Calvary’s Guin, Newman’s Stewart share a unique career highlight

Both have been coaching high school football for more than two decades, so it’s not surprising the Calvary’s Rodney Guin and Newman’s Nelson Stewart have met before.

But the interesting part is where they met for the first time – Orlando, Fla.

No, it wasn’t like they had a chance meeting at the airport or Disney World. It was football-related; just not at the high school level.

In 2017, the NFL allowed all of the players who were selected for the Pro Bowl to bring their high school coach as a guest.

Odell Beckham, who was a New York Giant at the time and making his third straight appearance, brought Stewart, who had coached him when he played for the Greenies from 2008-10.

Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott brought Guin, who was his high school coach at Haughton.

That was the first meeting between Guin and Stewart. They actually met again a year later in a real game – we all know the Pro Bowl doesn’t qualify as a “real game” – when Calvary, where Guin took over as head coach in 2017, met Newman in the 2018 Division III state quarterfinals. The Greenies won that game 31-28 at Jerry Barker Stadium.

Stewart and the Greenies will be making that trip again tonight when the two teams meet. This time, there’s a little more at stake – a berth in the Division III (Select) state finals.

No team reaches the semifinals of the state playoffs without having talent, and even though the top four seeds in the bracket all reached that mark (St. Charles and University are the other two), there is the perception that the Division III semifinals consist of three teams … plus Newman.

The Greenies come into the game as a decided underdog, which Stewart readily acknowledges.

“No doubt,” Stewart said. “And we are fine with that. The lights are on those (other three teams) for a reason.”

Perception or reality? You decide.

Calvary is 12-0 and the top-ranked team in the Class 2A state poll throughout the season. There is everything to like about what the Cavaliers have accomplished this season when you consider the opponents, the margins of victory and the assembly of talent. Even Guin has said on a number of occasions during the year “We’ve played well every game this year.” That’s a rare quote from any coach.

St. Charles is the top seed and just so happen to be the two-time defensive Division III state champions. Check this out: Teurlings Catholic is a semifinalist in Division II. St. Charles beat them by four touchdowns. The Archbishop Shaw Eagles are another D2 semifinalist. St. Charles beat them too. And by the way, St. Charles has already beaten Newman 28-0.

University Lab is, well, University Lab. In the last 10 years, the Cubs have played in the semifinals every year and won state titles in 2014, 2017, 2018 and 2021. U-High plays in Class 3A during the regular season and has wins over Catholic (a semifinalist in Division I) and, if it counts for anything, has a win over Parkview Baptist by a wider margin than Calvary.

“We are just focused on ourselves in trying to get better each week,” Stewart said. “If you call us underdog, that’s fine. Calvary and St. Charles are 12-0 for a season and University’s only loss is to Rummel (a Division 1 semifinalist). Yeah, most people are focused on them. We don’t really talk about it, but that’s a fair narrative.”

This is Newman’s second trip to North Louisiana this year. The Greenies played at Benton during the third week of the season and won 37-27 in a game that wasn’t near that close (Newman led 23-0 at one point).

Stewart said there isn’t much difference in his team now that it was 11 weeks ago.

“When you are 14 weeks in (to the season), you have to stay true to who you are,” Stewart said. “We just have to stay focused on ourselves. We’ve worked hard and developed a good game plan. We just got to get up there (to Shreveport) and play tough football. That’s the key.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com


Can’t stop this? Defense key in collision between Cavs, Greenies

QB1:  Junior Abram Wardell has posted eye-popping stats as Calvary’s offense has been virtually unstoppable this season. (Journal photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Two really good offenses with two really good quarterbacks are going to be play tonight in what should be a really good playoff game and all either coach could talk about was how important it was to play really good defense.

Newman (11-1), the No. 3 seed in the Division III (Select) playoffs, will take on second-seeded Calvary (12-0) at Jerry Barker Stadium to determine who is going to be playing for a state championship next Saturday afternoon in New Orleans.

“In the semifinals, you better play good defense,” said Calvary coach Rodney Guin. “We are going to have to get stops on defense. It doesn’t matter how good we are on offense if they are grinding it out and we only get the ball seven times a game. That makes it close. Defense is the key this late (in the season).”

“It’s nothing flashy,” Newman coach Nelson Stewart said. “We just try to play good team defense and run to the football. When you play teams with no real weaknesses, you have to play great defense.”

There is certainly plenty of flash on offense in this game, led by a couple of junior quarterbacks.

Calvary’s Abram Wardell threw for 2,921 yards and 33 touchdowns in the regular season and added 206 more last week, even though the Cavaliers featured a more run-oriented offense in the quarterfinals.

Newman’s Eli Friend is more of a two-way threat at quarterback. Earlier this year in a game against Benton, he threw for 302 yards and ran for 97. He accounted for all five touchdowns in that game.

Like Wardell, Friend has plenty of weapons to choose from in wide receiver Anthony Jones and tight end Will Loerzel (6-5, 245). Up front, the Greenies have LSU commit Brett Bordelon (6-4, 283) at left tackle.

“They are a lot like us,” Guin said. “They can run the ball and throw the ball. The quarterback is probably the best thrower we have seen all year long. They can throw it quick and on time. They are big up front with a big tight end. They can cause a lot of problems for people because of all they can do.”

“I think we have consistently grown and stayed balanced,” Stewart said. “Nothing flashy. We try to be efficient in the passing game. Everybody has just been doing their job. Noting earth-shattering and we just do what we do. We are not a group of stars, just a bunch of kids who work well together. We keep our head down and work hard to keep getting better.”

Stewart has seen all sorts of good offense during the Greenies’ season, but says Calvary still offers a unique challenge.

“They are incredibly explosive,” Stewart said. “They spread you and really make you defend. They score in chunks. They have as good of a running back (James Simon, who ran for 324 yards and four TDs last week) as you are going to see but also a great group of wide-outs. They are humming along pretty good. They are certainly unlike any team we have seen this year.”

Calvary has basically boat-raced the competition for the last two months while Newman has had to overcome a hiccup in the final week of the regular season with a 28-0 loss to St. Charles (the top seed in the bracket).

A year ago, things were much different for the Greenies as Arch Manning, the nation’s most high-profile recruit, was the focal point of the team. That team was the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, but there is the thought that this Greenies’ team may be more complete.

“We lost a lot great players last year, but I really like our seniors,” Stewart said. “I know that’s something you hear a lot, but this is a group that people didn’t know a lot about and has worked hard and been great leaders. They play for each other and play tough.”

Guin agrees with the assessment of this Newman team as opposed to last year.

“I saw them play last year on film and I personally think they are better than last year as far as the whole team goes,” he said. “I think they are better than the 2018 Newman team we played.”

That Greenies’ squad carried home a 31-28 quarterfinal victory over the Cavaliers.

The winner of the Calvary-Newman game will meet the University-St. Charles winner in the Division III (Select) state championship game. That contest will be next Saturday at 3:30 in the Caesars Superdome.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

No. 3 NEWMAN (10-1) at No. 2 CALVARY (12-0) 

Where: Jerry Barker Stadium 

LHSAA playoff bracket: Select Division III 

Series: Calvary 2-1 

Last week: Calvary beat Parkview 49-28; Parkview beat Episcopal 31-15 

Rankings: CBA #1 in LSWA 2A poll, #1 in SBJ poll; Newman #4 in LSWA 2A poll 

Radio: Miracle (90.7 FM) 

Notables: Last week‘s quarterfinal win gave Calvary a 36-19 playoff record. It is 3-4 in semifinal playoff games … Cavs running back James Simon ran a school-record 324 yards and four touchdowns, the ninth-best single-game total in Caddo-Bossier history … Abram Wardell passed for 212 yards and three scores … Wardell’s season totals: 222 completions, 279 attempts, 79.5 completion percentage, 3,337 yards, 39 TDs and only 1 interception …  Cole Miller recorded 13 tackles, Hutch Grace 12 and Landon Sylvie had an end-zone interception in the win last week … Senior receiver Aubrey Hermes is the program’s career leader in receptions (177), receiving yards (3,598) and shares the mark for TD catches (40) with Shun Brown, a 2014 senior … This is Newman’s 44th playoff appearance, 18th straight … The Greenies have never played for a state championship, going 0-8 in semifinal games, losing in 1974, 1978, 1991, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021 …. Newman has an all-time playoff record of 39-43 … The Greenies were 2-1 in District 10-2A, losing to No. 1 St. Charles in the season finale … Junior quarterback Eli Friend leads the offense with right at 2,000 passing yards and sophomore running back Jake Randle sets the pace on the ground. Randle had 22 carries for 120 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s quarterfinal win over Episcopal.   


’Too many chiefs’ on coaching staff no problem for Calvary

GANG OF FOUR: Rodney Guin (second from left) has
three assistants who are former head coaches: Steven Geter (left), James Wilkerson (second from right) and John Bachman, Jr. (Submitted photo)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Even in the midst of dozens of people on the sideline, being a head football coach can often seem like a lonely job.

Players are worried about playing (and playing time). Assistant coaches are worried about the position groups they are involved in and not much else. 

And the head coach? He’s got everything to worry about. Good luck with all that.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone who knows about all that goes into being a head coach, which can include anything from decision-maker to locker room sweeper.

Calvary’s Rodney Guin doesn’t have that problem. He’s the head coach of the Cavaliers, but he’s not the only one on the sideline who knows about being in that position.

He doesn’t just have one assistant who was once a head coach. Or two. This year, there are three assistants at Calvary who have previously served as head coach.

“It’s reassuring, for sure, and helpful,” Guin said. “They catch a lot of stuff that other coaches might not catch. They understand what I do day-to-day and what things have to be done, because they’ve been there.”

Offensive line coach James Wilkerson was head coach at Natchitoches Central for three years.

Safeties coach John Bachman, Jr., was head coach at Cornerstone Christian in San Antonio for five years.

Quarterbacks coach Steven Geter has twice been the head coach at Loyola, totaling nine years.

“I’ve always said I want the best people here coaching our kids,” Guin said. “There are no egos here. I wasn’t afraid that we’d get all of these guys who have been head coaches and there’d be a bunch of backdoor stuff. We want to do the best for our kids. I don’t care whose suggestion it is.”

Geter has even more of a perspective on this, because in 2017, when he was at Loyola, he was also the head coach on a staff with three former head coaches (Alan Carter, Pat Maxey, Kendrick Law).

“You never know about all the things you have to deal with unless you’ve been a head coach,” Geter said. “And it’s not just the pressure of the game, it’s having the ability to bounce things off other coaches to know what has worked for them or what hasn’t worked. Plus, when you get in big situations in a game, it’s nice to be on the headset and say ‘What do you think?’“

“It’s not that I’m second-guessing myself, but those guys have got a lot of experience,” Guin said. “It’s good to have a check on me, too. They were told Day One that if they see something we need to do different, don’t worry about me. You need to tell me. That’s how we have all operated since we have all been here.”

Guin and his head-coach-laden staff have been busy this week preparing for Newman in the Division III (select) playoffs. The 12-0 Cavaliers, seeded No. 2, will take on third-seeded Newman (11-1) at 7 p.m. Friday at Jerry Barker Stadium with a trip to the state finals on the line. 

“Rodney and I have had several situations in the last couple of years where we’d talk about what we think the right move is,” Geter said. “I just give my opinion, and he either goes with it or against it. If he had a gut feeling and went with it, I understand that. I’m always going to support him on that. I’m just there to offer any assistance whenever he asks for it.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com


Drilling down on the Calvary-Newman battle here Friday night

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/YouTube TV

A lot of speculation surrounds Friday night’s state Select Division III semifinal playoff game in Shreveport between Calvary Baptist and Isadore Newman of New Orleans, because it’s a tremendous matchup.

Might be the best semifinal in any division, select or non-select. No question it’s on a short list and should be a great game at Jerry Barker Stadium.

There’s plenty to discuss when it comes to skill-position talent on both sides of the football for each team. Both programs have a lot of history with quarterbacks.

Calvary’s QB stable is headed by Shea Patterson (Ole Miss/Michigan), and recently the 2021 Mr. Louisiana Football, Landry Lyddy (UAB) who lead Calvary to the 2020 state championship. Newman has produced the magnificent Mannings — brothers Peyton and Eli, both two-time Super Bowl champions, and their nephew, Cooper’s son, Archie’s grandson, Arch Manning, a true freshman at Texas who many believe is the best yet.

I don’t have enough space to break down the tremendous talent in the offensive and defensive backfields and at wide receiver/tight end for both teams. The quarterbacks are incredible – Calvary’s Abram Wardell and Eli Friend of Newman, who is not Arch Manning but is dynamic in his own way. 

Calvary’s James Simon is a spectacular junior running back who will have major colleges all over him this spring and summer before his senior season. Ask Parkview Baptist. He hit them for 326 rushing yards and four second-half TDs last week.

But especially in this contest, it’s the big guys up front who make the difference. This game will be won in the trenches, by the front sevens. 

Both teams are capable on any given night to score over 40 points easy. Both teams have a lot of playmakers — I give the edge to Calvary, which has as many as 10 playmakers who can hit the end zone, on offense or defense.

Calvary comes in with a perfect 12-0 record. Newman is 10-1, with a win at Benton early this year. These teams have great coaches – Rodney Guin at CBA, Nelson Stewart at Newman, and there are excellent assistants on both sidelines. 

The Cavaliers have the bigger and deeper units in the trenches. That group is led by OL Jimmy Wright (6-3, 255), LB Cole Miller (6-1, 200), DE Cayden Markray (6-2, 245), OL/DL Ethan Sands (6-3, 255), LB Heath Gross (6-0, 210), OL Layton Terrell (6-3, 315), LB Tre Houston (6-2, 215), LB Hutch Grace (6-2, 220), OL Kendrick Manning (6-3, 320), OL Jax Gallier (6-4, 245), and OL Hayden Darner (6-0, 250).

It’s the best linebacker group I have seen at Calvary Baptist and the best group of offensive linemen in program history.

Newman will counter with a talented unit, just not as big overall and not as deep. The Greenies are led by DT/OL Brett Bordelon (6-4, 290), who can run like most linebackers in Louisiana with 4.9 speed, and he is as tough as they come – obviously the leader of the unit. 

They have an athletic big guy in the middle in DT Brandon Williams (6-2, 300). At tight end, Will Loerzel is 6-6, 255, (his dad started for Purdue back in the day) and runs a 4.89 forty. LB Isaiah Grant is a former WR who checks in at 6-2, 220 with scary 4.65 speed. More tough customers up front are DT Justin Wells (6-2, 245), DE William Darragh (6-0, 225), and Arch Manning’s “little” brother Heid, an OL/LSP/DE who is 6-1, 235 and a lot more rugged than his uncles.

I think Calvary will make more big plays than Newman. I also think any long drives will wear Newman down by the fourth quarter. If this happens, then my prediction is 31-21 Calvary.

It should be a great game. Both teams can make field goals and both teams have good punters, so drives will be earned for both sides. It would not be a shock for Newman to go home happy, but with Calvary at home, the depth factor and the long travel for the Greenies, I think not.

This summer in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal, I picked Calvary to win it all. I’m not changing my pick. I think the Cavs will be in the Superdome next Saturday afternoon.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com


Volleyball district champion Airline heads All-District

JOURNAL SPORTS

Sicily Fontaine of District 1 volleyball champion Airline was named the Overall Most Valuable Player and Airline’s Regina Digilormo was named the Coach of the Year.

The Lady Vikes finished the season with a 12-0 district record and 24-12 for the season. Other MVPs include Lola Overdyke of Byrd on offense and Haughton’s Haylee Crowder on defense. Madison Smith of Benton was the Freshman of the Year.

Here is a list of the complete team.

District 1 – Division I

FIRST TEAM

Outside Hitter — Ja’Niyah Boudreaux, Airline

Outside Hitter — Jasmine Henson, Byrd

Setter — Lia Vergis, Benton

Middle Blocker — Alana Pierce, Captain Shreve

Middle Blocker — Ramsey Houffpauir, Byrd

Right Side Hitter/Setter — Chandler Halsell, Benton

Libero — Briana Elias, Parkway

Utility — Tia Taylor, Captain Shreve

Utility — Avery Young, Byrd

Utility — Addyson Hulett, Benton

Overall MVP — Sicily Fontaine, Airline

Defensive MVP — Haylee Crowder, Haughton

Offensive MVP — Lola Overdyke, Byrd

Freshman of the Year — Madison Smith, Benton

Coach of the Year — Regina Digilormo, Airline

SECOND TEAM

Outside Hitter — Ava Washington, Airline

Outside Hitter — Lecsi Hilton, Parkway

Middle Blocker — Raylon Bailey, Airline

Middle Blocker — Maddie Polk, Haughton

Setter — Maddie Hicks, Captain Shreve

Right Side Hitter/Setter — Avery Brainis, Byrd

Libero — Lexi Vergis, Benton

Utility — Caitlynn Johnson, Parkway

Utility — Natalie Williams, Airline

Utility — Ella Vickers, Haughton

Here are the final district standings:

2023   Volleyball Standings
 
District 1-I Dist. All
Airline 12-0 24-13
Byrd 10-2 17-11
Captain Shreve 7-5 24-16
Benton 6-6 23-10
Haughton 5-7 14-15
Parkway 2-10 9-26
Southwood 0-12 2-18

Comparing Calvary, Newman takes Moore diagnosis

KEY CAV:  Linebacker Hutch Grace (11) is a vital part of the Calvary defense that will try to contain the Newman Greenies Friday night in a state semifinal game at CBA’s Jerry Barker Stadium. (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

As they prepare to play in the Division III Select semifinals, there are not a lot of commonalities between Calvary and Newman.

None of the current players were in high school the last time the two schools played (2018).

They have no common opponents on the 2023 schedule.

The two schools are located on opposite ends of the state, more than 300 miles away.

Newman was founded in 1903; Calvary brought back its current high school curriculum more than 100 years later. 

Though both play in the select playoffs, Calvary is a faith-based school; Newman is an independent school.

Newman is located in Uptown New Orleans, several blocks from the historic Garden District. The closest thing to a Garden District at Calvary is at the Brookshire’s floral shop next door. One’s tuition is more than three times greater than the other. You can go ahead and assume which is which.

So where could you possibly go to find a way to compare the two as they prepare for Friday’s game? The answer – north Bossier Parish.

That’s where you’ll find Reynolds Moore, the head coach of Benton, who is quite familiar with both teams.

His Tigers played Newman in Week 3 of this season – they also played in 2022 – and he and Newman coach Nelson Stewart are good friends.

Though they didn’t play in the regular season, Moore and the Tigers did take on the Cavaliers  during the spring game. And he saw Calvary on video this year when he was preparing against a Calvary opponent.

Plus, he was at Jerry Barker Stadium last week when the Cavs defeated Parkview Baptist in the quarterfinals.

So step right up, Reynolds Moore, and share some wisdom.

“It’s two well-coached teams, that’s for sure,” Moore said. “Both coaches have a lot of talent on the field. Newman is probably a little less hyped, but maybe because that’s because we are up here and closer to what Calvary has done. Calvary has a ton of kids with (college) offers and Newman had that last year with Arch (Manning, the nation’s top recruit).”

Which is a nice opening answer, but let’s get a little more granular. Moore’s team was knocked out of the Division I (Non-Select) playoffs in the first round, but it’s time to put his coaching hat back on.

If he were Calvary’s Rodney Guin, what would your team need to do Friday night? “I would want them to have to play from behind,” Moore said. “Every coach wants to jump out ahead, and I think Newman does have the ability to come from behind. But Newman is probably the most overlooked team (of the four semifinalists), and if you jump out on them, it’s hard for a teenager not to think that everyone was right (to overlook them). 

“But the longer they are in the game, they’ll start to believe. This is just me, but I’d take the ball first (to open the game) and try to score and get ahead right off.”

If he were Stewart, what would you be worried about? “I would be worried about the big play,” Moore added. “And that starts with (James) Simon at running back. Last week, Calvary moved the ball down the field without a bunch of big plays. They can play that way, but you’ve got to try to make them play that way.

“One thing I’ve learned about Nelson’s teams is that he does a great job of taking away what you do best. But Calvary’s got a ton of weapons.”

Both offenses will be in the spotlight, but one of the best matchups could be No. 12 (Newman quarterback Eli Friend) vs. No. 11 (Calvary linebacker Hutch Grace).

“They (the Cavaliers) do a really good job of moving their guys around on defense,” Moore said. “They’ll play that single-high safety, but they can put pressure on you in a lot of different ways. And I think (linebacker) Hutch Grace is one of the best defensive players around here. I think he is mean on the field and I mean that as a compliment. That’s the kind of mindset you want. He’s going to be a problem for (Newman) to deal with Friday night.”

When the Greenies came to Benton, Moore got a first-hand look at Friend, who passed for 302 yards (completing 24 of 33) and ran for 97 more. He either passed or ran for all five Newman touchdowns.

“He’s not Arch, but he can do a lot of things well,” Moore said. “They may actually be a better team (than last year) because he can so many things to beat you. He’s a lot of fun to watch. Unless you are the opponent.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com


There’s winning on the scoreboard, and winning in bigger ways

JOURNAL STAFF

For all local head coaches but Rodney Guin at Calvary Baptist, the 2023 season is now in the rearview mirror.

When you look into a mirror, there’s a reflection. This week’s Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches’ Roundtable question: as you look back on the season, what makes you especially proud about your team?

MIKE GREENE, Loyola – “These guys played North DeSoto, Logansport, Haynesville (in a scrimmage), Captain Shreve and Calvary. They competed against some of the best teams in the state. Not many teams can say four of their losses came against teams that are playing after Thanksgiving! I am really happy that the seniors kept the playoff streak alive, even with only seven of them.”

JASON BROTHERTON, Haughton – “What I liked best about the 2023 Haughton Buccaneers was that, in the face of a tough season, they showed up every day and continued to give great effort all the way to the end.”

REYNOLDS MOORE, Benton – “A lot of people left us for dead at 1-4, but that next week of practice revealed the tremendous character our team had. I’ve said it a hundred times, but I was repeatedly impressed with their commitment and how they just kept showing up and working every day, regardless of how things were going.”

STEPHEN DENNIS, Huntington – “I was really pleased with the growth and development of our offensive line. We went into the season thinking they could be really good. We came out of the season knowing they were one of the strengths of our entire team.”

CHASE THOMPSON, North Caddo – “My favorite part of coaching is the conversations and the laughs that you share with your team. Football can be intense for the coaches and players (especially when you’re losing). However, the moments of laughter, joy, and camaraderie that are born in between those stressful moments are special. We had plenty of those special moments this season, and I’m grateful for that.”

COY BROTHERTON, Parkway – “The most pleasing thing I saw from our team this year was how well they bonded and played together. The way they handled adversity and picked each other up was very rewarding to our coaching staff.”

ADAM KIRBY, Captain Shreve – “I really enjoyed how close we were as a team. There was a genuine love for one another and because of that, we did not have any off-field issues and we had fun every week.”

JAMES BRADFORD JR., Green Oaks – “This season I was blessed with the support we had with the vision of the program. The things sowed into our young men were bigger than just on the field.

“On the field, I was very pleased with our guys’ ‘never give up’ attitude even with major injuries at key positions. We also played a lot of young guys that grew up and excelled on the varsity level.”

CLINT WALKER, Plain Dealing – “Considering the low numbers that we had, we persevered through the duration of the season and improved from the beginning to the end. We kept fighting.”

GARY COOPER, Booker T. Washington – “The most pleasing aspect about the Lions this year was accountability. These young men held their teammates accountable for all the things, as a coach, you would want them to. For the most part, the team ‘policed’ itself. The expectations were set, and the kids held each other accountable.”


Airline’s Taylor, Shreve’s McDonald head up 1-5A All-District team 

AIRLINE ACE:  Junior quarterback Ben Taylor of Airline spearheaded the most explosive offense in District 1-5A and one of the state’s higher-scoring attacks in 2023. (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

JOURNAL SPORTS

Airline quarterback Ben Taylor was named the Most Valuable Player on offense and EJ McDonald of Captain Shreve the Defensive Most Valuable Player on the 2023 1-5A All-District team selected by district coaches.

Taylor had a record-setting season passing for 3,507 yards in the regular season and 44 touchdowns. He had a season-high 471 yards in a district opener against Benton and more than 300 yards in each district game. He completed 73 percent of his passes (261 of 357).

McDonald led an opportunistic Shreve defense with five interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He returned one of those fumbles 96 yards for a key touchdown.

Here is the complete list of the 2023 1-5A team.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

WR – Jarvis Davis, Airline, Jr.

WR – Bryson Broom, Airline, Sr.

WR – Trey Smith, Benton, Sr.

WR – Camryn Davis, Natchitoches Central, Sr.

TE – Bob Patterson, Airline, Sr.

OL – Josh Allen, Airline, Jr.

OL – Travis Flowers, Benton, Sr.

OL – Noah Slaughter, Byrd, Sr.

OL – Devin Harper, Captain Shreve, Jr.

OL – Lionel Prudhomme, Captain Shreve, Sr.

OL – Caleb Randolph, Captain Shreve, Jr.

OL – Ethan Plunkett, Parkway, Jr.

OL – Joe Cryer, Natchitoches Central, Sr.

QB – Ben Taylor, Airline, Jr.

RB – Greg Manning, Benton, Sr.

RB – Jamarlon Otis, Captain Shreve, Jr.

RB – Antonio Gladney, Parkway, So.

Ath – Tre’Von Jackson, Airline, Sr.

K – Aeron Burrell, Parkway, Sr.

P – John Hoyet Chance, Captain Shreve, Sr.

DEFENSE

DL – Myaun Carey, Benton, Jr.

DL – Greg Webb, Captain Shreve, Sr.

DL – Brayden Woods, Natchitoches Central, Sr.

DL – BJ Patterson, Parkway, Sr.

DL – DD Oliver, Parkway, Jr.

LB – Sincere Walker, Airline, Sr.

LB – Cole Austin, Benton, Jr.

LB – Amaray Brown, Parkway, Sr.

LB – Landon Lee, Captain Shreve, Sr.

DB – Jeremiah Boudreaux, Airline, Sr.

DB – EJ McDonald, Captain Shreve, Sr.

DB – Carmaro Mayo, Parkway, Jr.

DB – Miller Malley, Benton, Jr.

Flex – Jayden Gladney, Airline, Jr.

Offensive MVP – Ben Taylor, Airline

Defensive MVP – EJ McDonald, Captain Shreve

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

WR – Jalen Lewis, Haughton Sr.; Jordan Wiggins, Captain Shreve, Sr.; Dillon Braxton, Natchitoches Central, So.; Jackson Jones, Benton, Jr.; Jayden Lewis, Parkway, Jr. TE – Cody Wilhite, Benton, Sr. OL – Witt VanHoy, Benton, Jr.; Dylan Gillie, Byrd, Sr.; Jeremiah Williams, Parkway, Sr.; Javion Marshall, Captain Shreve, Sr.; Rimarria Davis, Haughton, Jr.; Ashton Player, Southwood, Sr.; Nathan Hill, Airline, Sr. QB – Quortni Beaner, Captain Shreve, Sr.; RB – Malachi Johnson, Byrd, Jr.; Desmond Simmons, Byrd, Jr.; Chris Mayes, Haughton, Sr.; Zion Thompson, Natchitoches Central, Sr.; Ath – Jeff King, Benton, Sr.; K – John Hoyet Chance, Captain Shreve; P – Abram Murray, Byrd, Sr.

DEFENSE

DL – Demarcus King, Benton, So.; Landon Mosley, Captain Shreve, Sr.; Cade Givens, Captain Shreve, Jr.; Darrell Cottonham, Byrd, Jr.; Travail Hamilton, Southwood, Sr.; LB – Bennie Walters, Benton, Sr.; Ashton Fullwood, Sr.; Aydin Ashworth, Airline, Sr.; Peyton Houston, Captain Shreve, Jr.; Shamichael Johnson, Southwood, Sr.; Kaiden Abraham-Miller, Byrd, Jr.; Jamarcea Plater, Captain Shreve, So.; Ashtin Jackson, Parkway, Sr.; Landon Brossett, Natchitoches Central, Sr.; Flex – Brayden Linton, Airline, Sr.


Girls and boys high school basketball standings 

MAKING HIS POINT:  Coach Justin Collins of defending state champion Bossier instructs the Bearkats during a timeout at last week’s Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Booker T. Washington in Shreveport. (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

JOURNAL SPORTS  

Girls and boys high school basketball squads get back to a more regular schedule of games after the Thanksgiving holidays. Here are standings for both through weekend games reported to the LHSAA. 

Girls Basketball Standings
DISTRICT 1-5A Dist. All
Haughton 0-0 5-0
Southwood 0-0 5-1
Benton 0-0 4-1
Captain Shreve 0-0 3-1
Natchitoches Central 0-0 4-2
Airline 0-0 3-3
Parkway 0-0 2-2
Byrd 0-0 0-4
     
DISTRICT 1-4A Dist. All
Bossier 0-0 5-1
Huntington 0-0 3-1
North DeSoto 0-0 3-1
Northwood 0-0 4-2
BTW 0-0 4-3
Woodlawn 0-0 3-4
Minden 0-0 1-3
Evangel 0-0 0-1
     
DISTRICT 1-2A Dist. All
D’Arbonne Woods 0-0 2-2
Lakeside 0-0 1-2
Loyola 0-0 1-4
North Caddo 0-0 1-4
Calvary 0-0 0-2
Green Oaks 0-0 0-4
     
District 1-1A Dist. All
Arcadia 0-0 7-0
Ringgold 0-0 2-2
Plain Dealing 0-0 2-5
Glenbrook 0-0 0-0
Haynesville 0-0 0-2
Homer 0-0 0-3
Magnolia Charter 0-0 0-4

 

Boys Basketball Standings
DISTRICT 1-5A Dist. All
Southwood 0-0 4-0
Captain Shreve 0-0 3-0
Natchitoches Central 0-0 2-0
Parkway 0-0 2-1
Benton 0-0 1-1
Airline 0-0 2-3
Byrd 0-0 1-3
Haughton 0-0 0-5
 
DISTRICT 1-4A Dist. All
BTW 0-0 5-0
Minden 0-0 3-1
Bossier 0-0 4-2
Huntington 0-0 4-2
Evangel 0-0 3-2
Northwood 0-0 1-1
Woodlawn 0-0 3-3
North DeSoto 0-0 0-0
 
DISTRICT 1-2A Dist. All
North Caddo 0-0 1-1
D’Arbonne Woods 0-0 2-3
Calvary 0-0 1-2
Loyola 0-0 1-3
Green Oaks 0-0 1-5
Lakeside 0-0 0-3
 
District 1-1A Dist. All
Ringgold 0-0 4-1
Arcadia 0-0 2-1
Glenbrook 0-0 0-0
Haynesville 0-0 0-0
Homer 0-0 0-0
Plain Dealing 0-0 1-3
Magnolia Charter 0-0 1-4

Girls and boys high school soccer standings 

JOURNAL SPORTS  

Boys and girls prep soccer are back in action after most teams had a holiday break from action last week, with only four games slated. Here are the local standings through the weekend. 

Girls   Soccer
Division I – District 1 Dist. All
Captain Shreve 0-0-0 2-0-0
Airline 0-0-0 3-1-0
Benton 0-0-0 1-3-0
Haughton 0-0-0 1-3-0
Byrd 0-0-0 0-2-2
Southwood 0-0-0 0-1-0
 
Division II – District 1 Dist. All
Caddo Magnet 0-0-0 3-0-0
Minden 0-0-0 3-1-0
North DeSoto 0-0-0 2-1-2
Natchitoches Central 0-0-0 3-2-0
Parkway 0-0-0 2-3-0
Northwood 0-0-0 1-2-0
Huntington 0-0-0 1-3-0
 
Division III – District 1 Dist. All
Sterlington 0-0-0 3-1-0
Bossier 0-0-0 2-2-0
Wossman 0-0-0 0-2-0
 
Division IV – District 1 Dist. All
Evangel 0-0-0 4-1-0
Loyola 0-0-0 1-1-1
North Caddo 0-0-0 1-1-0
Calvary 0-0-0 1-3-0

 

Boys   Soccer
DIVISION I – DISTRICT 1 Dist. All
Benton 1-0-0 1-1-3
Byrd 0-0-0 2-0-1
Airline 0-0-0 1-1-0
Captain Shreve 0-0-0 2-2-0
Southwood 0-1-0 0-1-0
 
Division II – District 1 Dist. All
Caddo Magnet 0-0-0 1-0-0
Haughton 0-0-0 2-0-1
North DeSoto 0-0-0 2-1-0
Northwood 0-0-0 1-1-0
Huntington 0-0-0 0-0-0
Minden 0-0-0 0-2-0
Parkway 0-0-0 0-2-0
 
Division III – District 1 Dist. All
Sterlington 0-0-0 2-1-0
Bossier 0-0-0 1-1-0
Union Parish 0-0-0 0-0-0
 
Division IV – District 1 Dist. All
Loyola 0-0-0 5-0-1
Evangel 0-0-0 1-2-0
Calvary 0-0-0 0-0-0
North Caddo 0-0-0 0-1-0

Calvary third among local schools with eight semifinal appearances

 HOT PURSUIT:  Calvary defenders including Heath Gross (50) and David Weeks (35) closed in on elusive Parkview Baptist quarterback Abram Johnston during the Cavaliers’ 49-28 quarterfinal playoff victory Friday night at Jerry Barker Stadium. (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports 

Calvary Baptist advanced to the state semifinals for the eighth time in school history with its win over Parkview Baptist last Friday.  

The Cavaliers moved past Bossier (7 times) on the list of semifinal appearances by Shreveport-Bossier schools and one behind now defunct Fair Park (9).  CBA made its first semifinal appearance in 2007 under current Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson. 

It’s the third time in four seasons the Cavs had reached the semis, the last coming in 2021. Calvary won it all in 2020. 

Evangel leads the list with 21, the first in 1993 and the latest in 2018. The Eagles had a streak of seven straight from 1993 to 1999. They won state titles nine straight times after getting to the semifinals from 1996 to 2006. They have been to the semifinals nine times during the same time period as Calvary (2007-current).   

Byrd is second on the list with 17 that dates to 1926. The Yellow Jackets have been three times since 2011. 

Calvary’s semifinal opponent, Isadore Newman of New Orleans, is making its ninth trip to the semifinals, six of those coming since 2014. It has never won a semifinal.   

The Greenies and Cavaliers have played each other three times but never in the semifinals. Newman won the last meeting of the two in the 2018 quarterfinals (31-28) after losing two previous playoff encounters in 2008 (49-27) and 2012 (49-14).    

List of years each school has been to the semifinals (through 2023) with state championships won in bold.   

Evangel (21) – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001; 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.   

Byrd (17) – 1926, 1928, 19301931, 1933, 193419351937, 1943, 1949, 1953, 1956, 1962, 1964, 2011, 2013, 2020  

Fair Park (9) – 1939, 1945, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1965, 1974   

Calvary (8) – 2007 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021, 2023  

Bossier (7) – 1942, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1959. 1960, 1972   

Jesuit/Loyola (7) – 19651966, 19671976, 1978, 1994, 1998  

Benton (5) – 1968, 1990, 1999, 2005, 2007   

Haughton (5) – 1977, 1978, 1981, 1990, 2019  

Woodlawn (5) – 1965, 1968, 1976, 1978, 1979   

Plain Dealing (4) – 1938, 1947, 1960, 1961   

Captain Shreve (3) – 1971, 1973, 1983  

Airline (2) – 1967, 1972  

Parkway (2) – 2013, 2015  

Southwood (1) – 1973 


Week 3 high school basketball schedule

(Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

JOURNAL SPORTS

Monday’s games  

Girls-Boys doubleheaders 

Byrd at Logansport 

Castor at Haughton 

Woodlawn at Bastrop 

Calvary at Ringgold 

Green Oaks at Simsboro  

GIRLS 

Red River at Evangel 

Tuesday’s games 

 Girls-Boys doubleheaders 

Northwood at Airline 

West Monroe at Benton 

Simsboro at Byrd 

Captain Shreve at Woodlawn 

Saline at Haughton 

Parkway at Gibsland-Coleman 

Southwood at BTW 

Ruston at Bossier 

Green Oaks at Evangel 

Plain Dealing at North Caddo  

BOYS 

Huntington at Loyola 

Thursday’s games  

Girls-Boys doubleheaders 

BTW at Green Oaks 

North Webster at North Caddo  

Northwood Tournament 

Denham Springs Tournament – Benton girls 

Quitman Tournament – Haughton girls 

Showdown on the Lake  

At Hamilton Christian, Lake Charles 

GIRLS 

Parkway vs. John Curtis

Huntington vs. Madison Prep 

BOYS 

Huntington vs. Avoyelles Charter 

Parkway vs. Lake Charles Prep 

Captain Shreve vs. McMain 

Bossier vs. St. Thomas More 

Friday’s games  

Girls-Boys doubleheader 

Southwood at Mansfield  

Northwood Tournament 

Denham Springs Tournament – Benton 

Showdown on the Lake at Hamilton Christian, Lake Charles 

Saturday’s games  

Northwood Tournament 

Denham Springs Tournament – Benton girls 

Hamilton Christian – Bossier boys 

Showdown on the Lake at Hamilton Christian, Lake Charles 


LHSAA statewide quarterfinal football playoff scores

DANCING IN:  Kolby Thomas skips through the end zone at the end of his 34-yard catch and run touchdown connection with Abram Wardell Friday night as Calvary Baptist outpaced Parkview Baptist 49-28. (Journal photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

JOURNAL SPORTS 

NON-SELECT DIVISION I  

1-Ruston 56, 9-Walker 17 
21-Mandeville 56, 4-Airline 50 
6-Zachary 35, 3-Destrehan 14 
7-Dutchtown 21, 18-Central-BR 20   

NON-SELECT DIVISION II 

1-North DeSoto 45, 8-Iowa 21 
12-Opelousas 26, 4-Lutcher 10 
22-Northwest 46, 3-Assumption 44, OT 
2-Cecilia 38, 10-Jennings 14  

NON-SELECT DIVISION III 

1-Jena 30, 8-Amite 7 
4-Union Parish 28, 5-Bogalusa 22 
3-St. James 40, 6-Many 0 
2-Sterlington 33, 7-Pine 20  

NON-SELECT DIVISION IV  

1-Logansport 42, 8-Welsh 34 
4-Haynesville 36, 5-Jeanerette 6 
3-Oak Grove 31, 6-Mangham 30 
2-Kentwood 48, 7-Homer 20  

SELECT DIVISION I  

1-Holy Cross vs. 8-Acadiana (today)
5-Karr 40, 13-Alexandria 34 
3-Catholic-BR 38, 6-John Curtis 35 
18-Rummel 35, 7-St. Paul’s 21  

SELECT DIVISION II  

1-St. Thomas More 49, 8-St. Michael 0 
5-Shaw 20, 4-John F. Kennedy 13 
3-Lafayette Christian 57, 11-McDonogh #35 21 
7-Teurlings 42, 2-E.D. White 28   

SELECT DIVISION III  

1-St. Charles 31, 9-Notre Dame 21 
4-University 45, 21-Lake Charles Prep 13 
3-Newman 31, 11-Episcopal 15 
2-Calvary 49, 10-Parkview 28  

SELECT DIVISION IV  

1-Vermilion Catholic 39, Ascension Catholic 35 
5-Riverside 26, 4-St. Martin’s 14 
3-Ouachita Christian 56, 6-St. Mary’s 0  
2-Southern Lab 35, 10-Central Catholic 0 


Vikings trying to avoid a trip to equipment room

THE SEARCH IS ON: Airline’s Bob Patterson looks for room to run. (Journal photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

It’s Thanksgiving Week, and with that come a few certainties: people will eat too much, people will shop too much and here come the Christmas decorations out of storage.

And when it comes to the high school football playoffs, there is another certainty. After the game tonight, there are going to be coaches of really good teams who have to give the turn-in-your-equipment-on-Monday speech.

Airline coach Justin Scogin is trying to avoid that awkward discussion. The Vikings are the No. 4 seed in Non-Select Division I playoffs and will be at home tonight when the quarterfinals get cranked up.

The Vikings (10-1) take on 21st-seeded Mandeville (8-4) at 7 o’clock at Airline Stadium.

There are plenty of other coaches across the state who have already given the equipment speech. With only eight teams remaining in each division, Thanksgiving week becomes even more special for those who aren’t yet worried about whether the shoulder pads are going to fit in the storage room.

“Thanksgiving week is kind of an anomaly,” Scogin said. “It’s different than anything else than you’ve done all year. “The mystique is that if you are practicing on Thanksgiving, you have a good program. So that adds to the atmosphere this week. Sometimes you worry when school is going on about kids showing up. But everybody wants to practice this week.”

Airline is playing for a spot in the semifinals for the first time since reaching the state finals in 1972 and will have to do against a Mandeville team than stunned fifth-seeded St. Amant 42-21 in the second round.

The Skippers play a spread offense featuring junior running back Nate Sheppard, who rushed 25 times for 328 yards and three touchdowns in an opening round win over Sam Houston and followed it up with 105 yards and three touchdowns a week ago.

Quarterback Ben Hendricks threw for 208 yards, completing just 9 of 13 passes, in the second round.

“The running back is really good,” Scogin said. “He’s an explosive back. He’s dynamic because he can also line up at receiver and they will throw him routes. But they aren’t afraid to run the quarterback either.”

The Skippers play a defense that is a little more conventional than what Airline saw from Southside did last week.

“Last week we had no idea where they were going to line up,” Scogin said. “We should have a better idea this week. It’s a little more traditional.”

The Skippers have certainly been stingy on defense this year with six games during the regular season of allowing only one touchdown or less. Airline has scored at least 33 points in every game this season.

Mandeville finished third in District 5-5A but only lost by three points to district champion St. Paul’s, the No. 7 seed in the Select division playoffs.

The Vikings are coming off an exciting 36-35 win over Southside that might have been less exciting had Airline had two game-altering turnovers.

“We’ve done a good job of limiting turnovers and being efficient until last week,” Scogin said. “It all goes back to the ability to run the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball, and make tackles. And that’s it.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

No. 21 MANDEVILLE (8-4) at No. 4 AIRLINE (10-1)  

Where: M.D. Ray Field at Airline  

LHSAA playoff bracket: Non-Select Division I  

Series: first meeting  

Last week: Airline beat Southside, 36-35; Mandeville beat St. Amant 42-21  

Rankings: Airline #3 in SBJ poll, #10 in LSWA 5A poll 

Radio: none 

Notables: Airline enters the game averaging 45.4 points a game, Mandeville 31.7. The Vikings allow 29.5 points a game and the Skippers 18.3. … Airline quarterback Ben Taylor passed for just more than 300 -yards for the 10th time in 11 games in last week’s win … WR Kenny Darby caught a touchdown pass from Taylor and Tre’Von Jackson … Jarvis Davis caught a touchdown pass and ran for one. His 2-point conversion run ended up being the difference when Southside was unable to convert on its onside kick following the final TD. … Mandeville defeated No. 12 Sam Houston 50-36 in the first round. The Skippers have been to the playoffs 26 times and has an overall record of 22-25. This is their sixth time to reach the quarterfinals. They have been to the semifinals three times … the last was in 2015.


Quarterfinal contest provides long-anticipated challenge for Calvary

JUST A SWINGIN’:  Calvary Baptist quarterback Abram Wardell flips a swing pass to junior classmate Kolby Thomas last week against Menard. (Journal photo by GAVEN HAMMOND, landgphoto.com)

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

It’s time to turn it up for the undefeated Calvary Baptist football team.

No disrespect to the opponents the Cavaliers have dispatched in district play or last week’s 49-0 massacre of Menard – when the Eagles didn’t manage a first down on their own, getting the lone one on a fourth-quarter penalty – but this is the milepost Rodney Guin’s veteran, talented team has anticipated for months now.

Class 2A’s top-ranked Calvary (11-0, seeded No. 2) welcomes the No. 8 team in Class 3A, Parkview Baptist (8-2, seeded 10th) to Jerry Barker Stadium tonight at 7 in a Select Division III quarterfinal playoff battle.

The Cavaliers notched impressive early wins over Logansport, Byrd, Captain Shreve, Wossman and Westgate, then rolled through district play, got a first-round bye and shook off the rust last Friday night. Now the push to capture a fourth state championship really begins against the Baton Rouge-based visitors, who have won five LHSAA titles, the last in 2015.

“This game is comparable to those first five we played,” said Calvary coach Rodney Guin. “These are the ones that get us excited around here.”

The Cavs have flipped the switch to ON, he said.

“We’ve done everything we can do. We’re ready to play, and like I told the kids, ‘it’s good guys against good guys right now.’ We just gotta do what we do well, and see what happens.”

Parkview Baptist outscored Dunham last week (39-32) for the second time this season — the same Dunham that ended Calvary’s 2022 season in a muddy quarterfinal battle, 50-35 in Baton Rouge.

“The quarterfinals, it just gets tough there. You’re always going to face a good team,” said Guin. “Last year, I didn’t think we played real well in that game, and if we don’t play well Friday, the same thing’s going to happen. You have to play well to win at this point. We haven’t done that a couple times in the quarterfinals, and we got beat.”

It’s the saltiest playoff draw Guin’s seen in his seven seasons at Calvary.

“This is by far the toughest playoff bracket we’ve had. There are eight teams left, and I think six of them could win the championship. That’s usually not the case. It’s usually two or three, but in this bracket, there are several more,” he said.

Tonight’s contest will feature a matchup of outstanding quarterbacks with the same first name.

The Cavaliers’ Abram Wardell, a junior, has thrown for 3,125 yards and 36 touchdowns and leads a Cavs offense that scored at least 50 points in three of the last four regular season games and then scored “only” 49 in a playoff win last week against Menard.

Parkview’s Abram Johnston threw for 2,043 yards and 30 touchdowns in the regular season and added 260 and four touchdowns in last week’s win.

“They are big, fast and have a great quarterback,” Guin said. “We’ve got to contain him because he is also a great runner. That makes it tough.”

Parkview, which plays in District 6-3A, has shown impressive offensive numbers (six games of at least seven touchdowns) but has also shown the ability to be stingy on defense, with seven games of allowing only two touchdowns or less.

“I think our skill guys match up well with their defense,” Guin said. “If we can block them up front, I think we can score. But that quarterback is going to be the key to the game.”

Calvary’s defense must take control, he said.

“We’re going to have to stop them from running the football. One, it conserves the clock for us and two, if they can run it on us, we’re going to be in trouble because we won’t get the ball a whole lot and they’re going to control the game. So we’ve got to stop the run game.”

Guin is counting on Calvary’s defense getting that done.

“They’ve played well all year long. Those guys played well early in the year against those super good teams we played. I think we’ll do well — we’ve just got to get in there and battle.”

The senior-laden lineup is another reason Guin, in his 23rd season as a head coach, is especially hopeful.

“That’s a special group. A lot of these kids came here in the eighth grade or ninth grade together, and have started for a long time, a bunch of games. We’re really, really, really close with them, so we want the season to continue,” he said. “When it ends, it will be very difficult, because there’s a tremendous bond with this group, our coaches, and the other guys on the team. We’re hoping we can stretch it out for another three weeks.”

  • With contributions by John James Marshall 

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

No. 10 PARKVIEW (10-2) at No. 2 CALVARY (11-0) 

Where: Jerry Barker Stadium  

LHSAA playoff bracket: Select Division III  

Series: first meeting  

Last week: Calvary beat Menard 49-0; Parkview beat Dunham 39-32  

Rankings: CBA #1 in LSWA 2A poll, #1 in SBJ poll; Parkview #8 in LSWA 3A poll 

Radio: The Promise (90.7 FM)  

Notables: Calvary is making its 19th straight appearance in the playoffs … The Cavaliers have an all-time playoff record of 35-19 with state championships in 2013, 2014 and 2020 … Quarterback Abram Wardell was 20-of-24 for 204 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s playoff win over Menard. Receiver Kolby Thomas caught one of the three TD tosses and threw for one himself. Three other receivers caught scoring passes, including Aubrey Hermes who led with seven catches for 154 yards. James Simon ran for 81 yards and now needs 70 for 1,000 on the year … Both teams average more than 40 points a game with Parkview scoring 41 and Calvary 47. Defensively the Eagles give up an average of 17.8 points and the Cavs 9.5. … This is Parkview’s 29th playoff appearance, 25th straight and 27 of last 28 … The Eagles have won five state championships, the last coming in 2015 (Division II). Parkview has an all-time playoff record of 57-23 … They were second in District 6-3A to University High.   


Scouting opponents of Airline, Calvary, plus picking the winners

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/YouTube TV

Here come the state quarterfinals, and for all the good football we’ve seen this fall, only two schools are left representing the Shreveport/Bossier area. I’m surprised. But at least Airline and Calvary have earned homefield tonight. Get out and watch one of these games.

I want to share my knowledge of seeing the opponents for these two schools, to share a perspective from the other sidelines. I had the privilege to see both in person during the season — Calvary’s opponent Parkview Baptist, and Airline’s foe, Mandeville.

Let’s start with Parkview Baptist, led by one of the top quarterbacks I have seen this season, Abram Johnston, who is 6-0, 190 with a cannon arm and great feet in the pocket. He’s hard to sack, a Houdini back there. Plus, he’s a dangerous run game threat. The Eagles have a power/speed guy in the backfield, Kayden Tureaud (5-9, 195), who is tough to bring down and deceptively fast.

You will see many kids for Parkview Baptist play both sides of the football but don’t let this fool you into thinking they are thin. This is something they have done for years. In the trenches they are led by big-time two-way starters: LB/TE Wesley Marien (6-2, 210) and DE/FB/TE Brock Briggs (6-0, 230).

The Eagles also have one of the best kickers in the country in the Class of 2025 in Gavin Higgins. If it’s a close game you need to call a timeout to ice him, because he doesn’t miss. His range is 50 yards and then some.

MY PICK: I think Calvary Baptist will win because this is the most skilled team Parkview has played in 2023, and the Cavaliers’ depth will become a problem if Calvary can control the ball on offense. They can wear down the visiting Eagles. Conversely, the Cavs have to contain Parkview and not let the visitors chew up clock.

Mandeville is not a good matchup for Airline. This will be the most athletic team Airline has seen in two seasons. That does not create a mismatch, because the Vikings have plenty of talent too. The game will be even from that standpoint.

This will go down to who wins in the trenches. Mandeville is led by its strong offensive line. This group is the real deal in quickness and blocking. Headliners are Caden Rogers (just 5-8, but 240), two future FBS players in Cole Beecher (6-3, 290) and center Reagan Touchstone (6-1, 250), and Spencer Davis (5-11, 250).

The strength of the defense is the skillful secondary: safety Tasmin Showers (5-10, 190), free safety Fisher Lalande (6-3, 180), cornerback Emil Allen (5-9, 175 with 4.5 speed), and cornerback Elias Allen, also with 4.5 speed. This matchup with the Airline passing game will be fascinating to watch as Ben Taylor, Tre Jackson, Bryson Broom, Ben Patterson and Jarvis Davis are tremendous piling up yardage and points.

Mandeville’s best player is WR/RB Nate Shephard, who I think is one of the best Class of 2024 players in Louisiana. He’s different with 4.45 speed. His brother Will plays for Vanderbilt in the SEC, and he’s an NFL prospect.

MY PICK: I am going to go with Airline here. I think it will be close but if Airline can get the big plays from its playmakers, that will be the difference in a close one. They have all season and I think they do just enough to advance to the semifinals.

But if it is close, Mandeville does have an advantage – the Skippers have a young future college kicker so they don’t have to be in the red zone to score.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com


What really goes on in that press box on Friday nights

There are a lot of great things about covering high school football. Every week, every game, you are liable to see the unexpected. Emotions run high and that lends itself to some great theatre.

Plus, you never know where the post-game interviews will take you. Happy coaches, happy players, hacked off coaches, etc. 

But there’s a hidden gem in there that only a few know about, and perhaps it’s better that way.

To truly get an idea of the complete picture of what goes on at a game, you need to come with me and sit in the press box. Unless you have sensitive ears, in which case if might be a better idea if you stayed outside.

In a typical press box, you’ve got the usual suspects – the P.A. guy, the clock operators, the music guy who doesn’t know when to stop, the scoreboard operator and maybe a hanger-on or two.

But the true magic comes when the assistant coaches make their way upstairs and set up shop.

It’s time to strap in for an experience like none other.

In the old days, I found them so distracting that I would often rather sit outside with the commonfolk than have to listen to all of their wailing and gnashing of teeth.

These days? I post up as close as I can possibly get. Unadulterated joy is about to commence.

This doesn’t happen at an NFL stadium because the coaches are literally on a different level. Or at a college stadium, where the coaches are in a soundproof booth as if they were worried that the KGB were listening outside.

The set-up at a few of the local high school stadiums puts the visiting coaches just down the doorless hall from the rest of the press box occupants, so it’s a verbal free-for-all in there. And it’s actually better to be closer to the visiting coaches, because they are usually wound a little tighter, being in an unfamiliar location with the home crowd all around them.

One game this year, I went down to check on the ID of a player and there were eight – EIGHT!! – coaches in the box. Thankfully they all weren’t yelling at the same time.

Most teams will send two, maybe three, assistants upstairs but let me assure that a little goes a long way.

“We have got to be the dumbest team in the country.” 

“Coach!!! Find somebody else! He don’t want to play!” 

“We’ve got 12!!! We’ve got12!!!” 

“Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!”

If I may interject here … why is he screaming at the runner? (1)  The player can’t hear him and (2) I think the player understands the concept of trying to score a touchdown.

“Late hit! Late hit!” 

“Coach, that’s a terrible spot!” 

There is not much being said over the headset that could be called a conversation in a normal tone of voice. Everything has an understood exclamation point and is liberally sprinkled with “Coach!”

Oh, and there is the cussing. Lots and lots of cussing. I left out the “****” in the above examples, but feel free to mentally inject them wherever you like. I can promise they apply.

Especially in this case.

Quite a few years ago, there was a game at a local faith-based school, where the coaches are stationed on top of the press box in an open-air environment.

The assistant coach for the visiting team – who was never known to be soft-spoken – kept screaming into the headset “Get him the *** out of there!” over and over again. He was referring to one his own players, not the officials or a member of the home team.

The home side fans of the faith-based school starting turning around and pointing up to the top of press box and yelling at him to stop. The coach never noticed and just kept right on. “Get him the *** out of there!”

It wasn’t long before he got the tap from a member of the faith-based school administration and the coach cooled it. For about two minutes.

Another visit. Another tap.

This time he stopped, due in great part to the fact that his team was now down by about 40, so they didn’t have to worry about getting him the **** out of there.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com


Vikings’ touchdown twins defy traditional roles

DYNAMIC DUO: No matter where they line up, Jarvis Davis (left) and Tre Jackson have been causing problems for defenses. (Journal photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Is Tre Jackson a running back who plays wide receiver?

Is Jarvis Davis a wide receiver who plays running back?

Hang on, maybe both are running backs who play wide receiver. Or the other way around.

Nobody knows and, quite honestly, nobody cares when it comes to the Airline offense these days. All head coach Justin Scogin knows is that it’s nice to have them both out there, no matter where they are playing.

But if there is a need to make it semi-official, here’s the answer.

“Kind of both,” Jackson says. (That’s no help.)

“I’m a receiver who plays running back,” Davis says.

Ding, ding! We have a winner!

Now that it’s (sort of) settled, just don’t be surprised to find either of them in a variety of places when the Vikings take on Mandeville at Airline Stadium Friday night at 7 o’clock in the non-select Division I playoff quarterfinal game.

If you go by statistics, it’s easy to assume that Jackson, a senior, is a running back, but he has more yards receiving (659) than he does rushing (406). Davis, a junior, leads the Vikings with 72 catches for 1,082 yards, but he is also second on the team with four rushing touchdowns.

“We can move them around because they are so versatile,” Scogin says. “You can throw them the ball, you can pitch them the ball, you can hand them the ball and they can return the ball on special teams. Anytime you’ve got (receivers) who can also line up and actually run between the tackles, you’ve got an athletic kid and a tough kid.”

Scogin says they aren’t exactly interchangeable, but close. “Tre is more of a lead blocker, and you wouldn’t really think that way since he runs the ball so well,” he says. “That’s how he changes the game with his ability to be dynamic with the ball in his hands.”

In fact, when the Vikings needed a first down to ice the second-round game against Southside, they tossed it back to Jackson and he picked up 18 yards on second-and-6.

Meanwhile, Davis, the running back, ran for a touchdown and a key two-point conversion last week. Davis, the wide receiver, caught nine passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

“I love making the big plays, getting the crowd going and helping my team in any way possible,” says. “I had to get used to (playing running back) but once I did, it got pretty easy. I love being in the backfield.”

So much so that when asked what his favorite play to be called is, it wasn’t a deep post or a fade route. “Toss left,” Davis said.

Davis, who transferred from Huntington after his sophomore year, says he was not sure what his role was going to be at Airline but “I was ready for anything.”

The Mutual Admiration Society is quite obvious with these two scoring machines (27 touchdowns between them.)

“Tre is a leader on the field,” Davis says. “He makes sure everybody stays up and leads by example. If he’s doing something, he’s going to make sure everybody else is doing it, too.”

“Jarvis is a very consistent player,” Jackson says. “He does whatever coach tells him to and gives it everything he’s got. He makes big plays in big moments. He’s a special kid.

“I’m not jealous at all when he plays running back,” he adds. “I just try to play my role and do my part. Being a leader is the most important thing.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com


Calvary’s Simon makes most of opportunities he gets

SIMON SAYS: Calvary running back James Simon looks
for running room in last week’s playoff win against Menard.
(Journal photo by GAVEN HAMMOND, landgphoto.com)
 

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

The easiest offensive strategy in all of football would be for the Calvary offensive coaching staff to hand the ball to junior running back James Simon. Again, and again, and again.

And again.

You’ve got a four-star running back lining up in your backfield who averages almost eight yards per carry, and yet Simon gets about 10 carries per game.

But there’s no doubt he makes the most of them. Simon is averaging a rushing touchdown every nine carries. In an offense that features a passing game that has produced more than 3,000 yards this season, it might seem as though he is both underutilized and unnoticed.

Yet he is neither.

“At my position, the goal is to not get so much wear and tear on my body,” said Simon. “It’s definitely not needed. I definitely feel like it could get to 20 or 25 carries a game if I have to. I’d love to do that, if it meant winning the game for my team.”

“As good as he is, he sometimes touches the ball three times in a game,” Calvary head coach Rodney Guin said. “He’s so unselfish. He never says a word about it.”

Is there a temptation to just hand it to Simon as many times as possible and see what happens? “That night might come,” Guin said with a laugh. “But we want him healthy in the playoffs.”

Mission accomplished.

Simon is as healthy as he can be as the Cavaliers enter the quarterfinals Friday night against Parkview Baptist at 7 o’clock at Jerry Barker Stadium.

“With the way they keep me healthy and well rested, I’m 100 percent every week,” said Simon.

Simon’s older brother is on the Cavs’ team and his father (John III) is the offensive coordinator at Grambling State. He had a record-setting career at Louisiana Tech (1998-2001) and played three seasons in the NFL.

“It helps that he comes from a football family,” Guin said. “He’s grown up around football. That helps him understand his role on the team.”

“It’s benefitted me a lot, especially since my dad played the same position I am playing at every single level,” Simon said. “He definitely knows the ups and downs and all the things to deal with. With my mom, too, they all know about the football life and how it goes and are very supportive about it.”

Simon gets plenty of analysis from his father, and there’s plenty of self-analysis.

“Even as a kid, I remember thinking about how I could have done things better,” said Simon. “Even now in high school when I watch film, I try to figure out what I could have done better, more than just look at the highlights. My dad would do that, too. At the end of the day, nobody’s perfect, so you have to look at what you could have done better to fix that.”

It’s hard not to notice the five elastic bands Simon wears on his left wrist – Texas, Alabama, Notre Dame, LSU and Texas A&M. Is that a coincidence or does that mean something?

“It could be … possibly,” he says. “But it’s just schools that I like a lot.”

Strange as it may seem, if Simon were ever asked to draw up one play for himself, it wouldn’t be a running play.

“Honestly, I would put myself out wide and run a deep route,” he said. “I know I could do it. People don’t know it, but I can run routes and I can catch the ball. I feel like that would show off my talents.”

But for now, he will just be taking it week by week, carry by carry, which feeds into what he loves most about football.

“Really, it’s just having fun, especially with my friends,” Simon said. “It’s one thing to just go out and play football, but to be able to do it with your friends and the people you hang out with makes it even better.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com


Byrd, Loyola climb atop SBJ soccer polls after opening week

By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports
After the first week of the prep soccer season, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches Poll has major shakeup on the boys’ side, in addition to both top-ranked teams being displaced.

The boys’ voters elevated Byrd (with five first-place votes) to No. 1, switching spots with Bossier, after the Yellow Jackets defeated the Bearkats, 2-0, on Friday night.

Captain Shreve remained in the second spot, only five points behind Byrd and four ahead of Bossier. Loyola jumped two spots up to fourth, and even collected a first-place vote, the same number Shreve and Bossier received.

No newcomers entered into the poll. Results led to the voting coaches trimming the number of teams getting votes from 10 down to just seven.

The girls’ coaches voted Loyola (three first-place votes) into the No. 1 ranking, switching with Captain Shreve (two first-place votes). Byrd (three first-place votes) is in the third spot. The gap between first place and third place is only three total points, so clearly these teams will jockey for position all season.

Only four contests are slated on Thanksgiving week, so the next poll voting will not take place until the first weekend in December.

Results of the Week 1 polls:

SBJ Girls Soccer Poll
Rank Team (1st) Pts Prv
1. Loyola (3) 49 2
2. Captain Shreve (2) 48 1
3. Byrd (3) 46 3
4. Caddo Magnet 32 4
5. Benton 22 5
6. Evangel 14 6
7. North DeSoto 6 NR
Others receiving votes: Airline 5, Calvary 2  

 

SBJ Boys Soccer Poll
Rank Team (1st) Pts Prv
1. Byrd (5) 48 3
2. Captain Shreve (1) 41 2
3. Bossier (1) 39 1
4. Loyola (1) 31 6
5. Benton 27 4
6. Haughton 22 7
7. Caddo Magnet 14 5
Others receiving votes: none.  

Quarterfinal berth not the only reward for Vikings’ dramatic victory

LOOKS CALM:  Airline’s second-year head coach, Justin Scogin, had plenty of emotions boiling inside as the Vikings battled to hold off Southside in a second-round playoff game Friday night. (Journal photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL)


By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: Friday’s 36-35 second round playoff victory by the Airline Vikings was not the greatest win in school history.

It just felt that way to head coach Justin Scogin.

During the week, the happy-go-lucky Scogin was still that way, but there was a definite nervousness he carried with him. On Wednesday, he said “We’ve got to win this game,” almost under his breath without even being really prompted.

When Friday’s nail-biter was over, Scogin seemed more relieved than excited, especially after his defense came up with a stop on a two-point play in the waning moments that basically saved the game and earned the Vikings a trip to the quarterfinals.

You could tell there was a little something extra at work here.

“This was the biggest game of our time here,” said Scogin, who is in his second year. “We talked about it all week. Nobody is going to take us seriously until we win a game like this. We’ve got to get over this hump.”

Last year didn’t help.

The Vikings went undefeated in District 1-5A, winning the last seven of the regular season, and then got summarily dismissed from the playoffs in the first round. Adding insult to injury was that the loss came from another 1-5A team, Haughton.

“This was the biggest game of my career,” Scogin said. “I love the kids, the kids love me and our staff does a great job of building great relationships with the them. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to win in the playoffs. That’s what you are going to be remembered for.”

It’s not as though Airline hasn’t been down this road before. That state championship came in 1967, in only the school’s fourth year of existence (and second year for playoff eligibility). This will be the Vikings’ third trip to the quarterfinals in the last six years, so it’s not like there is some playoff drought.

But it did feel like Airline, after getting a bye and a No. 4 seed, couldn’t let the season be defined by a one-and-out playoff appearance. Upstart Southside just wouldn’t go away, scoring two fourth-period touchdowns and choosing to try to snag the late lead instead of kicking an extra point that could have led to overtime.

“I told them at the end that this is what you play for,” Scogin said of the two-point stop. “Everything you’ve done is for this moment.”

A few minutes earlier, Airline was about to sock the game away, but tight end Bob Patterson got caught from behind on a long pass at the five-yard line and fumbled.

“We tell them all the time that you have to pick up your teammates and they did,” Scogin said. “I was upset that it happened to one of the best kids we have in the program. He just does every single thing right. He never misses a workout, he never does anything wrong. He’s everything you hope for in a kid is a Bob Patterson.”

Even after the two-point stop, it still wasn’t over. Fittingly, it was Patterson who recovered the onside kick, but Scogin wasn’t celebrating. He knew with Southside still having two timeouts, it still wasn’t over unless Airline got a first down. How did he know? Look at a chart? Scribble the math on a sheet of paper?

“When I took this job in the summer (of 2022), my wife was still in Leesville and I was living in an apartment with nothing but a mattress, boxspring and a TV,” he said. “So we met with the kids in Natchitoches one day at the alligator park. When I was driving home, I was thinking about this exact scenario. I actually missed the exit and was headed to Dallas instead because I was going through all the scenarios. But I think about these situations all the time, even in the shower. I knew with 1:46 (left) we couldn’t run the clock out. We had to get a first down.”

On second down, an 18-yard run by Tre Jackson did just that. Three Victory Formations later, it was all over.

“I never got too excited until we took the last knee,” Scogin said late Friday. “But tonight … it’s just more than I could have ever imagined.”

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

Annual holiday tournaments begin at BTW, Natchitoches Central

TURNING THE PAGE:  The defending state champion Bossier Bearkats lost senior star Taj Roots from last year’s squad but have a formidable team again in 2023-24. (Journal file photo by KYLE MECHE)

JOURNAL SPORTS  

Thanksgiving break for local schools means a week off for all students while basketball programs compete in two annual tournaments that consume the playing schedule in the first part of the week.  

The annual Thanksgiving Classic at Booker T. Washington tips off today and goes on through Wednesday. The City of Lights tournament at Natchitoches Central also starts today and will play a slate of games Tuesday.  

Here is the schedule of games for both tournaments and a few other single games through Wednesday. 

Monday’s games  

GIRLS  

Haughton at Minden, 6 p.m.   

Thanksgiving Classic at BTW  

Bossier vs. Magnolia, 3 p.m. (auxiliary gym)  

Captain Shreve vs. Woodlawn, 4:35 p.m. (auxiliary)  

BTW vs. North Caddo, 4:35 p.m. (main)  

Green Oaks vs. Plain Dealing, 6:05 p.m. (auxiliary)  

City of Lights Tournament at Natchitoches Central  

(Main gym)  

Ruston vs. Mansfield, 10 a.m.  

Natchitoches Central vs. Sulphur, 11:30 a.m.  

Rosepine vs. Dutchtown, 2:30 p.m.  

Natchitoches Central vs. Loyola, 7 p.m.  

(Athletic Practice Facility)  

Airline vs. Winnfield, 10 a.m.  

BOYS  

Ringgold at Captain Shreve  

Thanksgiving Classic at BTW  

Woodlawn vs. Parkway, 3 p.m. (main gym)  

BTW vs. Airline, 6:05 p.m. (main)  

Huntington vs. Wossman, 7:35 p.m. (main)  

Green Oaks vs. Magnolia, 7:35 p.m. (auxiliary)  

City of Lights Tournament   

At Natchitoches Central  

(Main gym)  

Barbe vs. Mansfield, 1 p.m.  

Bossier vs. Zachary, 4 p.m.  

H.L. Bourgeois vs. Pineville, 5:30 p.m.  

Natchitoches Central vs. Loyola, 8:30 p.m.  

(Athletic Practice Facility)  

Ouachita vs. Winnfield, 11:30 a.m.  

Haughton vs. Wossman, 1 p.m.  

Tuesday’s games  

GIRLS  

Evangel at Converse  

Thanksgiving Classic at BTW 

Captain Shreve vs. North Caddo, 3 p.m. (main gym)  

BTW vs. Plain Dealing, 3 p.m. (auxiliary gym)  

Bossier vs. Green Oaks, 4:35 p.m. (auxiliary)  

Woodlawn vs. Magnolia, 6:05 p.m. (auxiliary)  

City of Lights Tournament   

At Natchitoches Central  

(Main gym)  

Dutchtown vs. Airline, 11:30 a.m.  

Sulphur vs. Ruston, 1 p.m.  

Loyola vs. Winnfield, 5:30 p.m.  

Natchitoches Central vs. Rosepine, 7 p.m.  

(Athletic Practice Facility)  

Mansfield vs. Haughton, 1 p.m.  

BOYS 

Evangel at Converse  

Plain Dealing vs. Doyline, at BPCC, 7 p.m.  

Thanksgiving Classic at BTW  

Bossier vs. Woodlawn, 4:35 p.m. (main gym)  

BTW vs. Green Oaks 6:05 p.m. (main)  

Huntington vs. Captain Shreve, 7:35 p.m. (main)  

Airline vs. Parkway, 7:35 p.m. (auxiliary)  

City of Lights Tournament   

At Natchitoches Central  

(Main gym)  

Mansfield vs. Pineville, 11:30 a.m.  

H.L. Bourgeois vs. Zachary, 2:30 p.m.  

Loyola vs. Haughton, 4 p.m.  

Natchitoches Central vs. Ouachita, 8:30 p.m.  

(Athletic Practice Facility)  

Winnfield vs. Barbe, 11:30 a.m.  

Wednesday’s games  

GIRLS  

Thanksgiving Classic at BTW  

(All games in main gym)  

Green Oaks vs. North Caddo, 10 a.m.  

BTW vs. Magnolia, 2:35 p.m.   

BOYS  

Thanksgiving Classic at BTW  

(All games in main gym)  

Airline vs. Woodlawn, 11:35 p.m.  

Captain Shreve vs. Green Oaks, 1:05 p.m.  

BTW vs. Magnolia, 4:05 p.m.  

Huntington vs. Bossier, 5:35 p.m.


Extra (point) effort preserves Vikings’ playoff win 

PART ONE: Airline’s Ben Taylor tosses a backward pass to Tre Jackson, who then threw a 34-yard score to Kenny Darby for a touchdown. (Journal photo by JOHN JAMES MARSHALL)

By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Airline’s Bob Patterson said he wasn’t worried. “Not at all,” he said.

Linebacker Champ Endris said he wasn’t worried. “We knew we had to go out there and go to work,” he said.

Head coach Justin Scogin said … well, yeah … he was a little worried. “I think it was natural to be nervous in that situation,” he said.

There were a few thousand Airline fans who did enough worrying for everybody when a very offensive game came down to, of all things, one defensive play in the Vikings’ 36-35 win over the Sharks in a Non-Select Division I second-round playoff game Friday night at Airline Stadium.

Airline held a 36-35 lead with 1:56 to play but Southside, which had just driven 95 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown, decided to go for two points and the potential game-winner. When the ball was placed at the Airline 2 for the extra point(s), the moment of truth was at hand.

At that point, Southside had run 70 total plays and 55 of them had gained at least at least two yards. So why not go for it?

One play.

Two yards.

“I told them (the defense) before they went out,” Scogin said. “This is for the quarterfinals.”

Which is exactly where the Vikings are headed when they take on Mandeville next week in another home game.

They got there in great part to that defensive play, which was led by a tight end, a running back and an undersized linebacker.

When Southside’s Vernel Joseph, who had 134 yards on the night, took the handoff on a speed sweep and tried to break through the left side, he got about five feet toward the goal. But not six.

There to stop him was Tre’ Jackson, normally a running back who was only playing defense because of an injury-depleted secondary; Patterson, a receiver who hadn’t played defense all year until this game; and Endris, who is generously listed at 5-11 and 200 pounds.

“It was awesome,” Endris said. “Everybody out there knew they were going to try to run that dive, but when I saw them go in motion, I knew, ‘that ain’t no dive.’ I just rushed in there and got to him with somebody else. I don’t even know who it was.”

One of them was Jackson and the other was Endris’ stepbrother, Bob Patterson.

“Really?” Endris said. “I didn’t even realize that.”

It was part of a redemptive fourth quarter for Patterson, who kept showing up and making significant plays in the game. Earlier, he made a big third-down stop that led to an Airline touchdown; he also caught an 11-yard pass on fourth down that set up a third-quarter Viking score to make it 36-21.

Southside would close it to 36-29, but in the fourth quarter, Patterson caught a deep pass over the middle and tried to race to the end zone, but was caught from behind at the Southside 5 for a 49-yard gain.

That was the good news. The bad news was that Patterson fumbled at the end of the play. Instead of being set up to go up by two scores in the fourth quarter, the Airline defense was back on the field.

“I had to try to put it behind me,” Patterson said. “But I was frustrated.”

After eight running plays with the clock winding down, Southside shocked Airline with a 48-yard pass to a wide-open Wyatt Gibbens that sent a noticeable hush over the stadium.

It looked as if another outstanding night by quarterback Ben Taylor (23 of 26 for 303 yards) might go for naught. Or that a halfback pass from Jackson to Kenny Darby for a 34-yard touchdown might just be an afterthought.

More importantly, it meant that the Vikings were facing a second straight year of an early playoff exit, which is why the closer the Sharks got to the Airline goalline, the higher the anxiety grew. With less than two minutes to play, the Sharks’ Joseph ran it in from 10 yards out to close the margin to a single point.

But the Vikings defense, which had given up 316 rushing yards, made the one play it had to make.

When Southside tried the onside kick, take a guess who came up with the recovery for Airline. That’s right: Bob Patterson.

When they unpiled after the game-deciding extra point and the Vikings began a wild celebration, Endris stayed on the ground just a little bit longer to take it all in. His body language had that “I-can’t-believe-we-just-did-that” look to it.

His real name is Chamberlain, but when the game was on the line, Endris lived up to his nickname.

Champ.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

AIRLINE 36, SOUTHSIDE 35

S          7          14       0          14       – 35

A         7          22       7          0          – 36

A – Kenny Darby 30 pass from Ben Taylor (Preston Doerner kick)

S – Andrew Angelle 2 run (Brayden Guilbeau kick)

S – Vernel Joseph 3 run (Guilbeau kick)

A – Jarvis Davis 1 run (Doerner kick)

S – Angelle 1 run (Guilbeau kick)

A – Davis 31 pass from Taylor (Davis run)

A – Darby 34 pass from Tre Jackson (Doerner kick)

A – Taylor 3 run (Doerner kick)

S – Angelle 4 run (Angelle run)

S – Joseph 10 run (run failed) 

RUSHING: Southside (62-316), Joseph 22-134-2TD, Singelton 12-34, Angelle 11-40-3TDs, Fabacher 10-76, Ashton Labit 7-32. Airline, (16-68), Tre Jackson 6-47, Davis 5-19, Taylor 5-2.

PASSING: Southside, Angelle 6-8-0-113-0. Airline, Taylor 23-26-1-303-1, Jackson 1-1-0-34-1TD.

RECEIVING: Southside, Wyatt Gibbens 5-105, Labit 1-8. Airline, Davis 9-101, Darby 6-96, Patterson 3-70, Jackson 3-25, Bryson Broome 3-45.


Quick start not enough as Shaw’s comeback eliminates Evangel

ECA PLAYMAKER:  Tyreek Robinson, shown moving for yardage a few weeks ago against Northwood, made big contributions for Evangel again Friday night but the visiting Eagles couldn’t hold off a comeback by Shaw. (Journal file photo by KEVIN PICKENS)

By MATT VINES, Journal Sports 

MARRERO – Evangel put together another of its patented fast starts Friday, building a 10-point lead against No. 5 seed Archbishop Shaw in the second round of the Division II Select playoffs.  

But unlike so many times this season, the No. 12 seed Eagles couldn’t maintain control as Shaw scored the final 17 points of a 20-13 Evangel loss.  

Mistakes and turnovers kept ECA off the board for basically the final three quarters.  

“We made some critical mistakes and had a few turnovers, and it was frustrating to not be able to hold the line and execute in the later quarters,” said Evangel coach Denny Duron. “We wish we could have a few of those moments back, but our kids played hard all night long.   

“Hats off to Hank Tierney and this Shaw program, a class program. We just couldn’t put enough of our moments together tonight.”  

Evangel (7-5) started strong by leaping to a 13-3 lead by the early stages of the second quarter.  

Quarterback Peyton Fulghum connected with brother Parker Fulghum from 52 yards out to open the scoring with a 6-0 lead on Evangel’s first possession.  

It turned out to be the final time the Fulghum twins hooked up on a scoring pass in their Evangel careers. Both Fulghum brothers finished among the state leaders in their respective categories, according to geauxpreps.com 

Shaw (9-2) kicker Henry Zelaya answered with a 42-yard field goal to halve Evangel’s edge, 6-3.  

Evangel running back Tyreek Robinson sprinted to a 17-yard touchdown run out of the Wildcat, widening the gap to 13-3.  

But those were the final points Evangel could muster from an offense that’s eclipsed the 40-point mark seven times this season. Shaw’s defense locked down on the visitors. 

Shaw quarterback Mason Wilson had a hand in both of the Eagles’ touchdowns in their comeback bid.  

He scored on a 10-yard run midway through the second quarter to slice Evangel’s advantage to 13-10.  

Receiver Caleb Williams escaped on a crossing route over the middle of the field on an 82-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to snatch a 17-13 lead in the opening minute of the third quarter.  

Neither team could put together much offensively in the second half as the score remained unchanged until midway through the fourth quarter.  

With the threat of trailing by multiple scores, ECA’s defense made a goal line stand in which they turned Shaw away three times inside the 5-yard line.  

Zelaya chipped in a 23-yard field goal to push Shaw’s edge to 20-13 with 4:51 remaining.  

“Our defense played especially well tonight, and they gave us a chance by keeping it to one score,” Duron said. “This team is a great group of young men, and it’s been a joy to watch them grow and develop.”  

Evangel appeared to be in business when Robinson ripped off a big kick return to push deep into Shaw territory, but a block-in-the-back penalty wiped out the return and pinned the Eagles back.  

Shaw’s defense forced a missed fourth-down conversion with three minutes left to seal its ninth straight win after an 0-2 start to the season.  

For the second time in as many seasons, Evangel’s playoff run ended with a close second-round road loss in South Louisiana.  

Evangel fell to No. 4 seed E.D. White of Thibodaux this past season by a score of 32-29.  

As a program, the Eagles have hoisted 14 state championships in a 24-year span from 1993-2006.  

But the last trip Evangel made to the quarterfinals came in 2018, which means no current Eagle has experienced a deeper playoff round than the second.