Matt Vines
Meet The Griffins fundraiser brings in six figures
One of the foundations of any successful program is financial support, and the North DeSoto community supported the heck out of the football program at Saturday’s Meet The Griffins fundraiser.
The North DeSoto Quarterback Club reported that the event cleared $104,000, which featured live and silent auctions, raffles, as well as sponsorships and other fundraising features.
Fans feasted on fried fish and shrimp while angling to bring home coveted auction items.
General admission tickets were sold for $50 each with sponsorships at the gold level ($1,000) and platinum level ($3,500).
The fundraiser is in its sixth year, and with support like that, it’ll continue far into the future.
Football scrimmage schedules set
The sound of football pads popping can be heard around the parish for more than a week now, but starting Thursday, players from different schools will be the ones doing the popping.
Football scrimmages take place this week as teams prepare for jamborees the following week and eventually the start of the regular season in the first week of September.
North DeSoto hosts Haughton on Thursday, Logansport jumps the border to Joaquin (Texas) on Thursday, and Mansfield hosts Jena on Friday.
North DeSoto pair picked for SB Advocate’s Tremendous 13
North DeSoto quarterback Luke Delafield and receiver Cole Cory were selected as two of the Shreveport-Bossier Advocate’s Tremendous 13 and were honored at an event in downtown Shreveport.
Delafield and Cory formed one of the most dynamic duos in the state with Cory leading the state in receiving yards (1,431) and Delafield tossing 38 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons.
North DeSoto was one of three teams in the Caddo-Bossier area (plus ND and Minden) with multiple selections to the preseason honors list.
Calvary (three) and Parkway (two) also had multiple picks.
Former Pelican basketball coach passes
Basketball coach Jimmy Bates is likely best known for winning basketball state championships at Athens High in Claiborne Parish and starting the Health and Physical Education program at LSU Shreveport, but Bates’ career started at Pelican All Saints.
The 94-year-old was a basketball standout as a player at Homer High (1949) and Louisiana Tech before taking his first job in DeSoto Parish.
After serving in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division during the Korean War, Bates had a successful high school teaching and coaching career before starting LSUS’s Health and Physical Education Department when the school opened in 1967.
He led Athens High to state titles in 1961 and 1962 with another appearance in 1964 – all in Class C.