By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
Plenty of top-tier matchups bring in the 2024 high school football season this week.
The season kicks Thursday as two former 1-4A rivals collide when Northwood hosts Benton. The two schools have stayed on each others’ schedule despite Benton moving up to 1-5A in 2019.
Also Thursday, 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 attractive slate is topped locally by a battle of 2023 state champions with Oak Grove coming to Calvary. The Tigers’ 12-2 season netted a Non-Select Division IV title. Calvary owns a 14-game win streak after taking the Select Division III championship.
A pair of Monroe powers come to Shreveport 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 visit Barbe. The Bucs were 6-5 last season in a tough District 3-5A. The Yellow Jackets play at St. Amant who finished last season 10-2.
Huntington is also on the road to face longtime powerhouse West Monroe. The Rebels were 9-3 last year after being upset in the first round of the playoffs, and their fans are already wound up after losing to Evangel in the Bayou Jamb.
Other games involving local squads have Parkway hosting Monroe’s Carroll High, Homer meeting Haughton at Airline’s Viking Stadium, 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.
Local Week 1 high school football schedule
Thursday
Benton at Northwood, Jerry Burton Stadium
Loyola at St. Frederick
Friday
Airline at Barbe
Byrd at St. Amant
Ouachita at Captain Shreve, Lee Hedges Stadium
Neville at Evangel
Homer vs. Haughton, at Airline High School
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