By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports 

Gary Cooper starts his first season as the head football coach at Booker T. Washington and has his work cut out for him in looking at a 2023 schedule that starts with three road games in a season that has seven overall. 

Cooper’s Lions go to Monroe in the season opener to face Wossman. It will mark the fifth consecutive season the two schools play each other with the Wildcats taking three of the last four and eight of the 14 overall in the series. 

A trip down I-49 to Alexandria is up next to play the Bolton Bears for the third time overall and third straight year. Each team has won in the previous two meetings so it will be the rubber match game. 

Week 3 is the annual Soul Bowl with rival Green Oaks. BTW leads that series 27-22 but the Giants have closed that gap by winning five of the last six. 

Woodlawn is the first BTW game to be played at Leonard C. Barnes Stadium in Week 4 and is also the District 1-4A opener. The Knights hold the series advantage 30-17. 

A trip to Stonewall follows with a date against defending Select Division II state runner-up North DeSoto. The Griffins lead the series 7-3. 

Huntington will host BTW in Week 6 in a series that has each team winning six of the 12 overall matchups. 

Bossier is the second opponent to visit Leonard C. Barnes. The Lions have won the last five meetings to knot the series between the two at seven wins apiece.  

Booker T. follows that home game with a trek up North Market to Blanchard to face Northwood. The Falcons have won the last six and 15 of the 20 overall.  

The last home game of the season will have the Lions entertaining Minden. The Crimson Tide has won seven of the nine games with the last BTW win coming in 2002. 

Last on the regular-season schedule is a visit to Evangel. The Eagles have won seven of the eight meetings in the series. 

2023 BTW football schedule 

Sep. 1 at Wossman 

Sep. 8 at Bolton 

Sep. 16 at Green Oaks 

Sep. 22 Woodlawn 

Sep. 29 at North DeSoto 

Oct. 6  at Huntington 

Oct. 13 Bossier 

Oct. 19 at Northwood 

Oct. 27 Minden 

Nov. 3 at Evangel 

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