By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

After forfeiting last week’s District 1-1A football game at Jonesboro-Hodge because of a player shortage, Plain Dealing High School is getting ready to tee it up at home Friday night against Lincoln Prep.

The north Bossier Parish school will release an official statement this morning to confirm its return to competition – at least for this week. Louisiana High School Athletic Association rules create a sense of urgency, because if a school forfeits two district games in a season, it can have its playoff status revoked in all sports for up to three years.

The Lincoln Prep game concludes Plain Dealing’s district schedule. The Lions are slated to finish their season at another personnel-challenged program, Pickering, on Nov. 9.

Plain Dealing had only 16 players in mid-September. Since then, injuries and attrition trimmed the roster, which included six junior high boys. Plain Dealing was unable to complete its Week 7 game at Arcadia when a Lion was sidelined by a second-half injury, leaving the team without 11 able-bodied competitors.

The school has the lowest enrollment of any football-playing school in Louisiana, with under 70 boys and girls attending the high school.

Including the forfeit, the Lions are 0-9 this season and have not scored since a 16-14 home loss to Tensas in the season opener. Their 30 straight defeats equal the state’s second-longest skid.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com