BY SCOTT ANDERSON, Journal Sports 

HAUGHTON — A perfect night for football gave Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton the perfect opportunity to get all his seniors in as the Buccaneers rolled past Natchitoches Central, 56-20, on Senior Night Friday at Harold E. Harlan Stadium. 

“That’s awesome on Senior Night, when you can make sure all your seniors that don’t play a lot get to get in there in their last (home) game,” Brotherton said. 

Seniors Colin Rains and Tyler Rhodes led the way for Haughton. Rains finished 10-of-15 passing for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Rhodes had 15 carries for 92 yards and two TDs – and threw for another.

Early on, the game looked like it would be another point parade involving the Bucs, on the heels of last week’s 78-71 loss to Benton.

But the scoring pace slowed down for several minutes — until Haughton’s defense played a pivotal role in an astounding closing blast of four touchdowns in the last 3:06 before halftime.

Natchitoches Central  got on top quickly as the Chiefs drove 91 yards thanks to a quick strike from quarterback Brian Young to Camryn Davis (32 yards). NCHS scored on a 22-yard run by senior running back Jeremiah Miles and took an early 7-0 lead. 

The Buccaneers answered on their next drive when Rhodes delivered a halfback pass to wideout Rashard Douglas from 31 yards out. 

The defenses took control after the early exchange, after the Chiefs stopped the Bucs on a fake field goal attempt.

The Bucs finally went ahead, 14-7, on a 31-yard touchdown run from Rains with 9:38 left in the second quarter. 

The Chiefs then went on a nine-play, 57-yard drive and tied the game when Young hit Davis on a 20-yard TD pass with 5:18 left in the half. 

That’s when the Bucs took control, scoring 28 straight points before the band took the field.

Haughton scored with 3:06 left in the half on a drive that included a 49-yard pass from Rains to Rhodes. Rains capped the drive with an 8-yard pass to senior receiver John Ecot for a 21-14 lead.  

On the Chiefs’ next play, Conner Blank intercepted Young’s pass and returned it 33 yards to extend the advantage to 28-14 with 2:51 left in the half. 

The Bucs defense stopped the Chiefs on fourth-and-1 on the following series at the NCHS 37-yard line. 

Haughton cashed in the short field. Rains plunged in from 1 yard to give the Bucs a 35-14 lead with 32 seconds left before intermission. But it wasn’t over.

Natchitoches Central fumbled a pitch, setting up one last Haughton score.  With 16 seconds left, Rains hit Ecot for a 34-yard touchdown pass, and the Bucs were up 42-14.

“We got the interception and scored on that one,” Brotherton said. “The very next possession, we got another turnover deep in our territory and scored again. It was our defense getting stops, getting turnovers, putting our offense in a good position. The offense played well, too. It was total team effort.” 

Brotherton said the Chiefs stuffed the box early in the game, which prompted the Bucs to throw the ball. That loosened up the Chiefs’ defense, and Haughton used the ground game to control the clock in the second half. 

Haughton opened the second half with a scoring drive that lasted almost five minutes. Rhodes scored on a 7-yard run to give the Bucs a 49-14 lead. 

Natchitoches Central scored on its first possession of the second half when Miles scored on a 33-yard run. But the 2-point conversion failed, and the Chiefs trailed 49-20. 

The Chiefs’ onside kick attempt failed, setting up one more Haughton touchdown, a Rashard Douglas 18-yard touchdown, for the knockout punch.

Contact Scott at scooter.anderson@gmail.com. 

Haughton 56, Natchitoches Central 20 

Score by quarters

NCHS | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | – 20

Haughton | 7 | 35 | 14 | 0 | – 56 

Scoring summary

NC – Jeremiah Miles 22 run (Mateo Restrepo kick)

H – Rashard Douglas 31 pass from Jalen Lewis (Carter Ebarb kick)

H – Colin Rains 32 run (Ebarb kick)

NC – Camrin Davis 20 pass from Brian Young (Restrepo kick)

H – John Ecot 8 pass from Rains (Ebarb kick)

H – Connor Blank 33 interception return (Ebarb kick)

H – Rains 1 run (Ebarb kick)

H – Ecot 33 pass from Rains (Ebarb kick)

H – Tyler Rhodes 7 run (Ebarb kick)

NC – Miles 33 run (run failed)

H – Rhodes 18 run (Ebarb kick) 

Individual Statistics

Rushing 

NCHS (21-87) – Miles 14-107, Dremarious Brown 1-1, Jai’den Matlock 2-1, Davis 1-minus-2, Young 3-minus-20. 

Haughton (34-178) – Rhodes 15-92, Marion Montgomery 10-62, Rains 5-32, Chris Mayes 3-minus-6.

Passing

NCHS – Young 16-22-0-147. 

Haughton – Rains 10-15-0-228, Lewis 1-1-0-31, Christian Turner 0-1-0. 

Receiving 

NCHS – Davis 8-100, Zion Thompson 5-38, Braden Woods 2-5, Titus Williams 1-4. 

Haughton – Rashard Douglas 4-135, Ecot 2-41, Cayden Hinkie 2-17, Rhodes 1-49, Hesten Nesbitt 1-9, Lewis 1-8.

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JOURNAL STAFF 

Green Oaks snatched another second-half lead when Delarrious Marshall scored on a six-yard run and the ensuing two-point conversion, grabbing an edge on visiting D’Arbonne Woods Charter late in the third quarter Friday night. 

But the Timberwolves (6-3, 2-2 District 1-2A), trailing by two, scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull away in a 28-14 win at Lee Hedges Stadium.

After Green Oaks (2-7, 0-4) took the lead on Marshall’s touchdown run, D’Arbonne Woods seized momentum with a long kickoff return to set up its first fourth-quarter score. 

“That was the turning point,” said Green Oaks coach Chadwick Lewis. “We just scored and took the lead, and that kickoff return shifted momentum back to them. They proceeded to drive down and score.” 

The loss is Green Oaks’ sixth straight in what’s been an extremely difficult stretch that’s included Class 5A Alexandria Senior High, Loyola, Calvary and North Caddo. 

D’Arbonne Woods snapped a two-game skid with the win, hearkening back to a four-game winning streak earlier this season in which they won three of those games by at least 20 points. 

After the Timberwolves scored first, Green Oaks answered with a Tovoras Lee pass to a streaking Amarion Dorsey to tie the game at 6-6. 

D’Arbonne Woods Charter scored just before the half to grab a 12-6 edge. 

The Giants entered the game ranked No. 18 in the Division IV Select standings, and Green Oaks will attempt to wrap up a win and a playoff spot when they head to Lakeside in Week 10. 

ARCADIA 54, MAGNOLIA SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE 0: The flu bug bit a Magnolia School of Excellence squad that was already short on numbers, and the result was an outmatched Mariners group that couldn’t hang with a rising Arcadia bunch. 

The Hornets (6-3, 2-3) made short work of the remaining Mariners in a 54-0 decision. 

“We were missing four kids either with the flu or with injuries, but we also didn’t play well,” said Magnolia coach Toriano Williams. 

Magnolia’s offense seemed to have found their footing two weeks ago, scoring a combined 78 points in a loss to Glenbrook and a win against Plain Dealing.  

But the Mariners (1-8, 1-4), who have faced a murderous schedule this season, dropped a 48-6 loss to Haynesville before Friday’s 54-0 result. 

It’s the third time Magnolia has been shutout this season, also being kept off the scoreboard by Class 1A power Homer and a ranked 4A team in Westgate. 

Magnolia is desperately trying to get into the playoffs, entering this game ranked No. 25 in the Division IV Select standings, needing to reach the top 24 to make the postseason. 

Arcadia strengthened its No. 12 standing in the Division IV Select standings after recovering from a 37-point loss to Homer this past week. 

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

I hope everyone enjoyed the first part of this recruiting analysis of Shreveport-Bossier to select my Elite Eight seniors for the Class of 2023. In the Friday morning edition, I shared my list of the top four prospects locally. Today, it’s the next four.

Along with the kids discussed below, there definitely are several other players who will get offered scholarships by the last signing period, which begins Feb. 3. I can’t write about all of those players this week but I did cover most of those kids this summer in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. If you want to check, the Journal has an excellent search button. It is interesting to go back and read the preseason assessments.

This might go down as the most talented class for Shreveport-Bossier in quite some time based on considering kids in the Class of 2023 who will become starters in college. I don’t ever remember this many in one class like I project past the eight cited this week.

Now let’s get to the rest of my Elite Eight local recruits from this year’s senior class.

Coming in at No. 5 is Corinthian Walters, an athlete from Southwood. He can play several positions, and from a recruiting standpoint should be a national recruit. Over four years, I have watched this kid develop and now he’s a 6-1, 205-pound incredible athlete who reminds me of former Woodlawn standout Donovan Wilson, who went on to star for Texas A&M and now is having a breakout year for the Dallas Cowboys.

LSU did not offer Wilson and the Tigers haven’t offered Walters. This kid plays OLB/RB/DB/WR and sometimes has returned punts and kickoffs during his four years as a starter for the program. Walters has plenty of God-given talent with legit 4.5 speed. I think he will become a star for someone in college at either OLB or safety.

I think he has special skills. Walters told me this summer he grew up a Texas Longhorn fan and Coach Sark would be well advised to get involved with this young man.

My No. 6 is the most gifted lineman in the area, center/OG prospect Chris Allen from Captain Shreve. This kid has the feet of a LB and has started for over three years. He is a legit 6-3, 275-280, and plays bigger.

Allen is mature beyond his years and has a chance to be special. Tulane was his first offer after the 2022 season. I believe more Top 25 teams are looking at him, or should be.

At No. 7 in my Elite Eight is his teammate, WR/DB Marquez Stevenson from Captain Shreve. This kid is listed at 6-4 in length – he looks 6-4 but actually stands 6-2, weighing 180 pounds with burning 4.4 speed. He is a tremendous sprinter, a returning state champion, who competes in all the sprint distances indoors and outside.

Stevenson is becoming a big-time talent right in front of our eyes. He is committed to Texas Tech but LSU and others have started ringing his phone with high interest. While playing WR is his game, his speed and skill set could make him a prospect to play corner or safety in college.

My No. 8 is safety Kody Jackson from Evangel Christian. This kid quietly has become a great player. Like former Evangel Christian QB Blake Shapen (Baylor), who wasn’t offered by LSU or Alabama, his recruiting has taken off late. Jackson is committed to UL-Lafayette but all the big guys will come in before the early signing period begins in December.

I loved watching his game in his junior year. Jackson has the toughness, length, and leadership you look for in a safety and he’s a 4.5 guy in the 40.  The kid has a feel for the game and I just see special upside in this young man once he gets up to say, 6-2, 205, in college.

While the Elite Eight are guys I consider “can’t miss” prospects, there are more locally who fit that description or are on the brink with their skill set and production. I’ll be surprised if we’re not hearing from the Elite Eight soon in their college careers, and I’ll be surprised if there aren’t several not mentioned yet who make impacts quickly at the next level.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

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A few years ago, a high school baseball coach friend of mine called to tell me that his game was being moved up a day. Naturally, I was curious as to why, since schedules had been printed and plans had been made.

“Gonna rain,” he told me.

This was on a Monday. The game was moved from Thursday to Wednesday. On Thursday, I could have gotten a suntan that George Hamilton would be proud of.

Not a drop of rain.

“Good thing you moved it,” I texted him that afternoon. “Wouldn’t want that sunlight to be factor.”

I was stunned that this happened, but am certainly less stunned these days during baseball season. Coaches do it all the time, though it still bothers me just as much.

When it rained in the days before the football scrimmages were to take place in August and teams were moving locations around so they could play on turf instead of the natural-grass of their home stadium, I was fine with that. It’s a scrimmage and the risk of potentially “tearing up the field” before the season even starts was certainly an issue.

But the game-day switching that’s been going on this week? That’s different.

Look, this is not meant to be a when-men-were-men discussion, but the idea that high school football can’t be played in the rain is getting out of control.

Hang on now … I know all the perceived reasons why and I know the real reason why. For a moment, let’s forget all of those.

I will never be in charge of making this call, but if I were, here’s what I would be asking: Is there an F5 tornado heading for the stadium? If yes, move it. If no, see you at 7 p.m.

And don’t give me the “threat of severe weather.” I’m convinced local television meteorologists get paid by the number of times they say those words. The key word there is “threat.” Just like I’m a “threat” to win the lottery.

I have the same phone app that everybody else has. I looked at it Monday and it said there was an 81 percent chance of rain on Friday. That changed a little bit as the days went by, but it was still the same basic forecast when I checked again Thursday afternoon: “Cloudy with periods of rain and a thunderstorm.”

We can’t play in that?

You knew this was coming and I’m sorry I waited so long to say it: It’s football! Could be cold, could be wet, could be foggy, could be windy. You know that going in. By the way, they play golf in Scotland in those exact conditions just about every day.

I understand that it might be Senior Night or Homecoming or some special occasion. You know what else I understand? That plenty of people make plans to attend those events weeks in advance based on when they have been told the game will be played.

Those schedules that are printed before the season aren’t meant to be suggestions.

But … but … but … what about the gate? Ding-ding! We have a winner!

Will there be fewer people at a rainy game than a non-rain game? That’s certainly likely. But that’s for the schools to figure out how to manage. Gate receipts are never a guarantee, even if it’s 74 degrees with no wind. And we both know that weather isn’t the only thing keeping people away from high school football games these days.

Coaches, players, fans would all like conditions to be as perfect as possible. We all know who can play when they are.

Let’s see who can play when they aren’t.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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By SCOTT ANDERSON, Journal Sports

BENTON — Less than a week after amassing 78 points on 643 yards, Benton relied on 3 yards and a 2-point conversion to beat Captain Shreve, 22-21, Thursday night on Mason-Newman Field at Tiger Stadium. 

The Tigers went on an 11-play, 82-yard drive and scored on a 19-yard pass from junior backup quarterback Jeffery King to senior wide receiver Andy Lim with 4:22 left in the game. Senior Landon Duggan was successful on the two-point conversion, a run out of the Wildcat formation over the right side that was the margin in the Tigers’ victory. 

“I almost kicked it there because they had played such good defense,” Benton head coach Reynolds Moore said about going for two and the lead. “But I didn’t want to go into overtime. I felt like we could get those three yards. And really, the kids wanted to go for it.” 

Shreve’s defense held the high-scoring Benton offense to 14 points in the first half, and the Gators overcame a slow start of their own to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. 

“I felt like they played with a lot of confidence, and we didn’t,” Moore said of the first half. “I feel like we came out in the second half and it was lights out.” 

The teams opened the game moving up and down the field without a lot of production. The Tigers got on the scoreboard first when junior running back Greg Manning – who scored 8 TDs last week — ran it in from 5 yards out with 2:36 left in the first quarter.

The Gators appeared to answer immediately on the ensuing kickoff with a 99-yard return from Keaton Flowers. But the play was called back on a holding flag. 

Instead, the Gators went on a 15-play, 85-yard drive that ended with quarterback Kenyon Terrell running the ball in from 7 yards out. The PAT was blocked, and the Gators trailed, 7-6. 

The Gators then held Benton to a three-and-out and forced a punt. But the Gators failed to extend the drive on a fourth-and-4 run. 

The Tigers took over but couldn’t convert the first down. Punter Reed Petro came up short on a fake punt attempt on fourth-and-4. 

Captain Shreve took over at the Benton 44 yard line. Jamarlon Otis broke free on first down to scamper 44 yards and a touchdown. Terrell was successful on a 2-point conversion, and the Gators led, 14-7. 

Benton went on a long drive at the end of the first half. On third-and-10 from the Gators’ 30, quarterback Gray Walters was injured on an incomplete pass. Jeffery King came in on fourth-and-10, and the Tigers tied the game on a 30-yard touchdown pass from King to Pearce Russell with 1:27 left on the half. 

The Gators answered quickly, though, as Terrell hit Flowers for a 76-yard touchdown pass on first-and-10 after the kickoff.

Benton’s final drive of the half ended when King’s pass was intercepted by Gators junior safety EJ McDonald. 

The Gators held Benton to 251 total yards on offense. Walters’ injury was no doubt a big factor, but the Shreve defense was, too.

 As to the injury status of Walters? 

“I think it’s something that will heal over time this week,” Moore said. “We certainly want him back. If not, we’ll play with Jeffery (King). There’s not another team in the state that’s got two quarterbacks this good.” 

Contact Scott at scooter.anderson@gmail.com.

Benton 22, Captain Shreve 21 

Score by quarters 

Shreve  | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | ­ – 21 

Benton  | 7 | 7 | 0 | 8 | – 22 

Scoring summary 

B – Greg Manning 5 run (Peyton May kick) 

CS – Kenyon Terrell 7 run (kick blocked) 

CS – Jamarlon Otis 44 run (Terrell run) 

B – Pearce Russell 30 pass from Jeffrey King (May kick) 

CS – Keaton Flowers 76 pass from Terrell (John Chance kick)

B – Andy Lim 19 pass from King (Landon Duggan run) 

Individual leaders 

Rushing 

Captain Shreve (39-175) – Otis 10-67 1 TD; Jayden Edwards 12-53, Terrell 11-49, Flowers 3-2, Jordan Wiggins 3-19. 

Benton (36-129) – Manning 21-79, Duggan 6-26, Walters 4-2, King 1-3, Reed Petro 1-3.  

Passing 

Captain Shreve — Kenyon Terrell 5-14-2, 117 yards, 1 TD.

Benton (14-28-1-122) – King 6-12-1, 79 yards, 2 TDs; Gray Walters 8-16-0, 43 yards. 

Receiving 

Captain Shreve – Keaton Flowers 3-83 1 TD, Cam Wilson 1-28, Wiggins 1-8. 

Benton – Pearce Russell 8-53 1TD, Lim 3-39 1 TD, Jackson Jones 1-17, King 2-minus-3.

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

When you get an 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening play of the game, you get the feeling it’s going to be your night.

When you score on the first four possessions of the game while not allowing a first down on defense, you know it’s going to be your night.

It was Northwood’s night.

The Falcons had it all working Thursday night in a 48-0 District 1-4A win over Woodlawn at Jerry Burton Stadium.

The fast start was just what head coach Austin Brown wanted to see because it was an important final step as the Falcons set their sights on their biggest game of the year – a date with undefeated North DeSoto in the final game of the regular season.

“Next week is going to be a lot of excitement and a lot of pressure, so we tried to put a lot of pressure on our guys this week and demand a lot,” Brown said. “They did a lot better than the week before. But we still have a lot of improvement to do before next week.”

Sophomore Deceldrion Gay got the Senior Night party started with a blazing return of the opening kick to set the tone for the night.

“We’ve been waiting for him to do something like that for a while,” Brown said. “He tore it up all year on JV this fall. He’s had to go three or four weeks of not getting any playing time at all. I’m happy for him.”

The Falcons followed that with a formula that’s worked all season long – the running of Quintavion White and the passing of Mason Welch.

Welch had two touchdown passes to Desmond Harris sandwiched around a 36-yard, second- and third-effort scoring run by White to make it 28-0 with 10:55 to go before halftime.

Welch threw another touchdown pass – a 15-yarder to Elijah Crawford – late in the second quarter to give Northwood a 35-0 lead.

The Falcons got a 19-yard touchdown run from White and a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Hutson Hearron to finish the scoring in the second half.

Welch was an efficient 7-of-12 for 103 yards with three touchdowns as he moved into the No. 2 spot in school history for career yardage.

“I liked our mentality of not being satisfied tonight with the score or individual results,” Brown said. “It was about effort and execution no matter what happened.”

It was a tough night all the way around for Woodlawn, whose first 28 plays were all run in the Knights’ own territory.

The only bright spot for the Knights came on a 44-yard pass from Isiaih Kennedy to Brandon Henderson late in the game for an apparent touchdown. But it was called back for an illegal block.

Winners of five straight, the Falcons are now 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the district. Woodlawn falls to 3-6 and 2-4 in the district. The Knights will finish the season at home against Minden. 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Northwood 48, Woodlawn 0 

 Score by quarters

Woodlawn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – 0

Northwood | 21 | 14 | 6 | 7 | – 48 

Scoring summary

N – Deceldrion Gay 81 kickoff return (Willie Martinez kick)

N – Desmond Harris 11 pass from Mason Welch (Martinez kick)

N – Quintavion White 36 run (Martinez kick)

N – Harris 31 pass from Welch (Martinez kick)

N – Elijah Crawfod 15 pass from Welch (Martinez kick)

N – White 19 run (kick failed)

N – Hutson Hearron 1 run (Lex Williams kick)

Individual leaders

Rushing 

Northwood (23-163) – Quintavion White 6-88, Deceldrion Gay 3-25, Fabien Sanders 5-23, Hutson Hearron 4-13, Marc Denison 1-7, Tomarcus Keith 2-7, Justin Thomas 1-5, Mason Welch 1-minus-1, Mar’Jayvious Moss 1-minus-4.

Woodlawn (25-57) – Quintin Wilson 7-24, De’Shawnee Snow 1-19, Isaiah Kennedy 9-10, Brandon Henderson 3-3, Josh Dotson 1-1, Joshua Kennon 2-minus-2.

Passing

Northwood (8-14-0, 123 yards) – Welch 7-12-0,  103 yards, Hearron 1-2-0, 20 yards.

Woodlawn (10-16-1, 78 yards) – Kennedy 10-16-1, 78 yards.

Receiving 

Northwood – Desmond Harris 3-62, Elijah Crawford 2-55, Denison 2-8, Moss 1-minus-2.

Woodlawn – Henderson 6-62, D.J. Bates 2-7, Dotson 1-6, Jaiyon Allen 1-3.

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JOURNAL STAFF

MINDEN – Booker T. Washington’s Lions put points on the board Thursday night at The Pit.

They just couldn’t keep the host Minden Crimson Tide from doing the same.

“They could stop us. We just weren’t able to stop them,” said BTW coach Tony Reliford in the wake of a 43-26 loss to Minden in a District 1-4A contest.

The Lions (1-8, 1-5) got two touchdown passes and a scoring run from quarterback Damion O’Neal. BTW led 14-6 after the first quarter. But the Crimson Tide (3-6, 2-4) roared to life in the second period, posting 24 unanswered points to take command.

Minden’s Daylen Robinson ran for 133 yards on only 10 carries and scored twice in the first half. Quarterback Jakobe Jackson ran for two TDs, threw for another and tossed a 2-point conversion pass.

“It started off really competitive – we got the first score and then it was back and forth into the second quarter,” said Reliford. “For the most part, I feel good about what we did offensively.

“We’ve been able to cut down on our turnovers – but we had two interceptions tonight.”

The biggest problem for BTW was defending Minden’s running attack, which averaged eight yards a carry while piling up 240 yards on the ground, keeping the ball out of the Lions’ hands.

 “They may have punted just once or twice,” said Reliford.

Kendrick Pratt was another standout for the visitors, posting 119 yards rushing on 21 carries, including a touchdown of 3 yards. He also scored a two-point conversion and had a 12-yard reception.

BTW wraps up the 2022 season next Friday at home against Evangel.

Minden 43, BTW 26

Score by quarters

BTW | 14 | 0 | 0 | 12 | – 26

Minden | 6 | 24 | 7 | 6 | – 43

Scoring summary

B – Andrew Houston 36 pass from Damion O’Neal (Kendrick Pratt run)

M – Daylen Robinson 18 run (kick failed)

B – Pratt 3 run (run failed)

M – Cameron Mitchell 11 run (Mitchell run)

M – Robinson 3 run (Jakobe Jackson run)

M – Jackson 17 run (Brian Swann pass from Jackson)

M – Jaylin Williams 40 pass from Jackson (Bryson Ranger kick)

M – Jackson 18 run (kick failed)

B – Quentravious Moore 20 pass from O’Neal (pass failed)

B – O’Neal 6 run (pass failed)

Individual leaders

 Rushing

BTW (34-160) – Pratt 21-119; Damion O’Neal 12-45; Franklin Gafford 1-minus 4.

Minden (30-240) – D. Robinson 10-133; Jackson 12-76; Jaylon McKinney 5-18; Mitchell 2-11; Williams 1-2.

Passing

BTW – O’Neal 6-14-2, 131 yards.

Minden – Jackson 6-9-0, 100 yards.

Receiving

BTW – Houston 2-50; Tra’Mikal Davis 2-49; Moore 1-20; Pratt 1-12.

Minden – Williams 2-50; Mitchell 2-27; Robinson 2-23.

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JOURNAL STAFF

Two winless Bossier Parish football teams made their coaches proud with valiant efforts Thursday night while facing overwhelming odds.

Bossier’s Bearkats had the toughest assignment. Although they played at home, they squared off against one of the state’s most powerful offenses and one of only a few remaining unbeaten teams, the North DeSoto Griffins.

NORTH DESOTO 56, BOSSIER 16: The Bearkats gave the Griffins some early problems with a new defensive scheme and outstanding effort but visiting North DeSoto took command at Memorial Stadium. Despite the final score, the Griffins walked away with a healthy amount of respect for their opponents.

“They played hard for four quarters, and that’s been the story all year for them. They’ve faced difficult odds, but all year they’ve continued to compete and play really hard,” said North DeSoto coach Dennis Dunn.

“I’m so proud of our guys to fight the way that they did, with the (low) numbers we had,” said Bossier’s second-year coach, Plain Dealing native and former Grambling Tiger All-American cornerback DeAumante Johnson. “We hung in there for a little minute. I am really excited about how hard our kids fought.”

San’tavion Ball and Christian Johnson scored for the Bearkats. Ball, a talented junior receiver who is back in the late stages of the season after a fractured elbow at the outset, hauled in a 40-yard TD pass from Latravio Christor. The touchdown run by Johnson, a senior, covered 15 yards.

“I really believe Christian is the best football player in this area,” said his coach. “He’s a great linebacker, defensive lineman and running back for us, all over the field. He played extremely well.”

Another standout performance for Bossier came from Derrick Haynes, a collision-minded defensive end.

The state’s No. 8-ranked 4A team (second in LHSAA power points in Non-Select Division II), North DeSoto (9-0, 6-0 in District 1-4A) didn’t roar out of the gates.

“They showed us a defensive look early on that we had not seen them use, and it took us a couple series to get a fix on it,” said Dunn. “Our kids responded really well once they settled in to how to handle that.”

“We played extremely well defensively,” said Dunn, whose team opened a 44-0 halftime lead. “Our ones took care of business and gave us another stellar effort tonight.”

Freshman quarterback Luke Delafield threw four touchdown passes and piled up 270 yards in the first half for North DeSoto, which used backups as there was a running clock in the final two quarters.

The Bearkats (0-9, 0-5) wrap up their season on the road next Friday at Huntington.

“A lot of lessons learned. I don’t believe in losses,” said Johnson. “We’re learning a lot of stuff. We’re such a young ballclub. There’s no frustration from the players or the coaches. We all understand we’re in a program-building phase.

“I’ll tell you something: all these (other) guys better enjoy their wins, because my team is mostly freshmen and sophomores, a few juniors and two seniors. We’re going to be scary to deal with in the next three years. There will be some great football players coming through Bossier High School. You can write that down, because it’s coming true.”

BEEKMAN CHARTER 46, PLAIN DEALING 12: The Lions are woefully short on numbers with not many more than 11 able-bodied players on the squad. But they are remarkably strong in tenacity and teamwork, never more than Thursday night in Bastrop.

Plain Dealing’s leading running back, Tyrese Kimble, left the game with an ankle injury and will miss the final game of the regular season Friday against Arcadia.

“Hardest our players have fought all season,” Plain Dealing coach Clint Walker said. “Never came close to giving in. So proud of them.”

Plain Dealing is 0-9. Winning for the fifth time in six games, Beekman Charter rose to 6-3 after the non-district contest.

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JOURNAL SPORTS

Thursday’s scores 

District 1-5A

Airline 41, Parkway 20
Benton 22, Captain Shreve 21 

District 2-5A

West Ouachita 41, Pineville 7

District 1-4A

Minden 43, BTW 26
North DeSoto 56, Bossier 16
Northwood 48, Woodlawn 0 

District 1-3A

North Webster 41, Bastrop 22 

District 1-2A

Calvary 63, Lakeside 0 

District 3-2A

Many 42, Red River 0 

District 1-1A

Glenbrook 21, Homer 14
Haynesville 64, Ringgold 0 

District 2-1A

Cedar Creek 55, Lincoln Prep 0 

District 3-1A

St. Mary’s 14, Logansport 8 

Non- District

Beekman Charter 46, Plain Dealing 12

Tonight’s games

District 1-5A

Byrd (5-3, 2-3) vs. Southwood (0-8, 0-5), Independence Stadium

Natchitoches Central (3-5, 2-3) at Haughton (4-4, 2-3), Harold E. Harlan Stadium 

District 1-4A

Huntington (5-3, 4-1) at Evangel (4-4, 3-2), Rodney Duron Field

District 1-2A

North Caddo (6-2, 2-1) at Loyola (4-3, 3-0), Messmer Stadium

D’Arbonne Woods (5-3, 1-2) vs. Green Oaks (2-6, 0-3), Lee Hedges Stadium

District 1-1A

Arcadia (5-3, 1-3) at Magnolia (1-7, 1-3)

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

You drive 0.3 miles down Rasberry Lane and turn right onto West 70^th Street. Go a mile and turn left onto Broadacres Road. After a half-mile, you’ll be there.

It is only 1.8 miles from Huntington to Evangel and the Raiders will make that trip tonight when the two teams will meet in a District 1-4A game.

There are no two football-playing schools in Shreveport-Bossier closer in proximity than Huntington and Evangel. And with both in the same district, you’d think this would be quite a rivalry.

Think again.

They have only met once since 2004 and that was last year (a 36-34 Huntington win).

“It’s really not that big of a rivalry for us,” said Raiders’ head coach Stephen Dennis. “I know it sounds like coach speak, but it’s just another opponent for us. But with it being their Homecoming and opening the new (artificial) turf, I don’t know if I could speak for them that it’s just another game.”

Actually, it’s not even the first game played on the new surface. The Evangel JV got the first crack at it with a Monday game, but nevertheless, head coach Denny Duron said his team is “so excited about it.”

“We are all so hyped to get out there and play this week on the turf,” said Evangel quarterback Peyton Fulghum. “We are all so stoked.”

The two teams will be coming into the matchup from different directions. The Eagles (4-4, 3-2) beat Minden 48-21 – their seventh straight road game due to the turf construction – for their highest scoring output of the year.

Meanwhile, Huntington (5-3, 4-1) lost on the road at North DeSoto 48-6 in their lowest scoring output of the year.

So how are the Raiders handling that loss?

“Putting one foot in front of the other, showing up and going to work,” Dennis said. “I think our kids understand that we did not play Huntington football Friday night. We never really got going.”

The Raiders had a six-minute opening drive, but took a quarterback sack inside the North DeSoto 20 to end a chance to score.

Even down 15-0 in the second quarter, Huntington had a chance to get back in it but failed to capitalize. After that, the closest the Raiders got was 29-6.

“We talk to them all the time about peaks and valleys,” Dennis said. “Bad stuff is going to happen. It seems like every time we got in position to make a play and shift the momentum, North DeSoto would out-execute us. We have to own that. It’s been very rare this year that we couldn’t get something going quicker.”

Huntington still has a shot at a share of the district title, but Dennis knows the Eagles will present a challenge.

“They’ve got talented players,” he said. “And they are getting better every week.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Huntington (5-3, 4-1) at Evangel (4-4, 3-2) 

Where: Rodney Duron Field  

Series: Evangel 9-1 

Last year: Huntington 36-34 

Last week: Huntington lost to North DeSoto 48-6; Evangel beat Minden 48-21 

Rankings: Huntington No. 8 in Shreveport-Bossier Journal Top 10 poll, Evangel is 9^th 

LHSAA power rankings: Huntington is No. 11 and  Evangel No. 14 in Select Division II

Radio: none 

Notables: The Raiders still have a shot at a share of the district title, but will need help in the next two weeks. Perhaps more importantly, they are still in play for a home game in the Select-Division I playoffs … Quarterback Kam Evans, No.  2 statewide in passing yardage (2,286), was injured last week and his status is undetermined … Head coach Stephen Dennis praised the contributions of strong safety Deontrelle Jackson (seven tackles, one for loss) and wide receiver Jarvis Davis (65 yards) in last week’s game against North DeSoto.

The Eagles make their long-awaited home debut on artificial turf … Quarterback Peyton Fulghum is coming off a five-touchdown performance at Minden. Brayden Curry was on the receiving end of three of those scores. Fellow receiver Parker Fulghum hauled in the other two and ranks second in Caddo-Bossier with 56 catches, fourth statewide according to GeauxPreps.com.

Byrd (5-3, 2-3) vs. Southwood (0-8, 0-5) 

Where: Independence Stadium 

Series: Byrd 33-17

Last year: Byrd 37-24 

Last week: Byrd lost to Airline 48-28; Southwood lost to Captain Shreve 29-26 

Rankings: Byrd is No. 4 in SBJ poll 

LHSAA power rankings: Byrd is No. 6; Southwood is No. 33 in Select Division I

Radio: Byrd (The Tiger 1130 AM, 103.3 FM) 

Notables: The Cowboys are coming off a disappointing loss to Captain Shreve as they held a 12-7 edge at the half but fell 29-26 to the Gators … Southwood was able to run the ball in the first half, racking up 158 yards on the ground … Corinthian Walters and Detonion Arkansas carried the load against the Gators as they scored both first-half touchdowns and finished the game with 206 and 109 yards rushing, respectively.

After a quarter and a half of play – and leading 21-14 – Byrd was outscored 34-7 last week … In 1988, Byrd surrendered the most points in school history – losing 70-6 to the Cowboys. The Southwood coaching staff put the starters back in the game when Byrd’s Arlenzia Jackson scored the only touchdown of the night … Byrd wide receiver Jackson Dufrene has been added to the Louisiana Football Coaches Association I-20 Bowl roster. Dufrene and his teammates on the West will take on the best players in Northeast Louisiana on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2pm at Ruston High School.

Natchitoches Central (3-5, 2-3) at Haughton (4-4, 2-3) 

Where: Harold E. Harlan Stadium 

Series: Haughton 3-0

Last year: Haughton 35-7 

Last week: Natchitoches Central lost to Parkway 37-22; Haughton lost to Benton 78-71 

Rankings: Haughton is No. 6 in SBJ poll 

LHSAA power rankings: NCHS is 34^th and Haughton is at 24 in Non-Select Division I 

Radio: NCHS (95.9 FM Kix Classic Country, http://69.64.65.171:8192/kixstl) 

Notables: The 71 points Haughton scored Between the Pines in last Friday’s loss to Benton was the most the Bucs have scored in a single game since they hung 84 on Huntington in 2010 when Dak Prescott, now with the Dallas Cowboys, was the starting quarterback … The Bucs are 2-2 in their most recent four games and have averaged scoring 43 points a game in that stretch … Among SBJ statistical leaders, Tyler Rhodes is No.3 in rushing yards (136-921-13) and QB Colin Rains is 14^th (72-398-6) … Rains ranks 7^th in passing yards (87-137-5, 1344, 13 TDs) … Jalen Lewis is 16^th in number of receptions (23-510-3) and Rashad Douglas is 23^rd (16-303-4) … Haughton is scheduled to play at Captain Shreve Friday, Nov. 4.

NCHS has become much better offensively since senior QB Brian Young has recovered from a preseason shoulder injury. 

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

There are only three teams in Shreveport-Bossier with unbeaten district records as Week 9 approaches. After the first three weeks of the season, you would have gotten some pretty decent odds on one of those teams being Loyola after the Flyers went 0-3.

But as the leaves fall and the grass turns brown (unless you have turf), there are the Flyers at the top of the District 1-2A standings with a 3-0 record and a four-game winning streak. And they still have two more home games to play. That’s the good news.

The bad news is there is more work to do. A lot more work.

Loyola has beaten the teams with a combined 1-8 district record. Next up are the two teams who are a combined 5-1 in the district – and both ranked in the LSWA statewide Class 2A poll.

The first of those two games is against North Caddo, who will come to Messmer Stadium Friday at 7 p.m. with a 6-2 overall record and a No. 8 state ranking. The only 1-2A team the Titans have lost to is No. 5 Calvary who is, you guessed it, Loyola’s final regular-season opponent.

It’s Halloween season, so you might understand Flyers coach Mike Greene’s feelings about taking on the Titans. “It’s scary,” he said. “Every snap you just have to hold your breath.”

North Caddo relies on a quick-strike offense with a number of different weapons who can line up all over the field.

“It’s like they say, get your playmakers the ball in space and let them do what they do,” said North Caddo coach Johnny Kavanaugh. “It’s definitely part of our game plan to do that. It’s a blessing to have kids who can take the ball and go 80 yards. You just have to find a way to get them the ball so they can do that.”

“I told our kids that every single play we are going to have to run to the football and play like you are on fire,” Greene said. “You watch them (the Titans) on field and they will start one way and cut back three or four times and the next thing you know they are in the end zone.”

That’s quite different from the approach Loyola uses on offense. The Flyers’ recent success – they’ve scored 118 points in the last three weeks – has come from a balance of running, passing and grind-it-out drives.

“They seem to pound people with power,” Kavanaugh said. “They pull that guard and go right up the middle and have had success with that. The scary part to me is the quarterback (Cooper DeFatta) with his run aspect. Any time you have a quarterback who can run, that adds an extra dimension. Their balance makes them very difficult to stop.”

In addition to throwing for 732 yards and five touchdowns this season, DeFatta is Loyola’s leading rusher with 484 yards and seven touchdowns.

In addition, the game carries postseason implications. Both are currently in the Top 10 in the Select-Division III power rankings. The top eight ranked teams will get a first-round bye. 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

North Caddo (6-2, 2-1) at Loyola (4-3, 3-0) 

Where: Messmer Stadium  

Series: Loyola 31-18-1 

Last year: did not play 

Last week: North Caddo beat Green Oaks 38-0; Loyola beat Lakeside 41-14 

Rankings: North Caddo No. 10 in Shreveport-Bossier Journal Top 10 poll 

LHSAA power rankings: North Caddo is 7th; LCP is No. 10 in Select Division III 

Radio: North Caddo (KNCB 1320 AM, K104 FM) 

Notables: Haughton scored 71 points and lost to Benton last Friday night. The last time a team scored that many points and lost was when North Caddo lost to Lakeside during Week 10 of the 2013 season. 

Loyola has lost its last six games against ranked opponents, dating back to 2016 … The Flyers will come into the game with back-to-back games with more than 400 yards in total offense … Loyola has rushed for five touchdowns in a game three times this year, including the last two games … The Flyers have more wins against North Caddo (31) than any other opponent in school history … Senior defensive end Andrew DeFatta had two quarterback sacks last week and Grayson Hutchins picked off his third pass of the year.

D’Arbonne Woods (5-3, 1-2) vs. Green Oaks (2-6, 0-3) 

Where: Lee Hedges Stadium 

Series: First meeting 

Last year: did not play 

Last week: D’Arbonne Woods lost to Calvary 56-7; Green Oaks lost to North Caddo 38-0 

Rankings: none 

LHSAA power rankings: D’Arbonne Woods is No. 16; Green Oaks ranks No. 18 Select Division III 

Radio: none 

Notables: The Giants, who have lost five straight games, were shut out for the first time last week when they fell 38-0 to North Caddo, No.8 in the LSWA Class 2A rankings … “Their athletes are every bit as good as advertised,” Green Oaks head coach Chadwick Lewis said of the Titans. “We have to get over the mental hump and learn how to rise to the occasion when playing good teams and players like North Caddo” … The good news from last week is the Giants were able to come out of the game “pretty injury-free” … “We were able to get a couple of guys back this week from injury, so another week of getting them back in a groove will definitely help,” said Lewis … The Green Oaks coach knows his offense will have to step up and help the defense against D’Arbonne Woods … “They want to run the ball and they do it well,” said Lewis. “Coach (Thomas) Tharp has always had a good rushing attack and this year is no different” … Despite the Giants’ losing streak, Lewis is proud of the fact that his players continue to fight. “Our boys never quit, so that is what I love about them,” he said. “As a team, we just have to keep pushing and keep grinding.”

Arcadia (5-3, 1-3) at Magnolia (1-7, 1-3) 

Where: Magnolia 

Series: Arcadia 2-0 

Last year: Arcadia 70-12 

Last week: Arcadia lost to Homer 43-6; Magnolia lost to Haynesville 48-6 

Rankings: none 

LHSAA power rankings: Arcadia is No. 10 in Non-Select Division IV; Magnolia ranks No. 25 in Select Division IV 

Radio: none 

Notables: After notching their first victory of the season two weeks ago, the Mariners took a tumble last week as they fell to the No. 9 team in the LSWA Class 1A rankings … They trailed 41-0 and didn’t score until the final stages of the Week 8 loss to Haynesville (48-6) … “The game was not what we hoped,” said Magnolia head coach Toriano Williams, “but I was proud of how our kids bounced back after our player had the mild concussion” … The Mariners’ coach is hoping his players who were out due to illness will be back this week … “This week we play another good running team,” said Williams. “And we will have to do better on offense” … Arcadia is hoping to get back in the win column as the Hornets have lost back-to-back district games (47-18 to Haynesville and 43-6 to Homer) … Their district win came against Ringgold (36-0) in Week 6.

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine

With the high school football regular season nearly done, and Early Signing Day near in December, we’ve seen a lot of talent showing up this fall under the lights in Bossier and Caddo parishes.

Today’s article will focus on four of the elite players around Shreveport-Bossier City, kids who I expect to become top-caliber college starters who may even be in the NFL one day.

We will talk about the most talented players I’ve seen in the area when it comes to God-given talent — not necessarily who has previously made All-State or All-District.

I have written about all these players at some point. It’s my list and not a copied list from a recruiting service.

I don’t follow rankings. I have scouted for over 30 years and rely on my eyes watching these kids play on video or in person, in games and practices.

I’ve seen some special players come out of the area since 1991, and for every Morris Claiborne (Fair Park, LSU) or Tre’Davious White (Green Oaks, LSU), you always will see players not ranked highly who become players in college and the NFL like Donovan Wilson (Woodlawn, Texas A&M), the safety who is having a BIG year for the Dallas Cowboys.

When I worked for LSU and others in the 1990s and early 2000s as a contract scout, breaking down film, I was always told by the staff members – “find me players.”

Today’s list is my top players I’ve seen locally not only in 2022, but in a couple of cases, in the last two or three years.

I came up with an Elite Eight of local players in the Class of 2023 who I think will be special in college and possibly reach the NFL with the chance to be very successful at the highest level.

Why did it become eight players? These kids are ready to enter college tomorrow and start with no learning curve besides learning their team’s offense or defense. From a talent standpoint, they are ready now to be stars at the next level. It takes more than talent to do that – but if you don’t have the talent, it’s a very steep climb up that mountain.

In Saturday’s edition, we will talk about players I rank 5-8 in my Elite Eight list.

My No. 1 player for the Shreveport-Bossier area for the Class of 2023 is Omarion Miller from North Caddo. Currently committed to Nebraska, he recently took in an LSU game in Tiger Stadium. Stay tuned.

Why is he the No. 1, ready-for-college-now player in the area? Miller is special, a 6-2, 196-pounder who plays the game as a WR or DB like Devin White played the game a few years back for North Webster as a RB/LB. Miller plays the game at another speed and level of effort. You can’t coach his God-given speed and his tough makeup is as good as it gets in Louisiana, not just locally.

I believe he is more advanced at this point than even Terrace Marshall (Parkway HS, LSU) who had a great career in Baton Rouge with Joe Burrow and is being wasted so far in a dysfunctional organization in Carolina in the NFL.

Miller can be an All American in college at either WR or DB. That is something that only the very elite kids can do at the next level.

My No. 2 player in the area is the most gifted CB prospect I’ve seen since Tre’Davious White from Green Oaks: MarJayvious Moss (5-11, 175) from Northwood.  His 4.4 40-yard speed is real. He is the only DB anywhere in my 31 years I’ve ever watched intercept five passes in one night. Vandy, Minnesota, Baylor and others have been recruiting him since this past January. This kid has incredible skills and LSU and all the big guys are starting to take notice. They should.

Coming in at No. 3 is Athlete/RB/WR Jaylan White from Parkway. This kid also has 4.4 speed or better and it’s real game speed. Mississippi State has long been the leader, but I-20 rivals ULM and Louisiana Tech have recruited him hard. There is mutual interest there for his home-state schools. White can be a RB or WR in college and has the stuff of a Jaylen Waddle-type (Alabama). My best bet here projects him as a slot WR and a playmaker on special teams. More big schools will come calling when the season is over, I predict.

Wrapping up my top standouts list at No. 4 is North Caddo RB/LB Aiden Brock, who is a ripped-up 5-11, 225-pounder with 4.5 speed. He could be a big-time LB or RB in college. Built like Devin White, with speed and strength, Brock has God-given tools to be a steal for someone who picks up on him by December.

It’s really hard to find a LB/RB this size in college with speed and I believe he should be in high demand soon. Brock is not ranked high by recruiting services but I see something special in this kid and think he can be great in college.

Saturday: the other Class of 2023 standouts in my local Elite Eight.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

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