The Ouachita Parish Lions are taking a road trip to square off against the Franklin Parish Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Franklin Parish will be up against a hot Ouachita Parish team: the squad just extended their winning streak to four. The Lions blew past Port Gibson, posting a 44-6 win. Given the Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 23rd in Louisiana, while the Blue Waves are ranked 183rd in Mississippi) , the win on Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Montrell Conner continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, throwing for 117 yards and four touchdowns, while also punching in one TD on the ground. Kevon Whitlock was in the mix as well, providing Ouachita Parish with two scores.
On the other side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Ouachita Parish's defense and their five sacks. Leading the way was Jeremy Jones with two.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Franklin Parish, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They claimed a resounding 54-6 victory over Caldwell Parish. The Patriots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by 41 points or more this season.
Ouachita Parish better keep an eye on Dezyrian Ellis. He was instrumental in Franklin Parish's win, throwing for 247 yards and four touchdowns on only 19 passes, while also rushing for 79 yards and one TD on only seven carries. What's more, Ellis racked up 142 passer rating, the most he's had since back in October of 2024. Franklin Parish's leading receiver Kaiden Seals was Ellis' top target yet again, picking up 113 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Franklin Parish didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Malique Credit and Mekhi Smart. Smart is also crushing it when it comes to total tackles: he's made at least five every time he's taken the field this season. He got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Ouachita Parish's record now sits at 4-0. As for Franklin Parish, their record is now 3-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Ouachita Parish has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 181.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Franklin Parish struggles in that department as they've been averaging 191.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Ouachita Parish didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Franklin Parish in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, but they still walked away with a 51-47 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Ellis, who threw for 279 yards and five touchdowns, and also rushed for 173 yards and one TD on only 15 carries. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Lions still be able to contain Ellis? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
