By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

DAYTONA, Fla. – While going from ‘G-Men’ to ‘Men in Black,’ Grambling State’s second-half struggles continued in a 36-19 loss at Bethune Cookman Saturday afternoon at Dayton Stadium.

Wearing 1970s-style pure black helmets, the Tigers battled back from an early deficit to build a 19-17 lead at halftime.

It was the first time “The G” had  not adorned a Grambling State helmet for decades. Reports say that it was a motivational move by new coach Hue Jackson to get them to “earn the G.” That “G” helmet mark has been a part of G-Man football tradition since the 1970s, and the move stirred up some adverse fan reaction.

On the field, the first half was a back-and-forth contest, with Grambling (1-3) earning a 19-17 halftime advantage thanks to a Joshua Reed end-zone sack that resulted in a safety, breaking a 17-17 tie midway through the second quarter.

But for a second straight week, the Tigers’ momentum faded after the band show as the Wildcats (1-2) outscored GSU 19-0 in the second half in the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both struggling teams.

Grambling trailed by only four last weekend at Jackson State before being blown out in the second half in a 45-point onslaught.

Saturday’s struggle was “déjà vu” all over again for the Tigers.

Trailing 17-10 early in the second quarter, the Tigers countered a Bethune-Cookman scoring drive with Quaterius Hawkins hitting  Phazion Wilson for his first collegiate touchdown on a nine-yard reception to complete an eight-play, 94-yard drive with 11:29 left in the half.

GSU’s Rey Estes forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that put the Tigers in solid field position at the BCU 40. 

But Hawkins was intercepted in the end zone by Omari Hill-Robinson two minutes later.

After Reed’s safety gave Grambling a halftime lead, lightning struck for a second straight week.

GSU’s downward spiral started at the 3:30 mark of the third quarter when Bethune-Cookman took the lead on a 22-yard field goal.

Grambling countered with a long drive to the Wildcats’ 23-yard-line before Garrett Urban’s 39-yard field-goal attempt was blocked.

On the next Grambling State possession, the Wildcats got the ball back as Claude Coleman was stripped of the football inside BCU territory.

Bethune-Cookman mounted a 56-yard, eight-play scoring drive culminating with Jones hitting Kemari Averett on a nine-yard scoring strike to push BCU’s  advantage to 27-19 early in the final stanza.

The Wildcats sealed the deal  with a 21-yard field goal to give Bethune-Cookman a 30-19 lead before adding a last-minute touchdown.

Adding a lackluster post-halftime output in the blowout win over Northwestern State, GSU has now been outscored by a combined 91-13 in second-halves in the last three games.

Grambling didn’t have any trouble moving the football, outgaining BCU 461-336 in total yardage.

The Tigers won the battle for time of possession — 31:13 to 28:47.

But 14 penalties for 107 negative yards is tough to overcome. Bethune-Cookman has now defeated GSU four straight times since the Tigers won 24-23 in 2004.

Grambling’s rushing attack by committee continued against the Wildcats.

Dedrick Talbert led GSU with nine carries for 65 yards, becoming the third Tigers’ running back to lead the team in rushing through four games.

Hawkins connected on  22-of-43 passes for 287 yards, with two interceptions and one touchdown.

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

Photo courtesy Grambling State Athletics

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

Today’s game

Saints (1-1) at Panthers (0-2)

Sunday, noon (Fox)

Two key components to the New Orleans Saints offense are far from 100 percent, but unlike last week’s game against Tampa Bay, the Black and Gold could have the services of both when they face Carolina today.

Jameis Winston (back) and Alvin Kamara (rib) were listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report prior to a noon kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. 

Winston has tossed three touchdowns and three interceptions, but all three picks came against Tampa Bay in Week 2. He shifted the focus away from his ailing back.

“We have to get better on third downs and that’s on me,” he told the Saints’ website. “We had a great chance in the redzone to end up with seven and not three, and I missed Chris (Olave). We just got to continue to get better. The defense played a great game. I have to get better on third downs and protect the football.”

Kamara played in the opener, but had just 46 total yards (39 rushing) against the Falcons before missing Week 2.

“The more we get a feel of having all our pieces – we had a big piece last week that wasn’t with us, with Alvin, so much of our offense revolves around him and his unique skill set as well – the more games we get together, the more practices we all get together, it will be beneficial for all of us,” Winston said.

The Saints (1-1) have won four of the past five matchups against Carolina (0-2), but face first-year Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who enters the NFC South after four seasons in Cleveland. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is 30-of-56 passing with two touchdowns and one interception in two games. He also added a rushing score in Week 1. 

“He’s got moxie,” Saints co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen told the Saints’ website. “The guy loves to play football. He’s very fiery, he’s a good leader. It’s going to be a good test, this is our first time against him. He can make some plays with his arm, but also he can get out, he escapes in the pocket. He’s had a couple of nice runs this season already. So it’ll be a good challenge.”

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

It’s not like Airline head coach Justin Scogin woke up Saturday morning and had to check to make sure his team’s 75-point performance wasn’t just a dream.

“Trust me, I knew exactly what happened,” Scogin told the Journal. “I kept looking at the scoreboard last night hoping the seconds would tick off. When they threw a couple of touchdowns and we fumbled it got pretty scary.”

Despite Airline’s school-record output Friday, Benton didn’t back down and made Scogin uneasy down the stretch. Airline led by 35 points in the fourth quarter before the Tigers piled up three unanswered scores.

However, when the final horn sounded, Airline had secured a 75-59 District 1-5A victory and an evening that won’t soon be forgotten.

Said Scogin: “Hopefully, I’ll look back and say, ‘That was the day everyone realized Daxton Chavez is the best receiver in the country.’”

Chavez, a 6-foot-4, 190 pound senior, caught nine passes from quarterback Ben Taylor for 233 receiving yards and snagged five of Taylor’s seven touchdown tosses.

The five TD receptions are believed to be a Shreveport-Bossier City record.

Taylor passed for a school record 412 yards (26-of-37 passing) – the previous record was held by Steve Haynes (393 yards against Shreve in 1972).

The Vikings’ (1-3, 1-0 in district) offense showed a spark in the second half of Week 3’s game against Northwood and, Friday, proved it was no fluke.

“Ben, Dax, Bob (Patterson), Cam (Jefferson), Tre’ Jackson — we just clicked and showed our capabilities,” Scogin said.

On the flip side, this marked the second straight week Benton (1-3, 0-1) had allowed more than 50 points.

“We’ve got to get some defensive stops and clean up our special teams play,” Benton head coach Reynolds Moore said. “We aren’t going to win many games if we don’t get better in those two things.”

The Tigers have also scored at least 50 points in consecutive games, but Moore said that unit isn’t perfect, either.

“We’ve also lost by two and 16 on consecutive weeks and have been stopped inside the red zone twice in each game,” Moore said. “So even though it looks like the offense is doing enough to win, if we don’t leave those points out there, we win both games.

“We just have to play better.”

This was not the first time Benton has allowed 75 points. In 2019, the Tigers fell to No. 1 seed and eventual state champion, Acadiana, 78-28, in a first-round Class 5A playoff game.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

Airline 75, Benton 59

Score by quarters

Airline| 28 | 19 | 21 | 7 | – 75

Benton | 20 | 6 | 7 | 26 | – 59

Scoring summary

Air – Bob Patterson 35 pass from Ben Taylor (Ben Jump kick)

Ben – Pearce Russell 93 kickoff return (Peyton May kick)

Air – JoJo Johnson 85 kickoff return (Jump kick)

Air – Daxton Chavez 45 pass from Taylor (Jump kick)

Air – Chavez 18 pass from Taylor (Jump kick)

Ben – Manning 42 pass from Gray Walters (kick failed)

Ben – Manning 14 run (May kick)

Air – Chavez 31 pass from Taylor (kick failed)

Air – Cameron Jefferson 12 pass from Taylor (kick failed)

Air – Chavez 88 pass from Taylor (Jump kick)

Ben – G. Manning 3 run (run failed)

Air – Ben Taylor 3 run (Jump kick)

Air – Chavez 6 pass from Taylor (Jump kick)

Ben – Manning 6 run (May kick)

Air – Tre’ Jackson 7 run (Jump kick)

Ben – Manning 14 run (May kick)

Air – Kylin Jackson 20 run (Jump kick)

Ben – Russell 32 pass from Jeff King (May kick)

Ben – King 1 run (kick failed)

Ben – Russell 27 pass from King (kick failed)

Individual leaders

Rushing – Airline, Tre’ Jackson 15-173, Kylin Jackson 6-120, JoJo Johnson 4-6. Benton, Manning 30-257, 4 TDs, Walters 10-75, King Jayden McNeil 7-24 1-TD, King 1-12.

Passing – Airline, Taylor 26-37-0, 412 yards, 7 TDs. Benton, Walters 12-22-2, 121 yards, King 5-8-0, 80 yards, 2 TDs.

Receiving – Airline, Chavez 9-233, 5 TDs, Patterson 2-52, 1 TD, Jefferson 3-25 1 TD, Tre’ Jackson 2-18, JoJo Johnson 2-12. Benton, Russell 6-61, 2 TDs, Andy Lim 5-45, Manning 4-53 1-TD, King 1-37.

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JOURNAL STAFF

Calvary 52, Wossman 20

Score by quarters

Calvary | 7 | 17 | 14 | 14 | – 52

Wossman | 6 | 0 | 6 | 8 | – 20

Scoring summary

W – RJ Wilson 35 interception return

CBA – Aubrey Hermes 53 pass from Kolby Thomas (Garrett Little kick)

CBA – James Simon 21 run (Little kick)

CBA – Jay Simon 27 pass from Abram Wardell (Little kick)

CBA – Little 35 FG

W – interception return

CBA – Jay Simon 22 pass from Wardell (Little kick)

CBA – James Simon 5 pass from Wardell (Little kick)

W – Harper 12 run

CBA – Chris Jackson 13 run (Little kick)

Individual leaders

Rushing – CBA, James Simon 23-162 2 TDs, Jackson 7-40 TD, Hutch Grace 3-49. Wossman, Harper 29-138, Lynch 2-43

Passing – Wardell 18-25-2, 243 yards, 3 TDs. Wossman, Wooten 8-19-0-82.

Receiving – CBA, Hermes 7-146 TD, K. Thomas 2-55 TD, Jay Simon 2-49 2 TDs, James Simon 2-27 TD, Jackson 1-12. Wossman, Lynch 3-32, Ward 3-25.

Neville 50, North Caddo 24

Score by quarters

Neville | 17 | 14 | 12 | 7 | -50

North Caddo | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | – 24

Scoring summary

Nev – Safety

Nev – Kaleb Vaughn 20 pass from Brooks Anazalone (Aman Fuller run)

NC – Omarion Miller 80 pass from Aiden Brock (run failed)

Nev – Jaylon Nichols 6 run (Chandler Pettis kick)

NC – Miller 16 pass from Brock (pass failed)

Nev – Nichols 3 run (Pettis kick)

Nev – Jaden Gipson 32 pass from Brooks Anazalone (Pettis kick)

NC – Omarion Miller 97 kickoff return (run failed)

Nev – Nichols 31 run (run failed)

Nev – Nichols 31 run (kick failed)

NC – Miller 69 pass from Brock (pass failed)

Nev – Jonovan Green 20 run (Pettis kick)

Individual leaders

Rushing – NC (32-54), Brock 9-26, Rodney Thomas 6-11, KJ Black 13-10, Marcellus Armstrong 3-5, O. Miller 1-2. Nevillle (33-262), Nichols 18-201, 4 TDs, J. Green 3-30 1-TD, Anazalone 6-22.

Passing – NC, Brock 9-20-0, 296 yards, 3 TDs. Neville, Anazalone 10-13-0, 182 yards, 2 TDs.

Receiving – NC, Miller 7-243, 3 TDs, Jquay Winson 2-53. Neville, Gipson 5-86 1-TD, Bradley Hanlon 1-43, Newton 2-32, Vaughn 2-21 1-TD.

Natchitoches Central 27, Southwood 0

Score by quarters

NCHS | 0 | 6 | 14 | 7 | – 27

Southwood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – 0

Scoring summary

NC – Camryn Davis 9 run (pass failed)

NC – Jeremiah Davis 2 run (Branden Woods pass from Adam Guillet)

NC – Davis 36 pass from Lannon Collum (pass failed)

NC – Zion Thompson 15 run (kick good)

Individual leaders

 Rushing: NC (40-226), Jeremiah Miles 25-127, Thompson 9-73 1 TD, Wooda 2-21. Southwood (17-46), Marrio Stevenson 12-21, Jaboree Cook 3-18, Detonion Arkansas 1-7.

Passing: NC (5-17-0-44), Guillet 2-11-1, 0 yards; Collum 3-6-0, 43 yards. Southwood, Cornilus Martin 17-29-0, 129 yards.

Receiving: NC, Davis 2-42, Woods 1-5, Anthony Jernigan 1-5. Southwood, Arkansas 9-75, Harold Mitchell 4-26, Chase Williams 3-17, Stevenson 1-11.

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The bass fishing world lost one of its greatest ambassadors Nov. 4, 2021, in Aaron Martens. After a long 19-month battle with Glioblastoma, Aaron loaded his boat for the last time and headed into Heavenly waters.

Aaron was a proud husband and father of two who cherished the time he shared with his family. The life of a professional bass fisherman is tough especially when it comes to missing a lot of quality time with family. But Aaron never took that time for granted. He loved them so much that he and wife Lesley took their home and family on the road and lived the gypsy life of the Bass Pro Tour. 

All anglers want to make an impact and leave a legacy. Aaron Martens did just that by sharing his knowledge of what we call finesse fishing. This style of fishing really did not exist when Aaron first arrived on the Bass Pro Tour.

A former California resident, Aaron was an expert in how to fish light tackle. He brought with him the western style of finesse fishing that consists of light line, spinning reels and small baits. He was well-versed in techniques like the shakey head, drop shotting, Neko rigs and small finesse jigs. Aaron thought outside the box and used his finesse techniques to take the tour by storm. He had immediate success and gained the reputation as a super tough competitor. 

Just how good was he? Well, he was a three-time Angler of the Year, a four-time Bassmaster Classic runner-up (the Super Bowl of bass fishing), had over $3.8 million in winnings with 11 pro tour victories, 82 top 10’s, and 114 top 20 finishes.

To say he was one of the best to ever wet a hook is an understatement. This guy was one of the top 5 all-time anglers ever. He was an angler that others feared as they backed their boats in the water. His ability was truly God-given and Aaron acknowledged that. Some people are born to be scientists, some to be doctors or lawyers, but Aaron was born to be a professional bass angler. Aaron was also a fitness guru as he enjoyed running, mountain biking, hiking and camping; he was a true outdoorsman.

Aaron had a softer side. He really enjoyed sharing his knowledge and helping any and all anglers he encountered. Unlike so many other anglers, he was always willing to share his knowledge. Guess you could say he had an open-door policy and enjoyed teaching.

I personally got to know Aaron through my radio show on KWKH, Hook’N Up & Track’N Down. He was a guest on the show several times and never turned me down to do an interview. He was a very personable guy who had a unique and quirky personality. But his IQ was off the chart and all you had to do was spend five minutes with him and you knew immediately, this guy is highly intelligent. 

One memorable encounter I had with Aaron was at the ICAST Show in Orlando. ICAST is the international fishing show that displays anything and everything associated with the bass fishing world. Each year the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show did a live show from ICAST and after I arrived early one morning to set up for the radio broadcast, Aaron saw me and asked if he could sit in with me. Of course I’m not turning down a chance to sit with Aaron Martens and talk bass fishing!

But what was amazing was when we kicked off the show, a crowd of 25 to 30 people began to gather in front of my broadcast location. Aaron had their full attention as they hung close and took notes on every word he said as we talked about finesse-style fishing. Aaron is the kind of interview that all you had to do is point him the direction you want him to go, and he’d take it from there. It’s an interview that will be filed away in my memory forever. 

Aaron will always be remembered for his intelligence and abilities to catch bass but more importantly, as a genuine and courteous person who cared more about others than he did for himself. Aaron, the bass fishing world loves and appreciates all you did and we will never forget you. We wish you a lot of Heavenly hook sets my friend.

Until next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget your sunscreen. Take the time to take care of your body by applying sunscreen and wearing the proper clothing. Remember, Melanoma does not discriminate.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports

“An instant classic.”

“What a great football game.”

That was the exchange between Parkway coach Coy Brotherton and Haughton coach Jason Brotherton when the brothers met in the middle of the field at Harold E. Harlan Stadium on the Buccaneers’ campus Friday night.

“We just got beat on the longest field goal I’ve ever seen,” said Jason, whose Bucs fell 17-14 when Parkway’s Aeron Burrell nailed a 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the District 1-5A opener for both teams.

It may have been the longest field goal witnessed by the Haughton coach in person, but it wasn’t even the longest of the season for Burrell. That was a 52-yarder in Parkway’s 45-0 victory at Red River in Week 2.

While Burrell’s game-winner Friday night was two yards short of his career long field goal, this one had a little more sting to it – the victory kept the Panthers undefeated (4-0) going into next week’s district matchup against Captain Shreve. Haughton, which plays host to Southwood next week, dropped to 2-2.

“I just executed it,” said Burrell, who was clearing 55-yarders in pre-game warmups. “It was a great snap and a great hold. I knew if we got the ball back, I’d get a chance. We put Barrett Newman in, and he executed.”

With the Panthers trailing 14-7 with approximately two minutes left in the game (the play and game clocks went out during the first series of the game) and facing a fourth-and-1 from the Haughton 16, Newman went up the middle for 15 yards and took it in on the next play – capping a 9-play, 54-yard, game-tying drive that was aided by a personal foul penalty against the Bucs.

Just as Burrell had hoped, Parkway got the ball back when the defense forced Haughton to punt after a 3-and-out. Starting at their own 34, the Panthers didn’t have far to go to get into range for their star kicker. And Newman made sure they got there as the 6-2, 215-pound senior gained 34 yards on three consecutive carries to set up the game-winning field goal.

The game-winner came as no surprise to the Parkway coach.

“He (Burrell) missed a 60-yarder wide left last week,” said Coy Brotherton. “It had enough distance on it to go 65 or 70 yards.”

What was surprising was Parkway’s inability to get anything going offensively – and keep Haughton off the field — in the first half. The Panthers ran just 11 plays in the first two quarters compared to 37 for the Bucs.

It was an 18-play, 77-yard scoring drive capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Tyler Rhodes and Carter Ebarb PAT that gave Haughton a 7-0 lead at the half. Jaylan White, Parkway’s star running back who had 353 yards and six touchdowns in the first three games of the season, was held to just 14 yards in the first half.

“I told them not to panic,” Coy Brotherton said when asked about his halftime talk to his players. “I told them to trust – and get the ball to Jaylan White.”

It worked. On the first play of the third quarter, White scored on a 69-yard run and Burrell’s extra point tied the game at 7-7. Haughton responded with a 7-play, 80-yard drive capped off by a 51-yard touchdown pass from Colin Rains to John Ecot. Ebarb’s PAT gave the Bucs the 14-7 lead.

White finished with 123 yards on 10 carries, quarterback Ashton Martin added 48 yards on 8 carries, and Newman had 5 carries for 46 yards.

Rhodes led the Bucs with 90 yards on 22 carries, followed by Rains with 63 yards on 14 carries, and Davontay Moss with 8 carries for 18 yards. Rains completed 12 of 17 passes for 141 yards – completing passes to eight different receivers.

“We were dog-tired on defense,” said Coy Brotherton, whose Panthers went into the game as the No. 2 ranked team in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal poll of area teams – one spot ahead of next week’s opponent.

Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com

Parkway 17, Haughton 14

Score by quarters

Parkway | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | – 17

Haughton | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | – 14

Scoring summary

H – Tyler Rhodes 3 run (Carter Ebarb kick)

P – Jaylan White 69 run (Aeron Burrell kick)

H – John Ecot 51 pass from Colin Rains (Ebarb kick)

P – Barrett Newman 1 run (Burrell kick)

P – Burrell 50 field goal

Individual leaders

Rushing – Parkway (25-223), White 10-123, Ashton Martin 8-48, Newman 5-46, Antonio Gladney 2-6. Haughton (47-183), Rhodes 22-90, Rains 14-63, Davontay Moss 8-18, Christian Turner 1-7, Jalen Lewis 1-4, Jamarion Montgomery 1-1.

Passing – Parkway (3-9-0-17), Martin 3-9-0-17. Haughton (12-17-0-141), Rains 12-17-0-141.

Receiving – Parkway, Dre Abner 1-16, Trenton Lape 1-1, White 1-0. Haughton, Montgomery 4-24, Ecot 2-95, Rashard Douglas 1-7, Lewis 1-6, Moss 1-6, Jakobe Delaney 1-5, Cayden Hinkie 1-5, Rhodes 1-(-7).

Photo by JOHN PENROD, Journal Sports

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By CHUCK HERRON, Journal Sports 

When the Airline Vikings squared off against the Benton Tigers Friday night at Newman-Mason Field, the two teams had a combined win-loss record of 1-5. 

Someone must have thrown those records out the window. 

The Vikings leapt to a three-touchdown lead midway through the first quarter and exploded to a 75-59 win against Benton to set a school record for points scored.  

Airline’s previous record was 62 points against Green Oaks in 2015. 

Sophomore quarterback Ben Taylor passed for 267 yards and six touchdowns in the first half alone. Taylor finished with seven scoring tosses. One more and he would have tied Evangel’s Dez Duron’s area record of eight touchdown passes. 

Senior wide receiver JoJo Johnson electrified the Airline fans that traveled the eight miles north with an 85-yard kickoff return to give the Vikings a 14-7 lead a mere 12 seconds after Benton senior wide receiver Pearce Russell fired up the Tiger faithful with a 93-yard kickoff that knotted the score at 7-7. 

Then the Tigers decided to make some noise of their own. 

Benton stormed back when Greg Manning raced 42 yards to pay dirt, and then scored again from 14 yards out to cut the Airline lead to 28-20 with 2:40 to play in the first stanza. 

But that’s as close as the Tigers would get. 

The Vikings immediately answered with Taylor’s second touchdown connection with Daxton Chavez, good for 31 yards, to stake the visitors to a 34-20 lead. 

Benton must have been having flashbacks from last week’s high scoring 54-52 loss to Newman (and Arch Manning) when Airline recovered an onside kick (one of a combined six on the night) on the ensuing kickoff, and Taylor found Cameron Jefferson in the end zone to give the Vikings a 40-20 lead. 

But the 106 combined points in the Newman game paled in comparison to the 134 points scored by the two Bossier Parish schools. 

The last time the Vikings played the Tigers in basketball, the score was only 59-48. 

Taylor then connected with Chavez on an 84-yard touchdown reception to create a 47-20 bulge with 6:22 left in the second quarter. 

Benton cut the lead to 47-26 when Greg Manning found the end zone for the third time in the first half. The Tigers attempted and recovered an onside kick at midfield and drove down to the 1-yard line. 

But the Airline defense stiffened, forcing a turnover on downs as the insane first half ended. 

There was much more craziness to come. 

The second half began with Airline promptly marching 83 yards on 10 plays, capping the drive with a 3-yard touchdown quarterback sneak by Taylor, giving the Vikings an insurmountable 54-26 lead with just over six minutes left in the third quarter. 

Airline’s Mark Engelke intercepted Benton’s Gray Walters on the Tigers next possession, and another Taylor-to-Chavez touchdown connection continued the onslaught as the Vikings led 61-26 with 5:18 left in the third. 

Taylor completed 20-of-31 passes for 372 yards and the seven scores for the Vikes. Chavez caught nine of those for 233 yards and four scores. Tre’ Jackson ran for 173 yards on 15 carries with Kylin Jackson adding another 120 yards on six rushes. 

Lost in all the craziness was Manning’s rushing for 257 yards on 30 carries and four touchdowns. 

Benton will play Byrd at home next week while Airline will host Natchitoches Central in 1-5A action. 

Airline 75, Benton 59 

Score by quarters 

Airline | 28 | 19 | 21 | 7 | – 75 

Benton | 20 | 6 | 7 | 26 | – 59 

Scoring summary, stats will run in Sunday’s edition.  

File photo by JOHN PENROD, Journal Staff

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

COUSHATTA – When Red River lined up for a 45-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining in the game, there was plenty hanging in the balance for the Loyola Flyers Friday night.

Of course, there was the game, which the Flyers led 9-7. But there was more than that.

With an off week coming up, a Red River field goal would have meant the Flyers would go 0-for-September. Two more weeks of wondering if that first win would ever come. Self-doubt would be setting up shop in the Loyola locker room.

It would mean the Flyers would have blown a lead in the fourth quarter on a Bulldogs’ drive that started on the 3-yard line after a failed Flyer fourth-down conversion. Clearly, Loyola was  set up for a crushing defeat.

But the field goal, which turned out to be a wild sequence of events by itself, was wide left and, after one kneel down, the Flyers walked off the field with a win for the first time in 2022.

“Those kids right over there, they needed this,” said Loyola coach Mike Greene while pointing to his team’s celebration afterward. “As coaches, we wanted it, but the kids needed it. We were starting to doubt ourselves a little bit. I really think this, and the week off to get well, is really going to help us the rest of the way.”

The game started out with an all-to-familiar script for the Flyers – trouble. Two weeks ago, the Flyers had a punt blocked on the fourth play of the game that resulted in a touchdown. Last week, they fumbled on the first play, which led to a touchdown.

Against Red River, it was an interception on the third play of the game.

But in this case, there was an early sign that this game might be different. Despite Red River having the ball on the Loyola 17, no damage was done as Rowan Guthikonda blocked a 30-yard field goal – three points that certainly would have come in handy for the Bulldogs.

Red River did take a lead on its next possession on a 45-yard pass from Tyler Hughes to Jamello McDonald, but that was the Bulldogs’ last trip to the end zone.

Loyola defensive back John Carmody intercepted a pass near the goal line early in the fourth quarter and knocked away another on fourth down in the end zone. Grayson Hutchins also had an interception for the stingy Flyer defense.

Loyola got on the board with 6:45 to go in the second quarter on a 16-play, 68-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard scoring run by Cooper DeFatta. But the extra point was missed so Red River led at halftime, 7-6.

The Flyers took advantage of a short punt to get on top with 4:04 to go in the third quarter on a 25-yard field goal by Evan Lirette to make it 9-7.

After Carmody’s interception, the Flyers drove to the Red River 1 but could not score.

In the final seconds, Red River was in great position, but Loyola defenders Gray Deason and Nick Haynes got a sack to push the Bulldogs back 10 yards. Then, Red River lost five more yards on a delay of game infraction.

Red River tried to confuse the Flyers by lining up to kick on third down and then shifting out to run a play. But Loyola didn’t bite, so the Bulldogs rushed back into kick formation in order to avoid another delay and the field goal was wide.

“We held on and did what we needed to do,” Greene said. “We showed a lot of guts. We could have laid down, but I was impressed with how we gutted it up.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Loyola 9, Red River 7

Score by quarters

Loyola | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | – 9

Red River | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – 7

Scoring summary

RR – Jamello McDonald 45 pass from Tyler Hughes (PAT kick)

LCP – Cooper DeFatta 1 run (Evan Lirette kick)

LCP – FG Lirette 25  

Individual Leaders

Rushing – LCP (38-154), Trace Wall 21-93, DeFatta 13-60, Reagan Coyle 3-3, Team 1-minus-2. RR (30-158), Leonard Mosley 15-62, Montreveun Smith 8-53, Hughes 5-11, Elijah Harper 1-9, Trenton Grigg 1-3.

Passing – LCP (6-18-0-82), DeFatta 6-18-2, 64 yards. RR (20-31-2-174), Hughes 20-31-2, 174 yards.

Receiving – LCP, John Carmody 3-24, Coyle 2-24, Robert Pavlick 1-16. RR, Harper 7-66, McDonald 4-57, Jieron Calhoun 3-19.

Photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

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By SCOTT ANDERSON, Journal Sports 

Woodlawn’s defense gave the offense an early lead and the confidence it needed to dominate the rest of the game as the Knights beat Booker T. Washington 38-8 in a District 1-4A matchup Friday night at Independence Stadium. 

The Knights stifled the Lions on the first drive of the game. On third-and-13 from the 2-yard line, the Lions fumbled the snap, and De’Shawnee Snow recovered the ball in the end zone for Woodlawn. A two-point conversion gave the Knights an 8-0 lead 32 seconds into the game. 

“It gave us the confidence in the beginning of the game,” said Woodlawn head coach Thedrick Harris. “It gave us the lead. It gave our defense a boost. And it took a little pressure off our offense.” 

With the pressure off, the offense took advantage of good field position to control the game the rest of the way. 

Quarterback Isaiah Kennedy hit receiver Jaiyon Allen for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 1:21 left in the first quarter. Another two-point conversion pushed the lead to 16-0. 

The Knights (1-3 overall, 1-0 in District 1-4A) scored twice in the second quarter. 

The first was a 70-yard strike from Kennedy to Brian French just over a minute into the quarter. Brandon Henderson scored on a three-yard run with seven minutes left in the half, and the Knights went to the locker room with a 32-0 halftime lead. 

“Any time you can win the field-position game, and any time you can score on defense, statistics say that you will win the ballgame,” Harris said. 

The Knights scored once more in the second half when Quintin Wilson ran the ball in from 15 yards with 2:53 left in the third quarter. 

The Lions (0-4, 0-1) used a strong return on the ensuing kickoff to set up on the Knights’ 47-yard line. That launched a 10-play drive, capped off by Kendrick Pratt’s 3-yard touchdown run for the Lions’ only score in the game. 

Kennedy finished 6-of-11 passing with 111 yards and two touchdowns. 

“I am very proud of him,” Harris said. “He’s had some injuries and some things he’s had to battle through. I am proud of the way he battles back. He carried this team.” 

Wilson finished the game with five rushes for 33 yards, including the touchdown. 

Harris was glad his team could get its first win of the season on homecoming. 

“It feels good,” he said. “I felt like we should have had a couple more before now. I am happy for those kids. They kept working. They kept the faith. They really worked hard all this time. It’s good for them for that hard work to pay off.” 

Contact Scott at scooter.anderson@gmail.com 

Score by quarters 

BTW  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — 8 

Woodlawn    | 16 | 16 | 6 | 0 | — 38 

Scoring summary 

W — De’Shawnee Snow fumble recovery in end zone (2-pt conversion good) 

W — Jaiyon Allen 29 pass from Isiah Kennedy (2-pt conversion good) 

W — Brian French 70 pass from Kennedy (2-pt conversion good) 

W — Brandon Henderson 3 run (2-pt conversion good) 

W — Quintin Wilson 15 run (2-pt conversion failed) 

BTW — Kendrick Pratt 3 run (2-pt conversion good) 

Individual leaders 

Rushing: BTW — Kendrick Pratt 22-83, 1 TD; W — Quintin Wilson 5-33, 1 TD; Brandon Henderson 1-3, 1 TD.

Passing: BTW — Le’Devin Jackson 6-17, 65 yards; W — Isiah Kennedy 6-11, 111 yards, 2 TDs.   

Receiving: BTW — La’Darrius Frierson 1-88; W — Josh Dotson 1-70 yards, 1 TD; Jaiyon Allen 1-29, TD. 

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JOURNAL STAFF

Friday’s scores

Airline 75, Benton 59
Calvary 52, Wossman 20
Evangel 39, Bossier 14
Homer 47, Magnolia 0
Loyola 9, Red River 7
Natchitoches Central 27, Southwood 0
Neville 50, North Caddo 24
Parkway 17, Haughton 14
Peabody 18, Green Oaks 13
Ringgold 36, Plain Dealing 34
Woodlawn 38, BTW 8

AREA

Arcadia 34, Bolton 21
Brother Martin 38, Ouachita 20
Cedar Creek 52, Delhi 6
Jonesboro-Hodge 30, Lincoln Prep 26
Lakeside 40, Block 6
Lakeview 28, LaSalle 6
Logansport 52, Mansfield 8
Glenbrook 56, Haynesville 17
Many 25, Newman 17
North DeSoto 40, Minden 12
Richwood 38, North Webster 7
Ruston 35, Lafayette Christian 20
St. Mary’s 42, DeQuincy 14
West Monroe 31, Scotlandville 28

How the SBJ Top 10 Fared

1. Byrd beat Captain Shreve 25-20
2. Parkway beat Haughton 17-14
3. Captain Shreve lost to Byrd 25-20
4. Calvary beat Wossman 52-20
5. Benton lost to Airline 75-59
6. Northwood lost to Huntington 28-20
7. North Caddo lost to Neville 50-24
8. Haughton lost to Parkway 17-14
9. Huntington beat Northwood 28-20
10. Evangel beat Bossier 39-14

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BY MATT VINES, Journal Sports 

Both Southwood and Natchitoches Central desperately coveted a win to regain early-season momentum Friday, but the Chiefs defense was the deciding factor as NCHS started District 1-5A play with a 27-0 win at Lee Hedges Stadium.

The Cowboys (2-2) didn’t convert on copious third- and fourth-down opportunities, and Southwood’s defense eventually couldn’t hold the Chiefs any more as NCHS scored three of the four touchdowns in the second half.

“Our defense did a great job, and we finally got some pressure on the quarterback and made tackles,” said NCHS coach James Wilkerson. “I am proud of the team for competing and taking the challenge of proving something in this game.”

NCHS receiver Camryn Davis scored on a rushing and receiving touchdown, starting the scoring with an end-around after the Chiefs stuffed Southwood on a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter. NCHS took advantage of the short field, cashing in on the 35-yard drive.

NCHS finished scoring opportunities in the second half, grabbing a 14-0 lead in the middle of the third quarter on a Jeremiah Miles touchdown run (he totaled 73 yards rushing).

Davis struck again with a 40-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter to essentially salt away the win.

Already down 20-0, the Cowboys (2-2) finally got moving on offense in the short passing game, driving to the 12-yard line. But a fourth-down sack derailed Southwood’s best scoring chance as the Chiefs (2-2) pitched their first shutout since the beginning of the 2021 season (Woodlawn).

The Chiefs tacked on a Zion Thompson rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the 27-0 margin.

Both teams continue District 1-5A play as Southwood heads to Haughton and the Chiefs return to the Shreveport-Bossier area with a date at Airline.  Southwood reportedly has discovered some player eligibility issues which could result in forfeiture of its two wins, with an appeal to the LHSAA said to be pending.

Evangel 39, Bossier 14 – Evangel started District 1-4A on the right foot with a “home away from home”  win against Bossier to even its overall record at 2-2. The game was played at Bossier’s Memorial Stadium since Evangel’s home field was severely damaged in the Week 1 loss to Neville played in a thunderstorm.

Even though the Bearkats (0-4) are still hunting their first win, the 19-point margin is their closest all season against an Evangel squad that may be the toughest on Bossier’s schedule so far.

The Bossier defense had its best outing after allowing more than 40 points in each of its first three games.

The District 1-4A schedule continues as Bossier hosts Northwood and Evangel heads to Woodlawn.

Peabody 18, Green Oaks 13 – The Giants erased a double-digit halftime deficit to snatch a third-quarter lead, but the Warhorses proved too much late for Green Oaks on Friday.

Quarterback Tovoris Lee connected with Amarion Dorsey and Delarrious Marshall to spearhead the comeback.

“We came back the first two drives of the second half and took the lead,” said Green Oaks coach Chadwick Lewis. “But we’ve got to fix the mental lapses.

“We do well for a few minutes, but then we have a breakdown. We’re working on fixing those things.”

But the Giants (1-3) couldn’t hold Peabody (3-1) in the fourth quarter as the Warhorses bounced back from their lone loss of the season to Logansport.

Green Oaks was coming off an emotional win in the Soul Bowl against BTW. The Giants will get another taste of Alexandria football when they head to Class 5A power Alexandria Senior High.

Contact Matt at mvines2@gmail.com

Photo by KEVIN SHANNAHAN, Journal Sports

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JOURNAL STAFF

Calvary put an exclamation point on the end of a tumultuous week as the Cavaliers traveled to Monroe and emerged with a 52-20 victory against Wossman.

Early in the week, former starting quarterback Bryce Carpenter, who shared playing time with Abram Wardell, left the school and wound up at Loyola. Friday, the first Cavaliers possession ended in a pick-6 thrown by Wardell.

“We scored a ton in a row after that,” Calvary head coach Rodney Guin told the Journal.

Running back John Simon IV sparked the flurry of touchdowns and the first-team Calvary defense didn’t allow a point on the night (Wossman did have another pick-6 and scored on the second-teamers).

“We played great on defense and had a little bit of everything on offense,” Guin said. “Simon may have had 200 yards rushing. I believe we had three rushing touchdowns and maybe four passing.

“I’m proud of how they handled the week.”

The victory moved Calvary to 2-2. The Cavaliers host Mansfield on Friday.

Neville 50, North Caddo 24 – Omarion Miller scored all four of North Caddo’s touchdowns at Neville on Friday, three of which allowed the Titans to hang around with the Class 4A titan program in Monroe.

But the Tigers (3-1) scored too early and too often, coming up with key defensive plays when necessary to pull away from North Caddo (3-1). 

“Being down 31-18 at the half, we felt like we were right in it,” said North Caddo coach J.J. Kavanaugh. “We had three or four guys playing both ways, and Neville is bigger and stronger, so that was to their advantage late. 

“This team fought to the end against the most challenging opponent we’ll see all season, one of the best teams in the state. I felt that the moment wasn’t too big for our guys … we just wore down in the end.” 

Miller’s 80-yard swing pass sliced Neville’s edge to 10-6, and he scored a second time on a spectacular catch while knocked to the ground between two defenders to keep the Titans within striking range down 17-12. 

Neville added two more touchdowns, but Miller brought North Caddo back to life with a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown to cut Neville’s advantage to 31-18. 

North Caddo knocked again on Neville’s door as they were inside the 10-yard-line with a chance to get within one score, but Neville turned the Titans away and then turned on the jets. It was Neville’s second goal line stop of the half to keep the Titans at bay. 

Miller finished with 243 receiving yards and three touchdowns on seven catches to pair with his kickoff return for a touchdown. 

Ringgold 36, Plain Dealing 34 OT —  One team was going to start District 1-1A the right way with the first win of the season, and Ringgold did just that as the visitors completed a comeback at Plain Dealing.

The Lions (0-4) built a 20-8 lead before the Redskins put together a rally.

In overtime, both teams scored touchdowns but Ringgold converted its two-point conversion, sealing the win.

Plain Dealing will try to eliminate killer mistakes going forward as the Lions had two touchdowns called back and a fumble at the 10-yard line to tamper what was already the best offensive output of the season.

“You have to be proud of the way our guys competed, but we had some opportunities tonight that we didn’t take advantage of,” said Plain Dealing coach Clint Walker. “We had a chance to win in regulation with about 1:45 left, but we got behind the sticks and decided to try to win in overtime.”

Ringgold completed its third of five straight road games with the next stop being Homer.

Plain Dealing gets another shot at a home win this coming week with Haynesville visiting, smarting.

Homer 47, Magnolia School of Excellence 0 – The defending Class A state champion Pelicans visited Shreveport to face a team that has played perhaps the state’s most demanding schedule in its class, and the result was predictable.

But Magnolia (0-4) gamely competed with Homer (3-1) in the District 1-1A opener for both teams.

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By RYNE BERTHELOT, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE — New Mexico head coach Danny Gonzales and defensive coordinator Rocky Long go way, way back.

Both men played their college ball at New Mexico, Long as a quarterback and Gonzales as a punter and safety. When Long was the Lobos’ head coach in 1999, he brought Gonzales on as a graduate assistant and video coordinator before Long brought Gonzales to San Diego State as his defensive coordinator.

Now, with the roles reversed, the Lobos boast one of the nation’s better defenses. For LSU head coach Brian Kelly, it won’t be a new challenge, though: Mississippi State defensive coordinator Zach Arnett is also from the Long coaching tree, having played linebacker at New Mexico under Long, before being brought on as a graduate assistant under Long at San Diego State.

Kelly got a good look at Arnett’s 3-3-5 defense last week, which was heavily inspired by his coaching mentor.

“It’s going to be a very familiar defense,” Kelly said. “Rocky Long, Danny Gonzales, they both are from this similar defensive structure, and both of them are great defensive coaches. We’ve got a great challenge with New Mexico, they keep the points down and they do a really good job with a ball control offense.”

The Lobos are 2-1 and they’ll undoubtedly face their most difficult opponent of the season this evening, when they square off against LSU (2-1) in Tiger Stadium at 6:30. They’re fresh off of a seven-turnover performance against UTEP, which catapulted them into the upper echelon of the NCAA defensive rankings, including a fourth-place ranking in turnovers with 10.

The Lobos have struggled to get after the quarterback, registering just eight sacks in three games, among the bottom in the nation, and the struggles don’t stop there: UNM quarterback Miles Kendrick, a Kansas transfer, is averaging just 126.6 yards passing per game this season, with a 56 percent completion rate. The running game has been lacking as well, with Sherrod White and Nate Jones averaging 81.2 yards per game.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off their brightest performance yet after a 31-16 win against Mississippi State. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte will be absent due to the birth of his child, but the Tigers expect to be near full force on the offensive side of the ball, while the defense expects to see a big boost from Sevyn Banks, who is expected to get significant snaps in the secondary.

It’s the final tuneup for LSU before they dig into the heart of the SEC schedule, and Kelly knows it may be the best opportunity left for his team to show the consistency that’s alluded them at different points this season.

“It’s another challenge for our guys in terms of consistency,” Kelly said. “That’s really been the message this week in terms of preparation, their mindset, how we want to execute on Saturday. So, that’s really about us more than anything else, and how we can become a really good program is going to be based upon putting together consecutive performances and we’ll look to do that this week.”

For Gonzales, the chance to compete against SEC competition will be an important indicator of his team’s preparedness as the season wears on.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Gonzales said. “You can go down with cliches, you can say they put on their pads just like we do, one leg at a time with their pants, you can say all of those things. It doesn’t really matter. You’re either going to go in there and compete or you’re not. I thought last year against Texas A&M, the stage was too big. I thought we were scared. I thought our football team wasn’t prepared, I thought the moment was too much, and we played like it.”

It was a 31-0 loss against the Aggies that gave Gonzales his first taste against the SEC, but he knows the atmosphere of Tiger Stadium will be different. The crowd’s louder, the lights a little brighter, the moment maybe a little bigger.

He hopes his team soaks it all in.

“I kind of want them to enjoy the moment,” Gonzales said. “They had 98,000 against Mississippi State, they said they’re expecting 85,000 to 90,000 for our game. It’ll be 95 degrees during the day, there’s going to be some humidity. Not crazy humidity but it’ll be more humid than here. As you grow up as a kid, those are the kind of things you see on TV. You see the SEC afternoon game, you see the crowds, the excitement. I want them to enjoy it. I want them to have that ‘Ah ha’ moment, and once that whistle blows, it’s just a football game.”

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

Photo by CHAD KEITH, Journal Sports

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By JASON PUGH, Special to the Journal

NATCHITOCHES – For the first time in nearly 11 months, the Northwestern State football team will wear its purple jerseys this afternoon and take the field running through purple smoke.

After finishing the 2021 season with consecutive road games and starting the 2022 slate with three straight away from home, the Demons will open Southland Conference play by hosting Lamar in NSU’s first home game since Nov. 6, 2021.

Saturday’s 3:35 p.m. kickoff can be streamed through ESPN+ with free streaming audio available on www.NSUDemons.com and through the Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded free for Apple and Android devices.

“We’re excited to be home — not only is it the first home game, but we’re starting conference as well,” fifth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “Everybody’s 0-0. It’s a great opportunity for us. It’s not tough to explain, but from my past experiences as a player and a coach, those are the reasons I relish (playing at home) so much.

“These young men work so hard throughout the year to, this year, have four opportunities to play at Turpin Stadium. Our support within the community is so huge that we look forward to showcase who we are in front of them. They’ll be out in full force, and we look forward to it.”

Added senior cornerback William Hooper, who will play his final home opener in an NSU uniform: “Coming home, playing in front of the hometown crowd will bring a special energy to us. That’s something we really need.”

Both Northwestern State (0-3) and Lamar (0-3) are seeking their first wins of the season, and the Demons enter with three weeks of knowledge gained from three entirely different road trips.

The added benefit of Saturday serving as both the home opener and the conference opener for the Demons is not lost on Laird nor his players.

“That’s the message every year, because it is a different season in itself,” Laird said of the mentality of the conference opener allowing for a “reset” button of sorts.

“Everything we wanted is still in front of us. Our guys understand that. Not to take away anything from the past three weeks — because we have to learn from that, we have to be better – but as we enter this different season, we understand everyone is 0-0. We’re going to talk this week, like we do every week, about going 1-0. This is the first opportunity for us to do so in conference.”

While Saturday’s game has double meaning for the Demons, it serves as a return home in a sense for Lamar, which spent the 2021 season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference before rejoining the Southland Conference in July.

The Demons have won seven of nine meetings with the Cardinals since Lamar reinstated its program in 2011. Northwestern State is 2-1 against the Cardinals in the Laird era.

Lamar grabbed a 31-23 win in the most recent meeting, which came March 27, 2021, in Beaumont, Texas.

“We don’t take any opponent lightly,” Hooper said. “We treat every opponent the same. It would be nice to build off those wins, but every day is a new day.”

NSU will have a new starting quarterback. Kansas transfer Miles Fallin fell out of the No. 1 slot after last week’s loss at Southern Miss when sophomore Zach Clement came in and provided some production. Clement will get his first start this season today, after starting the last four last season.

Photo by CHRIS REICH, Northwestern State

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By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal

MOBILE, Ala. – Louisiana Tech first-year football coach Sonny Cumbie knows tonight’s contest against South Alabama is another opportunity for his Bulldogs to get better as Conference USA competition nears.

And it’s yet another game against a strong opponent.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at the sparkling Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Tech (1-2) dropped a 48-20 decision at No. 5 Clemson last weekend in a game that saw the Bulldogs trail 13-6 at half and by just two touchdowns with nine minutes to play in the game. The Bulldogs have also lost at Missouri, but blasted FCS Stephen F. Austin in Ruston a week later. Now they’ll face a “Group of 5” FBS program.

South Alabama (2-1) lost a heartbreaker at UCLA 32-31 on a field goal by the Bruins on the last play of the game. 

Cumbie admits he wants to see what team shows up for Tech, who is a two touchdown-underdog against the Jaguars. 

“They are a really good football team,” said Cumbie. “This will be a huge challenge for us to see if we use last week as a barometer of let’s get better or did we sit back and rest on our laurels. Regardless of the opponent, the goal every week is to get better. How much did the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs improve and how much better do we get better?”

Offensively, the Bulldogs have scored points this year regardless of who they have played. Tech quarterback Parker McNeil has shown the ability through three games to make big plays down the field to a talented corps of Bulldog receivers. 

McNeil has thrown for 650 yards and six scores in just nine quarters this year, but will once again face a tough test against a solid South Alabama defensive unit.

“They are a defense that plays really hard,” said Cumbie. “They are very very good up front. Schematically they change it up from 3 to 4 down lineman. They don’t overload you with numbers, but you don’t have a great sense of where they are coming from. 

“They will pop a backer. They will bring somebody off the edge. They’ll bring a corner. From a coverage standpoint they do a nice job of varying their coverages. I think they play really hard. I think they play physical. And we are going to have to match that.”

The Bulldogs must find a way to run the football. Tech rushed for 300 yards in its win over Stephen F. Austin but has totaled only 14 rushing yards combined in losses to Clemson and Missouri. 

South Alabama boasts a talented passer in its own right in quarterback Carter Bradley, who has thrown for 851 yards and seven scores. The Jaguars are averaging just over 300 yards per game through the air and another 160-plus yards per game on the ground.

“Their quarterback is playing like an experienced quarterback,” said Cumbie. “Major Applewhite, their offensive coordinator, does a really nice job, and I think they have been a balanced offense.”

Tech leads the all-time series 2-0 including a 30-26 win in Mobile in 2018. 

The contest can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on 92.1 KSYR FM, along with 104.1 FM and 1320 AM, with Malcolm Butler and Teddy Allen providing a call of the action. The pregame show starts at 4:30 p.m. The contest will also be on ESPN+.

Photo courtesy Louisiana Tech Athletics

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Through three games, the 1-2 Grambling State Tigers football team is still fighting to play — to compete — through a whole game.

Grambling didn’t do much competing at all in a 56-3 season-opening loss at Arkansas State.

The G-Men dominated the first half in a 47-21 Game 2 win over Northwestern State but were outscored 14-6 after halftime.

It was the same story last week, as GSU trailed only 21-17 at intermission only to see the wheels fall off early — and painfully hard — in a 66-24 loss at Jackson State.

What GSU coach Hue Jackson wants to see in a road game against Bethune-Cookman is for his Tigers to play the whole 60 minutes with no letup.

Grambling will get that chance as the Tigers kick off against the Wildcats (0-2) at 1 p.m. CST today in Daytona Stadium. It’s the Southwestern Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Last week’s Jackson State game did not count in the conference race.

“Last week’s game is behind us now but obviously it was disappointing,” Jackson said. “I thought we played competitive ball in the first half and in the second half didn’t play as well. Jackson State had a lot to do with that. They played extremely well in the second half. 

“It gave me and my staff a chance to see where we are and where we need to head. There’s some work ahead and we all know that, but at the same time, playing someone of Jackson’s State caliber gives you an idea of what you need to do moving forward, so we’re looking forward to playing Bethune-Cookman and getting back on track.”

That means first and foremost creating some long offensive drives to keep from wearing down the GSU defense as the game progresses. 

“We need to make sure to tighten some things up,” Jackson said. “Obviously we don’t need to be a team that gives up that many yards a game or that many points a game. At the same time, our offense has to do a better job of keeping our defense off the field, making sure we convert third downs so we keep the ball longer.

“Right now we have about 22 minutes (of possession) per game. That’s nowhere close to where we need to be because that leaves our defense out on the field too long. Our offense needs to play for our defense and our defense for our offense and special teams for both, so we still have a lot of improving to do.”

Jackson said he doesn’t believe preparation has been the problem as much as execution.

“When we go and break down a team, I think we’re OK,” Jackson said. “Let’s take Jackson State for instance. They hadn’t had a team score a touchdown on them before our game. I think we had a pretty good idea of who they were. 

“I think we have a pretty good idea of what we need to do. We just have to get it done faster. We all want a different result. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Jackson said moving the ball on all phases of offense is the key to sustaining drives. He said getting  running back Maurice Washington, a transfer from Nebraska who leads the Tigers with 173 rushing yards on only 11 carries — that’s an average of 15.8 yards per carry — more involved in games could help in that aspect, as would improving a passing game averaging only 155 passing yards per game so far. 

“Maurice is a tremendous talent, we all know that,” Jackson said. “He’s still learning our system and growing each and every day. He’ll continue to do those things as we go. He’s just a very talented guy. As I’ve said before, our running back room is very strong. We have some very talented players back there. We just have to keep getting better.

“I think throwing the football at a high level is where we need to get to,” Jackson said. “We need to catch it better and continue to run routes at a high level. We’ve got to put the ball in the right spot.”

But for Jackson, the biggest improvement he wants to see against Bethune-Cookman is seeing his Tigers compete at a strong level from start to finish.

“We’ve played three games,” Jackson said. “There’s some things I think we’ve improved at, and there are some things we haven’t. Those things we haven’t we need to improve at. We need to keep working at getting better. I think we can play with a lot of people. But can we finish? That’s the question. The first half against Jackson was a good ballgame. The second half was totally different. I have to find out why that is.

“Through three games, in the second half, we’ve been different. That’s my charge as a head coach, and I’m going to do that. I think our team will compete. They’ll go out and give it everything they have. What we have to do as a group is to learn how to finish, and finish strong. We have to understand the second half is more important than the first half. Once we get that understood, I think we’ll be fine.”

Photo courtesy Grambling State Athletics

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BY ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

 Stacy Ballew’s team boasts a 4-0 record. His heart? Ballew isn’t sure it’s winning the battle.

“They’re going to give me a heart attack,” Byrd’s head coach said following his team’s 25-20 victory in the battle for Shreveport bragging rights and the District 1-5A opener.

Maybe the 2022 version of the Byrd-Captain Shreve rivalry didn’t have it all, but it was close.

Byrd built a 17-point lead in a dominating first half before Captain Shreve stormed back and thought it took the lead with a long touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. However, it was called back due to one of the night’s 23 accepted penalties. Shreve later missed a field goal before Byrd cemented the victory with an 8-yard touchdown run by Devon Strickland.

“You can be proud of the effort, but not the outcome,” Shreve head coach Adam Kirby said. “We’re young and we have to learn how to overcome some adversity and come out better to start the game. We can’t wait until we get punched in the mouth to answer the bell. We have to learn how to be the aggressor.”

The teams, both undefeated entering Thursday, will try to make you think this is just another game, but this rivalry hits different. The game was interrupted by a streaker who emerged from the visitor’s stands, featured Mayor Adrian Perkins on the sideline and left a couple of Shreve seniors, who won’t get a shot at revenge on Byrd (at least in the regular season), in tears long after the final whistle.

“It’s a crazy week,” Byrd quarterback Lake Lambert said.

Lambert led all players with 142 rushing yards. He also completed 4-of-7 passes for 71 yards and added a rushing touchdown and a 44-yard scoring strike to Jackson Dufrene.

“(Byrd-Shreve) is an awesome atmosphere,” Lambert said. “I’m going to miss it a lot.”

A 49-yard field goal from Abram Murray helped Byrd build the 17-0 halftime advantage.  

Shreve’s offense struggled to solve a quick, physical Yellow Jackets defense in the first half, particularly in the passing game. However, Kenyon Terrell found his groove in the final 24 minutes. He compiled 215 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns — one to Cam Wilson and one to Marquez Stevenson — as the District 1-5A battle turned into a dog fight.

A go-ahead scoring pass to Keaton Flowers was called back due to an illegal man downfield with 8 minutes left. A missed 37-yard field goal set up Strickland’s clincher.

“We didn’t open it up (in the first half),” Kirby said. “That’s on me. I’m the head coach. We have to find a way to get our best athletes involved.”

Jayden Edwards totaled 136 yards on 16 carries for the Gators. Stevenson hauled in four passes for 80 yards.

The Yellow Jackets may be unblemished, but that doesn’t mean there has been a lack of drama. In the just the past two weeks, Calvary and Captain Shreve had late opportunities to tie or take the lead on Byrd.

A win is a win, though, right?

“Every week is a roller coaster,” Ballew said. “I’m ready for us to play good all the way through the game. My message to our team is: ‘Don’t give me a heart attack.’”

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

Byrd 25, Captain Shreve 20

Score by quarters

Captain Shreve | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8 | – 20
Byrd | 7 | 10 | 0 | 8 | – 25

Scoring summary

B – Lake Lambert 1 run (Abram Murray kick)
B – Murray 49 FG
B – Jackson Dufrene 44 pass from Lambert (Murray kick)
CS – Cam Wilson 15 pass from Kenyon Terrell (kick failed)
CS –Marquez Stevenson 57 pass from Terrell (run failed)
B – Devon Strickland 8 run (Strickland run)
CS – Terrell 15 run (Jayden Edwards run)

Individual statistics

Rushing – CS (37 rushes-208 yards), J. Edwards 16-136, Terrell 15-61, Keaton Flowers 1-10, Jemarlon Otis 5-1. Byrd (44 rushes-334 yards), Lambert 24-142, Malachi Johnson 3-84, D. Strickland 10-67, Dixon Poirier 1-25.

Passing – CS, Terrell 13-31-1, 215 yards, 2 TDs. Byrd, Lambert 4-7-0, 71 yards, 1 TD.

Receiving – CS, Stevenson 4-80, Jordan Wiggins 2-62, Flowers 2-30, Wilson 3-35. Byrd, J. Dufrene 3-63, Tyler Nichols 1-8.

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

He was 80 yards away, but when Huntington running back John Solomon caught a slip screen late in the fourth quarter in a tie game, he saw only one thing.

“Glory,” he said.

However, glory took a while as Solomon broke through the first wave of Northwood defenders, then had to weave his way through another set of Falcons to squeeze into the end zone along the sideline with 1:44 remaining.

No one seemed to care that it wasn’t exactly a sprint, especially after the Raiders tacked on a two-point conversion to win 28-20 Thursday night at Jerry Burton Stadium.

“They (the Falcons) have such good pass rushers and one of the adjustments we made was to let them come upfield and try to get underneath them with those screens,” said a very-happy-to-say-the-least Huntington coach Stephen Dennis. “The kids responded to the energy. At least, I hope they did.”

“They out-executed us on some screen plays, which are hard to defend against them,” said Northwood coach Austin Brown. “We were ready for it, but they hit us for some big plays on that.”

In a game that didn’t seem to have much of a pace well after halftime – Northwood led 14-6 after three quarters – that certainly changed and made this game everything that was expected between two of the favorites in District 1-4A.

On the third play of the fourth quarter, Huntington quarterback Kam Evans found Trey Carter on another quick hitter in the left flat, but one that turned into a 49-yard completion to the Northwood 9. That seemed to be the spark that a rather lifeless Huntington offense needed as Solomon scored on the next play before Evans hit Kenton Brossett for a two-point conversion to make it 14-14.

Suddenly, it was game on.

Northwood went on an impressive 87-yard drive, mostly behind the running of Quintavion White, to go ahead 20-14 within 6:45 left. White had runs of 24, 13 and then another from 13 yards out for the score. A 26-yard pass from Mason Welch to Marc Denison picked up a big third-and-10 along the way.

But the Raiders came right back. Jamarion Mims had a 22-yard run as the Raiders went for it on fourth down from their own 23. Carter took a touch pass in the backfield from Evans and raced around the end for a 31-yard score with 4:13 to go.

However, Huntington’s extra point was also missed, so it was still 20-20.

In a game that had turned offensive, it was a defensive play that made the difference. Welch was sacked on third-and-8 and the Falcons had no choice but to punt it back to Huntington.

It looked like Northwood might make the big defensive play when Evans tried to avoid a sack and tossed the ball sideways in the direction of a receiver. The ball was ruled a fumble and there was a Falcon defender in the area, but it was recovered by the Raiders for a minor-by-comparison 10-yard loss.

Evans, who had been in pain from a shoulder injury all week (and had to come out for a play in the third quarter after a sack), wasn’t able to throw the ball deep with any consistency. So the Raider staff made sure he didn’t have to. Evans got the ball to Solomon on the quick pass and the senior took it the rest of the way for the winning score.

“We just made a few more plays than they did in the second half,” said Dennis. “When you have two good clubs like this, that’s what it usually comes down to.”

Consider this: Evans was 8 of 23 for 88 yards in the first three quarters, including a 1 for 9 stretch. But in the fourth quarter with the game on the line and no real ability to throw deep, he was 6 of 6 for 200 yards.

Tough night for Brown? Yeah, maybe. But the Falcons coach still had a smile on his face when it was over. Earlier in the day his wife gave birth to their third child (and first son).

Braxton Brown missed a good one.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Huntington 28, Northwood 20

Score by quarters

Huntington | 0 | 6 | 0 | 22 | – 28

Northwood | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | – 20

Scoring summary

NW – Quintavion White 1 run (Willie Martinez kick)
Hunt – Jarvis Davis 32 pass from Kam Evans (run failed)
NW – White 4 run (Martinez kick)
Hunt – John Solomon 9 run (Brossett pass from Evans)
NW – White 13 run (kick failed)
Hunt – Tre Carter 31 pass from Evans (pass failed)
Hunt – Solomon 80 pass from Evans (Brossett pass from Evans) 

Individual Leaders

Rushing – Hunt (20-84), Jamarion Mims 6-59, Solomon 5-30, Evans 5-3, Jamarion Washington 1-3, Carter 1-1, Jabaria Scott 1-minus-2, Team 1-minus-10. NW (43-158), White 31-113, Fabien Sanders 4-24, Marc Denison 2-14, Mason Welch 6-7.

Passing – Hunt (15-30-1-294), Evans 14-29-1, 288 yards, Lorenzo White 1-1-0, 6 yards. NW (19-30-0-217), Welch 19-30-0, 217 yards.

Receiving – Hunt – Jarvis Davis 7-93, Carter 4-93, Kaleb Tucker 2-14, Solomon 1-80, Kamar Lewis 1-14. NW, Denison 5-95, Desmond Harris 5-39. White 2-9, Hunter Hearron 2-8, Jalil Wainwright 2-30, Mar’Javious Moss 1-10, Elijah Crawford 1-8, Sanders 1-18

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By TEDDY ALLEN, Journal Sports

Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton spent the evening before the Haughton-Parkway football game playing football with his 9-year-old son in the front yard. Then he camped out in his pickup at the end of his driveway to ward off toilet-paper rollers.

“Three years in a row they’ve got me,” he said. “It’s a rivalry game, so …”

Little brother Coy, the head coach at Parkway, was at a high school football game Thursday but he was “playing football” too. How can football not be on your mind when you’re stepping on the field against your rival in less than 24 hours?

“Their quarterback (Colin Rains) is so good,” Coy said. “We can’t let him extend plays. Got to keep him in the pocket.”

The brothers won’t catch a pass or make a tackle or score a touchdown tonight. But some of their players will, and each is hoping their guys play better than the other guys. Parkway beat Haughton, 13-0, in the preseason jamboree.

Brotherly love aside, the tale will be told tonight when Parkway (3-0) meets Haughton (2-1) Between the Pines at Harlon E. Harlon Stadium at 7.

“It’s a tough place to play,” Coy said. “It’s hard to go in there and win. A rival game like that, you’ve got to throw everything else out the window. We’ve got to stay focused and let our players do the talking.”

“We’ve got to run the ball better and create some turnovers,” Jason said. “Can’t let them make any explosive plays. And they can kill you on special teams. We’ve got to make two more big plays than they do to be able to win.” 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Parkway (3-0) at Haughton (2-1), Harold E. Harlan Stadium

Series: Haughton leads 35-15

Last year: Parkway won 17-3

Last week: Parkway beat Bossier 49-0; Haughton lost to Many 35-3

Rankings: Parkway is No. 2 in SBJ poll

Radio: none

Notable: It’s time for another version of the Bro Bowl — head coaches and brothers, Coy (Parkway) and Jason (Haughton) … The brothers have split the first two meetings … The Panthers were the only Bossier Parish school to win last week … Haughton and Parkway have split the past 10 meetings.

Evangel (1-2) at Bossier (0-3), Memorial Stadium

Series: Evangel 6-0

Last year: Did not play

Last week: Evangel lost to Westgate 37-21; Bossier lost to Parkway 49-0

Rankings: Evangel is No. 10 in SBJ poll

Radio: none

Notable: Bossier head coach DeAumante Johnson presented Parkway head coach Coy Brotherton with a plaque before last Friday night’s game. Brotherton was the head coach at Plain Dealing when Johnson was the quarterback for the Lions … Brotherton also attended Senior Day at Grambling State University to honor Johnson. Brotherton was the first to call Johnson and invite him to be a part of Bryant Sepulvado’s staff at Captain Shreve High School … The Bossier offense only managed to earn one first down against the Parkway defense last week. Two of Bossier’s first downs were attributed to Parkway penalties … Bossier’s Cristobal Cruz had a 60-yard punt in last week’s game against Parkway …. Kameron Manning provided the Bearkats with a bright spot in the first quarter with an interception. … The 0-3 start for the Bearkats marks the first time since 2018 that Bossier has lost three games in a row. The Bearcats were 1-9 in 2018. 

Evangel boasts the top three positions on Shreveport-Bossier City’s tackles leaders. Jacob Wilson leads the way with 43 while teammates Gabriel Reliford and Jamal Jordan have posted 42 apiece. Four other Eagles are listed with 20-plus tackles. Those seven Evangel players have combined for 212 tackles and own seven of the top 18 spots.

Peabody (2-1) vs. Green Oaks (1-2), Jerry Burton Memorial Stadium

Series: Green Oaks 4-0

Last year: Did not play

Last week: Peabody lost to Logansport 46-13; Green Oaks beat BTW 28-6

Rankings: none

Radio: none

Notable: The good news from last week’s Soul Bowl was Green Oaks getting the 28-6 victory for the Giants’ first victory on the field since Nov. 20, 2022. The bad news is their star defensive lineman, Kashaun Green, was injured in the first quarter and will be out for a couple of weeks … “We told Kashaun, ‘We want you to play, but we need you for district,’” said Green Oaks coach Chadwick Lewis. “It’s no big deal if he has to sit out a couple of games” … The Giants are working hard to get the offense going. “We will have to be able to get some points on the board to help the defense,” said Lewis … The defense was the star of the game last week, recovering a fumble in the BTW endzone, coming up with a 14-yard scoop-and-score, and a 35-yard interception return for a score … “This is Military and First Responders Appreciation Night,” said Lewis, “so we want to acknowledge and thank them for their hard work and dedication to serving and protecting” … After breaking the losing streak, the Giants “want to be and remain hungry for more,” according to Lewis.

North Caddo (3-0) at Neville (2-1)

Series: Neville 2-0

Last year: Did not play

Last week: North Caddo beat Bolton 44-20; Neville beat Huntington 49-12

Rankings: North Caddo No. 5 in LSWA 2A poll, No. 7 in SBJ poll; Neville No. 4 in LSWA 4A poll

Radio: North Caddo (KNCB 1320 AM, K104FM)

Notable: Last time the schools played was in 1958 won by Neville 20-7 … North Caddo running back K.J. Black did not play in the 44-20 road win against Bolton last week … North Caddo has scored no fewer than 40 points in the first three games of the 2022 season … North Caddo’s University of Nebraska commit, Omarion Miller, only had two catches in last week’s win, but still managed to get over 100 yards receiving (116 to be exact). Both catches went for touchdowns. To finish things off, Miller caught the two successful two-point conversions on both touchdowns to finish the night with 16 points. 

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By TEDDY ALLEN, Journal Sports

Airline was 1-9 last year. Airline is much better this year—but 0-3.

The Vikings know that. Not easy to swallow. Too many turnovers. Poor tackling.

Do that better and who knows?

Benton? 1-2. Special teams mistakes. Gave up two kickoff returns for touchdown in back-to-back games. Pass coverage problems. Like Airline, poor tackling. Fix that and who knows?

Some answers will come tonight when Airline and Benton meet at Mason-Newman Field in Tiger Stadium. An argument could be made that this is the best matchup tonight in the state of teams with a combined 1-5 record.

Benton’s Tigers are coming off a heartbreaking loss in New Orleans in a game they led by 18 points to Newman, 54-52. Yes, that many points.

“Mentally, I think we’re in a good place (after the loss),” Benton coach Reynolds Moore said. “Still some fatigue. We’re not the freshest we’ve ever been. We have a lot of guys who played a lot of snaps.”

Cramping was usually a problem for the other team, not for Benton. Friday night in New Orleans was a different story. But a match with Airline suddenly clears the cramping air.

“It’s a big rivalry game,” Moore said. “We have to do whatever it takes to win this game. Airline is not a typical 0-3 team. If it were a team that nobody thought was good, our kids would be in a different mindset. But this is Airline. It’s a lot easier to be focused.”

“If we eliminate turnovers and if we tackle, we’ll be fine; I don’t worry that much about intensity if we do that,” Airline head coach Justin Scogin said. “We’re 0-3, but the good thing is they understand what they’re doing wrong. They’ve stayed true to who I thought they were. I know they’ve never gotten to the point where they’ve said, ‘Man, we’re giving up.’ They’ve continued to compete.

“We’re tired of people telling us how good of an 0-3 team we are,” he said. “Our kids understand; they get it. This has been the best part—nobody’s giving up. It’s never fun to lose, but the process of the whole thing, learning how to win, is fun.” 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Airline (0-3) at Benton (1-2), Mason-Newman Field at Tiger Stadium

Series: Airline 2-1

Last year: Benton 28, Airline 7

Last week: Airline lost to Northwood 35-28; Benton lost to Newman 54-52

Rankings: Benton is No. 5 in SBJ poll

Radio: Benton (The Light, 92.1 FM)

Notable: Tigers receiver Pearce Russell ranks third Caddo-Bossier with 18 receptions and 351 receiving yards … Benton is coming off a wild 54-52 loss to quarterback Arch Manning and Newman in Week 3 … Benton defeated Airline 28-7 last season and lost 31-28 in 2020.

Natchitoches Central (1-2) at Southwood (2-1), Lee Hedges Stadium

Series: Natchitoches 22-9

Last year: Natchitoches 37-6

Last week: Natchitoches lost to ASH 54-6; Southwood lost to Carroll 40-12

Rankings: none

Radio: Natchitoches (95.9 Kix Classic Country; http://69.64.65.171:8192/kixstl)

Notable: After starting the season 2-0 for the first time since 2006, the Cowboys fell to Carroll 40-12 in Week 3 … They hope to get back in the win column when they open District I-5A play against the Chiefs … Southwood coach Jesse Esters said the Cowboys will regroup and get back to the basics … “We had become distracted with the two wins that we didn’t perform well,” Esters said of last week’s loss … The Cowboys will be without three players tonight – workhorse running back Melvin Coleman, safety Jathon Skinner, and left guard Jayden Stevenson.

Calvary (1-2) at Wossman (2-1)

Series: First meeting

Last year: Did not play

Last week: Calvary lost to Byrd 14-7; Wossman beat Mentorship 67-0

Rankings: Calvary is No. 8 in LSWA 2A poll, No. 4 in SBJ poll

Radio: Calvary (Promise 90.7 FM)

Notable: So much for that quarterback competition. This week, Calvary Baptist Academy quarterback Bryce Carpenter, who had shared time with Abram Wardell, withdrew from the school and enrolled at Loyola College Prep … on the season, Carpenter has completed 39 percent of his passes (11-for-28) for one touchdown and one interception. He also added 29 rushing yards and a score. Wardell is 11-for-16 passing for three touchdowns and an interception … Barring a special reprieve, Carpenter won’t be eligible to play until Week 4 of his senior season.

 

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By JOURNAL STAFF

Booker T. Washington and Woodlawn have been playing each other for some time going back to years in the original District 1-AAA.

Tonight, both teams will meet up — with one of them getting its first win of the season and being among the leaders in District 1-4A. In fact, the last time the two schools competed against each other when 1-AAAA was in the top classification in 1990, Woodlawn won the district and BTW finished second. The previous year the two tied for the district title.   

Both schools have been in and out of the same district for many years since. BTW’s best finish since came in 2005 when it tied with Benton for first in District 1-3A and was second the year before and after. Woodlawn won 1-4A in 2016, the year before BTW moved up and rejoined the district.

BTW (0-3) vs. Woodlawn (0-3), Independence Stadium

Series: Woodlawn 29-17

Last year: Woodlawn 38-16

Last week: BTW lost to Green Oaks 28-6; Woodlawn lost to Red River 39-8

Rankings: none

Radio: none

Notable: The Castle went dark on Tuesday as a power outage caused the school to close early … Woodlawn and their opponent this week – BTW – are looking for their first win of the season … Knights head coach Thedrick Harris and his staff had a little extra time to prepare for BTW. Woodlawn played last Thursday while BTW played Green Oaks in the Soul Bowl on Saturday … It looked like Woodlawn’s offensive woes may have been over early in their game against Red River. The Knights took an 8-0 lead in the game before the Bulldogs pulled away and won 39-8. 

After three games of playing against Class 3A and 2A competition, the Lions will play against District 1-4A competition for the rest of the season … Since resuming the series in 2013, BTW is 2-7 against Woodlawn, but has won two of the last three games played against the Knights … This will be BTW’s first game away from Leonard C. Barnes Stadium when the Lions travel to Independence Stadium for the first of two road games … Offensive problems came back to haunt the Lions in the loss to Green Oaks. A week after scoring 36 points, BTW could only get one touchdown in Week 3 … The injury bug is also becoming a problem for the Lions. Running back Deaviante Davis is out with a toe injury.

Loyola (0-3) at Red River (1-2)

Series: Loyola 3-2

Last year: Loyola 31-28

Last week: Loyola lost to North DeSoto 49-7; Red River beat Woodlawn 39-8

Rankings: none

Radio: none

Notable: Loyola will be going up against Red River and seeking to avoid its first 0-4 start since 2005 … Red River is coached by Jeff Harper, a former Loyola assistant. The Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator is Alan Carter, who twice served as Loyola head coach and spent 12 years on the Flyer sidelines … Senior linebacker Gray Deason has had 11 tackles in all three of Loyola games to lead the team with 33 … This is Loyola’s last game before a bye week. The Flyers had not had a regularly scheduled bye week since 1995 (weather and pandemic caused the others).

Ringgold (0-3) at Plain Dealing (0-3)

Series: Plain Dealing 21-4

Last year: Plain Dealing 38-6

Last week: Ringgold lost to Tensas 28-14; Plain Dealing lost to Lakeside 46-6

Rankings: none

Radio: none

Notable: The last time the Lions won a game was eight games ago against Ringgold in a 38-6 win … Covid wiped out the scheduled game in 2020 … PD has won nine straight with Ringgold’s last win coming in 2009 … Quarterback Josh Miller hit Jayden Ray for the Lions only score last week against Lakeside … Aaron Reddix leads PD in rushing on the season with 211 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Homer (2-1) at Magnolia (0-3)

Series: Homer 3-0

Last year: Homer 67-6

Last week: Homer beat General Trass 49-24; Magnolia lost to East Iberville 51-6

Rankings: Homer is No. 2 in LSWA 1A poll

Radio: none

Notable: The Mariners, looking for their first win since Sept. 24, 2021, will have their work cut out for them against the Pelicans – the No. 2-ranked team by LSWA and the defending Class 1A state champions … Magnolia quarterback Mark McCray has been the bright spot in the Mariners’ offense – running for the Mariners’ only TD in Week 1 against Lake Charles Prep, throwing two TDs in Week 2 (to DeAndre and DeVondre Johnson) at General Trass, and connecting with Travis Sanders for the only score last week at East Iberville … Magnolia has been outscored by its first three opponents 154-30.

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(EDITOR’S NOTE: It was a week ago when the author wrote a column about one of the great semi-previously unnoticed landmarks in Shreveport: The WEST/EAST signs at the gates to Lee Hedges Stadium. They had proudly served with dignity since 1967, but less than 72 hours after the column was published, they were gone. Outta there. Vamoose. Conspiracy theorists, perhaps this might give you something to work with …)

THE SCENE: The offices of the place where people handle such things

THE TIME: 6:56 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16

“Morning, Boss! What’s up for us today? Usual stuff? Rake this, mow that?”

“Get in here, Joe. Immediately if not sooner.”

“Am I in trouble?”

“Maybe not you, but we’ve got a situation. Did you read this article in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal that JJ Marshall wrote that came out literally one minute ago?”

“That tool?”

“Nevertheless. We’ve got to do something and fast! He wrote about how those WEST and EAST signs at Lee Hedges Stadium that we thought nobody ever noticed.”

“The ones we were supposed to take down in 1985? Doesn’t he have anything better to write about?”

“Stay with me, Joe. How are we going to make them go away without people noticing? Up until now, nobody did. Now, everybody will and they’ll think that we’ve been doing nothing but making sure the gates are open on gameday. And by the way, who wrote the requisition for those ugly new entrances?”

“You did, Boss.”

“Oh, yeah. Anyway, how about this: It’s Captain Shreve-Byrd week. Let’s take the WEST/EAST signs and make it look like it was a school prank.”

“But no one is actually getting pranked, except for the people who don’t know West from North or East from South. Which, I might add, is about three-fourths of the teenaged population around here.”

“Yeah, that’s no good. How about if we just take them down and say it’s just a coincidence?”

“Three of the first five U.S. presidents dying on July 4^th is a coincidence. NOBODY is going to believe that we just so happened to have a work order for removal 72 hours after an article is published.”

“How about weather? Check the forecast and see if there’s some kind of tornadic activity in the area.”

“Boss, have you looked outside lately? Unless the steel poles melt and collapse from the heat, they ain’t coming down due to weather.”

“Can we say it’s a safety issue? Tell ’em we were concerned that giant plastic triangular signs are falling all over the country and in order to protect our citizens, we followed protocol and procedures set forth by the CDC and were obligated to take them down.”

“Really? Did you find that quote in your drawer from two years ago?”

“Joe, is there any way you could get a crew and go out there at night under the cover of darkness and get them taken down.”

“Only if I could get them to stop laughing first at the ridiculous idea. Plus, there might be a soccer game going on. There’s ALWAYS a soccer game going on out there.”

“A donation! We could donate them to somebody and make us look philanthropic!”

“And exactly who would be wanting this kind of donation. Go ahead … I’ll wait.”

“We’re screwed, aren’t we? We were going to let them rot away and then just sweep up the mess. That’s been the plan for 55 years! Because of that SBJ story, we’ve got a nightmare on our hands. Let’s make sure it’s almost impossible for them to get in the stadium to cover games.”

“We are already doing that.”

“Oh. Good work on that, Joe. Tell you what – just go out and take the signs down and we will say we will put out a press release that says, ‘We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused our patrons.’ Have that on my desk by lunch.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah, when you get back, bring me what’s left of those signs. I’ve got a garage sale this weekend.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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