Covington High Lions win own Covington Holiday Classic Basketball Tourney

 In local high school basketball action, the Covington High Fighting Lions won their Covington Holiday Classic posting an unblemished 4-0 mark. The Lions upended their district rival Fontainebleau Bulldogs 77-65 in the championship tilt. Covington's George Brister delivered 21 points leading four players in double figures followed by Terrell Chatham with 17. Jeremy Haar contributed 14 points and Jay Earlycutt added 11. Fontainebleau, which finished 3-1 in the tourney, also placed four players in double figures led by Logan Thompson with 19 points. Justen Mascaro finished with 15 points, while Michael Pilote netted 11 and Colin Buttone added 10. Covington downed Mentorship Academy of Houma 85-36 in the opening round followed by a 72-60 win over Covenant Christian Academy out of  Baton Rouge. In the third round of the tourney, the Lions held off Sophie B. Wright 66-60 to advance to the championship contest. Fontainebleau topped Covenant Christian 57-49 in the opening round followed by the Bulldogs edging Sophie B. Wright at the buzzer, winning 47-46. Fontainebleau topped Mentorship Academy 70-32 to advance to the championship game with Covington High. The other local team, the Slidell Tigers, finished 2-1 in the Covington Holiday Classic.

Saints prepping for wild card showdown with much improved Philadelphia Eagles

In the NFL, the Saints are focused on their wild card playoff encounter Saturday with the explosive Philadelphia Eagles, who are on a roll being sparked by young quarterback Nick Foles, who has posted the best quarterback efficiency rating in the NFL at 119.7. The 11-5 Saints travel to Philly to take on the 10-6 Eagles, the NFC East champions, in what will prove to be a major task in frigid conditions for the road challenged Black & Gold. The Saints have only mustered a 3-5 road-record, while posting an 8-0 mark in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Saturday night's wild card game kicks off  7:10.

New Orleans Pelicans fall to Houston Rockets

 

The New Orleans Pelicans did their best to hang tough Saturday night, but they came up short,
falling to Houston 107-98 as the Rockets were paced by Dwight Howard with an impressive double-double, scoring 24 points with a monster game on the boards pulling down 18 rebounds including six on the offensive end. The Pelicans, 13-15, placed five players in double figures led by Ryan Anderson's 22 points, but it wasn't enough. Anthony Davis continued his stellar play posting a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Tyreke Evans added 16 points with nine assists. The Pelicans return to action tonight hosting the Portland Trailblazers.

Wolves capture 31st annual St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer Tournament crown and remain unbeaten in the process

 

St. Paul's soccer team remained unbeaten on the season over the weekend as the Wolves blanked Acadiana 2-0 to capture the 31st annual St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer Tournament. St. Paul's, 14-0-1, the No. 1 ranked team in Division I according to the Louisiana High School Soccer Coaches Association, went up 1-0 on senior Cameron Robinson's penalty kick, which gave the Wolves a 1-0 halftime advantage. Senior Christian Caragliano capped off the scoring with a goal about 10 minutes into the second half assisted by Austin Groeneveld. Junior goal keeper Parker Rice earned the shut out, netting five saves. The Wolves' defense turned in a solid effort keeping the Acadiana Rams off the board. St. Paul's head coach Sean Moser said it was the first time the host Wolves had won the tournament in the past seven years. Moser said his Wolves achieved one of their season goals by capturing the championship and it was a tremendous team effort. "We had really good overall team play and we were able to spread out the scoring." St. Paul's opened tournament play Friday taking a 3-1 victory over Archbishop Rummel led by Robinson, who tallied a goal and netted an assist. Davis Neitzschman and Eric Giun finished with one goal each and Brett Feringa was credited with an assist. St. Paul's followed that settling for a scoreless tie with Catholic High. Rice earned four saves in the scoreless encounter. St. Paul's blanked Beau Chene 5-0 with Robinson posting two goals. Tyler Murphy, Groeneveld and Neitzschman tallied one goal each for the Wolves. The Wolves defeated district rival Mandeville Skippers 3-1 on goals by Robinson, Neitzschman and Grant Hebert. Groeneveld added two assists while Rice netted four saves for the victorious Wolves.  

LSU prepping for Outback Bowl appearance versus Iowa

The 9-3 LSU Tigers are gearing up for their appearance in the Outback Bowl New Year's Day in
Tampa against the 8-4 Iowa Hawkeyes. The Tigers are making their 14th straight bowl appearance
and 45th overall in school history. LSU is in the hunt for its 10th win of the season, which would give the Tigers a school record fourth straight 10-win season. LSU will be out to avenge a 30-25 last- second loss to Iowa on a Hail-Mary pass in the 2005 Capital One Bowl back in 2005 in their only other meeting. Tiger freshman quarterback Anthony Jennings, the hero in LSU's come-back victory over Arkansas, will get the start, replacing the injured Zack Mettenberger.. The game kicks off at noon and will be televised on ESPN. Jennings will become the second quarterback in LSU history to make his first start in a bowl game, joining Matt Flynn, who made his first start in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, a 40-3 win over Miami. Iowa hopes to capitalize on its momentum as they enter the Outback Bowl, riding a three-game winning streak. The Hawkeyes' defense is ranked seventh in the nation.   

Denver's Peyton Manning breaks Drew Brees' NFL single-season passing yardage record

 

 

Denver's Peyton Manning  breaks Drew Brees' single-season  passing yardage mark. Photo by Getty.

Denver's Peyton Manning continued his assault on the NFL record books as he eclipsed Drew Brees'
single-season mark of 5,476 yards yesterday vaulting the 13-3 Broncos to a 34-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Manning with his precision passing, completed 25-of-28 for 266 yards to establish a new single season yardage mark eclipsing Brees' mark set in 2011. Manning finished the regular-season with four more touchdown passes upping his record mark to 55. Manning. He threw TD passes to Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno in the first half and then found Demaryius Thomas for two scores in the second half. Manning broke Brees' record hitting Thomas on a 5-yard pass with 13 seconds left in the first half building a 31-0 advantage. Manning was named the AFC Offensive Palyer of the Week. 

New Orleans Saints roll past Tampa Bay Buccaneers to earn wild card playoff berth

 

Saints' QB Drew Brees and tight end Jimmy Graham (80) celebrate Brees' nine-yard TD run in a 42-17 victory over Tampa Bay sending the Black & Gold to the playoffs.  Getty Photo.

The New Orleans Saints gave members of the Who Dat Nation a late Christmas gift following a superlative effort from Drew Brees yesterday  as the Black & Gold punched their playoff ticket taking a convincing 42-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 11-5 Saints finished the regular season a perfect 8-0 in the Dome, while struggling to a 3-5 road mark. The Saints will travel to Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, Saturday to battle the Eagles, who edged the Dallas Cowboys 24-22 last night to win the NFC East title. The early weather predictions for Philly are for the temperatures to be in the mid-to-low 20's for Saturday night's wild card affair. The kickoff is set for 7:10 p.m. Brees was in playoff form posting an impressive quarterback rating of 157.4, clicking on 24-of-31 attempts for 381 yards with four touchdown passes. Brees was on target finding receivers on long-range scoring plays including 76 yards to Kenny Stills, 44 to Lance Moore and 41 yards to Robert Meachem. Brees, who averaged 12.3 yards per pass, also connected with Jimmy Graham from 10 yards out giving the tight end 16 receiving touchdowns putting him one behind the NFL mark of 17 set by New England's Ron Gronkowski. Brees also found time to rush for one score covering nine yards as he did it all sparking the victory. The Saints' o-line came up big in the clutch with Brees only being sacked once for 11 yards and he had time to look down field finding open receivers. The Saints' offense poured it on gaining 468 yards yesterday, while Rob Ryan's defense did its part limiting the Buccaneers to just 290 yards of total offense with Junior Galette posting two sacks to give him a career-high 12. Keenan Lewis, an O. Perry Walker High graduate, who
made First-Team All-Metro and all-league as a senior, picked off a Mike Glennon pass to give him a team-high of four interceptions. Glennon, a rookie, who earned the starting job when the Bucs released Josh Freeman, finished going 22-of-41 for 219 yards with two TDs and Lewis' interception.

NCS turns in strong performance at 31st annual St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer Tournament

NCS head coach Nick Chetta makes a point during halftime of the Wolverines' 1-0 victory over Hahnville. The Wolverines posted a 2-0-1 mark in the 31st annunall St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer Tournament. Photos by Mike Pervel.

 

Wolverines' coach Nick Chetta addresses his team while goal keeper Josh Landry looks on.

Northlake Christian School competed in the 31st annual St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer
Tournament and made a nice showing only allowing one goal, posting a 2-0-1 record. The Wolverines, the No. 1 ranked team in Division III, according to the Louisiana High School Soccer Coaches Association, improved its record  to 11-1-3. The Wolverines opened tournament play Friday morning, battling St. Louis, the No. 2 ranked team, to a 1-1 tie. NCS' Mason Maurice tallied the Wolverines' lone goal. In Friday's second match, the Wolverines blanked Hahnville 1-0 on a goal by Mason Cook. Josh Landry posted the shutout and Matt Pearl was named the top defender. NCS held off Baton Rouge Magnet 1-0 behind Mason Maurice's goal. St. Louis, which also posted a 2-0-1 mark in the tourney advanced to Saturday's semifinals based on a goal differential over Northlake Christian School. NCS head coach Nick Chetta said his club played excellent team defense during the tournament, allowing just one goal in three matches. The 31st annual St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer Tournament was played the first day at the Covington Youth Soccer Association fields. Day two's matches were played at Wolverine Stadium on the NCS campus and at Hunter Stadium on the St. Paul's campus.   

Archbishop Hannan Hustle Basketball Tourney underway

Archbishop Hannan Lady Hawks' guard Rachel LePere (2) goes up for a shot against the St. Scholastica Academy Doves in their opening game yesterday during the annual Hannan Hustle Tournament. SSA won the game 46-39. Bogalusa Daily News Photo by Chris Kinkaid.

The annual Archbishop Hannan Hustle Basketball Tournament got underway yesterday and continues
through Monday with both boys and girls teams competing. The got underway yesterday in sterling fashion as the Fontainebleau Lady Bulldogs battled in triple overtime holding off Parkview Baptist 69-67 in a thriller on the Hawks court. Jaclyn Scholvin just missed posting a triple-double carrying the load for the Lady Bulldogs dropping in 23 points, 10 steals and nine rebounds to spark the victory, clicking on 10-11 free throws. Jaclyn's sister Jenna Scholvin did her part finishing with 18 points, three rebounds and two steals as the dynamic combo continued to lead the way on the season. In the second game yesterday in the Hannan Hustle, the St. Scholastica Academy Doves downed the host Lady Hawks, 46-39 behind Megan Feringa's 14 points. Elise Candies chipped in with 11 points followed by Erica Moore with seven points. Hannan's Rachel LePere totaled 14 points including 10 first quarter points to keep the game close. Northshore's Lady Panthers downed Mt. Hermon 48-35. Kacie Fountain and Kennedy Harrison netted 11 points each for the Lady Panthers followed by Allie Drouant with 10.The action in the Hannan Hustle continues today with action beginning at 11 o'clock with games being played at Hannan and also at the Coquille Sports Complex. 

New Orleans Saints' playoff hopes on the line Sunday against the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Dome

Saints' QB Drew Brees

Denver Broncos' record setting Peyton Manning

The 10-5 New Orleans Saints facing a key challenge Sunday are in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome hosting the 4-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 3:25 kick off. On the line is a playoff berth with a Saints' victory, while on the other hand a loss would knock the Black & Gold out of the playoff picture. However, a Saints' win coupled with a possible Atlanta Falcons upset victory over the NFC South leading 11-4 Carolina Panthers would give New Orleans the No. 2 seed along with a bye and home field advantage in the upcoming playoffs. Needless to say there is an awful lot at stake riding on Sunday's contest with the Bucs in the Dome.  The Saints earned a 16-14 victory over Tampa Bay back on September 15 on the road .During Wednesday's practice quarterback Drew Brees was limited in practice due to what was listed as a bruised knew. The Saints received good news yesterday with Brees appearing to practice uninhibited by his knee. Saints' head coach Sean Payton said, "He's fine. He had a right knee bruise. There's nothing more to it than that. And yet we thought it was best (if) we limited the amount of snaps he's getting. We just felt like we had a day to do that," Payton added. Brees' name appeared on the Saints' injury list for the first time all season Wednesday with that issue concerning his knee. Brees is poised to lead his Saints in a must win situation concerning the playoffs. Brees is second in the league behind Denver's Peyton Manning passing for 4,781 yards completing 68.2 percent of his passes with a 101.8 quarterback efficiency rating. Brees has tossed 35 TD passes with 12 interceptions. The Saints' O-line must do a better job protecting him than in recent weeks as he has been sacked 36 times on the season. Manning has led his Broncos to the AFC West crown setting a new NFL touchdown pass record of 51, breaking Tom Brady's mark of 50 set back in 2007. Manning has thrown for 5,211 yards being picked off just 10 times with a QB rating of 113.0 second to Philadelphia's Nick Folse at 118.7. Manning is within reach of breaking Brees' NFL single season yardage record of 5,476 yards as he needs just 265 yards in Sunday's road finale against the Oakland Raiders to pass the mark set by Brees in 2011.    

Northlake Christian School Wolverines competing in St. Paul's 31st annual Holiday classic

The Northlake Christian School Wolverines, who stand at 9-1-1 on the season are participating in the St. Paul's Holiday Classic. The Wolverines, who are ranked No. 1 in the Louisiana Soccer Coaches Association poll, get an early test as the Wolverines face off with No. 2 ranked St. Louis at 10:30 this morning. NCS, coached by Nick Chetta who is in his 11th season, said this is the tournament to be in. "Its one of the best tournaments in the state. You have an opportunity to compete against the best teams and it offers exceptional opponents," Chetta said.  

St. Paul's 31st annual Holiday Invitational Soccer Tourney revs up today

The 31st annual St. Paul's Holiday Invitational Soccer tournament takes place today and tomorrow here in Covington. TheSt. Paul's Tournament is considered to be one of the best in the state featuring 14 teams including the top ranked teams in Division I along with a number of highly rated clubs in Division II and III. The soccer action gets underway this morning at the Covington Youth Soccer Association Fields with four games beginning at 10:30. The second round of four games get started at  noon following by the third and fourth rounds at 1:30 and 3:30 respectively. Tomorrow's St. Paul's Holiday Classic action will be played on the St. Paul's campus with the action getting underway tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. The championship contest is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7 o'clock. St. Paul's, the host Wolves, enter today's competition at 11-0. Wolves' head coach Sean Moser said his team usually does well advancing to either the semifinals or the finals and hopes it will be the same this year. "We have some of the best teams in the state competing again this year so it should be quality soccer once again," said Moser.

Portland Trailblazers outlast Chris Paul and the L. A. Clippers in overtime

Los Angeles Clippers' point guard Chris Paul

Clippers' Blake Griffin

The Portland Trailblazers delivered in the clutch last night slipping past the Los Angeles Clippers 116-112 in overtime. Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge poured in 32 points including seven in overtime to help propel the Blazers to the win. Clippers' point guard Chris Paul was amazing in defeat scoring 34 points with 16 assists and six steals, while teammate Blake Griffin netted a double-double with a team-high 35 points and 11 rebounds for the 20-11 Clippers. 

Saints hosting Tampa Bay Bucs still hoping for No. 2 playoff seed

Saints' rookie first-round draft choice Kenny Vaccaro chats with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan earlier this season. Vaccaro was placed on the injured reserve list after breaking his ankle in the team's 17-13 loss last week to the Carolina Panthers. Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Saints.

The 10-5 New Orleans Saints face a crucial test at home Sunday taking on the 4-11 Tampa Bay
Buccaneers in a 3:25 kick off with major playoff implications on the line. A Saints' victory
Sunday would guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. If the saints win the Carolina Panthers lose to the Atlanta Falcons the Black & Gold  would claim the coveted No. 2 seed. The Saints put themselves in a somewhat precarious situation following their disappointing 17-13 road loss to the Panthers last Sunday. The Saints announced yesterday they have placed rookie first-round pick safety Kenny Vaccaro on injured reserve after he suffered a season ending ankle injury in the loss to Carolina. The Saints also announced the signing of corner back Terrence Frederick from the Cleveland Browns' practice squad. Frederick, 5-10, 187-pounds, a former Texas A & M star, was drafted last year by the  Pittsburgh Steelers as the 246th pick overall. A number of Saints' players were listed as limited in practice including signal caller Drew Brees with some type of knee issue. Brees' favorite target in recent weeks, Marques Colston, was also listed as limited for Sunday's big game with Tampa Bay. Buccaneers' guard Carl Nicks, a fifth-round pick of the Saints in 2008, earned two pro bowl appearances with the team during his four-year tenure with the Black & Gold.   

Archbishop Hannan Hustle Basketball Tournament

The Archbishop Hannan Hustle Tournament gets underway today and runs through Monday with the
Hawks hosting a number of boys and girls basketball teams representing the Northshore. If you're looking for some local high school basketball action, the Archbishop Hannan gym and the Coquille Sports Complex gym are the places to be.     

SLU's Seth Sebastian garners another award

Southeastern Louisiana University senior kicker Seth Sebastian boots the ball out of former Covington High star Matt McCormick's hold earlier this season. File photo by Randy Bergeron.

Southeastern Louisiana University senior place kicker Seth Sebastian after posting the best
season ever for a Lions' place-kicker was named the College Football Performance Awards National
Football Championship Subdivision Place-Kicker of the Year. Sebastian, who is from Lafayette,
was previously named to the Associated Press All-America first team and the FCS Athletic Directors Association Place-Kicker of the Year. Sebastian, also a first team All-Southland Conference selection capped off an amazing season, clicking on 16-of-18 field goal attempts and connected on 66-of-67 extra point attempts helping to lead the Lions' to a school record 11-3 season. Sebastian set single season school records for PAT's made, PAT's attempted, points (114) and field goal percentage (88.9). The four-year starter finished his career as the Lions' leading scorer with 289 points.

LSU's Aaron Nola and Alex Bregman receive All-American recognition from Collegiate Baseball

LSU junior pitcher Aaron Nola. Photos by Steve Franz/LSU Athletics Staff Photographer.

LSU sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman

In collegiate baseball news, LSU  junior pitcher Aaron Nola and sophomore shortstop Alex Bregman
have received 2014 preseason all-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball. Nola was named a first-team All-American, while Bregman was named to the second team.  Both Nola and Bregman were named first-team preseason all-Americans last week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Nola, 12-1 last season with a 1.57 earned run average, struck out 122 batters in 126 innings. Nola was voted SEC Pitcher of the Year by the league coaches. Nola, winner of the 2013 Corbett Award as Louisiana's top male amateur athlete, was also a finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award presented by the College Baseball Hall of Fame Foundation. Bregman was the National Shortstop of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and by the National College Baseball Writers Association. Bregman batted .369 last season with 18 doubles, seven triples and six homers. He drove in 52 runs and scored 59 times with 16 stolen bases. LSU begins preseason practice Jan. 24 and the Tigers host the UNO Privateers February 14 in the season opener at Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

New Orleans Pelicans break four-game road losing streak against Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans delivered Monday night helping the New Orleans Pelicans break a four-game road losing streak with a 113-100 victory over  Sacramento. Evans netted  25 points and 12 assists. Photo courtesy of NBAE/Getty images.

The New Orleans Pelicans managed to end a tough, four-game losing streak on a grueling five-game
West Coast road trip Monday night earning a 113-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The
Pelicans 12-14 return home tomorrow night hosting the 14-13 Denver Nuggets in a 7 o'clock
tip off in the Arena. Denver downed the Pelicans 102-93 back on Dec. 15 to open the five-game
road trip. In Monday night's victory, the Pelicans placed five players in double figures led by the outstanding play of Tyreke Evans, who poured in a game-high 25 points, clicking on 11-of-12 free throws. Evans also delivered 12 assists with six rebounds and three steals sparking the Pels' victory. Anthony Davis continued his strong play after returning from a hand injury, netting a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds as he connected on 9-of-10 free throw attempts in almost 43 minutes of action. Jrue Holiday also contributed a double-double with 17 points, which included three treys and 10 assists. Eric Gordon, who is battling a hip issue, added 17 points, while Al-Faroug Aminu delivered 13 points with eight rebounds. The Pelicans made 23-of-27 charity tosses finishing at 85.2 percent as a team.     

New Orleans Pelicans looking to break four-game road losing streak

The New Orleans Pelicans continued their road struggles as they dropped their fourth consecutive game being downed by the Portland Trailblazers 110-107. Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans netted 21 points each but it wasn't enough. Portland, 23-5, was paced by Damian Lillard's game-high 29 points, while the Pelicans slipped to 11-14. New Orleans returns to action tonight taking on the 8-18 Sacramento Kings as the Pelicans close out a tough five-game road swing, seeking their first victory.

Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns hold off Tulane Green Wave for third straight New Orleans Bowl victory

The University of Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns raced out to a 21-0 advantage in the R+L
Carriers New Orleans Bowl Saturday night and then fought hard to hold off a feisty Tulane
Green Wave squad to earn a 24-21 victory. The 9-4 Ragin' Cajuns, the Sun Belt co-champions,
garnered their third consecutive, New Orleans Bowl victory before a record crowd of  54,728 in
the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Green Wave senior running back Orleans Darkwa closed out his
Tulane career being named the game's Most Valuable Player as he rushed for three touchdowns, gaining 83 yards on 16 carries. Darkwa averaged 5.2 yards per rush scoring on runs of 1, 7 and 22 yards. The Green Wave had an opportunity to tie the game late but Cairo Santos' 48-yard field goal attempt sailed just wide left. Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Terrance Broadway, turned in a gutsy performance, making his first appearance since undergoing surgery last month for a broken forearm, went 12-of-19 for 143 yards. He was  picked off twice and sacked four times by an opportunistic, aggressive Green Wave defense, which kept Tulane in it after falling behind early. Junior receiver Jamal Robinson, a Salmen Spartan graduate, who was named All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team this season, made a significant impact catching five passes for  50 yards. Robinson was Broadway's favorite tatget during the year, finishing with 55 catches for 862 yards and eight touchdowns. Ragin' Cajuns' Elijah McGuire, the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, turned in a strong game with seven receptions for 94 yards and he rushed 11 times for an additional 45 yards including a 27-yard scoring jaunt early in the first quarter to put his team up 7-0 following the extra point. Alonzo Harris rushed for a team-high 74 yards with a 15-yard score. Corey Trim picked off Tulane starter Nick Montana and returned the ball 82-yards for a score, which gave the Ragin' Cajuns a 21-point advantage with 12:31 left in the first half. Tulane freshman Devin Powell replaced Montana and finished with 223 yards, completing 10-of-21 passes with an interception. Montana went 5-of-8 for 63 yards before being pulled. Tulane appearing in its first bowl game since 2002, finished at 7-6 under second-year coach Curtis Johnson, who did a masterful job turning the program around.      

SSA Doves remain unbeaten at 10-0; blanking Fontainebleau in key district soccer match

St. Scholastica Academy and Fontainebleau hooked up in a key district soccer match Friday night won by the Doves 4-0. SSA moved to 10-0 overall and 6-0 in district play, while Fontainebleau, 9-2 overall, took its first district loss at 5-1. Photo courtesy of Bobby Gilboy. 

In local girls' soccer action, the St. Scholastica Academy Doves remained unbeaten Friday night earning a 4-0 victory over arch-rival Fontainebleau Lady Bulldogs. Courtney Robicheaux netted two goals, while Abby Childress and Kate Gutterman added one goal each to help spark the Doves' to their 10th consecutive victory. The Doves moved to 6-0 in district while Fontainebleau, 9-2 overall, suffered its first district loss and stands at 5-1. SSA goalkeeper Elaina Nacari posted the shutout with Maegan Due being named the Doves' top defender. 

Denver's Peyton Manning sets new NFL TD Passing mark

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning eclipsed Tom Brady's NFL single-season touchdown mark of 50 yesterday in the Broncos'  37-13 victory over Houston.. Manning  passed for 400 yards and four TDs to reach 51 surpassing Brady. 

Denver's Peyton Manning put on another sterling aerial show yesterday as he passed for 400 yards
and four more touchdown passes in record setting fashion leading the Broncos to a convincing 37-13 victory over the hapless Houston Texans. Manning surpassed Tom Brady's NFL single season 50 touchdown passing record that he established back in 2007. Manning sits at 51 as he hit Julius Thomas with a 25-yard scoring pass with 4:28 to play to establish the new TD mark. Denver, 12-3, locked up the AFC West crown. Manning continued his banner, career setting season as he clicked on 32-of-51 passes as he bears down on Drew Brees' single season yardage record of 5,476 yards set in 2011. Manning enters next week's regular season road finale against the Oakland Raiders with 5,211 yards, needing 265 yards to top Brees' NFL mark.  

Saints suffer gut-wrenching loss to Carolina Panthers blowing No. 2 seed opportunity

Saints' QB Drew Brees heads up field being pursued by Carolina lineman Greg Hardy in yesterday's 17-13 loss to the Panthers. Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Saints.

The Who Dat Nation fan base was teased and then literally tormented yesterday as the Saints
failed to secure the No. 2 seed and home field advantage in the upcoming playoffs falling to the Carolina Panthers 17-13 as they went down to defeat on the road. Quarterback Drew Brees, who completed 30-of-44 passes for 281 yards, took the Saints on an impressive 97-yard drive late in the fourth quarter putting the Black & Gold up 13-10, but it was all for naught as Cam Newton drove the Panthers back down field culminating in a game-winning 14-yard touchdown to Domenik Hixon with just 23 seconds remaining to burst the Saints' bubble. New Orleans wasted a golden opportunity yesterday as they played well enough to win in a crucial NFC South showdown with Carolina. The Panthers' defense stole the show with second-year linebacker Luke Kuechly posting 24 tackles including nine solo stops and picked off Brees once, while fellow linebacker Thomas Davis registered 14 tackles and a pick to help spark the Panthers to the victory and a playoff berth. The Panthers' defense sacked Brees six times for 42 yards and pressured him throughout picking him off twice. The Saints have to wait to earn a playoff berth as they close out out the regular season Sunday at home hosting the 4-11 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs came up short yesterday falling to the St. Louis Rams 23-13 as Tampa Bay was limited to just 170 yards of total offense.

Forbes Magazine ranks LSU fourth most valuable team in college football

 Most football fans from around the state realize the impact the LSU football team has on area
economics. To solidify that fact, Forbes Magazine, has ranked the LSU football program as
the fourth most valuable team in college football worth $105 million as reported by the magazine's website. LSU trails only the University of Texas Longhorns ($139 million), the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ($117 million), and the University of Alabama Crimson Tide ($110 million). Forbes Magazine ranked the University of Michigan Wolverines fifth at $100 million. The Florida Gators at No. 6 and the Georgia Bulldogs at No. 8 are the only other Southeastern Conference teams in the top 10.  Other SEC schools in the top 25 rankings include: Auburn at No. 11, Arkansas No. 12, Texas A & M at No. 14, South Carolina is No. 18 and Tennessee holds down the No. 20 position. To determine college football's most valuable teams, Forbes considers each team's value to its athletic department, its university's academic endeavors, its conference and it's school's local economy. LSU is a self-sustaining unit of the university, and it is one of the few athletic departments in the nation that receives no state funding and no student fees. The LSU Athletic Department has committed to transferring $7 million annually to the academic side of the university. The 9-3 Tigers are preparing to meet the 8-4 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Outback Bowl scheduled for Jan. 1 in Tampa.

Covington High Lions basketball hosting Holiday Classic

Covington's Fighting Lions basketball team defeated Franklin of New Orleans 59-41 led by George Brister's 15 points and five assists. Brister has helped solidify the Lion's offense since joining the team after Covington made a Class 5A football playoff-run making it to the state semifinals. Another Lions' football player Jeremy Haar, a wide receiver, is with the Lions' basketball team and he made his presence felt turning in a solid effort with eight points, five rebounds, five steals and a block. The Covington Holiday Classic takes place Thursday Dec. 26-28 featuring six teams, including the host Lions and District 6-5A clubs, Fontainebleau Bulldogs and Slidell Tigers. Sophie B. Wright from New Orleans, Covenant Christian Academy located in  Houma and Mentorship Academy in Baton Rouge round out the tourney field.    

NCS boys basketball tops St. Martin's Episcopal in tournament play

Northlake Christian School's Wolverines defeated St. Martin's Episcopal 45-24 in the Ecole Classique Tourney sparked by T. K. Keifer's 12 points, six steals and three assists followed by Zack Odenwald with seven points and two steals. The 4-5 Wolverines' played without their leading scorer Josh O'Rear, who is participating in an all-star football game.  

Saints face off with Carolina Panthers Sunday on the road seeking NFC South crown and No. 2 playoff seed

The 10-4 New Orleans Saints face their biggest challenge and most important games of the season Sunday preparing to do battle with the 10-4 Carolina Panthers on the road. Both teams are tied for the NFC South lead and are vying for the crown along with the all-important No. 2 seed for home field advantage in the upcoming playoffs. The Saints have made some big moves this week, first releasing place kicker Garrett Hartley, signing 36-year-old Shayne Graham so the Saints will see how the veteran performs under the immense pressure of Sunday's crucial contest with the Panthers. Saints' head coach Sean Payton after pulling starting left tackle Charles Brown in last week's disappointing 27-16 road loss to the St. Louis Rams has announced that rookie third-round draft choice Terron Armstead, out of Arkansas-Pinebluff, will get his first NFL start attempting to protect Drew Brees' blind side against the Panthers No. 2 rated defense in Sunday's 12 o'clock kick off. The Saints' offense, which struggled last week falling behind 14-0early to the Rams will have to find a way to turn around that trend as they try to improve on their 3-4 road record this season. The Black & Gold need to put that memory in their rear view mirror going against the tough Panthers. The Saints had their number two weeks ago earning a convincing 31-13 key victory in the friendly confines of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but this time around it's different, playing on the road in an extremely crucial game. Brees and his offensive teammates will have to find a way to find a quick start to keep the Saints in the game, while defensive team leader linebacker Curtis Lofton will have to keep his teammates energized to slow down Cam Newton and the likes of receivers Steve Smith, former LSU wide out Brandon LaFell and tight end Greg Olsen. Newton is completing 62.3 percent of his passes with 3,049 yards accounting for 21 TD passes with 11 interceptions. Newton is also the Panthers' second-leading rusher with 507 yards and six rushing scores, averaging 5.3 yards per rush. Smith has hauled in 63 catches for 701 yards with four TDs, while Olsen has gained a team-high 739 receiving yards with five scores. LaFell enters Sunday's game with 48 receptions totaling 614 yards with 5 touchdowns.

Tulane squares off with Louisiana Lafayette in New Orleans Bowl; former St. Tammany Parish athletes competing for Ragin' Cajuns

The 7-5 Tulane Green Wave appearing in their first bowl game since 2002 will have their hands
full tomorrow night squaring off with the 8-4  Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, who are competing in their third consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Ragin' Cajuns held off East Carolina 43-34 in last year's game. The Green Wave has flourished defensively under second-year coach C. J. Johnson, while the offense has struggled to find consistency. Eleven Ragin' Cajun players were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team, which included a couple of former St. Tammany Parish players. Junior receiver Jamal Robinson, who prepped at Salmen High and senior tight end Jacob Maxwell, who starred at Pearl River High, were recognized. Robinson was named to the All-Sun Belt second team, leading his team with 50 catches for 812 yards with eight TDs. Maxwell received honorable mention, splitting his time at tight end. Maxwell caught 12 passes for 158 yards with two scores. Ragin' Cajun freshman Al Damion Riles, another former St. Tammany Parish player, who starred at Lakeshore High School, played in all 12 games in the secondary and finished with 38 tackles. Riles recorded 27 solo stops, which included 3 and a half tackles  for loss. Riles also picked off a pass and returned it 99 yards for a score this season.

Louisiana Lafayette junior receiver Jamal Robinson, who starred at Salmen High in Slidell, earned All-Sun Belt Second team honors. Photos by Brad Kemp/UL Athletics.

Jamal Robinson (15) hauls in a pass during the season. Robinson caught 50 passes for 812 yards with eight TDs.

Senior tight end Jacob Maxwell, who starred at Pearl River High, received All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention. 

Ragin' Cajuns' freshman Al-Damion Riles (25) scampers 99-yards with a pick six. Riles prepped at Lakeshore High School

Freshman Al-Damion Riles

   

Unbeaten SSA Doves hosting Fontainebleau in key district soccer match

In local soccer action, the undefeated 9-0 St. Scholastica Academy Doves host the Fontainebleau
Lady Bulldogs today at 5:30 in a key district soccer match. SSA blanked Ponchatoula 10-0 Tuesday and prior to that blanked highly-regarded Dominican 3-0 last Saturday in a non-district match. Fontainebleau blanked the Slidell Lady Tigers 5-0 in district play on Tuesday.