Megan Murray

Oak Grove defeats Kentwood in its ninth straight semifinals appearance, 49-28. Haynesville takes down top seed Logansport, 31-14. The Tigers and Golden Tornado will meet for a rivalry State Championship matchup. OCS’s season ends in the semifinals to Southern Lab, 38-34. The Eagles gave up 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

Sterlington falls short to St. James in its twelfth semifinal game in school history, 28-17. The Panthers lose a home playoff game for the first time since 2017 and snap an 11-game winning streak.

Union defeated previously unbeaten Jena, 24-16. The Farmers are headed back to the Superdome for the fourth straight season. Top seeded Ruston handled business against Mandeville, 28-7. The Bearcats advance to the State Championship for the second straight season.

In the 59th edition of the Battle of I-20, ULM women’s basketball beat Louisiana Tech, 60-52. The Warhawks increase their season winning streak to six games, snapping a five-game losing skid to the Lady Techsters and winning in Ruston for the third time ever. Daisha Bradford led all scorers with 26 points and nine rebounds, while Brianna Harris added 14 points and nine boards.

In the Division I Non-Select regional playoffs, No. 2 Neville suffered an upset loss at the hands of No. 18 Central, 17-16. The Tigers pounced on the Wildcats early, taking a 16-0 lead in the opening seven minutes of the game. However, Central scored 17 unanswered points to advance to the quarterfinals. For the first time since 2008, Neville will not practice during Thanksgiving week.

In the first ever meeting between programs, (3) OCS dominates (19) Westminster Christian, 56-7. The Eagles improve to 47-14 all-time in home playoff games and will host (6) St. Mary’s in the Division IV Select quarterfinals. In a defensive battle, (7) St. Frederick falls to (10) Central Catholic, 6-2. Even though the Warriors outgained the Eagles in total yards, St. Frederick’s season comes to an end. Delhi Charter’s season ends at the hands of top seeded Vermilion Catholic.

D’arbonne Woods is still looking for their first playoff win in program history after falling to Notre Dame at home, 49-7. Wossman’s impressive season comes to an end after being upsetted by #14 Northwest on the road, 24-14. Union returns to the quarterfinals after a huge win against Port Allen, 35-6. Jena continues their undefeated run after rolling past Caldwell, 46-7. Oak Grove showed no rust after their bye week by putting on a performance against Lake Arthur, 49-20. Mangham is red-hot after blowing out Centerville on the road, 53-14.

Top seeded Ruston avoided a huge upset at home against Westgate behind huge defensive stops, winning 20-18. The Bearcats relied on their offensive weapons as Josh Brantley ran and passed for two touchdowns, while Jordan “Jet” Hayes ran free as well. Ruston now switches their focus to a home showdown against #9 Walker next week, winner advances to the semi-finals.

Louisiana Tech dominated Lyon College (Division III) in its home opener at the Thomas Assembly Center, 100-43. Isaiah Crawford (21 points, 8 rebounds, three steals) became the 45th Louisiana Tech basketball player to score 1,000 career points. Jaylin Henderson scored a game-high 24 points. Dravon Mangum recorded a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds).

Delhi Charter running back Deandra Young rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the Gators first round playoff win over Slaughter Community Charter. Young finished the regular season as the fourteenth leader rushing in Louisiana with 1,539 yards, 9.68 yards per carry and ten touchdowns.

The ULM Warhawks dropped their final home game of the season to the Troy Trojans, 45 to 14. The loss marks ULM’s eigth straight loss of the 2023-2024 season. The Warhawks went for it four times on fourth-down and did not convert once, two of those times were within 10 yards of the goal line. ULM now switches their focus to a tough road game against Ole Miss.

Louisiana Tech drops its fifth straight game, falling to Sam Houston 42-27. The Bulldogs handed the Bearkats their first win over a FBS opponent by turning the ball over four times and struggling on third downs on both sides of the ball.

Ferriday shows out at home with a huge win over Jonesboro-Hodge, 34-6. The Trojans now switch their focus to #2 Kentwood. Delta Charter’s historic season comes to an end after falling short to Covenant Christian, 35-6. Kirk Academy beat Riverfield, 27-0. Briarfield’s season comes to end by Sharkey Issaquena Academy, 22 to 14.

For the second straight season, Franklin Parish falls in the first round at home, dropping to Northwest, 42-20. West Ouachita put up a fight on the road, but ultimately lost to Salmen, 20-17. In a rematch from last season’s first round game, Caldwell got revenge against Richwood, 13-6. Delhi dropped to Homer on the road, 28-8.

Ouachita sneaked into the playoffs as the last seed with a 3-7 record. The Lions’ traveled to fifth seeded St. Amant looking for an upset but the Gators held on to end Ouachita’s season, 21-0. Wossman hosted their first playoff game since 2016 and they put on a show as the Wildcats clawed past Brusly to advance to the second round, 26-7.

The West Monroe Rebels’ season shockingly ended in the first round of the playoffs to #25 Northshore. The ending was controversial as West Monroe was trying to put together a game winning drive, Northshore stopped the Rebels on fourth down but the spotting of the ball being short was questioned by fans. Northshore still squeaks past West Monroe, 9-7. This marks the first ever 1st round loss at home for West Monroe.

In her first game as Grambling women’s basketball head coach, Courtney Simmons earned her first head coaching victory. The Tigers dominated Champion Christian College, 93-48. Kaci Chairs led the way with a game-high 17 points, six rebounds and four assists.

The defending SWAC regular season champion Grambling Tigers opened the 2023-24 season with an 82-67 win over UNT-Dallas. Jalen Johnson led the Tigers with a double-double (18 points and 10 rebounds).

In the 50th season opener of Lady Techsters basketball, Louisiana Tech dominated LSU-Alexandria, 93-37. Four Lady Techsters finished in double figures. Robyn Lee led the way with a game and career-high 21 points. Salma Bates put up a career-high 18 points and six 3-pointers.

West Ouachita finishes an injury plagued regular season 6-4, falling to ASH 49-7. Ouachita dominates Pineville, 49-7, to finish the regular season 3-7. Union bounces back from its loss to Wossman, rolling over Carroll 40-6. Jena completes the perfect 10-0 regular season, beating Buckeye 74-38.

Jonesboro-Hodge holds off Winnfield’s second half comeback to win 30-20. Richwood pitches a home shutout against Bastrop, 18-0. Franklin Parish wins a low scoring affair over Peabody, 15-6. Haynesville captures the District 1-1A title over Homer, 23-0. D’Arbonne Woods finishes the regular season 8-1 with a 42-36 victory at North Caddo. In the MAIS playoffs, Riverfield, Tallulah and Briarfield all advance, while River Oaks and Riverdale’s seasons come to an end.

Ruston snapped the 33-game losing streak to West Monroe last season. Now the Bearcats have snapped another streak to the Rebels, winning their first game in Rebel Stadium since 1989, 35-28. Bearcats’ running back Jordan Hayes finished with 243 yards and two touchdowns. Ruston and West Monroe both switch their focus to the playoffs where it is a possibility both teams can meet again.

The Storm won their first district 1-1A title over Delhi Charter, 60-42. Delta Charter has been lighting up the scoreboard all season, outscoring opponents 378 to 128. The Storm now switch their focus to Block to end the season and look to finish with a 8-1 record.

In a District 2-1A battle, St. Frederick scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat Cedar Creek, 30-14. On Senior Night, OCS dominated Lincoln Prep, 51-14. Oak Grove ended the regular season on a seven-game winning streak, beating Vidalia, 56-14.

Wossman and Sterlington are the powerhouses in district 1-3A this season but the Panthers proved they were the top dogs. Sterlington came out firing from the opening kickoff with a pick six and a 24-point lead at half. The Wildcats were able to put up 15 in the second half but it was too late. The Panthers take home their 5th district title since 2017, 38 to 15.

Grambling beat Bethune-Cookman on Senior Day at Harris-Williams Field at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium, 28-14. Chance Williams rushed for 134 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. Grambling’s defense held the Wildcats to 177 total yards of offense with four sacks and three interceptions.

The Warhawks fell to Arkansas State on Homecoming, 34 to 24. This marks the 14th straight loss to the Red Wolves, dating all the way back to 2009. ULM went with freshman Blake Murphy at quarterback for his first career start. Murphy finished with 300 passing yards and two touchdowns. ULM now switches their focus to Southern Miss next week.

OCS improves to 8-1 with a shutout 56-0 win over Grant. Coming off its first loss of the season, D’Arbonne Woods gets back in the win column against Green Oaks, 42-16. Delta Charter captures the District 4-1A title, beating Delhi Charter, 60-42. Mangham improves to 4-1 in District 2-2A with a 40-6 win over Rayville.

Ruston improves to 9-0 on the season and wins its ninth straight game against Ouachita, 49-7. West Monroe also remains unbeaten is District 2-5A with a big road win against ASH, 28-23. The Bearcats and Rebels meet in next week’s regular season finale for the District 2-5A title.

Neville continues their dominance over Franklin Parish with their 19th straight win over the Patriots, 58 to 14. West Ouachita started off the season strong but fell off once district play started, but the Chiefs bounced back with a big win over Pineville, 21 to 7. Carroll struggles continue against Richwood, 44 to 8. Jena’s path to an undefeated season is still ahead of them with a big win over Caldwell, 60 to 7.

The Wossman Wildcats are ranked for the first time since 2019 and they proved against Union that they are no fluke. The Wildcats clawed past the Farmers in a hard fought battle, 12 to 7. That sets up a huge matchup against Sterlington for the district 1-3A championship.

In a battle of 6-1 teams, Neville dominated Tioga 44-13 to win Little Caesars Team of the Week. The Tigers are 3-0 in 4A District 2.

Louisiana Tech led by as much as 13 points in the first half, but ultimately fell to New Mexico State, 27-24. In his first start since suffering a right throwing shoulder injury September 16, quarterback Hank Bachmeier went 20-of-27 for 238 yards and accounted for all three of Louisiana Tech’s touchdowns. The Bulldogs had two chances late in the fourth quarter to tie or take the lead, but a Bachmeier fumble and incompletion to Smoke Harris led to LA Tech’s third straight loss of the season.

The Benjy Lewis era at Ouachita has got off to a rough start with a 2-4 record but you can throw out records when the Lions and Rebels meet up ever year. Ouachita fought to the very end, cutting the deficit to just 7 points late in the game. West Monroe didn’t flinch as Hunter Fox drilled a 37-yard field goal to give the Rebels the two possession lead and the win, 31 to 28 the final.

In a highly anticipated battle of unbeatens in 2A District 1, D’Arbonne Woods dropped its first game of the season to Calvary, 35-0.

Emotions were running high at Delhi Charter as former player, Stuart Scurria, tragically passed away in a plane crash in July. The Gators honored Stuart by renaming the sports complex after him. Delhi Charter showed out for Stuart putting up 74 points against Block, 74-32. St. Frederick showed out for homecoming beating John Paul, 40-3.

Sterlington wins its seventh straight game with a shutout against North Webster, 28-0. In a battle of unbeatens, Jena beats Bunkie, 38-22. Coming off its first loss of the season, OCS responds against Cedar Creek, 35-0. Wossman improves to 7-1 for the first time since 2005 with a dominating victory over Bastrop, 31-0.

Ruston keeps inching closer to repeating as district 2-5A champs with a blowout win over West Ouachita, 48-6. Quarterback Josh Brantley continues to turn heads with a three touchdown performance. Neville wins their third straight game as they dominate Tioga at home, 44 to 13.

ULM softball hosted a “Celebrities” vs. Warhawks slow-pitch softball game featuring Olympic medalists, National Champions, professional players and hall of famers.

In a 3A District 1 showdown, Sterlington beat Union 24-10. The Panthers rushed for 315 yards. Wossman got revenge from last season’s 44-8 loss to Richwood, shutting out the Rams shutout 28-0. West Monroe continues its unbeaten streak against West Ouachita, 42-19. Ruston remains undefeated on the season, beating Pineville 48-6.

OCS stepped up in class and across the border to take on 4A Harding Academy from Arkansas. The Eagles dropped their first game of the season, 31-14. Ouachita kept it close in the first half on the road against ASH, but the Lions got shut out in the second half, 35-10. Neville rolled at home against Grant, 41-6. In a battle of 5-1 teams, Franklin Parish fell just short to Tioga 20-16.

D’Arbonne Woods starts the season 6-0 for the first time in school history with a 35-14 win over Loyola. Raville picks up a big home win against Vidalia, 36-14. Caldwell dominates Marksville on the road, 34-6. Carroll drops its fourth straight game, falling to North Webster 21-13.

Jackson Bradley led Oak Grove to its first regular season win over Haynesville behind a seven-touchdown performance. The junior quarterback accounted for 376 total yards of offense, earning Bradley his first Aaron’s Ace.

Grambling is just one point away from being 3-0 in conference play but a close lose to Alcorn State drops the G-Men to second place in the SWAC West. Now the Tigers switch their focus to Alabama A&M for Homecoming. Both teams can light up the scoreboards as they are tied for first in the conference for points per game (32.2).

ULM will host a celebrity slow-pitch softball game Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the ULM softball complex. The game features Olympic medalists, professional players, national champions, and hall of famers. For more information, go to https://www.ulm.edu/celebritysoftball/index.html.

ULM welcomed South Alabama to Malone Stadium, where the Warhawks are 4-0 all-time against the Jaguars. Home field was not an advantage as ULM suffered a blowout loss to South Alabama, 55-7.

The Jena Giants keep inching closer to an undefeated season with a 40 point win over Marksville, 60 to 20. Bunkie gets the best over Caldwell Parish, 49 to 14. Richwood gets back in the win column after three straight loses, defeating Lincoln Prep, 40 to 6. The Delhi Charter Gators take a bite out of Delhi, 36 to 28.

In just the fourth regular season meeting between storied football powerhouses Oak Grove and Haynesville, the Tigers blew away the Golden Tornado, 61-27. Quarterback Jackson Bradley recorded seven total touchdowns, including five passing and two rushing. Oak Grove hands Haynesville its first loss of the season and beats the Tornado at home for the first time since 2001.

Ruston improves their winning streak to 6-0 after denying Alexandria’s late comeback, 35 to 28. After a big loss to Zachary last week, West Monroe bounces back big with a win over Pineville, 31 to 0. Neville showed out for their homecoming as they rolled past Peabody, 51 to 0. Franklin Parish improves to 5-1 after beating Grant at home, 19 to 17.

West Ouachita was looking to beat Ouachita for the first time in program history but the Lions denied the Chiefs with a huge 31 to 14 win. Sterlington wins their fifth straight game with a blowout against Bastrop, 50 to 0. Union takes care of business at home against Union Parish, 43 to 14.