employer, owned the rights to the story and declined RCA Victor’s request because they wanted to give the books away again that holiday season. That year, the company gave away 3.6 million copies of Bob’s story.

On January 1, 1947, Montgomery Ward president Sewell Avery did something shocking. Avery transferred the copyright of the story from Montgomery Ward to Bob, free and clear. Bob searched for a publisher, but none of the major publishing houses wanted to publish a story of which 6 million copies had been given away. Why, they asked, would anyone pay for a book that had previously been free. Finally, Bob spoke with Harry Elbaum, the head of Maxton Publishers in New York. Bob described Harry as being “a little guy with a big nose,” an ugly duckling of sorts. Harry printed 100,000 hardcover copies of the book for the Christmas season. The books were a success. RCA Victor also produced 45 rpm records of the story narrated by Paul Wing and music by George Kleinsinger. The spoken records were also successful. Johnny Marks turned Bob’s story into a hit record which has been recorded countless times by numerous artists. You and I know Bob’s story well. The “ugly duckling” that Bob created was not a duck, but a red-nosed reindeer named Rudolph.

Sources:
1. Independent (Long Beach, California), November 19, 1939, p.13.
2. Battle Creek Enquirer, December 6, 1948, p.3.
3. Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 19, 1948, p.74.
4. “Evelyn Marks May (1905-1939)” Find a Grave, findagrave.com, accessed November 25, 2022, findagrave.com/memorial/9906088/evelyn-may.

NATCHITOCHES:

Alexander Ryan Nobles Jr.
July 29, 1949 – October 31, 2022
Service: Wednesday, November 30 at 1 pm at Blanchard St. Denis funeral home in Natchitoches

WINN: 

The Town of Many reminds its citizens to please not interfere with Animal Control Officers. They’re doing their job and those who interrupt will be cited if caught. 

If a cat or dog is found in a trap, please do not let it out; instead call City Hall and they will send an officer to take care of them. Their traps have their name on them, and they do not leave them out overnight.

The Thanksgiving holidays have taken on a different look during this strange season of my life. Prior to my divorce they were affectionately stressful and full of chaos, trying to make sure we visited all of the places. Grandparents, in-laws, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors. There was so much cooking, chopping, mincing, baking, freezing, brining and stuffing going on that I felt like I was running a small catering business for a week.

After the divorce, visitation schedules set in and truly changed the way we celebrate the holidays. Once that part of my life seemed to be settling down my oldest daughter moved four states away. I never know if I should cook or how much I should cook. I am a holiday cooking victim of circumstance. One year I prepared way too much as if feeding a small army and ended up wasting most of it. One year I refused to cook and ended up eating fast food. It seems like I can never get it right.

This year while scrolling through Facebook I noticed that a friend of mine, who is a down right tasty southern cook, was selling pans of dressing, cheesecakes, and pumpkin rolls. Once I saw her post I felt like it was a message delivered directly from the Lord, giving me permission to purchase a Thanksgiving meal. I think he saw me toiling away in my kitchen for the past two decades and decided I needed a break this year.

I felt the peace of the Lord wash over me as soon as I messaged her with my order. If I had a few faces to feed, I would be prepared. If I were invited somewhere I would not show up empty handed. If I ended up being solo, I could freeze the extras. Grinning like a Cheshire cat, I kept scrolling through Facebook only to stumble upon some students who were selling hams, turkeys and hens for their Agriculture class fundraiser. Here I was killing two birds, no pun intended, with one stone. I order a fully smoked turkey while supporting students.

The Lord was at it again. He was blessing me during my holiday quandary. At this rate all I needed was rolls and a can of green beans. (Why go to all of the trouble of cooking a green bean casserole?)

I was on a roll. (Pun noted) As joyful as I was not having to cook a full meal, I somehow felt like I was cheating on some level. Cheater, cheater pumpkin eater.

Not long after I placed my orders I found myself in throes of a minor kitchen remodel that was becoming delayed. It was planned and long overdue. I was not sad to bid farewell to my formica countertops who overstayed their welcome a few years back. They were the base layer of many family meals, tons of junk mail, and lots of children who used them as a conversation area. With all of the constant love they were receiving, it was simply time. Little did I know that the counter top installation crew was not responsible for hooking up my faucet, sink and dishwasher once they were complete.

This lack of knowledge on my part left me sitting on a waiting list for my favorite local plumber. My plumbing business of choice is so popular that they were not available until after Thanksgiving.

When I found this out, it only made me grin again like that Cheshire cat. God made a way for me before I even knew I needed a way to worry less about cooking a Thanksgiving meal. He actually had me pre-arrange a Thanksgiving dinner for my little family that would not require loads of pots, pans and washing dishes. He knew this, I did not. He was caring for us before we even knew we needed him to intervene. I wasn’t a cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater.
I was actually being provided for by our heavenly father. Sure my kitchen looks like a wreckage pile right now and we are having to wash a few dishes in our laundry room but we are still making Thanksgiving memories while the Lord is providing the necessities. He truly carries about the smallest details of our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” Psalm 37:23-25 NLT

By Steve Graf

It doesn’t matter how good you think you are or how many tournaments you have won, there will come a time when you just can’t figure the fish out and you come to the scales with nothing. This is the number one fear amongst all anglers who fish in tournaments. Anglers will literally wake up in a cold sweat at night when they have this nightmare. But let’s take a deeper look at the psyche of what goes through an angler’s mind as the day unfolds and they come in with no fish in the live well.

Very few times an angler left the ramp on tournament day because he did not feel good about his game plan. Most anglers usually have a good idea about what and how they’ll catch them on that particular day. But as the day unfolds and the clock is ticking, if an angler does not have fish in the live well by 10:00 AM, at some point he starts to second guess his game plan. He starts thinking (which is usually not a good thing) about how he should have started out deep rather than shallow, how he should have thrown a topwater bait early instead of a worm. Maybe he should have run up the lake instead of staying on the south end or how he should have fished the grass instead of the bushes. But no matter what, pressure starts to build especially when the clock strikes one o’clock with no fish in the box and a weigh-in time of three o’clock. For me, I tell myself, “If I’m going to catch them, I’ve only got two hours to figure them out!”

The next thing you know it’s two o’clock and you still have nothing to show for all the casts you’ve made. It’s at this point most anglers start to panic and start to visualize coming to the weigh-in with a big fat zero. You start to fish too fast and make bad casts, you get hung up more often and have to go and retrieve your bait in places you can’t get to. So, then you end up breaking off whatever bait you’re throwing, with the internal clock in your head moving faster, as you waste even more time looking for another bait and having to re-rig. It’s during these high-pressure times that you backlash a reel so bad that you have to put it away so that you can cut the backlash out when you get home. Then with only minutes to go, you hook the fish of a lifetime, only to watch it come off and swim away right before you get ready to swing it into the boat. A fitting end to a very frustrating day!

Then it’s time to head for the weigh-in and you hope everyone is gone by the time you get there…but that’s never the case. It’s funny how when you have twenty pounds of fish in the live well, no one ever asks how you did. But when you have zero, it seems everyone in the tournament, including their grandma, wants to know what you’ve got. But oh, the shame and embarrassment of having to say, “Zero!” It just doesn’t get any worse than that! So, it’s at this time you head straight for the boat ramp, load your boat, tuck your tail between your legs, pull your cap down low so maybe no one recognizes you, and head home. If you want to see who did not catch fish that day, watch the parking lot at the ramp and see just how fast an angler can load his boat and get out of there.

Hope you enjoyed hearing about the misery of what an angler goes through on those days when he just doesn’t catch them. But the thing that’s great about the end of a tournament is it means there’s an opportunity for redemption at the next event. Forget it and move on because that tournament is over and there’s nothing you can do to change the outcome of that event. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget your sunscreen.

Steve Graf
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show &
Tackle Talk Live

The Stewart Family and Friends will hold a Christmas Concert on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 pm at the Many Community Center, located at 675 San Antonio Ave. in Many. Doors will be open at 6pm and admission is free.

NATCHITOCHES:

Alexander Ryan Nobles Jr.
July 29, 1949 – October 31, 2022
Service: Wednesday November 30 at 1 pm at Blanchard St. Denis funeral home in Natchitoches

Stephen Lane Stroud
October 26, 1959 – November 2, 2022
Service: Tuesday, November 29 at 10:30 am at Rosemary Beach Town Hall in Panama City Beach, FL

WINN:

Shirley Ann Rivers
June 24, 1946 – November 20, 2022
Service: Saturday, November 26 at 10 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church

Ronald Lee Preston
April 7, 1954 – November 18, 2022
Service: Friday, November 25 at 2 pm at Welcome Home Baptist Church

Judy Fay Conerly
February 24, 1945 – November 22, 2022
Service: Friday, November 25 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

With the Pilgrims held up as our example, we learned early to “be grateful.” 

As they dragged us to various in-laws’ in assorted neighborhoods for turkey and pumpkin pie and secondhand smoke, our parents reminded us that at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 (give or take), the settlers of the New World had it much tougher than we do. They had to eat outside. They didn’t have potatoes over here yet. The yeast rolls didn’t rise. William Bradford forgot to pick up a Marie Callender’s Apple Crumb Cobbler at the store, and the cable went out halfway through the Detroit Lions-Chicago Cardinals football game. 

“And they didn’t even complain,” our parents said. 

“Bet they got drunk then,” I said. 

“No, they most certainly did not!” 

The Pilgrims really WERE tough; I would have complained if there’d been no potatoes. Loud and clear. They could have heard me back over in England.  

But to hear our parents testify, no one 40 years ago ever complained about anything, especially on Thanksgiving. When you are spoiled like I am, that is setting the bar sort of high. But hey, I’m old school too and really not much of a complainer – as long as everything goes right. That’s just me. 

This week, complaining is a given. This week is about the pre-Thanksgiving misgivings about “where we’re going for Thanksgiving.” Do you know where you’re going yet? Or what you’re bringing? Or the order in which you’re going to whomever’s house when? Are we all on the same page? 

It can be dicey. 

“Are we going to grandmama’s?” 

“Not this year. But we’re not sure. We might.” 

“When will we know?” 

“I don’t know. Who are you, Dan Rather? We’ll know when we hear from everybody and decide.” 

“It’s Tuesday.” 

“Then good! Since Thanksgiving is on Thursday, as it usually is, that means we don’t have to know yet.” 

“We’re cutting it close.” 

“I’ll show you what cutting it close is, mister!” 

“I was just asking…” 

“Well just quit just asking, mister man. Your grandmother might meet us at Big Aunty’s. We might go there.” 

“Not to Big Aunty’s! Big Aunty can’t cook, momma. Big Aunty won’t have nothing even done until supper. We’ll starve.” 

“She most certainly will have and you most certainly will not starve. I’ll make you a pimento cheese to hold you over. We might just all bring different things.” 

“What do you mean, ‘we all?’ Who all is coming?” 

“Aunt Jean will bring the macaroni and cheese and we’ll bring the bean casserole and…” 

“Momma that means Uncle Lester is coming. He’s a professional smoker. We’ll all smell like something burnt. They’ll be ashes in the macaroni.” 

“No there will not!” 

“There was last year.” 

“You’ll think last year if you don’t shut up! Now I mean it!” 

“Can we just stay home and make hamburgers?” 

“NO! We can be thankful and not complain about gummy rice and ashes in the food and Jello with nuts in it and getting your picture taken. And if I hear one word, ONE MORE WORD….” 

Precious memories. And Happy Thanksgiving; I hope you get where you’re going. 

(Originally ran Nov. 20, 2009) 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

Sabine Parish Sheriff Aaron Mitchell reports Sabine Parish Sheriff Detectives are investigating burglaries which happened in the early morning hours of Nov. 21. Several residents on Hwy. 6, East of Many, reported their vehicles had been broken into and items were missing. Among the items are purses and firearms. There were also other items taken from a garage area of another residence in the Fort Jesup area.

Detectives have obtained photo/video evidence of possible suspects and a suspect vehicle. Detectives are also working with Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Detectives to follow-up with leads in the investigation.

Sheriff Mitchell encourages everyone to keep your vehicles locked and DO NOT leave any valuables inside.

If anyone has any information, please contact Sabine CID at 318-590-9475, or submit a tip through our Sabine Parish Sheriff App.

BENCH WARRANTS:
AMY BARNHILL- SPEEDING—$430
RACHEL CARMACK—SPEEDING–$430
MICHAEL CARRINGTON—REMAINING AFTER FORBIDDEN–$500
CYNTHIA CHANCE—SPEEDING, UNLICENSED DRIVER, FAIL TO REGISTER VEHICLE–$1,265
CYNTHIA CHANCE—P0SS OF MARIJUANA–$600
BRETT DIENER—NO MVI–$380
ANDREA DOWNS—SPEEDING–$430
TAMALA HALE—FAILURE TO GIVE SIGNAL–$130
SYNDNEY HARMAN—SPEEDING, UNLICENSED DRIVER–$860
KEIARRA HENRY—SPEEDING–$430
SEAN MCKENZIE—SPEEDING–$430

PICKUP ORDERS:
CHRISTOPHER ALDREDGE—EXPIRED REGISTRATION, NO SEATBELT—$875
JARED BARNES—SPEEDING–$530
DAVID COLLETT—SPEEDING–$530
MICHAEL GARNER—THEFT–$660
JAVAREA GEE—SPEEDING 17-22 OVER, UNLICENSED DRIVER—$1,069
KEVIN HOPKINS—SPEEDING–$530
ROBERT LACROIX—NO INSURANCE, DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION, OPERATING W/ONE TAIL LIGHT–$957
JAMES MANSHACK—NO DL ON PERSON—$580
ANTRONEZIA THOMAS—SPEEDING, UNLICENSED DRIVER­­­­­­—$1,000

ROSEPINE – Practicing on Thanksgiving Day. Balancing family and football. 

It’s something Many will do for the sixth straight season Friday when the No. 1 seed Tigers (10-0) head to No. 9 Rosepine (10-2) in the quarterfinals of the Division III Non-select playoffs. 

And for the second straight season, it’s Rosepine who is waiting to try and halt the Tigers in the quarters. 

Last year? Many won 50-12 as the Tigers marched to their third straight state championship game. 

But that was in the friendly confines of John W. Curtis Stadium. This year, Many heads south to the Vernon Parish town just north of DeRidder – a favorable road trip compared to some northern teams who are headed below Interstate 10. 

The Tigers don’t have to worry about scheduling walk-throughs at another stadium on Thanksgiving or loading up busses on the holiday. It’s about an hour south on Hwy 171. 

Many has posted a quarterfinals win in each of the last six seasons. 

“Practicing on Thanksgiving is a tradition here, and it’s expected,” said Many coach Jess Curtis. “So is walking into the Superdome. To us, it’s the next step on our journey to our goal. Rosepine is very well coached. They have a very good running back in (Grant) Ducote. We will have to be ready.” 

Rosepine’s Ducote sailed past 5,000 career rushing yards in the middle of this season and owns the program rushing record. 

But Many’s defense has a track record of frustrating star players, including the nation’s No. 1 quarterback recruit in Isidore Newman’s Arch Manning as the Tigers won 25-17. 

Haughton’ high-powered offense that scored 36 points in a first-round upset of District 1-5A champion Airline? The Bucs didn’t reach the end zone in a Week 3 trip to Many as the Tigers rolled 35-3. 

Many bottled up Ducote enough in the 2021 quarterfinals as Rosepine managed just 12 points, and the Tigers defense enters this quarterfinals matchup not having allowed a point since Oct. 14 (four straight games). 

Many blanked a Richwood offense 21-0 that had scored 34 points or in six different games. 

“The defense has been playing well,” Curtis said. “They haven’t given up a point since Oct. 14. We have very good cover guys and a physical box. A lot of good players have played in some big games. 

Rosepine’s offense scored at least 40 points in nine of their 10 regular season games, but in the playoffs, that’s slipped to 27 points per game. 

The Eagles gutted out a 20-13 win at No. 25 Westlake after thumping District 3-2A member Red River 34-6 in the first round. 

While Rosepine familiarized itself with Thanksgiving football this past season, 2021 is the Eagles only quarterfinals contest in its streak of six playoff appearances. 

Many has a winning streak of six straight quarterfinals games (not to mention three straight semifinals games), and the Tigers are coming off a bit of a test this past week against Class 3A Richwood. 

The Tigers might have grown accustomed to running clocks in District 3-2A play, but Many led 7-0 at halftime against Richwood and needed two long second-half touchdown plays to break away from a stingy Richwood defense. 

Quarterback Tackett Curtis had touchdown runs of 47 and 20 yards to tack on to Jeremiah James’ 52-yard touchdown sprint on the first drive of the game. 

“Richwood was very good up front – as good as we’ve seen,” Jess Curtis said. “They held Union Parish and Trey Holley to 21 points as well. Add on top of that, we were very sloppy (two fumbles). We got going and did what we needed to do to win.” 

Rosepine’s defense has posted impressive numbers, allowing less than 10 points per game after holding seven regular season opponents to 10 points or fewer. 

But the Eagles’ strength factor (5.60) is the second-lowest in Non-Select Division III. Many’s strength factor was a 7.67 by comparison, which ranks in the top half. 

Rosepine boasts an impressive win 42-22 against Class 1A power Logansport, but in its biggest test of the season, Avoyelles went wild in a 68-45 victory. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Shannahan/Journal Sports

JOURNAL STAFF 

MANY – Thanks to three consecutive shutouts and a first-round bye, the Many defense hadn’t allowed a point to an opponent in more than a month. 

The Tigers defense kept that train rolling Friday as they smothered a No. 17 Richwood offense that has been explosive at times this season as No. 1 seed Many rolled to a 21-0 second-round playoff win. 

Many allowed just 126 yards (less than yards per play) as the defense provided the offense enough space to operate and put together drives. 

“It was a defensive slugfest,” said Many coach Jess Curtis. “Watching them on film, we saw that they were very good defensively, and we wanted to make sure we matched them.” 

It’s hard to imagine Many’s defense not matching up with anybody in the state, regardless of classification, after shutting out its fourth straight opponent. 

Richwood managed 10 first downs but were just 3-16 on third down. 

The Rams rushed for just 20 yards while taking to the air for the other 106. 

“Yeah that’s four shutouts in a row,” Curtis said, with the last opponent to score being Winnfield all the way back on Oct. 14. “The defense comes in every week ready to play to the highest standard possible, and I’m very proud of them tonight.” 

Many’s offense started quickly as running back Jeremiah James scampered 52 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. 

But the Rams’ defense dug in their heels from there with the defenses trading stops for the rest of the half. 

The physical game featured hard hits from the likes of Tackett Curtis, Tylen Singleton, Swayze Carheel, Trenton Williams and Keaton Montgomery as Many kept Richwood’s offense under wraps. 

But perhaps Curtis’ biggest hit of the night came when he found a seam for a 47-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to put Many up 14-0. 

Many’s defense continued to tighten after halftime, surrendering just 33 second-half yards to thwart any Richwood comeback attempt. 

Curtis tacked on a 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and kicker Deacon Lafollette’s third extra point provided the final score of 21-0. 

The last drive was set up by a Lafollette 62-yard punt downed at the 3-yard line and another Many defensive stop to give the Tigers good field position. 

“We got a good drive late to put it away,” Jess Curtis said. “I’m very proud of these guys.” 

The Many offense finished with 320 yards – 275 rushing and 45 passing on 3-5 from Tackett Curtis. 

He also led the defense with 12 tackles. 

Many (10-0) will hit the road in the quarterfinals as they travel to No. 9 Rosepine (9-2), who took care of business in a 20-13 win at No. 25 Westlake. 

Scoring Summary 

First Quarter 

10:46 M Jeremiah James 52-yard TD run, Deacon Lafollete kick 7-0 

Third Quarter 

2:39 M Tackett Curtis 47-yard TD run, Lafollette kick 14-0 

Fourth Quarter 

2:40 M Curtis 20-yard TD run, Lafollette kick 21-0 

Stats 

Passing 

M Curtis 3-5-45 

R 7-25-106 

Receiving 

M Leach 1-31, McLendon 1-11, Garner 1-3 

R 7-106 

Rushing 

M James 19-129, Curtis 4-102, Garner 10-21, Aldredge 6-15, Mitcham 1-8 

R 29-20 

Tackles 

M Curtis 12, Singleton 8, Carheel 6, Williams 6 

PHOTO CREDIT: Darrin Dyess/Journal Sports 

Take a drive through Cypress Bend Park Thursday through Sunday each week in December to view Louisiana’s most enchanting Christmas light display. Santa will be at Cypress Bend each Saturday of December spreading holiday cheer. Admission will be $5 per car and the lights will end Friday, Dec. 23 .   

Events in Many begins judging on Thursday, Dec. 1 for the Christmas decorating contest for businesses, yards, and homes. Moonlight Madness kicks off in downtown Many at 5 pm on Friday, Dec. 2. Come shop the block for an evening of after-hours shopping. Local businesses along with area vendors will be set up from 5-9 pm along San Antonio Avenue eager to serve you as you complete your Christmas shopping. Bring the kids to see Santa and enjoy a Christmas movie. There will also be food trucks set up along the route. Moonlight Madness is an event that even the grinch would marvel at! 

Many’s annual Christmas Festival begins Sunday, Dec. 11 with a parade at 3 pm on San Antonio Avenue, the festival will follow at 4 pm at the fairgrounds, and fireworks at 6:30 pm. Additional events taking place through the holiday season include bingo, concerts, art classes and much more! For a full schedule of events, visit www.ToledoBendLakeCountry.com or call the Sabine Parish Tourist and Recreation Commission at (318) 256-5880.  

The Town of Many has a new texting service for residents looking for answers or to report an issue.

TextMyGov allows residents to receive answers or report issues about city services with just one text. Opting in to receive messages from the Town concerning road closures, water issues, or emergencies can be done by texting MANY to 91896.

The Town’s website, townofmany.org has the TextMyGov logo on the homepage and by clicking on the logo, you can get more information on how to opt in or op out to receive messages directly from the Town. Under the Contact Us tab on the homepage, click on Report an Issue for a link that takes you to the page where you can either click on the iWorQ logo or the word Portal to send requests directly to the new work management system.

 “Oh, my goodness! Are you looking to start water service, pay your water bill or disconnect service, report a pothole, or a loose dog roaming around?  Yes, wow, how easy is that?” was the reaction from lifelong Many resident Shanna Gaspard, who added, “this new service is super convenient and easy to use.”

“Our Town’s team is always looking for ways to enhance customer service for our community, and the new texting service shows how we can do this by embracing technology that is used by so many of our residents,” said Many Mayor Robert Hable. “We now have multiple ways for our residents to seek assistance in a way that suits their lives – by texting, using our free app, submitting online, or by calling our office team.”

To use the new work order service, residents should text a keyword related to their question or concern to 318-508-7997, such as “animal” or “water service” or even “pothole.” Or they can use the online option as described above.

“Nobody really wants to call somewhere for help and sit on hold for any amount of time, even if it’s just a minute. And so, the ability to send a text with a keyword and get a response and suggestions on how to address that issue, I think is a great idea,” said Many resident and Councilwoman Cherry Williams. “This new system, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is something our council all agreed that would help our residents to report, and our employees to get, work requests in a more efficient manner based on technology that we all use”, added Williams.

Gaspard, who has spent her whole life in Many and is the Director for the Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce said this new service is needed— especially for the elderly who may not be able to get around much but who almost certainly have a smart phone and understands how to send text messages.

The software uses short keywords like street, animal, water, sewer, or tree to send a response with links to helpful information on the city’s website as well as next steps for submitting a service request. The text request is then sent via email to the appropriate department’s Supervisor through the new Work Order system powered by iWorQ.

The Town’s employees understand everyone uses their phone for various reasons, and this is just one way to meet them halfway. We asked Gaspard and Williams how often they are on their phones.

“Well, I do a whole lot of business for the Chamber and the Art Guild on my phone, and I have family that live out-of-town. I would say roughly about eight hours some days,” Gaspard shared.

“Probably a little too often, as we all are, sometimes unfortunately all day long,” Williams said.

“The new text messaging system is live now and residents can begin opting in to receive or send text messages. The work order system has been used internally for the past 2 months and we will go live for the public next week after the final touches are completed”, said Suzanne Williams, the Town’s Grant Writer and implementation/training manager of these software projects. “I’m so excited we are bringing our wonderful, historic, little Town into the 21st century in a big way, utilizing technology that we have come to rely on in all areas of our lives!”, she added.

To continue to report issues or needs that residents have the old-fashioned way, a phone call to City Hall at 318-256-3651, will still be available during regular office hours during the week.  

Many’s 2nd Annual Poster Unveiling and Parade Honorees Reception was held on Nov. 17. The Town of Many and its Events Committee also hosted the 2nd annual poster unveiling. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come out and attend.

Our poster contest winner is Hannah Fulton. She did an excellent job portraying lovely San Antonio Avenue at Christmas time.

Hannah is a 2012 graduate and valedictorian from Negreet High School. After high school she earned a Bachelor degree of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Communications and a minor in Photography at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. She worked towards a Masters in Fine Arts at Louisiana Tech.  After spending a year teaching adjunct at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA), she is now teaching at Louisiana Christian University in Pineville.

Posters, postcards, and tshirts are available for purchase at Many City Hall.

We were also able to honor this years Home for Christmas parade Honorees:

Grand Marshal Mr. Louie Bernard
Honorary Grand Marshal Mr I.D. Bostian
Young Achiever Mrs. Leanna Sepulvado, owner of Golden Girls
Risings Stars Mr. Tackett Curtis and Ms. Victoria Gaspard
Business of the Year Tru Beauty owned by Mrs. Brenda Carter.

Photography by: Shelly Haigh