Matthew Travis
Sports Director
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Matthew Travis joined the KPLC Sports team in July 2022 as the sports director, after graduating from The University of Alabama with a double-major in Sports Media, and Communication Studies. He’s covered all levels of sports ranging from the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game to high school softball, and everything in between. While at Alabama, Travis worked at WVUA 23 as a sports anchor, reporter, and producer, getting the chance to cover each Alabama athletics team, high school sports, NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway, and much more. Travis has also written for FanSided’s college basketball site for several years, where he has been featured on Bleacher Report, covered games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and interviewed athletes such as Zion Williamson. Matthew is originally from Long Island, New York, but went to high school in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is an avid golfer and basketball player.
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Lake Charles College Prep didn’t exactly have the regular season they were hoping for as they went just 3-6, but they did just enough to sneak into the playoffs. The Trailblazers entered the playoffs as the 21st seed in the Select Division III bracket, and in the playoffs they look like a completely new team as they’ve beaten Pope John Paul II, and Catholic - New Iberia to make it back to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020.
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The Jennings Bulldogs are back in the State Quarterfinals for the first time since 2020, and in just year one under Head Coach Bret Fuselier. However, to make it to this point the Bulldogs had to win hard fought games in the Bi-District and Regional Rounds over Kaplan, and St. Martinville.
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For the second consecutive year the Iowa Yellowjackets find themselves in the State Quarterfinals, and they’re just one win away from a second consecutive trip to the State Semi-Finals, in what would be the school’s second-ever trip to the Semi-Finals. However, in order to be one game away from the Superdome for the second consecutive year, they have to be the team that ended their season last year; the North Desoto Griffins.
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About two weeks ago it was officially announced that the Arena Football League was coming to Lake Charles as the Louisiana Voodoo would be playing at the Lake Charles Event Center when the league returns in 2024, and on Thursday their 2024 schedule was announced.
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The McNeese Cowboys were back in action on Tuesday night for the second game in as many nights, and just as they were the night before, they were dominant as they beat LeTourneau 81-49 to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1972-73.
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The McNeese Cowboys dominated Champion Christian 110-54 in 2022-23, and one year later the Pokes beat the Tigers in even more dominant fashion as they won 110-46 on Monday night.
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It has been a difficult past couple of years for McNeese football, both on the field and off of it dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, COVID-19, multiple coaching changes, losing seasons, and much more. Many players would choose to transfer, and start fresh with a new school, but that was not the case for Cowboys redshirt seniors Brayden Adams and Trey Vondenstein.
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Lake Charles, and Southwest Louisiana as a whole, has become somewhat of a breeding ground for baseball at all levels, so much so that five players from Southwest Louisiana now wear the purple and gold for the reigning National Champion LSU baseball team, and last week they returned to Lake Charles with the Tigers for a fall exhibition game against McNeese.
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McNeese Assistant Coach Brandon Chambers arrived in Lake Charles after a long journey with stops at Marymount University, LSU, Texas Southern, and multiple other schools. However, Chambers’ journey began at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and on Monday, in his first game as a Division I head coach, Chambers returned to Richmond and led the McNeese Cowboys to a win over his alma mater.
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Barbe baseball has seen countless players sign their National Letters of Intent to play college baseball over the years, and on Wednesday it was no different as Owen Galt, Kasen Bellard, and Landon Victorian made their decisions official.
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It was a special day over at Sulphur High School as both Bryce Fontenot and Brody Harlow signed their National Letters of Intent to play college baseball at McNeese State University, and Centenary College.
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On Monday the LHSAA released its first draft of their proposed redistricting plan for the 2024-2026 sports cycle, and with it several Southwest Louisiana schools are moving districts, or even moving up or down a class. Member schools have until noon on Thursday, November 9th to submit a petition for placement in a different district, and the committee will meet once again on Monday, November 13th for their second classification meeting.
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After trailing 6-3 four minutes into the game, DJ Richards hit a three to tie the game up at six, and then about 40 seconds later Christian Shumate made a layup to give McNeese the lead, and from then on the Pokes never let VCU tie it up, or take the lead, as the Cowboys went on to win 76-65 to begin the season with a 1-0 record.
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The McNeese Women’s Basketball team hosted the Dillard University Blue Devils to open up their season on Monday morning, and the Cowgirls controlled the matchup from start to finish. Julia Puente scored McNeese’s first basket of the day just 50 seconds into the game, and from then on the Cowgirls never looked back.
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Cougar Stadium is being evacuated in the middle of a high school football game after a reported shooting in a neighborhood a half mile away.
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The Jennings Bulldogs are scorching hot entering the final week of the season as they’re winners of their past five games, and seven of their last eight for a 7-2 overall record, and a 4-1 record against conference opponents. However, the Bulldogs’ week 10 opponent; the St. Louis Catholic Saints, enter with an identical overall, and district record, which makes Friday night’s game so intriguing.
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We are through nine weeks of high school football action here in Southwest Louisiana
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Just moments before Gary Goff’s weekly Thursday press conference where he discusses that weekend’s game, it was announced that their Saturday homecoming matchup vs. Northwestern State, which was scheduled to kick off just 52 hours later, had been canceled.
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After falling in game six, the Astros had one final chance to advance to the World Series on Monday night in game seven against the Texas Rangers, but instead, their season came to an end after a disappointing showing in game seven.
We have reached the penultimate week of the High School football regular season, but there is still much to be decided in week nine, here are the Southwest Louisiana week nine high school football matchups.
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After Wednesday night’s game three win, the Houston Astros entered Thursday night’s game four with the opportunity to go from down two games to zero, to knotted at two games a piece, and they did just that.
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The McNeese Cowboys are fresh off a bye week, but have the tall task of taking on the fifth-ranked Incarnate Word Cardinals on Saturday. The Pokes, who enter Saturday’s game at Cowboy Stadium with a record of 0-6, have struggled in a big way so far this season, something Head Coach Gary Goff discussed on Thursday, saying the Pokes have to stop worrying about the scoreboard, and instead focus on doing their job.
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After dropping games one and two to the Texas Rangers in Houston, the Astros headed to Arlington for game three needing a win to give them a fighting chance to head back to the World Series, and they did just that.
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The 2023 Prep Football regular season is nearly over as we enter week eight, but there is still a lot to be determined as teams hunt for district titles, and playoff berths.
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The Houston Astros entered Monday’s game two against the Astros looking to even the series up at one game apiece before the series shifts to Arlington for at least games three and four, but it wasn’t to be.
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For the seventh consecutive year the Houston Astros are heading to the American League Championship Series after their 3-2 win on Wednesday night to cap off their American League Division Series win in four games over the Minnesota Twins.
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The McNeese Cowgirls ended the 2022-23 season on somewhat of a high note as they won their first Southland Conference Tournament game under Head Coach Lynn Kennedy before falling in overtime of the second round. This year, in year three under Lynn Kennedy, the Cowgirls are hoping to build on last season, and they feel good with about a month remaining until the year begins.
Southland Conference Media Day was held on Tuesday at Coushatta Casino and Resort in Kinder, and one of the teams with the most hype around them, as we get closer and closer to the 2023-24 season, resides in Lake Charles. McNeese had a massive offseason as they brought in a new head coach in Will Wade, and made a huge splash in the transfer portal as well.
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After splitting games one and two at Minute Maid Park in Houston, the Astros and Twins headed to Target Field in Minneapolis for games three, and four of the American League Divisional Series, and on Tuesday afternoon the Astros won game three 9-1 to take a 2-1 series lead, putting them just one win away from another trip to the American League Championship Series.
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The McNeese Women’s Basketball team enters the 2023-24 season looking to build on what they started last year as they beat New Orleans in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament before falling 80-75 to Lamar in overtime of the second round. With almost an entirely new roster, the Cowgirls are looking to go further in year three under Lynn Kennedy.
The McNeese Men’s Basketball team enters the 2023-24 season with higher expectations than they’ve had in years with the addition of Head Coach Will Wade, and several players through the transfer portal as well. However, despite their impressive offseason the Pokes were picked to finish second in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll, behind only the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.
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The McNeese Football team enters their week six matchup with the Texas A&M - Commerce still in search of their first win of the year, and this week they do so looking to avoid setting history, as a loss would give McNeese a record of 0-6, which would be the worst start to a season in school history, one worse than their 0-5 start in 1954.
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Kerry Joseph is one of the best, if not the best quarterback in McNeese football history, and in 2024 his legacy will be cemented as he will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2024.
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McNeese Football is 0-4 for the first time since 1954, and on Monday, Pokes Head Coach Gary Goff discussed the disappointing start, and also addressed several roster changes.
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We’re looking for nominees for Sports Person of the Week
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Southwest Louisiana week four high school football matchups
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The Iowa Yellowjackets entered the 2023 season following a 2022 season in which they made the State Semi-Finals for the first time in school history and went 9-1 in the regular season. That being said, they entered the new year with high expectations, expectations of making it to the Superdome for the first time in school history, but they didn’t exactly get out to a great start as they lost in week one, but now they enter week three with a 1-1 record looking for revenge vs. Leesville.
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Week two of the 2023 High School football season is officially a wrap, but now teams look to bounce back from a week two loss or continue their winning ways as week three approaches.
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As the McNeese football team gets ready for their week two showdown with the Florida Gators in Gainesville, they do so hoping to put their week one woes behind them. McNeese struggled against Tarleton State in week one as they lost 52-34 thanks to 35 unanswered points by the Texans in the second half, and despite leading at halftime, the Cowboys would go on to fall in week one for the third consecutive season.
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Week one of the 2023 High School football season is officially a wrap, but now teams look to either move on from their week one woes, or carry their week one momentum into week two.
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On Tuesday it was announced that the Southland Conference will hold the Men’s and Women’s Basketball conference tournaments at McNeese’s Legacy Center through 2029, extending the contract that originally expired following the 2026 tournaments. On Wednesday, Southland Conference Commissioner Chris Grant, as well as McNeese State University President Dr. Daryl Burckel, Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer, Men’s Basketball Head Coach Will Wade, and Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lynn Kennedy met with the media inside the Legacy Center to discuss the decision.
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High school football is officially back in Louisiana, and with it, so is Touchdown Live, and for 2023 we’re introducing the Touchdown Live Pregame Show!
In 2023 the Southland Conference held the men’s and women’s basketball conference tournaments in Lake Charles at McNeese’s Legacy Center, and following a record-breaking economic impact of $5.3 million on the Lake Charles community in 14 days, the Southland Conference announced Tuesday that the Board of Directors unanimously approved the extension of the championships being held in Lake Charles through 2029.
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High School Football is officially back as teams from all over Louisiana begin their seasons this week, and here in Southwest Louisiana all 29 of our teams are set to play on Thursday and Friday, and 12 of those games involve two local teams.
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It is officially game week for the McNeese football team as they prepare for their first game of the 2023 season on Saturday when they welcome Tarleton State to Cowboy Stadium. On Monday, McNeese Head Coach Gary Goff met with the media ahead of the season opener.
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The main question of the offseason for McNeese football has been who is going to start at quarterback? It’s a question Head Coach Gary Goff has been asked countless times, and it’s a question McNeese football fans are eagerly awaiting an answer to, but Pokes fans will have to wait until September 2nd when McNeese welcomes Tarleton State to Cowboy Stadium, as Goff announced on Thursday that he knows who the starter will be, but he’s keeping his cards close until the season opener.
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It was an interesting offseason for the Rosepine Eagles, but in 2023 they're focused on building on their 2022 season in which they went 8-2 in the regular season, and made the quarterfinals before falling 14-7 to Many.
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2022 was a stepping stone year for the Lake Arthur Tigers as they made the playoffs for the first time since 2019, but in 2023, the Tigers are hoping to build on their 2022 season, and win their first playoff game since 2017.
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After retiring as the Rosepine head coach in December of last year, Brad Ducote is once again back with the Eagles after his replacement Troy Gardner was relieved of his duties on Thursday due to ‘personal reasons.’
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The Sulphur Golden Tors and DeRidder Dragons suited up on Thursday night, and for the first time since their 2022 seasons ended, they went up against a different team. The Dragons enter the season following a 2022 season where they made the playoffs, but fell in the first round, while the Golden Tors enter the season following a year where they missed the playoffs, and enter 2023 with a new head coach in former Welsh Head Coach Cody Gueringer.
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