A thank you as a new chapter opens

There’s not an actual good way to say goodbye to a three-year relationship and partnership.
That said, this isn’t a goodbye. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to do something I would’ve never imagined possible.
A little backstory. I was born and raised in Eunice. I attended LSUE for three years and graduated from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in mass communications.
I wrote in Lake Charles at The American Press for a while before moving into education, where I still operate on a full-time basis.
My first, and only, full-time education job has been at Eunice High School. One of my fondest memories as an educator is celebrating the 2018 state championship in football with my students.
So many childhood core memories revolve around sports. Whether it’s tagging along with my dad on Friday nights as he called local radio games for Eunice High and St. Edmund or having many a spirited discussion with whoever the heck was willing to participate over the years.
Sports, and in particular high school sports in Eunice, have my heart.
So, with the unfortunate news at the beginning of the week of Mr. Tom Dodge’s passing away at 68 years of age came the opportunity of a lifetime.
I’m so excited, and so heartbroken at the same time, to be moving into a new position covering Eunice High and St. Ed’s for The Eunice News.
It wasn’t a decision I considered lightly and having to leave some of the professional relationships I’ve built over the years here at The Gazette wasn’t an easy choice for me.
But, at the end of the day, I’m being given the opportunity to cover student-athletes in my hometown for a paper I grew up reading.
For every sports nerd with a passion for a written word, that’s the dream. There’s a romanticism to this story that I couldn’t write if I tried to.
But there are so many people to thank along the way for the past three years and the opportunity I’ve been afforded.
First, to Raymond Partsch III. You put my foot in the door at The Gazette and gave me the opportunity to work with two of the kindest and most humble men our business has to offer in Garland Forman and Tony Marks.
Mr. Garland, you’ve been nothing but kind to me and one of the best bosses I’ve ever had in this business. Your Hall of Fame pedigree and passion for this business have no bounds even decades down the road.
Tony, you will always be both “Coach” and “The Mayor” to me. There’s a special quality to our relationship and friendship that I value. And I’m hoping that the press box hot dogs taste worse and not better now that you don’t have to deal with me as much as you previously had to twice a week.
To the coaches in Evangeline Parish, this new direction we’re taking will make sure that all schools in our parish are covered more equitably.
Tony will be spearheading Sacred Heart, Ville Platte and Pine Prairie coverage while I take the lead on Mamou and Basile.
There are so many coaches and athletic directors I need to thank for making my life easier over the past three years.
At Sacred Heart, Josh Harper and Jacob Aguillard always made sure I had everything I ever needed and then some. Jacob’s friendship over the past year has made those phone calls so much easier. The same can be said for Craig Whittington and Gary Ashworth.
At Ville Platte, Launey Coward has been a good friend and help as well. I’ve always appreciated his measured tone and kindness. We’ve had many a conversation I’ve been grateful for. Coach Roy Serie, your kindness has always impacted me and I’m heartbroken that I’ll only be seeing the growth of the football program under Coach Christopher Bland from a distance.
At Pine Prairie, softball coach Alycia Hebert and baseball coach Dylan Manuel both have first-class programs built on accountability. Seeing those programs prosper has been nothing but a joy.
There’s bound to be so many people that I’m forgetting from the past three years. But, there’s only one way to sum up this transition as I will stay locked in with Mamou and Basile High.
I love this paper. I loved covering your kids. And I’m confident that your kids will get the absolute best in the coming months between Tony and myself.
Thank you.