The iconic Friendship Oak has held court in Friendship Circle for over a century. According to history professor emeritus and Southeastern lore connoisseur C. Howard Nichols, the tree earned its name when it served as campus courtship central.

“The women’s dormitory across the street (Senior Hall at the time and now Campbell Hall) may have contributed to the name since the tree’s spreading branches provided a somewhat secluded ‘courting place’ for male suitors who called upon the female co-eds,” he says.

Friendship Circle at Southeastern. Photo by Randy Bergeron.

The Kenelly family can attest to this. According to Ken Kenelly (’75), his parents began their courtship beneath the oak’s languid limbs. Pat (’47) and Bert (’47) Kenelly attended what was then Southeastern Louisiana College in the years following World War II. Pat was a Hall of Fame inductee for football, baseball and distinguished service as both a coach and an athletics director; Southeastern’s baseball diamond is named in his honor—Pat Kenelly Field at Alumni Stadium. An inductee in his own right for distinguished service as a football player, coach and administrator, Ken says there were countless memories from the baseball dugout and Strawberry Stadium, but Friendship Oak held a special place in his parents’ hearts.

“I remember my dad saying that Friendship Oak was the special place on campus because they didn’t have cars, so that is where they dated,” says Ken. “He used to say, ‘If that oak ever starts talking, I’m going to have to chop it down.’”

So while the name may only refer to friendship, it’s understood with a wink and a smile to mean romantic friendships, not the BFF kind.

State Senator A.G. Crowe (’73) is quick to point out that not only were he and Linda (’73) sweethearts in their college days, they’re still sweethearts today. “We stood under Friendship Oak, and I let her know she passed all the tests,” he says, jokingly. “I proposed and let her know that if she would have me, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”

It was also beneath the canopy of Friendship Oak’s branches that Brad Bendily (’96) proposed. According to the former Erin Buratt (’96), he couldn’t have picked a more perfect place. “We both lived on campus, so lunches and quiet walks under Friendship Oak were a regular occurrence, in addition to the numerous student events we participated in near Friendship Circle,” she says.

Friendship Oak was also a favorite nighttime stop after performances in Pottle Hall and Student Union activities for the couple. “The moonlight shining through the oak’s branches was a beautiful sight,” she says. “It always set the stage for a romantic kiss good-bye.”

One fall night in 2001, following a dinner to celebrate her job, Brad made a detour to campus to retrieve something he “forgot” in his office. “He parked in front of Friendship Oak, which didn’t seem unusual, given that his office was in nearby McClimans Hall,” says Erin. “But when we got out of the car, instead of walking toward McClimans, he led me under Friendship Oak, knelt down on one knee, told me how much he loved me and asked me to marry him.”

She said yes—and nine years ago, they were married.

Erin currently serves as deputy superintendent of the Office of Developmental Support for the Louisiana Department of Education and Brad is systems administrator for Administrative Computing Services at Southeastern. Once upon a time, however, they were both student workers on campus who met through their involvement with the Student Government Association. Apparently, during the mid-1990s there were quite a few “computer issues” in the Office of Career Services where Erin worked that required “fixing” by a certain student worker in the Office of Administrative Computing Services.

“Brad’s employment at Southeastern keeps us even more connected to the campus, still participating in various activities, enjoying the return of football and hanging out with our Southeastern family,” Erin says.

Their two-year-old son, Gavan, has already been introduced to the Southeastern scene—as evidenced by one of his first photo sessions that featured a Lions football helmet, a stuffed Lion and a Southeastern shirt. Erin says, “He’s made several trips to campus, including to our beloved Friendship Oak, getting to know the campus of possibly his own future college home.”

Friendship Oak in the 1930s.

In the case of Ellie Schroder (’83), her future husband could have been called for a blatant offsides penalty when they first met on Southeastern’s intramural flag football field—John (’84) was the coach of Ellie’s opposing team.

“I was editor of the Le Souvenir yearbook, and my office was on the top floor of East Stadium,” says the former Ellie Daigle. “I used to watch him walk across campus from my window.”

The couple dated on and off throughout their college years. A wrong mailing address threatened to thwart their long-distance courtship, but it was overcome, resulting in 26 years of marriage.
“John left for basic training after graduation. I was not happy that he signed up for the military and I didn’t know about it. When I started getting calls from him at basic training, I refused them. I didn’t know that he had been sending letters,” she says. “And then one day, either Scott Perriloux (’84) or Jay Barsenick (’84), who lived in the apartment next to me, brought me a stack of letters and told me that I needed to give Schroder my correct apartment number.”

“After reading the letters, she started accepting my calls,” says John, with a grin.

There was mention of a parking lot in what is now the Lions’ baseball stadium right field where students would go for “quiet time,” but the Schroders also found some time to actually go to the library and study in between courting and canoodling, as many college sweethearts tend to do. They credit Southeastern for providing them with excellent educations and have established an athletics scholarship in their names. Ellie is a technology resource teacher at Bayou Lacombe Middle School and has her bachelor’s-plus-30 and supervision certification, all from Southeastern. John received his bachelor’s in criminal justice from Southeastern, serves as State Representative for District 77 and is a small-business owner. “We love Southeastern for many reasons,” he says, which is fitting, since Southeastern happens to be where they met and fell in love.

Socializing in the circle continues a tradition that dates back to the 1930s, when Friendship Oak’s much younger branches sheltered a popular student hangout. At one time, wooden benches sat at the base of the landmark tree’s trunk, and a small frame structure housed a refreshments stand that dispensed coffee, soft drinks and hamburgers that cost a nickel each. Dubbed the “Pop House” by students, it was razed once the War Memorial Student Union was constructed in the early 1950s, according to Nichols.

By the 1980s, a circular bench that wrapped around the massive tree’s trunk had been installed. In 2004, a wooden deck was constructed to protect its root system from further compaction and damage.

Since the return of football in 2002, the Lion Walk has become part of the Southeastern game day tradition.  As the team makes its way to Strawberry Stadium two hours prior to kickoff, players and coaches are greeted by loyal Lion tailgaters who flock to Friendship Circle on game days. Students have also begun hosting Live @ The Oak on evenings before home football games. Plenty of music and food set the mood to kick off tailgating for the next day.

Registered with the Louisiana Live Oak Society, Friendship Oak reigns with arboreal authority over Friendship Circle and beckons passers-by to socialize in its shade.

Whether you believe in the legend of a kiss beneath its branches is up to you. However, the next time you stroll through Friendship Circle with your sweetheart, be sure to glance at the Spanish moss that graces the oak’s branches. When the breeze catches it just right, it can easily be mistaken for a bridal veil made of heirloom lace. Perhaps it’s trying to foretell many kisses yet to come.

1 3 lb chicken
1 12 oz can Budweiser beer
1 sprig rosemary
Cajun seasoning

Preheat charcoal grill over high heat. When coals are hot and glowing, push them to the sides of grill, leaving an open space in the middle. Wash and drain chicken, then coat inside and out with Cajun seasoning.

Insert sprig of rosemary into beer can, and place beer can into chicken’s body cavity starting at rear of chicken. Carefully place chicken on center of grill, facing one of the banks of coals, making sure not to spill beer. Cover grill and cook until chicken is done, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning chicken as necessary. Chicken is done when the juice runs clear. Serve chicken with favorite BBQ sides.

Champagne Beverage,
champagnebeverage.com.

WOW Café and Wingery
Kansas City Orange-BBQ Sandwiches

1 boneless pork shoulder (3 lbs) or boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 bottle WOW Kansas City Sauce
1 10 oz can tomatoes, diced or chopped
Juice from 1 medium orange
12 sandwich rolls, split, toasted

Place meat in slow cooker and top with WOW Kansas City Sauce, tomatoes and orange juice. Cover with lid. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred on cutting board between two forks. Return meat to slow cooker for 5 minutes. Stir until meat is evenly coated with BBQ sauce mixture. Add more sauce to desired taste. Toast rolls under broiler. Fill rolls evenly with BBQ for serving.

Wow Café and Wingery, wowcafe.com.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill
Jambalaya

Whether it’s five or 100 coming to watch the BIG GAME, owner Roger Mitchell suggests one of VooDoo’s one-stop party packs. Choose three delicious meats—pork, brisket, sausage or roasted or jerk chicken. Add a few sides like corn pudding, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese or gris-gris greens. Utensils, plates, napkins and ice can also be included. Roger adds his own touch with his famous jambalaya.

1 2 lb box of Uncle Ben’s white rice
2 cans French onion soup
2 cans beef broth
2 cans tomato sauce (half cans)
1 bundle green onions
1lb smoked sausage
1lb shrimp (uncooked)
1 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients except butter into a large pan and add salt, pepper and your favorite seasoning to taste. Mix. Cut butter into pats and place on top of mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, then stir and bake an additional 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2999 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 629-2021. voodoobbq.com.

“We’ve wanted to go into business together for some time now, and I told her the one thing I knew about was the restaurant business,” says Sonny. “We decided if we found the right spot under the right circumstances, we would do it. After a couple of years, we discovered this location here on Highway 59 and decided to start the business.” The café is in an area filled with local businesses whose employees were among the restaurant’s first customers; now, they are loyal diners.

“The whole idea of this concept was to do things a little differently than is normally done in the café business,” Sonny says. “We wanted to be unique.” Homemade ingredients like corned beef and roast pork form the basis of the café’s signature spins on the Reuben and Cuban sandwiches as well as a Cochon de Lait po-boy.

Customers appreciate that it’s a family-run restaurant. “There’s always one of us here,” says Lisa. “If I’m not here, he’s here. That’s important to us, and the customers have gotten to know us. We already have regulars that come in every day.”

Sonny’s wife, Diane, was instrumental in developing the Fat Spoon, helping with everything from menu items to the décor. The walls feature her fine art photographs and also showcase artwork by Janet Bouby, the Fat Spoon’s specialty cook.

Sonny says, “Janet’s the one who actually cooks the corned beef and the pork, the homemade meatballs, our custom salad dressings and the hot lunch specials. People have gotten to know her, and I’m really excited about her cooking.”

Besides the lunchtime specialties, the Fat Spoon Café offers a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m. and all day on Sundays. Three TVs, Mimosas and Bloody Marys make the restaurant a perfect place to watch Saints games on Sundays. “Who Dats” can dine on everything the menu offers until the game is over. “We do Belgian waffles, sweet potato waffles, wings and waffles and various types of poached egg combinations, from eggs Benedict to eggs NOLA with fried tomatoes and mushrooms, one of our own creations,” Sonny says.

Lisa notes that the covered porch outside, with a deck and 10 tables, is great for the nice fall and spring weather. “There’s a bar out there, and it’s really conducive to having a fun gathering.”

So who came up with the Fat Spoon name and motto? Sonny laughs, saying, “I wanted to call it the Goofy Goose.” He was vetoed during a family pow-wow after Lisa came up with Fat Spoon Café and her brother Sean penned “Eat Life with a Fat Spoon.” Sonny says, “At the end of day, I thought Fat Spoon was really great.”
And it is.

Fat Spoon Café is located at 68480 Highway 59 in Mandeville. 809-2929.

St. Paul’s head coach Ken Sears gives the Wolves a pre-practice talk. Photo: Michael Gegenheimer.

Football has been described as the closest thing to war without people actually dying. The players who walk onto the field on Friday night walk in boys, but, win or lose, they will walk out men. This is the story of the coaches behind that change and what it takes to turn these boys of fall into the men of tomorrow.

“God put me on this Earth for one thing, and that’s to work with young men,” says Guy Lecompte, head coach of Mandeville High. “Seeing your players succeed in whatever it is they are trying to accomplish, whether it be on the field, in the classroom or in life, that’s the most rewarding part of being a coach.”

Seven of the northshore’s largest high schools belong to District 7 in the 5A classification. District 7-5A is no stranger to success. Five of the then eight teams (Hammond recently dropped from 5A) in the district made the playoffs last year. Saint Paul’s made it all the way to the quarterfinals after earning a third overall state ranking with an undefeated regular season, including the district title for the fifth time in the last six years (Mandeville won in ’08).

Saint Paul’s head coach Kenny Sears attributes their success to a tremendous dedication to hard work. “It’s not so much putting in the time, but making the time count in terms of preparation during the off season, summer workouts and practices. You want to make it good quality efficient hard work.” Sears goes on to say, “We try to empower our seniors in particular, and other leaders on our team, because ultimately it’s their team. My job is just to hold them accountable.”

Artie Liuzza, head coach of Slidell High, has a much more practical approach to coaching. “If we can get the most out of every player we have, then we are successful. How does that translate into wins and losses? I don’t know. But in high school we can only take what comes in the door, and we can only do the best with what we have.” Coach Liuzza recalls that some of his best memories at Slidell are of the times when a kid walked in as a freshman and could barely play but earned a starting spot as a senior through hard work and team leadership.

“We’re student athletes, and student comes first.”

Many coaches, however, remember not only the kids that were able to make it on the field, but also those who were able to achieve success off the field. And, as all these men will admit, success off the field starts in the classroom.

“Football will eventually be over for all of us,” says Mike Mataerne, head coach at Fontainebleau High. “The kids have to have the grades to be successful outside of football.” In his short two years as head coach, Mataerne has instituted a program for his players that requires them to turn in weekly progress reports for their classes. If they are struggling in a class, they have to attend tutoring sessions before going to practice.

Northshore High’s athletic tutoring program was also initiated by their current head coach—Mike Bourg. Many people are familiar with former Northshore standout left tackle, Chris Faulk. What they might not know is that Faulk almost didn’t make it out of high school because of bad grades. When Bourg saw that Faulk was in danger of having his athletic talents go to waste, he took it upon himself to see that Chris got his high school diploma. Coach Bourg approached Northshore High English teacher Mary Wahden to tutor Faulk. Wahden accepted the challenge and worked with Faulk until he graduated. He will be starting left tackle this year for LSU.

After seeing how much the tutoring helped Faulk, many other players approached Bourg asking for help. He then started a mandatory tutoring session once a week for all of his players, even those not struggling, to work with a group of five or six teachers. The program has since spread to include all athletic programs in the school, not just the football team, thanks to the work put in by Bourg and Wahden.

More Than Just Coaches

Anyone who speaks to these coaches for longer than two minutes realizes that they are much more than “just football coaches.” They try to be father figures and role models for kids within the environment of a football team.

As in the case of Northshore’s Coach Bourg, some coaches take the “father figure” role quite seriously. Over the past four years of his tenure, Coach Bourg has always developed a strong relationship with his players. Many of them return to visit him and his children, who have been active in the program as ball boys and girls. A few years ago, when he saw one of his players struggling with home life and having nowhere else to go, Coach Bourg and his family invited the young man to live with them.

Malter Scobel, Covington head coach, watches over his players. Photo: Michael Gegenheimer.

When asked about what it really means to be a man, Covington High’s Coach Malter Scobel says, “Being a man is not driving around in a Lexus or having a million-dollar house. Being a man is knowing that your family can count on you when times are hard. You have to represent your family in the right way at all times and make sure you aren’t doing anything that can bring harm or shame to them. When the games are on the line and times are crucial, guys who are not accountable are gonna make bad plays, which are going to hurt the team, which, in turn, is going to hurt their teammates—and your teammates are your family.”

But Winning Still Counts…

Ironically, probably the most successful coach on the field is also the newest head coach to District 7. Ponchatoula’s first-year head coach, Hank Tierney, is most known for his long-time tenure at Archbishop Shaw High School, where he won the ’87 state title in Class 4A and was a three-time runner up in ’88, ’97 and ’00. He also ranks fourth in all-time wins in the New Orleans metro area, with 221 victories, and is within close grasp of being in the top 25 for the state.

Coincidentally, Tierney’s lone championship came at the hands of District 7’s last championship appearance. In 1987, Tierney faced off against Covington’s legendary Jack Salter, and, despite Salter’s experience (two-time runner up and a state title in ’76), Tierney went back to the West Bank with the trophy in a 14-6 victory over the Lions.

Tierney has many other connections to northshore coaches. Covington’s Scobel played tight end for Tierney at Shaw and coached with him at Shaw and West Jefferson. Mandeville’s Lecompte also played for Tierney at Shaw. While playing at Holy Cross, Saint Paul’s Sears played against Tierney’s Shaw teams. Fontainebleau’s Mataerne coached against Tierney while Mataerne was an assistant at Brother Martin, and Slidell’s Liuzza coached against Tierney while Liuzza was still an assistant at Slidell.

Coach Tierney takes over a solid team for which he was the offensive coordinator for the past three years. The Green Wave is not all that unfamiliar with the championship stage. Ponchatoula won a state title over Bastrop in 1940 at the 1A level (there were only 1A and 2A then) and returned to the finals in 1951, but lost to Ruston. Since then, Covington, under Salter, and Slidell, under Wayne Grubbs in ’86, are the only District 7 teams to reach the state finals.

The Name on the Front of the Jersey…

The members of each team form a bond with one another—a fraternity of brothers that gives up sweat, blood and body all for the same cause. According to Coach Sears, the everyday struggle is what brings his players closer together. “We represent Saint Paul’s, and when you wear that blue and gold, you’re more than just a Saint Paul’s football player; you represent everyone who has ever been a part of the Saint Paul’s community and, more importantly, you represent all of our values,” he says.

It’s the same way with the other programs in the district, whether the navy and gold of the Covington Lions, the blue and white of a Mandeville Skipper or the green and white of the Slidell Tigers. Each school holds dear its traditions and its history, and each week those traditions and that history are defended under the lights on Friday night.

When you walk into the offices of coaches around the district, pictures of past players hang around the room. In Coach Liuzza’s office, the “Slidell Wall of Fame” plays host to pictures of players who were able to make it to the next level, successfully playing college ball, or even further. In the Mandeville coaches’ office, game day pictures of past district battles hang to honor those who fought for the Skippers.

The faces of the district have changed over the years with the inception of Fontainebleau in the summer of 1994, Saint Paul’s moving to 5A in 2001 and the recent drop of Hammond from the 5A rankings. But through all that time, the people of the northshore have come together on Friday nights to cheer on their teams. And whether it be at Jack Salter, Hunter, the Dawg Pound, the Swamp, Sidney Theriot, McGinty or Panther stadium, after the last seconds tick off the clock, the boys that walked onto the field are forever changed, thanks to the men who led them through the battle.

In 2006, Mandeville’s Dave “Doc” Mancina, Chris “Blackman” Blackwell and “Coach” Eddie Rouyer—deemed the “Chosen Few”—teamed up to create what has since become known as the “Saints Down Unda” and have never looked back. Named for their location, the Down Undas have made a name for themselves in the tailgating world.

Their signature calling card is the “Greg Head,” named by local sports broadcaster Jim Henderson for its similarity to the way Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams’ hair sticks up out of the visor he typically wears. The story goes that when Henderson asked the Down Undas for a hat, Doc swooped in and made a deal that would forever change the history of the group. Doc told Henderson that he would give him the hat off his head if Henderson promised to wear it on his sports show. Henderson agreed, and since then, the Greg Head has caught on like wildfire throughout the Who Dat nation.

Doc Mancina, wearing the famous “Greg Head” hat, poses with Jimmy Buffet before his “private” show for the Down Undas. Photo: Courtesy of Dave Mancina.

Doc is a self-proclaimed “New Orleans music groupie” and has always been able to provide a music kick to get the tailgate rolling. But of course, no party is complete without enough food to go around, and that’s where Blackman comes in. The tailgate is set up as a large potluck-style event, but Blackman and the other Chosen Few have been known to put on quite a feast. New Orleans music legend Kermit Ruffins has even stopped by to help roast pigs for the Down Undas. As for Coach? Well, his job may just be the most important. Enough beer to keep all those Who Dats happy—and we all know how much the Who Dats like their beer. But you’re welcome to bring your own ice chest, too.

For the noon games, the tailgate is toned down a bit, with about 100 people showing up, and Doc is the DJ. But for the night games, especially those Monday night classics, the party really starts rolling. Almost 400 Down Undas come out to party with the live bands that get the good times rolling. Did we mention that even Jimmy Buffett has stopped by? Yes, the king of the Parrot Heads visited the Down Undas for the NFC championship game.

As Doc recalls, no one recognized the star at first. It wasn’t until he was introduced to Buffett by Quint Davis, the founder of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, that Doc realized who it was. Just like Henderson, Buffett had to have one of those Greg Heads. So, in typical Doc fashion, Doc struck up a deal with Buffett (who is a big Saints fan, by the way) that he would give him a hat if he would wear it—while performing for the Down Undas, of course. The crowd quickly grew to over 500 people as word spread about the performance. “When I told him the deal, he said to me, ‘You’re about to the make the best trade of your life,’” recalls Doc. “And it was.”

Recently, the Chosen Few decided to change things up a bit for the betterment of the community. “We want to do our part by donating money to local worthy causes,” says Doc. As of now, the Saints Down Unda is not a moneymaking venture. To pay for events and bands, they try to scratch up as much money as they can by having a couple of guys put some money in; occasionally, they may even “pass the hat around.” But this year, the Down Undas hope to sell some merchandise, including hand-decorated walking canes to be used in the group’s famous second line marches to the dome. The Down Undas will also graciously accept any donations. While no partnerships have been made with any specific charity foundations, the group is in contact with several.

“The Down Undas have grown into their own energy,” says Doc. “People know that if we’re coming, it’s gonna be a party. Our goal is just to have fun, and that’s what makes New Orleans different from other places. We’re friendly, and we’re not afraid to get a little crazy. It doesn’t matter if you’re blue collar, white collar, black or white—you’re a fan, period. We have members as young as 2 months old and as old as 92 years—it doesn’t matter.”

The Down Undas do ask that you register with the Chosen Few before going to the tailgate, but they’re pretty lenient about acceptance. The only requirement is you have to be looking for a good time, and you must dress appropriately. “We don’t want people walking up in just blue jeans and a t-shirt,” Doc says. “We want people who are gonna wear wigs and hats, crazy shirts, things like that. For Halloween, we had one of the craziest costume contests you’ve ever seen.”

The party is rolling at the Saints Down Unda tailgate. Photo: Courtesy of Dave Mancina.

So, the next time you’re looking for a party on your way to the Saints game, you might want to stop by the Poydras down ramp. But remember—when they ask you if you’re a plant or an animal, you’d better be an animal!

If you’d like to become a member of the Down Undas, or if you just want to check out pictures and videos of past tailgates, visit saintsdownunda.com.