Sports

Ask any high school football coach and they will tell you the key to a successful program starts in the lower levels of football.

“One of the reasons the high school teams in LaSalle Parish have been so successful over the past few years has a great deal to do with the football programs at the junior highs and even elementary-level programs,” Jena Head Coach Jay Roark said. “The coaches at our junior highs do a fantastic job of preparing our student-athletes with the fundamentals along with the mental aspect that is crucial as they form their overall toughness for the game.”

This year, due to COVID-19 and Governor John Bel Edwards’ Phase 2 restrictions, both Jena Junior High and LaSalle Junior High have had to cancel their 2020 football seasons.

BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing has slowed a bit this week. Bream are picking up some and a good many channel cats are being caught on a variety of bait. No report on crappie.

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The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) sent out two memos to member schools last week informing them that the 2020 football season will be delayed until at least October 8 – meaning many changes in Jena and LaSalle’s schedules including the school’s homecomings.

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When you’re 9 years old, you don’t know as much as you think you do. That was the case with me. I was 9 in the year 1949. My Dad listened to baseball several nights on the radio. He was a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

I became a Yankees because some boys at school were Yankee fans. The Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers seemed to be in the Worlds series every year. It never dawned on me that “Brooklyn” was in New York city just like the Yankees. The New York

Giants…Who’s that???? Them didn’t seem to be a contender except for Willy Mays. So, it finally hit me that there were three professional baseball teams in New York City.

We didn’t have a professional baseball team anywhere in the South at that time.

The second annual Pilots for Patients Benefit Golf Tournament raised over $19,000 and the late Phil Henry, a longtime Jena businessman, was honored in memoriam at the event along with the late Linda Whatley of Columbia.

The tournament, hosted by the Caldwell Country Club Hackers, was held on July 25 at the Caldwell Country Club in Columbia.

“Our second annual benefit gold tournament was a huge success with over $19,000 raised for Pilots for Patients,” Buddy Clark, an organizer of the event, said. “We wish to thank all the participants and sponsors who made it a success!”

Football practice began Monday, August 3, but it doesn’t look like any other year.

To be clear, the LHSAA has allowed summer workouts for football players since the first of June, with strict limitations such as temperature checks, face coverings, and small groups lifting weights and other cardio exercises.

But last week the LHSAA released a memo to all member schools outlining information about the start of the 2020 football season.

The memo basically says that practices can officially begin August 3 but there will be no contact until Louisiana gets into Phase 3.

LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine said that despite the state still being in Phase 2 they will keep their original start date for fall football practice which allowed schools to start practicing August 3.

The second annual ‘Pilots for Patients’ benefit golf tournament will be held Saturday, July 25, 2020 at the Caldwell Country Club, located on U.S. 165 just south of Grayson.

This year’s benefit will be held in memory of Linda Whatley of Columbia and Phil Henry of Jena.

Tee time is 1 p.m. and entry fee is $300 per two-person team. Format will be a 2-person scramble.

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Fall football has not been canceled but the season will definitely not start at its scheduled time.

The truth is, no one is clear when football will happen as everyone waits on Governor John Bel Edwards to move the state out of Phase 2.

Last week social media was a firestorm as it was reported that Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) Executive Director Eddie Bonine told Louisiana lawmakers July 13 that his organization will not allow high school football games until the state exits Phase 3 and is in Phase 4.

Later in the week while speaking to the BESE board about the plan, he clarified statements he made since confusion arose due to the fact that there is no Phase 4 in the governor’s plan.

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