In what seems like a past life ago, I was the minute clerk for Division A of the 13th Judicial District Court. I still remember one morning like it was yesterday.
On that day, 10 years ago, I walked into Judge Larry Vidrine’s office before court and started visiting with the court reporters. One of the court reporters, Brandy Vidrine, told me she saw an ad in the Ville Platte Gazette for a sports stringer.
Brandy knew I liked sports and knew I was the “Voice of the Trojans” for the previous football season. She said how she thought I would be good for the job. But, I blew it off.
Some time later, I ended up applying for the job and was hired as a part-time sports writer while still working full-time at the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court Office.
My first game was Pickering at Mamou. After the game, I went home and started to write. But, there was a problem. I could not think of what to write. I ended up churning out something that somewhat resembled an adequate sports story. I remember getting a phone call the day the story came out saying I used every sports cliche in the book.
My next game was Sacred Heart against Opelousas Catholic. That story kicked off a string of stories that were, honestly, not very good. I guess they were good if you like random pop culture references.
I thought my sports writing career would be one and done. But, the Gazette hired a new editor, Raymond Partsch III. He either felt sorry for me or saw my potential. Either way, he decided to keep me around.
In year two, my stories got a little better because I took a more serious approach. That new approach paid off because in the middle of the 2016 season Raymond asked me to become the sports editor of The Oakdale Journal.
Oddly enough, my first Oakdale football game was back in Mamou. I was a little more prepared for that game than the game against Pickering two years before.
Since then, I started working full-time at the Gazette and had the privilege of becoming editor in 2019.
Looking back, what a ride it has been over the past 10 years! That decision to apply for the stringer job opened a lot of doors for me as I was able to do a lot of cool things. I was able to cover LSU’s undefeated season in 2019 and the College Football Playoff Semifinals against Oklahoma and the College Football Playoff National Championship against Clemson. I was able to cover a couple games of the College World Series last year. Along the way, there were other events such as a few New Orleans Bowls, an Independence Bowl, a Bayou Classic, a baseball regional in Hattiesburg, and a Southland Conference Basketball Tournament.
By the way, I guess my writing has improved since that first season 10 years ago because I won a few awards along the way. One year, I even won a hat trick by placing first, second, and third for best sports story in the Louisiana Press Association contest.
I say all this not to brag about myself or seek any kind of recognition. The only recognition I seek is when my time here on Earth is done and I hear the Lord say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Being a sports writer is definitely a humble experience for me. I have come a long way in a short amount of time, especially when you consider where I started at the clerk’s office in 2004.
I look forward to another 10 years of bringing you sports stories along with hard news and a few quips sprinkled in along the way. No promises though on the random pop culture references.
Speaking of quips... Today is a good day for students in Allen Parish to go back to school, but that’s just an “assumption.”
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.