You sports fans know we’re in the Crossover Season. Lots of moving parts. 

In the pros, baseball is in spring training, the NFL is in trade/arbitration/free agency/pass-the-blame offseason, and the NBA is nearing the start of its third trimester.

Yawn…

Then there is college, where campuses might not have enough fans to go around.

Tennis.

Track and field.

Softball and baseball.

Bowling. 

For some, beach volleyball. (We see you waving goodbye, Pac-12.)

Golf, for sure.

And in the Cucumber States, pickle ball. (Well, maybe one day …) 

But Crossover Season has just one Real Season, one that counts, and everybody who’s ever been in a gymnasium knows that.

It’s college basketball. Until March Madness is over, it’s tough to make more than a token investment in anything else. 

The men’s tournament started with eight teams in 1939 and grew with television, to 16 teams in 1951, to 64 in 1985, and eventually 67 games and 68 teams, from the First Four to the Final Four.

The women’s game and ultimately the tournament began to grow in the early 1980s. Check this out: the first Division 1 NCAA women’s champion defeated Cheyney State, 76-62, in 1982 in The Scope in Norfolk, Va. That would have been Louisiana Tech. Hometown team Old Dominion had been upset in the East Regional Semifinals, so the announced sellout crowd of 9,000-plus, thanks to corporate locals buying bunches of tickets, was a bit smaller than that.

TV ratings — CBS televised the title game as part of their contract with the men’s tournament — were miniscule. Still, the ball was rolling, and the Lady Techsters were the bunch that first kicked it down the road.

So Tech won the first one.

And the most recent Division I NCAA women’s champion, if memory serves, is LSU, a 102-85 winner over Iowa in the highest scoring final in the tournament’s history. That game was played before an announced crowd of 19,842 — and most of them were actually there — in the American Airlines Center in Dallas. ESPN viewership was nearly 10 million, a 100 percent increase over the year before.

Good times. 

So now the March action is twice the fun for those who are fans of both sports. If you are a fan of only one, that’s enough. That’s how good this tournament-times-two is.

I have not, as a writer, covered an NCAA Tournament beginning-to-end in a hard-to-believe 34 years. So when I write about things that happened in the mid-1980s, let’s say, it would be like me, back then, writing about the tournament as it was in the early-1950s.

In other words, names I’d type today about those 1980s times — names like Loyola Marymount, Bobby Cremins, Bucknell, St. Bonaventure, Bob Knight and Dick Tarrant — would be like me going back 30-plus years then and typing Canisius and Bradley and Clarence Iba and Slats Gill, Phil Woolpert and Adolph Rupp and a youngish John Wooden. Bill Russell and B.H. Born.

Go much further back and you’re talking peach baskets and a jump ball after every made basket.

Time is the great mystery. 

Things change. But that Thursday and Friday the first week of the tournament, four games in one day at each site, that’s the best Daily Double of the year. 

And always the surprises, in a tournament that’s proven timeless.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Anglers question themselves after a bass tournament. Bass fishermen are their own worse critics when it comes to how they performed.

While I still go into every tournament wanting to win, the reality is I probably won’t. But I do feel I’m still good enough to make the top 10! My effort and heart are still there, and I’ll do my homework before each event, but I’m continuously reminded that this is a young man’s sport. Today I’ll share my perspective on what happened after my recent ABA Solo 150 15th place finish at Lake of the Pines in East Texas.

Today’s tournament anglers are very good at catching bass. It all starts with the equipment they are using today. Fishing reels are so much more advanced than when I first started tournament fishing back in 1990. Reels that we used to consider high speed with a 7:1:1 gear ratio have been replaced by super high-speed reels with a gear ratio of 10:1. The fishing rods also are state of the art with so many different designs for every type of fishing known to man. Many rods today are so sensitive you can actually
feel every single pebble on the bottom of the lake.

So, with all this great equipment, why is it that everyone is not a great angler? In my opinion, it’s just like any other sport. Some anglers are just naturally better and more talented than others. The days of someone getting lucky to win a tournament are long gone! Anglers still must do their homework, spend time on the water and pre-fish before each event.

For this Lake of the Pines ABA Solo 150 Tour event, I made several trips to the Pines to scout weeks before the tournament. Of my first three previous trips leading up to the week of the event, I was catching not just a lot of fish, but quality as well. I was feeling pretty good about being able to have a top 10 finish. Then tournament week rolled around and all the time and effort I had put in was all for naught, or was it

One thing about early spring bass fishing is conditions can change almost daily. It might be the hardest time of year to pattern fish since conditions are constantly changing with passing cold fronts. This time of year, bass are constantly on the move looking to head for shallow water to spawn. For this event, I had what I thought was a good area where I felt bass would stage before coming in for the spawn. These spots can be a true honey hole and can put an angler in great position to do very well.

But that did not happen for me on this event, and I had to adjust my game plan and go to Plan B early on Day 1. But that’s what tournament bass fishing is all about — making adjustments. Long story short, I managed to bang out a five-fish limit just shy of 17 pounds on Day 1. Now for 80 percent of most events, this would be considered a great start. I felt confident I would be in the top 10 for sure or maybe the top 7.

Wrong! After all anglers weighed in on Day 1, I was sitting in 12th place. Now that’s nothing to be ashamed of, but two of my competitors caught over 25 pounds, with one over 27.

After the shock was over, I asked myself, “What the heck am I doing wrong?” I knew that the anglers who were leading were really good anglers, but I was heading into final day with a 10-pound deficit. I knew that there was no way I could make up that kind of ground on this group of anglers.

But Day 2 for me was not very good as I struggled to get a limit of about 11 pounds in the boat before 11:30 that morning. It was a small limit, but I continued to put my head down and fish hard hoping to get two or three quality bites (four- or five-pounders) that might put me in range to maybe get a check. As Day 2 came to a close, I ended this event in 15th place overall.   

Over my 34 years of tournament fishing, I have logged in thousands of hours on the water looking for those little green fish we call bass. While I still have the desire to compete and win an event, I’m a realist as well. These young anglers today are good, and I mean really good, especially with today’s advanced electronics. They are just better than me and that’s hard for me to say!

But one thing I have come to terms with is that at the age of 62, and a melanoma diagnosis that so far I have overcome, I’m happy to be able to wet a hook and continue to fish on a competitive level. It’s funny how your perspective changes when life throws you a curve ball and reminds you how precious it is to have our health. Winning is no longer that important. What is important is that I still enjoy the camaraderie we anglers share as a group. It’s the friends I’ve made because of bass fishing that makes it all worthwhile.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to check out Tackle Talk Live podcast, as well as the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show on You Tube.

Contact Steve sgraf26@yahoo.com 

By Brad Dison

James “Rabbit” Henry Rodrigues
June 3, 1947 — March 11, 2024
Service: Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 5pm at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Many.

Nita Ann Perot Maggio
December 5, 1939 — March 12, 2024
Service: Friday, March 15 at 10 am at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Sandra Kay Casey
May 2, 1942 — March 7, 2024
No arrangement information

Diane Vercher Thomas
May 8, 1957 – March 6, 2024
Arrangements TBA

On March 5, 2024, at approximately 5:10 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a two-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 6 at Sid Faust Road.  The crash claimed the lives of 17-year-old Sylvonte Aldredge of Many and 17-year-old Elijah Cundiff of Many.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2010 Hyundai Sonata, driven by 20-year-old I’Moni Cundiff of Many, was traveling east on Louisiana Highway 6. For reasons still under investigation, I’Moni Cundiff attempted to overtake an eastbound vehicle, but failed to yield to a westbound 2011 Honda Odyssey. As a result, the Hyundai struck the Honda head-on.

I’Moni Cundiff and two juvenile passengers, who were not restrained, sustained moderate injuries and were transported to a local hospital. Elijah Cundiff and Aldredge, who also were not restrained, sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased. The driver of the Honda, who was restrained, sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Routine toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

Joshua N. Pierson has been promoted to Senior Vice President. He was born and raised in Natchitoches, LA. Josh began his career with City Bank & Trust Co. working as a teller while earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northwestern State University. After graduation he became an Office Manager for a pipeline construction contractor based in Houston, TX. He returned to City Bank & Trust Co. in 2015 and for almost 9 years, he has been a lender. He graduated from the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking in June of 2023 and opened a loan production office for City Bank in McKinney, Texas. In February of 2024, he was elected to the City Bank & Trust Co. Board of Directors. He aspires to help grow City Bank & Trust Co. while continuing to offer the very same personal service for which our bank is well known. In his spare time, Josh enjoys hunting in the great outdoors and spending time with his children, family, and friends.

By Courtney Freeman

Well, as many travelers have probable noticed, the landscape of Robeline is changing. On both sides of the S-curve on the east side of the village we’ve seen two buildings be torn down. Thankfully though these buliding will be replaced with businesses that Robeline desperately needs.

The Sabine bank was damaged by fire due to a car crashing into it last November. The building itself had been used for many other businesses over the years and it will certainly look odd to locals with it gone.

Personally, I was sad that they also took out the tree at the corner of the parking lot. My husband proposed to me under it and it held a special memory for me. But like most other patrons of Sabine Bank we are excited to see progress in the process of getting our bank back. Many local businesses also used the bank for their daily deposits and having to drive 15 miles to either Many or Natchitoches to complete their business was very inconvenient. All in all I’m excited to see the new and improved Sabine State Bank, hopefully very soon.

On the other side of highway 6 is the site for Robeline’s new clinic. It was once a gas station and has had to go through some testing before construction could begin. But I was happy to see that building materials are beginning to arrive on site. The clinic has a tentative opening date of July of this year, with a pharmacy to come after state approval processes. When looking for a site the Sabine Medical Center completed a study and found Robeline to be a “medical desert.” 

Just like with the bank being temporarily closed, locals have to drive 15 miles for any medical care. The dollar stores in town have brough convenient shopping and we’ve been blessed to have Shop-a-Lott and the Sabine Bank as long standing features of our community. The new clinic will make it easier for many to have their medical needs met locally. To a population with a majority of elderly citizens and families close to or under the poverty line it will be a welcome and wonderful addition.

I would like to remind everyone Apostolic Truth Tabernacle will hold its Pastoral Anniversary services this Thursday and Friday, March 7-8 at 7:30 pm at 9086 Texas St. in Robeline. Everyone is invited to join us. There will be food and fellowship afterwards.

January 11, 1960 — February 26, 2024

Debra Kay (Sepulvado) Meshell, 64, of Zwolle, Louisiana went to her Heavenly home on Monday, February 26, 2024. She was born on January 11, 1960, in Converse, Louisiana to Charles Sepulvado and Betty Jo (Hopkins) Sepulvado.

July 25, 1969 — February 29, 2024

Richard Wayne Rutherford, Sr., 54, of Noble, Louisiana entered into eternal rest on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at his residence. He was born on July 25, 1969, in Shreveport, Louisiana to Edward Ray Rutherford and to Bessie Rena (Meshell) Rutherford.

A visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 4, 2024, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 9891 Texas Highway, Many, Louisiana. His funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. with Bro. Leon Manshack officiating. Interment will follow in Lakeview Cemetery, Highway 482, Noble, Louisiana.

Some of Richard’s hobbies included fishing and hunting. He enjoyed being outside in the woods or being on the lake. He also liked spending time with his family and friends.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Edward Ray Rutherford and Bessie Rena (Meshell) Rutherford; his sister, Janet Yvonne Rutherford; and his brothers, Jackie Rutherford, Dale Rutherford, Rodney Rutherford, and Sidney Rutherford. He is survived by his sons, Richard Rutherford, Jr. of Noble, LA, Charles Rutherford of Noble, LA, Driston Rutherford of Florien, LA, and John Rutherford of Monroe, LA; his daughters, Angel Rutherford of Many, LA, Bessie Rutherford of Winnfield, LA; his brothers, Robert Rutherford, Sr. & wife, Barbara of Noble, LA, Dennis Rutherford & wife, Annette of Noble, LA; his sisters-in-law, Debbie Rutherford of Noble, LA, and Veralyn Rutherford of Noble, LA; his special friend, Betty Martin of Homer, LA; and his 10 grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, friends, and other family members.

Honoring him as pallbearers will be Jeff Sepulvado, Chris Lester, Joey Ebarb, Riley Rutherford, Keith Martinez, and Dewayne Ebarb. His honorary pallbearers will be Charles Cherry and Anthony Sepulvado.

December 27, 1928 — February 29, 2024

Gretchen Lea Jones Stephens was born on December 27, 1928, in Gandy, Louisiana, the oldest of five children born to Lee and Audra Jones. She passed away peacefully on January 31, 2024, in Beaumont, Texas, having lived 95 years. She is survived by her son, Harry James Stephens, and his wife Linda Stephens of Montrose, Colorado, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lee and Audra Jones; 3 brothers, Bo Jones, Glynn Jones, and Ralph Jones; and one sister, Joan Pilcher.

Despite being born and raised in a small, rural town, Gretchen wanted to go to the city. In 1947, she moved to Beaumont, Texas, and attended business college before starting work. She spent the rest of her life in Beaumont and retired from the Texas Youth Commission as a juvenile parole officer. She was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church for 70 years. Gretchen was a talker. If you met her, you know this! She never met a stranger and had amazing stories to tell. She also had one of the best laughs any human has ever had. It was bold and brassy, just like her. It was impossible not to be drawn into her circle when she tilted her head back and let out one of those big laughs. Gretchen was also a fashion icon, especially to young nieces back home in Louisiana. When she visited, she always had her beautiful blonde hair done, perfect makeup, and a gorgeous outfit complete with matching jewelry. When Auntie Gretch came to visit, it was a big deal! Gretchen will also be remembered for being a hard worker with a strong work ethic and having tons of friends.

A reception/visitation will be held in Beaumont at Wesley United Methodist Church on Friday, March 15, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the Parlor .

A graveside service will be held in Florien, Louisiana at Prospect Cemetery on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Heart to Heart Hospice in Beaumont, Texas.

By Doug De Graffenried

In the Methodist church we have parsonages. A parsonage is a home provided by the church in which the pastor lives. They are a vestige of the 19^th century, and they are fading fast. Many large churches now give the pastor a housing allowance. I was an associate pastor in New Orleans when I moved into my first Methodist parsonage. I had lived in college dorms and seminary housing prior to living in this fine home.

The house had all the latest technology and equipment. It had a garage door opener and central heating and air. The house came with a doorbell, which you don’t find in most seminary provided housing. The house even came with the latest in kitchen equipment, an automatic dishwasher. 

I knew all about dishwashing. I was the designated dryer. My other task was to put the dishes up. I had been washing and drying dishes since the 60’s. It was one of the chores of being mom’s child. This fancy Methodist parsonage had that new technology, an automatic dishwasher. Do you remember the dishwashers that were on castors? Yes, it was that kind. It sat in a corner until you needed it, and then you could roll it in place when the dishes needed washing.

I did not use it much. I was a bachelor minister at the time and my life consisted of food that involved paper plates. One weekend my mother came to see me. I pulled out the real plates for her.

I also decided to show off my fancy modern dishwasher. I knew the rudiments of connecting it to the kitchen sink. What I did not have were the little pods of dishwashing soap. I loaded the dishwasher and made a rational decision. Since I had dishwashing liquid, I would simply pour dishwashing liquid into the dishwasher.

You know what happened next. Dishwashing liquid and dishwashers are incompatible. There were suds everywhere! I also learned that it takes a couple of wash cycles to get all the detergent out of the dishwasher. There were suds everywhere for a couple of weeks. I learned my dishwasher lesson and have not repeated that mistake.

The Bible proclaims that we are all sinners. Even wearing our Sunday best, we are sinners. We can try to live a holy and perfect life. We can try to avoid sin and live for Jesus, but our very nature gets into our way. 

We are like dishwasher suds, eventually sin gets everywhere. There is a remedy for our situation, the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

In today’s fast-paced world, people are busier than ever. They are looking for ways to reset and decompress their brains. To maintain our overall health, we need to slow down both our thought and physical exertions. Today, we’ll look at ways so many people are getting the relief they need in order
to function at a normal level.

More people today are taking part in counseling sessions to release tension and make sense of everything going on around us. But sadly, for some who are at an extreme high level of tension and depression, drugs are needed.  Nothing is more important than our overall mental health. Whether it’s our jobs or just managing our families, stress creeps into our lives in different ways.

During the Covid 19 pandemic, boat, RV and ATV sales were out the roof nationwide. People turned to the great outdoors to get away from the stress that was associated with this dreaded disease. People were stuck working at home creating too much togetherness. Depression was also an internal fight
for so many during this time, as lives and job careers were literally turned upside down.

For myself and so many others, we discovered that in order to maintain our metal health, fishing or any outdoor activity was good medicine. There’s just something about the peace and tranquility of sitting in a boat and wetting a hook. So many times, fishing guides have told me that some of their big city business clients told them that they don’t care if they catch a fish, they just want to get on the water and relax; catching fish is secondary.

There is absolutely nothing better for your soul or will give you a better perspective on life than being on the water watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset. There’s no better feeling than running across the water with the wind blowing through your hair on a cool brisk morning headed for a good fishing hole. It’s a great way to release whatever thoughts and tensions you might have.

The concrete jungle environment that so many people work in pushes stress levels over the top with traffic jams and work-related issues. No wonder the fishing guide business is so lucrative today as people continue to look to the outdoors to regain their sanity.

As people turn to the outdoors, they are realizing what so many of previous generations already knew. The outdoors truly is a sanctuary for both young and old. It’s a place someone can decompress and regain their mental capacity to fight through life’s daily struggles.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and take the time to get outdoors and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

Dear Sweeter,

Time’s a funny dog, am I right?

Has it been more than 30 years since we’ve been calling you Sweeter?, when your grandboy toddlers said “Sweet Lou” and that morphed into “Sweeter”? Time flies, but the name is timeless. And fits.

So Happy Birthday, Sweeter! Sorry I missed being there. Somehow, after more than 40 years, I have wound up back on the Louisiana Tech Baseball bus, which is why I was calling you from Lake Charles and Sugar Land, Texas this week.

Bad news: I missed “Happy Birthday To You” and the cake and you wearing your goofy Happy Birthday hat the gang bought you.

Good news, we got to talk on the phone and the Bulldogs went 4-0 on the trip, swept the Battle at the Ballpark at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, and have started their season 11-0.

So far, so good.

Since you asked, yes momma, the baseball bus is the same, even after all this time:

Somebody plays the music too loud or not loud enough or the wrong music;

Somebody needs to go to the bathroom and has to run through a gauntlet of shins in the aisle to get back there;

Somebody says too many dirty words too loud;

Somebody forgot something;

Laughs and food and inside jokes.

It’s a beautiful thing. And it’s one of those things that never changes.

But thank goodness, some things do. Like, for instance:

Last year’s Tech team was more up and down than a gopher on speed. Every game was like going to meet your tough-to-read girlfriend: you didn’t know whether to bring a tank top or a windbreaker or a heavy jacket. 

Couldn’t throw a strike. Guys hurt. One missed the whole season. Missed a couple of seniors who’d graduated, and no one picked up the Accountability Stick. Most everyone had a sub-par spring …

Just one of those sports deals where few things went right and every game was like going 12 rounds with Tyson. That the program was coming off back-to-back NCAA Regionals made it more trying. 

A Pepto-Bismol season.

But maybe Tech’s time in the barrel is up. The Diamond Dogs have come into 2024, as I heard an old cowpoke say one time, “a-rippin’ and a-roarin’, a-rompin’ and a-stompin’ …”

Hard to win 11 in a row in anything in college, but especially in baseball, where the tiniest thing — passed ball, throwing to the wrong base, missed cutoff — can blow it all up.

First trip of the season, the Dogs left the Love Shack Wednesday at 11, teed it up against McNeese at 6 and, on a cold, blustery, next-to-last evening of February, beat the Cowboys 13-4. Were right on every pitch. Maybe three swings and misses.

Slept fast and got on the bus at 8 and were practicing in Sugar Land at noon. Then a 20-minute bus ride to Houston to lift weights at Rice, then finally checking into the hotel back in Sugar Land, team supper, sleep, and in the next three days, beat Army 4-0, Creighton 12-0, and Air Force 8-5. Bulldogs had been in town 72 hours before they allowed a run. 

Outscored opponents 37-9.

Is that good? I think that’s good.

It’s early but … cautious optimism. Double cautious. Super-duper cautious. Still healing up from last year’s ulcer(s).

I’ll keep you up to speed Sweeter. You’ll enjoy a game when the weather’s warmer. The crowds for this weekend’s three games against Southern Miss — Friday at 6, Saturday at 2, Sunday at 1 — should get the Love Shack heated up.

See you at the park or at the kitchen table soon. Love you. The boys say hey, and smoke ’em high and tight.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Position: Airport Manager

Description: Directs, Coordinates and Supervises all day to day operations and activities related to the Natchitoches Regional Airport.

Qualifications: Broad knowledge of such fields as Accounting, Marketing, Business Administration,  Finance, etc. Equivalent to a four-year College degree, Plus 5 years related Airport Management experience and/or training.

Contact: City of Natchitoches, Human Resources Department, 750 Second St. or P.O. Box 37, Natchitoches LA 71458-0037.

Applications may be picked up at the Event Center or you can download an application at www.natchitochesla.gov and turn into Human Resources at the Event Center when complete.

Deadline to Apply: March 15th, 2024

THE CITY OF NATCHITOCHES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

By Brad Dison

Lula Mae “Toot” LaCour
December 9, 1935 — March 2, 2024
Service: Saturday, March 9 at 10:30 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Isle Brevelle

Michael Westmoreland, Sr.
March 2, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Deborah Llorens
November 19, 1961 – March 3, 2024
Service: Friday, March 8 at 11 a. m. at the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, located at 911 5th St. in Natchitoches

James Brown, Jr.
February 25, 2024
Service: Saturday, March 9 at 11 AM at New Direction Life Ministry, located at 855 3rd St. in Natchitoches