A pair of storied north Louisiana programs led by two of the state’s top junior quarterbacks will help headline Thursday’s opening-night action.
Evangel Christian will visit Neville at Bill Ruple Stadium in Monroe in one of the state’s top Week 1 matchups.
The Eagles, who received votes in the LSWA Class 5A preseason poll, feature an explosive offseason with Peyton “Pop” Houston at the helm and a deep cast of speedy weapons around him that includes seniors Johnny Casey Jr. (Louisiana Tech) and Demarkus Evans.
The Tigers, the LSWA’s Class 5A preseason No. 3 team, enters the season considered among the top Division-I Non-Select contenders with the hard-hitting senior safety duo of Julius “JuJu” Burns and Jayden Reed and second-year starting quarterback Parker Robinson among the headliners.
And for all the standouts leading the offenses and playing in space, both teams also boast notable talent in the box such as Evangel Christian defenders Ashton Dawson (Arkansas) and Damari Drake (Grambling State) and Neville offensive lineman Van Martinez (ULM).
The Neville Tiger Network will broadcast this year’s matchup with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
Neville won the 2024 opener, 42-24, on its way to a 9-0 start to the season.
Evangel Christian largely played its best football later in the season as more of its players became available and hope, with a strong returning core, to take another step forward this year in Class 5A and Division-I Select.
