Dutchtown 42, Parkway 8 

Score by quarters 

Dutchtown | 0 | 28 | 14 | 0 | – 42 

Parkway | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – 8 

Scoring Summary 

DHS – Gary Dukes 3 run (Corbin Roussel kick)

DHS – Dylan Dicharry 31 pass from Pierson Parent (Roussel kick) 

DHS – Dukes 44 run (Roussel kick) 

DHS – AK Burrell 34 run (Roussel kick) 

DHS – Burrell 1 run (Roussel kick) 

PHS – Trenton Lape 47 pass from Ashton Martin (Jaylan White run) 

DHS – Burrell 7 run (Roussel kick) 

Individual leaders 

Rushing 

Parkway (38-134) – White 20-77, Martin 7-33 

Dutchtown (38-318) – Burrell 7-141, 2 TDs, Dukes 15-110, 2 TDs, Pierson Parent 9-58 

Passing 

Parkway – Ashton Martin 6-20-0-80, TD 

Dutchtown – Parent: 5-8-0-89, TD, Dylan Champagne 1-2-0-8 

Receiving 

Parkway – Lape 2-57, TD, White 3-26, Antonio Gladney 1-(-3) 

Dutchtown – Rylan Mayeaux 3-38, Dicharry 2-61, TD

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By JERRY BYRD, Journal Sports   

Jesuit-New Orleans head coach Ryan Manale expected his Blue Jays to have to overcome some adversity in the LHSAA playoffs, but he didn’t think it would come before kickoff in his team’s first-round Division I Select playoff game against the Huntington Raiders. 

“We were supposed to come in three buses,” Manale said. “We got here in two. And we were an hour late getting to Shreveport.” 

No matter. The Blue Jays rolled the Raiders 45-9 in front of a handful of spectators on a cold and soggy night at Lee Hedges Stadium, blasting out to a 35-point halftime lead.

On the fourth play of the game, Huntington’s quarterback Jamarion Washington ran the ball up the middle of the Jesuit defense for 63 yards and set up a Dany Cuat 21-yard field goal.  

Jesuit answered with an eight-play drive which ended with a Patrick Berrigan 1-yard touchdown run to take a 7-3 lead. 

After a 30-yard run by John Solomon on Huntington’s next possession, Washington was picked off by Jesuit’s Nick Jacobs. 

The Blue Jays put the ball in the hands of running back Jaron Duplesis and Berrigan. Duplesis carried the ball for 27 yards on three touches before Berrigan took over and added 16 more yards on three carries. Jesuit quarterback Beau Perez then found Hollis McDaniel for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 1:03 left in the first quarter as Jesuit led 14-3. 

Jesuit kicker Aidan Corbello was good on his second consecutive point after attempt before demonstrating his versatility with a sky kick, which was fumbled by the Huntington return team and recovered by Jesuit’s Tucker Schibler. 

The Blue Jays got as far as the Huntington 6, but the Raider defense stiffened and Jesuit had to settle for a 32-yard Corbello field goal to build a 17-3 edge. 

Special teams miscues continued throughout the remainder of the first half for the Raiders, who struggled to punt the football. Those were unforced errors on Huntington’s part which allowed Jesuit to have short fields.  

Perez found Jace Larsen on a third-down 21-yard touchdown pass with 8:16 to go in the first half to give the Blue Jays a 24-3 lead.  

Jesuit scored two more touchdowns – a two-yard Jasper Parker run and another touchdown pass from Perez to Harry Reinhardt with 12 seconds left in the half. The Blue Jays led 38-3. 

“He did a great job of managing the offense,” Manale said. “Our guys executed and made plays in all three phases of the game early. It’s always good to advance and win playoff games.”   

In the second half, Berrigan scored on 14-yard touchdown run, and the Jesuit coaching staff began mass substitutions. 

Huntington’s only other score came on 32-yard yard John Solomon run with 9:30 left in the game. 

“I told our kids I was proud of the way they came out in the second half and played hard,” Huntington head coach Stephen Dennis said. “I told them at halftime I wanted them to play hard for the next 24 minutes and be able to look themselves in the mirror after it was over. And they did that. I also told them that it is a privilege to be their coach.” 

As for Huntington’s season, which comes to an end at 6-5? 

“I am proud of what we accomplished,” said Dennis, whose Raiders were seeded 14^th to the No. 19 seed of Jesuit. “It’s hard to lose one of the best quarterbacks in the state and try to replace that amount of offense.” 

Dennis was referring to Huntington’s Kam Evans, who has been out with a shoulder injury for the last three weeks.    

The Blue Jays advance to face a familiar foe, John Curtis in the second round. Jesuit, 5-6, suffered a Week 4 loss, 28-10, to the Patriots on Sept. 23. 

The outcome may be a little different this time around.  

“You want to be playing your best football at the end of the season,” Manale said. “And I think we are doing that right now.” 

Contact Jerry at sbjjerrybyrd@gmail.com

Jesuit 45, Huntington 9

Score by quarters

Jesuit | 14 | 24 | 7 | 0 | – 45

Huntington |3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | – 9 

Scoring summary

H – Danny Cuat 21 FG

J – Joashua Washington 3 run (Aidan Corbello kick)

J – Hollis McDaniel 9 pass from Beau Perez (Corbello kick)

J – Corbello 32 FG

J – Jace Larsen 17 pass from Perez (Corbello kick)

J – Jasper Parker 2 run (Corbello kick)

J – Harry Reinhardt 13 pass from Perez (Corbello kick)

J – Patrick Berrigan 14 run (Joseph Barber kick)

H – John Solomon 32 run (pass failed)

Individual leaders 

Rushing 

Jesuit (35-158) – Jaron Duplesis 12-73, Berrigan 9-69, Parker 6-12. 

Huntington (16-117) – Jamarion Washington 3-63, Solomon 4-43, Lorenzo White 3-17, Jamarion Mims 3-8.

Passing 

Jesuit – Perez 7-11-0, 83 yards. 

Huntington (9-19-2, 80 yards) – White 7-14-2, 76 yards; Washington 2-5-0, 4 yards. 

Receiving 

Jesuit – Reinhardt 2-33, Jace Larsen 2-24, Jason Thompson 1-11, Hollis McDaniel 1-9, Washington 1-6. 

Huntington – Tre Carter 6-40, Solomon 2-33, Jarvis Davis 1-7.

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JOURNAL STAFF 

Evangel saved its best for the playoffs as the No. 13 seed Eagles rolled No. 20 Istrouma in a 60-0 shellacking Friday night.  

The Eagles piled on 21 points in the first quarter before completely pulling away against the Indians, taking advantage of short fields caused by turnovers. 

“This team has been getting better every week, and I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” said Evangel coach Denny Duron. “It’s wonderful watching these kids play, and they’ve earned the right to play well. They practice with all their hearts, and they love each other and love the game.  

“Most importantly they love God, and this is a team that not only plays together and goes to school together, they have fun together and worship together. I’ve had a wonderful time watching this group come together in their hearts and see that manifest on the field as well.”  

Evangel (7-4) won its fourth straight contest and logged its first playoff win since 2019. The Eagles will head south to play No. 4 E.D. White in the second round of the Select Division II playoffs.  

The Peyton Fulgham-Parker Fulgham connection remained strong Friday, but Duron lauded the effort of newly-minted running back Andrez Mosley as the “surprise star on offense.”  

“I can’t say enough about Peyton and how well he played, and Parker had a big night as the other receivers made clutch catches as well,” Duron said. “But Mosley had a great night at running back after he played defense most of the year. Running back is a natural position for him, and he was like a fish in water.”  

The defense pitched its second straight shutout after blanking Booker T. Washington in Week 10, and the Eagles took advantage of Istrouma turnovers for easy points.  

“The stars of the night were the defensive unit,” Duron said. “Istrouma is the biggest team I think we’ve ever played against (the Indians have at least four offensive linemen that weigh in at more than 325 pounds). But our kids were able to take on the challenge, and the defensive front was the story.  

“Our coordinators had great gameplans tonight, and our boys rose to the challenge against a confident Istrouma team that had size, speed and ability.”  

Istrouma (4-7) ended its season by losing six of its last seven games.  

METAIRIE PARK COUNTRY DAY 34, GREEN OAKS 12: Visiting Green Oaks answered the challenge early issued by No. 9 seed Country Day, but the Cajuns proved to be too much in the first round of the Division III Select playoffs.  

The No. 24 seed Giants (2-9) responded to an early Country Day score with a touchdown run from quarterback Tovoras Lee, cutting the Cajuns lead to 7-6 with Green Oaks’ first offensive possession.  

Green Oaks forced a fumble on the next drive, but the Giants couldn’t capitalize with points.  

The Cajuns (6-5) scored the next three touchdowns to secure their fourth win in the last six games.  

The Giants cut Country’s Day edge to 28-12 on a Delarrious Marshall touchdown run in the third quarter, but Country Day held GO at bay from there.  

“Our guys definitely competed hard, and we had our opportunities, but mental mistakes hurt us at the wrong times,” said head coach Chadwick Lewis. “We don’t have any guys with more than two years of playing experience, even among our six seniors. So we have another year of strength and conditioning with track that will definitely help us. I believe making the playoffs and losing it like this will leave a sour taste, and we will be hungry next season.”  

The Giants end the season with their eighth straight loss but qualified for their fourth playoff trip in the last five seasons.  

Green Oaks provided friction for a Country Day offense that has scored 30 or more points in five regular-season games. 

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JOURNAL SPORTS

LHSAA Playoffs

First round

Non-Select 

Division I

Haughton 36, Airline 26
Benton 41, Ponchatoula 7
Dutchtown 42, Parkway 8
West Monroe 45, Chalmette 6
Denham Springs 39, Covington 6
East St. John 29, Walker 28
Ouachita 35, Hahnville 21 

Division III

Rosepine 34, Red River 6
Jena 26, Mansfield 8
Richwood 12, Caldwell Parish 8

Division IV

Haynesville 44, East Iberville 6
Logansport 36, Jonesboro-Hodge 6
Cedar Creek 30, Slaughter Charter 0
Arcadia 26, Lake Arthur 0
Oak Grove 52, Centerville 8

Select 

Division I

Captain Shreve 36, Tioga 27
Jesuit 45, Huntington 9
Alexandria 42, McKinley 0
St. Paul’s 24, Holy Cross 21

Division II

Evangel 60, Istrouma 0

Division III

Loyola 61, St. Thomas Aquinas 14
Country Day 34, Green Oaks 12
Parkview 31, Menard 0 

Division IV

Ascension Catholic 49, Lincoln Prep 6

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By RYNE BERTHELOT, Journal Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After two consecutive upsets under the lights of Tiger Stadium, the hard part of LSU’s SEC gauntlet is behind the Tigers.

Now comes the dangerous part.

Today’s 11:07 a.m. matchup on ESPN with a struggling Arkansas (5-4 overall, 2-3 in the SEC) team will be the perfect test of the Tigers’ consistency.

LSU will encounter a hostile environment, a high of 45 degrees that will feel much colder, and a rivalry trophy (The Boot) at stake. The Tigers (7-2, 5-1) have to cast aside the underdog mindset that’s fueled a run to the top of the SEC West. They’re three-and-a-half-point favorites in Las Vegas. They’re now No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll.

Even head coach Brian Kelly admitted Wednesday that the newfound success requires adjustments to his team’s preparation.

“Certainly with the success we’ve had, we’ve entered into a new part of how we think, and our team needs to now handle success,” Kelly said during the SEC teleconference. “That means preparing the right way, avoiding distractions and really working on what they’ve been good at, and that’s day-to-day.”

The Tigers have prepared this week to face dual threat quarterback KJ Jefferson, whose status was described as a game-time decision by Arkansas coach Sam Pittman Wednesday. Redshirt sophomore Malik Hornsby is waiting in the wings for the Razorbacks, another dual-threat quarterback, albeit with limited game action during his two seasons in Fayetteville.

Pittman said that Hornsby’s prepared for the starting job this week, if Jefferson’s bruised clavicle forces him to miss time.

“Malik Hornsby’s looked really good in practice, the team’s confident in him,” Pittman said. “Either way, whatever happens, whether we play KJ or we play Malik, we feel like we’ll have guy who can go back there that the team believes in, and execute our game plan.”

Pittman did say that Jefferson’s thrown “a little bit more” this week than he did last week, when Arkansas suffered an ugly 21-19 loss to Liberty, but the redshirt junior still threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns. It was Jefferson’s meager rushing production – 16 attempts for 36 yards, including four sacks – that was out of place.

Those numbers may not improve this week thanks to a dominant pass rush for the Tigers, complete with a three-headed monster in Harold Perkins, Micah Baskerville and BJ Ojulari. Those three linebackers combined for two sacks, two-and-a-half tackles for loss, and six quarterback hurries against Bryce Young last week.

LSU also boasts two former Razorbacks in the secondary in Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks. While they’ve both been key contributors to LSU’s continued success, Kelly added that he didn’t seek intel from them on their former teammate.

“Look, there’s not a whole lot you can do. You’ve got to defend a dual threat quarterback,” Kelly said. “You can only imagine they didn’t have much success defending him in practice. We didn’t spend too much time asking about it. We know we’ve got to do a great job with 11 players defending KJ.”

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

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By JASON PUGH, Special to the Journal

HAMMOND – Brad Laird started his fifth year as the head football coach at Northwestern State by asking his 2022 team the same question he does every year.

“Everybody’s going to remember the 2022 football team, no matter what happens,” Laird said. “How are they going to remember it? That’s the question we get the opportunity to answer every Saturday.”

The Demons can write a portion of a fairytale ending this afternoon in Strawberry Stadium when they face No. 25 Southeastern at 4 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+ with free streaming audio available on www.NSUDemons.com and the Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded free for Apple and Android devices.

On the line for the Demons? The first of two straight shots at a share of their first Southland Conference championship since 2004.  NSU is in sole possession of first with a 4-0 mark in the league with two games left, but with two ranked teams ahead in SLU and No. 7 UIW at home next week.

“We’re continuing to write that book,” Laird said. “That book’s not finished. It will be interesting to see how the ending will be. Saturday is another chapter in the book.”

It is a chapter rife with opportunity for the Demons (4-5, 4-0), who have won their first four conference games for the first time since 1988.

The immediate benefits of a win would be a title share and a shot at an outright conference title in the Nov. 19 home finale against Top 10-ranked UIW.

The down-the-line ramifications are even greater.

“It most definitely is a legacy game,” said senior defensive end/linebacker Jomard Valsin. “It shows the work that needs to be put in (to be successful). We’ll leave a blueprint of what needs to be done for them to follow.”

Valsin can speak from a position of experience. A fifth-year senior, Valsin has been a productive part of the Demon program since 2018, collecting 230 career tackles (33.5 for loss), 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Those stats came as the Demons compiled a total of 12 wins in Valsin’s first four seasons. Now Valsin and his teammates – old and new – can etch their names in Northwestern history with a win Saturday.

“For the guys who have been here as part of the highs and lows – a lot more lows than highs – it’s great to see them have the opportunity to make their mark,” Laird said.

Standing in the way of a Hollywood ending for the Demons is a 6-3 Southeastern team that moved back into the national rankings and sits a game behind NSU in the SLC standings at 3-1.

It is a Lion team that is more than familiar with NSU – Saturday’s meeting is the fourth between the teams since March 13, 2021 – and features a couple of ties with NSU on the coaching staff.

Former Demon quarterbacks coach Anthony Scelfo is SLU’s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator while record-setting Demon quarterback Bryce Rivers is an offensive analyst.

“There is a lot of history with (head) coach (Frank) Scelfo,” Laird said. “Frank is a good friend. Anthony was on our staff. I hired him when I became the head coach here. There are guys on that staff we know personally. It makes it even more fun. You know when you play them, you better be ready to play for 60 minutes. Our guys will be.”

The Demons enter the game coming off their largest margin of victory of the season, defeating Texas A&M-Commerce, 41-14, a week ago.

It marked the second straight road game in which the Demons jumped to a quick lead, following a 24-point, first-quarter eruption at Houston Christian on Oct. 15.

In the span of one minute of game time at Commerce, the Demons saw their 14-0 lead evaporate. NSU responded by scoring the final 27 points of the game to stoke their chance at a Southland Conference championship.

“This time of year, you keep winning and the next one gets bigger,” Laird said. “For us, I go back to when we started conference. We decided we’re playing one week at a time. This one happens to be the next one on the schedule. It’s big because of what’s happened in the past. It’s important for us to prepare to be at our best on Saturday.”

Contact Jason at pughj@nsula.edu

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JOURNAL SPORTS

GRAMBLING – It was surprising, and refreshing, to see the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pac-12 Conference visit Grambling State’s Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center Friday night. Not many Power 5 basketball programs visit smaller Division I venues.

Few across the country imagined a much bigger surprise. But the G-Men delivered, leading start to finish in an 83-74 victory in the inaugural SWAC/Pac-12 Legacy Series.

GSU’s first win over a member of a Power 5 conference came on Dec. 1, 2017 as the Tigers edged Georgia Tech, 64-63, in Atlanta. While that was also an upset, this one was arguably bigger because loyal Grambling fans got to watch it unfold in person, on campus.

“It’s nothing like playing at home,” GSU coach Donte’ Jackson said. “There’s nothing like playing in front of your family and friends and being able to compete at a high level. I just really appreciate everybody coming out and making it a good crowd.”

Official attendance was slightly under a thousand, but it was a spirited gathering, as the Tigers built a 14-point halftime lead and never gave it up.

Shawndarius Cowart paced four players in double figures with 19 points, on 6-of-12 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers. Cameron Christon registered 17 and Terrence Lewis added 15 points, while Carte’Are Gordon contributed 14.

Pushing the tempo from the start, GSU raced to a 10-4 lead after a thunderous two-handed dunk by Gordon and stretched the lead to 17-6 as Lewis outraced the Buffs defense for a layup six minutes in.

Grambling used a 13-2 run to take a 37-18 advantage with 6:13 left in the half. The spread grew to 19, 43-24, with 2:24 left.

The Buffs scored eight straight over the final two minutes of the half to close the deficit to 43-32, but Cowart’s buzzer-beater sent the Tigers into the break with a 46-32 advantage.

“That was an incredible momentum changer,” Jackson said. “Colorado started pushing and taking the momentum and Cowart hit a big buzzer-beater. It was kind of a back breaker.”

The Buffs (1-1) cut the margin to 60-51 with just over 11 minutes to play, but the Tigers used a 9-2 run to extend the lead back to double digits, 69-53, at the 7:40 mark.

Colorado got aggressive on the defensive end and used a 7-0 run to cut the double-digit deficit to 73-64 with 3:20 left. GSU’s lead was trimmed to 77-70 with 1:28 to go.

The Tigers sealed the game at the free throw line, hitting six of their last eight from there to maintain control.

Grambling gets a week to savor the victory before heading out to play Grand Canyon and Arizona State next Saturday and Monday.

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By MALCOLM BUTLER, Lincoln Parish Journal

SAN ANTONIO — Coming off its best defensive performance of the season, Louisiana Tech will be in for one of its biggest defensive challenges of 2022 today when the Bulldogs (3-6, 2-3) face UTSA (7-2, 5-0) at 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome.

The contest can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network (and on the LA Tech Athletics app) on 92.1 FM locally with Malcolm Butler and Teddy Allen providing the call of the game. Pregame will start at 1 p.m.

Head coach Sonny Cumbie and the Bulldogs are coming off a 40-24 win over Middle Tennessee last Saturday in a game that the ‘Dogs forced four second half turnovers, blocked a punt, and got a number of stops on downs.

However, Tech faces the first-place Roadrunners, who are coming off a double overtime win over UAB on the road last week and a team that boasts the top mark in C-USA.

“They have won six straight games,” said Cumbie. “They know how to win football games. They are a team that if it gets to the fourth quarter, they expect to win. They do the little things that it takes to win. We want to challenge our team and our program to learn to do the little things that can win you close games.”

UTSA is led by all-everything quarterback Frank Harris, who is the clubhouse leader for the league’s MVP award at this point of the season. Harris has passed for over 2,800 yards and 21 scores while rushing for another 350-plus yards and five more touchdowns. The veteran signal caller has Cumbie’s attention.

“They are really good on offense,” said Cumbie. “Their quarterback is starting his 40th career game. We will have our hands full with him. He can make plays with his feet. He does a great job in the pocket. I think they have a really good understanding of his skill set.”

Harris has plenty of weapons, including three receivers who have each recorded more than 700 yards receiving this season: Joshua Cephus (66-742-4), Zakhari Frankling (62-768-9) and De’Corian Clark (51-741-8).

The Bulldogs have played fruit-basket-turnover with their quarterbacks the last few weeks due to injury. Tech will make a game-time decision on Parker McNeil or Landry Lyddy based on McNeil’s status in pregame warmups. Regardless which QB gets the nod, the Bulldogs have their work cut out on both offense and special teams.

“UTSA is good on defense and on special teams,” said Cumbie. “They will try to steal a possession or two with those units. We have to be on our toes in terms of special teams.”

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By T. SCOTT BOATRIGHT, Lincoln Parish Journal

HOUSTON — It’s naturally been a season of firsts for Grambling State University football playing the initial season of the Hue Jackson coaching era.

GSU will be looking for at least another first this weekend as the Tigers, riding a two-game win streak that has made them 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s West Division, play a 6 p.m. visit to Texas Southern.

Two of Grambling’s wins have come during the last two home games in league play, and the third victory was a neutral site romp over Northwestern State in Shreveport on Sept. 10.

Now the Tigers are looking for their first road win of the season as they take on Texas Southern, which stands at 4-5 and 3-3 in the SWAC West with a 1-2 home slate.

The last time Grambling State lost at Texas Southern was in 2012 (23-20).

“Hopefully in those early road games we learned what not to do,” Jackson said. “You can’t go turn the ball over, you can’t have assignment errors. You can’t beat yourselves and expect to win.”

One thing Jackson has to be hoping for is a second straight commanding performance from senior running back Maurice Washington, who led the G-Men with 201 yards on only 10 carries last Saturday. Scoring on runs of 75 and 56 yards while breaking away for 23 yards on another run, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week accounted for more than half of his total yardage and added a 14-yard reception for good measure in last week’s 36-10 Homecoming win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

While Washington brought the zoom to Grambling’s offensive back, it was true freshman Floyd Chalk adding the boom to GSU’s run game against UAPB, powering his way for 79 yards on 13 carries while Dedric Talbert added 26 yards on six rushes, including a four-yard scoring scamper.

“He’s doing some great things,” Jackson said about Washington. “We’re relying on him more and more, but at the same he’s got to grow and continue to get better as well. 

“That’s what you’re seeing from our football team. We’re getting better in a lot of different spots. It’s taken a little longer than all of us would like, but at the same time we’re starting to see what it could be if we keep on working at it, and I think that’s what our players are doing.”

Grambling has been outgained by opponents more than 100 yards per game so far this season, something Jackson has waited patiently (at least outwardly)  to see improve.

And that means Jackson will be looking for continued growth from true freshman quarterback Julian Calvez, who has connected on 43-of-112 pass attempts for 448 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.

“There’s no question that his best football is ahead of him,” Jackson said of his freshman quarterback. “He’s young, and I really don’t think people understand that when you’re young, it’s a question of can you really handle the pressure of making decisions for 55, 60 to 75 plays per game. 

“He’s doing a good job by putting us in position to win games. And that’s his job. And at the end of the day, that’s what he’s doing.”

Texas Southern’s offense is based on a ground attack that has seen TSU rush the ball on 63% of its offensive snaps so far this season.

That will be a challenge for Grambing’s front-line defenders, who have picked up their game in recent weeks. Grambling is giving up an average of 184.6 rushing yards per contest but held UAPB to only 81 yards last weekend.

“I think our front seven have really grown,” Jackson said. “I think early on we saw some things that needed shoring up and I think the players have done a really good job of doing that.  

“Am I surprised by it? No. But I am excited by it.” 

Grambling State leads the all-time series over TSU 47-18-3 and is riding a seven-game winning streak in the rivalry after defeating Texas Southern 34-20 during last year’s Homecoming game.

Tonight’s game will be streamed live ESPN+ with Butch Alsandor and Jorge Vargas making the call. 

Grambling State will broadcast and stream the game on the Grambling State Sports Radio Network with the Tigers’ broadcast crew of Ossie Clark and Chyelle Flowers calling the action.

Contact Scott at tscottboatright@gmail.com

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By TEDDY ALLEN, Journal Sports

Haven’t we seen this before?

Well, yes — and probably no.

District 1-5A cousins Haughton (5-5, 3-4) and Airline (7-3, 7-0) go at it again tonight at 7, a first-round Non-Select Division I playoff game at M.D. Ray Field at Airline High Stadium. Some people are old enough to remember when these two teams played before — a whole 29 days ago.

Airline won it, 55-42, the closest winning margin in the Vikings’ 7-0 district sweep and turnaround from last year’s 1-9 season. That first meeting on Oct. 13, a Thursday night, was closer than the final 13-point gap: Airline led 27-21 at the half and also by just six early in the fourth quarter.

But in reality, and in metaphor, this is a whole new ballgame.

The Vikings eventually overwhelmed the Bucs in mid-October with speed and were “a little faster getting to the edge than we were prepared for,” Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton said.

“We’re going to try some different things (tonight), some different personnel: you’d be crazy to give up 55 points to a team and play them a second time the exact way.

“Will that be a magic formula?” he said. “I doubt it. But hopefully we can get enough stops to give ourselves a chance to outscore them, because I don’t think you can shut them down; they’re too talented on offense. But if we can get a couple of turnovers and make them punt a couple of times, I think we’ll be right there.”

Like Airline, Haughton can play offense too, but in a much different way. Senior backfield mates Colin Rains and Tyler Rhodes are a bruising 1-2 punch: among SBJ-area teams, quarterback Rains is seventh in passing yardage and in the top 20 in rushing yardage, while Rhodes is second in rushing yardage.

“The biggest thing with Haughton is that duo; they’re really good,” Airline defensive coordinator Zack Pourciau said. “And they’re able to do just enough in the passing game to hurt you.”

In the first meeting, the Bucs had a pair of wideouts with more than 100 yards each receiving in Jalen Lewis (6-158) and Rashard Douglas (3-101).

Airline likes to play fast and, with all that talent in all the skill positions, there’s little reason not to.

“We knew we’d be solid at the skill spots on offense,” Pourciau said of preseason expectations. “I think the surprise has been on the offensive and defensive lines, defense for sure because we’re so undersized compared to who we play against. We’ve got to use our speed to slant and move and that’s what we’ve done; we haven’t gotten pushed around like I thought we might.”

After an 0-3 start, the Vikings are the ones doing the pushing. Pourciau, in his first year at Airline, and head coach Justin Scogin, the Vikes’ rookie head coach, figured in preseason that 7-3 would be about right.

“Felt we’d start slow and then get better,” Pourciau said. “We might have gotten here in a little different way than we thought. Justin said at the beginning to give him three games to get the offensive going; he definitely didn’t lie about that.

“We’re still battling with some guys, still getting things figured out. But they’re steadily learning and we’ve been winning and it’s been fun for sure.”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

27-Haughton (5-5) at 6-Airline (7-3) 

Where: M.D. Ray Field at Airline Stadium 

Series: Airline 27-12 

Last week: Haughton lost to Captain Shreve 42-7; Airline beat Southwood 42-14 

Rankings: Haughton is 10^th in Shreveport-Bossier Journal Top 10 poll; Airline is No. 1 in Journal Top 10, and 10^th in the LSWA’s Class 5A Top 10 statewide poll 

Radio: Airline (Miracle, 89.1 FM, http://69.64.65.171:8192/kflo) 

Notables: Fighting through some defensive injuries, the Bucs have lost three of their last four games, all in bruising District 1-5A … LB Conner Blank is second among SBJ-area teams in tackles with 113 … Senior RB Tyler Rhodes is second in rushing yardage with 1,079 and 15 TDs on 169 carries … Senior QB Colin Rains is seventh in passing yardage with 1,639 (104-171-5, 16 TDs) and is in the Top 20 among area rushers … The mid-October loss to Airline wasn’t decided until late: midway through the final quarter with Haughton trailing 48-35, Bucs senior receiver John Ecot slipped a yard short of a first down on a fourth-down play; Airline then scored and Haughton went on a 9-play, 80-yard drive to close out the scoring.

Vikes’ sophomore QB Ben Taylor leads SBJ-area teams in passing yardage with 2,730 … He’s also thrown 34 TDs … Senior receiver Daxton Chavez is first in TDs caught with 18, third in receiving yardage with 1,044, and fourth in number of receptions (50) … Cam Jefferson is third in number of receptions (53 for 627 yards and 5 TDs) … Junior RB Tre Jackson is seventh in total catches (41 for 442 yards and 6 TDs), and he’s also eighth in rushing yards (670 and 13 TDs on 104 carries) … In Airline’s 55-42 win over Haughton Oct. 13 at Airline, Jackson scored six TDs, five rushing — the longest was from 8 yards out — and one on a 28-yard pass play … Taylor was an efficient 24-31-1 for 314 yards and 3 TDs.

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Development along U.S. Hwy. 80 and several connecting roadways is beginning to increase and the Bossier Parish Police Jury is taking steps to accommodate those and future projects.

A series of sewer lines, part of the Consolidated Waterworks/Sewer District No. 1 of Bossier Parish, is currently being laid along sections of U.S. Hwy. 80 along the west-bound lanes from the Filmore area to near Princeton Rd. Another section of line is being installed along La. Hwy. 614 from its intersection with Hwy. 80 to Chandler Rd.

And a section of line will begin at the parish’s lift station site on Bellevue Rd., south of Winnfield Rd. and extend to U.S. Hwy. 80. Cost of the combined projects is estimated at $3.5 million, with funds coming from the American Rescue Plan (ARP).

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By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Huntington coach Stephen Dennis has talked to his team all year about “being 1-and-0” every week. In other words, just worry about winning this week.

That’s all well and good, but during the regular season the reality is even if you don’t go “1-and-0,” there’s always another game next week.

Not anymore.

“It’s never been more important to go 1-0 than this week,” Dennis said. “But the kids understand the mindset. They have bought into it.”

The Raiders will be ultimately looking to go 5-and-0 as they enter the Select-Division I playoffs tonight against Jesuit at 7 p.m. at Lee Hedges Stadium. It’ll take five wins to win the biggest prize of all – the state championship.

“There are four teams in our district who are no longer playing,” Dennis said. “And if we don’t want to be another one of those teams, then what we do this week in practice matters.”

Huntington is seeded 14^th in the bracket and won’t be getting any favors in taking on the Blue Jays, a team that went to the state finals a year ago. This season, Jesuit has played the Nos. 2, 4, 7 and 8 teams in the final Class 5A poll as well as the No. 7 Class 4A team.

So, forget the 4-6 overall record when evaluating the Blue Jays. This is no typical No. 19 seed.

“They lost to Catholic 14-10 last year in the championship game and they return eight starters on defense,” Dennis said. “They are good in all three phases of the game. They are not going to beat themselves. We are just going to have to execute. That may sound like coach-speak, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

The playoffs also mean playing against an opponent in which you are not familiar and, in this case, from across the state.

“During the regular season, you develop a familiarity with the people in your district,” Dennis said. “You don’t have that now. It’s playoff football. You just try to get as familiar as you can in five days and you go from here.”

The Raiders do have some postseason experience, having played five playoff games in the last three years and getting wins in each of the last two years.

“It’s always good to have experience, but every year is always different,” Dennis said. “But our kids have been in that atmosphere and environment before. That won’t be new to them.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

19-Jesuit (4-6) vs. 14-Huntington (6-4) 

Where: Lee Hedges Stadium 

Series: First meeting 

Last week: Jesuit beat Rummel 24-14; Huntington beat Bossier 48-0 

Rankings: Huntington is No. 9 in Shreveport-Bossier Journal Top 10 poll 

Radio: none 

Notables: The Raiders have never played Jesuit or any other team from the Catholic League in their history … Jesuit won its final three games of the regular season but none against teams that finished with a winning record … The Huntington defense had five sacks in their game last week against Bossier … Playing in place of injured starter Kam Evans, reserve Raider quarterbacks Jamarion Washington and Lorenzo White combined to complete 13 of 18 passes for 291 yards last week … Huntington usually plays its home games at Independence Stadium, but installation of the new turf field there has forced the game to be moved to Lee Hedges Stadium, which had its own set of preseason improvements.

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They can say what they want about beating a big rival or winning a district championship, but the playoff chase is the reason why they play high school football. Would you rather win Homecoming or the state championship?

Child, please.

This year, players from only eight teams will walk away from the LHSAA playoffs having won their final game. (That’s still too many teams, but let’s not get into that today). That means only about 400-500 players will be part of what thousands had hoped for when they were sweating through those grueling summer workouts.

But it will be worth it, no matter what the results are.

There is nothing like the playoffs, which open tonight for most of the 13 teams from Shreveport-Bossier who earned their way into the postseason. Some are happy just to be in it and others might already be making room in the trophy case.

But they all have a shot.

Win or lose, these are the games that are going to be remembered. Maybe it’s a road trip to a place you’ve never heard of. Or being on the field in warmup and sneaking a peek to the other side of the field to see what the other team has. They seemed a lot smaller on video.

I played in four playoff games in 1976 and can remember almost every detail, right down to the hot water not working in the showers at Alexandria’s Bolton Stadium. Or the fog at State Fair (now Independence) Stadium. I remember where we parked the bus at Lutcher. I could probably still come close to guessing the game-time temperature at each location.

A few years ago on an April afternoon, I went to Winnfield’s Stokes-Walker Stadium and stood at the 38 yard-line on the north end of the field.

Just stood there.

Just stood there and let it all come back to me.

Sixty-two yards away from where I stood was the south end zone. I could recount almost all of the 62 yards of the play that resulted in what was for the winning score in the state championship game. I watched my teammate cross the goal line from that spot on the field.

It was like I was still there more than 40 years later.

Which is why I always answer the same way when I’m asked for advice for high school players who are in the playoffs – take in and embrace every single detail. It’s amazing what you’ll remember years later.

It’s just so much indescribable fun that you don’t get in the regular season.

They say that one of the best days in sports is the Saturday before the Final Four starts in college basketball because all four teams think they have a shot at winning the championship. That’s what it’s like today as the hours wind down.

Doesn’t matter about the seeding or the record or the number of college prospects. What I have come to understand – and appreciate – is that players don’t think like parents or fans or even some coaches. They fully believe they can win, even when logic tells them otherwise.

Teams that were 10-0 in the regular season suddenly become 10-1 after four quarters and wonder what happened.

Teams with a losing record find themselves still playing after Thanksgiving and joyfully don’t have time to wonder what’s happening.

There’s plenty of time later for all of that.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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JOURNAL STAFF 

The first Friday night of the LHSAA football playoffs is a busy one for District 1-5A. While district champ Airline tangles with 1-5A foe Haughton, three other league teams take the field. 

Non-Select Division I

25-Ponchatoula (5-5) at 8-Benton (7-3)  

Where: Mason-Newman Field at Tiger Stadium 

Series: First meeting 

Last week: Ponchatoula beat Hammond 28-18; Benton beat Parkway 28-24 

Rankings: Benton is No. 2 in Shreveport-Bossier Journal Top 10 poll 

Radio: Benton (The Light 92.1 FM,  http://69.64.65.171:8192/ksyr) 

Notables: The Tigers earned the No. 8 seed in Non-Select Division I with an impressive six-game win streak to close the regular season … Benton won a first-round home playoff game last season, 38-31 vs. Hahnville … This year, they draw reigning state runner-up, No. 25 Ponchatoula. The Green Wave fell to Zachary, 28-20, in the 2021 Class 5A state title game … The Benton-Ponchatoula winner advances to play in the second round against the winner of No. 9 Denham Springs-No. 24 Covington … QB Gray Walters finished the regular season as the seventh leading passer in the state with 2,375 yards and his top target Pearce Russell was second in receiving yards with 1,328 and first in receptions with 78. 

19-Parkway (7-3) at 14-Dutchtown (6-3) 

Where: Geismer 

Series: First meeting 

Last week: Parkway lost to Benton 28-24; Dutchtown beat East Ascension 30-27 

Rankings: Parkway is No. 4 in SBJ poll 

Radio: none 

Notables: The No. 19-seeded Panthers lost three of their last four regular-season games … Parkway won its first two playoff games last year (at Alexandria, home vs. Captain Shreve) as the 18th seed … No. 14 Dutchtown posted three consecutive shutouts (Walker, Live Oak, St. Amant) in Weeks 6-8 this season … Dutchtown’s last playoff win came in 2020 vs. Terrebonne … Tonight’s winner advances to the second round to play No. 3 seed Destrehan (bye). 

Select Division I 

17-Captain Shreve (5-5) at 16-Tioga (7-3) 

Where: Ball 

Series: first meeting 

Last week: Captain Shreve beat Haughton 42-7; Tioga beat Grant 58-14 

Rankings: Captain Shreve is 7^th in SBJ poll 

Radio: CS (KLKL 95.7 FM, www.klkl.fm) 

Notables: After losing four straight, the Gators have won two of their last three games (which includes a one-point loss) going into the first round of the playoffs. “I think the good thing about our guys is that we never lost hope in the locker room,” said Shreve coach Adam Kirby. “We never worried about outside opinions or the perception. We just went to work every day and tried to do everything we could to win a football game. Because of this, we were able to weather the storms that this season brought and gain a playoff spot. This group is special and I’m excited to see what we do moving forward” … Despite playing a team it doesn’t know much about, Shreve’s preparation for Tioga is not much different than for a regular-season opponent. “You get the film, you watch what they do, try to find some common opponents and/or themes, and prepare your kids the best you can,” Kirby said. “If you’re going to make a playoff run, then you’re going to have to play some teams that you’re unfamiliar with and you can’t let that affect how you prepare” … A win would set up a second-round road game with top-seeded Warren Easton of New Orleans. “Our communication along the offensive line has to be great,” Kirby said, of what his team needs to do to beat Tioga. “They give you a lot of different defensive looks and send pressure from different spots so we have to be ready for that. (Quarterback) Kenyon Terrell needs to see his pre-snap reads quick and realize what he needs to do with the football before it is snapped. Defensively, we need to maintain our same energy we’ve been playing with the last 2-3 weeks and keep the confidence they’ve displayed. I think last week’s game vs. Haughton did a lot to help us heading into the playoffs confidence- wise.”

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JOURNAL STAFF 

Evangel and Loyola open the state football playoffs at home tonight, but Green Oaks takes a long drive to New Orleans. 

Select Division II

20-Istrouma (4-5) at 13-Evangel (6-4) 

Where: Rodney Duron Field 

Series: First meeting 

Last week: Istrouma lost to Brusly 34-13; Evangel beat BTW 49-0 

Rankings: Evangel is 8^th in Shreveport-Bossier Journal Top 10 poll 

Radio: none 

Notables: The No. 13-seed Eagles’ last playoff victory came with an 84-20 road destruction of E.D. White in 2019 … Istrouma, the No. 20 seed, has lost two straight playoff games by a total of 111-19 (41-0 to Belle Chasse in 2021, 70-19 to Edna Carr in 2020) … The winner of this game advances to travel to play No. 4 seed E.D. White in a Select Division II second-round game … WR Parker Fulghum finished the regular season with 879 receiving yards, which ranked 14^th in the state. 

Select Division III

22-St. Thomas Aquinas (3-7) at 11-Loyola Prep (5-4) 

Where: Messmer Stadium 

Series: First meeting 

Last week: St. Thomas Aquinas beat Springfield 67-14; Loyola lost to Calvary 45-0 

Rankings: none 

Radio: none 

Notables: Leading receiver John Carmody played briefly last week after being out since Week 6 with an injury … After a streak of losing eight straight first-round playoff games, the Flyers have won two of the last three … This will be the sixth straight year Loyola has played a fellow Catholic-based school in the playoffs … Linebacker Gray Deason now has 106 tackles — the sixth straight year for a Flyer to reach 100 tackles … Grayson Hutchins had 13 tackles last week, marking the first time Deason has not led the team in tackles in a game … Loyola is coming off the worst total offense performance (33 yards) since 2009. 

24-Green Oaks (2-8) at 9-Country Day (5-5)

Where: Metairie, Louisiana 

Series: First meeting

Last week: Green Oaks lost to Lakeside 42-36; Country Day beat M.L. King Charter 42-19 

Rankings: none 

Radio: none 

Notables: The Giants will be trying to end a seven-game losing streak when they travel to Metairie to take on the Cajuns in the first round of the Select Division III playoffs … Green Oaks is coming off of a nail-biting loss to Lakeside last week (42-36 in 3OT) … “We had the lead most of the game (by 2 TDs in the second half) and let it slip on the last play of regulation,” said Giants’ coach Chadwick Lewis. “We have to learn quickly from it if we want to advance to the second round” … The Giants are coming off of an impressive defensive performance as Delarrious Marshall and Corzavion Tucker each had interception returns for scores … Offensively, Green Oaks had its best performance so far with Marshall adding a TD run and 2-point conversion and quarterback Tovoras Lee scoring 2 TDs (one rushing, one passing) … While Green Oaks is hoping to get a player back (hamstring), the Giants should be relatively injury-free … Country Day is coming off of a 42-19 victory over King Charter in the regular-season finale … “They are a very disciplined team,” Lewis said of the Cajuns. “It’s a game we can compete in, but they aren’t going to give us the game” … While the Giants are working to “clean up silly things,” Lewis said preparation for the playoff game will be much the same … “Nothing changes our routine really,” said Lewis, “except making sure we are packed on Thursday before we leave practice.”

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Special to the Journal

Part II of our Playoffs In Depth preview takes a look at first-round matchups involving local teams in Division I of the Select side of the playoffs.

Byrd: Bye

The No. 6-seed Yellow Jackets will play the winner of McKinley and Alexandria. I think they will meet Alexandria in the second round and will face a tough matchup. 

Northwood: Bye

The Falcons (No. 5 seed) will play the winner of St. Paul’s and Holy Cross – two teams I have seen play. I think St. Paul’s will be the team Northwood meets in the second round. Holy Cross – a sleeper team in the playoffs to me before the season started — has lost over 15 players to injuries. 

Jesuit at Huntington

I just saw Jesuit play in week 7 and this is not a good matchup for Huntington. The Blue Jays are really good at stopping the run and have faced teams like John Curtis, Edna Karr, and Brother Martin — all highly skilled teams. The key to this game is Raiders’ quarterback Kameron Evans coming back from injury and taking over with big plays from wide receivers Tre Carter and Kenton Brossett and others. Jesuit has a big-time young quarterback in Beau Perez (6-4, 215) with a strong arm and good feet.

The Blue Jays also have a strong, tough offensive line led by senior Roland Waguespack (6-4, 270). They like to run as many as four running backs — led by senior Jaron Duplessis 6-0 205 – and have a big-time wide receiver in Jace Larson (6-2, 170 with 4.5 speed). If the game is close and it comes down to special teams, Jesuit is one of the best in the state — led by kicker Aidan Corbello (5-10 170) and punter William Hudlow (a Tulane commit at 6-0, 215).

Jesuit’s defense has talent but it’s not big like in years past. However, they do return a strong linebacking group and one of the state’s top defensive backs in cornerback Nick Jacobs (6-2, 200 with 4.5 speed). I give Jesuit the edge, but Huntington can take this one if the offense can score at least 28 points.

Captain Shreve at Tioga

This is a very interesting matchup between the No. 16 seed Indians and 17-seeded Gators. Both teams will rely on having big games on offense because that’s their strength. Tioga plays a spread offense spread with a quarterback who can, on any given night, throw for over 300 yards – senior Gabe Sellers (6-0, 190).  The Indians also have an All-State offensive tackle in senior Hayden Christman (6-6, 300) and very capable wide receivers in Jeremiah Caldwell (who also plays some running back), Jacorian Norris (6-1, 180), and Joshua Loyd (5-6, 155). Tioga also boasts one of the better college prospects I have seen in all of the Alexandria area: the imposing running back/linebacker Jaquarius Bilups (5-11, 242).

Captain Shreve will need to get another big game out of star senior quarterback Kenyon Terrell (5-10, 170), who has won over 21 games in his career for the Gators. Texas Tech wide receiver commit Marquez Stevenson needs to have a big game, along with wide receiver Cam Randolph and running back Jayden Edwards. I predict a high-scoring game which might come down to a field goal at the end, with Captain Shreve kicker John Chance having a chance to win it. I think Captain Shreve can pull this one out if the Gators execute on offense. 

HOT OFF THE PRESS, QUICKLY ON YOUR SCREEN:  For insight on every Louisiana high school and college football team, info on the state’s top senior prospects, and more, you can order the 2022 Louisiana Football Magazine at LaFootballMagazine.com – offering North Louisiana and South Louisiana editions, printed or digital. Magazines are shipping now.

Contact Lee at LBrecheen@aol.com

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By LEE BRECHEEN, Special to the Journal

Part III of our Playoffs in Depth preview takes a look at local teams in Divisions II and III of the Select side of the playoffs.

Division II: 

Istrouma at Evangel Christian

I think this will be a win for No. 13-seed Evangel Christian if the Eagles just execute on offense. No. 20-seed Istrouma is where former LSU running back and the late Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon played and many others — including current Texas A&M freshman running back Le’Veon Moss.

Istrouma has little depth and is really weak at defensive back and linebacker, which will hurt trying to defend the Eagles’ high-powered throwing attack. What the Indians do have is size. They have some huge kids in the trenches — led by tight end/defensive end Le’Darius Jones (6-3, 245), who I think is one of the better big athletes in Louisiana. They also have huge linemen, including Zion Burrell (6-0, 330), Travyon Jefferson (6-1, 330), Tyrese Tate (6-6, 330), and Dylan Fox (6-0, 285).

If the Eagles execute on offense, they should be able to put up 35 or more points in this game. I have Evangel — with quarterback Parker Fulghum and wide receivers Peyton Fulghum and Tyreek Robinson – winning this first-round game.

Division III: 

Calvary Baptist: Bye

The No. 5-seeded Cavaliers await the winner of the Northlake Christian vs. Houma Christian game. I have Northlake Christian — a senior-laden, gritty team – winning that one.

North Caddo: Bye

The No. 7-seeded Titans await the winner of Parkview Baptist vs. Holy Savior Menard. I have seen both teams play and think Parkview Baptist will win this one in a close game. Parkview has a special group of players who play hard but they’re not deep with many kids playing both sides of the football.

St. Thomas Aquinas at Loyola Prep

This should be a great matchup between the 11^th -seeded Flyers and the 22^nd-seeded Falcons. I’ve seen both teams play and give the edge to Loyola Prep in this one. I think the Flyers have the ability to score more points if they execute on offense – led by seniors Cooper DeFatta (quarterback), Nick Haynes (6-4, 210), Grayson Hutchins, John Carmody (6-2, 190) and others.

What St. Thomas Aquinas does have is size on the offensive and defensive lines, but the Falcons don’t have a lot of team speed. They do have some great athletes in senior wide receiver Case Reed (who has great hands), running back Darrius Vaughn, and wide receiver/defensive back Kendrell Perry (6-1, 185). Division I baseball prospect Bryce Simmoneaux (6-3, 180) is their new quarterback this year. Both programs play hard, and both are well-coached, so I think it will be a close game.

Green Oaks at Metairie Park Country Day

I give the edge to No. 24-seed Green Oaks in the trenches because the Giants are a bigger team. However, Country Day has a ton of skill guys who produce and the Cajuns also have a top running back in senior Jack Schwing, who may be just 5-8 and 155 pounds but he has 4.4 speed in the 40 and has run for over 1,500 yards this season. (Interesting fact: this kid didn’t even play running back until Week 1 of this season; he was a defensive back/wide receiver for three years.)

The key to the game is stopping Schwing, who had over 254 yards rushing last week, from running out the clock. For the Giants, the key will be to hold the ball, kill clock and finish drives with quarterback Tovoras Lee (6-0, 175). The Green Oaks’ defense will need leaders like defensive tackles Kashaun Green (6-1, 275) and Travis Lewis (5-11, 190) and defensive end Marlo Williams to try and stop the run game of Country Day.

Country day has a roster of less than 25 players, but the Cajuns have 22 really good players. I am going with Country Day – with too much offense to stop — in this one. If the game is close, Country Day has one of the state’s best kickers in senior Connor Gibbs (5-10 185), who is money from 55 yards in. I’ve seen this kid and he’s the real deal on kickoffs and field goals.

HOT OFF THE PRESS, QUICKLY ON YOUR SCREEN:  For insight on every Louisiana high school and college football team, info on the state’s top senior prospects, and more, you can order the 2022 Louisiana Football Magazine at LaFootballMagazine.com – offering North Louisiana and South Louisiana editions, printed or digital. Magazines are shipping now.

Contact Lee at LBrecheen@aol.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

Seven area football athletes are among the state’s top statistical leaders in the final regular-season rankings.

Airline sophomore quarterback Ben Taylor is second among passers with 2,730 yards. Taylor has completed 198 passes of 324 and 34 touchdowns. His TD total is second most in the list of yardage leaders.

Seniors Gray Walters of Benton and Kameron Evans of Huntington are in the top 15 list of yardage leaders. Walters is seventh with 2,375 yards and Evans tenth with 2,286. Walters’ total is for nine games and Evans has missed the last two games of the season due to injury. He has played in eight contests.

Pearce Russell of Benton is second in the state in receiving yards with 1,328. He leads the state in receptions with 78, one more than yardage leader Howard Kinchen of Patterson.

North Caddo’s Omarion Miller is third in yardage with 1,183 and is second on the list in average yards per catch at 24.1.   

Daxton Chavez of Airline is seventh in yards with 1,044 and tied for the most touchdown receptions at 18. Chavez recorded 50 catches for a 20.9 average per catch. Evangel receiver Parker Fulghum was 14^th on the list of receivers with 879 yards.

The list of the top 15 in each category below was compiled by www.geauxpreps.com

Rushing

206-2,123 – Jalen Williams, Mangham, 36 TDs

222-2,107 – Trey Holly, Union Parish, 28 TDs

189-2,024 – Damondrick Blackburn, Central Catholic, 36 TDs

288-2,011 – Xavier Ford, Leesville, 28 TDs

215-1,944 – Fred Robertson, Warren Easton, 29 TDs

185-1,878 – P.J. Martin, De La Salle, 25 TDs (9 games)

171-1,852 – Elijah Davis, Riverside, 32 TDs

301-1,850 – Caden Campisi, Kaplan, 23 TDs

142-1,746 – Decareyn Sampson, Avoyelles, 23 TDs

157-1,711 – Steven Bianco, St. Martinville, 25 TDs

126-1,710 – Harlem Berry, St. Martin’s, 30 TDs

198-1,656 – Kevon Johnson, St. Edmund, 18 TDs

182-1,655 – Jaedon Voisin, Belle Chasse, 17 TDs

156-1,630 – Arnold Barnes, BTW-NO, 18 TDs

127-1,622 – Cedric Allison, Oakdale, 18 TDs

Passing

3,041 – Caylon Davis, Patterson, 199-296-3, 32 TDs 

2,730 – Ben Taylor, Airline, 198-324-9, 34 TDs

2,555 – Christopher Armstrong, John. F. Kennedy, 139-213-5, 40 TDs

2,520 – Ju’Juan Johnson, Lafayette Christian, 147-249-8, 26 TDs

2,507 – Mills Dawson, East Feliciana, 164-264-10, 30 TDs

2,419 – Joe Bordelon, Alexandria, 160-276-2, 24 TDs 

2,375 – Gray Walters, Benton, 151-244-7, 27 TDs (9 games)

2,359 – Preston Welch, Teurlings Catholic, 141-236-5, 27 TDs

2,296 – Gavin Stout, Sam Houston, 168-302-11, 23 TDs 

2,286 – Kameron Evans, Huntington, 130-222-7, 24 TDs (8 games)

2,275 – Yashua Mitchell, East St. John, 119-248-11, 25 TDs

2,144 – Landon Graves, Ouachita Christian, 140-222-4, 27 TDs

2,217 – Ashton Levy, Bogalusa, 111-198-4, 23 TDs (8 games)

2,064 – Cooper DesRoches, Mandeville, 144-232-5, 20 TDs

2,050 – Daniel Beale, Catholic-BR, 163-236-6, 30 TDs

Receiving

77-1,396 – Howard Kinchen, Patterson, 18 TDs 

78-1,328 – Pearce Russell, Benton, 16 TDs 

49-1,183 – Omarion Miller, North Caddo, 15 TDs

56-1,170 – Kentrell Prejean, Teurlings Catholic, 13 TDs

53-1,100 – Royal Williams, Ellender, 14 TDs

40-1,057 – Harvey Broussard, St. Martinville, 10 TDs

50-1,044 – Daxton Chavez, Airline, 18 TDs

62-986 – Jacob Curole South Lafourche, 8 TDs

59-940 – Drew Dronet, Sam Houston, 9 TDs

49-931 – Khai Prean, St. Hames, 11 TDs

43-908 – Dkhai Joseph, East St. John, 15 TDs

54-907 – Jahyde Williams, Slidell, 9 TDs

63-899 – Shelton Sampson, Catholic-BR, 13 TDs 

68-879 – Parker Fulghum, Evangel, 9 TDs

38-866 – Chantz Babineaux, Carencro, 11 TDs (9 games) 

Source: GeauxPreps.com

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By RYNE BERTHELOT, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Kim Mulkey wasted no time in building a struggling LSU women’s basketball program back into a powerhouse.

A 26-win season with a second-place Southeastern Conference finish, cheered by crowds routinely over 10,000 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and national coach of the year honors are testament to the remarkable turnaround in Mulkey’s Year 1 with the Tigers.

The arrow remains pointing up.

For instance, she inked the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2023, complete with Parkway’s Mikaylah Williams, regarded as the top high school player in the nation by ESPN Hoop Gurlz, among others. The Bossier City superstar will be at LSU next season.

The Lady Tigers are ranked in the Associated Press preseason poll for the first time in nine years, coming in at 16^th.

Those external expectations are loftier than they were last year, but Mulkey’s kept her head level and clear. Her program’s still very much in a rebuild, so much so that she’s adopted a mantra for the season.

“Our theme for the year is Piece-It-2gether, and the 2 is obviously signifying my second year or our second year at LSU,” Mulkey said recently, pointing at a wristband with the slogan. “We have a lot of talent on the floor, but we’ve got to piece it together. We’ve got kids coming from other programs, high school kids stepping on this college campus for the first time, we’ve got returning players who will have to play different roles, so we’ve got to piece it together, and that takes time.”

Like other collegiate coaches who have been tasked with a rebuild, Mulkey took advantage of the transfer portal. Seven of the 10 non-freshmen on LSU’s roster have played at another program, including Kateri Poole, who was named to the Big 10 All-Freshman team in 2020-2021 at Ohio State. She’s also had experience playing in the PMAC when she logged 10 minutes against LSU during the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.

There’s Jasmine Carson, a transfer from West Virginia by way of Georgia Tech, who notched 17 points in LSU’s 125-50 win over Bellarmine Monday.

Don’t forget about Alexis Morris, who Mulkey picked up from Texas A&M prior to last season. She averaged 15 points and four boards a game in 25 starts last season.

“Well the transfer portal is just like free agency in baseball,” Mulkey said. “Those guys have somebody assigned to that computer now, right? Every time somebody gets designated for assignment, boom, you pick them up. That’s kind of what the transfer portal is. We stay on top of it. It’s here to stay and we lost a tremendous class of seniors last year with a lot of points and production, so we had to fill a lot of needs.”

Mulkey lost six seniors from last year’s roster, including Khayla Pointer, who left LSU with a laundry list of accolades and records, and left behind big shoes to fill.

That prospect has Mulkey tempering expectations, at least in the early season.

“Last year I inherited a program that won seven ball games. Let me temper it down a little bit: we won 26 basketball games and finished second in the league to the national champions,” Mulkey said. “There is no way that you’re going to stand here today and think you’re going to do even better than that. Not with new faces. We aspire to do that, but I can’t look at a crystal ball and see how quickly we all get on the same page.”

After the 75-point victory margin Monday, the Tigers aim for another blowout tonight as Mississippi Valley visits the PMAC. LSU doesn’t appear to have too many, if any, severe challenges until Oregon State visits just before Christmas, and by then, Mulkey figures to have the pieces in place.

Contact Ryne at rgberthelot@gmail.com

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

If the Shreveport Mudbugs hoped for some sort of a breather on their current road trip, they need to look beyond this weekend’s trip to North Richland Hills, Texas.

The Mudbugs have won just six of 18 games this season and roll into the Metroplex on Friday to begin a two-game set with the Lone Star Brahmas, the team with the best winning percentage in the North American Hockey League.

“They’re systematically sound and they work hard,” Shreveport head coach Jason Campbell said before the first meeting of the season between South Division rivals.

The Mudbugs (6-8-4) look to end a five-game losing skid when they enter the NYTEX Sports Centre for a 7:30 p.m. faceoff. The Brahmas have not lost a game in regulation or overtime since Sept. 16 (11-0-1 during that span).

“We’ve been working on getting quicker, but staying efficient,” Campbell said. “We need to generate more offense, get more shots on net, more traffic and more second opportunities.”

Lone Star goaltender Arthur Smith sits atop the NAHL’s goaltending leaders, and it isn’t close. Smith leads with a 0.73 goals-against average (1.62 is next-best) and a .961 save-percentage (.944 is second-best).

The Mudbugs hope to get their power play on track. Shreveport has not scored on its past 20 opportunities with at least a one-man advantage.

“(Our power play) was better (in New Mexico),” Campbell said. “There are still plays to be made there and we’re not recognizing those reads, but the guys are working through it.

“We’re going to be tested. They have a high-pressure penalty kill. I’m excited to see them play against their PK.”

Lone Star hasn’t exactly been rolling on the power play, either. The Brahmas rank 24^th of the 29 NAHL teams.

“I don’t even look at those numbers, because they have good movement and they just haven’t found the net yet,” Campbell said. “I don’t want us to be the team they find the net on.” 

Mudbugs at Lone Star

Tonight and Saturday

7:30 p.m., NYTEX Sports Centre, North Richland Hills, Texas

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

The Bossier Parish high school basketball jamboree is set for Saturday at Bossier High School with all six parish schools participating.

Parkway and Haughton will start it all off with the girls playing at noon and the boys following at 1:15.

Plain Dealing and Benton will be next with the girls playing at 2:30 and the boys at 3:45.

Airline and Bossier will wrap things up with the girls set for 5 p.m. and the boys at 6:15 p.m.

Admission will be $8.

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BOM continued our sponsorship of the Young Life Bossier Parish Mini-Golf Fundraiser. Pictured are Tamika Simpson, BOM’s Tammy Bernard, and Nancy Simpson.

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Voters in South Bossier Fire District #2 have said yes to a 3.5-mill tax increase dedicated to upgrading equipment and meeting needs of a department tasked to provide protection for roughly 7,000 residents in the rural area.

Final tally from Tuesday’s election shows the millage hike received approval from 59 percent of the district’s voters. District 2 covers approximately 155 square miles from Sligo Rd. south to the Bossier-Red River Parish line.

“We genuinely appreciate the people for their support and confidence in us,” said Chief Ryan Foster. “With their approval, we will now have the means to continue giving them the protection they deserve.”

Foster said money generated from the millage will be used to replace aging equipment plus update much of the district’s emergency gear.

“We are ready to begin filling the immediate needs of our department, but we’re also making long-range plans to accommodate the future of our district,” he said. “This millage is certainly going to help and we’re making sure this money will be spent wisely. Thanks to the people of district two, we can get started.”

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