By MATT VINES, Journal Sports
Just how good is resurgent Evangel? Tonight’s home game could provide testimony that the Eagles are much stronger than their No. 15 Select Division I LHSAA power ranking indicates.
After competitive losses to a perennially strong West Monroe team and a Neville squad that has shown it is among the best in the state regardless of class, Evangel (4-2, 3-0 in District 1-5A) has won four straight by a combined 200-41, shutting out two explosive offenses from Huntington and Captain Shreve.
Tonight they’ll step out of district to bring in Cornerstone Christian, a nationally ranked program (No. 43 in the High School Football America Top 300) out of San Antonio. The Warriors are 5-2.
The Eagles are not in that ranking. The only area teams included are No. 118 Ruston and No. 242 North DeSoto.
Cornerstone Christian, says ECA coach Denny Duron, has “the largest offensive line in America, and these guys are prospects.” Among the big nasties for the Warriors are players at 6-10, 400, and 6-7, 385.
Something to watch in this matchup: can Evangel’s receivers rise to the challenge? They have dropped 35 passes this season, about twice as many as Duron says is reasonable. That’s resulted in sensational senior quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston pulling it down and running more frequently, and in the open field, he is as dynamic as any running back anywhere.
‘Trap game’ week in District 1-5A
Honestly, in a district as deep as this, there shouldn’t be any games considered “trap games.”
But two of the three top district contenders are playing members drifting toward the bottom of the standings tonight.
Airline (5-1, 2-0) heads to Huntington (1-5, 1-1) and Haughton (6-0, 2-0) welcomes Byrd (0-6, 0-2).
The Vikings are coming off a season-high 57 points in a pillaging of Benton, and the 19-point win matches its largest in a season with three one-score victories (Wossman, Pulaski Academy, and surprisingly Natchitoches Central).
Don’t put all of your chips on Airline because of Huntington’s 1-5 record. The Raiders nearly upset a ranked Class 4A squad Franklin Parish on the road before scoring their first win this past week against Byrd. Coach John Simon says his team has played an “SEC-level” schedule and it’s easy to agree considering non-district games against Calvary, Evangel, and state power Edna Karr along with Franklin Parish, which won at Airline.
Byrd’s hard-luck Yellow Jackets are still trying to dent the win column.
It’s a matchup of two of the area’s best running backs as Christian Maxie could possibly break Byrd’s career rushing record (86 yards shy) while Haughton’s Brandon Craig has scored at least one touchdown in 23 straight games. Don’t sleep on Byrd fullback Collin Deere, who missed the non-district schedule for disciplinary reasons.
Craig set a Shreveport city record with seven rushing touchdowns against Parkway two weeks ago to seal what is the Bucs’ signature win to date.
While nobody is likely to overlook a Byrd team that’s had one-score losses to Huntington, Benton, and defending Division I Non-Select champion Ouachita, coach Matthew Sewell and staff have to make sure teenagers aren’t looking ahead to next week’s matchup with Airline.
Northwood suddenly in the mix for second in District 1-4A
There’s no trophy for second place, but a Northwood (2-4, 1-1 District 1-4A) win at Minden (5-1, 1-1) may provide something more valuable – confirmation of the in-season transformation and a path to the Division II Non-Select playoffs.
The Falcons completely changed their perception in the local football world with a 58-26 handling of a Booker T. Washington bunch that entered last Friday at 4-1.
The same defense that allowed 49 points to Captain Shreve, 71 to Loyola and 56 to North DeSoto provided plenty of resistance to Devion Stewart and the Lions, including nine sacks.
For a Falcons flock that moved closer to the playoff picture at No. 32 behind their play at the lines of scrimmage, Northwood could cement itself in the playoff picture with the road win.
It could also set up a 5-0 finish to the regular season with games Bossier, Southwood, and Woodlawn – who have a combined two wins (both by Bossier) against teams that aren’t included in that trio.
That should have Northwood vying for a first-round home playoff game instead of just hoping for a postseason spot.
Plain Dealing should get inspiration from tonight’s opponent
The Plain Dealing Lions made history last Friday with their 22-0 win over Pine Prairie, breaking the state’s longest active losing streak at 49 games.
Could coach Jerry Byrd’s team start a different kind of streak?
If they do find a way to beat Rosepine (6-0) on the road, it would serve as a major stepping stone for a program that’s rebuilding while electing not to play a district schedule and spurning playoff eligibility this fall and next.
When Rosepine made it on Plain Dealing’s schedule as part of the program reboot, the Eagles had suffered through a pair of one-win seasons.
Now the Eagles are on a crash course for a district title and are currently the No. 5 seed in the Division III Non-Select playoffs.
Contact Matt at matt.vines@lsus.edu