By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Girls’ flag football as an LHSAA sport sooner than later?
Don’t be surprised. It’s trending that direction.
Eight-man football as an option for smaller schools, like Plain Dealing, that have annual worries about being able to put enough boys on the field to avoid having to forfeit games?
The LHSAA is open to the possibility if there’s enough schools interested.
Relief this year for Northwood, which was classified in the state’s biggest playoff division last year and was hoping to drop to Division II in 2025-26?
Not happening, said LHSAA executive director Eddie Bonine, visiting Shreveport Wednesday to keynote the opening program at the inaugural north Louisiana High School Football Media Day hosted by the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
Northwood’s enrollment was one of the state’s smallest last year in Division I, making the Falcons among a handful of programs competing in Class 4A during the regular season but playing against the Class 5A schools in postseason Division I competition. With under 1,000 students, Northwood can square off with schools twice as large in the playoffs.
Principal Shannon Wall – an outspoken critic of the LHSAA’s division system and Select/Non-Select classes for playoffs – and head football coach Austin Brown hoped a recent rule change could result in Northwood getting bumped down to Division II this season. Bonine rebuffed that in his remarks at the Independence Stadium sky box.
“That will be implemented starting with the 2026-27 reclassification period,” said Bonine, beginning his 11th year in charge of high school sports in the state.
He acknowledged, as he responded to a question about Northwood’s status but did not specify the Falcons, that “I believe there’s gonna be some people who aren’t going to be happy” with their postseason assignments.
Bonine noted that reclassification occurs every two years and will be addressed as usual beginning with the LHSAA’s regular January meetings with principals and athletic directors from around the state.
Otherwise, Bonine was supportive of the NFL-led initiative for girls flag football to become an official sport in the nation’s high schools. The New Orleans Saints have led the way regionally, helping facilitate girls play in the Crescent City area and in Mississippi.
The second season of Saints Girls High School Flag Football will involve 20 schools across Orleans and Jefferson Parishes and 12 schools in Mississippi.
“I hope that it spreads statewide,” said Bonine. “Right now I would say it doesn’t just have legs, but it’s at a nice jog at the moment, and there will be no roadblocks from the LHSAA when it comes to adding flag.”
The LHSAA commissioner, who oversaw eight-man football in his previous job as the Nevada state prep sports boss, was open to launching reduced-player football.
“Would I support eight-man football? Yeah, if it means more participation,” said Bonine, “but are the parishes ready to incur the cost? Football is not one of the least expensive sports.”
Plain Dealing’s 2024 squad included some junior high players and had to forfeit a late-season game when injuries and player departures dropped the available number of competitors below 11. The Lions did return a week later to complete their season, and there is renewed interest this year under first-year coach Jerry Byrd.
Other schools, both at the Class A level and also some that currently do not field football teams and play in Class B, have quietly expressed interest in considering eight, or six-man, football. It is popular in west Texas and thriving in Nevada and more than two dozen states involving roughly 1,500 schools.
Wednesday’s media day involved 30 schools from nine north Louisiana parishes in three one-hour sessions following the opening program.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com