Opie's Open

You want to know how different NSU men's basketball coach Mike McConathy is? He is the only college basketball coach I know who would allow a golf tournament raising money for his team to be called the "Opie's Open." Could you imagine Mike Kryzyzewski's childhood nickname being used in public as the name of a big golf tournament at a country club? Me neither.

One of my favorite aspects of playing in Opie's Open (besides the food of course) is the prizes that you win after. There is no more creative prize awarder (if that is a word) than Opie. At most golf tournaments, you might win a bag, or a club, a gift certificate to a golf store, or the all-time leader, a box of balls.

That is not the case at Opie's Open. The first thing you noticed upon walking up to Southern Trace Country Club in Shreveport were the large boxes stamped with HSN.com on them. Anyone who would think to give a bunch of golfing hacks something from the Home Shopping Network is a genius.

What was inside the box? Indoor barbecue grills. My team's prize for placing third in the tournament? A massive tool belt to accomdate all of your gardening tools, complete with knee pad and tools included.

And what did the winners get? Exactly what you would expect from a man coming off of the most incredible season of his professional life. The beautiful framed photos availble to you on nsudemons.com: the game-winning shot from Jermaine Wallace, and a beautiful panoramic floor view of the Demons in the second round of the NCAA tournament against West Virginia (a remarkable shot by NSU's Gary Hardamon).

The food was great, the prizes unique and the turnout strong.

Just an average year for Opie's Open, a tournament put on by a much more than average man.

Generations meet at Academic Achievement Banquet

Shown above: Softball outfielder Cary Bruno, Retta and Rev. James Poole, Lady Demon sprinter Deidra Truss

It’s always inspiring to attend the annual Academic Achievement Banquet hosted by Kent Gresham at The Landing Restaurant downtown. Student-athletes who made the Dean’s List in the last academic year are invited to a wonderful dinner alongside many of those who have donated endowed academic scholarships benefiting athletics.

Any given semester, says academic coordinator Julie Lessiter, at least a third of NSU’s athletes make the Dean’s List. There were more than 130 eligible to attend last night’s event – some missed because of class conflicts.

Seated together were two track sprinters from different eras. The Rev. James Poole and his wife, Retta, sat with the recipient of the James Poole Track Scholarship, Lady Demon 400 meter standout Deidra Truss. It was during casual conversation that Rev. Poole, who competed for the Demons in the late 1940s, and Deidra realized they each were quartermilers, just from different generations. It was fascinating to listen to them comparing notes on track surfaces and competitions.

“I get faster every year,’ said Rev. Poole.

Also at our table was softball outfielder Cary Bruno, recipient of the Retta Strickland Poole Athletic Scholarship. She’s trying to fill the fleet shoes of All-SLC outfielder and career stolen base leader Sarina Noack, and she was all ears listening to the sprinter talk.

Deidra told us that NSU is going to compete next spring at the Drake Relays, which is especially tremendous news. Six-time Demon All-American Brian Brown, a two-time national high jump champion while at NSU, is the Drake Relays executive director.

Golden Gaspard name rich in Demon history, perhaps LHSAA as well

Another great story about a former NSU Demon football player was featured in Bob Tompkins’ “Tales from the Crossroads” series in the Alexandria Town Talk newspaper (www.thetowntalk.com) today.

“The right man” tells about Cottonport native and former NSU center Kim Gaspard, who is one of the leading contenders to succeed the retiring Tommy Henry as the commissioner of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. Gaspard, principal at Airline High School in Bossier City, is among six finalists who will interview with the selection committee Thursday.

Kim is the younger brother of Steve Gaspard, who played on the Demons’ unbeaten 1966 team that reunites on campus Saturday to mark its 40th anniversary. Their father, Jimmy, played on the Demons’ unbeaten 1939 team. Kim played for the Demons in the mid-1970s, lettering in 1974-75.

Lady Demon coaches make a pit stop

One of the great things about NSU is the sense of teamwork among the coaches and student-athletes from the various sports. Case in point – last Thursday morning.

Football coach Scott Stoker and I were cruising toward Bossier City, for the regular Demon QB Club Luncheon at Ralph & Kacoo’s Seafood Restaurant, being chauffeured by the incomparable Britt Brittain. For the first time this season, Stoker was able to get away from his office before 11 for our hour-long trip north.

For the first time this season, we were going to arrive before noon, giving Stoker and the media time to do interviews and allowing everybody a comfortable visit inside while waiting on our meals.

Then the tire blew. Britt saw a small piece of metal in the road, thought he had avoided it, but it must have been so light that it blew into the left rear tire about two miles south of the Ajax exit. There we sat, at 11:17, stranded, with a coach who needed to be in Bossier City 40 minutes later and with no way to cover the 40 miles to get him there.

Enter our heroes, Jennifer Graf and Brittany Uffelman, head coaches of the Lady Demons basketball and volleyball program. Graf just bought an SUV from local dealer Calvin Braxton, and still has her Jeep. She answered our call for help, and got Coach B to drive the SUV up for our use getting Stoker to Bossier City, as Graf led the way to us in the Jeep.

Somehow the two coaches got across town to Graf’s house and up I-49 20 minutes to us in about 35 minutes – there must not have been any state troopers in the neighborhood that morning. We jumped in Graf’s new vehicle and Britt steered us to Bossier City in time for Stoker to walk in at 12:45, visit with the supporters and media for 20 minutes to brief them on the upcoming game, and all was well that ended well.

Assists are stats in basketball and volleyball. Credit coaches Graf and Uffelman with big ones!