Kinder Courier News sports writer Raymond Partsch III took home top honors at the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Award Luncheon held Sunday in Natchitoches.
Partsch took first-place honors in the Prep-Amateur Event (Class II) category for his story on the Kinder High school football team’s defense making one stop in a road playoff win at Loreauville.
The judge’s comments on the winning entry were, “By setting up the do-or-die situation late in the game, the writer brought me right onto the field and into the action. The scene was set, the suspense built and I was anxious to see how the game would turn out. The obligatory quotes came later but were used wisely and helped validate the lead and continue the theme of the game, which was defense. Well organized, a lead that grabbed me.”
Partsch also was awarded second-place in the General Sports Column (Class II) category for his column on the Yellowjackets season ending with a title-game loss, and received third-place honors in Prep Writer of the Year (Class II) category.
Partsch also won multiple awards for his work for The Daily Iberian, 1037thegame.com and the Lake Charles American Press. All of which helped Partsch win the Sports Writer of the Year award from the LSWA.
It was the second time Partsch had taken home the prestigious honor — having won it previously in 2016 for his work at fellow Louisiana State Newspapers publication the Ville Platte Gazette.
In the Newspaper Sweepstakes award (where papers receive points on a 3-2-1 basis), The Kinder Courier News took sixth place in Class II as it earned 6 points, including nabbing one first-place honor.
The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Acadiana and New Orleans) took top honors in Class I, while The Daily Iberian won Class II.
The other major LSWA award winners went to The Advocate’s Robin Fambrough for Prep Writer of the Year in Class I, Ouachita Citizen’s Jake Martin was named Prep Writer of the Year in Class II, USA TODAY Network’s Glenn Guilbeau was selected as Beat Writer of the Year in Class I, Partsch was named Beat Writer of the Year in Class II for his work with The Daily Iberian, Lake Charles American Press’ Scooter Hobbs was named Columnist of the Year in Class I, while Pointe Coupee Banner’s Kevin Fambrough won Columnist of the Year in Class II.
The Athletic’s Brody Miller won Story of the Year for his feature on the year of grief of two LSU families after Carley McCord’s tragic death.
