By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
Southwood will have an even split of home and away games in the 2023 football season with all but one of its away games requiring a bus ride out of the Shreveport city limits.
Two of the five come in the third and fourth weeks of the season and will be to Monroe and Natchitoches. Two others will be just across the river in Bossier Parish with the fifth and only in-town game at Lee Hedges Stadium.
The Cowboys will be led by first-year head coach Mike Green, a veteran head coach in the local area. Southwood begins the season by hosting Green Oaks who will also have a first-year coach in James Bradford Jr. The two schools played for only the second time last year with Southwood winning both but the Cowboys had to forfeit last year’s win.
Southwood will host its biggest rival, Woodlawn, at Independence Stadium in the second week of the season. The two teams played each other every season from when Southwood opened in 1970 until 2000. The Cowboys lead the series (20-12-1) that was resumed in 2021.
Carroll then welcomes the Cowboys to Monroe for the last non-district game of the season. Each team has won twice in the series, with the Bulldogs winning that last two.
District 1-5A starts with a game at Natchitoches Central. The Chiefs have won the last eight and lead the series 23-9, and also have a new head coach, Jess Curtis, who led the powerhouse program at Many.
Three straight games with Bossier Parish schools are next up. A home game with Haughton at the mid-point of the season comes before road games at Parkway and Benton. The Bucs have the series edge 15-4 with the Cowboys’ last win coming in 2002. Southwood leads its series with Parkway 14-11, but the Panthers have won seven of the last eight. Benton has won all seven meetings between the two.
Southwood finishes the season with three of its longest-running series in its history. Week 8 sends the Cowboys into a home game but facing Captain Shreve at the Gators’ home field, Lee Hedges Stadium, in the 53rd meeting between the programs. The Gators lead that series 31-21. Southwood will be the visitor a week later when it plays Byrd at Lee Hedges Stadium. The Yellow Jackets lead that series 34-17. Reigning District 1-5A champion Airline comes to Shreveport for the final regular season game. It will be the 50th time the two schools have played with the Vikings holding a 29-20 advantage in the series.
2023 Southwood football schedule
Sept. 1 Green Oaks
Sept. 8 Woodlawn (Indy)
Sept. 15 at Carroll
Sept. 22 at Natchitoches Central
Sept. 29 Haughton
Oct. 6 at Parkway
Oct. 13 at Benton
Oct. 20 Captain Shreve (Lee Hedges)
Oct 27 at Byrd (LH)
Nov. 3 Airline
