Ouachita Parish is 1-8 against Neville since September of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Lions will look to defend their home field against the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 858 yards in their previous games.
Ouachita Parish is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Louisiana's top teams: West Monroe, who was ranked seventh at the time (Ouachita Parish was ranked 16th). The Lions lost to the Rebels on the road by a 39-25 margin on Friday.
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Macario Dade Jr, who rushed for 158 yards. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 57 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Montrell Conner, who threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns on only 19 passes.
Meanwhile, Neville entered their matchup against Ruston on Friday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Tigers took a 41-37 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bearcats.
Like Ouachita Parish, Neville lost despite seeing results from several players. Emaude Sledge led the charge by picking up 130 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Another player making a difference was Ja'Marion Roberson, who gained 120 total yards and a touchdown.
Neville didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Steven Hanlon and Connor Ajlani. Neville received some extra help from Kayden Gray, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Ouachita Parish's defeat dropped their record down to 5-2. As for Neville, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Ouachita Parish has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 217.3 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Neville has preferred to attack from the air: they average 270.6 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Ouachita Parish was taken down by Neville 41-14 when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Will the Lions have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
