By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
During the pandemic, we all learned to pivot on a dime as circumstances changed quickly.
That ability to adjust on the fly has produced one of the more compelling matchups of the high school football season.
Calvary Baptist, the defending state Select Division III champions, riding a 15-game win streak, was already facing a stout opponent at home Friday night in Westgate, the No. 6-ranked team in Class 4A. But the approach of Francine, which was upgraded to a hurricane Tuesday evening, sent south Louisiana squads scrambling for shelter, not practice.
Westgate had to cancel its trip to Shreveport Friday night for a rematch of last season’s intense 32-22 loss at Calvary.
Meanwhile, Southside of Lafayette also had to scuttle a planned homefield battle with Neville of Monroe, the No. 7 ranked team in Class 5A.
Opportunity knocked, and neither Calvary coach Rodney Guin or Neville’s Mike Collins blinked. Both coaches crave strong non-district competition. They’ll get it in Friday night’s hastily-arranged contest at Jerry Barker Stadium.
The Cavaliers (1-0), No. 1 in Class 2A after overpowering a strong second-ranked Oak Grove team 62-41 last Friday night, will step up to play one of the state’s premiere all-time powerhouses. Stepping up to 5A competition was no problem for Calvary in 2023, as the Cavs blasted a pair of good local 5A foes, Byrd and Captain Shreve, in their 14-0 championship season last fall.
But this is Neville (1-0), a perennial state power, which appears to be one of the top squads of 2024 in the state’s largest classification.
“You want to win every game,” said Guin, “but we’re not going to worry about a win streak and not play a good team when we get the chance. It’s one of those games we could play well and still not win, and we’re OK with that.
“We’re in it for the long haul, November and December,” he said in a KTBS Sports interview Tuesday. “This game will help us down the road regardless of what the outcome is.”
Guin said his players embrace the challenge. On a Friday night when many teams in south Louisiana will suddenly be sidelined, lots of eyes around Louisiana will focus on the Calvary-Neville battle.
The Tigers will make their second straight ride west on I-20 to Shreveport. Neville won 42-24 last Friday at Evangel, which a week before had topped West Monroe in the Bayou Jamb at Monroe. West Monroe is 10th in the Class 5A rankings this week.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com