Historic night sees Ruston, Haynesville, Shreve, Calvary pickup key wins

An incredible night of high school football closed out the 2023 regular season as Northwest Louisiana teams now begin preparations for the playoffs.

Ruston High completed a rare undefeated regular season with a 35-28 triumph over longtime rival West Monroe in the first game played between the two teams at Don Shows field since 2019. It was the first time in 34 years for the Bearcats (10-0, 5-0) to win in West Monroe (8-2, 4-1) and allows Ruston to secure the top seed in the LHSAA Non-Select Division I playoffs that will be announced on Sunday

The win came thanks to an explosive night from Ruston junior speedster Jordan Hayes who scored on runs of 75, 52 and 84 yards. It overshadowed a memorable night by West Monroe quarterback Hayden Federico, an Ole Miss baseball commit, who passed for a TD to Kedrian McNeil and scored on a 50-yard run to give his Rebels a chance.

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“Our guys did a good job of not getting rattled and that’s because we played some good teams this year,” Ruston coach Jerrod Baugh said. “West Monroe came to play in all three phases, but our guys kept battling and we made the plays down the stretch.”

The Claiborne Parish Super Bowl between Homer and Haynesville went to the Golden Tors, 23-0, behind two TD runs from Omarion Webb and three field goals from Elijah Bray covering 18, 25 and 42 yards.

The Tors (9-1, 6-0) claim the outright District 1-1A title, bragging rights for a year versus the Pelicans (7-3, 5-1) and a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Captain Shreve completed its historic undefeated run through District 1-5A by outlasting Haughton 56-28. The Gators have never been unblemished in league play since becoming a Class 5A member.

A four-touchdown effort from quarterback Quortni Beaner, along with two long scores from Jamarlon Otis, kept the Buccaneers (4-6, 2-5) at bay and allowed Shreve (9-1, 7-0) to secure a first-round bye, followed by a home playoff game in two weeks.

Calvary completed a perfect regular season, which included a win over District 1-5A champion Captain Shreve, with a 50-10 win against Loyola at Jerry Barker Stadium. The Cavaliers (10-0, 5-0) are expected to be the No. 1 seed in Division III, thanks in part to a dominating win versus the Flyers (4-5, 3-2).

Highly recruited running back James Simon was the workhorse for the Cavaliers as he picked up 137 yards on 14 totes with three scores.

Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.