After enjoying the festivities of Homecoming last week climaxed by a thrilling victory over Arcadia it is back to business this Thursday evening for the Jonesboro-Hodge Tigers.
And some serious business it is.
Invading Caldwell-Peacock Stadium on the campus of Jonesboro-Hodge High School for a 7:30 pm kickoff is defending District 1-1A champion, Haynesville, who is also the top-ranked Class A team in the state.
Both teams are 2-0 in district play with the winner taking a big step toward winning the district title. Both are also riding winning streaks with Haynesville coming to town with a perfect 5-0 record and the Tigers sporting wins in their last three games to up their season mark to 3-2 on the year.
JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship knows that his team is in for a tough fight.
“There is no doubt we have a hard task ahead of us,” said Blankenship. “Year in and year out, Haynesville is the program that every other Class A school aspires to be like, and this year is no different.”
Despite Haynesville’s lofty ranking and the fact that it was way back in 1980 when JHHS last beat the Golden Tornado, who have an 11 game winning streak against the Tigers, including last year’s 46-0 debacle, Blankenship holds hope that JHHS can shock the defending state runner-up.
“We have the talent to compete with Haynesville,” said Blankenship. “If we play like we are capable of, then we have a chance, but we have to eliminate the mistakes we have been making, or it could get out of hand, as Haynesville is a very good team.”
Broadcast Information! If you can’t make it to the stadium, the contest will be broadcast on The Roux102, found at 102.3 FM on the radio dial or you can listen on the Roux102 app. A live stream of the game can also be viewed by downloading the HudlFan app and following the prompts.
Top Performers! The contest features two of the better athletes in north Louisiana, leading their teams. Dakota Knox of Jonesboro-Hodge was named Player of the Week in the state of Louisiana by Geaux Preps website last week, following his performance, where he gained 253 yards rushing, threw for another 152 yards for a combined 405 yards in total offense, and accounted for 6 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Haynesville boasts one of the top defenders in the state in 4-star safety Isaiah Washington, who is an LSU commit.