No shortage of exciting games, Area’s first full schedule kicks off tonight
Published 3:42 pm Friday, September 5, 2025
The first round of Friday night high school football games in Southwest Louisiana has several matchups to look forward to, including a pair of playoff powerhouses.
Class 3A No. 10 Jennings hosts 2024 semifinalist Iowa at 6 p.m.
Between them, Iowa and Jennings have won 17 playoff games in the last six seasons. Iowa reached the semifinals for the second time in three seasons in 2024, while Jennings won nine games for the second consecutive season.
Jennings beat Sam Houston 16-13 last week in the Broncos’ jamboree, but Bulldogs head coach Bret Fuselier knows the mistakes made in that game will be compounded if they make the same ones against the Yellow Jackets.
“They are kind of the standard around here,” Fuselier said of the Yellow Jackets. “We are looking to clean up some things on our end.
“We had some fumbles, untimely penalties and missed tackles. There is no way we can make those mistakes again and beat a team like Iowa.”
Iowa lost several of its offensive weapons from last year’s 12-2 team, but senior running back J’vien Adams and wide receiver Jeremiah Bushnell, a University of Houston commitment, are ready to pick up the slack. Adams scored three touchdowns and ran for 113 yards last week against Westlake to close the preseason.
“They are consistent in what they do,” Fuselier said. “They are physical. They have a couple of guys who are playmakers. They can score from anywhere on the field.”
The Bulldogs return junior dual-threat quarterback Chris Ned and sophomore Liam Leblanc at running back but are working on strengthening their play in the trenches, where they return three starters between the offensive and defensive lines.
“We are going through some growing pains up front,” Fuselier said. “We are looking to get those guys going as soon as we can. That is a big part of the game.”
Sulphur at St. Louis
The Tors won a season opener for a fourth consecutive season last year, but they expect a totally revamped St. Louis Catholic squad under new head coach Chris Truax.
“You can tell they are really in tune with what they are doing,” Sulphur head coach Cody Gueringer said of the Saints. “They do what they are doing really well.
“They have some guys who are explosive in the receiving corps, and the tailback is really good. The quarterback can really spin it. The offense line is coming along, too. Defensively, they fly around. I have been impressed with what they do on defense. They have a desire to really go git it.”
They meet at 7 p.m. at McNeese State.
The Tors held the Saints to 100 yards of total offense last year to win 14-3, while running back Tyler Joubert had 112 yards and two touchdowns. Joubert and Luke Clark combined for 148 yards and three touchdowns in a preseason 28-26 win over Washington-Marion last week.
“I always have hope in our tailbacks and how they attack the game,” Gueringer said. “They are three-year starters. I think our offensive line can really do some damage. It will be a good test.”
Sam Houston at Leesville
Last season, the Broncos and Wampus Cats put on an offensive show with a combined 1,001 yards in Moss Bluff, with the Broncos winning 56-41. Leesville’s Xavier Ford and Sam Houston’s Drew Bailey topped 300 yards and scored six touchdowns. But both backs graduated, and each team has a lot of new faces, especially on the offensive side.
Sam Houston will be tested by the Wampus Cats’ passing game, led by quarterback Trel Broom, who threw for 1,995 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2024, and receivers Mike Davis Jr. and Julius Brown.
Welsh at Kinder
The longtime rivals will open the season against each other for the third time in four seasons. The 2022 game was canceled.
Last year, junior quarterback Isaiah Thomas led the Yellow Jackets to a 40-16 win in his first varsity start with 246 total yards and two total touchdowns.
S. Beauregard at DeRidder
In DeRidder, the Dragons will look to make up for their 26-12 loss to the Golden Knights last year.
DeRidder’s senior-led defense, which has eight returning starters, faces a South Beauregard offense that scored 39 points with a balanced game plan at the Sam Houston jamboree against DeQuincy.