JOURNAL SPORTS 

For all the local high school football teams except for Southwood, the season is underway.

Mike Green’s Cowboys make their debut this week. “Make room,” he calmly and firmly stated a couple weeks ago today, at a Caddo Parish School Board media event showcasing the system’s prep football programs. 

He was expressing confidence his players would redefine the perception of the Southwood program, which has been mired in a seasons-long skid. It was impressive bravado. Best of luck to the Cowboys!

Meanwhile, the other local teams have a game under their belts and it’s Week 2. We asked head coaches to share thoughts on things they took away from the season opener – not necessarily football impressions. 

What were their takeaways from Week 1? 

AUSTIN BROWN, Northwood: “Just being back out there. Pageantry of a Friday night. Tailgate walk, band, cheer/dance, fireworks. It was great to be back.”

MATTHEW SEWELL, Haughton:  “We had two seniors (Jakobe Delaney and Preston Peters) that had suffered multiple injuries in the past and had never started a game before this season, catch touchdown passes and play big roles in our win. It was awesome watching them break through and see how excited they were to help their team win a game. It stood out to me as a testament to hard work and love of the game.”

STACY BALLEW, Byrd:  “Any win on the road in south Louisiana is a good win.” (The Yellow Jackets were impressive at St. Amant, posting a 26-10 victory.)

CLINT WALKER, Plain Dealing: “Hard to believe another season is here. Seems to go faster and faster every year the older you get.”

STEPHEN DENNIS, Huntington: “Seeing my players not be fazed by the atmosphere of West Monroe. We didn’t play well (in a 40-7 defeat), but it wasn’t because of the atmosphere, we didn’t execute at an elite level.”

JEREMY WILBURN, Captain Shreve:  “I noticed that our band plays a terrific rendition of the Star Spangled Banner and we have a well-trained color guard that raises our flag perfectly pregame.”