The Church Street Inn Lady Demon Tennis Classic was in full gear Saturday at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex, with many participants hustling to finish their matches so they could come across the parking lot to Prather Coliseum for tonight's Scholarship Auction.
Joe Jr. and Terri Cunningham were typical of the hyper NSU backers. They were gearing up for a mid-afternoon doubles matchup against good friends Sidney and Joelle Evans, and then everybody was going to hurry home to change into (thankfully) casual attire to begin the fun of the Auction experience.
It's fun to see Patric Dubois marshalling the area's tennis buffs into a support base for the Lady Demon program. Dubois has spearheaded some enhancements to the tennis complex, both for appearance and for practical use. He also has some newcomers on the Lady Demon roster who should help Northwestern fit into the thick of the Southland Conference race next spring.
Meanwhile, 90 minutes before the doors open at Prather, Greg Burke, William Broussard and crew are applying the final touches to displays and check in areas for tonight's event. It represents the culmination of months of work, mostly by the people who are the heartbeat of NSU, volunteers who have solicited auction items and helped make arrangements for the event. Broussard and his wife Kendra have put in tremendous hours over the last few weeks trying to pull every little detail into a perfect picture.
It all makes for an exciting Saturday here without the slightest hint of a scoreboard humming!
Doug Ireland
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Cereal celebrity Terrence McGee
Chalk up another first for Terrence McGee.
As you can see, our Pro Bowl kick returner and the starting cornerback for the Buffalo Bills is on the front of a Frosted Flakes cereal box in circulation up north.
That news was passed along by Mrs. E, as she's known to the Demon football players, Elizabeth Holloway to the rest of us -- the secretary/administrative assistant to Coach Scott Stoker.
McGee trotted out his own collection of art last summer. Turns out he was a closet sketcher who could work more magic with a pencil than I can on the golf course. It's funny how talent seems to follow some people.
Doug Ireland, SID
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Thoughts from the Final Scrimmage
Pulling concrete information out of an intra-squad scrimmage is more than difficult, and one of the many reasons I am glad I don't coach for a living. If your offense does something great, is it because the offense was good or the defense was bad? And vice versa. So we go back to trying to figure out what we can learn from the things we saw.
First, the talent level on this team is amazing, maybe as good as its ever been. From the ridiculous depth at running back to playmakers at linebacker, the depth and breadth of talent on the Demon team is remarkable.
Let's look at the key position battles...starting with running back. Byron Lawrence, last year's 800-plus yard rusher made a big case for keeping his starting job with a terrific performance in the scrimmage, 144 yards and three TDs. Richuel Massey has been incredibly impressive all camp long and Patrick Earl was listed as the starter going in. Don't forget Antonio Robinson, who has performed well this fall as well, not to mention scintillating freshman Jeremy Jefferson, who will get some touches.
The other major position battles are at QB and in the secondary. The QB situation is very good, with transfer Drew Branch pushing incumbent Germayne Edmond very hard to make him keep his job. Both guys have looked very good at times throughout the fall, so don't be surprised when you see both QBs in the game for the first few games of the year until Scott Stoker can settle on a starter.
In the Demons' 4-2-5 attacking scheme, the five defensive backs are key, especially the free safety (think Russ Washington) who aligns the defense and makes any adjustment calls before the snap. At least three of the five positions are in play right now with All-SLC performer C.L. Grogan locked into one of the two cornerback positions and Gary Riggs seemingly cemented as the strong safety. On the other side at corner is a good battle between Justin Perry and Kasey Brown. At the other two safety spots, the battle rages on. Lance Lacoste, Darrell Kitchen, Chad Bell and Jesse Clark are all in the rotation for the weak and free safety spots. All of these guys have talent but are young, except Kitchen, who has good experience in the secondary both as a corner and a safety.
As you head to Turpin Stadium this season, especially on September 1, I think you will see a very impressive cadre of talent which seems to be more of a team than a collection of players. And I believe that by the end of the season, this Demon team will have surprised everyone and we will be reshuffling our Thanksgiving plans again (in the playoffs).
First, the talent level on this team is amazing, maybe as good as its ever been. From the ridiculous depth at running back to playmakers at linebacker, the depth and breadth of talent on the Demon team is remarkable.
Let's look at the key position battles...starting with running back. Byron Lawrence, last year's 800-plus yard rusher made a big case for keeping his starting job with a terrific performance in the scrimmage, 144 yards and three TDs. Richuel Massey has been incredibly impressive all camp long and Patrick Earl was listed as the starter going in. Don't forget Antonio Robinson, who has performed well this fall as well, not to mention scintillating freshman Jeremy Jefferson, who will get some touches.
The other major position battles are at QB and in the secondary. The QB situation is very good, with transfer Drew Branch pushing incumbent Germayne Edmond very hard to make him keep his job. Both guys have looked very good at times throughout the fall, so don't be surprised when you see both QBs in the game for the first few games of the year until Scott Stoker can settle on a starter.
In the Demons' 4-2-5 attacking scheme, the five defensive backs are key, especially the free safety (think Russ Washington) who aligns the defense and makes any adjustment calls before the snap. At least three of the five positions are in play right now with All-SLC performer C.L. Grogan locked into one of the two cornerback positions and Gary Riggs seemingly cemented as the strong safety. On the other side at corner is a good battle between Justin Perry and Kasey Brown. At the other two safety spots, the battle rages on. Lance Lacoste, Darrell Kitchen, Chad Bell and Jesse Clark are all in the rotation for the weak and free safety spots. All of these guys have talent but are young, except Kitchen, who has good experience in the secondary both as a corner and a safety.
As you head to Turpin Stadium this season, especially on September 1, I think you will see a very impressive cadre of talent which seems to be more of a team than a collection of players. And I believe that by the end of the season, this Demon team will have surprised everyone and we will be reshuffling our Thanksgiving plans again (in the playoffs).
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
D-Doyle having fun at camp
Third-hand story, but reliable sources.
Derrick Doyle is having a blast as a receiver in camp with the New Orleans Saints. The 2006 Demons' senior, who shattered our career receiving record as a four-year starter -- every game he played, he started -- checked in with NSU teammate Dudley Guice yesterday and said he was having a lot of fun and he hoped he could stay a while.
Guice passed that along to Brian Duvall, avid NSU supporter and the former fired-up public address announcer for baseball, softball and the random basketball games during his undergraduate days a few years ago.
Duvall is a regional trainer for Smoothie King, and has been in Natchitoches for more than a week now helping open the new Smoothie King store across from campus.
Doug Ireland, SID
Derrick Doyle is having a blast as a receiver in camp with the New Orleans Saints. The 2006 Demons' senior, who shattered our career receiving record as a four-year starter -- every game he played, he started -- checked in with NSU teammate Dudley Guice yesterday and said he was having a lot of fun and he hoped he could stay a while.
Guice passed that along to Brian Duvall, avid NSU supporter and the former fired-up public address announcer for baseball, softball and the random basketball games during his undergraduate days a few years ago.
Duvall is a regional trainer for Smoothie King, and has been in Natchitoches for more than a week now helping open the new Smoothie King store across from campus.
Doug Ireland, SID
Brian Lawrence set for ESPN2 start Wednesday
If I read my pitching rotation right and can decipher a TV schedule, we should be able to watch former Demon Brian Lawrence pitch against his old team, the San Diego Padres, Wednesday evening.
Lawrence is slated to start for the New York Mets in a 6:10 CST game at Shea Stadium. Brian is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA, and could easily be 3-0, as the Metropolitans have blown two leads after he's left the bump in his last two starts.
Lawrence spent four-plus seasons in San Diego, getting three Opening Day starting assignments for the club before departing in the 2005 offseason for a better deal in Washington.
In one of the mind-numbing posts of the day, I read a preview of Wednesday's matchup that remarked how odd it was that in 150+ major league starts, Lawrence had never faced the Padres. Duh ....
Somebody got paid to write that. I'm not going to call out the source, but if you google New York Mets pitching rotation, it won't take you long to find it.
Doug Ireland, SID
Lawrence is slated to start for the New York Mets in a 6:10 CST game at Shea Stadium. Brian is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA, and could easily be 3-0, as the Metropolitans have blown two leads after he's left the bump in his last two starts.
Lawrence spent four-plus seasons in San Diego, getting three Opening Day starting assignments for the club before departing in the 2005 offseason for a better deal in Washington.
In one of the mind-numbing posts of the day, I read a preview of Wednesday's matchup that remarked how odd it was that in 150+ major league starts, Lawrence had never faced the Padres. Duh ....
Somebody got paid to write that. I'm not going to call out the source, but if you google New York Mets pitching rotation, it won't take you long to find it.
Doug Ireland, SID
Monday, August 20, 2007
Wrought iron
There won't just be a new entrance to Brown-Stroud Field, there will be a whole new look when you make it to the Demons' baseball field next season.
One of my favorite baseball players, current Astros manager and former Pirates infielder Phil Garner, had the nickname "Scrap Iron" because of his rugged approach to the game.
Maybe now one of the Demons who is especially tough will get the nickname "wrought iron" because of the fencing surrounding the ballpark?
Out with the wooden planks that bordered the facility. No, the actual fencing around the field won't change, but the fence around the "public access" areas of Brown-Stroud will be wrought iron, I was told in a Monday morning staff meeting.
OK, we won't exactly have the old "knothole gang" with people peering through knotholes in a wooden fence to watch the action ... but anybody wanting to watch from outside the confines will be able to, albeit from a far distance. The new fencing will definitely add to the great look for Brown-Stroud Field. It will be the first in a series of wrought iron fence installations at athletic facilities made possible by a generous gift.
Doug Ireland, SID
One of my favorite baseball players, current Astros manager and former Pirates infielder Phil Garner, had the nickname "Scrap Iron" because of his rugged approach to the game.
Maybe now one of the Demons who is especially tough will get the nickname "wrought iron" because of the fencing surrounding the ballpark?
Out with the wooden planks that bordered the facility. No, the actual fencing around the field won't change, but the fence around the "public access" areas of Brown-Stroud will be wrought iron, I was told in a Monday morning staff meeting.
OK, we won't exactly have the old "knothole gang" with people peering through knotholes in a wooden fence to watch the action ... but anybody wanting to watch from outside the confines will be able to, albeit from a far distance. The new fencing will definitely add to the great look for Brown-Stroud Field. It will be the first in a series of wrought iron fence installations at athletic facilities made possible by a generous gift.
Doug Ireland, SID
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Sign of progress at Brown-Stroud Field
Students are on campus, classes start tomorrow, football season is less than two weeks away, there's an exhibition soccer game here Friday night against Rice and I'm talking baseball?
It's because for the first time since 1990, there's not a wooden fence around Brown-Stroud Field, home of Demon baseball. Jim Wells insisted that a fence be built and admission be charged to baseball games after he took over as head coach. I remember thinking "this is going to be odd," and as it turned out, it was just another visionary move by the Grand Master of Demon baseball.
Just this past week, the wood slats on the fence have been removed, leaving only the row of brick columns which held them. Fresh wood will be back, I suppose, without interrupting facilities guru Chuck Bourg on the weekend to find out (I'll confirm Monday).
This is the first sign of what will be some significant changes to the old ball park in the coming months. There are some really interesting long term concepts that could become reality in time, but in the relatively short term we'll finally see the long-awaited new entrance to the park, complete with a ticket booth and a lovely facade. On the drawing board is a major addition providing ground-level concessions and bathrooms behind the Demons dugout along the first base line, along with renovated press facilities atop the grandstand. Director of athletics Greg Burke is working to blend a combination of allocated state funding and private donations, already in hand and on the verge of fruition, to make these long-needed changes happen.
Brown-Stroud Field has one of the nicest settings in college baseball, built into a hillside and bordering Chaplin's Lake with some majestic pines and big bushes providing an outfield backdrop as pretty as you please.
There have recently been major improvements to the facility, notably the new artificial turf infield, drainage system and dugout renovation a couple of years ago; the enhanced batting cages; and the covered grandstand and expanded permanent seating, including the field level VIP box seats, completed less than a decade ago. Adding the perfect accent in the last few years has been some great landscaping at the existing gate and along the permanent grandstand, which seats up to 1,000.
It's never going to be one of those "cookie cutter" facilities, which have their place, but to me, usually have a rather lifeless look. Dating back to the 1930s, Brown-Stroud Field is uniquely ours, and the subtle and not so subtle changes on the horizon will make it the envy of many teams who have newer facilities that lack the charm and personality and character our park has.
Doug Ireland, SID
It's because for the first time since 1990, there's not a wooden fence around Brown-Stroud Field, home of Demon baseball. Jim Wells insisted that a fence be built and admission be charged to baseball games after he took over as head coach. I remember thinking "this is going to be odd," and as it turned out, it was just another visionary move by the Grand Master of Demon baseball.
Just this past week, the wood slats on the fence have been removed, leaving only the row of brick columns which held them. Fresh wood will be back, I suppose, without interrupting facilities guru Chuck Bourg on the weekend to find out (I'll confirm Monday).
This is the first sign of what will be some significant changes to the old ball park in the coming months. There are some really interesting long term concepts that could become reality in time, but in the relatively short term we'll finally see the long-awaited new entrance to the park, complete with a ticket booth and a lovely facade. On the drawing board is a major addition providing ground-level concessions and bathrooms behind the Demons dugout along the first base line, along with renovated press facilities atop the grandstand. Director of athletics Greg Burke is working to blend a combination of allocated state funding and private donations, already in hand and on the verge of fruition, to make these long-needed changes happen.
Brown-Stroud Field has one of the nicest settings in college baseball, built into a hillside and bordering Chaplin's Lake with some majestic pines and big bushes providing an outfield backdrop as pretty as you please.
There have recently been major improvements to the facility, notably the new artificial turf infield, drainage system and dugout renovation a couple of years ago; the enhanced batting cages; and the covered grandstand and expanded permanent seating, including the field level VIP box seats, completed less than a decade ago. Adding the perfect accent in the last few years has been some great landscaping at the existing gate and along the permanent grandstand, which seats up to 1,000.
It's never going to be one of those "cookie cutter" facilities, which have their place, but to me, usually have a rather lifeless look. Dating back to the 1930s, Brown-Stroud Field is uniquely ours, and the subtle and not so subtle changes on the horizon will make it the envy of many teams who have newer facilities that lack the charm and personality and character our park has.
Doug Ireland, SID
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