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There’s a new pack of Lumberjacks at Patterson High School in 2017.
First-year Coach Ryan Stewart tries to right the ship of the proud Patterson program. Stewart, Patterson’s third head coach in four seasons, inherits a 3-9 team that started the 2016 season 0-6. He takes over for Marvin Dantzler, a Louisiana native, who came to Patterson after four years as head coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, O k l a h o m a .
Patterson got off to a slow start last season before winning three out four games to qualify for the Class 3A playoffs. Dantzler resigned after the season.
Patterson lost 51-33 in the first-round of the playoffs, but Patterson and Dantzler extended long consecutive playoff appearance streaks.
Stewart was named interim coach, and Patterson held another coaching search that ended with Stewart as the top candidate.
Patterson returns 15 players with game experience and will lean on those heavily in 2017.
“We have some seniors like Dontre Nicholas, who will have to be an ironman guy because he will see action at running back and defensive back,” Stewart said. “We also have a basketball kid, Kiama Jones, a senior playing safety for us, and he has had a real good spring and he flashed in the scrimmage.
"Jaylon Jennings is another senior we will count on,” Stewart said. “He broke his foot two days before the start of the season last year and missed the whole season. He had a decent spring, and we’ll move him around on defense. He is our high-energy guy. And then we have the guys playing both ways on the offense and defensive lines like seniors Zach Burke, Brad Beaubouef and Deondre Diggs.” Other seniors who will play this season include linebacker Tyler Davis and Dannon Hue, who is expected to be back from a spring injury in week 3 of the regular season.
“We don’t have a big senior class, but we need these guys to bring us some leadership,” Stewart said. “We also have some talented kids like Dajon Richard, Drew Lucas and Irv Celestine in our junior class who are leaders, too. We have a strong junior class.”
Quarterback
Offensively, Patterson will be a big-play threat every play. Sophomore quarterback Randy Paul, Jr. will be the ‘Jacks’ starting quarterback in 2017.
Patterson played multiple quarterbacks last season, inc l u d i n g D i l l a n Giandelone, Hector Tolento and Paul. Giandelone and Tolento both were seniors a year ago, with Tolento earning second-team All-District 8-3A honors.
“Randy came in and has been really impressive,” Stewart said. “He didn’t go through the spring with us, but he was there the first day of summer with his shoe laces tied, and he got better and better. We just hope the sophomore mishaps don’t get us early on.”
Freshman Lewis Jones will backup Paul.
“We have a couple different emergency plans, but Lewis came through the spring with us, and he is the backup,” Stewart said. “He asked to throw some during a drill, and he let it go and all the coaches’ mouths were open. He’ll take all the JV snaps for this year.”
Juniors Jaymion Butler and Richard have taken snaps.
“We have three or four guys that can get us through a game, if necessary,” Stewart said.
Running Back
Allen Langston, another sophomore, will be the starting running back.
“Allen is a big kid (6-0, 195), and he had a good summer putting on some extra muscle to take the pounding,” Stewart said. “He’s the starter because he frees up Nicholas and Richard, who both start on defense. We’ll be more running back by committee this season. We have several guys that can take the ball and go score.”
Expect to see Treylon Bennett in the mix with returners Nicholas and Richard. Richard was a first-team all-district athlete in 2016, while Nicholas was a second-team all-district running back.
Receivers
The Lumberjacks lost first-team all-district wide receiver Jordan Butler and second-team all-district selection Khyri Harris to graduation, with Butler signing with Victor Valley College in California.
However, Patterson does return Richard at one wide receiver position.
“He’s all over field for us,” Stewart said. “We’ll put him at quarterback, running back, out wide and in the slot. He has some good compliments like Kia Schexnayder, Ayden Leblanc, Drew Lucas, Tyrone Tillman, Irving Celestine, while Samuel Boutte will play some H-back and tight end.”
Offensive Line
Patterson has a good group of young linemen, with two starters returning.
Beaubouef, a first-team all-district selection a year ago, and Burke return to anchor the group. Burke, however, may be moved on defense to nose guard where he has shown promise.
“Zach plays with a mean-streak on both sides of the ball, but we need that nastiness on the defensive front,” Stewart said. “Zach will be a big key for us this season.”
Without Burke, Patterson will start three sophomores on the offensive line. Javin Turner, Jarvis Jackson and James Gash will see their first real varsity action.
“These kids are some big boys, and they have pretty good athletic ability,” Stewart said. “We expect big things from them as well.”
Junior Tron’Yonte Clark transferred in to give Patterson some offensive line depth, while Austin Harden will play up and down the offensive line but likely will start at center.
“We have a solid group there, but of course, I would like a few more bodies, but we just don’t have linemen types walking the hall ways,” Stewart said. “The ones we got are the ones we got, so we just have to grow our young guys up early and hopefully stay away from injuries.”
Gone from a year ago due to graduation is second-team all-district selection Aarion Hartman.
Defensive Line
Patterson returns experience on the defensive line with the entire offensive group available to take reps.
Diggs, Burke and newcomer Adrian Gamboa will anchor the ’Jacks’ three-man front. Diggs was a first-team all-district selection in 2016.
“Those guys have got to play big for us this year if we want to get back to where we belong.” Stewart said. “These guys are big and physical. I just wish we had a couple more of them.”
Linebackers
Bennett returns to lead the linebacker corps after leading the team with 130 tackles as a freshman.
“He’s going to be a super special sophomore,” the coach said. “He’s like the second strongest kid on the team weight room wise.”
Expect to see seniors Davis, Jennings and Jones at the other three linebacker spot.
Gone from a year ago due to graduation is second-team all-district linebacker Tyric Garrett.
Secondary
The secondary will be manned by Butler, Nicholas, Richard, Hue, Celestine, Telvae Phillips and R.J. Talver. Celestine was a second-team all-district selection in 2016.
Special Teams
Senior Bryce Daigle will handle the kicking duties, while Richard and Daigle will share punting duties.
“Most of these guys will play both ways, and as we identify their strengths, we will develop their roles,” Stewart added.
Daigle will replace first-team all-district kicker Christian Soria this season.
Patterson also has several new faces on its coaching staff.
“We have a good group of coaches, and I let them do just that,” Stewart said. “I try to take care of things that fall through the cracks.”
Forecasters were predicting the Tri-City area to get about 6 inches of rain Tuesday, which is slightly more than the area got Monday, said Duval Arthur, St. Mary Parish emergency preparedness director.
The area got roughly 5 inches of rainfall Monday. The Morgan City area should average 2 to 6 inches of rain each day during the next three-day period, said Meteorologist Andy Tingler of the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office.
A chance of rain will stay in the area through the weekend, Tingler said.
There will be about a 70 percent chance of rain Thursday, 50 percent Friday and 40 percent Saturday and Sunday, Tingler said.
Arthur expects the area to be able to handle 6 inches of rainfall without many problems, assuming the rain doesn’t fall all at once. As of Tuesday morning, there were no tornado watches or warnings in effect, he said.
“That’s what really scared us yesterday,” Arthur said.
The National Weather Service told local officials that there was a “very slight” chance of tornadoes for the region.
School board officials decided to close schools Tuesday as a precautionary measure, and officials were going to make a decision Tuesday whether to hold school Wednesday, Arthur said.
Local officials received reports of tornado sightings in east and west St. Mary Parish, Arthur said. But, in both cases, the two people who reported the sightings were the only people who contacted emergency officials to say they saw the tornadoes, Arthur said. The activity could have been a waterspout or something else, he said.
“We don’t think it was a tornado,” Arthur said.
The National Weather Service computers in Lake Charles didn’t pick any circular motion in the area, Arthur said.
Tingler said the weather service didn’t confirm any tornadic activity in St. Mary Parish.
Berwick police temporarily closed a few streets Monday due to flooding. But Bayou Vista, Morgan City and Patterson didn’t have to close any streets, according to officials.
Arthur attributes the lack of street flooding in the area to drainage improvements made during the past few years.
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May 19, 1963 - August 24, 2017
Frances Seaneen Malloy Burke was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, and friend to many. Seaneen, as she was known, was born in Franklin on May 19, 1963, one of two children born to the late Frank Vincent Malloy and Kate Frost Malloy. Shortly after birth her parents moved to California where she spent her early years. As a child her favorite thing was going to Catalina Island with her parents, which started a lifelong love for beaches, her favorite being Panama City Beach, FL. When she was eight they moved back to Franklin, where she has resided ever since. In addition to the beach, she also loved to laugh, take rides to the levee, and listening to and dancing to Oldies but Goodies music. Seaneen passed away at the age of 54 at her home in Franklin on Thursday, August 24, 2017. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her daughters, Shondra B. Louviere and her husband Ian, Shira Burke and her companion Coby Broussard, and Shyanne Burke; her mother, Kate Malloy; her brother, John Malloy; four grandchildren, Shayna Muffoletto Burke, Alyssa Burke, Kaitlyn Louviere, and Kayne Luke Broussard; one step grandson, Laiton Louviere; one niece, Ashley Malloy; and two nephews, Zachary and Jacob Malloy.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph Aurelian “Ike” Burke, II; her father, Frank Vincent Malloy; her nephew, Joshua Malloy; as well as numerous aunts and uncles.
A gathering of family and friends will be held Thursday, August 31, 2017, at Ibert’s Mortuary in Franklin from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., with memorial services beginning at 7 p.m. Pastor Den Hussey will conduct the service.
Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.
(Paid Notice)
FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
1258 PM CDT MON AUG 28 2017
The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
East central St. Mary Parish in south central Louisiana...
Southeastern St. Martin Parish in south central Louisiana...
* Until 130 PM CDT
* At 1258 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
tornado was located 12 miles south of Patterson, moving north at 15
mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.
Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree
damage is likely.
* This dangerous storm will be near...
Morgan City, Patterson, Berwick, Bayou Vista and Patterson
Memorial Airport around 130 PM CDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW! Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile
home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and
protect yourself from flying debris.
Gabriel Nelson and Emma Rose Schaff made their first official appearance as the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival Children’s Day King and Queen during the Festival’s adult coronation Saturday at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium. They were selected in a random drawing Aug. 13 at a Children’s Day event at the Bayou Vista Community Center Spray Park. Nelson and Schaff will reign over the Children’s Day Activities that begin at 9 a.m. Sept. 2 in Lawrence Park in Morgan City. Children are encouraged to participate in a host of free field games, races and more. Children’s Day is sponsored by the family of Marion Bergeron and the late Oliver Bergeron, and the Rotary Club of Morgan City.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Muslim designer from Utah chosen for the fashion-competition show “Project Runway” said she tried out for the TV show to promote her modest clothing designs. But to her surprise, she also has become a role model.
Ayana Ife says since appearing on the show, she has received feedback on social media from many Muslim women saying, “Wow, you’re representing us well.”
She has been told she is “normalizing Muslims,” Ife said.
“When I first started on Project Runway, my main goal was, obviously, I want to win,” Ife told the Salt Lake Tribune. “And I really, really, really need this exposure. I want to be an acclaimed designer for the modest market. I really want to be branded that way. Not just for Muslim women — for women who love modest fashion.
“But now that I’m actually on ‘Project Runway,’ the feedback I’ve been getting came out in a way that I didn’t really expect.”
Ife, 27, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in a small New York town, moved to Salt Lake City two years ago in search of a fresh start following a divorce.
Ife moved in with her sister until she found a place of her own. Somewhat to her surprise, she discovered she likes Utah a lot, Ife said.
“I actually had a really warm, welcoming experience,” she said. “Before I came here, I didn’t know any Mormons. But now I have Mormon friends, and they’re really cool.”
Ife has also widened expectations of who lives in Salt Lake City. Chances are most viewers don’t expect to see a Muslim from Utah.
While “Project Runway” contestants tend toward outrageous, revealing designs, Ife’s fashion niche is she creates modest but chic clothing, not exposing a lot of skin.
“It didn’t get in the way of me advancing,” she said. “More than anything, the judges really, really encouraged us as designers to be who we are. There are a couple of ups and downs when it comes to different types of challenges. That’s going to be something you have to watch for.”
Ife admitted to being a bit overwhelmed when she arrived in New York for the show and met hosts Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn.
“It really was the craziest, most surreal experience,” Ife said. “When Heidi said, ‘Oh, hello designers’ — in that moment, I was, like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in the show! I’m in the TV screen!’ “
Ife wears a hijab — a Muslim headscarf.
People often are surprised to discover she actually speaks English, she said. People assume she’s from the “Middle East” or is “supposed to be Arab or something like that” just because she is Muslim. Ife said. Her family is from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
She realizes her platform on “Project Runway” is much larger than an opportunity to win a reality TV competition show.
“Of course, I want to inspire my little sisters and tell them, ‘Yay! Live your dreams,’ she said. “But this kind of ended up being a little bigger than maybe I had initially planned. And so it’s a little scary. That’s a lot of weight on my shoulders.
“But at the same time, I think it’s such a positive thing that I’m going to do my best to continue representing in the best light.”
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Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255