If the past several months has taught us anything about the upcoming LHSAA prep football season it is that if you hear that something is officially in place, it isn’t. The good news is that for a change the “new” news brings good news.
Jonesboro-Hodge High School and the remainder of “select” and “non-select” schools in the LHSAA will now begin their season on the first weekend of October, one week earlier than the “official’ starting date of October 8th that was handed down just one week prior.
Schools will still play only an eight game schedule beginning with the third game of the regular season listed on the regular ten game schedule that was put in place this past spring. For Jonesboro-Hodge it that means an October 2nd trip to Delta Charter in Ferriday.
It was hoped by many local fans that by starting the schedule one week sooner it would allow for the Jonesboro-Hodge vs Winnfield string of 76 years of uninterrupted games to continue but instead it was deemed best by the LHSAA that by staying with a week 3 start a full complement of playoff games could be held.
In additional action by the LHSAA it was deemed to allow practice in full pads for the first time this past Thursday much to the delight of JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship.
“Now it sounds like football practice out there,” said the Tiger mentor entering his 8th year at the helm. “The guys were excited about it. The season never really gets going for the players until they get to hit someone.”