Overconfidence isn’t usually a problem for Parkway football teams, but tonight’s game at Minden could be an exception for Coach David Feaster’s Panthers.
Parkway has averaged more than 41 points per game in one-sided wins over Alexandria Senior High, Farmerville and Lakeside. Minden, facing considerably tougher competition, has allowed nearly 40 points per game in losses to North DeSoto (0-40), West Ouachita (6-33) and Haughton (6-42).
Three of the games involving Bossier Parish teams are matchups of 3-0 parish teams against 0-3 opponents. In addition to the Parkway-Minden game, 3-0 Airline plays host to 0-3 Woodlawn and 3-0 Louisiana New Tech (Plain Dealing) plays host to 0-3 Delhi.
Feaster isn’t the only Bossier Parish coach who doesn’t know how his team will react to a close game. Airline has opened Bo Meeks’ second season as head coach with a 34-12 win over Bossier High, a 41-14 win over Richwood and a 36-0 victory over Alexandria Senior High.
Airline quarterback Hayden Hildebrand has completed 33 of 64 passes for 698 yards and seven touchdowns, with no interceptions. Michael Nunnery, a 5-10, 225-pound tailback, leads the Vikings in rushing with 39 carries for 181 yards and five touchdowns, while 5-8, 150-pound senior Trey Turner leads the pass receivers with 11 catches for 247 yards (22.4 per catch) and five touchdowns.
Defensively, Rodriguez Parker leads the Vikings with more than twice as many tackles (39) as any of his teammates, along with one interception, one fumble recovery, one sack and one defensive touchdown.
In other games, Haughton (3-0) travels to West Ouachita (1-2) in the longest trip for a parish team this week, Bossier High (2-1) goes to North Webster (1-2) and Benton (1-2) makes a short trip to Stonewall to play North DeSoto (3-0).
“We’re looking for it to be a good game,” Haughton coach Rodney Guin says of his team’s trip to Calhoun. It will be the fourth consecutive year the Bucs have played West Ouachita, starting with a high-scoring overtime win by Haughton when Dakota Prescott, who is now playing at Mississippi State, was the Bucs’ starting quarterback.
On paper, Benton may have the toughest assignment in the parish tonight, even though the Class 4A Tigers are playing a Class 3A opponent. North DeSoto’s Griffins are coming off a 56-32 victory over the Class 5A Southwood Cowboys, and are averaging nearly 45 points per game in the first three weeks of the 2012 football season.
Zach Pierson leads Benton in rushing with 59 carries for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Jordan Shaffer has completed nine of 27 passes for 76 yards. Defensively, Coach Caleb Guidry says cornerbacks Darrius Green and C.J. McQuarters played well against Natchitoches-C entral last week while defensive end Jeff Stephens led the Tigers in tackles with 12.
Senior linebacker Xavier Chism leads Bossier High in tackles with 16, followed by sophomore linebacker Isaiah McKinsey with 14.
“We’re just looking for a win,” Bearkat coach Michael Concilio says of the Bearkats’ game at North Webster tonight.
Jerry Byrd is the former sports editor of the Bossier Press-Tribune and an award-winning columnist. Check out a few hundred of his columns on www.jerrybyrd.com. You can contact him by E-mail at
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