Friday, Dec. 21, briefs

BOSSIER BOYS PLAYING IN ARKANSAS EVENT

The Bossier Bearkats are playing in the Hardwood Showcase in Jacksonville, Ark., today and Saturday.

The Bearkats (9-2) face Little Rock McClellan today at 5:30 p.m. and Camden Fairview, Ark., at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The event features eight teams from Illinois,Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

PARKWAY GIRLS WIN FIRST GAME OF SEASON

Tyiesha Kidd scored 16 points to lead the Parkway Lady Panthers to their first win of the season, a 51-48 victory over Northwood Wednesday night at Parkway.

Tiona Washington added nine for the Lady Panthers. Parkway has been playing without 6-foot-3 All-Parish post player Halle Washington, who has been out with an injured knee since the third game of the season.

Parkway lost to Evangel 55-28 Thursday night as Kidd scored 10 points. The Lady Panthers won the JV game 22-8 behind Ralisia Hargrave’s 13 points.

The Parkway boys fell to Northwood 64-59 Wednesday and Evangel 61-57 Thursday. Chris Yates led the Panthers against Northwood with 23 points, and Brodrick Jefferson had 11.

NSU NAMES JAY THOMAS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State has hired former Nicholls State head coach Jay Thomas, a finalist for national coach of the year honors in a 2005 playoff season, as its new head football coach, athletic director Greg Burke said Thursday evening.

Thomas, 52, will be introduced today at a 3 p.m. press conference in the Stroud Room of the NSU Athletic Fieldhouse. He has been defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the past year at Division II Missouri Southern in Joplin, following two seasons as the Demons’ defensive line coach and assistant head coach in 2010 and 2011.

Thomas spent 14 seasons at Nicholls, the last five (2004-2009) as head coach. Despite hurricanes that interrupted preseason or the regular season in three years, he had an overall 27-35 record that included Nicholls’ only Southland Conference championship (2005 co-championship) and wins over four nationally-ranked teams and FBS foe Rice. His Colonels finished the 2005 season ranked 17th in the Sports Network’s FCS Top 25, and reached a school-record high ranking of 13th in 2007.

EX-AIRLINE STANDOUT BROOKS SIGNS WITH LOUISIANA TECH

Former Airline standout DeAngelo Brooks has signed with Louisiana Tech.

Brooks, a 6-foot, 310-pound, defensive lineman, played at Kilgore Junior College the last two seasons.

As a freshman, he amassed 52 total tackles (32 solo, 20 assists), registered six tackles for a loss, one sack and one pass breakup. During the 2012 season he helped Kilgore finish 8-3. Brooks won two state titles in wrestling at Airline.

Two other JC players signed with Tech Wednesday — linebackers Tony Johnson and Nick Thomason.

“I am excited we are able to add three mid-year signees that fill an immediate need on the defensive side of the ball that was left by graduation,” said new Tech head coach Skip Holtz. “I am looking forward to working with all three of them. Knowing they will be here in the spring gives them a chance to make an immediate impact on this program.”

All three players will provide immediate help on the defense and should join the team in time for spring practice.

“It is a tribute to the character and integrity of these signees that they stuck with Louisiana Tech,” said defensive line coach Stan Eggen. “Despite coming into a head coaching change, these guys were able to see the decision is about the school, their future teammates and what the Louisiana Tech family has to offer both on and off the field.”

Johnson (6-2, 236) joins Tech from Southwest Mississippi Community College where he was a first team All-State linebacker in 2011. He was the team’s leading tackler in 2012 and played on all units of special teams.

Thomason (6-1, 235) comes from Northeast Mississippi Community College where he was a first team All-State honoree despite missing three games with a knee injury in 2012.

LSUS’ HENRY HONORED BY RRAC

WACO, Tex. — Sharde Henry of LSUS claimed the Red River Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week award for the dates of Dec. 10-16. This is the seventh award of the season and the second one for Henry. Henry, a senior forward from Lake Charles, averaged 20.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in a 1-1 week for the Lady Pilots.

TECH’S SHERRY NAMED STATE SOCCER COACH OF THE YEAR

RUSTON — Louisiana Tech head soccer coach Kevin Sherry was honored as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Coach of the Year after leading his young Lady Techster team to a 12-5-4 record that included an 11-game unbeaten streak.

At the start of the season, Sherry was charged with replacing 17 players from last year’s team and replaced the group with 16 freshmen and a sophomore transfer. After being picked in the preseason to finish last in the conference, the team responded with a fourth-place finish in the WAC, setting school records by allowing only 15 goals and recording 12 shutouts along the way.