JOURNAL SPORTS
District 1-4A begins league games Friday and the biggest rivalry of the district in the last several years provides the highlight with Northwood visiting North DeSoto.
The Falcons and Griffins have finished at or near the top of the district standings each season since 2017. North DeSoto got its first on-the-field win in that span last season. Northwood had to forfeit its 2020 win and leads the series 9-7.
The two newest members of 1-4A meet Friday with Southwood playing at Loyola in a noteworthy reunion. The Flyers last played the Cowboys in 1976 when they last won a state championship, beating Winnfield on the road 7-0.
Bossier crosses the river to play at Booker T. Washington and Woodlawn travels to Minden in the other 1-4A games. The Lions have defeated the Bearkats the last six meetings but the overall series is 7-7. The Crimson Tide has beaten the Knights in 19 of the 28 matchups.
District 1-2A also starts its action in Week 4 with Calvary, Green Oaks and North Caddo all hosting league openers.
The Cavaliers, stinging from a surprising 32-28 loss at Class 4A Franklin Parish, face unbeaten D’Arbonne Woods – averaging 45.6 points — trying to extend a 58-game district win streak.
The Giants will play 1-2A newcomer Union Parish at Jerry Burton Stadium while the Titans welcome Magnolia, another newcomer to the district.
District 1-5A enters its third week of league games with all four Bossier Parish teams playing a 1-5A opponent for the first time in the same week.
The unbeaten Airline Vikings host Evangel in a matchup of star quarterbacks, senior Ben Taylor for the Vikings and sophomore sensation Pop Houston for the Eagles. Benton hosts reigning 1-5A champion Captain Shreve. Haughton and Parkway are both on the road with the Bucs coming to Independence Stadium to play Huntington and the unbeaten Panthers headed down I-49 to meet Natchitoches Central.
Unbeaten Byrd has a non-district road trip to metro New Orleans to face John Ehret. The Jackets and Patriots have split a couple of playoff games previously.
Plain Dealing hosts its 1-1A opener against powerful Haynesville.
Week 4 local football schedule
Friday
DISTRICT 1-5A
Evangel (1-2, 1-1) at Airline (3-0, 2-0)
Captain Shreve (2-1, 1-1) at Benton (0-3, 0-2)
Haughton (0-3, 0-2) at Huntington (2-1, 2-0), Independence Stadium
Parkway (3-0, 1-0) at Natchitoches Central (1-2, 0-2), Turpin Stadium
DISTRICT 1-4A
Bossier (1-2) at Booker T. Washington (2-1), Leonard Barnes Stadium
Southwood (0-2) at Loyola (2-1), Messmer Stadium
Woodlawn (1-2) at Minden (3-0), The Pit
Northwood (3-0) at North DeSoto (1-2)
DISTRICT 1-2A
D’Arbonne Woods (3-0) at Calvary (1-2), Jerry Barker Stadium
Union Parish (0-3) vs. Green Oaks (1-2), Jerry Burton Stadium, Northwood
Magnolia (0-2) at North Caddo (2-1), Sanders-Prudhomme Stadium
DISTRICT 1-1A
Haynesville (3-0) at Plain Dealing (0-3)
NON-DISTRICT
Byrd (3-0) at John Ehret (1-2)