Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – The start wasn’t the problem for Red River in a 49-12 loss to Class 4A Tioga to kickoff the season this past week.

The Bulldogs scored first on an impressive rollout pass from quarterback Ashton Johnson to Lathyn Lewis before Lewis then forced a Tioga fumble on the ensuing possession.

Red River (0-1) would love to replicate that start this week against Class 1A St. Mary’s (1-0), which doesn’t have near the firepower of a Tioga bunch.

What the Class 2A Bulldogs would want to change is almost everything that happened after that as Tioga scored 49 straight points.

The Indians returned two interceptions for touchdowns with Red River backed up deep in their own territory.

Protecting the ball, whether Landon Wilson is healthy enough to make his debut at quarterback or Johnson is under center for the second week, will be paramount for a Red River squad looking for a bounce back.

The Bulldogs did bounce back in 2025, edging St. Mary’s 20-14 after a heartbreaking loss at Catholic-Pointe Coupee to start the year.

The Tigers from neighboring Natchitoches Parish scored a nice 22-6 win against Vidalia at home this past week.

St. Mary’s does get an extra day of rest from a Thursday season-opener in which they forced Vidalia to throw the ball as the Vikings trailed.

The Tigers returned one of two interceptions for a touchdown, a pattern Red River certainly doesn’t want to repeat.

St. Mary’s defense accounted for a touchdown and a safety in the first year of the Jacob Carruth era, who led the Catholic-Pointe Coupee program for the past three years.

The Red River defense would also like another shot on the field after the Indians moved the ball well in the opener.

The Tigers are a perennial playoff participant, including a first-round win this past season and a quarterfinals appearance in 2023. St. Mary’s has been to the Dome as recently as 2015.

Red River experienced playoff success with a 2024 drubbing of Winnfield, its first postseason win since 2021, before falling to Many this past season in the first round.

The Bulldogs aim to return to district championship form (2024), its first district title since 2005.

A win against St. Mary’s would bolster the confidence of young players who will face Class 5A Parkway, a surging Green Oaks squad, and a Logansport team that knocked off Many in the opener, in the next three weeks before district play.

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