By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
Plenty of top-tier games will ring in the 2024 high school football season when local teams kick off on the first full September weekend.
Taking a preseason look at each week on the schedule, Week 1 is an immediate hit. It is hard to pick out just one game that highlights that first week of games.
Thursday, Sept. 5 has two former 1-4A rivals colliding with Northwood hosting Benton. The two schools have stayed on each others’ schedule despite Benton moving up to 1-5A in 2019.
Loyola travels to Monroe to face St. Frederick in a battle of private schools with playoff pedigrees. The Flyers have won the last five outings.
Friday’s slate of games is topped by a battle of 2023 state champions with Oak Grove playing at Calvary. The Tigers come to town after a 12-2 season and a Non-Select Division IV title. Calvary brings a 14-game win streak after taking the Select Division III championship.
A pair of Monroe powers come to Shreveport as well with Ouachita playing Captain Shreve at Lee Hedges Stadium and Evangel hosting Neville.
The Gators and Lions last played in 2012 but have faced each other 23 times with Ouachita winning 14.
Evangel has won the third-most state championships in Louisiana prep circles with 14 and Neville is next with 12. The Tigers edged past the Eagles 30-29 last year on a two-point conversion stop, and have won four of five meetings.
Airline and Byrd will have hands full with road games to south Louisiana.
The Vikings travel to Lake Charles to play Barbe. The Bucs finished 2023 6-5 and compete in a tough 3-5A. The Yellow Jackets play at St. Amant who finished last season 10-2.
Huntington is also on the road to face powerhouse West Monroe. The Rebels were 9-3 last year after being upset in the first round of the playoffs.
Other local games have Parkway hosting Monroe’s Carroll High, Homer going to Haughton, while Booker T. Washington entertains Lakeview, Plain Dealing is at home against Tensas and Magnolia plays one of its two home games against Glenbrook.
Local teams playing each other are Woodlawn facing Green Oaks at Northwood’s Jerry Burton Stadium and Bossier going to Vivian to play North Caddo.
List of local Week 1 games:
Thursday, Sept. 5
Benton at Northwood, Jerry Burton Stadium
Loyola at St. Frederick
Friday, Sept. 6
Airline at Barbe
Byrd at St. Amant
Ouachita at Captain Shreve, Lee Hedges Stadium
Neville at Evangel
Homer at Haughton
Huntington at West Monroe
Carroll at Parkway
Lakeview at BTW
Bossier at North Caddo
Oak Grove at Calvary
Woodlawn vs. Green Oaks, at Northwood
Glenbrook at Magnolia
Tensas at Plain Dealing
Contact Lee at leeh051@hotmail.com