LamarStatesports

Lamar State College-PA got its first-ever Division I conference win Saturday as the Seahawks edged the Navarro College Bulldogs, 61-60, in Corsicana. As they say...."film at 10"......but in this case, the college is closed Monday. So, it will be Tuesday before I see the coaches and get the stats. I can report what I read in the newspaper today. Two freshmen -- forward Adrian Fonenot and guard Josh Washington -- led Lamar State's offense, which included contributions by the entire team. This is a big win for the Seahawks because they've put together some good halves, but seemed to have trouble finishing games. Head coach Jerre Cole told me Friday that Navarro had the most athletic and most skilled team his team had faced this season. Cole said the Seahawks can hang with any team in the conference when they execute their game plan. But he was concerned that bad habits would overcome strategy and result in a blowout. From the outcome, it's obvious the team came out focused and stayed that way the entire game. I'm looking forward to Wednesday night, when Kilgore College comes to the Parker Center in PA for a 7 p.m. conference game against the Seahawks.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will face one of the top teams in Region XIV this Saturday, when the Seahawks travel to Lufkin for a 4:30 p.m. game with Navarro College. The Bulldogs (13-4), undefeated in their first five conference games, slipped to 5-1 Wednesday after an 81-71 loss at Panola College. Lamar State (6-9, 0-6) lost 70-64 at home Wednesday to Lee College. Freshman forward Adrian Fontenot had his best night as a Seahawk with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Jacoby Joseph chipped in eight points Navarro won five of its last seven games, including a 72-64 victory over Paris Junior College, which is ranked No. 10 in the nation. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole said his team respects Navarro’s talent and will be focused on their own game plan. “Navarro is one of the elite teams in Region XIV. So, Saturday’s game will be a huge challenge for our team,†Cole said. “They are as athletic and skilled as any team we have faced all season. We will have to execute a sound game plan to come away with a victory.†Lamar State returns to the Carl Parker Center in Port Arthur next Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference matchup with Kilgore College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur softball team’s spring schedule is four non-conference games shorter today after Baton Rouge Community College announced the end of its softball program. The Louisiana junior college tried to start a women’s softball program for the past two years, but was unsuccessful in attracting enough academically-eligible athletes to field a team. An e-mail from BRC coach Cindy Prouty also announced the cancellation of games with schools in its area, and with four schools that compete with Lamar State in Region XIV – Paris Junior College, Galveston College, Alvin Community College, Bossier Parish Community College. “Once again we had programs with players’ academic progress here at BRCC. So, we do not have enough players to fill our roster,†Prouty said. “This will be our last attempt to start a softball program. I apologize for the inconvenience this causes.†Lamar State head coach Vance Edwards said he is trying to reschedule the dates with other teams. “It’s pretty close to the start of the season, so we may not be able to get any more games,†Edwards said. The Seahawks open their 2009 campaign at home February 5, with a doubleheader against Temple College.

Freshman forward Adrian Fontenot from Baytown had his best night ever as a Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawk, but it wasn’t enough to keep Lee College from posting a 70-64 conference win Wednesday night in the Carl Parker Center. Fontenot led the Seahawks with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Jacoby Joseph added eight points. Lee College freshmen C.J. Busby and Freddie Hayes, former teammates at Kountze High School, paced the Runnin’ Rebels with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Lamar State took an early lead, but Lee came back to lead by one point, 28-27, at halftime and pulled to a 10 points lead midway through the second half. The Seahawks cut the lead to four in the waning minutes of the game but couldn’t overtake the Rebels. Lamar State (6-9 overall, 0-6 conference) travels to Lufkin this Saturday to face Navarro College (13-3, 5-0), which is one of three Region XIV teams that are undefeated in conference play.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team continues the quest for their first conference win Wednesday, when they host Region XIV rival Lee College at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center. The Seahawks are 6-8 overall and 0-5 in Region XIV play after Saturday’s collapse that turned from a 20-point lead to an 11-point, 78-67, home non-conference loss to Panola College. Lamar State totally controlled the early part of the game and was up by 20 late in the first half, but gave up six easy points to allow Panola to cut the margin to 14 at halftime. The second half was a horror show for Seahawk fans as they watched Panola slowly chip away at the lead until they captured the lead, 62-61, with 4:29 left in the game. Panola pulled away for good in the closing minute with free throws after Seahawk forward Adrian Fontenot drew a technical foul for an away-from-the ball altercation with one of the Ponies. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole immediately pulled the freshman to the bench, but did so without checking in a replacement, resulting in a second technical foul. Sophomore forward George Williamson led the Seahawks with 17 points and eight rebounds. Williamson, who is averaging 11.7 points per game, has scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games. Freshman guard D.J. Stearns chipped in 11, while Jemel Douriso and Jacoby Joseph both had nine points Cole said his team learned some important lessons about focus and intensity in their last two games. “We are far from a beaten team. But we have to get back to work in an effort to solve the second half collapses that plagued us in the past few games,†Cole said. “Yesterday’s practice was outstanding, and I believe we are about to put a complete performance on the floor.†Lee (9-8, 1-4) is coming off back-to-back conference losses to Blinn College and Jacksonville College. “The game against Lee College should be a very good game,†Cole said. “We both are teams in need of conference wins.†Lamar State travels Saturday to Lufkin for a 4 p.m. conference matchup with Navarro College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur women's softball team added another doubleheader to their 2009 spring schedule this week. The Seahawks will play at 2 and 4 p.m. Monday, April 6, at the University of Texas-Tyler. LSC-PA head coach Vance Edwards scheduled the date to keep his team fresh during an 11-day layoff from Region XIV action. The Seahawks also will play an April 13 home doubleheader against Louisiana State University-Eunice before resuming conference games April 15 at home against Galveston College. Lamar State opens the season Feb. 5 with a home doubleheader with Temple College, last year's Region V champion.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team returns to the Carl Parker Center in Port Arthur at 4 p.m. Saturday for a Region XIV matchup with Panola College. The Seahawks, who scrimmaged Monday at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, are 6-7 overall and 0-5 in Region XIV play after Wednesday’s 90-65 conference loss at Jacksonville College. Lamar State freshman guard Josh Washington, who sat out the final 2008 game with an injury, came back to lead the Seahawks with 15 points. Freshman guard D.J. Stearns hit for 13. Sophomore forward George Williamson was the leading rebounding and added 11 points. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole said his team made too many mistakes against Jacksonville. “Despite getting some time away from each other and having a very good week of practice, some old habits still are present. It’s hard to win giving up double-digit layups and turning over the ball as much as we do,†Cole said. “The good thing is our mistakes are correctable.†The Seahawks committed 31 turnovers against the Jaguars (12-3, 4-0), who finished next to last in Region XIV in 2008, but now are one of only three teams undefeated in conference play this year. Panola (10-4, 1-4) posted an early season 83-81 overtime non-conference road win over San Jacinto College. The Ponies opened Region XIV action with a road loss at Kilgore and a win over Bossier Parish Panola lost to Tyler and Trinity Valley to close out December and opened 2009 with a 73-67 loss Wednesday at Paris Junior College. “It will be good to get back home and play this Saturday,†Cole said. “Panola had a very good pre-season, but has struggled a bit in Region XIV play. They are a good challenge for our team at this point of the season.†Lamar State will be home again Wednesday for a 7 p.m. conference game against Lee College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team opens 2009 on the road with a Jan. 5 scrimmage at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, followed by a Jan. 7 conference game at Jacksonville College. The Seahawks have had five weeks to heal and think about their 6-6 performance so far this season as they prepare for their 16 remaining conference games. Three players, including leading rebounder Adrian Fonentot, sat out the final 2008 game with injuries as Lamar State slipped to .500 on the season and 0-4 in Region XIV play after a 99-83 home loss to Blinn College. Delgado, which plays in the Louisiana-Mississippi Conference, compiled a 3-19 record this past year. The Dolphins are 4-12 so far this year. Jacksonville, which finished next to last in Region XIV in 2008, is one of three teams that are undefeated in conference play this year. The Jaguars, ranked just outside the Top 24 Division I teams in the nation, are 9-2 overall and 3-0 in conference action with wins over San Jacinto, Angelina and Blinn. Lamar State’s first 2009 home game will be Wednesday, Jan. 14, against Lee College. Other up-coming opponents include Paris Junior College (currently ranked No. 7 in the nation) and Tyler Junior College (No. 21).

That's what I said in my last post. The Seahawks are 0-4 in Region XIV play with losses to Lon Morris (11-1, 3-0), Angelina (10-5, 2-2), Blinn (11-2, 1-2) and San Jacinto (9-5, 2-2). You will notice that San Jacinto, which was picked to win the conference in the coaches pre-season poll, is 2-2. The Ravens were upset twice by teams they were expected to beat. They probably will play well enough to get into the conference tournament, where the winner takes all. But I think the real powerhouses in the conference are Tyler, Paris and, possibly, Lon Morris, who has surprised everyone so far. Here are the Region XIV standings after four weeks: REGION XIV NORTH ZONE Navarro 10-2, 3-0 Tyler 12-1, 3-1 Paris 10-1, 2-1 Kilgore 7-8, 2-1 Trinity Valley 9-4, 1-2 Panola 10-3, 1-3 Bossier Parish 8-4, 0-4 REGION XIV SOUTH ZONE Lon Morris 11-1, 3-0 Jacksonville 9-2, 3-0 Angelina 10-5, 2-2 San Jacinto 9-5, 2-2 Blinn 11-2, 1-2 Lee 8-4, 1-2 Lamar State 6-6, 0-3

This is the fifth year of intercollegiate basketball at Lamar State College-Port Arthur. We've learned alot during the previous four seasons, and we look forward to the time when the Seahawks program is an established tradition. The program has come a long way since 2004, when Don Bryson came out of retirement to take the helm with less than five months to put together a team, schedule games and get the team ready to play. Each year, we learn and grow. Those lessons don't come easy. All you have to do to understand what I'm saying is come out to one of the eight home games Lamar State has left in the 2008-09 season. The competition is as good as any college ballgame you could see. Some people may regard JC ball as an inferior entertainment product. Nothing could be further from the truth, particularly in Region XIV, one of the toughest Division I conferences in the nation that often produces the national champion. As we learned graphically during the first year, an abbreviated 15-game 2004 season, the rosters of Region XIV teams often look like the rosters of international all-star teams with players from all over the world -- places like Eastern Europe, Africa, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York City. Many of those players will appear on the rosters of major universities after they leave the junior college ranks. The first-year Seahawks faced nothing but Region XIV teams whose coaches were more than happy to schedule games against a fledgling team. Needless to say, we went 0-15, playing all of those games between the first of November and the first week of December. Many Region XIV players already are committed to four-year schools that have coaches who know those players likely wouldn't be playing on the varsity at their school and would be relegated to the bench on the JV squad. It's a much better strategy to have these student/athletes playing at the junior college level, where they can start 30 games and play against a very high-caliber of talent. As an example, take Lamar State's first intercollegiate game at Lee College. When I went through the photos I took, I found that every picture I had of a Seahawk shooting the ball also had this big guy from Lee who was blocking the shot. Mike White wasn't that big (6-6, 232), but he was the real deal. He went on from Lee to play his junior and senior years for the Indiana Hoosiers. With each succeeding year, the Seahawks gathered more talent than the previous season. As proof of that, Region XIV coaches each year became less and less interested in scheduling non-conference games against Lamar State because they were't so sure that we would provide an easy W for their records. Even though this year's Seahawks have more talent than any previous team, it's no surprise to anyone that the two new schools in Region XIV this year -- Lamar State College-PA and Bossier Parish Community College -- are on the bottom of the conference standings so far this season. The competition is tough. Lamar State's up-coming opponents include Paris Junior College (currently ranked No. 7 in the nation), Tyler Junior College (No. 21) and Jacksonville (ranked just outside the Top 24 Division I teams in the nation). Here are the Seahawks' home dates (all are conference games) for 2009: Saturday, January 10 Panola College 4 p.m. Wednesday, January 14 Lee College 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 21 Kilgore College 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 28 Tyler Junior College 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 4 Paris Junior College 7 p.m. Saturday, February 7 Lon Morris College 4 p.m. Saturday, February 14 Angelina College 4 p.m. Saturday, February 21 Jacksonville College 4 p.m. The college especially invites all former students and the public to attent the February 4 and Feburary 7 games, which are during Homecoming Week. There will be a tailgate party before Wednesday night's game. The Homecoming Court will be presented during halftime of Saturday's contest. We hope you will come out for some of those games.

As requested, here are the holiday break numbers for the Seahawks after 12 games. Scoring: sophomore guard Jemel Douriso leads in total points (185) and is second in per-game average (15.4) freshman forward Adrian Fontenot is second in total points (163) and first in per-game average (16.3) sophomore guard George Williamson is third (133 points, 11.1 ppg) sophomore forward Stephen Moten is fourth (113 points, 9.4 ppg) freshman forward Jacoby Joseph is fifth (98 points, 8.2 ppg) All of these players appeared in 12 games except for Fontenot as noted in the previous post. Other Seahawk scorers: freshman guard Josh Washington (11 games, 56 points, 5.1 ppg) sophomore guard Jason Williamson (12 games, 59 points, 4.9 ppg) freshman post Lincoln Charleston (11 games, 50 points, 4.5 ppg) freshman forward D.J. Stearns (12 games, 34 points, 2.8 ppg) freshman guard Jacovin Buckner (3 games, 8 points, 2.7 ppg) freshman forward Dallas Bean (7 games, 10 points, 1.7 ppg) freshman forward/post Tim Hamlin (12 games, 14 points, 1.2 ppg) freshman guard Adam Sanchez (6 games, 6 points, 1 ppg) freshman forward Joe Franklin from Houston Wheatley HS left the team after 7 games (40 points, 5.7 ppg) Rebounding: Adrian Fontenot (10 games, 94 rebounds, 9.4 rpg) **currently 34th in the nation Stephen Moten (12 games, 63 rebounds, 5.25 rpg) George Williamson (12 games, 63 rebounds, 5.25 rpg) Jacoby Joseph (12 games, 44 rebounds, 3.66 rpg) Other notable stats: Stephen Moten leads the team in blocked shots with 10. Jacoby Joseph had 8 and Adrian Fontenot recorded 7. Jemel Douiso leads the team in assists (32) and steals (29). Second place in those categories went to Adrian Fontenot (23 assists) and George Williamson (20 steals). George Williamson is the leading free-throw shooter on the team, hitting 27 of 32 attemps for 84.3 percent. He currently is ranked No. 46 in the nation in that category. The Seahawks currently are 44th in the nation in team free-throw shooting at 67.35 percent. REGION XIV Statistics (after four weeks): Adrian Fontenot is 7th in scoring, 4th in rebounding Jemel Douiso is 10th in scoring, 9th in free-throw percentage and 9th in steals Stephen Moten is 17th in field goal percentage. George Williamson is 3rd in free-throw percentage and 39th in scoring I hope this answers all your questions. If not, ask me here or call the LSC-PA Public Information Office at 984-6342.

Thanks for your interest, whsalum. I'm working on a mid-season break story, but there aren't many bright spots to talk about, except that the Seahawks have had four to six players in double figures in every game. Some nights they execute the offense, play good defense and win. But other nights, they start freelancing and, as a result, get beaten soundly by more teams that are better disciplined. Lamar State went into the holiday break 6-6, but 0-4 in Region XIV play. They lost five of their last six games, including a couple of games they should have won, but let slip away. Reserve guard Josh Washington was out for the final 2008 game with an ankle injury. Starting forward Adrian Fontenont, Lamar State's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, also missed the final 2008 game against Blinn College with an ankle injury. Both players should be in good shape when the Seahawks start their 2009 campaign with a January 5 scrimmage at Delgado Community College in New Orleans. Two days later, the Seahawks return to conference play at Jacksonville College, which is 9-2 overall and one of three teams along with Lon Morris and Navarro that have perfect conference records (3-0). Lamar State and Bossier Parish Community College, both playing in their first Region XIV campaign, are the only teams without a conference win. REGION XIV NORTH ZONE Navarro 10-2, 3-0 Tyler 12-1, 3-1 Paris 10-1, 2-1 Kilgore 7-8, 2-1 Trinity Valley 9-4, 1-2 Panola 10-3, 1-3 Bossier Parish 8-4, 0-4 REGION XIV SOUTH ZONE Lon Morris 11-1, 3-0 Jacksonville 9-2, 3-0 Angelina 10-5, 2-2 San Jacinto 9-5, 2-2 Blinn 11-2, 1-2 Lee 8-4, 1-2 Lamar State 6-6, 0-3 The next home game will be Saturday, January 10, against Panola College (10-3, 1-3). I'll post the 12-game stats tomorrow. Sophomore guard Jemel Douriso leads the Seahawks in scoring so far, but he also leads the nation in turnovers per game and total turnovers. Fontenot probably would be the team scoring leader, but he missed two of the first 12 games -- one on a team suspension and then the last game against Blinn with an injury. The Seahawks have 16 games left in the season, including eight more home games. It isn't going to get any easier. The coaches plan some adjustments to the lineup when they resume play. The schedule is posted on the college website (www.lamarpa.edu). Click on the Athletics link on the front page to move to the basketball pages.

Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Blinn College both will be looking for their first conference win Saturday, when they tip-off at 4 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center in Port Arthur. Lamar State (6-5 overall, 0-3 in Region XIV) was averaging 82.7 points per game going into Wednesday’s game at Angelina College, where the Seahawks had the lowest offensive production of the season, shooting an anemic 34 percent from the field in a 79-59 conference loss Lamar State made less than a quarter of their field goal tries, only 3-of-23 three-point attempts and 6-of-14 from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Jemel Douriso led Lamar State with 15 points. Freshman forward Adrian Fontenot hit for 13, and sophomore forward George Williamson contributed 10 points. Blinn (8-2, 0-2) opened Region XIV play Nov. 22 with a 97-93 loss at Angelina, followed by a high-scoring 120-100 non-conference victory at Lone Star College-Kingwood The Buccaneers lost by one point, 100-99, Wednesday night in a Region XIV contest at Jacksonville College. Blinn will play a non-conference game Friday at Lone Star College-CyFair. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole said expects his team to perform better Saturday. “We certainly are due to play well in a conference game, and it’s always good to play at home. I know our guys are excited not to be on the road,†Cole said. The Seahawks, already missing injured freshman forward Dallas Bean for several games, will take the court Saturday without Fontenot, one of their leading scorers, and freshman guard Josh Washington, who both are nursing sprains. “We have been hit with the injury bug and are a little banged up,†Cole said. “We will need to play well to matchup with Blinn. They are extremely athletic and have very good guard play.†Lamar State will be off for the holidays and will open 2009 on the road with a Jan. 6 tune-up scrimmage at Delgado Community College in New Orleans, before retuning to Region XIV play the next night at Jacksonville College in Jacksonville, Tx.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur basketball team will play two teams from the Division III Metro Athletic Conference this weekend during the Joe Huel Classic Tournament at Richland College in Dallas. Lamar State played in the MAC for the past two years before moving this season to Region XIV, a Division I conference. The Seahawks are 5-3 overall and 0-2 in Region XIV play after Tuesday’s disappointing 81-76 home loss to conference rival San Jacinto College. Four Seahawks scored in double figures, led by 18 points from sophomore forward George Williamson from Vidor and sophomore guard Jemel Douriso from Port Neches-Groves had 12. Freshman forward Adrian Fontenot returned from a one-game suspension to score 12, while freshman guard Josh Washington added 10 points. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole said his team is looking to regroup after losing back-to-back conference games. “We’ve kind of beaten ourselves in our last two games. We hopefully can turn that around this weekend,†Cole said. “ Lamar State tips off at 8 p.m. Friday against the host Richland College Thunderducks, who were picked No. 15 in the nation in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll and currently are 5-4. The Seahawks play at 2 p.m. Saturday against the Brookhaven College Bears, who are 4-5 so far this season. The Bears were MAC co-champions last year with North Lake College, which went on to win the NJCAA Division III national title. Brookhaven’s coach best remembers the Seahawks from when they upset the Bears in the first round of the 2007 MAC tournament. “Richland and Brookhaven are solid Division III programs that play our conference teams tough,†Cole said. “This will be a chance for our team to continue to grow. If they work hard, we can end the weekend with more victories.†Lamar State will be on the road next Wednesday for a conference game at Angelina College in Lufkin. The Seahawks will play their final 2008 game at home Saturday, December 6, against Blinn College.

It was a disappointing game for the Seahawks, although they were in it until the end. San Jac's Maurice McNeil demonstrated why he was a pre-season All-American selection as he hit for 22 points, mostly on three-pointers from the perimeter. Lamar State was outrebounded in the first half, especially on the defensive end of the court, where the Ravens often got second shots, third shots, fourth shots and, I think at least once, five shots. The Seahawks were up by two, 42-40 at halftime. San Jac came out in the second half and at one time were up by 10 points. But Lamar State pulled back and were just 3 points back with 38 second left in regulation. A couple of bad bounces, a couple of missed shots and a couple of SJ rebounds led to the final, 81-76. George Williamson from Vidor led the Seahawks with 18 points. Three other Seahawks were in double points - Jason Williamson, Jemel Douriso and Adrian Fontenot (I'm at home, so I don't have their totals).

The Seahawks lost 88-50. See the lastest post in Lamar State College-Port Arthur Sports for the post-mortem and preview of Tuesday's home conference matchup with San Jacinto College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur basketball team will be home Tuesday in the Carl Parker Center for a 7 p.m. game against Region XIV rival San Jacinto College, which was ranked just outside the Top 25 in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s most recent weekly poll. Lamar State dropped to 5-2 overall and 0-1 in Region XIV play after Saturday’s disappointing 88-50 conference-opener loss at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, where the Seahawks played without their leading scorer and rebounder, freshman forward Adrian Fontenot, who was suspended from the team Thursday for a violation of team rules. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole was not happy with his team’s performance. The Seahawks hit only 28 percent from the field to post their lowest offensive output of the season. Sophomore guard Jemel Douriso led Lamar State with 14 points. Sophomore forward George Williamson had 13 points and freshman forward Stephen Moten added 10. “It will be good to be back at home after a not-so-pleasant welcome to the conference at Lon Morris,†Cole said. “San Jacinto is a very talented team that also has struggled a little lately. Without question, we must play improved defense and shoot the ball better to have a chance at victory. I think our team now has realized our margin for error has greatly decreased, and we will need to play a cleaner game than we have so far this season.†San Jacinto (5-4 overall) was picked to win the Region XIV this year, but the Ravens also are 0-1 in conference play after losing 95-89 at home Saturday to Jacksonville College.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur basketball team will begin their first season of competition in a Division I conference Saturday with a road game at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. Lamar State is 5-1 after Tuesday night’s 96-64 home victory over Lone Star College-CyFair. After a lethargic first half that left the Seahawks down by five points, 36-31, at halftime, they came alive in the second half to more than double their first half performance. Freshman forward Adrian Fontenot from Baytown Sterling led all Lamar State scorers with 19 points. Freshman forward Jacoby Joseph from Beaumont Ozen had 17 points, and sophomore guard Jemel Douriso added 16. Fontenot currently is third in rebounding and seventh in scoring in Region XIV. Douriso is eighth in scoring. Lon Morris finished last in the conference in 2008, but the Bearcats are 5-1 this season and are coming off an 83-55 home win over Weatherford College. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole said Lon Morris is “one of the elite teams in Region XIV this season.†“They are a very talented and have considerable size. We will have our hands full against them,†Cole said. “We will try to make them play a style that doesn’t allow them to utilize their strengths. We hopefully will shoot the ball well enough to give ourselves a chance to win.†Lamar State will be home Tuesday against conference rival San Jacinto College, which currently is ranked just outside the Top 25 in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s most recent poll. Region XIV coaches picked the Ravens to win the conference this year.

Lone Star College-CyFair will be in Port Arthur this Tuesday to face a Lamar State College-Port Arthur basketball team that won twice on the road last weekend to go 4-1 for the season. Tuesday night’s game will be a final non-conference tune-up before the Seahawks open their first season in the Division I Region XIV conference Saturday at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. Lamar State opened the road trip Friday night with a 101-84 victory over LSC-CyFair in Cypress. After a few hours sleep at home, the Seahawks left early Saturday morning for Lancaster, where they defeated the Cedar Valley College Suns, 89-74. Lamar State had seven players in double figures against Cy-Fair, led by freshman forward Joe Franklin with 14 and freshman guard Josh Washington with 12. Five Seahawks hit double figures against Cedar Valley. Freshman forwards Jacoby Joseph and Adrian Fontenot had 19 and 17 points, respectively. Fontenot, from Baytown Sterling High School, is Lamar State’s scoring and rebounding leader with 17 points-per-game and 10.6 rebounds-per-game. In 2008, Lon Morris went 9-21 overall and 2-20 in Region XIV play to finish last in the conference. The Bearcats are 4-1 so far this season. Lamar State will be home Tuesday against conference rival San Jacinto College, which was picked to finish No. 7 in the nation in this year’s National Junior College Athletic Association pre-season poll. Region XIV coaches picked the Ravens to win the conference this year.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team will be on the road this weekend for non-conference games – Friday at Lone Star College-CyFair in Cypress, and Saturday at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster near Dallas. Lamar State is 2-1 after Tuesday’s 89-76 home loss to Southern University-Shreveport in the Seahawks first home game of the season. Freshman forward Adrian Fontenot from Baytown Sterling High School continues to lead Lamar State, averaging 19 points-per-game after a 24-point performance Tuesday. Sophomore guard Jemel Douriso from Port Neches-Groves hit for 17 points and freshman forward Stephen Moten from Ozen added 11 points. Lamar State head coach Jerre Cole intensified his team’s practices this week after their disappointing performance against SU-Shreveport. “We had a good follow-up practice on Wednesday. We hopefully will continue to improve defensively, as well as getting more positive movement on the offensive end,†Cole said. “This weekend is huge for our program. It will tell us exactly what we can expect later in the year in terms of competitive toughness. Losing to Southern-Shreveport here at home and then having to play on the road both Friday night and Saturday afternoon should serve as a measuring stick for where we are and who we are.†Lone Star College-CyFair, which plays in the Texas Club Sport League, is 6-8 so far this year. Cedar Valley, a member of the Division III Metro Athletic Conference that included Lamar State for the past two years, has a 3-0 record and will be in action Friday night at Hill College. “We don’t know much about Cy-Fair,†Cole said, “but we did have a chance to see Cedar Valley play, and they have a quality team. I suspect we will give a strong showing after not playing well here at home.†The Seahawks will be back home Tuesday for a rematch with LSC-CyFair before beginning Region XIV play Nov. 22 at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville.

This press release isn't finished. It is set to go out on Monday, but I wanted to let everyone know that the Seahawks opened the season 2-0 for the first time in the program's history. Geaux Seahawks!!!! The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team, 2-0 after Thursday’s 100-90 road victory over Lone Star College-Kingwood, will play their first home game of the season next Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center against Southern University-Shreveport. Lamar State topped the Port City Jags, 78-74, this past Tuesday in Shreveport to open the season. Four Seahawks scored in double points against Kingwood, led by sophomore guard Jemel Douriso with 26 and freshman forward Adrian Fontenot with 22. Sophomore forward George Williamson and freshman forward Stephen Moten each had 12 points, while sophomore guard Jason Williamson added 9 points. Fontenot also grabbed 11 boards to be the Seahawks’ top rebounder for the second straight game. Southern U-Shreveport (1-1) has a loss to Lamar State and an opening day win over North Lake College, last year’s NJCAA Division III national champions. Lamar State will be on the road Nov. 14-15 at Lone Star College-CyFair in Cypress on Friday and at Cedar Valley College in Lancaster on Saturday. The Seahawks begin Region XIV play Nov. 22 at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team, 1-0 after Monday’s season-opening road victory at Southern University-Shreveport, will be on the road again Thursday for a 7 p.m. non-conference game at Lone Star College-Kingwood. Five Seahawks scored in double figures Monday against Southern U-Shreveport, led by sophomore guard Jemel Douriso with 19 points, sophomore forward George Williamson with 18 and freshman forward Adrian Fontenot with 11. Freshman forwards Jacoby Joseph and Stephen Moten each scored 10 points. Lamar State Head coach Jerre Cole was pleased with his team’s overall performance, but he did see some areas that need work, such as the 31 times the Seahawks committed turnovers. Lamar State shot 38 pecent overall for the game (44% field goals, 29% on treys) and hit on 67 percent of their free throws as they gave the Port City Jags their first home loss since 2004. The Kingwood Coyotes are a club sport program that competes with two other Lone Star College System teams and other unaffiliated junior college teams from Houston and San Antonio. Thursday’s game will be the first meeting with the Seahawks. Lamar State’s home opener next Tuesday is a rematch with Southern U-Shreveport. The Seahawks begin Region XIV play Nov. 22 at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur Seahawks softball team will hold open tryouts Saturday, November 22, for current high school juniors and seniors and students now enrolled at Lamar State or planning to attend the college in the 2009 fall semester. The tryouts will take place at Martin Field, 1000 Lakeshore Drive on the Lamar State campus. Position players will work out from 9 a.m. to noon; pitchers and catchers from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Seahawks head coach Vance Edwards said the college has athletic scholarships available for the 2009-10 season. Lamar State competes in Region XIV, a Division I conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Interested players are asked to download a registration form from the Softball page of the college website (www.lamarpa.edu), fill out the form and then follow the instructions for returning the form to the college. Prospective players must show proof that they had a physical during the past year. Prospects must bring that verification to the tryouts. For information, call Coach Edwards at 984-6293, or send e-mail to: [email protected].

Lamar State College-Port Arthur opened the 2008-09 season Monday with a 78-74 road victory over Southern University-Shreveport. Five Seahawks tallied in double figures, led by sophomore guard Jemel Douriso with 19 points, sophomore forward George Williamson with 18 and freshman forward Adrian Fontentot with 11. Freshman forwards Jacoby Joseph and Stephen Moten each score 10 poins. Head coach Jerre Cole was pleased overall with his team's performance, but he did see some areas that need work, such as the 31 times the Seahawks committed turnovers. Lamar State shot 38 pecent overall for the game (44% field goals, 29% on 3's) and hit on 67 percent of their free throws as they gave the Port City Jags their first home loss since 2004. The Seahawks will be back in action Thursday at Lone Star College-Kingwood before their home opener next Tuesday against Southern U-Shreveport, starting at 7 p.m. in the Carl Parker Center.

The Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team opens the 2008-09 regular season Monday with a non-conference road game at Southern University-Shreveport. The Seahawks have five more non-conference games before Nov. 22, when they start their first year in Region XIV, a Division I conference. After four scrimmage sessions against college teams, LSC-PA head coach Jerre Cole has his team ready for competition in what he described as “a new era for Seahawk basketball.†“Our team is excited about finally getting into games that count and not having to deal with me in practice every day,†Cole said. “Southern University-Shreveport will present some interesting challenges. They typically have a solid group of athletes and they like to run, which will play into our hands. I think we will definitely give an effort Seahawk fans can be proud of.†Southern U-Shreveport (3-19 overall in 2008) competes in the three-team Division I Louisiana Conference with Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City and Delgado Community College in New Orleans. Lamar State will be on the road again next Thursday at Lone Star College-Kingwood. The Seahawks’ home opener is a Nov. 11 non-conference rematch with Southern U-Shreveport. The Seahawks begin Region XIV play Nov. 22 at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. Seahawks news is available on-line at: www.lamarpa.edu