By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

Captain Shreve will kick off the 2024 football season with a chance to win back-to-back undefeated district championships for the first time since 1980-81, but it will have to fend off eight 1-5A league opponents to do so.

The season starts with Ouachita coming to Lee Hedges Stadium in non-district competition. The Gators last played the Lions in 2012 and have not beaten them since 1986. Ouachita has won the last 13 in the series its leads 14-9.

District 1-5A play begins with a matchup against Huntington at Independence Stadium. The Gators lead the series 13-11 and have played the Raiders five times since last playing them in 1-5A in 2008.

Natchitoches Central comes to Shreveport for a 1-5A clash. The Gators and Chiefs have been district rivals going back to the first-ever meeting in 1973 when both were in 2-AAAA. Shreve has a slim 25-18 series lead, having won five of the last six after losing four straight.

A short trip to Benton for the sixth meeting with the Tigers is next. The Gators have won four of the five in the series, scoring a school-record 65 points last year.

The first of its only back-to-back games at Lee Hedges Stadium is against Airline. The Gators have won four of the last six after the Vikings took 19 straight from 1997-2017. Airline leads the series 30-23-1.

Evangel is the next home game at Lee Hedges. The Eagles have won the six meetings between the schools, all 1-5A games.

The only other non-district game on the slate is a trek down south to face Destrehan for the first time. The Wildcats finished 11-1 losing in the quarterfinals of the Non-Select Division I playoff bracket.

A home game with Parkway precedes a pair of away games to end the season. The Gators lead the series over the Panthers 31-17 and have won five of the last seven.

The first of the two away games is on the road to Haughton. Shreve has won four of the last five but the Bucs have the series edge, 16-13.

A game everybody at Shreve and Byrd looks forward to every year between the Gators and Yellow Jackets culminates the regular season at Lee Hedges. The Jackets lead the series 29-17, but the Gators won last year for the first time this decade.

2024 Captain Shreve football schedule

Sep. 6               Ouachita (LH)

Sep. 13             at Huntington (Indy)

Sep. 20             Natchitoches Central (LH)

Sep. 27             at Benton

Oct. 4               Airline (LH)

Oct. 10             Evangel (LH)

Oct. 18             at Destrehan

Oct. 25             Parkway (LH)

Nov. 1               at Haughton

Nov. 7               at Byrd (LH)

Note – (LH) indicates game at Lee Hedges Stadium

Contact Lee at leeh051@hotmail.com