Matt Vines

EAST POINT – Traditional football wisdom says that teams improve most from Week 1 to Week 2 in a season.

That could especially hold true for Riverdale, who didn’t have the chance to experience a full summer of workouts as fielding a football team wasn’t a certainty this year.

But the Rebels (0-1) have had a chance to find their footing and will step on their home field for the first time Friday when they welcome River Oaks (1-0).

Riverdale got better in the second half of a 42-6 loss at Wilkinson County Christian, which included the Rebels’ touchdown – a pass from quarterback Jayden Jones to Cannon Breedlove.

The Rebels will attempt to stay healthy throughout Friday’s matchup as key first-half injuries to Jones and running back/linebacker Brody Tong factored into a large WCCA halftime lead.

While WCCA, a team that finished the 2025 regular season undefeated, was a tough test, the sledding gets even more difficult Friday against River Oaks.

The Mustangs lifted the Class A state title this past season and haven’t lost a game on the field since 2023 (River Oaks forfeited games in 2024 and kept them out of the playoffs).

River Oaks used a strong second half to push past Tallulah Academy in a 36-18 win in the season-opener Friday, which accounted for coach Bo Barton’s 200th career win.

Barton attracts transfers who are potential college prospects in northeast Louisiana, including running back Cameron Bagwell, a key piece in Sterlington’s championship run in LHSAA Division III Non-Select this past season.

The Mustangs are beefy on the lines and quick on the edges, almost surely the most talented team Riverdale will face this season.

River Oaks won last year’s matchup with Riverdale, 52-6, and have won the last three meetings on the field (forfeited that win in 2024).

Riverdale last won a matchup in this series in 2023 by the score of 50-18, part of a 9-2 campaign.

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