Two high school state football champions were crowned Friday in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. In Class 1-A, Kentwood blew past Haynesville 40-7. Haynesville lone score came in the first quarter that tied the game at 7. The Kangaroos then scored 33 straight points to bring the title home. The Golden Tornadoes end the season 11-3. This is Kentwood’s first state championship since 1998.

In the Class 2-A final, Taylor Johnson rushed for three touchdowns as Kinder upended Mangham 35-20. This was the Dragons third straight loss in a state title game, the first in Class 2-A. Kinder ends the season with a 14-1 record and their first state championship since 2013.

Today … parish rivals Lutcher and St. James will play for the Class 3-A title. The 4-A championship game pits Edna Karr against defending champion Neville. The Class 5-A championship game will have John Ehret taking on Zachary.

Today’s games begin at noon and LHSAA director Eddie Bonine invites everyone to come down to the ‘Dome…

cut 28 (06) “all day”

Tyreke Evans scored 27 to lead the Pelicans over the Washington Wizards last night 107-105. The Wizards held a seven point lead with just over six minutes left in the fourth before the Pels stormed back to pick up the “W”. Anthony Davis added 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The Pelicans hope to keep the momentum going as they take on the Bulls tonight.

In college basketball today, Louisiana Tech hosts UL-Lafayette, ULM takes on Penn State, UNO welcomes Williams Baptist, Grambling plays Tennessee St. in Chicago, and McNeese State is on the road to face the Indiana Hoosiers.

Tulane will hire Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz to be its next football coach. New Green Wave athletics director Troy Dannen completed the interview process in New York and is expected back in New Orleans early next week to officially introduce Fritz.

LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva announces today that a statue has been commissioned of LSU All-America and NBA star Bob Pettit. Pettit played at LSU in the 1952, 1953 and 1954 seasons and scored 1,916 points.

The nonselect select state championships are underway in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. Jeff Palermo is there…:
CUT 1 (47) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva announces today that a statue has been commissioned of LSU All-America and NBA star Bob Pettit. It’s expected to be unveiled prior to the conclusion of the 2015-2016 season. Pettit played at LSU in the 1952, 1953 and 1954 seasons and scored 1,916 points.

Tonight in the Smoothie King Center, the Pelicans host the Washington Wizards. The Pels have yet to get on track this season as they are 5-16 and have lost 5 of their last 6. The Wizards have struggled as well, they’re 9-11 and have dropped 7 of their last 10. Tipoff is at 7PM.

Tulane will hire Georgia Southern coach Willie Fritz to be its next football coach. New Green Wave athletics director Troy Dannen completed the interview process in New York and is expected back in New Orleans early next week to officially introduce Fritz.

Former Cleveland Cavalier and Tulane power forward John “Hot Rod” Williams has died. He passed away from cancer at his home near Sorrento at the age of 53.

The nonselect select state championships are this weekend in the Mercedes Benz Superdome. The first of five game starts today at 4:30 with the One-A championship game between Kentwood two-time defending champion Haynesville. LHSAA director Eddie Bonine says it’s a lot of fun to see kids play at the Dome for the first time…

cut 5 (08) “go wow”

Kinder will face Mangham tonight in the Class 2-A championship. The Class 3-A, 4-A, and 5-A championships will be decided tomorrow.

Three LSU Tigers have been named to the 2015 Freshman All-SEC team. They are offensive lineman William Clapp, running back Derrius Guice, and defensive end Arden Key. Clapp started all eleven games for the Tigers, Guice averaged 8.4 yards a carry and Key is fifth on the team in tackles.

UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire may skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. McGuire plans to get some advice from the NFL Draft Advisory Board which consults with draft eligible juniors and sophomores. McGuire has rushed for over 1,000 yards the last two seasons.

Arkansas State offensive coordinator Walt Bell has reportedly turned down an opportunity to be ULM’s head football coach. So who is interested in the job? McNeese State head coach Matt Viator reportedly remains a finalist and the search committee is also looking at Grambling head coach Broderick Fobbs and Alcorn State head coach Jay Hopson.

In college hoops…ULM’s three game road trip got off to a rough start after losing to Kent State 73-62. The Warhawks head to Penn State Saturday.

Nicholls State was crushed by San Diego State 84-47. The Colonels shot less than 25-percent from the field.

And Southern improves to 6-2 after defeating Wyoming 68-58. Trelun Banks led the Jag’s with 21 points.

Saints Coach Sean Payton said today that running back Mark Ingram tore his rotator cuff which is why he was placed on injured reserve ending his season. Ingram had a shot at reaching a thousand yards on the season. New Orleans is at Tampa Bay this Sunday and Bucaneers running back Doug Martin is second in the NFL in rushing. Payton says Martin’s success on first and second downs is helping rookie quarterback Jameis Winston…
cut 18 (15) “…he’s averaging”
Today’s injury report shows Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks did not play because of a concussion.

Three LSU Tigers have been named to the 2015 Freshman All-SEC team. They are offensive lineman William Clapp, running back Derrius Guice and defensive end Arden Key. Clapp started all eleven games for the Tigers, Guice averaged 8.4 yards a carry and Key is fifth on the team in tackles.

Arkansas State offensive coordinator Walt Bell has reportedly turned down an opportunity to be the next head coach at ULM. So who is interested in the job? McNeese State head coach Matt Viator reportedly remains a finalist and the search committee is also taking a look at Grambling head coach Broderick Fobbs and Alcorn State head coach Jay Hopson.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette is in Atlanta as he’s a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the best running back in the country. The other two finalists are Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Alabama’s Derrick Henry, who are also both Heisman finalists.

UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire may skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. McGuire plans to get some advice from the NFL Draft Advisory Board which consults with draft eligible juniors and sophomores. McGuire has rushed for over 1,000 yards the last two seasons.

In college hoops….ULM begins a three-game road trip tonight as they visit Kent State. Also tonight…Southern is at Wyoming while Nicholls visits San Diego State.

The Saints will take on a team Sunday that’s still in the playoff hunt. Tampa Bay is 6-6 and Quarterback Jameis Winston is in the running for Rookie of the Year. coach Sean Payton says he’s improved since the Saints saw him in Week 2…
cut 17 (15) “…they’re winning”
And Payton confirmed today that running back Mark Ingram is undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and he’s done for the year. That means CJ Spiller should have more of an opportunity to make an impact.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette is in Atlanta as he’s a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, which goes to the best running back in the country. The other two finalists are Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and Alabama’s Derrick Henry, who are also both Heisman finalists.

According to the USA Today, LSU’s coaching staff is the highest paid in the country. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron leads the way as he’s making one-point-five million dollars this year, but his future with the team is uncertain as the Tigers passing attack is ranked 111th in the country.

KNOE reports that Arkansas State offensive coordinator Walt Bell and McNeese State head coach Matt Viator are the finalists for the ULM head coaching job. ULM president Nick Bruno is expected to interview each candidate this weekend and make a decision.

UL Lafayette running back Elijah McGuire may skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. McGuire plans to get some advice from the NFL Draft Advisory Board which consults with draft eligible juniors and sophomores. McGuire has rushed for over 1,000 yards the last two seasons.

In college hoops….ULM begins a three-game road trip tonight as they visit Kent State. Also tonight…Southern is at Wyoming while Nicholls visits San Diego State.

The Saints continue their preparations today for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. New Orleans has lost four in a row and its record has dropped to 4-8, leaving the Black and Gold with slim playoff hopes. Coach Sean Payton says there’s no looking back or too far ahead, as the team’s main focus is beating the Bucs

cut 16 (10) “our focus”

The Saints will take on a 6-6 Tampa Bay team that’s still in the playoff hunt. Sunday’s kickoff is at noon.

Bad news for the Black and Gold as running back Mark Ingram has been placed on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury. That means Ingram will miss the final four games of the regular season.

Coachingsearch-dot-com reports that McNeese State head coach Matt Viator has interviewed for ULM’s head coaching vacancy. Viator just led the Cowboys to a 10-0 regular season and a Southland Conference Championship.

According to a report by USA Today, LSU has the highest paid assistant coaching staff in the country. The coaches underneath Les Miles were paid five-point-four million dollars, which is just ahead of Auburn and Alabama. LSU is the only school to pay its two coordinators at least one million dollars.

This weekend it’s the nonselect high school football championship games at the Mercedes Benz Superdome. In Class Five-A, it’s Zachary versus John Ehret. In Four-A…Karr faces defending champs Neville. The 3-A game features St. James going up against Lutcher. Kinder faces Mangham in the Class 2-A championship. In 1-A it’s Kentwood taking on Haynesville.

In college basketball action last night, Shawn Long scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as UL-Lafayette rolled over McNeese State 97-64. The Ragin Cajuns took a 21-point lead over the Cowboys into halftime and that lead grew to 40 with about 3:30 remaining in the game. UL-Lafayette evens their record to 3-3 and travels to Ruston to face Louisiana Tech Saturday. McNeese falls to 1-6 and will face Indiana Saturday in Bloomington.

The Saints have placed running back Mark Ingram on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury and that means he’ll miss the final four games of the regular season. For the year, Ingram had 769 yards rushing and six touchdowns and played most of the game against Carolina, so it’s unclear when the injury occurred. New Orleans is at Tampa Bay this Sunday.

According to a report by the USA Today, LSU has the highest paid assisstant coaching staff in the country. The coaches underneath Les Miles were paid five-point-four million dollars, which is just ahead of Auburn and Alabama. LSU is the only school to pay its two coordinators at least one million dollars.

Chris Landry of landry-football-dot com reports that McNeese State head coach Matt Viator has interviewed for ULM’s head coaching vacancy. Viator just led the Cowboys to a 10-0 regular season.

UL Lafayette Seniors Jamal Robinson and Dominique Tovell have been named to the first-team All Sun Belt football team. ULM linebacker Hunter Kissinger was also a first team selection, while La Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel has been Conference USA newcomer of the year.

Big rivalry game in college basketball tonight as UL Lafayette hosts McNeese State in the Cajundome. The Cajuns come in with a record of 2-3, while the Cowboys are 1-5. Tip-off is set for 7 PM.

This weekend will be the nonselect championship games at the Mercedes Benz Superdome and there will be some big time quarterbacks featured in the games. In Class Five-A, it’s Zachary versus John Ehret. Zachary has Lindsey Scott who is the Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana, while Ehret has De’Jon Harris who is committed to Arkansas.

In Four-A…Karr has Aldon Clark who has put big numbers and they’ll face defending champs Neville. The 3-A game features St. James quarterback Lowell Narcisse going up against Lutcher.

The Saints return to the practice field today as they get ready to play Tampa Bay on Sunday. New Orleans will look to snap a four-game losing streak, while the Buccaneers are fighting for a playoff spot as they have a six and six record. Jameis Winston is having a solid rookie season for the Bucs, as he’s completed 59-percent of his passes for 2,877 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Former LSU Tiger and Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander will not play in Sunday’s game against the Saints. He’s been suspended for the final four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. Alexander, who has started 12 games this year, says his postive test was linked to an energy drink that he’s used since high school.

Texas Bowl executive director David Fletcher says the game between LSU and Texas Tech is close to a sellout. He says there’s about 10-thousand tickets remaining. LSU sold its allotted 85-hundred tickets.

This weekend will be the nonselect championship games at the Mercedes Benz Superdome and there will be some big time quarterbacks featured in the games. In Class Five-A, it’s Zachary versus John Ehret. Zachary has Lindsey Scott who is the Gatorade Player of the Year in Louisiana, while Ehret has De’Jon Harris who is committed to Arkansas.

In Four-A…Karr has Aldon Clark who has put big numbers and they’ll face defending champs Neville. The 3-A game features St. James quarterback Lowell Narcisse going up against Lutcher. In Two-A….Kinder has Welles Cooley who has been the QB for the Yellow Jackets for three straight trips to the Dome. And in One-A…Haynesville will have to contend with Kentwood’s Shyheim Carter who has thrown for 24-hundred yards and rushed for 16-hundred yards.

In college basketball tonight….UL Lafayette will host McNeese State. The Cajuns are 2-and-3, while the Cowboys are 1-and-5.

Last night…Louisiana Tech trounced LSU-Shreveport 82-49 and 16th ranked Baylor beat Northwestern State 75-62.

In college basketball last night, Louisiana Tech stretched its home winning streak to 35 games after defeating LSU-Shreveport 82-49. Alex Hamilton led the Bulldogs with 18 points and six assists as Tech improves to 7-1 on the season. The Bulldogs will look to extend their home winning streak to 36 when they host UL-Lafayette Saturday afternoon.

Southern’s five game winning streak came to an end in a 70-56 defeat by Grand Canyon University. The Jags led by two at the half, but the Antelopes started the second half with a 24-9 run and held on for the win. Southern looks to bounce back when they face Wyoming Thursday night.

Northwestern State just couldn’t keep up with the 16th ranked Baylor Bears last night, losing 75-62. The Demons were down by just two at halftime, but Baylor pulled away in the second. Northwestern falls to 1-7 and won’t hit the court again until December 19th when they host Missouri Valley.

Tonight, UL-Lafayette and McNeese State renew their I-10 basketball rivalry at the Cajundome. This will be the 91st meeting between the two teams. The Ragin Cajuns lead the series 55-35.

Although LSU running back Leonard Fournette is not a Heisman Finalist, he was named to the coaches All-SEC first team. Fournette’s teammate, tackle Vadal Alexander also made the first team. Center Ethan Pocic is a second-team selection, while defensive backs Tre’Davious White and Jamal Adams also made it on the second team.

Four Louisiana Tech Bulldogs made it to the Conference USA All-Conference first team. They are running back Kenneth Dixon, wide receiver Trent Taylor, defensive tackle Vernon Butler and safety Xavier Woods.

Louisiana Tech is preparing to play Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl. We learned yesterday that two Arkansas State football players have been arrested on drug charges, starting defensive end Chris Stone and backup receiver Tyler Trosin were taken into custody on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine or cocaine. Arkansas State Coach Blake Anderson says he’s aware of the situation, but declined further comment.

ULM’s committee in charge of finding a new football coach says they’ve narrowed the pool of candidates down to a handful of individuals. However, none of those individuals names have been released.

LSU running back Leonard Fournette is not a Heisman Finalist, but he was named today to the coaches All-SEC first team. Fournette’s teammate, tackle Vadal Alexander also made the first team. Center Ethan Pocic is a second-team selection, while defensive backs Tre’Davious White and Jamal Adams also made it on the second team.

Louisiana Tech has four players on the Conference USA All-Conference first team. They are running back Kenneth Dixon, wide receiver Trent Taylor, defensive tackle Vernon Butler and safety Xavier Woods.

Louisiana Tech is preparing to play Arkansas State in the New Orleans Bowl. We found out today that two Arkansas State football players have been arrested on drug charges, starting defensive end Chris Stone and backup receiver Tyler Trosin were taken into custody on suspicision of possession of methamphetamine or cocaine. Arkansas State Coach Blake Anderson says he’s aware of the situation, but declined further comment.

ULM’s committee in charge of finding a new football coach says they’ve narrowed the pool of candidates down to a handful of indviduals. No names were released. Facutly athletic representative Brett Bennett says the next coach has to have a desire to recruit local talent.

The Pelicans are off tonight. They lost again last night as Boston beat the Pels on their hom floor 111-93. Ryan Anderson had 18 for New Orleans. It’s being reported the Pels could be interested in trading Anderson for Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris.

Tonight in college basketball…the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs look for their 34th straight victory at the TAC when they host LSU-Shreveport. The Southern Jaguars are at Grand Canyon University. And Northwestern State is at 25th ranked Baylor.

And former LSU Tiger and Saints star and current broadcaster for the Black and Gold, Hokie Gajan, will undergo chemotherapy as he battles cancer. Deuce McCallister will fill in for Gajan on the radio broadcasts. Gajan will miss at least Sunday’s game in Tampa Bay.