MissLouSports.Com

Joey Martin News

Joey Martin is the Sports Editor for the Concordia Sentinel located in Vidalia, LA and he covers most all the sports in and around Concordia Parish, if you see him, please tell him how much you enjoy reading his articles on MissLouSports.Com  

Ferriday High senior Richard Jefferson signed a football scholarship with Louisiana College today (Wednesday) at Ferriday High.
Jefferson played quarterback and wide receiver for the Trojans this past season.
“They really made me feel at home,” said Jefferson, who was also recruited by Northwestern State and Louisiana-Lafayette. “I really like the atmosphere.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Jefferson said Louisiana College is looking at him as a cornerback.
“They said I will play a lot of special teams and some cornerback my first year,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson rushed for 1,438 yards and passed for 1,578, accounting for 23 touchdowns in his only season as a quarterback. He played running back and returned kicks the previous seasons.
Jefferson also had 47 tackles on defense.
“I think it helped me as a cornerback playing some quarterback because I learned a lot about receivers breaking off their routes,” he said.
Jefferson said he is glad to have the signing behind him so he can now concentrate fully on basketball.
“I’m really going to miss Ferriday with the atmosphere and the band here,” he said. “It’s been a great four years.”
Ferriday head football coach Richard Oliver said Jefferson will be successful at Louisiana College.
“Richard will do well because he has a great attitude and great work ethic,” he said. “They cme here and looked at his films and were very impressed with what they saw. Richard will flourish in their system.”

Monterey’s Lady Wolves kept within a game of District 4B leader Oak Hill by defeating Grace Christian 46-37 Friday in Alexandria.
“That was a good road win,” said Monterey girls coach Cary Shlvely. “It keeps us in the hunt for first place.”
The Lady Wolves improved to 18-7 overall and 4-1 in district.
Monterey led 23-16 at halftime.
Ellen Bairnsfather and Kaley Baker scored nine points each while Kristin Russell added seven.
The Lady Wolves are ranked No. 22 in the Class B power rankings.
“Our goal is to finish in the top 16 so we can have a home playoff game in the first round,” Shively said. “If we can finish in a tie for first, we think that would be good enough. But we have to keep winning. If we are not at home, we just have to win on the road. The main thing is getting in.”
Lacassine is ranked No. 1 in the Class B power rankings, followed by Fairview, Anacoco, Florien, Singer, Hathaway, Hornbeck, Weston, Glenmora and Negreet.
Oak Hill is No. 16.
Monterey’s boys improved to 11-10 and 3-2 in district with a 67-63 win over Grace Christian.
“Anytime you can win on the road it’s a good thing,” said Monterey coach Eric Richard. “Grace Christian is competitive, especiallly on their home court.”
Dillon Smith led the Wolves with 15 points, while Hayden Cassels and Cole Fancher scored 13 points each. Matthew Humphries added 10.
The Wolves are ranked No. 30 in the Class B power rankings.


The nominees and awards have been finalized for the 31st Annual Miss-Lou Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to be held Feb. 23 at the Natchez Eola Hotel.
Southeastern Louisiana head football coach Ron Roberts will be the featured speaker.
“I’m really excited about speaking at the banquet,” Roberts said. “The National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame does a great job and is a great organization. I enjoy giving young kids credit for what they are doing. And anytime I can get Southeastern Louisiana out there and spread the word about the school and community it’s a great thing. We offer a great place to go to school and Hammond and the community are an easy sell.”
Dinner is scheduled for 7 p.m., followed by Roberts’ speech and the awarding of scholarships to six Miss-Lou football players.
Former South Natchez legendary football coach Ed Reed will be presented the Contribution to Amateur Football Award, while Judge John Hudson will receive the Distinguished American Award.
Each athlete will receive a scholarship ranging from $1,000 for four players to $3,000 for the top winner.
Thao Nguyen will represented Vidalia High, while Ferriday High will be represented by Richard Jefferson.
Representing Cathedral High will be Caleb Upton. Kevin Campbell is Adams Christian’s representative, while Joseph McClatchy will be representing Trinity Episcopal. Natchdez High is represented by Lavorious Dorsey.
Junior high football players being recognized are Drake Bergeron of Vidalia, Zavier Davis of Ferriday, Pete Guedon of ACCS, Jackson Carpenter of Cathedral, Mark Iles of Trinity and Carl Knight of Robert Lewis Middle School.
Roberts was Delta State’s defensive coordinator for two years and became coach in 2007. He also has worked at Mount Whitney (Calif.) High School, Texas State, Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., Greensboro College, Burroughs High School in California and Houston High School in Germantown, Tenn., his wife’s hometown.
Tickets for the banquet at $20. Call 601-442-5481 or John Mark Williams at Concordia Bank in Vidalia at 336-5258 for more information.
Louisiana High School Athletic Association member principals approved a proposal that will allow member schools to play one class above their enrollment-based classification, starting in 2013-14.
“We’re not moving up,” said Vidalia High principal Rick Brown.
The LHSAA body took no action on two other significant classification proposals, opting to table both for one year during its general assembly meeting held in Baton Rogue.
The group put off for one year an amended version of a proposal by South Beauregard High Principal Marlin Ramsey that would divide schools for the playoffs into groups of non-select (traditional public schools) and select (private, magnet, dual curriculum, charter and lab schools) schools.
Also tabled after some debate was an LHSAA proposal drawn up by Executive Director Kenny Henderson that would divide football schools into five divisions and then classify schools separately for other sports in six classes.
The LHSAA currently has seven classes.
“Something is going to have to be done,” Brown said. “The way charter schools are coming up it’s only a matter of time. It’s hard enough playing the ‘private schools’ and now you will have charter schools with an unfair advantage.”
On Friday, principals voted by a 158-125 margin to allow schools to play up one classification.
“I would rather see them make a super district,” said Vidalia High football coach Gary Paul Parnham, who could see both Evangel and John Curtis move into Class 3A with Vidalia under the new proposals. “We don’t want either one of them.”
Ferriday High principal Michelle Bethea said she is all for schools being able to move up.
“This will give the small schools a chance to compete and make the playoffs,” Bethea said.
Ferriday assistant principal and boys basketball coach James Davis said the move to play one class up is a good start.
“Small schools like us cannot compete because the talent level does not come around the same as it does at some schools in our class,” Davis said. “Hopefully in the near future they will let schools play wherever they want to play.”
Ferriday head football coach Richard Oliver said he would be glad to see John Curtis and Evangel move from 2A to 3A.
“This gives us a better chance to compete,” Oliver said. “The private schools have been dominating. I think they will end up going to six divisions. There are going to be a lot of changes over the next few years.”
Ramsey’s proposal that did not pass would divide the LHSAA’s 387 schools into four classifications and then sub-divide schools into select and non-select groups for the playoffs, allowing for four non-select championships and two select championships in most sports.
Several principals from smaller schools spoke against the Henderson’s LHSAA proposal, which would absorb the smallest class, Class C. The vote to table Henderson’s proposal was 143-126.
“That’s a good deal for us,” said Monterey Athletic Director and girls basketball coach Carey Shively. “I hope it stays that way, but it’s coming. There are too many small schools closing. But I am not going to worry about things I cannot control. We’ll just keep doing what we are doing.”
There were three proposals that set up sportsmanship guidelines and consequences for ejections and fighting for student-athletes as well as coaches conduct.
• The amount of time new member schools must wait before being able to play for championship honors was reduced from two years to one by a 154-135 vote.
• All baseball and softball coaches will be required to wear protective head gear in the coaching box.
• The practice period for baseball and softball and indoor track were extended. Indoor track gains four added weeks. Baseball and softball gain two weeks and short toss and long toss conditioning before starting actual drills.
• A series of proposals to revamp golf and its qualifying standards, effective in 2012-13, were approved.
Also, spring football practice remains limited to 10 days, but starting next year, schools can hold it in late January and early February instead of late April and early May as is now required. Schools cannot split the dates.
• A proposal banning from the playoffs teams that have to forfeit at least 33 percent of their games for violating eligibility rules did not pass. In 2010, Acadiana had to forfeit four football games, but still managed to win the Class 5A title.
Notable items that failed were:
• A proposal to prohibit teams that forfeited 33 percent of regular-season games from advancing to the playoffs by a 141-134 margin.
• A plan to allow all students who transfer to be eligible for non-varsity competition for one year if they live outside a school’s attendance zone.

Call it an obsession. Call it stubbornness. Call it frustration.
Each year for the past six years I have written almost the same column, hoping each one would be the last.
But once again I am having to voice my disapproval with an injustice that has been going on for way too long.
Former Ferriday and LSU great Max Fugler was once again looked over for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
I do know Fugler is still on the ballot.
And, once again, my ranting is not to slight the latest selections, especially Deuce McAllister and Warrick Dunn. Terry Robiskie, Roger Carr, Aaron James, Eddy Furniss, Pete Richardson and Mark Guidry - if you have to have a jockey - certainly belong in this prestigious class.
But so does Max Fugler, who belonged in the past several.
The latest selection was announced late Saturday. They will be officially enshrined Saturday, June 23, 2012 in Natchitoches to culminate the June 21-23 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.
A 30-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association committee selected the 2012 inductees. The panel considered a record 142 nominees from 24 different sport categories on a 25-page ballot, said Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland.
I don’t envy the voters. There are so many great athletes from this great state. And, I realize some of the voters now may not be old enough to remember Fulger. Probably some of them never had to dim their car lights by stepping down on a button by the brake pedal.
But they would have been enamored watching Max play football at Ferriday and at LSU.
Members of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association began planning a Hall of Fame to honor the state’s outstanding athletes and coaches as far back as 1951, but the first election to the hall was not held until 1958.
The three charter members of the organization — Gaynell Tinsley, Tony Canzoneri and Mel Ott — were inducted during the Ark-La-Tex Sports Award Banquet in Shreveport in 1959.
Three honorees were selected annually for several years and were inducted during the Shreveport banquet. Later inductions were held in different areas of the state, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
Several members of the Hall of Fame were inducted at LSU football games and televised basketball games, and others were taken into the shrine during the VFW Sports Awards Banquets in New Orleans.
The current Hall of Fame collection includes color portraits of the 277
members and a continually growing of items such as baseballs, footballs, bats, gloves, jerseys, golf clubs, helmets, shoes and other memorabilia contributed to the shrine by Hall of Fame members and their families. It also includes the Grits and Mary Gresham Collection showcasing hunting, fishing and the outdoors.
Items representative of major events in state sports history, such as the 2007 LSU football national championship and the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XIV title, have also been donated to the Hall.
It has everything a state sports fan could ask — except Max Fugler.
Fugler was part of Ferriday High football teams of the 1950s that lost only four games over four years and won four state championships.
Fugler and Frank Brocato were the lone Bulldogs to letter five years as both played as eighth-graders.
Fugler was part of a 54-game streak without a loss still stands today as the longest in the state.
Fugler was also a big part of LSU’s 1958 national championship team, earning the Iron Man Award in the 1958 championship season, leading the team in minutes played, averaging more than 35 minutes of playing time a game.
Fugler played on high school and college teams that combined to go 68-8-0 while he was a member of those teams.
Fugler was the first high school All-American at Ferriday High. He had the fortune of playing under Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame coach Johnny “Red” Robertson, who was deservedly inducted in 2003.
Fugler was the 10th pick in the eighth round, being selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the 94th overall player taken in the 1960 Draft. He was also drafted by the Boston Patriots of the AFL.
Fugler’s NFL career ended in his rookie year when he tore cartilage in his knee while making a block against Cleveland. That was a much more serious injury back in the 1960s.
The New Orleans Saints began their franchise in 1968 and Saint head coach Tom Fears offered Fugler a contract four different times. Fugler turned him down because he didn’t want to take the chance of injuring his knee permanently.
Not only should Fugler be in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, but former LSU great Jerry Stovall, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, thinks Fugler should also be a member of that hall of fame.
“Oh my goodness,!” Stovall exclaimed, when I asked him if Fugler should be in the College Football Hall of Fame. “Max certainly deserves to be in there. It’s hard to believe Billy (Cannon) is the only one from that championship team in the College Hall of Fame.”
Fugler’s head school coach, Johnny “Red” Robertson, was fittingly (although a little late) inducted in 2002.
Fugler earned the Iron Man Award in LSU’s 1958 championship season, leading the team in minutes played, averaging more than 35 minutes of playing time a game.
Fugler did play fullback a bit as a freshman and even scored a touchdown on a short run.”
I can say I scored a touchdown before Billy Cannon,” he said with a laugh.
But Fugler also showed his athleticism on the line.
Against Tulane, in the 62-0 romp of the Green Wave to close out the 1958 regular season, Fugler cut in front of the Tulane left end to intercept a Richie Petibon pass at the Wave 40 and returned it down to the 30. He had great speed and range,” former LSU football coach Paul Dietzel told me. “When he got to a running back he knew what to do. He was a fierce tackler and competitor.”
Fugler is best-known at LSU for making all four tackles on a goalline stand against Ole Miss on Nov. 1, 1958 in a 14-0 Tiger win. It was five tackles if you count the fact Fugler tackled quarterback Bobby Franklin on one play when he pitched the ball to Charlie Flowers.
Fugler added he and Billy Hendrix had a scheme called “music and lightning” when if he said music it meant Hendrix was going hard from the outside and Fugler would take the middle. If he called out lightning it meant Fugler was blitzing.
“If we didn’t say anything, then neither one of us would crash in.,” he said.
On third-and-a-foot, Flowers tried the middle and was stopped just short of the line of scrimmage by Fugler, who was named National Lineman of the Week for his efforts against the Rebels that night.
On fourth down, Ole Miss opted not to try the field goal, but sent Lovelace off tackle where Cannon hit him first and Fugler dropped him for a one-yard loss.
I guess the kicker in all of this is that it doesn’t bother Fugler near as much as it bothers me. Sure, he would be honored to be in the state Hall of Fame. But he looks at it the same way he looked at everything, he was part of a team and never wanted to be singled out.
Fugler is just one of several successful stories in the state of Louisiana.
Here’s hoping another year doesn’t pass without him getting recognized for that success.
And hopefully next year we can be talking about how they finally got it right.


Finishing strong.
That’s the theme for this year’s Vidalia Lady Vikings softball team.
“We lost quite a few games in the seventh inning last year,” said Lady Viking coach Gary Paul Parnham. “We have to be more focused.”
The Lady Vikings finished 9-17 overall last year, winning one game in rugged District 3-3A.
Parnham will be counting on seniors Kelsee Partridge, Randi Cox, Caitlyn Thornton, Kennedy Beard and Kadesia Thompson.
The lone junior is pitcher Laura Perriolloux.
Sophomores are Taylor Perkins, Savannah McCarver. and Chelsey Richards.
Perrilloux was 9-16 with a 2.95 earned run average. She struck out 67 batters over 159 inning and walked 39.
“We’ve picked up some pitchers who should help Laura out,” Parnham said.
Beard batted .311 with one home run and 10 runs batted in.
Partridge led the Lady Vikings with a .407 batting average with two home runs, 12 doubles and three triples, while batting in 25 runs.
Five teams in District 3-3A participated in the playoffs last year.
“It’s going to be a good district again,” Parnham said. “It will be the toughest 3A in the state. But we’re looking forward to the challenge. We’ve got some girls ready to step up and some freshmen coming in ready to contribute.”


Vidalia High boys dropped their 11th game in the past 12 outings, falling to Caldwell Parish 35-27.
“That was our last chance to try and get in the playoffs,” said Vidalia coach Robert Sanders, whose team, fell to 8-17 overall and 1-5 in District 3-3A play. “Everything we have tried is just not working. It’s frustrating, but we have to continue to play hard and build toward next year.”
This year will mark the first time since 2005 since Vidalia will not be in the playoffs, losing to Ferriday in their final regular season game that year to miss out. Before that, the Vikings went through another seven-year stretch, not making the playoffs in 1998.
“I don’t recall going through a streak like this year except in the early years,” Sanders said. “But we just have to work hard this summer and learn from this.”
The Vikings fell short of double figures by halftime, trailing 25-9 at halftime.
The Vikings cut the Spartan lead to 27-21 going into the final quarter, but the visitors outscored the home team 8-6 in the final stanza.
Michael Whitley led Vidalia with 10 points.
The Vikings, rated No. 42 in the Class 3A power ratings according to kenramsey.com, host Buckeye Friday.
Vidalia’s Lady Vikings fell to Caldwell 43-16.
Vidalia (0-6 in District 3-3A) was led by Kisha Swanson with six points and Ashleigh Cole had four points.
The Lady Vikings are rated No. 52.

Ferriday High dropped a pair of District 2-2A Friday as the Lady Trojans lost a 47-43 heartbreaker to Sterlington, while Ferriday boys were on the losing end of an 85-35 score.
The Lady Trojans led 23-12 at halftime.
It was the second time in three games the Lady Trojans lost a lead late, falling to Lakeside at home after leading most of the game.
Sterlington cut Ferriday’s lead to 38-34 at the end of three, then limited the Lady Trojans to just five points in the fourth quarter, as the Lady Panthers came back to win 47-43.
"This is one of the most unpredictable seasons in all of my 18 years," said Lady Trojan coach Lisa Abron. "We've been up and down, but considering we have seven players and so many young ones, they tend to make mistakes when the game is on the line. But I can't fault them. It takes experience and maturity in this type of situations. And they are still giving me all they have. I've been satisfied with their effort."
Sha'Keria Kelly led Ferriday with 22 points.
TreNace Morgan added 10 points for the Lady Trojans.
The Lady Trojans, 4-14 overall and 1-5 in district, are sitting at No. 45 in the Class 2A power ratings according to kenramsey.com.
“If we can get one more win out of our last games I will be happy with the season,” Abron said. “As long as the girls are playing hard and learning from our mistakes. We’re going to be a lot better next year.”
Ferriday boys, which are 8-10 overall, are at No. 29 despite the lopsided loss to Sterlington.
"That was embarrassing," said Ferriday coach James Davis. "We did not do anything. We turned the ball over 47 times. I expect us to play better and we're not. The guys are playing hard, but we're not at the talent level we ned to be."
Ferriday hosts Homer Friday for Senior Night.
Ferriday High ends its regular season next week with a road game at Lakeside in Sibley on Tuesday, followed by a road game at Jonesboro-Hodge in Jonesboro on Friday.