Kicking it with the best team in the NFL

Recently I made it over to New Orleans and watched the Saints defeat the Atlanta Falcons 35-27 in front of a nationally televised Monday night audience. The win upped the Saints record to 7-0 which matches the best start in franchise history set by the 1991 team.

It was my first opportunity to speak with the players since training camp. Back in August, all of the talk was about the “potential” of this team. But with the way that things have unfolded, Saints fans are now asking themselves, “Can we go 16-0?”

Lumpkin: No Saints team has ever had a better start to a season than this team. I’ve never won anything in my life Jeremy! How does it feel now that you’re 7-0?
Jeremy Shockey: Obviously the feeling is great, but we know that we could have lost a couple of games this year. Fortunately it has all worked out in our favor. Tonight we did some things that are uncharacteristic of this team. We had some turnovers, penalties and a missed field goal. We can’t have that if we want to be a championship team.

Lumpkin: Do you think that you all can continue this high level of play for the next three months?
Drew Brees: I think our best is yet to come. When you talk about hitting on all cylinders (offense, defense, special teams), there are a lot of things we can improve on and get better at. But you know, we are so much locked in on just one game at a time and not letting this undefeated thing get to us. It’s all about the next game. They only get tougher and we’re going to make sure we’re ready.

Lumpkin: In the NFL, anybody can beat anybody. We saw it a few weeks ago when Oakland beat Philadelphia. But this team has not had that “hiccup” game yet. How have you all been able to avoid that?
Mike Bell: I think it is due to the attitude that we took in training camp. We emphasized finishing strong, regardless. If it’s by 30 points or by one point, as long as we finish strong and we win, that’s the key. That’s our motto this year, finish strong. Everybody has these finish strong bracelets on and we have all bought into it. So, that’s what we’re going to do week after week.

Lumpkin: What is the big difference with the running game this year? The players haven’t changed but the output has. The last two years the Saints averaged around 95 yards rushing per game, but this year you all are averaging over 150 yards per game on the ground.
Carl Nicks: One thing that we really emphasized in training camp was running the football. We knew we had to have a more balanced offense. Our guys on the offensive line challenged each other. We said that we’re not going to be a finesse team like we’re labeled. We’re going to pound the football. If you look at our offensive linemen we have 340 pound guards and 300 pound tackles so we’re bound to be physical. I just think that it was just a sense of pride and a sense of urgency that we can be a great running team this season.

Lumpkin: Head Coach Sean Payton said in his post game press conference that the biggest reason this team is 7-0 is because of the defense. Are you surprised about the way that this defense has been able to do it every game with forced turnovers and defensive touchdowns?
Darren Sharper: We knew we had the ability to play like this. Greg Williams (Defensive corrdinator) has such a great system. He is such a great teacher and coach as far as preparing us every week in practice to make these big plays and also find ways to score with them. We have guys on defense that were ex-running backs and know how to run with the football and have found ways to get it to the end zone. That’s something that will be a staple of our defense. Creating big plays and getting defensive scores.

Lumpkin: What has it been like to be undefeated in this city, a city that loves its New Orleans Saints?
Carl Nicks: After our last road game in Miami we had about 350 people waiting for us at the airport to welcome us home. I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been on an undefeated team, especially not 7-0 and it feels great!

Lumpkin: Whenever you go out to eat or when you’re hanging out in the city, what has the response been like this year? Are you hearing more “Who Dats?”
Reggie Bush: The great thing about this city is they’re behind us 24-7. No matter if we’re losing or winning, and that’s the special thing about this city. Anytime you have a fan base like that it makes you want to play your heart out for them every Sunday.

Saints Are Looking Super

Who dat! Who dat! Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints!

Frankly, after what I’ve seen from the New Orleans Saints through five games, I don’t know if there is a team in the National Football League that can beat them.

For the third time in franchise history the Saints are off to a 5-0 start. In 1991, they began the season 7-0, finished 11-5 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 1993, they started 5-0, but then fell apart as they finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. Not only will this year’s team make the playoffs, the Saints will likely receive an automatic invitation to the second round by virtue of a first round bye.

Offensively, the Saints have never looked better. That’s saying something considering that the Saints finished number one in total offense in 2006 and 2008.

Quarterback Drew Brees has had a number of phenomenal seasons in the NFL, but never has he played so well. Brees currently leads the league in passer rating at 118.4 (his career high is 104.8 in 2004). Unlike his previous three seasons in New Orleans, Brees does not have to have a great statistical game for the Saints to win.

Only three teams are running the football better than New Orleans. The balance of the run and the pass has made the Saints offense deadly. Now opponents must decide whether they want to slow down Brees and the Saints passing attack, or stack the line of scrimmage and try to contain the Saints running backs.

Through five games the Saints are averaging 38.4 points per game and are on pace to break the 2007 New England Patriots record for points scored in a single season. They are also averaging 430.0 yards per game. Only the 2000 St. Louis Rams (442.2) and the 1984 Miami Dolphins (433.5) have averaged more yards per game in a season.

Neither the Rams nor the Dolphins won the Super Bowl during those seasons. However, the Saints are a much more complete team equipped with a better running game and a stronger defense.

The biggest off-season acquisition for the Saints has clearly been defensive coordinator Greg Williams. After the 2008 season concluded the Saints began pursuing Williams who produced top three defenses in Tennessee, Buffalo and Washington. The two sides were close to reaching an agreement, but were still a ways apart on the financial terms. To seal the deal, Saints head coach Sean Payton asked general manager Mickey Loomis to cut his annual salary by $250,000 and apply that money to the offer for Williams.

Needless to say, Williams signed the contract and he is doing in New Orleans what he did in his previous NFL stops. For the first time since the early 1990’s the Saints have a dominant defense.
In 2007 the Saints ranked 26th out of 32 teams in total defense, and in 2008 they finished 23rd. With basically the same personnel, Williams has completely turned around the Saints defense which currently ranks 9th in the NFL.

Williams is one of the most intense defensive coordinators in the NFL. I saw it first-hand when I visited Saints training camp in August. I spoke with defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant, safety Roman Harper, and cornerback Tracy Porter. Each player told me that the defense had taken on the impassioned personality of its new coordinator, and after watching the team perform I can see it.

This season the Saints defense is wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. The Saints are putting more pressure on the quarterback. They are flying to the football and tackling better than they have in years, and they are creating more turnovers with the aggressive approach of Williams.
The combination of explosive offense and aggressive defense has allowed the Saints to win each of their five games by at least 14 points.

What’s even more impressive than that is the fact that the Saints have played 300 minutes of football and they have not trailed for one second!

Back in July I gave my prediction for the Saints 2009 season. I stated that if the Saints could avoid injuries, improve on defense, and get more consistency out of the running game then they would finish 12-4. Well, so far all three of those things have happened. Only now I think that the Saints will finish somewhere between 14-2 and possibly 16-0.

The Saints have 11 games remaining in the regular season. I understand that in the NFL every team is talented and winning games is not easy. However, the Saints are sure making it look easy. The only games left on the schedule that I believe might be difficult for the Saints are the two games against Atlanta and the home game against New England.

Here is the thing about the Saints. In order to defeat them, you must score at least 30 points. Of course that does not guarantee you a victory. It just means that you might be in the game in the fourth quarter.

I think that the only team in the NFC that can truly challenge the Saints in the playoffs is the Minnesota Vikings who are currently 6-0. I expect to see those teams meet in New Orleans for the NFC Championship game in late January. And what a matchup that would be with Drew Brees versus Brett Favre for the right to go to the Super Bowl! I am a life-long Favre fanatic and would definitely be pulling for the Vikings, but I would put my money on Brees and the Saints.

SWLA High School Fantasy Football

Why does it always seem that time passes so much faster during football season? I guess you can chalk that up to the old adage, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” The high school football season is off to a fantastic start, and the games are only going to become more significant down the stretch of district play.

In each of the last three seasons, we have seen a school from Southwest Louisiana nearly go the distance. In 2006 the Sulphur Golden Tors advanced to the 5A State Championship game. In 2007 the Westlake Rams reached the 3A State Championship game, and last year it was the Barbe Bucs going all the way to the 5A Semifinals.
Michael Guillory, Barbe
While we don’t know which school will emerge to make the deepest playoff run, we do know some of the key contributors who will be counted on to make plays down the stretch. I have witnessed a number of unbelievable individual offensive performances through the season’s first five weeks, and I wanted to learn which players have been the most productive at their respective positions. My curiosity led me to high school fantasy football!

Fantasy football is played by millions of people around the world including thousands of folks here in Southwest Louisiana. The most popular format for fantasy football is NFL fantasy football, although NCAA fantasy football is growing rapidly.

In fantasy football, you have a league that typically consists of 8-12 members. Each member of the league drafts a team made up of quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, place kickers, and team defenses. Most leagues feature weekly head-to-head competition. Two members face off against each other and the team that scores the most points in the matchup is credited with a win, while the other team receives a loss.

Points are scored based on the statistics that are produced by the individual offensive players and team defenses. The top 4-6 teams from the league with the best win-loss records advance to the playoffs where a champion is crowned.

Orlan Lockhart, Sam Houston
I have never come across a high school fantasy football league. However, if high school fantasy football existed, these would be the top players from Southwest Louisiana. I used the following scoring system from a fantasy football league that I launched in 1997. The statistics listed are through the season’s first five games.

Passing Touchdown, 4 points, Rushing Touchdown, 6 points, Receiving Touchdown, 6 points, Passing Yards, .1 point for every yard gained, Rushing Yards, .1 point for every yard gained, Receiving Yards, .1 point for every yard gained, Two Point Conversion, 2 points, Reception, 1 point, Interception Thrown, -2 points, Point After Touchdown, 1 point, Field Goal (49 yards or less), 3 points, Field Goal (50 yards or more), 5 points

Quarterbacks

182.3 pts Orlan Lockhart – Sam Houston Broncos
(778 pass yds, 4 pass td, 2 int, 325 rush yds, 10 td)
156.5 pts Gene Pete – Iowa Yellow Jackets
(641 pass yds, 8 pass td, 8 int, 344 rush yds, 7 td)
148.3 pts Garrett McCain – Sulphur Golden Tors
(924 pass yds, 8 pass td, 5 int, 99 rush yds, 4 td)

Running Backs
180.3 pts Michael Guillory – Barbe Buccaneers
(655 rush yds, 13 rec, 178 rec yds, 14 td)
171.2 pts Landon Carmon – Elton Indians
(1012 rush yds, 11 td, 2 two pointers)
146.8 Darius Edwards – LaGrange Gators
(459 rush yds, 10 rec, 269 rec yds, 9 td, 5 two pointers)

Wide Receivers

Kevin Berrard – Barbe Buccaneers
(12 rec, 289 rec yds, 285 rush yds, 10 td, 214 pass yds, 3 pass td)
114.3 Caleb Kellogg – DeQuincy Tigers
(25 rec, 533 rec yds, 6 td)
112.3 Kenny Brown – Saint Louis Saints
(25 rec, 433 yds, 7 td, 1 two pointer)

Place Kickers

37 Gabbi Zahm – Barbe Buccaneers
(3 fg under 50, 28 pat)
23 James Bice – Saint Louis Saints
(1 fg under 50, 1 fg over 50, 15 pat)

Catching Up With Kennison

Eddie Kennison is one of the most talented and productive football players ever to come out of Southwest Louisiana. Kennison started at wide receiver for Washington Marion High School where he was a Parade All-American.
He went on to play wide receiver at LSU where he was an All-SEC performer in 1995. Kennison was selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.
From 1996 to 2008 Kennison played for five teams, (Rams, Saints, Bears, Broncos, and Chiefs), and caught 548 passes for 8,345 yards and 42 touchdowns.
I spoke with Eddie at a Washington Marion football game in September and we discussed family, football, and business.

Lumpkin: What are you doing these days?
Kennison: My wife, two boys and I are living in Kansas City. We own a few businesses there. My wife and I own a beauty school, a non-emergency medical transportation business, and we’re part owners of a wine club called Cellar and Loft.

Lumpkin: It sounds like you’ve made a smooth transition to life after football. But I have to ask... You played last year with the Rams, and you’re only 36, so have you played your final football game?
Kennison: Wow this is kind of like ESPN or something! That decision needs to be made in the very near future as to if I’m going to continue playing or not. God has blessed me with a 13 year NFL career, and I’m at the point now where I can decide if I want to keep playing or not.
Lumpkin: What is it like coming home and showing your little boys where you grew up and went to school?

Kennison: We came in town for some family matters and heard that Washington Marion was playing LaGrange. This is supposed to be the big rivalry now that Lake Charles Boston is gone, so I brought my two boys with me to give them an idea about where dad played high school football because they’ve never seen it. Because I was always playing on Sundays, my boys were never able to come to a Washington Marion game so this is their first game.

Lumpkin: So they only know dad as the NFL wide receiver?
Kennison: Well, they know where dad went to high school, college, and the NFL teams I’ve played with, but they’ve never actually been to a Washington Marion game. They’ve been to LSU games, but never Washington Marion.

Lumpkin: Since you finished playing at LSU in 1995, the Tigers have had a lot of success winning three SEC championships and two national championships. But, they’re coming off a down year, so what are your thoughts on where the LSU football program is headed?
Kennison: 8-5 is still a pretty good record. It’s not what we’re used to, but we have to understand that football is a game of angles and inches. And as much as we’d love to win every year, it just doesn’t happen. I think they have an awesome recruiting class coming in this year, and I expect them to get back in the chase for national championships.

Lumpkin: You had many great moments, and plenty of highlights as an NFL player. Can you single out one accolade or one performance that stands alone as your proudest moment in the NFL?
Kennison: Wow, I have so many great memories of playing in the National Football League. I think it was 2003 when I was playing with Kansas City and we were in Green Bay.

Lumpkin: I remember that game, and it was 2003.
Kennison: We were down 17 points entering the fourth quarter. Our offense, defense, and special teams rallied and we tied the game at 34 and went to overtime. We took the field for our second drive of overtime and on the first play I caught a 51 yard touchdown pass from Trent Green and we won the game.

Lumpkin: The reason that I remember that game is because I am a die-hard Brett Favre fan, and when you caught that touchdown to beat the Packers, it broke my heart.
Kennison: I’m sorry man.
Lumpkin: It’s cool. I forgave you a long time ago.

One on One with Al Woods

Elton native, Al Woods, is a senior defensive tackle for the LSU Tigers. Woods was considered the top recruit of the 2006 LSU signing class. He was rated amongst the top defensive tackle prospects in the country by every major recruiting publication. During his first three seasons at LSU, Woods only started three of the 28 games he played in. However, this season Woods is expected to make a major contribution as one of the Tigers two starting defensive tackles. In the Tigers season opening victory at Washington, Woods matched a career high with four solo tackles.

Lumpkin: When I talked to you last spring you told me that you were in the best shape of your life. Is that still the case here in late August?
Woods: Yeah, I weighed 310 pounds then, now I’m down to 304. It’s been nothing but good for me. We have been playing good up front (on the defensive line) collectively as a defense. This has been a real good August camp and I’ve been having a lot of fun. I just thank my coaches and teammates for making it a good experience for me for my last time.

LSU Senior Devensive Tackle Al Woods
Lumpkin: Can you believe that you’re a senior now? It seems like it was just last year that I was interviewing you on signing day in Elton.
Woods: I know! Time has flown by, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

Lumpkin: During August camp, have you taken most of your repetitions with the first team defense?
Woods: Yes.

Lumpkin: How would you rate your performance during August camp?
Woods: I think it’s been good. As a defensive line and as a defense, we’ve been practicing really well together. And to be honest with you, I have to keep it going at a high level. I have Charles Alexander and Drake Nevis that’s playing on the side of me and behind me so I have to keep it up. The competition level is so high that if one of us has an off day and another one of us has a good day the depth chart could change. I’ve been playing extremely well, but the competition level is extremely high.

Lumpkin: John Chavis was hired as your defensive coordinator in January. Working with Chavis over the last eight months, are you and your defensive teammates extremely comfortable with him and his defensive philosophy?
Woods: Oh yeah! We all love coach Chavis because the way he comes to work with his enthusiasm, it’s contagious. You may come to practice one day when you’re hurting, kind of feeling sorry for yourself, and you don’t feel like practicing. But you see Chavis with his energy and you’re like, ok, well I’m ready to go to work.
Lumpkin: If you could be any dinosaur that ever existed, what dinosaur would you be?
Woods: (Laughs) Oh, man! I would have to say a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Lumpkin: Why a Tyrannosaurus Rex?
Woods: Because I’m a meat eater (laughs)! I love to eat meat and T-Rexes love to eat meat. It’s a good combination there (laughs).

Lumpkin: Has a reporter ever asked you that question?
Woods: (Laughs) Uh, no.

Lumpkin: Well, now you have been asked that question. And I have to say, I thought you were more of a Triceratops.
Woods: (Laughs)

Lumpkin: Alright, back to football questions. Last year the LSU defense struggled (allowed 24 points per game). It wasn’t a typical year for the LSU defense. Would you agree?
Woods: Yes, I would agree.

Lumpkin: How much emphasis has there been on improving this defense for 2009?
Woods: To be honest with you, it’s like the whole team thing. We all took that role, saying as a team we have to get better. Not just the defense or the offensive line or the running backs. Collectively as a team we are trying to get better. We want to get back to where we were a couple of years ago when we were a dominant defense.

LSU's Three Quarterbacks

In 2008 the LSU Tigers only won eight games, which was their lowest win total since 2002. LSU fans probably knew they would be in for a difficult season due to a lack of experience at the quarterback position. Four months before the 2008 season opener head coach Les Miles kicked his troubled starting quarterback Ryan Perrilloux off the team.

That left Miles with the following options at quarterback: Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch, Redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, and true freshman Jordan Jefferson. The QB trio combined to produce the lowest passing totals for LSU since Miles took over in 2005.

Jordan Jefferson
Needless to say, LSU is in a much better position at the most important position (QB) heading into the 2009 season which begins on September 5. At my deadline, Miles had not yet named a starting quarterback. However, unless something catastrophic happens to Jefferson before the season opener, he will be the starter.

Jefferson played well in his only two starts of 2008. In the regular season finale at Arkansas he threw for a pair of touchdowns in a loss. Then one month later he led LSU to a 38-3 Chick-Fil-A Bowl victory over Georgia Tech.

Jarrett Lee
In that game Jefferson seemed to have command of the offense as he completed 64 percent of his throws with one touchdown pass and zero interceptions. And since that game at the end of December, Jefferson has made marked improvements to his game.

“He’s bigger and stronger,” Miles told me back in July. “He won’t go into a game that he hasn’t experienced in one way or another. He played on the road, and he played on the road in a bowl game and won. Really this summer he has probably shown more leadership than what’s due for a young guy. I think he’ll be much improved this fall.”

Jefferson’s teammates are equally impressed with the quarterback’s growth during the off-season.

Russell Shepard
“He’s quicker in and out of the huddle and has us going with a better tempo,” said LSU senior wide receiver Brandon LaFell. “He’s getting to the right checks quicker and faster and is just getting the ball to us way better than he did last year.”

“He came into this season with a lot of confidence and you can really see that because he is working hard,” said LSU sophomore center T-Bob Hebert. “He knows his calls. He has a quick mind and makes quick reads.”

“As far as a player Jordan has really matured,” said LSU junior offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale, who is Jefferson’s roommate. “Everything from making adjustments on certain play calls to calling audibles at the line of scrimmage. He definitely has a much broader knowledge of the offense.”

Jarrett Lee, who played the most of any LSU quarterback in 2008, will likely be second on the depth chart behind Jefferson. Lee may not have been ready to play as much as he did last year, but Miles was left with limited options after the Perrilloux fiasco.

Lee did some good things like leading the Tigers to comeback wins against Auburn, South Carolina and Troy. There were also some bad moments. Lee threw more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (14), and the Tigers lost four of the eight games that Lee started. And there was the downright ugly as seven of Lee’s 16 interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

“There were times in games where I would hear the boos and things being said in the crowd, but that’s just part of being a football player,” said Lee. “Our fans are passionate and sometimes that happens when you make mistakes.”

Lee said his teammates were behind him during the tough times. However, last January he contemplated transferring to another school.

“At the first of the year it was in the back of my mind,” said Lee. But that was it. It was only in the back of my mind and never did I want to go through with it. I wanted to stay with this team because I could tell that everyone was focused and really wanting to improve from last year.”

Lee said he has put a lot of focus into becoming a better quarterback, and learning from his mistakes of 2008. It’s a long season and Lee could be counted on to play a big role at some point.
Much of the talk concerning the LSU quarterbacks has focused on the Tigers prized recruit Russell Shepard. Shepard was widely considered the nation’s top duel-threat quarterback in the 2009 recruiting class. He is expected to make an immediate impact for LSU.

The question is, where will he line up?

Shepard took limited snaps at quarterback in each of the Tigers three fall scrimmages. However, he has received more repetitions at wide receiver and running back.

LSU cornerback Jai Eugene has had to defend Shepard during spring workouts and August practice, and he is a believer. Shepard came to LSU with lots of hype, and apparently the rookie is living up to it.

“You are going to have to watch him no matter what position he plays,” said Eugene. “Sometimes he lines up at running back. Sometimes he lines up at wide receiver. Sometimes he lines up at quarterback. His quarterback game is developing, but most likely we’re going to use him at receiver or running back, or to run the option.”

I don’t expect Jordan Jefferson to explode and put up JaMarcus Russell numbers, but I do think that he will manage games well. Also, I promise that he will not throw seven touchdowns to the opposing defense. Jarrett Lee says he has learned from his mistakes, and his experience is a plus.

If Lee does play significantly, I expect him to play smarter than he did in 2008. Russell Shepard adds a completely different dimension to the position with his speed and quickness. I expect to see Shepard come in on option plays, similar to the way that Miles used Perrilloux in 2007.
Winning games in the SEC is not easy, and it’s much more difficult to win without good, consistent quarterback play.

The Tigers should get much better production out of their quarterbacks this year. Will that result in more victories?

Only time will tell.

One on One with Toddrick Pendland

By Garrett Lumpkin

In 2008 McNeese State running back Toddrick Pendland took full advantage of the opportunity that he received. Given the chance to start for the first time in his collegiate career, Pendland did not disappoint. The Newton, TX native ran for a school record 1,431 yards, and scored a team leading 15 touchdowns. Pendland was named the 2008 Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and he’s been tabbed a preseason All-American pick in 2009.

Lumpkin: Do you go by Toddrick or can I call you Todd?
Pendland: It really doesn’t matter. Toddrick is cool or you can call me Todd.

Lumpkin: Alright Todd. Last season you set the MSU single season rushing record after rushing for a total of just 647 yards during your first two years combined. How did it all come together for you?
Pendland: It was just a blessing really. My offensive line was doing their thing, and I’m just glad that Coach Viator gave me an opportunity to run the ball. I told coach for two years that I was ready, and I guess I just had to wait for my turn.

Lumpkin: Every college football player was a star on his high school team. What’s it like coming to college, where a lot of guys just like you, have to wait for their turn to play?
Pendland: Sitting on the bench, it hurts you know. I got here my freshman year and sat down for the first game. I hadn’t sat down like that since pee wee. I wanted to quit. I wanted to transfer, but I’m glad I stayed here. I talked to my coaches and they helped me out. They asked me before last season if I was going to be ready. I told them that I was going to be good. They put their faith in me and it all worked out.

Lumpkin: I’ll say! But instead of telling your coaches you were going to be good, you should have told them that you were going to set the single season rushing record!
Pendland: (Laughs) I tell my coaches all the time, I told you so!

Lumpkin: If you could single out one characteristic that makes you a special runner, what would it be?
Pendland: I work hard, that’s the main thing. At practice my coaches tell me all the time, it doesn’t matter if you get tackled or not. Get up and run and finish the play. That helps out in the games. I don’t take my helmet off at practice even if it is hot. I just spray a little water through the helmet. Those are little things, but they all add up.

Lumpkin: No offense, but your not a very big guy. (Todd is 5’9’’, 175 lbs)
Pendland: That’s alright.

Lumpkin: What has it been like having to overcome the “small back” stereotype?
Pendland: Man, I’ve heard that ever since I first started playing football. I’m tough you know. I come from a small school, and I feel like I have something to prove every time I step on the field.

Lumpkin: You ran for all of those yards last year behind an offensive line that returns only one of five starters. How has it been running behind a new group of linemen?
Pendland: Those guys have come a long way. At the beginning of the spring they were a little shaky, but by the time spring practice ended we were running the ball really well. They’ve gotten off to a good start here in August, and I think they’ll be ready by the time we kick off that first game.

Lumpkin: Can you turn in another record breaking season running behind these guys?
Pendland: I’m not worried about stats or records. All I care about is winning conference and making it to the playoffs. I haven’t been to the playoffs since I’ve been here, so I got to get my feet up in there.

Lumpkin: Wait. Weren’t you on the 2007 team that went undefeated during the regular season and made it to the playoffs?
Pendland: Oh yeah. We lost in the first round, but I didn’t get to play in the playoff game because I pulled my hamstring the week before.

Lumpkin: Maybe that’s why the Cowboys lost in the first round, because you were injured.
Pendland: (Laughs) I don’t know about that!

Lumpkin: Last year the Cowboys finished 7-4 and missed the playoffs. What is it going to take for this team to get back to the playoffs?
Pendland: Hard work, dedication and sacrificing. We have plenty of talent on this team. If we all stay committed, then we’ll be fine.

Cowboys: Explosive Offense and an Improved Defense

In 2008, the McNeese State Cowboys broke numerous school records, but the season ended in disappointment as the Cowboys finished 7-4 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The players don’t want that to happen again, and they seem to be headed in the right direction.

“The attitude during the off-season has been fantastic,” said head coach Matt Viator. “We’ve had great participation. We could not have asked any more out of our players. I think the excitement is there. The enthusiasm is there. We’re looking forward to starting the season.”

The strength of the team is in the offensive backfield with senior quarterback Derrick Fourroux and senior running back Toddrick Pendland. Last season Pendland set a new single season rushing mark with 1,431 yards, and he scored a team leading 15 touchdowns.

Last year was also a banner year for Fourroux, who set career highs in passing yards, pass completions,and passing and rushing touchdowns. Fourroux did not just set individual records. The Erath, LA native, led an offense that set school records for total yardage gained per game (464), passing yards gained per game (236), and points scored per game (37.5). Fourroux has started every game since his freshman year, and he’s on pace to break many career records held by former Cowboy great, Kerry Joseph.

“He has won games. He does what he needs to do in our offense, and he doesn’t turn the ball over,” said Viator. “I don’t think I’ve seen a kid be as productive as he has, and turn the ball over less than he has. Derrick is just a winner. He has the respect of his teammates. He has the respect of his coaches, and hopefully he can have another big year for us.”

Fourroux will be throwing to a group of wide receivers that haven’t necessarily started a lot of games, but they all have game experience (Immanuel Friddle, Bernardo Henry, Chad Davis and Richard Conner). It appears that the Cowboys are loaded at tight end.

“I think we are more talented than we’ve been at tight end with Wes Mangan, Corday Clark and Brandon Broussard,” said Viator. “We’re excited about who we have catching the ball.”

The biggest question mark for the offense looks to be up front where only one of five starters returns on the offensive line. It helps that the lone returning starter is senior Casey Richter, who is considered one of the elite tackles in the Southland Conference.

“We have some new faces on the offensive line, but they are guys that we think have talent. We’re excited about them,” said Viator.

There will also be plenty of new faces on defense. Only three starters return from a defense that performed rather poorly in 2008. The Cowboys allowed nearly 30 points per game, and surrendered at least 35 points in five games.

“I think we have a chance defensively. We have some really good players who are not necessarily returning starters, but we’re not going to put anyone out there who hasn’t played,” said Viator. “I think we’ll have some speed. I think overall what we have to improve on is tackling. We have to have a better tackling team than we had, and I think we will.”

For the Cowboys to improve on their 7-4 record from one season ago, they have to find a way to win the close games.

“We lost to North Carolina by seven points and out gained them,” said Viator. “We lost by three points to Texas State, lost by three points to Nicholls and had a chance to beat Central Arkansas in the last game of the year. The games that were close, we lost. The year before in 2007, we won those games. Last year we lost them. So we have to figure out a way to win those games.”

Q and A With LSU Coaches Les Miles and Paul Mainieri

By Garrett Lumpkin


Last month, the LSU Tiger Tour made its annual stop in Westlake at the Isle of Capri Casino. I had a chance to talk with LSU head baseball coach Paul Mainieri, and LSU head football coach Les Miles. Mainieri’s Tigers just won the college baseball national championship, and Miles’ Tigers are gearing up for another football season.

LSU Football Head Coach Les Miles

The defense really struggled last year and you made some changes in the off-season to
correct that. You brought in John Chavis as the defensive coordinator, Brick Haley to
coach the defensive linemen, and Ron Cooper to coach the secondary. How has that new
group gelled through spring practice and over the summer?

I think our guys have an existing culture of dominant defense. John has great experience
and has the same impression that that’s the way defense is played. Our guys have really
embraced him, enjoyed him and I think he’s made a great introduction to his defense this
spring. When you bring in Brick Haley, who comes from the NFL, he brings great
technique work to our guys. Our guys on the defensive line have enjoyed him. Ron
Cooper has great experience with the secondary. I think the transition has been good and
I look forward to how they will play.

Jordan Jefferson looks like he is the frontrunner for the starting quarterback job. He
played well late last season, especially in your big bowl victory. What have you seen
from Jefferson throughout the off-season as he heads into his sophomore season?

He’s bigger and stronger. He certainly has a lot more experience on the field. He won’t
go into a game that he hasn’t experienced in one way or another. He played on the road,
and he played on the road in a bowl game and won. Really, this summer he has probably
shown more leadership than what’s due for a young guy. I think he’ll be much improved
this fall.

I want to get your thoughts on the state of the SEC. With all of the big name coaches in
the league, and these days it seems like any team in the conference can beat you. What do
you think about the current state of your league?

I think it is as competitive a football conference as there is in America. I think it requires
your teams to play at a very high level week in and week out. I think that’s good. I think
it’s good for the fans and it’s good for us. I look forward to playing in big games and I
think our team does.

Your first three years in Baton Rouge were so successful. At least 11 wins in each season.
But last year was a bit of a tough year with the 8-5 record. How has the off-season been
for you, coming off a sub par season?

I think our guys understand that we want to regain the position in the SEC that we’ve
had. I think the guys are hungrier, there’s a little more wanting, more ambitious, I think
it’s been good. The summer has been good and I think our guys are looking forward to
playing.
LSU Baseball Head Coach Paul Mainieri

Congratulations on a fantastic season. What an incredible run in Omaha at the College World Series. What has life been like since winning the national championship of college
baseball?

Thank you very much for the congratulatory message. It still hasn’t really sunk in, it’s
kind of surreal. Your whole life you pray that you’ll have an opportunity to coach a team
to a national championship, and then it happens and you’re not sure how to act or how to
feel. I’ve received so many wonderful letters, phone calls, text messages and emails that
I’ve just been spending my time trying to respond to everybody. It’s a great experience.
It’s something I’m sure that in time will sink in.

After losing to Texas in game two of the championship series, what did you tell your
team?

The message I gave to my players was very simple. I said look, if this was our very first
meeting in August and I told you on that day that we were going to play one game for the
national championship, winner take all, and we were going to have Anthony Ranaudo
pitching for us, would any of you guys take that deal? And they all nodded their heads of
course. And I said, well that’s our situation. So we’re not going to hang our heads about
this loss tonight. We’re going to walk out of here with our chins up. We’re going to walk
out confident, believing in ourselves and knowing that tomorrow night we’re going to
come out here and whip Texas. I wanted them to get a good positive frame of mind right
from that moment, and go to bed that night dreaming of winning the national
championship the next night. And my goodness, they went out there and did it!

New Orleans Saints 2009 Team Preview

By Garrett Lumpkin


Last Season
The Saints finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. It’s been the same story for the Saints in each of the last two seasons. The offense has been fantastic (ranked 1st in 2008), but the defense has been horrendous (ranked 23rd in 2008). Drew Brees joined Dan Marino as the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw for 5,000 yards in a season. The Saints weren’t blowing teams out. They had to throw the ball that much just to keep up with their opposition. The Saint’s defense allowed at least 23 points in 13 of 16 games.

Quarterbacks A+
Drew Brees has established himself among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL alongside Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He is the unquestioned leader of the Saints and produces monster numbers year in and year out. Brees has averaged 4,600 yards passing and 30 touchdown passes in three years in New Orleans. He rarely makes the big mistake and doesn’t take many sacks. He is the one player on the roster that the Saints can not afford to lose to injury. Mark Brunell is a 15 year veteran and is the backup quarterback. However, if you ever see Brunell on the field during the regular season, the Saints are probably in big trouble.

Running Backs B
Reggie Bush had his best professional season in 2008, but fans expect more from the former number two overall pick. Bush is the best pass catching running back in the league by far. However, Bush has struggled in the running game and has not finished each of the last two seasons due to injuries. In three NFL seasons Bush has yet to average 4.0 yards per carry. He needs to get there this year for the Saints running game to be a real threat. Third year running back Pierre Thomas could break out this season. Last year playing behind Bush and Deuce McCallister, Thomas averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored 12 touchdowns on only 160 offensive touches. Look for the Saints to give Thomas more touches starting right out of the gate in week one. Mike Bell is third on the depth chart, but look for the Saints to possibly add a veteran free agent during training camp. Ex-Patriots fullback Heath Evans has some versatility and catches the ball well.

Wide Receivers A-
Marques Colston is a big, physical receiver and one of the best at his position. He doesn’t shy away from contact which shows his toughness, but it has also led to injuries. Last year Colston missed five games with a broken finger. If he plays a full season, he should make the pro bowl. Lance Moore benefited from Colston’s absence and posted career bests with 928 yards and 10 touchdowns. Moore is an excellent number two option for Brees. Devery Henderson and Robert Meachum have each been inconsistent, but both are excellent deep threats. Henderson and Meachum each averaged over 24 yards per catch last year. Jeremy Shockey is one of the better pass catching tight ends in the league and is also an above average run blocker at his position.

Offensive Line B+
The Saints pass much more than they run and the offensive line is at its best when Brees is throwing it. Last season only two starting quarterbacks were sacked fewer times than Brees. Brees dropped back to pass 635 times and was only sacked 13 times. Continuity is extremely important on the offensive line and all five starters from last year return. They have Jamal Brown and Jon Stinchomb at the tackles, Carl Nicks and Jahri Evans at the guards, and Jonathan Goodwin at center. If there is a flaw with this group, it’s in the running game. However, in November and December Pierre Thomas seemed to find the holes that Reggie Bush could not locate in September and October.

Defensive Line C+
Will Smith is one of the most well rounded defensive ends in the league. He plays the run well, and when healthy, is the Saints best pass rusher. However, Smith’s sack total has decreased in each of the last three seasons. Charles Grant starts at the other defensive end spot and is more of a power player. He runs through people, not around them. Sedric Ellis showed promise as a rookie and is poised for a big season. He’s short, stout, and has a powerful upper body. Kendrick Clancy led the team in sacks with six and is expected to start at the other defensive tackle spot.

Linebackers C-
Middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma played well in his first season with the Saints as he led the team in tackles with 132. Vilma is a firm tackler and is adequate dropping back into coverage. Outside linebacker Scott Fujita has been consistent during his three years in New Orleans, but he is vulnerable when playing in space. Scott Shanle is penciled in to start at the other outside linebacker position, but he doesn’t make many big plays. Shanle could be challenged by Dan Morgan during training camp.

Defensive Backs C
Cornerback Tracy Porter had an impressive start to his career last season before a wrist injury cut it short. Porter has solid cover skills to go along with good speed. Jabari Greer is listed next on the cornerback depth chart, but don’t be surprised if rookie Malcolm Jenkins gets the starting nod. Jenkins was the Saints first round draft pick in April’s draft. Strong safety Roman Harper is a big hitter, but he struggles in man to man coverage. Free safety Darren Sharper was signed in the offseason and provides this young group with some experience. Sharper may not have the speed that he once had, but he always seems to be around the ball.

Special Teams B-
Placekicker Garrett Hartley does not have a real strong leg, but he is accurate inside of 50 yards. He made all 13 of his field goal attempts after joining the Saints midway through the year. The Saints don’t punt much, but when they do it will be Glenn Pakulak handling the duties. Reggie Bush is arguably the most feared punt returner in the league. He took three punts to the house in just ten games. Pierre Thomas, Skylar Green, and Lance Moore are all in the mix at kick returner.

Predictions
Best Case Scenario (12-4): The defense plays much better under the guidance of new defensive coordinator Greg Williams. The offense shows more balance with the run and the pass, and the team avoids major injuries.

Worst Case Scenario (7-9): The defense doesn’t get any better. The offense struggles to run the ball, and a big contributor or two goes on injured reserve.

My Prediction (10-6): I think the defense will improve under Williams. Everywhere he has coached in the NFL, he seems to have a top ten defense. I think that with Pierre Thomas getting more carries, the running game will be better and that will allow the Saints defense to rest a little more on the sideline.

The Saints have a difficult schedule and I don’t think they will win the NFC South division. However, I do see the Saints making the playoffs as a wild card.

Cowboys Looking To Bounce Back In ‘09

By Garrett Lumpkin



I am a football fanatic, and there are thousands of people in Southwest Louisiana just like me who love the game as much as I do. Luckily for us, college football returns in just a few weeks when teams report for August practice.
The McNeese State Cowboys are coming off a 7- 4 season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Watching the Pokes last year was like watching the New Orleans Saints. The games were very exciting with plenty of offense, and unfortunately very little defense.
In 2008, the Cowboys set team records for points scored per game (37.5), and total offense per game (464.1). However, they allowed over 29 points per game, and on five occasions gave up at least 35 points.
The 2009 Cowboy squad will have a much different look with only 9 of 22 starters returning on both sides of the ball (6 on offense, 3 on defense). Despite the big turnover, I think the new cast of characters will be in the thick of the Southland Conference championship race once again.
In football, you don’t have to have a great quarterback to win, but it sure makes things easier if you have a stud behind center. And the Cowboys have exactly that in senior Derrick Fourroux.
Fourroux has started since he was a freshman and is on pace to break Kerry Joseph’s school records for total offense and passing yards. Fourroux doesn’t make many mistakes (17 interceptions in three years), and he makes plays with his arm and legs (67 combined touchdowns in three years). Toughness is Fourroux’s best attribute. He takes a beating throughout the course of a game because he runs with the ball so much, but he always gets up after the big hit.
Most of Derrick’s targets from a year ago are gone. However, all-conference tight end Wes Mangan returns along with wide receiver Immanuel Friddle who I believe is ready for a break-out season.
Running back Toddrick Pendland broke out last season as a junior when he was named the Southland Conference offensive player of the year. Pendland set the school’s single season rushing record with 1,431 yards. Just think of what that rushing total would have been had the Cowboys made the playoffs and won a game or two. Pendland is also a major threat in the passing game. Last year he finished second on the club with 35 catches for 337 yards. He nearly averaged a first down every time he caught the ball out of the backfield.
The Pokes have an outstanding quarterback and running back. However, Fourroux and Pendland won’t be able to do what they do unless they get good blocking from the big boys up front. Offensive linemen never get much credit, but they make everything happen. Of the five starting offensive linemen from 2008, only tackle Casey Richter returns.
Defensively in 2008, the Cowboys were torched on several occasions. They didn’t fare that bad against the run, but maybe that was because opponents knew that they could throw all over McNeese. The Cowboys allowed 26 touchdown passes, and over 230 yards passing per game. The Cowboys were 6-0 when allowing 31 points or less, but they were 1-4 when allowing at least 35 points. There is plenty of room for improvement, and I see things getting better for the MSU defense before things get worse.
The three returning defensive starters from 2008 are defensive end Terrance Freeman, linebacker Deron Minor and defensive back Darrell Jenkins. That’s not many returning starters, but maybe that’s a good thing considering how the unit performed last season.
Freeman led the team in sacks last season with 5.5, Minor finished second on the team in tackles with 89, and Jenkins ranked third on the club with six tackles for loss.
Matt Viator enters his third full season as head coach of the Cowboys. All Viator has done since taking over midway through the 2006 season is win 24 of 31 games. His winning percentage of .774 ranks second in school history behind Ernie Duplechin. Viator has led the Cowboys to a pair of Southland Conference championships, and he has been named the Southland Conference coach of the year twice. About the only thing that Viator has not done is win a playoff game. Something that McNeese has not accomplished since 2002.
For the Cowboys to get back to the playoffs in 2009 the offense doesn’t have to score 37 points per game. But the defense must allow less than 29 points per game. Somewhere around 20 points would be ideal.
I’m not going to make any predictions about the upcoming season yet, but I will say this—I can’t wait for August practice to kickoff!

LSU Baseball is Back Baby!

By Garrett Lumpkin

It has been nine long years since the LSU Tigers last won the College World Series, but there is a very good chance that the streak will end later this month. The Tigers are wrapping up their most impressive season since that last national title back in 2000.

LSU won all five of its baseball national championships in a ten year stretch between 1991 and 2000. With that kind of success, LSU Tiger fans grew to expect a run at the national title every year, or at least an annual trip to Omaha, Nebraska, site of the College World Series.
However, that has not been the case for much of the last decade.

Since Skip Bertman stepped down as head coach of the LSU baseball program in 2001, the Tigers have produced some pretty good results. But in Baton Rouge, pretty good is not good enough for the LSU baseball program.

Longtime LSU assistant coach Smoke Laval succeeded Bertman as head coach of the Tigers in 2002, and learned just how hard it is to replace a legend. Laval experienced some highlights at LSU as he led the Tigers to the College World Series in 2003 and 2004. However, LSU went 0-2 on each of those trips to Omaha and looked nothing like the dominant Tiger teams of the 1990’s.

Things started going downhill for Laval and the Tigers after that. In 2005 LSU failed to win a NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge for the first time in 11 years. Then in 2006 the Tigers won just 35 games, their lowest win total since Bertman’s rookie year in 1984, and weren’t even invited to the NCAA Tournament.

It was time for a change, and Smoke Laval was forced to resign after the 2006 season.
In June of 2006 LSU began an extensive nationwide search for its next head coach. Notre Dame Head Coach Paul Mainieri was familiar with LSU baseball having played one season for the Tigers in 1976. He saw the potential in Baton Rouge and decided to leave Notre Dame for LSU.

During his initial press conference Mainieri made it very clear that he understood the tradition of LSU baseball.

“Make no mistake about it,” Mainieri said, “The goal is to return LSU to the pinnacle position in college baseball. I have all the confidence in the world that we can do that here.”

When Mainieri took over in 2007, the LSU baseball program was in rough shape. The Tigers won only 29 games that season and finished tenth in the SEC, their worst conference finish since 1955.

The 2008 season looked like more of the same as the Tigers were hovering around the .500 mark at 23-16-1 with four weeks remaining in the regular season. At that point Mainieri’s record at LSU was 52-42-2 and I’m sure that many LSU baseball fans were questioning the hire.

Then something amazing happened. LSU went on to win its next 23 games, establishing a new SEC record for consecutive wins. Mainieri was named the college baseball coach of the year, and LSU won its first game at the College World Series since the championship game in 2000. The 49 victories were also the most for LSU since 2000 when the Tigers won 52 games.

The 2009 season began with great expectations as LSU entered the year ranked number one in the nation.

That preseason ranking, the strong finish to the 2008 season, and the fact that the Tigers were opening up a new ballpark in 2009, put LSU under the microscope all season long.

With all of that pressure, the Tigers have performed remarkably, never once even dropping out of the top ten in the college baseball polls. LSU started the season with a bang winning its first nine games of the year. The Tigers went on to win the SEC regular season championship, and their second straight SEC Tournament championship. The Tigers swept their NCAA Regional in Baton Rouge 3-0, and also swept Rice in the Super Regional 2-0.

LSU is back in Omaha, and for the first time since 2000, the Tigers are one of the favorites to win it all. They started the College World Series with victories over Virginia and Arkansas. That’s significant because 17 of the last 19 College World Series champions began the tournament 2-0.

If LSU wins the national championship, that would give the Tigers six titles which would tie them with Texas. Only Southern California has more College World Series championships with 12.

Summer Sports

By Garrett Lumpkin 337 Sports


The 2008-2009 school year has officially ended. And for high school and collegiate student athletes, that means it’s time for a break. However, in the sports world, there is no break. There is a common perception that nothing exciting happens in the sports world over the summer. I don’t buy into that notion, and I have five reasons why local sports fans should be excited about the summer:
LSU Baseball
Head coach Paul Mainieri has assembled the best LSU baseball team since 2000 when the Tigers won the last of their five national championships. The Tigers roared through the Southeastern Conference this year winning the SEC regular season title and the SEC tournament championship.

LSU has what it takes to win it all, and that is balance. In the SEC, which is considered the most competitive college baseball conference, the Tigers led the league in pitching and ranked second in both hitting and fielding.

Put it this way… If LSU doesn’t play deep into the College World Series, it will be very disappointing because the expectations are extremely high for this team.
From here on out every LSU baseball game will be nationally televised by ESPN. The College World Series takes place June 13-24 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Louisiana Swashbucklers
The Swashbucklers may be playing in a different league, but they’re producing the same one-sided results that fans have grown accustomed to. After winning two consecutive Intense Football League championships in 2007 and 2008, the team moved over to the Southern Indoor Football League.

It’s been a seamless transition as the Bucs have started the 2009 season 5-1. They are leading the SIFL in scoring offense (55 pts per game), and scoring defense (25 pts per game).
The Swashbucklers will be playing at the Lake Charles Civic Center throughout June and July, and I’m thinking they’ll end the season with a third straight championship.

Golf Tournaments
With the summer comes a plethora of local golf tournaments around Southwest Louisiana.
Graywood is hosting the McNeese Cowboy Club Tournament on June 20.

Mallard Cove has its annual Cameron State Bank Lake Charles Men’s City Golf Championship on June 26-28. Mallard Cove will follow that with the Junior City Championship July 6-7 and the Women’s City Championship July 11-12.

The Sulphur Men’s City Championship will be held at Frasch Park on July 10-12.

Pine Shadows will host the Red, White and Blue Tournament on July 4. Pine Shadows also has its Summer Invitational on August 1-2.

The Lake Charles Country Club will host the US Amateur Qualifier on August 3, the Prien Lake Four Ball on August 7-9, and the Louisiana Golf Association Senior Amateur on August 20-22.
If you are a competitive golfer, then you have plenty of opportunities to strut your stuff this summer.
Youth Baseball
Southwest Louisiana is known for producing top baseball talent, and it all starts in the youth leagues.

On just about any night during June and July you can find a great little league baseball game in the lake area.

Two local Bullet Baseball teams have already qualified for the Elite World Series at Disney World. The Bullet Baseball 9 year olds will be in Orlando, Florida August 2-9, and the Bullet Baseball 10 year olds will be in Orlando July 12-19. The Bullet Baseball 10 year olds finished third at the Elite World Series last year.

There is also the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in August. In 2006 and 2008 the South Lake Charles All-Stars advanced to the Little League World Series. SLC always has a loaded all-star roster, and I’m sure those young guys will make another run at Williamsport later this summer.

Closer to Football Season
My final reason for you to be excited about the summer is this: We are that much closer to football season!

In just two short months, the high school and college kids will be dressed in full pads getting set for another football season.

NFL teams will hit the practice field even earlier as all 32 NFL teams will be in training camp by the final week of July.

It’s highly likely that the McNeese Cowboys and LSU Tigers will each begin their respective seasons ranked in the top 20.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys should each be improved in 2009 after each team missed the playoffs one year ago.

Sulphur Coach Wins the Battle of His Life

By Garrett Lumpkin

For Sulphur head football coach Paul Bourgeois, the 2008 season was the most difficult of his life. However, it had nothing to do with the Golden Tors’ 5-5 record.

After each football season Bourgeois visits his family doctor for a routine checkup. But when he went to his doctor in February of 2008, something didn’t feel right.

“I was going through a stage where I felt real tired,” said Bourgeois. “There were some things that we talked to the doctor about, so we did some blood work and everything came back negative.”

After the visit, he was experiencing the same symptoms. Bourgeois didn’t have much energy and lacked the drive to do normal daily activities. He went back to the doctor in April and asked for more blood work.

This time the doctor came back with some disturbing news. MRI results showed that Bourgeois had a quarter size benign tumor in his brain. As soon as he received the news, Bourgeois drove two hours to MD Anderson Hospital in Houston. He was scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the tumor on June 3, 2008.

“The surgery lasted ten hours and went well,” said Bourgeois. “The reason for the length of the surgery was because the tumor was in a bad location, basically in the center of my head.”

The surgeon was able to remove all but six millimeters of the tumor. What was left was destroyed through six weeks of radiation treatment.

Bourgeois began his radiation treatments in late July of 2008. He had to undergo radiation once a day, Monday through Friday. With a new football season beginning in early August, Bourgeois did not want to spend weeks at a time at MD Anderson. He decided to go back and forth between Sulphur and Houston.

“Thank goodness I have the coaching staff that I do because they were basically running the show during August,” said Bourgeois.

Many people told Bourgeois that driving back and forth during his radiation treatments was ridiculous. But the coach didn’t see it that way. Coming back to Sulphur every chance that he could gave Bourgeois a sense of relief.

“Traveling back and forth worked for me,” said Bourgeois. “MD Anderson is a sad place to be. There are some very, very sick people at that place. To be able to come to work and be with youth, coaches, and a lot of healthy people…I felt better when I came home.”

In the six months following his surgery Bourgeois gained 60 pounds. But the weight gain wasn’t due to his diet or work out habits. The tumor basically smothered his pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secretes many important hormones which greatly influence growth and metabolism.

“Basically, I have no use of my pituitary gland anymore,” said Bourgeois. “It doesn’t look like I work out and diet, but I do, and thank goodness I do because obviously I would be a lot bigger.”

The road to recovery for Paul Bourgeois looks outstanding. He went back to MD Anderson in October of 2008 and learned that the lesion was no longer reasonably defined. And the news was even better for Bourgeois when he returned to Houston in April. The lesion was even smaller than it was in the previous examination.

Now having survived this ordeal, he has an even greater appreciation for being able to do what he loves, which is coaching high school football.

“This has been my most enjoyable spring since I have been in coaching,” said Bourgeois. “Last spring I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continue coaching, and with the surgery looming, I wasn’t able to enjoy myself because I didn’t know the outcome. Now I’m just happy to be here.”

Local Sports Roundup

McNeese Eying National Championship
There are thousands of rodeo fans in Southwest Louisiana. Unfortunately, the sport does not receive much attention from the media. Rodeo coverage pales in comparison to that of other sports like football, baseball, and basketball. I believe that rodeo deserves more attention considering what the McNeese State men’s rodeo team is doing this year. “We’re coming into the College National Finals Rodeo and we’re going to try and win a national championship for McNeese and for Lake Charles,” said Winn Ratliff, a sophomore bull rider. The MSU men’s rodeo team will compete in the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming from June 14-20.
It’s been an incredible turnaround for the Cowboys and their second year head coach Justin Browning. In 2008, the men finished dead last in the Southern Region which consists of nine teams. However, this year not only did the Cowboys win the Southern Region, they won nine of ten rodeos during the regular season. “My goal coming into this year was to win the region,” said Browning. “I just didn’t expect us to be so far ahead of the other teams.
“We’re not just winning. We’re beating the competition badly,” said Jeremy Mouton, a junior who is the region’s top ranked bull rider.
It’s common knowledge that people who rodeo are tough. When asked if he had suffered any major injuries while riding bulls or bareback horses, Winn Ratliff said with a straight face, “I haven’t had very many injuries. I’ve only broken my leg. I dislocated my arm, and I just broke my jaw. I’ve been very blessed.”
“In rodeo there is a saying,” said Browning. “It’s not if you get hurt, it’s when.” Luckily for the Cowboys, they have avoided “the devastating injury” and should be at full strength when they compete for a national championship in June.
McNeese State University is the only Louisiana College or University which competes in rodeo. So the Cowboys will not only be representing SWLA in Wyoming, they’ll be representing the entire pelican state.

Local Sports is Big Business, Brings Big Dollars to SWLA
Earlier this month, Sulphur’s Frasch Park hosted the Fast Pitch 56 High School Softball State Tournament. The two day tournament brought an estimated 21,000 people to the lake area and produced a local economic impact of around four million dollars.
The numbers were reported by the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Fast Pitch 56 is one of several local sporting events that pump millions of dollars into our local economy each year. This money assists in improving the quality of life in our community with better infrastructure, better roads and better schools.
The SWLA CVB also reported that for 2008, local sporting events produced a $28 million dollar economic impact to the local economy. And the number should be even greater in 2009 with a projected $24 million dollar economic impact from May-July alone.

Quick Sports Hits McNeese State Softball
I have to hand it to McNeese for hiring Natalie Poole as the Cowgirls head softball coach last July. In her first year at the helm, Poole led MSU to its first ever win against LSU. Her Cowgirls finished second in the Southland Conference, and won 20 SLC games for just the third time in school history. The other two years that the Cowgirls won 20 SLC games was in 1994 and 1995 when Poole was playing for them.

Sam Houston Baseball
The Broncos have arguably been the area’s most impressive baseball team during the regular season.
They are seeded #1 in the 4A playoffs, and are looking for their first state championship since 2001.

Barbe Baseball
Head coach Glenn Cecchini recently won his 600th game as the Bucs head coach. Cecchini has led Barbe to five state titles (98,00,01,06,08) which is a Louisiana Class 5A record. The Bucs are in search of state title number six as they enter the 5A playoffs seeded 4th.

Local Legend Making Major Impact in Big Leagues

By Garrett Lumpkin

Joe Lawrence may be the most celebrated baseball player ever to come out of Southwest Louisiana.

In 1996 Lawrence was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft straight out of Barbe High School. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays who he played for from 1996-2002, and finished his baseball playing career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003.

It looked like his MLB career was over, but another sport reconnected Lawrence to the big leagues.

In the summer of 2003, Lawrence received a phone call from the LSU Football team. Lawrence, who had not played football since high school, was given an opportunity to play for the Tigers at the age of 27.

“It was something that intrigued me, and it didn’t help that I had some best friends that wanted to see that happen,” Lawrence said, “I got the family support that I needed to make the decision, so I decided to give it a whirl.”

Joe’s LSU Football encounter was short-lived as he suffered a devastating knee injury, but the experience was still extremely productive. That’s where Lawrence was introduced to Jack Marucci who is LSU’s head athletic trainer.

Marucci was a big baseball fan and spent some of his free time hand crafting wooden baseball bats for his son. Knowing Joe’s background, Jack sought the former major leaguer’s opinion on the bats, and Joe told the trainer that the bats needed to be in the hands of major leaguers.

Lawrence, Marucci, and Kurt Ainsworth, who is another former major leaguer, formed The Marucci Bat Company.

“In 2004 we got licensed by the major leagues,” Lawrence said. “We go from eight clients then, to now where we are in the hundreds.”

The Marucci Bat Company, which is located in Baton Rouge, has come a long way since 2004. Marucci is currently the second leading bat manufacturer in Major League Baseball behind the Louisville Slugger.

“If there is one marketing scheme we used, it was letting the right people swing our bats,” said Lawrence. “It has caused a ripple effect through the major leagues. We have clients from every organization in the league. Our clients are typically the better players on the team, meaning character wise. They just happen to be great players as well.”

Marucci’s clients include Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals and Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are two of MLB’s top sluggers in the game today.
And while Marucci has well over two hundred major league clients, the company produces thousands of bats each year.

“We did close to 18,000 bats in 2008,” said Lawrence. “This year we projected 20,000 and we’re well ahead of that pace.”

Lawrence is still very actively involved with the Barbe baseball program. Last year Marucci developed a prototype aluminum bat called the Cat 5. Lawrence allowed Barbe to use the bat last year, and maybe it’s just a coincidence, but Barbe won the state championship.

“Our kids love it,” said Barbe head baseball coach Glenn Cecchini. We just have one bat because they are being manufactured right now and all of the kids say it’s the best bat they’ve ever used.”

“It’s the hottest bat on the market as far as technology,” Lawrence said. “If you get any hotter, that’s an aluminum bat term meaning how the ball comes off of the barrel, it’s going to be illegal. So we are right on that threshold. We’ve pushed it as far as we can push it.”

The future certainly looks bright for Joe Lawrence and The Marucci Bat family. With the launch of its new aluminum bat, Marucci expects to become a major player in the aluminum bat industry, just as the company has done with its wooden bat line.

1st picture player at Barbe High School. 2nd picture shows the player during his MLB days. 3rd picture shows the bats that his company manufactures.

How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is Making Southwest Louisiana a Safer Place

By Garrett Lumpkin
337 Sports



The fastest growing sport in America is not football. It’s not baseball or auto racing. It’s mixed martial arts.
For the past fifteen years mixed martial arts or MMA has steadily gained popularity. However, the sport has never received more attention than it does today.
Interest in MMA has also increased here in Southwest Louisiana. Thousands of lake area men, women, and children train in mixed martial arts.

Some of them fight competitively while others train strictly to stay in shape or to learn self defense tactics.
There are some that train in mixed martial arts because everything that is learned in the classroom can be applied to their careers.

Corey Manuel works as a deputy for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Four years ago, while working the late night patrol, Corey found himself in a fight for his life.

“I got in a foot pursuit with a suspect,” said Manuel. “I chased him for about a mile and he decided he wanted to fight me. Not fight to get away, he actually wanted to fight.” In the process of fighting he tried disarming me, so it was very eye opening. And when I left the scene that night I told myself I was going to do everything I could to protect myself.”

That frightening experience led Corey to Lake Area Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Lake Charles. The mixed martial arts training facility has become a second home for ten local law enforcement officers.

Each of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies, Louisiana State Troopers, and Lake Charles Police Officers who train at LABJJ went through physical training at the Police Academy. Through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, they have developed many additional skills and techniques that can help them on the job.

“When you’re in the police academy they just give you basic tools,” said Manuel. “It’s up to the individual police officer to expand what they know.”

Louisiana State Trooper Andrew Leonards said, “I felt that there were a lot of situations where I might not know what to do. I feel more comfortable knowing that if something would happen, that I have a higher skill set than what I had coming out of the police academy.”

Lake Area Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu owner Mike Ellender started seeing an influx of local law enforcement officers at his facility three years ago.

“We do a lot of clinch work, a lot of takedowns, a lot of groundwork, and basically it’s showing someone how to control an opponent without having to hit or strike the opponent,” said Ellender. “We’re teaching these officers how to control whoever they are arresting and to defend themselves at the same time.”

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that focuses on ground fighting. It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend themselves against a bigger, stronger opponent using leverage and proper technique.
Once the smaller person has control, they can administer a joint lock or choke hold to end the fight.

“With the things that Mike teaches us in here, I don’t feel there is any way ‘Joe blow’ on the street will have a chance with us,” said Louisiana State Trooper Justin Weeks. “If you don’t know Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and you go to the ground with someone who does, you don’t have a chance.”

“We’re all very professional,” says Manuel. “We don’t like using what we know. But I think the word on the street is that everybody knows who we are and what we do know. To be honest we don’t get tested much now.”
There is still a major misconception concerning mixed martial arts. Critics view mixed martial arts as a blood sport with a barbaric mentality.
These law enforcement officers don’t train because it’s macho, or because they want to hurt someone, or because they are trying to prove something. They train five and six days each week for us.
Although they come from different branches of law enforcement, all of the officers share the same objective—Protect Southwest Louisiana.

“I think we’re depriving ourselves and community if we’re not the best at what we do,” said Manuel. “All of us give up times with our families to train and stay in good shape to go out on the streets and protect the public.”

Lake Charles Police Officer Mitch Sawyer echoes that sentiment. “It’s our job to protect the community,” Sawyer said, “And in order to do that to the best of our ability we need to take our training to the highest level that we can.”