By DWAIN SPILLMAN JR, Natchitoches Parish Journal
It’s go time. No. It’s really go time now for the Natchitoches Central Chiefs, who tee it up tonight at 7 p.m. in Turpin Stadium.
After posting a dramatic 39-28 victory over Woodlawn (Shreveport) in the first week of the regular season, the Chiefs have suffered two straight setbacks and sit at 1-2 on the early season. But, now it gets more real.
Because of the large amount of teams in District 1-5A, NCHS hosts Southwood to start district play tonight, a week or two before most other districts begin their league slates.
“It’s district and we have to be ready,” Natchitoches Central head coach Jess Curtis said earlier this week. “All of the teams in this district are good. We have to be ready, there is no question about that.
“We have to take care of our business and there are no shortcuts in building this program here. We have a bunch of little things to clean up but we have a group of kids that are believing in what we do and they are going to work.”
Those comments came shortly after the Chiefs were handed a 56-14 drubbing at the hands of Alexandria Senior High last week in a non-conference road game. Curtis said as from the first game, win or lose, his team has returned immediately to practice with an absolute motivation to get better.
“I have to admit, I was disappointed. I don’t think we came out last Friday night ready to fight,” Curtis continued. “We felt like our game plan was really good going in but they (the host Trojans) got on us quick and we just never seemed to be able to recover.
“Mainly because it appeared we lost the fight early on. We just didn’t fight like we needed to. It’s a mindset. Our kids have done everything we have asked them to do, and even more most of the time. And, we are going to get through this, I promise you that.
“But it’s a belief, it’s a culture. When you get down you don’t stop fighting. We have to learn to follow bad plays with good plays and put that stuff behind us.”
Tonight, NCHS opens district competition which is the key factor in runs to the playoffs, or not. Outcomes of the next seven contests will yield a result of an entry into the postseason or the Chiefs starting to make early plans for the 2024 campaign.
Tonight’s matchup against Southwood of Shreveport not only has significance toward a playoff run but it will also draw a conclusion to the ever-anticipated annual homecoming festivities on Highway 1 South Bypass.
Southwood comes in at 0-3 and also are under new leadership this season as Mike Green, well known for building cellar dwelling teams into playoff contenders much like his counterpart Curtis. Green has spent 13 seasons of his career as head coach of struggling programs and has brought his previous teams across northwest Louisiana out of the bottom of the standings in short periods of time.
Southwood lost of to Carroll of Monroe a week ago, 38-16, but has also demonstrated steady improvement since Green took over the helm in southwest Shreveport back in May of this year.
“Coach Green is very classy,” Curtis said. “They have worked very hard up there and they are getting things rolling again. He has done a lot of great things in a lot of places in his career and I know he is working hard to bring Southwood back.”
The Chiefs dominated Southwood last season, 27-0, in an away game last season and are 4-0 against the Cowboys dating back to 2018.
“We have got to come out ready to fight, ready to respond if things go well or not so well,” said Curtis. “It’s simple. We have to learn to fight from the start to the finish and our kids are definitely buying into that.
“The team kind of slipped into that old mindset last week when ASH jumped out quick and punched us in the gut. We
have to learn to punch back and we are getting there. I am proud of our kids and our coaches for coming back each week ready to work and ready to get better. It’s a process. I can tell you we are going to work harder than anyone else to get there.”
