Many districts around the state are just kicking off league play in Week 6 or even Week 7.
But the District 1-5A has been raging for nearly a month, and Evangel Christian and Parkway are entering the home stretch — and potential collision course — with marquee wins already under their belts.
The latest: Parkway took care of Airline, 48-43, on Thursday, and Evangel Christian routed Captain Shreve in a 71-25 statement win Friday.
Both the Panthers (6-0, 4-0) and Eagles (5-1, 5-0) are the lone remaining undefeated teams in district play and aren’t scheduled to meet until the final night of the regular season, Nov. 7.
STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 6
(Team ———————— Record —— LSWA W6 poll —— Power ratings)
Evangel Christian Eagles ———— 5-1, 5-0 ——— No. 10 ———— No. 8 Select
Parkway Panthers ——————— 6-0, 4-0 ——— No. 18 ———— No. 7 Non-Select
Captain Shreve Gators ————— 4-2, 4-1 ——— N/A ———— No. 10 Select
Huntington Raiders —————— 3-3, 3-2 ——— N/A ———— No. 25 Select
Airline Vikings ———————— 3-3, 1-3 ——— N/A ———— No. 23 Non-Select
Natchitoches Central Chiefs —— 3-3, 1-3 ——— N/A ———— No. 28 Non-Select
Benton Tigers ————————— 2-4, 1-3 ——— N/A ———— No. 35 Non-Select
Haughton Buccaneers ————— 1-5, 1-4 ——— N/A ———— No. 40 Non-Select
C.E. Byrd Yellow Jackets ———— 1-5, 0-4 ——— N/A ———— No. 32 Select
EAGLES SOAR IN ANTICIPATED REMATCH
Evangel Christian dropped an overtime heartbreaker at Captain Shreve last season, then needed a couple pivotal plays down the stretch to hold off the Gators late in a playoff rematch.
When the Caddo Parish rivals met again Friday, both still undefeated in 1-5A play, the Eagles quickly left no doubts on their way to an emphatic, 71-25 victory.
Evangel Christian scored 49 straight points in the second and third quarters, slowing down a Captain Shreve offense missing star running back Jamarcea Plater for much of that stretch and never letting up with its own opportunities with the football.
Junior quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston, who committed to LSU last month, finished 14-for-24 for 175 yards and four touchdowns and rushed six times for 99 yards and another score, according to the Shreveport-Bossier Advocate’s Roy Lang III.
Plater led the Gators with 229 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, per Lang.
After three closer margins, Evangel Christian has now won the past two weeks by a combined 94 points against Huntington and Captain Shreve.
The combined margin is the Eagles’ largest in back-to-back weeks since they finished the 2022 regular season in Class 4A with a 49-0 shutout of Booker T. Washington-Shreveport, then opened the Division-II Select playoffs by bouncing Istrouma, 60-0.
PARKWAY POURS ON AIRLINE
Parkway continued to pile onto the tough stretch for Airline with a 48-43 victory that marked the Vikings’ third straight loss on the season and the Panthers’ first win in the series since 2021.
The Bossier Parish rivals traded scores Thursday in typical 1-5A shootout fashion before Parkway finally followed up a goal-line, go-ahead run by junior Braxxton Black in the final minutes with a defensive stop to survive at home and remain undefeated.
Senior quarterback Kaleb Williams finished 13-for-23 for 300 yards and four touchdowns, according to Lang, with junior Gary Burney Jr. leading the receiving corps with five catches for 144 yards and a score.
While the offenses dominated the bulk of the contest, a short pick-six by senior linebacker Colby Lee in the third quarter provided some temporary breathing room and a lead heading into the fourth quarter. And another defensive standout, junior defensive lineman Roderick Johnson, caught a 12-yard touchdown in the back-and-forth final frame.
The Panthers are 6-0 for the first time since 2022.
LSU-committed Airline wide receiver Kenny Darby caught 10 passes for 87 yards and a touchdown and rushed 11 times for 95 yards and a score.
