Friday, April 16, 2010

Chief Caddo is cool, ESPN says

Thursday evening on ESPN's SportsCenter, Chief Caddo got called cool.

The biggest trophy in sports, the prize in the NSU-Stephen F. Austin football rivalry, was featured in a piece spotlighting what ESPN called "the coolest trophies in sports."

Getting into that exclusive club: the green jacket for the Masters' golf champion; the Stanley Cup for the NHL king; the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the Super Bowl winner; and the Heisman Trophy for the top player in college football.

The feature included a significant amount of footage of the Chief in action, which is to say, the Chief standing there not moving and hoping like the dickens the Demons were coming to pick him up and bring him home, which is usually what happens each year.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Former Demon Miles Durham gets hit, RBI against Stephen Strasburg

All of the baseball world's eyes were focused on the pitching debut of last year's No. 1 draft pick by the Washington Nationals in Stephen Strasburg on Sunday as his team, the Harrisburg Senators, a AA club, visited Altoona, whose roster contains former Northwestern State star Miles Durham.

Strasburg, who reported throwing in the upper 90s for most of his five innings of work, gave up four hits and four runs in the game. One of those hits came off the bat of Durham who pasted a line drive single up the middle to score a run.

Durham finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate and is hitting .308 for the Curve, a AA squad affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates and a member of the Eastern League.

Durham's Curve lost the game 6-4, but you can bet Miles' confidence jumped a few notches knowing that he can be successful against a future Major League star.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Sympathy for our friend Tony Taglavore

Tony Taglavore's mom passed away Thursday evening and we felt you'd want to know. Tony is the play by play voice of the Lady Demon basketball team, does some play by play in the spring baseball and softball coverage by the Demon Sports Network, and is the color analyst for Demon football on the Demon Sports Network.

His passion pours through the microphone. He's a frequent contributor to the Daily Demon blog, too.

To send your condolences: Tony Taglavore, 127 Presido Lane, Shreveport, LA 71115 ... and he is also on Facebook.

For arrangements, and much more about a remarkable woman, read the beautiful obituary below.

OBITUARY FOR LOU ANNA RICHARDSON TAGLAVORE


Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Lou Anna Richardson Taglavore is invited to pay their respects by attending visitation Monday, April 12th, from 5-8pm at Osborn Funeral Home, 3631 Southern Avenue, in Shreveport. You are also invited to attend funeral services Tuesday, April 13th, at 10am at Osborn. Interment will follow at Forest Park Cemetery. Dr. Pat Day, Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Shreveport, will officiate.

Lou was called home to be with the Lord April 8th after a extended illness. It is there where she will be reunited with her parents, Ola Wilson and C.A. “Pete” Richardson.

Lou was born November 16, 1937, in Grant Parish, Louisiana. She worked at Dow Chemical Company in Shreveport, was for many years the backbone of a family business, and retired from Dillard’s department store in Shreveport after 16 years of service. She is survived by her son and only child, Anthony (Tony) Michael Taglavore, her sister, Claire Richardson Evans and husband Charles E. “Chuck” Evans of Williana, Louisiana, and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Mark Barnard, Chuck Evans, Mark Evans, Robert (Bob) Griffin, Raymond (Skip) Kordas, and Sam Schachter. Honorary Pallbearers will be Lou’s closest friends: Janell Bullard, Linda Hammond, Gayle Monsour, Mickie Parr, Evelyn Rogers, and Pat Tharpe.

The family would like to express its sincere appreciation to Germaine Cassiere, M.D., for providing Lou’s longtime medical care. The family would also like to thank Robert Goodman, M.D., Robert Schuler, M.D., Jennifer Alford, R.N., Joni Cannon, R.N., Ricky Larimer, R.N., Kevin Toups, R.N., the doctors of Northwest Louisiana Nephrology Clinic, the staff of Willis-Knighton Pierremont, Cornerstone Hospital, and First United Methodist Church in Shreveport for their compassionate care and concern over the past several months.

A special feeling of appreciation is expressed to Al Taglavore for his acts of thoughtfulness throughout Lou’s illness.

A special expression of thanks is extended to Dr. Charles and Kimberly Lyon of Vitreo-Retinal Associates, and Greg Burke, Doug Ireland, and Matt Bonnette of the Northwestern State University athletic department , for their understanding in allowing Lou’s son, Tony, to spend time with her in her final months.

Lou was a true Christian, a wonderful person, a great mother, and her son’s best friend. She understood that life’s most important things are the simple things. The love and wisdom she gave will remain with us.

Monday, April 05, 2010

Wanna see FAST?

Watch the video from Flotrack and check out the back stretch charge by Michael Green on the final leg of the Demons' winning 4x400 relay performance at the Texas Relays!

http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/236783/324269

That's what covering 400 meters in 45.55 seconds looks like. He eats up some fast fellows from North Texas, Kansas, Louisiana Tech and Houston, and wins going away. The Demons begin in lane 6 and in the second lap all the runners come inside. NSU is in purple uniforms.

Pretty impressive surge at about the 250-275 meter mark on the second leg by Kendal Taylor.

Michael Batts ran the first leg and Jamie Emery had leg No. 3.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Seen this weekend

Demon linebacker Yaser Elqutub among the ringleaders for a dodgeball tournament Sunday in Prather Coliseum. Yes, that's right, DODGEBALL. About 100 people on hand, lots of hollering, lots of laughs, and that was just watching a couple minutes worth as they played on the Lady Demon volleyball court ....

... Demon football greats Don Guidry and Lawrence Nugent watching Saturday morning's practice and telling stories, including Guidry talking about the Demons having a comfortable first-half lead at USL and some players taking the chance to chat up the majorettes in the USL band that was right behind the Demon bench at McNaspy Stadium ...

... Six radar guns up by scouts Saturday when Demon closer Chad Sheppard faced UTA star Michael Collins in the ninth inning. Sheppard got him on a 1-1 grounder, sharply hit to shortstop Trent Grondin, who made a nice play to his right and a strong throw. Collins is the nation's No. 5 outfield prospect for this June's major league baseball draft, and had two home runs Sunday. He looks the part.