Raywood Faulk has been watching Kaplan sports since 1947-48

KAPLAN - Kaplan resident Raywood J. Faulk has been an avid sports aficionado for nearly 70 years! He first became interested in sports at the age of 12 while following the ’47-’48 Kaplan basketball season, and has been a devoted Pirates fan ever since! Even now, nearing the age of 80, Raywood still attends most of the Kaplan games.
In 1947, when Faulk was in the fifth grade, he began to follow Kaplan High basketball.
“I had a cousin on the team, his name is P.D. Marceaux. He played with Joe Kite, Luther Suire who was later a principal in the parish, Tom-Tom Baudoin, and Royce LeMaire. That was the starting five.”
That season would set the stage for young Raywood, and turn him into a lifelong fan of all sports – especially Kaplan High sports. In fact, when his family moved not far from the field, Faulk would sneak into the football games by crawling under a fence.
Faulk was drawn to sports by the competition and
excitement of the live games. “I am a sports nut. I guess you can say I’m a Kaplan Pirates nut!”
Raywood attended Kaplan High School where he was very involved in sports. He was point guard on the basketball team for four years. He was also on the baseball team, but eventually transitioned over to the softball team where he was a third baseman. A hernia prevented him from playing football, but it didn’t keep him from attending the games and giving encouragement to the team!
Faulk recalls that in the 50s, the Meaux Tigers were the best basketball team not only in the parish but also in Southwest Louisiana. At that time, Meaux High School was located where Meaux Elementary is today. In his senior year, 1955, Raywood helped the Kaplan Pirates beat the Meaux Tigers twice – he even scored the winning field goal in their first victory. This was quite an impressive feat considering that the Tigers only lost three games out of the entire season.
After graduation, Raywood went to work for an exploration company and later made a career as a First Class Foreman in a power plant. He married his high school sweetheart, Nolia Touchet of Kaplan, and they had four sons: Kendall, Jody, Neil, and Dennis. Although all their boys played some sports, the Faulk’s second son was the most active. Jody was lead in five sports: football, basketball, baseball, track, and tennis. The tradition continued with Raywood’s grandsons.
“I had four grandsons play ball at Kaplan High. For thirteen years in a row, there was a Faulk on the baseball field.”
About 50 years ago, when the Faulk’s first son became involved in sports, Raywood became a volunteer coach. He coached Kaplan Little League Baseball for about a decade. He and Nolia also ran the concession stand. In addition, Faulk coached Kaplan Pee-wee Basketball during that time frame.
Throughout the years, Raywood continued to support the Kaplan Pirates by attending home and away games. He also began to follow UL and LSU baseball, basketball, and football. At one time, he had season tickets for the university games. In 1993, the Faulks were able to attend the World Series at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. They were in attendance to witness LSU become the forty-seventh tournament’s champion.
In the past seven decades, Raywood says there have been few changes to sports in Kaplan. One change is the price of admission. In the 40’s it only cost a few cents to watch a ballgame, while today admission averages $5. Perhaps the major change is in attendance.
According to Faulk, “There was a lot more of a following then, than there is now. Even when I played, the gyms were packed. Of course, it was a smaller gym. We had the old gym over here at the junior high. It was packed almost for every game. Now, you don’t see as many people.”
For this sports enthusiast, his affection stems more from team effort than it does from winning. “I’m not the type of person who has to win; I just want to see them be the best they can.”
Now days, Faulk no longer attends university games. However, he is still a regular fixture at Kaplan Pirate games, especially the ones played at home. At the time of this interview, Raywood was preparing to travel to Delcambre to watch the Pirates compete in the Parish Basketball Tournament – an event he has been attending since the late 1940s.
Raywood and Nolia Faulk reside in Kaplan and enjoy the visits of their four sons, four daughter-in-laws, six grandsons, one granddaughter, and three great-granddaughters.
When he isn’t attending ballgames, Raywood can be found working in his large gardens or cooking with his wife. On Dec. 22, the Faulks will celebrate 59 years of marriage.