All good things must come to an end. Four years is a fairly long time to do anything, however, sports tend to speed up time. For instance, remember when LeBron James made his debut in the NBA? I can remember it like it was yesterday. He played the Sacramento Kings, and he put a stamp on the league with what has become his signature dunk. Yeah, that was in 2003. That’s nearly a decade ago, friends. My time covering sports at the Nicholls Worth feels like it began yesterday, as well. Since 2009, I, along with the faculty and student body, witnessed the Colonels pull off incredible upsets, remarkable victories and record-breaking performances. Of all of those memorable moments, here are the most phenomenal.
 
5. Buzzer Beater in Stopher
 
Feb. 20, 2010:
Momentum shifted back and forth in Stopher Gym as the men’s basketball team battled Texas State. One of the Colonels’ best players, Fred Hunter, fouled out of the game and Texas State led 61-60 with 1:18 remaining. High drama ensued. Down 63-60, the Colonels sprinted up the court in hopes of tying the game. Sophomore guard Chris Iles drained a three-point shot from the corner to make the score 63-63 with 14 seconds left. Texas State rushed up the court, drove the lane and put up a layup. Before the ball reached the bottom of the net, the referee blew his whistle and waved his arms forward. The Colonels drew a charge. With only four seconds remaining, the Colonels found freshman guard Bryson Triggs trailing the inbound play on the far side. Triggs caught the ball, released a shot, and as the buzzer sounded, his three-point shot stroked the net. The place erupted and the players celebrated in the stands with the student section. Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better.
 
4. Women’s Basketball Tops School Record for Wins
 
Though the Colonels may have struggled in most sports this past academic year, the women’s basketball team should be applauded. No, they didn’t reach their goal of raising a banner in Stopher, but they did shatter school records. Winning has been a continuous uphill battle for women’s basketball here at Nicholls State. At least that was the case until head coach DoBee Plaisance stepped foot on campus. Ever since arriving in 2008, Plaisance preached her message of winning the right way, and her Colonels have done just that. Always energetic and always making a positive spin out of every situation, Plaisance grabbed her players’ attention and had them believing that they were capable of doing great things. In 2012, her squad saw her message transform into a reality, as Nicholls broke the school record (previously owned by the 2011 team) with 19 total wins. It was the Colonels first-ever winning season, and in Plaisance’s words, “it was by the grace and glory of God.” As I venture out of Thibodaux, La. and into “the real world,” there’s not a doubt in my mind that Plaisance will continue to have success. Why? Good things happen to good people.
 
3. Kaity Mattson’s Hat Trick
What? You didn’t like No. 4 or No. 5 on the list? In the words of The Joker from The Dark Knight, “how about a magic trick?” For those who truly understand the game of soccer, you know how difficult it is to score a goal. Scoring a goal in a game is exceptionally difficult and scoring twice in a contest is downright challenging. Kaity Mattsson will see your two goals scored and raise you one. In 2009, the junior forward scored three goals, AKA a hat trick, against Alabama A&M. Mattsson would later hold claim to most career goals in school history. Mattsson’s performance that day marked just the second time in school history that a player produced a hat trick. No other player has done it since.
 
2. Men’s Basketball Upsets LSU
 
The golden standard on the Bayou is always going to find Nicholls comparing itself to LSU. After talking with several head coaches numerous times about the subject, they try to deny it and make their athletes take pride in Nicholls, but LSU is the standard for excellence in Louisiana athletics. Come on, who are you trying to kid when you deny that? That’s why any time Nicholls upsets the Tigers, it’s a big deal on campus. In 2010, Nicholls great Anatoly Bose led the Colonels to its first-ever win over LSU. To make it even more impressive, the senior forward did it in Baton Rouge. Nicholls received great publicity following the game, as voice of the Tigers Jim Hawthorne talked greatly about Bose’s 28-point performance. Sites such as Dandydon.com gave Nicholls credit for being a great basketball team as well. It was a competitive battle for most of the game, but the Colonels started to pull away in the second half. The Colonels defeated the Tigers 62-53 that day, and every one on campus shared a sense of pride.
 
1. Nicholls State vs. Texas State (4OT Football Classic)
 
The confrontation between Nicholls State and Texas State has never been better. What transpired in Bobcat Stadium on Oct. 16, 2010 turned out to be the best game played by a Nicholls team in the past four years. The Colonels trailed 21-14 late in the fourth quarter, before sophomore quarterback LaQuinton Caston tied the game with a four-yard touchdown connection to junior wide receiver Kenyad Blair with 13 seconds left. Bring on overtime. The Colonels struck first in overtime with a touchdown scamper by Caston to make it 28-21. “That’s probably one of the most memorable games I had at Nicholls,” Caston said. Probably? Let’s try definitely. Caston’s four-touchdown performance led Nicholls to winning the “Battle for the Paddle,” and it was his best performance as a Colonel. Nicholls and Texas State traded leads for the next three overtimes. In the fourth overtime, Texas State took a 45-39 advantage but failed on the two-point conversion. This opened the doors for Nicholls. The Colonels answered to tie the score at 45 with a pass by Caston, and on the ensuing two-point conversion, Caston dropped back and found sophomore wide receiver Chucky Nichols in the end zone for the victory. In the past four years of constant covering Nicholls State sports, there was not a more enticing game to follow than the Colonels’ battle with Texas State. Looking back on it, former running back Jesse Turner said it best. “My favorite memory at Nicholls State, hands down, has to be Texas State.”