JOURNAL SPORTS
Airline is finally ranked in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Top 10 and is a unanimous No. 1 in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s poll rating the 10 best local teams.
The Vikings (4-0) haven’t lost a regular-season content in over a calendar year. They’ve had their last two games secured well before halftime.
They take their high-octane offense (52 points per game, no less than 48 so far) down I-49 tonight to Northwestern State’s Turpin Stadium to meet 2-2 Natchitoches Central, also 1-0 in District 1-5A. Chiefs’ coach Jess Curtis moved over from Many in January and is trying to establish a winning mindset at a long-struggling program.
“A couple of years ago, Airline was at the bottom of the district,” Curtis told the Natchitoches Parish Journal. “Now they have risen to the top. The are believing in their program and that has been our message here with our players.
“We respect what they have done up there. I have known (Airline) coach (Justin) Scogin since he was at Leesville (as offensive coordinator). We played them a few times when I was at Many and it is always fun to go up against him because he does such a great job,” said Curtis. “We expect them to come out and attack with onside kicks and plays like that.”
At the forefront of the Airline attack will be junior quarterback Ben Taylor, who leads the state in passing yardage. Calvary Baptist sophomore transfer QB Owen Smith ranks eighth in the same category.
In another 1-5A contest tonight, Haughton and Southwood look to rebound from losing their league openers by big margins. The Bucs, 2-2 overall, trailed by four scores by halftime last week at Parkway, and the Cowboys (0-4) were blown out at NCHS.
Southwood celebrates its homecoming tonight.
AIRLINE (4-0, 1-0) at NATCHITOCHES CENTRAL (2-2, 1-0) at Turpin Stadium
Series: Airline leads 25-15
Last year: Airline 46-0
Last week: Natchitoches Central beat Southwood 41-12; Airline beat Benton 60-35
Rankings: Airline is No. 9 in LSWA Class 5A poll, No. 1 in SBJ poll
Power rankings: Airline Non-Select Div. I No. 4; NCHS Non-Select Div. I No. 33
Live webstream: Natchitoches Central HS – http://www.nchschiefs.live
Notable: Airline has won 11 straight regular season games … the Vikings are scoring 52 points per game, but are giving up an average of 35 … QB Ben Taylor had a career-high 471 yards and seven touchdowns in last week’s 60-35 win over Benton … Taylor leads the state in passing with 1,466 yards and 22 touchdowns … NCHS quarterback Owen Smith is eighth in the state in passing with 963 yards … WR Camryn Davis is second in the state in receiving yards with 558.
HAUGHTON (2-2, 0-1) vs. SOUTHWOOD (0-4, 0-1) at Leonard C. Barnes Stadium
Series: Haughton 15-4
Last year: Haughton 37-24
Last week: Southwood lost to Natchitoches Central 41-12; Haughton lost to Parkway 24-6
Rankings: Haughton is ranked No. 6 in SBJ poll
Power rankings: Haughton Non-Select Div. I No. 37; Southwood Select Div. I No. 31
Radio: None
Notable: Haughton played last week’s game without starting quarterback Christian Turner with senior receiver Jalen Lewis stepping in and playing the first half and freshman Taylor Weathersby the second half … Devontay Moss has rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns for the Bucs and Lewis is the leading receiver with 290 yards on 22 catches and four touchdowns … Southwood averaging 10 points per game with 28 of their 40 points coming in the last two games … Cowboy defense has allowed an average of 37 points per game the last three outings.