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PIGSKIN LOVE STORY: by Teddy Allen

SB Magazine — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:35:37 +0000

PIGSKIN LOVE STORY

By 3:45 PM your Friday (and sometimes Thursday) night heroes are making memories on high school football fields all over Caddo and Bossier parishes this fall, a rite of autumn for red-blooded American teens.

There is the football team for sure. But also the band. Pep squad. Cheerleaders. Dance team. On it goes. They’re all part of the “A” in America. (Hey, “athletics” starts with an “A” too.)

But these fall Fridays have a huge impact on another group or two. One is the moms and dads, the grown-up fans. The other is a group I was in a long time ago, the group some little boy is in this fall, a little football-loving kid who’s living now what we lived all those autumns ago …

If you go back 50-plus years to your hometown, and if you were lucky, it might have gone something like Carolina in the 1960s, something like …

I remember …

That glorious football season of the Sunrise Auctioneers held little drama, truth be told. With J.Q. Jr. running and passing and with Cricket blocking and tackling, the Aucs cleaned everybody’s plow with little trouble.

“They’re putting the snicker on whoever passes by,” is what Roscoe Watts liked to say. And since Roscoe was the team’s play-by-play man and maybe the most famous person in the whole county, what with his having a weekday radio show and all, we listened. The Aucs were tough as two acres of garlic.

After losing to Class AAA Dillon, 12-7, to start the season, the Auctioneers won three straight non-district games, then put together a district championship season that looked like this:

Sunrise 27, Hannah-Pamplico 7

Sunrise 57, Hartsville 6

Sunrise 44, Timmonsville 0

Sunrise 38, Latta 0

Sunrise 42, Mullins 0

Sunrise 28, Hemingway 7

A few football-ignorant locals were antsy during that final district game since the victory had been by a too-close-for-comfort 21 points and Hemingway had actually scored a touchdown, something only Hartsville had managed to do during district play, and that had been back in early October. But most everyone recognized that Coach Petey Pate was saving a little juice for the next week’s playoffs.

J.Q. Jr. and Cricket played only a quarter and a half in the Hemingway game; they spent most of the second half on the bench playing Scissors-Paper-Stone.

The ease of it all seemed to confuse the barn-sized Cricket, my boyhood hero. It was almost as if he were bored with it. He wasn’t himself at church. Even there he seemed a little sleepy and locked in some kind of perpetual daydream. He didn’t grab me and throw me in the air like he always did after preaching. He even missed a couple of Sundays. It was probably because his brother was in Vietnam and not in vocational school in Lumberton, someone said, a reason that made little sense to me at the time.

A leaf in the wind otherwise, Cricket was still himself on the football field. The Aucs thumped Sumter, 28-10, then beat Cheraw, 30-7, to win Lower State. The state championship game against the Graniteville Rocks was an almost anti-climactic 35-0 butt-busting.

It was a beautiful thing for a kid like me to watch his high school heroes paste everybody, to be in the middle of the whole town in the stands on a Friday night, to trade high-fives with J.Q. Jr. and Cricket and all the other happy Auctioneers outside the fieldhouse.

But it was confusing that Cricket had started to understand the world outside his hometown and mine. Or not so much to understand it — no one could ever fully understand it — but he’d started to be disturbed by it.

You get a certain age and the world expands past Friday nights. It hadn’t yet for me, not back then. Not for a guy who lived and died with his Friday night heroes, not when losing a game was as bad as life could get. The glory of those autumn weekend nights might have been the final taste of innocence for us farm kids old enough to drive tractors but still young enough to be stuck in elementary school.

The Auctioneers football team was a thing you could depend on. Real life, we’d learn later, that was a whole different ballgame.

The post PIGSKIN LOVE STORY: by Teddy Allen appeared first on SB Magazine.

TEAMWORK & TRADITION: Hayden Travinski

SB Magazine — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 14:35:05 +0000

Shreveport-Bossier has been home to dozens of athletes who have gone on to excel in professional sports. The first to come to mind is Terry Bradshaw, who went from Woodlawn High School to Louisiana Tech to the NFL and won four Super Bowls for the Pittsburg Stealers – a feat unmatched for ten years until Joe Montana duplicated his record. The great number 12 has not been officially retired, but Bradshaw’s number hasn’t been worn by any other Steeler since he retired.

Basketball great, also a product of Woodlawn High School, Robert Parish went on to play for Centenary College, and his jersey number, 00, was retired by the Boston Celtics after he set numerous records, including a four-time NBA Champion.

Several baseball players from Shreveport-Bossier have gone on to successful professional careers. Todd Walker, who played college baseball for the LSU Tigers baseball team, was one. He was a member of LSU’s 1993 College World Series championship squad and was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player. Not only was Walker elected to the LSU Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas. Walker’s uniform number 12 was retired by LSU at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

This brings us to the significance of jersey numbers. Specifically, the LSU Tiger Baseball No. 8. Wearing the No. 8 jersey for the LSU Tigers is an honor and a privilege that means more than just having future success on the professional level.The LSU Baseball Jersey No. 8 is a revered tradition in the LSU baseball culture. This jersey number signifies a player who embodies the passion, determination, and leadership that is at the core of LSU baseball.

The selection of the player who will wear this number is a significant decision and is carefully considered by the coaching staff. In the 2022-2023 season, senior outfielder Gavin Dugas donned the No. 8 jersey.

The criteria for selecting the next player to wear the No. 8 jersey is based on their character, leadership, and commitment to the team. The player must demonstrate a strong work ethic, a dedication to their craft, and a willingness to put the team’s success above their individual achievements. The coaching staff will also consider the player’s on-field performance, their potential to be a leader both on and off the field, and their ability to represent the LSU baseball program with honor and distinction. The selection process is a rigorous one, ensuring that the player who is ultimately chosen is deserving of this great honor. After all, the players who wear this jersey number represent not only themselves but also the entire LSU baseball program. The honor of wearing the No. 8 jersey should inspire players to strive for greatness and embody the principles that define LSU baseball. The legacy of the No. 8 jersey is a source of pride for LSU baseball, and it is essential to maintain this tradition for future generations of players and fans alike.

This brings us to a young man who grew up playing baseball in Shreveport-Bossier. Hayden Travinski knew at a very young age that he was going to make baseball his job. After graduating from Airline High School, he was recruited to join the LSU baseball program. He has been selected to wear the coveted No. 8 jersey for the 2024 season, and it is clear that the tradition will continue. “It embodies the love an individual has for the program, and it shines out to the other players. I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” says Travinski. As the catcher for the College World Series winning team, Travinski stresses the importance of establishing a strong connection with his pitchers. In fact, two of his roommates are pitchers. The entire team was close.

“That’s what made last year’s team so special. That’s what allows teams to be successful, it’s the relationships – I feel like that’s the same in anything,” he says. His humility is refreshing, especially when you look at his stats for the 2023 season. You’ll find he was a beast at the plate with a .356 batting average and scored ten home runs, 30 RBIs, and 104 at-bats. As his parents watched with pride, he stayed zoned in for the entire College World Series. But his teammates put a grin on his face as he saw them out of the corner of his eye edging themselves over the railing of the dugout during the last play of the last game – ready to storm the mound in celebration.

Citizens National Bank, headquartered in Bossier City, understands the importance of traditions. That’s why they capitalized on the new College NIL rule to hire Travinski to be a spokesperson for the bank. “When we first started envisioning what the opportunity could look like with Citizens National Bank and Hayden, I reinforced to him that the goal was for it to be beneficial to him as well as the bank.

The benefits to the bank are obvious, but they may be a little more subtle for him.We hope that when we go through this season, he’ll look back and see that it was a good opportunity for him as well,” said Jason Smith, President of Citizens National Bank.

Travinski and CNB share the same work ethic. They also started their climb in the same city, albeit several years apart. In 1985, at a time when local and national economies were in a downturn, CNB opened for business with a handful of dedicated, committed businessmen. Their vision of providing personal banking services and financial expertise to their community has become the hallmark of CNB. Now, almost 40 years later, CNB has grown to be not only a banking institution but also a bank dedicated to giving back to its community. CNB hit a home run with Hayden Travinski as their spokesperson. Together, the mark they will make on the communities they serve will be brilliant.

Hayden Travinski

Position: Catcher
Height / Weight: 6-3 / 234
Bats / Throws: R / R
High School: Loyola and Airline High School
Hometown: Shreveport, LA
Played for the Canes American Travel Team
Louisiana State University Baseball Team, Winners of the 2023 College World Series

• Earned the starting catcher role by the end of April and played a tremendous role in the Tigers’ drive to the National Championship … appeared in 41 games (23 starts) on the year, batting .356 (37-for-104) with five doubles, ten homers, 30 RBI and 30 runs scored

• Voted to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team after hitting .429 (6-for-14) with one double, two homers, five RBI and five runs

• Batted .538 (7-for-13) in the SEC Tournament with one double, three RBI, and three runs scored … recorded a career-best four hits in four at-bats with two runs scored in a May 25 game vs. Arkansas

• Started two games (May 13-14) behind the plate in the Mississippi State series, and he hit .600 (3-for-5) with a homer, two RBI, and two runs scored
• Travinski homered at least once in each of LSU’s final five SEC regular-season series versus Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, and Georgia (two HRs)

• Delivered a two-run single and threw out two runners attempting to steal on May 2 at Southeastern Louisiana

• Blasted the go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning on April 29 vs. Alabama, erasing a 7-5 deficit and lifting the Tigers to a 12-8 win

• Launched a two-out, pinch-hit three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning on April 23 to lift LSU to a 7-6 win over Ole Miss … Travinski’s homer, his first of the season, erased a 6-4 Ole Miss lead

• Earned his first start of the season at catcher on April 22 at Ole Miss, and he provided an RBI single and scored a run in the Tigers’ 8-4 win

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Centenary Football: A Look Back!

SB Magazine — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:04:43 +0000

By Mark Mangham and Mike Mangham

Centenary College (our alma mater) is reviving its football program after a 70-year absence. Centenary was initially located in Jackson, Louisiana where Centenary’s first football game was held in the fall of 1894 (129 years ago) and the team was a powerhouse. They had wins over Notre Dame, the Texas Longhorns and, yes, even LSU! They were a strong team and were feared by many opponents because they were known for playing rough, and because of that, according to the American Football Database, they were called “the Old Ironsides”. Later, to clean up their image, they selected the “Gentleman” nickname. The team continued playing until November of 1941. The football team was briefly revived in 1946 and again in the 1960s before disbanding.

In the late 70s, Mike and I played American Legion baseball games on the baseball field at Centenary and then in the early to mid-80s we went to school there and played college baseball games on that field not knowing it used to be the location of the football field back in the day! We realized it only after finding old aerial photos of that area at the Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS! We have since found several photos of the past Centenary football teams and just recently found these old photos in the Thurman C. Smith collection! Even though there were no dates and no names on these pictures, just looking at these photos transports you back in time! A time when the football players wore leather helmets and what looks like practically no padding! Those were some tough men! We were happy to supply these rare photos to SB magazine for this article! Hopefully, some of the readers will be able to identify the men and women in these photos.

We can’t wait to see the current football team continue the Centenary Football legacy! See you at the games!

If you want to see more amazing old photos like these, search Facebook for “Twin Blends Northwest History Hunters” and like our page and follow us! We have thousands of old pictures and hundreds of videos that show the history of this area!

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CENTENARY FOOTBALL

SB Magazine — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:37:15 +0000

By John James Marshall

It was March 29, 2022, and Byron Dawson had just finished his introductory press conference upon being named the head football coach at Centenary College. Lots of smiles; handshakes all around. Photo op here, TV interview there. One big pot of feel-good stew.

Here was a guy who was being challenged with the task of resurrecting a football program that hadn’t existed since before Dawson’s father was even born. There were only 48 states back then. McDonald’s had never sold a hamburger.

It’s a good thing Dawson didn’t look for the roadmap on how to pull this off. Because there wasn’t one.

So when all the applause died down and the back-slapping had ended, Dawson went to his office, sat down and took a deep breath.

Then he remembered a lesson his father taught him when things were getting to be too much: “Just put your head down. And go to work.”

That’s what Byron Dawson did. And he hasn’t stopped since.

It depends on how you want to look when it comes to figuring out how long it has been since Centenary had football. The Gents had a notable Depression-era team – perhaps most famous for playing a game with a still-record 77 punts – but folded in 1941 after not being able to find 1,200 people to give $1 per month for three years.

Tough crowd.

The school (kind of) brought it back in 1947, but the team was so bad that they had to apologize for it in the school yearbook.

In the late 1960s, there was club football, which was just a tick above what you might see on a Sunday afternoon in the park.

And as long as we are being honest here, Centenary isn’t actually officially bringing back football this year. What they are doing is playing a series of scrimmages against some Division III teams that are within driving distance in order to be prepared for the 2024 season. If records are being kept, rest assured they won’t count. The real stuff starts in ‘24.

This is a just a soft opening, as your neighborhood restaurant or clothing store might say.

There are home games this year at a variety of locations in Shreveport including Mayo Field, Centenary’s on-campus facility.

But if there is any doubt about this being full steam ahead, drive down Kings Highway and see all the construction going on. There are billboards around town with Dawson’s favorite catchphrase: “Now we go!”

And they are indeed going, constructing more than just facilities. The roster has about 75 players on it. A full coaching staff. New uniforms just out of the box.

It’s happening. Just like Dawson hoped/knew it would.

No other coach in America would even give this a second thought, but Dawson remembers the day when the footballs he ordered came in to the athletic office. To him, that was like the national championship rings arriving at the University of Georgia.

“Then I went out and order coaching shirts with ‘Centenary Football’ written on them,” he said.

One basic thing at a time.

“This is a unique situation because there was nothing here,” he said. “Everybody else goes into a program and there is something there to build on. Football-wise, there was nothing here.”

From there, things just began to happen. Word began to spread about Centenary Football — two words that hadn’t been put together in the same sentence for decades – as things began to fall into place.

“You need to have a sense of urgency to get to work and start laying the foundation,” Dawson said. “That’s always the pressure on every coach at every level. Those who are not involved in sports don’t really understand it.”

There’s no doubt that the announcement of bringing football to Centenary brought about a sizable amount of skepticism. That didn’t take Dawson by surprise, but it did add to his motivation.

“For me, it wasn’t about the naysayers; it’s about doing to work,” he said. “Those people always motivate me because you educate them by showing them that you are going to do it. I learned a long time ago that your vision is your vision. It’s not somebody else’s vision. You can do big things in small places and that’s what I want to do at Centenary.”

But it was more than just getting the community to believe. Dawson had to get potential players to believe.

“The players have been great,” he said. “We made sure we created high character players. Guys who can not only excel on the field but also in the classroom. They have done a good job buying in. They know the challenges of being a young team but at the same time, they are attacking those challenges. You have to attack it with joy. You have to attack it with zeal. But you have to be strategic. You have to be smart. You have to take care of the details.”

And there are plenty of details.

When the plan was put in the place, the thought was that 2022 would be nothing more than just getting things organized. Instead, there were almost 20 players in the program. They weren’t on the actual roster, because there were no games, but they did spend time with training and conditioning.

That’s it.

“I call that group the foundation team,” Dawson said. “They didn’t play a game. They didn’t catch a ball. They didn’t do any drills. All they did was show up and work out and run. It was basically just a fitness team, but I was so proud of that group. We laid the foundation with those guys. Now we are building the walls.”

What it also did was give Dawson a running start toward this season. “Most of them (from last year) are still in the program and with the influx we had from the new players this year, we’ve got about 75 players,” he said. “Every day when I see them around Gold Dome and I see them, I’m grateful. I reflect on this and think this is like Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come. It’s kind of a surreal moment for me.”

The composition of the roster has not only local players but also South Louisiana, East Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“All of these guys had to step out on faith,” Dawson said. “The facilities are still being built. We are not established yet; we are still getting in things that we need just to play. But they believed in the vision and they have bought in to that and what it could be. They have believed in what we are doing and have trusted us with their future.”

“Coming to Centenary has opened my eyes to how people can truly come together and form a family, said offensive lineman Jake Morton, a Parkway product. “Never knowing each other before and starting this has given me relationships I never knew I would have. I truly have found my new family.”

“As a coach, there are two things we fight every day – deadline and scoreboards,” Dawson said. “You got to be prepared for the game that’s coming because you are going to be showcased on that stage. People are going to be watching. And the scoreboard is going to reveal how you did. Either pass or fail.”

Looks like the players are already figuring that out.

“I’m happy to be here first and foremost, but we’re coming into the season with something to prove,” said Joshua Ware, a former Southwood Cowboy. “We are a new fresh team and we are hungry for victories.”

For now, Dawson is trying to keep things as basic as possible.

“Our goal is very simple: master the fundamentals (and) play as a team,” he said. “And that’s all we can do.”

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