JOURNAL SPORTS
The high school football regular season begins its final weekend tonight with three local contests, most notably the 48th annual “Backyard Brawl” between Shreveport’s biggest high schools, Byrd and Captain Shreve, at Lee Hedges Stadium – homefield for both teams.
Huntington heads to Airline in another 1-5A matchup. Bossier has the daunting task of going to unbeaten District 1-4A champion North DeSoto.
The Yellow Jackets-Gators matchup will determine the city regular-season rushing title. Shreve’s Jamarcea Plater has an 11-yard edge (1,457 yards, 18 TDs) over Byrd’s Christian Maxie (1,446 yards, 19 TDs).
Byrd senior kicker Asher Murray can become the outright career field goal record holder in the 101-year history of the program. His 18 makes, after a 54-yarder (his fourth 50-yarder) at Airline las week, equaled the career total of future Northwestern State kicker John Shaughnessy.
The star running backs were central figures in last year’s 42-34 Shreve win. Plater had a 68-yard TD run while going for 141 yards on the ground, and he threw a halfback pass for an 80-yard touchdown. Maxie scored twice in a 121-yard rushing performance.
Airline’s three losses are by a total of 17 points, to 1-5A co-leaders Evangel and Parkway, and to Shreve, in three consecutive midseason contests. The Vikings have won their last three games while the Raiders have dropped their last three.
Both teams have productive first-year starting quarterbacks. Chase Williams of Airline has completed 70 percent of his passes for 2,285 yards and 18 scores, half to LSU commit Kenny Darby, who has 81 catches for 1,048 yards. Huntington’s Justin Whitaker has 2,228 passing yards and 24 TDs, connecting on 63 percent of his throws with just four interceptions in 246 attempts.
Bossier quarterback Montrevelle Lewis will face a stout test tonight, but has become the first documented local player since 2004 to have 1,000 rushing and passing yards in a season. He is the third-leading rusher in Shreveport-Bossier with 1,322 yards and leads all local players with 26 rushing touchdowns. He’s completed 65 percent of his 135 throws for 1,208 yards and seven more scores
In the LHSAA power rankings entering the last regular-season games, Huntington likely needs to win to keep playing, while Bossier might be OK with a loss due to North DeSoto’s No. 1 ranking in Non-Select Division II. Byrd will play its final game tonight, with Airline and Shreve destined for postseason.
The Week 10 schedule for Shreveport-Bossier teams:
TONIGHT
District 1-5A
Byrd (2-7, 1-6, LHSAA power ranking 33, Select Division I) at Captain Shreve (5-4, 5-2, #20 Select D-I), Lee Hedges Stadium
Huntington (3-7, 3-4 #29 Select D-I) at Airline (6-3, 4-3, #19 Non-Select D-I)
District 1-4A
Bossier (4-5, 1-5, #23 Non-Select D-II) at North DeSoto (9-0, 5-0, #1 Non-Select D-II)
FRIDAY
District 1-5A
Natchitoches Central (5-4, 3-4) at Benton (2-7, 1-6)
Parkway (9-0, 7-0) at Evangel (7-2, 7-0)
Non-district
Haughton (2-7) at St. Louis Catholic (2-7)
District 1-4A
Woodlawn (2-7, 0-6) at Booker T. Washington (5-4, 2-4)
Northwood (8-1, 5-1) at Loyola (8-1, 5-1)
Southwood (3-5, 1-5) at Minden (4-5, 3-3)
District 1-2A
Calvary (8-1, 5-0) at North Caddo (1-8, 1-4)
Green Oaks (2-7, 1-4) at Magnolia School of Excellence (0-8, 0-5)
District 1-1A
Non-distric
Pickering (4-5) at Plain Dealing (0-8)