By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports

Parkway has enjoyed three straight winning seasons by winning its first two games or more in each season, so having a pair of non-district home games to start the 2024 season should bode well for this year’s Panthers.

After going 3-5 in the Covid19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season, head coach Coy Brotherton has reeled off winning seasons of 8-5 in 2021 and 7-4 each of the last two seasons. Brotherton has a 25-18 mark in his four years, good enough to be third in coaching wins at the school.

The season opener will have Carroll make the drive from Monroe for the non-district matchup. It will be the first regular season game between the schools and second overall. The Bulldogs defeated the Panthers in an overtime playoff game in 1995.

Woodlawn will bus over from Shreveport to face Parkway at Preston Crownover Stadium at Bobby Marlow Field. The Panthers and Knights have played 19 times with Parkway winning the last seven and 12 overall. 

Two road games to start 1-5A play follow with the first at Haughton. The Bucs and Panthers series is the longest in Parkway history and one of the longest running current series in the area with this being the 52nd meeting. Parkway has won the last three after Haughton had won four straight.

With the retirement of Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton to take an administrative post, this one won’t be the “Brotherton Bowl” battle between the brothers,  but new Bucs head coach Matthew Sewell was Parkway’s offensive coordinator last season so still there is extra spice to the rivalry.

The second road game is at Natchitoches Central. The Panthers and Chiefs have played 24 times with the first 18 of those coming when both competed in District 2-4A from 1973-90. Parkway defeated NCHS in the first-round of the 2015 Class 5A playoffs before regularly scheduled 1-5A games began in 2019. The series is even with each school winning 12 times. The Chiefs’ new head coach is former Northwestern State head coach Brad Laird, and his defensive coordinator is former Demons’ head coach Jay Thomas.

Parkway returns home for a date with Byrd. The Yellow Jackets lead the series, that began in 1970, 23-14.

Another former 2-4A foe and parish rival, Airline, will host Parkway at M.D. Ray Field. The two schools have met 41 times with a stretch of 26 games from 1973-98 covering the majority of the series. They have also played every year since 2011 with the exception of the 2020 shortened season.

A home game with new to 1-5A Huntington is next. The Panthers last played the Raiders in 2021, a game won by Huntington 38-31 to give them a slim 8-7 series edge.

The last road game of the regular season is across the river to Captain Shreve at Lee Hedges Stadium. The Panthers and Gators is another matchup of former 2-4A foes from 1973-90 and the overall series is the second longest in Parkway history with 47 previous meetings. Shreve has the 31-17 series edge.

Parish rival Benton is the first of the last two home regular-season games. The Panthers have had a tough time in the series winning only four of the 17 meetings.

The last game of the regular season has Evangel coming to Parkway. The Eagles have won the four meetings of the two that were played from 2015-18.

2024 Parkway football schedule

Sep. 6               Carroll

Sep. 13             Woodlawn

Sep. 20             at Haughton

Sep. 27             at Natchitoches Central

Oct. 3               Byrd

Oct. 11             at Airline

Oct. 18             Huntington

Oct. 25             at Captain Shreve

Nov. 1               Benton

Nov. 7               Evangel