With a couple of extra dates to fill on the 2026 and 2027 schedule, due to a policy change dropping two district games, Natchitoches Central football coach Brad Laird didn’t back down.
He has the Chiefs stepping up to play four non-district games against some of the state’s best teams, beginning tonight at 7 in Turpin Stadium when NCHS hosts Sam Houston out of Moss Bluff.
A live stream of the game will be available at NCHSChiefs.live with the radio broadcast at 100.7 FM KZBL.
Sam Houston is followed by another home game next Friday against North DeSoto, with contests at Sterlington and Tioga wrapping up September. The strategy is to build power points for the LHSAA playoff system, by playing teams that are expected to win plenty this fall.
In Laird’s second year in 2025, NCHS made the playoffs. The Chiefs lost their first-round game in overtime at Thibodaux.
Laird lost two key figures in last year’s offense to graduation, quarterback Owen Smith and running back Kelton Howard. Sophomore Kaden Kuykendoll is the new Chiefs QB and several backs are in the mix filling Howard’s shoes, led by Clarence Wiliams, who had two touchdown runs in last Saturday’s Battle on the Bricks NRMC Jamboree loss (27-21) to Leesville.
Sam Houston is bolstered by one of the top linemen in Louisiana and a nationally-ranked recruit, Albert Simien, and has several other prospects for what is expected to be a breakthrough season for the Broncos.