Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – Once Red River football hit District 3-2A play, the Bulldogs exhibited a sense of focus and resolve forged by its early-season adversities.

Red River (6-4) ran through its district with a perfect 4-0 record, winning its last three games by at least 24 points.

The No. 12 seed Bulldogs will run it back in the first round of the playoffs as district foe No. 21 Winnfield (4-6) visits in a rematch.

The Tigers made a trip to Coushatta in Week 9 as Red River handled Winnfield in a 50-6 victory.
One might think a group of teenage boys would be overconfident heading into matchup in which they won handily just two weeks ago,

But that hasn’t been Red River’s M.O. this season.

Faced with a Week 10 non-district trip to Oakdale in which Red River had already locked up a playoff spot and its first district title since 2005, the Bulldogs didn’t let the hosts hang around in a 36-8 win.

“We play the game to win the game,” said Red River coach Byron Keller. “Our kids are hungry and want to prove that Red River football is here and ready.”

“Here” at Red River meant playoff wins for a time.

The Bulldogs won playoff games in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021 before losing in the first round in each of the last two seasons.

A No. 26 Red River squad built a 16-0 lead against No. 7 Pine this past season in the playoffs, but Pine surged to a 38-16 win with a strong second half.

Red River is hoping to replicate its regular-season success in which the Bulldogs led 38-0 at half and Winnfield scoreless until the final quarter.

The Bulldogs’ defense forced three turnovers and created easy scoring opportunities for the offense, which didn’t much help. The defense held Winnfield to under 200 total yards, including just three yards per rush.

“Alignment, assignment, and execution,” Keller said when describing the defense’s performance against Winnfield. “We preach these three foundations.

“Then, when we add our fast and physical style, it gives opposing offenses trouble.”

Red River has won seven of the past eight matchups against Winnfield, and a win Friday would set off a similar celebration as winning the district title on its homefield in Week 9.

There’s a (slim) chance that Red River could see Week 10 opponent Oakdale as well.

No. 28 Oakdale heads to Union Parish in the first round, although if Red River handles its business for a second time this season, a trip to Union Parish is much more likely.

Even though Winnfield had a poor showing in Coushatta, it’s not like the explosive Tigers have been feckless this season.

Winnfield has victories against Jonesboro-Hodge, Caldwell Parish, Rosepine and Many – by an average of about 30 points each.

But outside of a six-point loss to Mansfield in Week 8, Winnfield has struggled to compete with the better teams on its schedule.

The Tigers enter on a three-game losing streak with losses to Mansfield, Red River (50-6) and Lakeside (31-12).

Red River has won its last five contests after a 1-4 start, which included losses to Catholic-Pointe Coupee (26-6), Oak Grove (55-8), White Castle (48-30) and Pineville (32-20).