Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – On the road again.

If Red River’s early football season had a soundtrack, this ballad from Willie Nelson would fit.

The Bulldogs (1-1) pack up the bus again this week as they head to reigning Division IV Non-Select champion Oak Grove (1-1).

The Friday matchup starts a four-game road trip and fifth in the first six games.

The Bulldogs hit four different regions of the state in its travels – first to Northeast Louisiana (Oak Grove), then down south of Baton Rouge to the Mississippi River town of White Castle, then to Central Louisiana (Pineville) and finish in Northwest Louisiana (Mansfield).

The idea stemmed from Red River’s first-round playoff loss at No. 7 seed Pine in which the Bulldogs built a 16-point halftime lead only to fall 38-16 in a disastrous second half.

After playing larger schools in Northwest Louisiana in years past, Red River coach Byron Keller wanted his guys to become accustomed to longer road trips against teams more comparable in size.

“We’re still playing great competition, but this way, we’re also learning how to execute travel as well,” Keller said this offseason in reference to the road-heavy schedule. “I think it’s beneficial for our players to get out and see different parts of the state. We’ll get a true measure of where we are against schools more our size.”

Keller noted that his team didn’t match the physicality of season-opening opponent Catholic-Pointe Coupee, but that changed in this past week’s 26-13 home win against St. Mary’s.

Red River found production both on the ground (226 rushing yards) and in the air (114 passing yards) while forcing three St. Mary’s turnovers to generate momentum.

The Bulldogs, who’ve forced three turnovers in each of the first two games, would certainly love that trend to continue against an Oak Grove squad that’s scored a combined 98 points in its first two games.
The Tigers lost a shootout to Calvary Baptist, 62-41, before dealing a blow to Crossett (Ark.) in a 57-18 decision.

“Oak Grove moves the ball well week in and week out, making few mistakes in the process,” Keller said. “Forcing turnovers would be huge in momentum for us and give us the confidence to understand that we can play well against the best in the state.

“Our program needs that one statement win to set us up nicely for the future, and a win against Oak Grove would do just that.”

Oak Grove quarterback Jackson Bradley is the team’s leading rusher and passer with more than 600 total yards and nine total touchdowns.

Red River leans on the legs of Montreveun Smith and Warren Bowman, who have more than 200 rushing yards combined.

The Bulldogs will need a healthy passing attack to keep the Oak Grove defense off balance, and quarterback Malique Smith does have three touchdowns to three different receivers with no interceptions. Smith’s completions have led to big plays, but the 33 percent completion rate will likely need to improve to keep the chains moving against Oak Grove.

“We were able to find balance offensively last week, and we had two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns with seven players touching the ball overall,” Keller said. “It’s always great to win, and we are teaching our players to make every play your best and at 100 percent effort.

“That will be very important over the next month. We will have to travel into tough environments and have to play tough and disciplined to pull off these victories. The victory against St. Mary’s puts us closer to our goals.”