By Kyle Roberts
Coming off an historic season and a run at a state championship, the Ruston Bearcats will face another high quality schedule in the 2023 season with a nearly mirrored schedule from this past season.
“Just like last season, this schedule will give us opportunities throughout the entire season to see where we are and what things we need to work to improve on,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said. “We will need to work quickly to improve those things to give ourselves opportunities to win games throughout that schedule. I feel like our team and coaches will embrace the challenge and look forward to the hard work it will require to be successful during the regular season and on into the playoffs. We want to build on the great things that this year’s team was able to accomplish.”
Ruston’s summer scrimmage will be at James Field at “Hoss” Garrett Stadium on Friday, Aug. 18 against Byrd at 6 p.m. The Bearcats will finish out preseason for the second straight year at the Bayou Jamb at Joe Aillet Stadium Saturday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. against West Monroe.
For the regular season, all games will kick off on Fridays at 7 p.m. Ruston will open with Warren Easton at home on Friday, Sept. 1, for Junior High recognition night. Warren Easton was the one loss the Bearcats had in the regular season in 2022.
The Bearcats will be on the road for the following two weeks; first at Jesuit on Sept. 8, and then at Cabot High School in Arkansas on Sept. 15.
Ruston will return home to take on Lafayette Christian on Sept. 22 for Teacher Recognition and Red Out before ending the non-district slate Sept. 29 at Neville in a rivalry that is nearing a century long.
District 2-5A play will begin at home on Oct. 6 against Alexandria Senior High for a Pink Out game, while homecoming will be the following week against Pineville.
The Bearcats will return to the road Oct. 20 to take on West Ouachita before coming home on Senior Night to play Ouachita.
Finally, the Bearcats will end the regular season on the road against West Monroe on Nov. 3.
The schedule is set barring any changes at the Annual LHSAA Convention, which will be held on Jan. 17, 2023.
The full projected schedule is as follows:
| Aug. 18 | BYRD (Scrimmage) |
HOME | 6:00 PM |
| Aug. 26 (Sat.) | WEST MONROE (Jamboree) |
LA TECH | 7:00 PM |
| Sept. 1 | WARREN EASTON (Jr. High Recognition) |
HOME | 7:00 PM |
| Sept. 8 | JESUIT | AWAY | 7:00 PM |
| Sept. 15 | CABOT, ARK | AWAY | 7:00 PM |
| Sept. 22 | LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN (Teacher Recognition & Red Out) |
HOME | 7:00 PM |
| Sept. 29 | NEVILLE | AWAY | 7:00 PM |
| Oct. 6 | *ALEXANDRIA SENIOR HIGH (Pink Out) |
HOME | 7:00 PM |
| Oct. 13 | *PINEVILLE (Homecoming) |
HOME | 7:00 PM |
| Oct. 20 | *WEST OUACHITA | AWAY | 7:00 PM |
| Oct. 27 | *OUACHITA (SR Night) |
HOME | 7:00 PM |
| Nov. 3 | *WEST MONROE | AWAY | 7:00 PM |
