Sports

By Shootin’ on Faith Photography

Resilient has been the word to describe the Logansport Tigers all season.

After an 0-4 start, the top-seeded Tigers had it on their mind to finish the season with a tenth-straight win.

But Homer rode a wave of big plays, including a 27-point first quarter, to claim the Class 1A title and hold off a Logansport comeback in a 41-28 win Saturday afternoon in the Caesars Superdome to claim its first state championship in football since 1939.

“Just overall proud of these guys through the season,” Logansport head coach Kevin Magee said. “To start 0-4 and not lose focus at any point and get this experience is a credit to them and this staff.

“I said it several weeks in a row, I still liked our guys. We felt that even though those times that we should’ve played all year like we have the last five or six weeks.”

If you talk to Jayden Claybrook’s sisters, they will say he forgot how to lose. Claybrook’s Logansport Tigers team defeated Rosepine in Week 4 and had not lost since. After a win in Basile in the quarterfinals, Claybrook and the rest of his team earned a date with the defending champions of Class 1A in the Oak Grove Tigers in the state semifinals.

Points were at a premium for the first 36 minutes of the game. The fourth quarter, though, saw an offensive explosion that featured the home Tigers scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 45 seconds on the clock to win 22-14. On the receiving end of that touchdown and subsequent two-point conversion was none other than Claybrook.

With the win, Logansport advanced to the state championship game against Homer at noon on Saturday, December 11, in the Caesar’s Superdome.

Two teams entered Hanson Field as almost mirror images of each other.

The visiting Logansport Tigers began the season losing their first four games against Calvary Baptist, Loyola College Prep, Bossier, and Jonesboro-Hodge. In Week 5, though, the Tigers pulled off a 38-24 win against the Ethan Frey-less Rosepine Eagles and had not lost since.

As for the home Basile Bearcats, they had to forfeit the first game of the season against Lake Arthur because of COVID protocols. They then suffered losses against St. Edmund’s and Sacred Heart before getting a win against Hamilton Christian. Basile, then, lost to Grand Lake and began a winning streak of its own that carried the Bearcats into Friday night’s quarterfinal game.

In that quarterfinal game, Logansport made noise early by scoring on its first two plays of the game on their way to a 44-14 win.

Despite the loss, Basile head coach Kevin Bertrand was proud of his kids.

It’s time to go “Big and Classy” Tiger Style! Friday night our #1 ranked Tigers will host #4 ranked Oak Grove at Tiger Stadium in the Semifinals at 7:00. We will be tailgating 4:30 - 6:30 in a BIG way. We will have Brisket, Down Home Sausage, Loaded Mashed Potatoes, Drinks and Desserts fully catered by BELROSE REAL PIT BBQ and a live performance by The Ashley Rachall Band all thanks to generous sponsors. Our tailgating crew has come through each week with anything asked of them and now it’s time to show up and show out without having to do anything but enjoy great food, good music and get fired up for the show! Everyone is welcome and it’s all FREE! Only requirement is that at 6:30 we all enter Tiger Stadium with all the noise we can bring. Our boys and coaches are ready and we are all enjoying the ride so let’s bring all we have and keep this training rolling! The team and coaches will also be fully catered to after the game.

The Annual DeSoto Parish Basketball Jamboree for Logansport, Mansfield, and North DeSoto was held at the NDHS Gymnasium on Thursday, November 11. Because all three schools had football teams participating in the playoffs, this year’s jamboree only featured the Lady Tigers, Lady Wolverines, and Lady Griffins.

The round-robin affair was full of action, and, in the end, the Mansfield Lady Wolverines defeated both the Lady Tigers and the Lady Griffins. The ladies from Logansport pulled out a victory over the North DeSoto squad in the preseason exhibition games.

If the jamboree is any indication of what fans are going to see this year in DeSoto Parish basketball, it is going to be a great year to come out and support your favorite school!

Joaquin Lady Ram JJ Bass made it official on Monday. JJ has signed her commitment letter to play softball for the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain. JJ is a three year starter for the Lady Rams softball team. She was last years District Offensive MVP.

JJ’s future college coach, Tracy Nealy, had this to say about JJ.

“Not only is JJ a super good athlete she is also a super good person. We love the great attitude and the way she plays the game combined with her positive energy. We are looking forward to her making a big contribution to next year‘s team.”

Along with being an outstanding softball player JJ also participates in Cross Country, Basketball, Track, and Cheer. She has competed at the regional meets in Cross Country and Track over the last couple years and has been a 1st Team All District Basketball player for the Lady Rams.

We look forward to watching JJ the remainder of her Senior season at Joaquin as well as her future games in college.

On Friday, November 12, the Mansfield High School Wolverines traveled to Farmerville to play the Union Parish High School Farmers. The Wolverines, one of the smallest 3A schools in the State, were up against a much larger football powerhouse.

First quarter action gave a small glimpse of the uphill battle facing the Wolverines. Senior #10 Monquavarius Wells proved to the Wolverine fans that MHS came to play with a TD late in the first quarter; however, the quarter ended with a score of UPHS 14, MHS 8

The second quarter was rough on the MHS team. Union Parish HS was able to score 3 touchdowns on the Wolverines. MHS was still battling through the game, and that was evident with a 35 yd reception by #88 Nick Bailey. But the Wolverines could not get into the end zone. The first half ended with the Wolverines down 38 – 8.

After finishing 5-5 in the regular season, the Griffins were on the road in the first round of the playoffs, to take on Rayne. Griffins were focused on the task in front of them because they knew a win would not only advance them in the playoffs, but it would set up a rematch and a chance to redeem their loss against Northwood.