by Malcolm Butler
Although the two schools are no longer in the same district starting this year, Cedar Creek and Ouachita Christian will still face off on the gridiron.
The Cougars and the Eagles will play at 4 p.m. today at Malone Stadium on the campus of ULM as part of the Bayou Jamb lineup.
The two 12-minute quarter “game” will provide the Cougars their final tune-up prior to opening the regular season next Friday on the road at Delta Charter.
Head coach William Parkerson said his squad had a good week of preparations leading into today’s contest.
“We had two really good days of practice,” said Parkerson. “I think we got them refocused. The guys have rebounded and had a good week, and I am looking forward to (today).”
Creek struggled in multiple phases in its home scrimmage last Friday against Lakeside, but Parkerson said he thinks the lumps the Cougars took against the Warriors will be beneficial in the long run.
“We had some bad alignments and some miscommunication (last week against Lakeside),” said Parkerson. “If we catch those things and fix them earlier, the scrimmage may have looked a little different. It was good to get it on tape. It was all coachable and fixable. We have to do a better job coaching and let the players go play.”
It should come as no surprise that Cedar Creek isn’t firing on all cylinders during the fall preseason after the Cougars lost a host of key contributors from last year’s team. With the Cougars two-deep full of plenty of underclassmen, it’s going to take time for them to find their way.
However, the second-year Creek head coach said he is eager to watch the maturation process.
“With a young team, it will be fun to watch the growth this year,” said Parkerson. “I think we will make some big jumps week to week as a lot of guys with no playing experience get experience. I think you will see them grow up fast.
“We need the few returning starters we have to lead by example and to lead by being vocal. We need to get the young guys up to (speed) and rolling right along side of them.”
Today’s “game” against OCS may be the toughest the Cougars will face this year. The Eagles have been one of the top teams in Class A for years and 2024 should be no different. However, Parkerson knows the experience from today’s match-up will be another opportunity to get film and make improvements prior to next Friday night.
So what is the goal?
“Same as it is every week; compete hard and be physical and see how we stack up,” said Parkerson. “I told the kids it would be a great challenge this week. We get to play one of the perennial small school top dogs in the state. We will have a good idea where we stand after (today).”
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