Copyright American Press
Whether it was Class 4A or 3A, Iowa has dominated its district over the last few years. The Yellow Jackets (9-0, 4-0 District 3-4A) will go for a fourth consecutive undefeated district championship tonight when they host DeRidder (5-4, 3-1). Iowa, the No. 4 team in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 4A poll, hasn’t lost a district game since a 27-26 loss to Lake Charles College Prep on Oct. 29, 2021, a string of 18 games. The Yellow Jackets were the District 3-3A champs in 2022 and 2023 and won their first 3-4A title last year. DeRidder hasn’t won a district title since, either sharing or winning outright, three in a row from 2012 to 2014. Both teams have excelled on the ground, averaging more than 200 yards (Iowa, 243.4 ypg; DeRidder, 228 ypg). “I think we’re very similar,” Iowa head coach Tommy Johns said. “They’re like us; they want to run the ball on offense and play really good defense. “They do a really good job. They are a typical DeRidder team. They are big up front on both sides of the ball. They have speed like they always do and are well-coached. They’re one of the more consistent teams in the area over the last I don’t know how many years.” Iowa’s J’vien Adams (1,089 yds., 14 TDs) and Kaston Lewis (450 yds., 11 TDs) have combined for 1,539 yards and 25 touchdowns. With various injuries throughout the season, DeRidder has used multiple backs. After missing three of the first five games, senior Connor Rushford is healthy again and ran for 376 yards and six TDs in the last two games. Sophomore Jaiden Cooper has 685 yards and two TDs. District 3-3A Class 3A No. 9 LCCP (7-2, 3-0) can win its first district title since 2021 with a win at South Beauregard (2-7, 0-3). The Trailblazers have won four consecutive games, including last week’s rout of Class 4A Comeaux, 56-14 led by Ayden Carter’s five-TD performance. Carter leads all area big school backs with 2,023 yards. Defending district champ Jennings (6-3, 2-1) would need to beat Westlake (6-3, 2-1) on Friday and LCCP to lose to get a share of the title. District 4-2A For a second consecutive season, the title will come down to a Week 10 battle between longtime rivals DeQuincy (4-5, 2-0) and Vinton (7-2, 2-0). DeQuincy won last year 27-16. To do it again, the Tigers will have to stop Vinton running back Jaidon Briggs (1,670 yds., 28 TDs), who averages 185.6 yards per game. District 5-2A Class 2A No. 7 Kinder (9-0, 3-0) can win back-to-back district championships for the first time since 2019-2020 if it can beat Avoyelles (6-3, 3-0) at home on Friday. Kinder edged the Mustangs 30-26 on the road last season, and the last four meetings have been decided by six or fewer points. Kinder has the top offense (47.7 ppg) in Southwest Louisiana, led by quarterback Isaiah Thomas (697 rushing yards, 1,808 passing yards, 34 total TDs). District 4-1A Class 1A No. 2 Hamilton Christian can win back-to-back district titles for the first time since 2014-2015 tonight, but the Warriors face a defensive-minded team on the road on a field on which they have struggled. Hamilton (8-0, 4-0) beat Basile 33-14 last year in Lake Charles, but has lost nine games in Basile since 2005. Basile (5-4, 4-0) has won four consecutive games and hasn’t allowed more than eight points in its last five games. Hamilton quarterback Javon Vital has accounted for 37 TDs and needs 4 passing yards to have 1,000 rushing and passing yards.
