JOURNAL SPORTS
Evangel has a Class 2A enrollment but is unbeaten in District 1-5A.
Tonight, the Eagles visit a 2A opponent that has dispatched three 5A stalwarts, including reigning Non-Select Division I state champion Central of Baton Rouge.
Evangel, ranked No. 8 in the LSWA’s Class 5A poll, plays at Lafayette Christian, the No. 2 team in 2A. Both teams are 7-1 and their losses were no disgrace.
The Eagles opened the season at 5A power Neville, a Non-Select Division semifinalist last year, and only a failed two-point conversion in the closing minutes prevented them from topping the Tigers.
The Knights, without their starting quarterback, fell 31-13 at Archbishop Shaw, last year’s Select Division II state champion. Their wins include Rummel (27-26), Carencro (41-38) and Central (55-48).
There will be plenty of top-level talent on the field near the I-49/1-10 exchange.
Evangel’s Pop Houston leads the state with 2,915 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, having only three interceptions in 231 attempts (160 completions). All of the picks came a month ago in a 51-49 win that ended Airline’s long 1-5A win streak. The junior, a 2027 LSU commit, threw for eight TDs and ran for another last week at Haughton. He has 654 rushing yards and eight scores.
His top targets are Charley Abraham (59 catches, 845 yards, 5 TDs), Johnny Casey Jr. (34-716, 10 TDs) and Demarkus Evans (30-661, 11 TDs). Returning All-State linebacker Damari Drake headlines the ECA defense and has run for 10 scores and an 8.3 per carry average. Eagles LB Bennett Speer tops local tacklers with 103 stops.
LCA has a dangerous defensive lineman in Jayden Arceneaux, who has broken the school single-season mark for tackles for lost yards. Linebackers Kaleb Simon and Jaimason Marzell have combined for nearly 150 tackles, and defensive back Luke Green is already committed to the UL Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns.
Offensive stars for the Knights are quarterback Braylon Walker (1,154 yards passing, 19 TD, and 719 rushing yards with seven scores), running back Caiden Bellard (1,033 yards, 13 TDs) and receiver Brayden Allen (489 yards, eight TDs).
There are six local district games tonight, including Captain Shreve’s homecoming contest against Haughton, and unbeaten Parkway’s last hurdle to clear, at Benton, before a Week 10 showdown with Evangel for the 1-5A crown.
The Gators lost to Parkway on the last play a week ago, 45-42, while rolling up 556 total yards against perhaps the district’s best defense. Haughton took Evangel deep into the third quarter before the Eagles found another gear and pulled away.
Shreve senior receiver Shawn Devers is leaving his mark on the school record book. He has passed the legendary Carlos Pennywell on the career receptions list (89 and counting), and is 21 away from second place. Devers is second in career receiving yardage (1,785), 428 shy of the record.
Jamarcea Plater already has blasted past the Shreve career rushing yards mark with 3,570 and 45 touchdowns in just 19 games on offense. The former (and still occasional) cornerback, who has four career punt blocks, is averaging 167 yards per game in his senior season after going for 219 at Parkway, his school record seventh 200-yard performance.
Shreve’s defense forced the first two Parkway punts of the season as Briggs Savage collected 20 tackles and LaMelvin Adger added 16.
Benton faces an uphill battle at home against Parkway, but has three of the more explosive offensive weapons in 1-5A. Receiver Case Austin is averaging 30 yards on 27 catches and has 10 TDs, while Rydan McCormack carries an 18.3 average on 24 catches. Junior Malachi Zeigler threw for 486 yards last week against Byrd to raise his season total to 2,270, and his five TD passes upped the 2025 total to 20.
TONIGHT
District 1-5A
Haughton (1-7, 1-6) at Captain Shreve (4-4, 4-2), Lee Hedges Stadium
Natchitoches Central (4-4, 2-4) at Huntington (3-5, 3-3), Independence Stadium
Parkway (8-0, 6-0) at Benton (2-6, 1-5)
Non-district
Evangel (7-1) at Lafayette Christian (7-1)
District 1-4A
Woodlawn (2-6, 0-5) at Bossier (3-5, 1-4)
Minden (4-4, 3-2) at Northwood (7-1, 4-1)
District 1-2A
Green Oaks (2-6, 1-3) at Calvary (7-1, 4-0)
FRIDAY
District 1-5A
Byrd (2-6, 1-5) at Airline (5-3, 3-3)
District 1-4A
Loyola (8-0, 5-0) at North DeSoto (8-0, 5-0)
Booker T. Washington (4-4, 1-4) at Southwood (3-4, 1-4), Independence Stadium
District 1-2A
Homer (3-5, 2-2) at North Caddo (1-7, 1-3)
Union Parish (4-4, 4-1) at Magnolia School of Excellence (0-7, 0-4)
District 1-1A
Plain Dealing (0-7, 0-5) at Lincoln Prep (3-5, 1-3)