Natchitoches   34
Huntington  14

SHREVEPORT – The Natchitoches Central Chiefs football team notched a key District 1-5A victory over Huntington Thursday night at Independence Stadium, with 20 unanswered second-half points fueling a 33-14 win over the Raiders.

NCHS improved to 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the district with one regular-season game remaining, next Friday at Benton (2-7, 1-6).

Huntington fell to 3-6 overall, 3-4 in district.

The win will boost the Chiefs’ LHSAA power ranking, as would a victory next Friday, as other bubble teams lose. The Chiefs were not among the state’s top 24 in Non-Select Division I before beating the Raiders, and the two dozen highest-ranked teams reach the playoffs.

NCHS overcame four turnovers to win. Senior quarterback Owen Smith ran for touchdowns of 12 and 2 yards and threw a 14-yard scoring pass to Demarcus Nicholas. Chiefs’ workhorse Kelton Howard ran for a 4-yard TD and Kaden Kuykendoll scored on a 14-yard scamper.