The year was 1989. It was the first year that Joey Pender had become a head football coach, having taken over from two-time state championship-winning coach Walter Causey after spending several seasons as an assistant at Jonesboro-Hodge High School.
By season’s end, JHHS had won its third straight LHSAA state championship, launching Pender to an illustrious two-decade-plus career as a high school football coach at JHHS and Winnfield, where he is still the all-time winningest coach at both schools as well as West Ouachita, and Ruston High School.
On Saturday, eight senior members from the “three-peat” team gathered together to recognize the great achievement that took place 35 years ago and honor Pender with a commemorative autographed football.
“It isn’t often that I am at a loss for words,” laughed Pender, who now is the Compliance Coordinator for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) and a renowned member of the K104 Friday Night Scoreboard Show. “but I don’t know how to express how much this means to me that these guys would come together from all over 35 years later to do this.”
Gathering at the home of Matt Causey in Shreveport were a “who’s who” in Tiger lore, including current JHHS head football coach Terrance Blankenship, Casey Blake, Jay Watson, D’Edward Kary, Norman Bradford, Tyuan Hayes, and Shawn Blundell.
“To see these guys again and get to relive those days is really something special,” continued Pender. “For them to remember me in this way is one of the biggest honors I could ever ask for.”
Former JHHS standout Carlos Hicks, who has been on Blankenship’s staff as the Tigers Defensive Coordinator for the past 13 years gave another meaningful perspective on the gathering.
“This shows you that competing in athletics has such a huge impact on your life because of the number of people you bond with that turn into lasting friendships,” reflected Hicks. “Thirty-five years later these guys still think about one another and their coach. If only the world knew how powerful being a member of a team is.”