By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

With a new, young, homegrown head coach, Haughton begins and ends its 2024 football season with non-district opponents, leaving an eight-game stretch in between to play all its District 1-5A games.

The Bucs, under first-year head coach and alumnus  Matthew Sewell, open the season at home against Homer and finish the season at home against St. Louis Catholic.

Sewell, 27, took over in mid-May from veteran coach Jason Brotherton, who moved into a vice principal’s position at Haughton.

Haughton last faced Homer in a varsity football game in 1969. The Pelicans won the four games the two schools played from 1966-69 in District 1-A and Homer finished in either first or second all four years.

The 1-5A stretch of games begins with a trip to Shreveport to play Byrd at Lee Hedges Stadium. The varsity teams have played each other 17 times since a first-time meeting in 1973 with the Jackets winning 10 of those.

Parkway comes to Harold Harlan Stadium to play Haughton for the 53rd time. The Panthers won the last two years after the Bucs had won four straight.

The Bucs then travel back to Shreveport to play Huntington. It will be the 14th meeting of the two schools with Haughton winning 10 of those. The last time they played was in 2010, a year after they split regular season and playoff games.

Natchitoches Central comes to Haughton to play for the sixth consecutive year. The Bucs have won all five previous games.

Haughton goes to Benton for the sixth game of the season looking to win for the 20th time in the series against 11 losses.

The Bucs then host Airline. It will be the 42nd game between the schools, the second most to any of the 2024 opponents. The Vikings have won 28 of the previous 41 matchups.

Another trip to Shreveport results in a game at Evangel. The Eagles won the four previous meetings, the last four seasons the Bucs played in 1-4A from 2015-18.

Captain Shreve comes to Haughton for the first of the last two regular-season home games. The Bucs own a 16-13 series edge with the Gators winning the last three.

A first-ever meeting with St. Louis Catholic ends the regular season at home for Haughton.  The Saints finished second in 3-3A last season and 8-3 overall last season.

2024 Haughton football schedule

Sep. 6               Homer

Sep. 13             at Byrd (LH)

Sep. 20             Parkway

Sep. 27             at Huntington

Oct. 4               Natchitoches Central

Oct. 10             at Benton

Oct. 18             Airline

Oct. 25             at Evangel

Nov. 1               Captain Shreve

Nov. 8               St. Louis Catholic

Note – LH indicates game will be played at Lee Hedges Stadium

Contact Lee at leeh051@hotmail.com

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