SLU defense shines in win over Incarnate Word

SLU's defense turned in a solid effort Saturday in the Lions' 35-3 drubbing of Incarnate Word in
the Hall of Fame game played at Strawberry Stadium.
SLU, 3-2, won its second consecutive game coming off a bye. The Lions open Southland Conference
play Saturday, hosting Stephen F. Austin.
The Lions' defense set the tone limiting Incarnate Word to 284 yards of total offense with Isiah Corbett recording nine tackles with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss. Junior Justin Church, who starred at Fontainebleau High in Mandeville, delivered as he registering 1.5 sacks totaling 15 yards. Church also added an assist, while Cqulin Hubert contributed a sack and finished with six solos and an assist.
Marice Sutton returned an interception 67 yards for a score as the Lions' defense dominated play.
Former Ponchatoula High player junior Kaleb Muse finished with two primary stops and two assists
and had a quarterback hurry, while former Northshore High Panther player sophomore Josh Dakin added
three individual tackles and an assist.     
Lions' QB Bryan Bennett helped trigger the victory passing for 267 yards with two TD passes with a one yard TD run, racking up 463 yards of offense in the lopsided win.

                                       SLU junior Justin Church, a Fontainebleau High grad

                                      Lions' sophomore Josh Dakin, a Northshore High grad

                                       Lions' junior Kaleb Muse, a Ponchatoula high grad

Northshore Sports at WOW Cafe hosting Pearl River Rebels

Join me tonight for a day early version of  Northshore Sports, originating from WOW Cafe, the
title sponsor of the show. WOW Cafe is located in the Clarion Inn & Suites on Highway 190 in Covington.
Due to the St. Tammany Parish Fair this week, a number of high school football games have been
moved to Thursday night.
Tonight we'll be featuring the Pearl River Rebels on Northshore Sports. I'll be joined by
Rebels' defensive line coaches Pete Vicknair and Mike Dauterive. Head coach Chris Thomas won't be
available because he is coaching the Rebels' JV squad tonight. I'll also be joined tonight with
some of the Rebels' players including team captains Chris Adam, Preston Ryan, Val Springer
and Zach Vicknair. Junior running back Devan Penton, the Rebels' leading rusher with 398
yards and six touchdowns, will also be joining me tonight from 6:30 to 8 o'clock at WOW Cafe.
Tomorrow night's Lake 94.7 football broadcast will originate from Pearl River High School as
the Rebels host the Varnado Wildcats. Tomorrow night's pregame show gets underway at 6:45
followed by live game action scheduled for a seven o'clock kickoff broadcast by myself and my broadcast partner, Matt Penix.

New Orleans Pelicans open training camp

The NBA preseason hasn't begun yet and New Orleans Pelican guard Eric Gordon is already
behind the power curve due to his conditioning being behind schedule. Gordon, the high-priced
guard, only suited up for 42 games last season, leading the team scoring 17 points per game playing 30.1 minutes per contest, as he battled knee and ankle injuries during the year. Gordon worked out on a limited basis at yesterday's opening training camp practice. It appears the Pelicans' plan is to let Gordon  improve his conditioning before he is allowed to go full out at practice. Gordon didn't appear in many of the sessions because he is recovering from off season ankle surgery and he wasn't medically cleared until last week.
Pelicans' coach Monty Williams put major emphasis on the defensive side of the ball in
yesterday's practice. Williams knows his team has to improve on its perimeter defense and keep
opposing guards out of the lane stopping penetration. The Pelicans, playing as the Hornets, last season hope to improve on their 27-55 record from a year ago.
The Pels have added 6-7, 205-pound guard/forward Rodney  Carney to the 17-player roster. Carney was a 2006 first-round pick by the Chicago Bulls, but was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Carney averaged 5.9 points and two rebounds in 299 career games, logging 48 starts. Carney is a 33.8 percent shooter from 3-point range.

 

Saints heading to Chicago to battle Da Bears

The Saints, off to their best start since the 2009 Super Bowl championship, take their 4-0
mark into Soldier Field in Chicago to do battle with the Bears.
Chicago, 3-1, is coming off a 40-32 Sunday road loss to Reggie Bush and the Detroit Lions.
Bears' first-year head coach Marc Trestman had the Bears off to a 3-0 start in spite of some
serious defensive deficiencies.
The Bears' defense couldn't contain Bush, the Saints' former No. 1 draft pick, who finished
with 139 yards on 18 carries.
While the Saints' defense continued its dramatic turnaround from a year ago, the team's offensive
line is struggling. The Saints' one weakness to this point is the lackluster play of the O-line, not opening holes and doing a very good job of protecting Drew Brees.
Despite Brees passing for 413 yards and four touchdowns, the Saints only managed 68 yards on 24 carries, just 2.8 yards per rush. The Saints haven't rushed for 100 yards in any of their four outings and running the ball was supposed to be a main focus for the team this season according to coach Sean Payton.
Kirey Robinson topped the ground game with 37 yards on 12 rushes, averaging 3.1 yards per game
followed by Darren Sproles with 28 yards on just four carries, including his 5-yard TD run.
The Saints' defense, which recorded three picks and a fumble recovery, will have its hands full
trying to stop Bears' QB Jay Cutler and former Slidell High Tiger and Tulane University
graduate Matt Forte at Soldier Field.
Forte, 27, a six-year vet with the Bears, gained 95 yards with a TD in last week's loss to Detroit. Forte has picked up 320 yards on 69 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per rush with three TDs this season.
Forte is also second with 23 receptions behind team leader Brandon Marshall with 27 catches.
He has 160 receiving yards with 101 of those yards coming after the catch. 
Forte has rushed for 5,647 yards in his six-year career since becoming a Bear in 2008. He has 38
career TDs, 29 rushing and nine receiving. Forte is someone the Saints' defense will have to keep
an eye on this Sunday if they want to be successful and continue their unbeaten streak.

Chicago Bears' running back Matt Forte, who starred for the Slidell High Tigers and Tulane University. Photo courtesy of Chicago Bears.
 

Saints' Drew Brees on fire with four TD tosses

                         Drew Brees airing it out against the Miami Dolphins. Photo courtesy of CBS.

Drew Brees lit up the Miami Dolphins' secondary last night in Monday Night Football sparking the
Saints to a convincing 38-17 victory over the previously unbeaten Dolphins in the Mercedes-.
New Orleans, 4-0, had its way as Brees connected on 30-of-39 attempts for 413 yards with four TDs
in a Pro Bowl type performance.
Darren Sproles and Jimmy Graham got in the act with excellent games for the Saints. Sproles had an amazing first half and finished with seven receptions for 114 yards and a TD pass from Brees. Sproles also ran for a 5-yard score on the opening series.
Graham finished with two TDs catching scoring tosses of 27 and 43 yards, while latching onto  four receptions, totaling 100 yards. It was Graham's third straight game over 100 yards and he is ready to sign a big pay day, which could eventually make him the highest paid tight end in the league.
Brees continued his assault on the NFL record books as he moved into sixth place on the all-time passing yardage list, moving past Fran Tarkenton with 47,353 yards. Brees finds himself in second place in passing
yardage this season after four games at 1,434 yards trailing league leader Denver's Peyton Manning by just 36 yards following last night's torching of the Dolphins' secondary. The one weakness the Saints have is their
offensive line, which isn't getting the job done off the ball. The Saints' offense ran the ball 24 times, gaining just 68 yards, averaging 2.8 yards per rush and haven't broken the 100-yard mark in either of the first four games. Kirey Robinson led the way with 37 yards on 12 carries, averaging 3.1 yards per attempt, while
Sproles chipped in with 28 yards on just four carries including his 5-yard TD.
The Saints' defense continued to get the job done recording four sacks with three interceptions and a key fumble recovery. Jabari Greer, Chris Carr and Will Herring picked off passes. Linebacker Curtis Lofton forced a fumble and finished with three solo stops and three assists. Malcolm Jenkins was also in on six tackles, registering two solo stops.
The Saints take their unbeaten mark on the road this week traveling to Chicago to battle the Bears, who feature former Slidell High Tiger and Tulane University graduate running back Matt Forte. Forte gained 95 yards in the Bears' 40-32 loss last week to Detroit.