JOURNAL SPORTS
The two marquee matchups of the local high school football Week 4 slate are games that quite likely could resonate into November.
Reigning District 1-5A champion Airline goes to explosive Evangel in a battle of the two league teams on the radar of statewide sportswriters voting on the Class 5A top 10 poll. The meeting between the Vikes and Eagles last year was a 47-42 Airline win.
In a 1-4A rivalry game that has been high stakes for several years, Northwood tries to replicate its homefield upset two seasons ago when North DeSoto rolls up from Stonewall for the league opener for both teams. The Griffins rose to No. 1 in the LSWA’s Class 4A rankings this week after scoring a stirring 39-28 victory at 5A stalwart West Monroe.
All four teams are undefeated through three weeks.
Playing on its home turf at Rodney Duron Stadium, Evangel will follow sensational junior quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston, who has already pledged his verbal commitment to LSU in the Tigers’ Class of 2027. Houston is the local area’s second-leading rusher (414 yards) and is tops in passing yards, as expected, with 1,008.
Airline has replaced the state’s second-leading career passing yards producer, Northwestern State freshman Ben Taylor, with the versatile Chase Williams. He has thrown for 878 yards, trailing only Houston on the local list, and has shown good running ability while steering a more diverse Vikings’ offense than before under fourth-year coach Justin Scogin, whose team has won consecutive 1-5A games and 29 of its last 30 regular-season contests overall.
Airline’s Kenny Darby (31 catches, 491 yards, 4 TDs) is the local receiving leader while Charley Abraham leads Evangel with 285 receiving yards on 20 catches.
Northwood has lit up the scoreboard, averaging 57.3 points in its 3-0 start. Kyran Johnson’s 349 rushing yards leads the Falcons.
Week 4 games
THURSDAY’S SCORES
District 1-5A
Captain Shreve 59, Benton 48
District 1-4A
Loyola 56, Southwood 0
TONIGHT’S GAMES
District 1-5A
Airline (3-0, 1-0) at Evangel (2-1, 2-0)
Huntington (1-2, 1-1) at Haughton (1-2, 1-1)
Natchitoches Central (1-2, 0-2) at Parkway (3-0, 1-0)
Non-district
John Ehret (1-2) at Byrd (0-3), Lee Hedges Stadium
District 1-4A
Booker T. Washington (2-1, 0-0) at Bossier (2-1, 0-0)
North DeSoto (3-0, 0-0) at Northwood (3-0, 0-0)
Minden (1-2, 0-0) at Woodlawn (2-1, 0-0), Independence Stadium
District 1-2A
Calvary (2-1, 0-0) at D’Arbonne Woods (3-0, 0-0)
Green Oaks (1-2, 0-0) at Union Parish (0-3, 0-0)
Magnolia School of Excellence (0-2, 0-0) at North Caddo (0-3, 0-0)
District 1-1A
Plain Dealing (0-2, 0-1) at Haynesville (3-0, 0-0