By Kyle Roberts
For the first time in three weeks, the Ruston High School Bearcats (3-0) will take to the turf at “The Hoss” for Friday night matchup with an extremely talented Lafayette Christian Academy (3-0) out of 4A.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
And now, with the forfeiture win over Warren Easton, the game will be a clash of unbeatens, for all intents and purposes. Buzz around town, and the entire state for that matter, has billed this match-up as one to watch, filled with lots of Division-I commits that will be playing in Week Four.
And for Baugh, the goal for tonight is, as always, to be prepared to play the most important game of the season each week: the next one, regardless of who shows up on the opposing sideline.
“I’m not naive enough to think that it’s not a big game because they’re supposed to be a really good football team,” Baugh said. “That’s what fans look forward to and and all of that. I mean that it’s another opportunity for us to get out and get better as a football team. You know, and we need to get out and use that opportunity against a really good football team. Because if we go out and execute well against this team, that gives you some confidence going in to other games. And so that’s what I hope our football team uses it for.”
Ruston just took long roadtrips in the last two weeks, first with a 35-7 win at Jesuit in New Orleans and then a 28-17 win over Cabot High in Arkansas last week. Against the Panthers last Friday night, the Bearcats got to see the offense take steps forward with the passing game as junior quarterback Josh Brantley made a couple of spectacular throws; first to freshman receiver Ahmad Hudson for 38 yards from the 2-yard line, and then a 60-yard touchdown toss to senior receiver Zhy Scott for a touchdown.
Ruston and Cabot have already agreed to another home-and-home series for 2024 and 2025.
“Cabot was a really good football team last week,” Baugh said. “It was a really good atmosphere. They’ve got a really nice place. I thought they had a really big crowd, and I appreciated the folks that went down there for us because I thought we had a good game and (Cabot High head coach) Reed made a comment about that. And so I think that’s why both of us agreed that we were going to renew that, because it was it was a good trip for them last year and it was a good trip for us this year.”
Now, the Bearcats will look to take the winning streak to three in a row as the Knights of Lafayette Christian Academy will be ready to play when the whistle sounds tonight. Last season, Ruston went down to Lafayette and turned a halftime deficit into a 35-20 win.
“Their team revolves around their quarterback and his play,” Baugh said. “I think they feed off of him. He seems to be, you know, as good as he was last year, seems to be a lot more comfortable in the pocket. Hopefully, we will be able to get him uncomfortable back there and make him move around the pocket some. You got to get him off pace somehow and get him to try to make some plays that he’s not normally ready to make.”
“I think we’ve got a lot of people that plan to come,” Baugh said. “You know, we we’ve just about sold out of reserve season tickets anyway. We’re selling a bunch of those and I think we’ll have a bunch of general admission. I’ve had a lot of other coaches say that, you know, they played the Thursday Game so that they could come to this game. And that’s what I talked about to the kids a while ago.
“I think a lot of people want to see a really good football player play, and they’re coming to watch LCA’s quarterback. And, you know, I think we’ve got some good players, too. So I hope what they are able to get out here and watch is a really good football game.”
The game will be streamed live on BearcatNationNetwork.com free of charge and can be heard on Z107.5 FM.
