By Doug Ireland
Talk about a Christmas surprise.
The faithful members of the First Baptist Church of Pineville watched one unexpected present unwrapped during their Christmas Eve service.
It was delivered by John Marcase, a church deacon. It was enabled and enjoyed by Pineville FBC pastor Rev. Stewart Holloway.
The obviously shocked recipient: his mother, Kathy Holloway, who’s never sought the spotlight but has been worthy of it countless times in her professional and personal life.
About 20 minutes into the service, Marcase was invited to the lecturn by the pastor. Not very unusual, to bring up a church deacon.
But this time, on the joyous occasion celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, there was a bit of localized love and adoration to be shared.
Marcase, as you probably know, was a highly accomplished sports writer and sports editor for the Alexandria Town Talk. As Gannett melted down that once proud product, he migrated to a public relations role at Rapides Regional Medical Center.
He was raised in the Pineville FBC. His family, wife Monica and kids, are fully engaged in church activities. It’s difficult to say if young John first took note of Kathy Holloway through her active role in the church, especially her long leadership of the Upward Basketball program for youth involving not only church kids, but youngsters throughout our community; or if it was hearing about and reading about her remarkable coaching career at Tioga High School, and her administrative leadership in state and even national high school sports.
Point is, for many years Marcase knew Kathy Holloway was quite something special.
On Christmas Eve, he got to make it official, at least as far as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association is concerned. The LSWA is the parent organization of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, and Marcase, highly respected around the state’s sports media circles, is in his second year as LSWA president.
He and fellow Cenla scribes such as Bob Tompkins, Philip Timothy, Bret McCormick, Raymond Partsch, Garland Forman, Lamarr Gafford, and broadcaster Lyn Rollins, had long advocated for Kathy Holloway’s induction in the state sports Hall of Fame.
It finally is happening. Voting by the LSWA’s 35-member selection committee in December placed Holloway on top of a loaded list of 27 candidates for the Hall of Fame’s Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award, which includes enshrinement in the Hall.
What better way to break the news, than in her church, pastored by her son, with an audience of a couple hundred at least in the pews and more watching online? It was quite the special Christmas gift that Marcase envisioned.
Marcase’s voice trembled momentarily as he called her up alongside him and her son.
She admitted later that she thought perhaps it was something related to the Upward Basketball League and her many years of involvement.
It was, and much more. She was speechless, as applause rang through the chapel when Marcase announced her upcoming June induction in the Hall. Hard to say who was more emotional: her, her son, or John.
But there is no doubt – nobody could be more deserving.
She’s recognized as Tioga’s trailblazing high school sports administrator and successful basketball coach, who became a national icon in prep sports. Yes, that’s right – national.
The first female president of the Louisiana High School Coaches Association and of the National High School Athletic Coaches Association, Holloway has retired but continues to serve her community, the LHSAA and national high school athletics in several capacities.
A 2012 National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, Holloway was elected to the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2021, the NHSACA created the “Kathy Holloway Women of Inspiration Award” to be presented annually to a female “that has promoted female athletics by either coaching, serving, supporting or leading high school female athletic programs that focus on
changing lives and inspiring women to strive for greatness.” The first recipient of the award was Holloway.
Saturday, June 27 at the Hall of Fame’s 2026 Induction Ceremony in Natchitoches, she
will become the 25 th recipient of the Dixon Award since its inception in 2005, and will be
enshrined in the Hall as the fourth female Dixon winner – with a decidedly Cenla flavor.
She joins Pineville native Sue Donohoe (2017), an NCAA basketball administrator; Alexandria native Marie Gagnard (2019), a renowned pro tennis official; and Opelousas native Joan Cronan (2020), the venerable women’s athletic director during the Pat
Summitt era at Tennessee, in the subset of women who have been honored.
The Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award has been presented annually by the Hall of Fame selection committee to an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports leader or administrator benefiting Louisiana and/or bringing credit to Louisiana on the national and international level.
It is named in honor of the 1999 LSHOF inductee, an entrepreneur and innovator who is credited as the key figure in bringing an NFL franchise to New Orleans, and the development of the Caesars Superdome, highlighting an array of sports-related endeavors.
She will be among the 12-member 2026 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class headlined by eight “competitive ballot” inductees announced in September.
The Class of ‘26 is headlined by that star-studded group: Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2025 inductee Sylvia Fowles, NFL stars Joe Horn, Todd McClure and Pat
Williams, Major League Baseball All-Star Jonathan Lucroy and legendary basketball coaches John Brady, Mike McConathy and Dewain Strother – a Rapides Parish native and Fairview High graduate known for his success as the Florien High girls coach.
Alexandria native and LSU baseball hero Warren Morris will receive the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, earning enshrinement into the LSHOF. His walk-off home run won the 1996 College World Series for LSU and resulted in the Bolton High School product becoming a lifelong spokesman for college baseball, the CWS and LSU. LSU graduate and New Orleans native Gil LeBreton and multi-faceted Shreveporter John James Marshall are going into the Hall as the 2026 winners of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism.
The 2026 Induction Class will be celebrated June 25-27 in Natchitoches. Opportunities to purchase admission for the four ticketed events are available at the LaSportsHall.com website through the www.LaSportsHall.com/induction26 link.
A standout basketball player at Poland High in Rapides Parish, Kathy Stewart Holloway had a highly successful coaching career at Tioga High. She led the Lady Indians to 10 playoff appearances and two trips to the Sweet 16, a pair of state runner-up finishes. She coached four high school All-Americans: Jan Nugent (1969-72), Kay Ford (1972- 75), Julie Wilkerson (1976-79) and Tara Curtis (1984-88). Ford and Wilkerson played at Louisiana Tech and Curtis played at LSU. Holloway still serves on the LHSAA Hall of Fame selection committee, among other continuing roles of service.
The 2026 LSHOF Induction Celebration is slated to kick off Thursday, June 25, with a press conference and free public reception. The three-day festivities include two receptions, a free youth sports clinic, a bowling party in Alexandria, a Saturday luncheon and a Friday night riverbank concert in Natchitoches.
For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com or Foundation Director of Business Development and
ublic Relations Greg Burke at 318-663-5459 or
GregBurke@LaSportsHall.com. Standard and customized sponsorships are available.
