By MATT VINES, Journal Sports
Much of the high school football fan attention in North Louisiana has fallen on Evangel Christian quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston after he led the Eagles past West Monroe in the jamboree and accounted for nearly 400 total yards in a Week 1 loss to Neville.
But when the Eagles (0-1) visit Turpin Stadium to face Natchitoches Central (1-0) tonight, there’s only one quarterback on the field who finished in the top 10 among the state’s passing leaders last year.
That’s Natchitoches Central junior signal caller Owen Smith.
A season after Smith finished the 2023 regular season at No. 8 on the state’s passing charts (2,382 yards with 22 touchdowns), he lifted the Chiefs to a gusty 14-12 win at Breaux Bridge.
Smith flashed his legs on a 19-yard touchdown run with no time remaining in the first half, the last score for either team and one that became the game winner.
NCHS head coach Brad Laird called Smith a “warrior” and a “tough individual.”
“Owen made a lot of third-down throws and scrambles to give us a chance at the end,” Laird said. “It’s been fun to watch him progress this season, and I’ve seen him get it done a lot of different ways.
“He runs, he throws, he punted for us twice – one a quick kick that stopped at the 1-yard line. He does so many things for this team.”
Of course Laird had plenty to say about Houston, who already has offers from schools across the country, including several from the Southeastern Conference.
Houston signed an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal with Leaf Trading Cards as part of its “NextGen series” this spring. At Calvary to start last season, Houston transferred to Evangel and learned behind quarterback Peyton Fulgham, who finished fourth in Louisiana with 2,621 passing yards in the regular season.
“(Houston) is a great quarterback who can do a lot of throwing and running, and he has threats at receiver,” Laird said. “Everybody saw what he did against West Monroe in the jamboree, and even though they didn’t come out on top against Neville (a 42-24 loss), he gave them a chance as they scored on the first two possessions.
“He’s a great quarterback that can do a lot of different things.”
Houston threw for 297 yards on 22-of-34 and ran for another 94 yards, but Neville wore down Evangel with its power running game and pulled away.
Evangel moved up to Class 5A this year, and it’ll be the Chiefs who welcome the Eagles back to District 1-5A in the district opener for both squads.
NCHS proved it could compete in the district despite just two wins in 2023 – four losses came by one score, including two one-point losses.
That’s why holding off Breaux Bridge in a two-point win holds extra meaning for an NCHS team that is replacing a lot of starters, including nine on offense.
Receiver Dillon Braxton joins Smith as the other returning offensive starter, and he took a screen pass 77 yards for a touchdown and finished with 106 yards on four catches. Smith threw for 219 and was the leading rusher with 59 yards on 14 attempts.
He was often the one hauling in crucial third-down catches that kept NCHS drives alive.
Despite coaching in his first home game at Natchitoches Central, Laird knows his way around Turpin Stadium.
He donned the Northwestern State purple off and on for a combined 15 years, the last six as head coach. He was a record-setting quarterback for coach Sam Goodwin’s Demons from 1992-96.
Now he’ll prowl the familiar sidelines for the first time in NCHS maroon when the teams kick off at 7 p.m. tonight.
The game can be watched online at nchschiefs.live and heard at 100.7 FM.
