Category Archives: Ascension

GONZALES Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa offered encouraging words Thursday to parish government's 472 employees, telling them he will defend and help them through a coming revamp of parish operations that the "public can be proud of."

Matassa sent his message to parish workers one day after a much-anticipated organizational and efficiency review by SSA Consultants gave a tough critique of the way the parish does business.

GONZALES Though another 60,000 residents are projected to live in Ascension Parish by 2030

"Parish government is full of great public servants who wake up each morning to improve the quality of life for our residents. I want to thank my employees for their hard work," Matassa read to the Parish Council from a written statement. "I want them to know that I will defend them and encourage them every step of the way in this process. A better organization means a happier workforce, and a happier workforce is more productive and creative."

Christel Slaughter, a partner in Baton Rouge-based organizational firm SSA Consultants, said her company's review of parish operations found a government that still works in ways like a police jury, has out-of-date technology and needs a greater emphasis on customer service and employee training for both rank-and-file and management employees.

In a later interview, Matassa explained the reason for his statement about the SSA report, which he said was tough but which he accepted as constructive criticism.

He said some employees called him after the report was delivered Wednesday night about their concerns the report was directed at them.

"I assured them it wasn't directed at them," Matassa said.

Matassa said he explained the report is a review of a parish organizational setup that goes back to several past administrations. He compared the efficiency report and an earlier salary survey that SSA released in April to a "road map" to help improve parish government.

"I think it's a lot of positive in there, and it's going to show that we do have good departments and good employees, but we want to give them the tools they need and the training," Matassa said.

He said he had planned to offer more training when he took office in January 2016, but the floods in March and August delayed those efforts from getting off the ground.

In addition to softening the blow of the SSA report's conclusions, Matassa reiterated his pledge Thursday night to work with the Parish Council to see through major organizational changes but also asked that the council "empower me to get these things done, including ratifying my employees and returning contract authority to the administration."

Matassa's brief statement on the SSA report did not elicit a response from the council members, who had welcomed the report's conclusions Wednesday night.

In November, after months of pressure to bring his top administrative staff up for council ratification, as the home rule charter calls for, the council delayed the vote until the first quarter of 2017, after SSA was then expected to finish its work.

That vote to delay also came as grand jury proceedings were then pending over allegations Matassa and a Gonzales businessman tried to bribe someone to drop out of the Gonzales City Council race last year. Matassa and the businessman, Olin Berthelot, were later indicted in March on single counts of attempted election bribery. They have maintained their innocence and Matassa has said he will remain in office.

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GONZALES Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa and a Gonzales businessman accused in an

SSA's work didn't end up coming to the council until the second quarter of the year, in April and May.

Council Chairman Bill Dawson said later Thursday night that Matassa is welcome to bring his staff forward for a ratification vote.

"Certainly, any time he puts the names up, we'll vote on them," Dawson said in an interview.

The ratification provision applies to Chief Administrative Officer Ken Dawson, Chief Financial Officer Gwen LeBlanc, Public Works Director Bill Roux, Planning Director Jerome Fournier and a human resources director. Matassa is currently looking for a new director.

Dawson didn't have a response, however, on whether to restore Matassa's authority to issue contracts without council approval.

"That's the first time I've heard it. We still have to think about that," Dawson said.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa reassures staff after consultant's critical report - The Advocate

First comes the festival (feast) day commemorating Jesus Resurrection (Easter) and our Creator Gods essential nature to rescue, deliver, and save.

Then 40 days later, we commemorate the Ascension to heavenly realms of highest esteem of the resurrected Christ and of all that Jesus stood and stands for.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the latter, many in Christendom historically have observed days of intense prayer and fasting that are called rogation (asking or pleading) and that are summed up more commonly nowadays in the observance of Rogation Sunday immediately preceding the Feast of the Ascension.

For many, this timing is especially appropriate, since by now, in Eastertide, our knowledge and understanding of, our faith in, and perhaps our personal experience of the Resurrection has been tested, tried, and solidified.

In Rogation and in the Ascension in this week ahead of us, we hasten to commend to God the Creator all that has been given to us. We give thanksgiving; we ask for protection now and in the future, and we ask for Divine blessing of all our godly endeavor.

In this way, Rogation Sunday and the traditional Rogation Days of the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday immediately preceding Ascension Day are not to be confused with the manifold, essentially retrospective Harvest celebrations toward the end of the summer and on into the fall.

As early as the Middle Ages, a Rogation practice called beating the bounds was revived from some Roman, or even earlier, pre-Christian antecedents, wherein church processions were launched, walking around a given congregations territory and affording all who have settled within a sense of place, a sense of profound thanksgiving and commitment and therewith a sense of Christian obligation (to love and to serve).

However, on the negative side, a churchs beating of its bounds or territorial boundary markers was sometimes also used to draw lines establishing a public understanding of the territory upon which other faith communities should not encroach.

Nowadays, the reach of such Rogation processions tends to be less territorial, and instead tends to be accomplished more through the breadth of the remembrances and other references in our prayers, including our prayers sung as hymns.

Our Rogation Day prayers in common use for protection and continual blessing, and prayers of commitment are found in the Rogation Day Collects (see Book of Common Prayer 258-59) for fruitful seasons, for commerce and industry, and for stewardship of creation.

Much the same can be found in Joseph Addisons 18th century hymn, drawing on the opening verses of Psalm 19, and hence beginning, The spacious firmament on high familiar especially when set to the central theme of Franz Joseph Haydns 18th century oratorio, The Creation.

For my 21st-century taste, however, I find even grander expression of the territorial sweep of our Rogation prayers in Herbert Brokerings 20th-century hymn set to David Johnsons 20th-century music as Earth and All Stars.

Appropriately lengthy, to accompany procession outdoors and/or indoors without tedious repetition, the references in this last reach, to name but a few, loud rushing planets O victory, loud shouting army flowers and trees, loud rustling dry leaves trumpet and pipes, loud clashing cymbals engines and steel, loud pounding hammers limestone and beams, loud building workers classrooms and labs, loud boiling test-tubes knowledge and truth, loud sounding wisdom (and finally) loud praying members true, earnest, comprehensive rogation. All sing to the Lord a new song, (for) He has done marvelous things. I (or we) too will praise him with a new song!

All of this adoration appropriately proclaims our appreciation and thanksgiving for what is and our faith-filled hope for what is to come.

However, as we find boldly prophesied in the biblical description of the Ascension (Acts 1:8-11), with the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost 50 days after Jesus glorious Resurrection, we will have received power to be Jesus witnesses throughout the world.

And indeed, men dressed in white note importantly that these are men, not necessarily angels, as our focus is directed from the skies to the earth these men in purifying white, these witnessing human interpreters chide us, in Acts 1:11, in a manner that I would paraphrase as follows: Why do you just stand there, albeit with wondrous adoration, gazing up toward heaven?

This same Jesus, who has now ascended with his glorious message, spoken and lived out, will come again in the same way all at once and hold us to account for what he asked: that empowered with the gift of the Holy Spirit, we be his convincing witnesses, everywhere we go, not just worshiping, but also doing the work of the Gospel. More simply: Enough gazing albeit in adoration Now get down to work!

As Jeffery Rowthorn in the middle of the 20th century summed up, aggregating the accounts of Jesus Ascension on and hence from: Lord, you give the Great Commission: Heal the sick and preach the Word. Lest the Church neglect its mission and the Gospel go unheard, help us witness to your purpose with renewed integrity; with the Spirits gifts empower us (all) for the work of ministry.

The Rev. Dr. Wesley S. Williams Jr., K.St.J. is Bishops sub-dean for St. Thomas and St. John and vicar of Nazareth by the Sea Episcopal Church in the Diocese of the Virgin Islands (U.S. and U.K.) and chairman of SRMC All Faiths Hospital Chaplaincy

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Rogation and Ascension - Virgin Islands Daily News

Photo courtesy Ascension Island Government

Of course, this being Pristine Seas, these mountains are in the deep seabut mountains they are.

We are headed to Ascension Island, a tiny volcanic island in the South Atlantic, midway between Brazil and Africa. Its a powerful place where the deep sea and remote mountains collide, leaving the island as the small visible tip of a massive 10,500-foot (3,200-meter) mountain. The underwater mountain range Ascension Island sits on is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, itself part of the longest mountain range in the world!

To study this challenging region the Pristine Seas team have joined forces with the British Antarctic Survey and the Ascension Island Government aboard the Antarctic science support vessel the RRS James Clark Ross. The team will sail 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) from Recife, Brazil to Ascension Island where they will complete a comprehensive science survey of the deep ocean surrounding the island including itsisolated biodiversity hotspots, the seamounts.

The water is too deep for diving, even for the Pristine Seas divers! So the team will be using their drop-cameras and pelagic cameras (whichhover in the water column)along with a full range of remote-sensing equipment including scientific trawls, plankton nets, acoustic arrays, CTD devices (to measureconductivity, temperature, and depth), lander cameras, and Swath bathymetry to accurately map the seabed and seamounts.

Well be posting our progress and discoveries here throughout the expeditionso please check in regularly and join us at sea!

Read all Ascension Island 2017 posts.

This expedition is a collaboration among the Ascension Island Government, National Geographic Pristine Seas, the British Antarctic Survey, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

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Ascension Island: Pristine Seas Heads to the Mountains! - National Geographic

I find the New Testament book of Hebrews to be the most important book in the New Testament.

Why? Because if one book was removed from the New Testament, Hebrews would leave the largest gap. Each New Testament book brings something unique to the biblical witness, but Hebrews uniquely covers themes that are critical to the Christian faith concerning who Jesus is.

I am thinking about this as we look forward to Ascension Day next week on May 25. If you are unfamiliar with Ascension Day, it remembers Jesus ascension into heaven 40 days after the resurrection. Any biblical Christian will tell you of the critical importance of Jesus virgin birth, his death on the cross and his resurrection at Easter, but few include Ascension Day. Not only is the gospel incomplete without the ascension, it is because of the ascension that we have a lasting hope.

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The account of the ascension is found in Acts 1. After Jesus gave his disciples some final instructions, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven (9-11).

We can easily read these verses as being nothing more than the accounting of how it happened, but Hebrews teaches us that it is much more. Among other things, it testifies to us of how the ascension of Christ is critical for the hope that is ours in Christ.

Maybe you know that Jesus died for our sins so that those who believe in him may inherit eternal life my question is, Where can you find hope between now and then? Hebrews opens by telling us that Jesus is not only superior to the angels and the prophets, but that the sacrifice he offered on the cross for sinners was also superior to the ones offered previously. The how has to do with the ascension.

Hebrews 9 tells us that Christs sacrifice was superior in two ways. First in that it was the sacrifice of a human life, not an animal, and second, that because of the resurrection and ascension, it brings us everlasting hope: He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls, for the sacrifice. He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever (12).

The letter reminds us of how the Lord commanded his people to offer sacrifices to atone for their sins not to make them righteous, but to point them to the perfect sacrifice that the Messiah would make: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant (Hebrews 9:14-15).

This is important because we learn that under the Levitical system, both the priest and the sacrifice were wanting. Hebrews alone reveals how Jesus is both our priest and sacrifice; we need both for the hope of our salvation. It is Jesus superiority in all things that gives us hope. How? Because while death limited the service of the former priests, God raised Jesus from the dead and because he has ascended into heaven, he is able to continually intercede for us: Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:23-25).

Ascension Day does more than to simply remind us that Jesus has ascended to the right hand of the Father it testifies of how he continues to live and intercede on our behalf. He is not an impersonal power or force, he is the living Lord who shed his blood for you and me so that we may have eternal life. Knowing this gives us a lot to celebrate on Ascension Day!

Eldon Peterson is pastor of the Cache Valley Bible Fellowship. His column appears on the Faith page. He can be reached at by.faith@outlook.com.

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Ascension Day: an ongoing reminder of eternal life - The Herald Journal

Contributed Report

The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) selected Ascension Public Schools to receive the Gold Medallion Award for its successful 2016 bond election communication campaign, "Growing at the Pace of Excellence." Ascension is one of 11 schools districts across the country to win NSPRA's highest honor this year and is the only recipient from Louisiana to achieve this distinctionin recent history.

"Once again, Ascension is being recognized on a national stage for excellence, this time for effective communication, which is a critical aspect of our operations," said Ascension Public Schools Superintendent David Alexander. "The ability to offercutting-edge programs, technology, facilities and competitive salaries hinges upon localsupport. We are honored that our efforts to inform voters about school expansion needs in 2016 will be used as a model for other school districts across the county."

On April 9, 2016, 80 percent of Ascension Parish voters cast a ballot in favor to extend a 15.08 millage to generate $120 million in bonds to fund four new schools and facility improvements district-wide. This was the culmination of a comprehensive communication plan executed by the district's public information office in consultation with Taylor Media Services. Components of the campaign included community meetings, presentations to government and business groups, a comprehensive video, mailers, strategic signage, social media and grassroots outreach.

"This campaign was successful because we were all in, from the superintendent,board members and directors toprincipals, teachers and support staff. Our community trusts that we are good stewards of their financial investments, and they showed that support at the polls," said Assistant Superintendent A. Denise Graves.

The school district has worked with Taylor Media Services since 2003including the successful passage of multiple elections.This wasthe first election campaign under Public Information Officer Jackie Tisdell, who joinedthe district in 2015.

"As a parent and Ascension Parish resident, I have always voted to support our schools. This was the first time I worked on an election campaign and am grateful for the supportofTaylor Media Services, as well as the hard work of the Director of Planning and Construction Chad Lynch and our entire staff," said Tisdell. "Although tremendously humbled by this recognition, we know our work is far from over. We willfocus our communicationeffortsonthe construction progress of new schools and renovations."

Ascension will receive its Gold Medallion Award at theNSPRA National Seminaron July 12, 2017 in San Antonio. TheGold Medallionis NSPRA's top program award, recognizing superior educational public relations programs. Entries come from public and private schools; vocational-technical schools or community colleges beyond 12th grade; state/national education groups; and public relations agencies, consultants or private businesses serving such schools and colleges. Judging is against criteria as well as other entries and is highly competitive.

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Ascension Public Schools wins National Award for 2016 Bond Election Campaign - Post South

Monday, May 15, 2017 at 4 a.m.

Like its other locations, the bar design at the new Ascension in Thanksgiving Tower is simple but full of the latest in coffee equipment technology.

Tim Cox

In 2012, Ascension Coffee opened its first location next to Meddlesome Moth in the Design District, and the cafe has taken a full steam ahead approach ever since, opening a roastery about a mile away in 2014 and a second cafe in the Crescent in 2016. Ascension clearly doesn't plan on taking a breather any time soon; two weeks ago, the brand opened its third retail location in downtowns Thanksgiving Tower.

This rapid growth while atypical for a Dallas coffee brand has come with both successes and challenges.

I think Ive aged 20 years in the past five, jokes owner Russell Hayward. We are only able to grow if the people of Dallas keep our baristas working. At this stage, it seems there is a market for us, but we will only know how much as we move forward.

"Growth is important to any business but its not an essential part of the Ascension brand, per se," Hayward says. "If there is demand, we will grow; if not, we will continue to work as hard as we can to select, roast and brew great coffee for our guests.

This simplicity is evident in the new shop's minimal design, which is a little more restrained than the previous two stores. Even still, the space still feels very Ascension, and the haute aesthetic fits right in with the recent renovations at Thanksgiving Tower.

Our goal is to try and fit the design of Ascension into its environment, both the building it resides within and the immediate community it serves, Hayward says. He had his eye on downtown for a couple of years before finding a spot that worked.

When I first saw the space, it felt to me like a museum-like space with tall ceilings and the three sides of floor-to-ceiling glass that flood the space with natural light, as well as provide a picture frame of our city view across Elm Street and the daily life of the city from dawn to night," Hayward says. "Following that impression, I wanted to keep the space as simple as possible really, so internally there were minimal distractions setting up our baristas at work, and city life, as the actors on the stage.

Another similarity to the previous two locations is complicated parking; it is downtown, after all. If youre not hoofing it from your downtown office space, your best bet may be the metered spaces on the other side of Ervay.

The coffee menu is the same as the other locations, and they are currently featuring Brazil as part of their single-origin feature program, which entails a single-origin espresso offering and a Brazilian batch-brew in addition to Ascensions house blends, as well as two pour-over options from Brazilian producers the brands roasting company works with.

Food-wise, the menu matches the Crescent Court location. Breakfast includes everything from chorizo and jalapeo breakfast tacos ($1.75) served with bright, fresh-tasting house-made salsa to a Croque Madame Benedict ($13) with one one of the best hollandaise sauces in town. There's also a smoked salmon hash ($18) whose smoky salmon, spicy chorizo and dressing of hollandaise and Sriracha is a complex and extra-hearty splurge meal that might necessitate a post-breakfast nap, but damn, is it good.

There are light lunch options like quinoa salad ($9.50). But it's the sandwiches that stand out. Whilepaninis like the soppressata and fig jam ($10) are above average, the Pane Aria sandwiches are where true love lives on this lunch menu. The spicy Italian Pane Aria ($12), with its soppressata and turkey, will live on in your dreams. The soft boursin perfectly contrasts the crunchy bread, and thegiardiniereadds spice and acidity. The breads crunchy outer layer can occasionally seem abrasive, but like your favorite childhood breakfast cereals, its more than worth it.

Evening options like the sweet and spicy Moroccan lamb flatbread ($13) and a meat and cheese board ($19) will go nicely with a glass of wine off the impressive wine list.

Moving forward, Hayward and Ascension have no plans to tap the breaks just yet, but they dont want to grow recklessly, either.

We are looking at many different opportunities, but for me, each cafe needs to deliver a quality experience, and until we can do that over and over again at the cafes we have now, we will be treading forward very carefully, Hayward says.

Ascension Coffee at Thanksgiving Tower, 1601 Elm St.

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With a Sexy New Thanksgiving Tower Cafe, Ascension Is One of Dallas' Fastest-Growing Coffee Brands - Dallas Observer

GONZALES A 40-year-old man suspected of drunken driving crashed into an Ascension Parish sheriff's car on La. 44, injuring the deputy and causing major damage to the unit, deputies said Tuesday.

Jary Romero, who is suspected of entering the U.S. illegally, drove through a red light at La. 44 and Black Bayou Road outside Gonzales shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday, Sheriff Jeff Wiley said in a statement.

The deputy, who was driving east on Black Bayou Road at the time of the collision, suffered moderate injuries, Wiley said.

After Romero's arrest, deputies determined that he was in the country without authorization, though they were unable to determine his nationality, according to the statement.

Romero, 14484 Oak Meadow St., Gonzales, was booked into Ascension Parish Prison with counts of misdemeanor first-offense driving while intoxicated, disregarding a signal light and having no driver's license, deputies said.

Sheriff's deputies have notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Wiley said. Romero was being held Tuesday in jail without bail.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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After crash with Ascension sheriff's unit while under influence, Gonzales-area driver found to be undocumented immigrant - The Advocate

Brandie Richardson

Local officials and tourism leaders gathered at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center last week to discuss the impact of tourism in Ascension and the state with Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser as part of National Tourism Week. Ascension was one of many stops he made throughout the week.

Tour Ascension Executive Director Tracy Browning shared with Nungesser some of the many attractions the Parish has to offer such as the various plantations and festivals, the historic City of Donaldsonville and the shopping at Tanger Outlet in Gonzales, which offers tax free incentives for international shoppers.

Ascension is comprised of 300 square miles made up of over 121,000 residents from the east and west banks of the Mississippi River. There are currently over 1,600 hotel rooms, with two new hotels under construction, to accommodate the tourists that travel to the Parish.

"The tourism industry has impacted Ascension Parish with over $154 million in tourism expenditures, which generated $19.8 million in state and local taxes and created over 2,190 jobs," Browning said. "If it were not for the state and local taxes paid by the tourists visiting Ascension Parish, each household would have to pay an additional $236 in taxes."

Parish President Kenny Matassa noted that Gonzales' multi-purpose event center, Lamar-Dixon, will have over 300 events this year ranging from music festivals to livestock shows, bringing in thousands of tourists to the area.

"One of our goals under President Matassa was to bring in an extensive world class caliber [to Lamar], bring in things that will get us noticed, not just state wide but regionally, nationally," said Lamar-Dixon General Manager Kyle Rogers. "We have a festival ground that it's foot-print is four acres larger than Jazz Fest."

Sacs Western Store General Manager Joey Templet shared his personal view of the tourism industry, saying how when there are big events at the expo center the store will see an increase of 15 to 20 percent that week, or month, of the event.

"It's been a big asset to us and a big asset to Ascension Parish," he echoed the other speakers.

Nungesser encouraged everyone to sign up to become a #OnlyLouisiana ambassador, where they can become a Bayou Krewe member and share their passion for Louisiana culture, food and great outdoors using the #OnlyLouisiana hashtag on social media. He also discussed how Louisiana is home to seven world-class bass fishing lakes, including the number one bass lake in the country for the past two years.

Lastly, 2016 Miss Gonzales Jambalaya Queen Holly Stelly invited everyone to visit the Jambalaya Festival at the end of the month, one of the state's longest running festivals.

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Lt. Governor visits Ascension during Tourism Week - Weekly Citizen

Top Ascension Wisconsin exec calls for bipartisan reform Milwaukee Business Journal Bernie Sherry, senior vice president of Glendale-based Ascension Wisconsin, says the current effort by Republicans in Washington, D.C., to rewrite health care law with no Democratic support will not deliver fundamental change that ultimately would ...

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Top Ascension Wisconsin exec calls for bipartisan reform - Milwaukee Business Journal

Blue Gators' leadoff hitter Seth Kerstetter had two hits in Ascension Episcopal's 3-0 win over Houma Christian in Wednesday's Division IV state semifinal game.(Photo: SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network)

Carter Dooley pitches a complete game and Jeffrey Elkins is named MVP of the Division IV state title game as the Ascension Episcopal Blue Gators beat Central Catholic for the first time in school history to win the first state championship in program history.

Ascension Episcopal had a huge chance to blow the game open with only one out and the Blue Gators two best hitters coming to the plate in Elkins and Brady, but Central Catholic's Mire did a great job to wiggle out of the jam. Blue Gators lead 6-3 heading into the bottom half of the inning.

Big inning for the Blue Gators as they take advantage of some mistakes from Central Catholic. Elkins scored after reaching via a hit-by-pitch then scored from third base after an error on Central Catholic's catcher.

Both Lightfoot and Mouton picked up RBI singles in the inning before Central Catholic changed pitchers and put in Thomas Mire. Mire stopped the bleeding, but Ascension Episcopal leads 6-3 now heading into the bottom half of the inning.

Brooks Thomas has done a tremendous job for the Eagles since coming in. Eli Mouton walked to open the inning for the Blue Gators, but was thrown out stealing second and exchanged some words with Central Catholic's shortstop. Ascension Episcopal is tied 3-3 with Central Catholic heading into the bottom third of the inning.

Super quick bottom half of the inning for Dooley on the mound and all of a sudden we are more than halfway through this game. Still tied 3-3 heading into the fifth inning.

Elkins led the inning off with a triple over the center fielder's head, showing some pretty impressive speed, and John Michael Brady drove him in with a sacrifice fly an inning later. Ascension Episcopal leads 3-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning.

Central Catholic tied the game on a Mitch Lemoine single that scored runners from second and third base. Eagles and Blue Gators are locked at 3-3 heading into the fourth inning.

Central Catholic inserted Brooks Thomas into the game as a new pitcher after a lead off walk to start the inning and Thomas shut down the Blue Gators. Ascension Episcopal still leads 2-0 going to the bottom of the second inning.

Gregory Leger hits a home run for Central Catholic to halve the lead for the Eagles on the first pitch that he saw. He was pulled from the mound after one inning of work that saw him struggle. Blue Gators lead 2-1 heading into third inning.

Ascension Episcopal didn't even need to swing the bat to get on the board in the top of the first. A couple of walks, hit batters and wild pitches give the Blue Gators a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the inning Carter Dooley got the Eagles to go down in order in an impressive half inning.

Ascension Episcopal is gearing up to play Central Catholic in the Division IV state title game in Sulphur.

The Blue Gators have never beaten Central Catholic and are trying to win the first state title in program history.

Game is running late due to other games running slow. First pitch will be roughly around 8:30 p.m.

PREVIEW:Blue Gators ready to compete for state title

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Ascension Episcopal wins first state title in program history - The Daily Advertiser