Point After Podcast Season 2 Ep 8

Alex and Jeff talk about the latest games, trends, and predictions with this week's high school football.

What is KTBS: #3Fever Point-After Podcast?

KTBS 3 Sports and Jeff Harper present the #3Fever Point-After Podcast, a local show highlighting high school football in the ArkLaTex. Alex Anderson and Red River Head Coach Jeff Harper give you a weekly look at teams to watch, interviews with some of our area's top recruits, and all the information you need to be prepared for the Friday night lights . Join us every Thursday morning wherever you get podcasts for the KTBS #3Fever Point After Podcast.

Hey, welcome into another episode
of the Three Fever Point after podcast.

I'm your host, Alex Anderson, joined
as always by my co-host, the offensive

coordinator of the Natchitoches
Central Chiefs Jeff Harper in the house.

Coach and you have you boys played
tough Friday night against Captain Shreve.

The game came down to the wire.

It did. It did.

And we're proud of them.

We're in the,
you know, building process, year one.

And, you know, it was a
it was a tough loss.

But we've had a few games like that

this year that have come down to us
making a play or two.

And, you know, we can't ask

more for from
our guys are just they're battling.

They're putting in the work.

They're taking the coaching.

They're making the adjustments.

And, you know, defense is getting better
every week.

Offense is really playing well.

And so, you know, we're learning.

We keep keep saying it to our guys.
It all come together at some point.

So, you know,
we had a fumble going into the end zone

on the third drive of the ballgame.

Turn around, get the ball back,
get a stop,

throw one down the middle of the field,
you know, just a little short,

wide open slot receiver there in between
to save these picked off which they didn't

score on that drop
thank God when we held them and blocked

a punt, got the ball back
late, still had time, drove down inside

our five yard, had the ball
three yard line for downs to score

and we just couldn't could get it done.

So at the end of the day hats off
to to Captain Shreve for, you know,

putting together,

you know, a really good game plan
and making a stop there at the very end.

And that's what you want.

You want you want to be in a situation
where you can win a game.

So proud of our guys
and onto the next one.

Right.

And, you know, obviously,
I'm sure it goes a long way

when you are building
something that have those games

you can point back at and say,

look, you know, this is the first place
team we're taking on here in our house.

You know, one or two plays away
right there.

You know,
I'm sure it goes a long way to the belief

in the players, understanding, you know,
what you and coach, just the stuff.

Y'all are preaching it.
It will work and it is working.

Yeah.

In your
gut, you know, a whole new culture.

I mean, just flip
this thing on its head and,

you know, you have the change
and how we're going to do things.

The expectations are very different.

The standard is high,
you know, the expectation is high.

And so the kids are are learning that
and they bought into it.

And we've got kids that are coming
every day putting in a ton of work.

And, you know, it's hard when you're
you're year one and you're trying so hard

to build something and, you know,

some people want something to happen
just right away.

And in some situations

that happens for us, it's it's
been it's been a gradual process.

And so where we can work,
we can go back and watch from week

to where we had a
chance to win. Opelousas late

to you know, you go

to go on the road to beaten
right after you know playing

you know a really good game
against their line and having that second

half where we put it all together but
didn't do enough to win it to lose and one

later against been to the same exact thing
against Captain Street.

It was just big difference and

you know where we were early in the year
to where we are now.

So their fight
and that's the one thing on the film

you're going to get four quarters

and these guys are going to fight
and I'm not going to let up. So,

you know, it's working
and just may not be showing up right now

in the win column, But it's definitely

things are changing down to now
and it's for sure.

Well, I love that I am a little biased,
but if there's two coaches

I believe in, it is you and Jess Curtis.

Of course, I wanted to talk about that
to start off, because that was one of the,

you know, a big game on Friday night, one
that had a lot of people talking.

So, yeah, big,
big performance from your chiefs and

obviously excited to see you guys back in
action this week at home against Parkway,

another game
that's that's very important to you

I assume I'm going to be completely honest
with you, Coach.

Full transparency here.

I forgot what we picked last week.

I got roped into election
coverage on Saturday.

I had to get these numbers out of my head,
get the polling numbers in my head.

There's not a lot of room in here.

Despite the size of the cranium,
a lot of empty space.

Do you remember who we picked?

Oh, I do. I remember that you.

You picked North Dakota,
so you definitely got that one.

Got it.

I think we had Loyola in what we did

at Loyola, which, you know,
I feel like that was a little underhanded

because, you know, I'm
not going to pick against the fliers ever.

And so I just like, you know,
I'm not going to pick against Parkway

when they play hard

and I'm not going to pick against Benton
when they're playing anybody but us.

Right?

So, you know, you use that against me,
but you got that one.

And then I think it was Magnolia.

It was I had the magnolia.

You had Plain Dealer.

So you went to it when you.

Yeah. Yeah.

Two and one.

So a week
that I got a rare advantage on you.

I think this is just the second week
all year that I've,

that I've had an advantage,
so I'll take it.

I mean, why not Narbonne was.

I guess we can kind of start there
undefeated.

Think what, six and oh,
for the first time ever in school history,

they get a shot at Calgary.

Look, I mean, I don't think anyone would

pick them, you know,
knowing what Calgary has done this year.

But look, six
you know, a chance here at the number one

team in the area,
the state, whoever you want to put it,

it's all right
in front of the Timberwolves.

Yeah.

And I think you know
there was an interview with the head coach

where I think he probably created

some bulletin board material for Calgary,
which I don't think they need it now.

But but you know,
I got a text today from Abram Wardell and

I mentioned it or whatever and it's, you
know, it's been it's been talked about.

And so I think
that's going to be a great matchup.

I don't think that anybody thought

that Darren Woods would be in this
situation early, early in the year.

And I think it's going to make
for a good game.

Here's the thing.

Go in and say what you want.

Calgary is not only

undefeated, but they are battle tested.

They have not played
a solid schedule at all.

So they're not looking at this game going,
oh, well, you know, they're six

and oh, they're small school. They are
they're not doing that.

They're going to come out
and they're going to play as if it is,

you know,
the best team in the state of Louisiana.

And these kids are very focused,
They're hungry.

And so I think it'll be a good game early.

I think that Narbonne Woods does some
things on offense that are interesting

and you don't see every day
with with some of the stuff that they run.

But, you know, Calvary
Calvary does a really good job defending

different offenses
and they can score on anybody.

So, you know,
I think that I think it's a good test

for the district,
you know, how the district shapes out.

But I think Calvary just overwhelms them.

Yeah, I agree It
there's our game of the week.

And if you are looking for those comments
that the Darren Woods coach made,

look up Aaron Dittrich on Twitter.

He's our friend over at Callaway
and Monroe.

He's got a morning morning
show over there in the Monroe area.

That's where you can find that.

He's got it on his Twitter account.
I want to I don't want to spoil it.

I want to give give some plug, too,
to my buddy over there, Monroe.

He does a fantastic job.

And, you know,

he kind of told us

he kind of told me on Friday,
he said, you know,

we are going to make Calvary garb
on your game of the week. I said, Yeah.

And he said, Well, be sure to tune in
to the radio program next week.

He he's going to say some stuff
already been warned.

So then we are so

and he did sell me

a little bulletin board material
look like it's it's high school sports.

It's all in good fun.

It's you know, it's part of the reason
why we love this game.

We love these rivalries and the emotion
and all that stuff.

So that should be a fun
game in our game of the week.

But yeah, I'm with you.

I mean, I think that's a, you
know, Calvary.

We know what happens when they play
district games.

We'll see.

I mean,

still a historic season for Darren Woods,
but even also historic for Calvary,

North DeSoto.

They have a big game this week to again,
as they're at Huntington.

First, you know, I want to go back
to last week their game at Evangel kind of

I think went the way that we all thought
it would.

They traded blows.

North Dakota's defense made the play
that it needed to in the end.

Yeah. I mean they're they're good.

They're really good.

And I know that there are things that

both both schools want to be able to clean
up as they make a run at the playoffs.

North Dakota, you know,

they've got everything
sitting right there in front of them.

The district's tough. You know,
they get a really good opponent this week.

They had a great opponent last week.

Coach
Don is not going to let anything slide.

They're going to take care of

all the things that they want
to make sure that they're doing well

this time of year.

This is what do you want to get hot.

This is when you want to be playing
your best football.

So, you know, both both teams learned
a lot from that game in order to sort of

came out with a win, you know, But but
Evangel is a really good football team.

They do a lot of things really well.

And I think that they they keep it rolling
and try to get hot right here

before the playoffs.

Yeah, I'm with you And obviously North
DeSoto playing Huntington now

a team that has a chance to
to really shake up this district.

They already do have a league loss.

They did lose to Northwood
earlier in the year

but it feels like, you know, we see this
with Huntington year in and year out.

They replaced a lot of guys on that team
last year

and they just seemingly are getting better
and better as the season goes along.

I shot their game at Woodlawn last week

and they left little doubt, you know,
they were the better team in that game.

They were on them from the jump.

And I mean, I could hear Coach Dennis

telling the players on the sidelines,
you know, don't let up, don't let up.

Keep the pressure. Keep the pressure.

And they were doing that.

I mean, they were running the ball,
throwing the ball. Defense was tough.

They looked amazing.
And they're all new white uniforms.

Did you know
Huntington has white Helmets now?

No, but I bet that looks sweet.

And I know the silver
helmets are pretty sweet, too,

but I'm sure that all white icy
whites are probably really nice.

It is a great look with the skull
and crossbones there, the blue great look.

But yeah, they look good.

I mean, we know what Coach Dennis.

We know he can get these teams
fired up for a game like this.

I think that's going to be
a sneaky good game.

I mean, I still like North DeSoto, but

I think Huntington is going to going
to give them and definitely give them

some problems.

And I think they'll give a lot of teams
some problems as we get to the playoffs.

You know, I'm
looking at the rest of the schedule

and I know you've got I think you said
what a birthday dinner to get to hear.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Well, we want to get you out the door
for that check on the clock right now.

I think it's just run
through some other games real quick.

Airline, a bird, you know, airline
kind of got back on track.

They got the revenge on Hot
in the last week.

Bird.

A surprising performance

from them against Parkway
Parkway is defense really stepping it up?

The Panthers
team you're going to see this week.

They're also playing some good ball
right now.

They are.

And they're really good on defense.

I've said that

from the very beginning of the year
when we were talking jamboree matchups.

I mean, they're
they're really, really athletic fast.

They're good on the back end.

You know, the way they play their box,

they really try to take away run game
and fly out of the football.

And so,

you know, they played
a really good game against Bird

and that's the one thing with with Bird,
if you can scheme them up

and you can play some of football, you can
you can stop them.

But a lot of things they have to go right
and everything went right.

I sat in the stands at night and
I was there to watch my daughter cheer.

It's one of the Thursday,

the only Thursday game that we got so far
this year that I could go

and watch her at the same time,
get ready to watch our team.

It will be playing the following week
and I was impressed.

So they're good,

you know, special teams defense and they
do some things really well on offense.

So, you know,
Parkway is going to be a challenge.

It's one game
that I'm looking forward to my daughter

be cheering on the other side
and my wife's there.

So we did it at Red River
and we get to run it back this year.

And so it'll be the last
time we have a house divided

because, you know, she

graduates,
so we just soak it in and join it.

You know, it's it's it's
more than just football for our family.

And so we're we look forward to that.

This one.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, too,
just because I know you know, obviously

being friends with you

and I know how much that place means
to you, it's always good. And

Cameron, Mayo, Ashton Jackson, those are
my guys after we had him on the show.

So say hello to them for me.

Know all of those two guys
there at Parkway?

I guess the last game we can talk about

because it always takes on
some importance.

We talked about Parkway.

Let's talk about Houghton, that battle
for the wooden hippo, Houghton and Benton.

This game could be really, really good.

I feel like they're pretty
evenly matched teams here.

Yeah.

And you know, as long as Hartland's got
their QB in there, he's he's really good.

And he can he can do some things he makes
makes a defensive coordinator's job

very tough because he is he's accurate
he runs well you know he can extend plays.

They've got a lot of speed
Alton's got speed and so you know

just talking with Reynolds this week,
you know, he's

he's always in that mode
where, you know, he feels like

he feels like they may do this.

But, you know, there's
there's things that, you know, bother him.

Every head coach has that.

But I do think
it's going to be a good game.

And are they playing at heart
or are they playing it?

There have been Friday night. Yeah.

You know,
I think you give the edge to then

because it's a home game they play
well there.

It's going to be a big crowd and you know,
you do have that wooden hippo robbery.

You know,
Reynolds and Jason have done a good job of

of, you know, keeping that thing alive.

And so it's fun between those two guys.

And I do think that it will be
a very competitive game.

You know,

we play hall next week
and we played Benton two weeks ago,

so I've seen enough on both of them
to know that they are matched up very well

If Holton can can stop the tempo,
then they can win the ballgame.

If they can't stop them and give you know,

they give the run game,
you know, issues and stuff like that,

you know, they can stretch that thing out,
make it very competitive.

But if they can't

keep guys in front and tackle well,
which I have not paid attention to much of

the offense,
but that's what it does. Well, it's tempo.

Get their athletes in space,
make it tackle and they run the ball well.

Manning is one of the best
running backs in the district,

definitely northwest Louisiana.

And so he is a problem.

He is going to be a problem
that he's got to deal with it.

They can stop him. They can
they can win the ballgame.

At the end of the day, it's
going to come down to who makes plays

and what defense decides to make stops,
because both of them,

you know, they've got
they've got a scheme that are tough.

Both. But those games are tough.

So, you know, it's
going to be an interesting

one that I will definitely be paying
attention to.

Once we're done playing Friday night,

I'll be looking on my phone
to see how how this game turns out.

And you can watch the highlights on
Friday. Football fever coach. Of course,

I wanted to say two more things about this
game.

Benton's all yellow uniforms
that they've debuted this year.

Beautiful. I love them.

Such a good look for the Tigers.

Really normally don't love that
going all in on that one color

but and it just looks good
with those purple helmets.

I think this is a perfect place
to start our picks this week

because we know who both of us will pick.

Go bucks.

Yeah, I'm going with Ben Tiger So easy

that's a
you know it's easy pick for you easy

pick for me That way
it's not a personal one.

We will not pick
and against teams that we like. So

I'm going with the Tigers.

You know what I'll do?

I'll.

I'll.

I'll make a paper hippo that we can exchan

All right, I'll.

Oh, let me just.

I'm just looking through this list.

I'm trying to think of who else
I'm trying to go through.

Some maybe some teams that we haven't
haven't necessarily picked,

you know, over the course of a year.

And I feel like both of us
would want Calvary in our game of the week

pick and Calvary Davon Woods.

I feel like we don't need to do that.

I don't know.

I mean, North DeSoto, Huntington,
what do you think?

Is that should that be one?

Yeah, I mean, it can be one for sure.

You know,

I'm I picked Huntington early in the year
to beat Bird and shocked the world

and you know they they are
they are good and LJ White's a kid

that I know very well knows family
great kid having a good season.

So I at the end of the day, I'm
not going to I'm not going to go all in

on Huntington this one for this purpose
that that is that is Coach Dunn right.

And his former player Stephen Dennis

And it's like the mentor,
you know, teacher and student type thing.

And I'm telling you,
that's that's a pretty cool deal

between a guy that coached a gal
on the other side of the ball.

So, you know, if I had to pick and I'm
just looking at that, I go with Coach Dunn

because he's got that experience and man,
they roll in there, they're really good.

So I, you know, yeah,

I could, I could swing it either way
just because there's people

that I'm pulling for
on the other side of the ball.

But if you're asking my opinion
on that, I definitely go,

Yeah, look, I'm happy to take Huntington.

I love Coach Dennis.
I love Coach Dunn as well.

Did you see the picture that Daniel found,
an old Bob Griffin story from years ago

about his son, that that was so funny
that that priceless had legs

meant that in more than one way

it was so funny.

The TV using it on Twitter
after the win. I loved it, man.

That was just hilarious.

And yet, Coach Dennis,
you know, the emotions will be high.

They're taking, you know, with the chance
to go against his former coach there.

So yeah give me the Raiders.

I hope they wear the White Helmets again.

It is just perfection there.

Okay.

One more game is what we need
before we go.

And it is going to be

yeah, this is a tough one.

There are some games
that I'm just not sure about.

Are you okay?

How about this one?

Woodlawn at Bowser?

I'll take the Knights.

Good pick.

That's a really good pick.
Woodland is good.

But I'm going to tell you
the budget Bearcats

got the offense rolling this past week,
and they didn't.

They didn't get the win,
but they definitely got that ball rolling

and and I'll tell you, Gary
Smith knows how to coach defense.

Anybody could scare me up.

Anybody, you know, scheming up, man.

Gary Smith can do it.

And he's got already pinnacles

out of retirement from Parkway Let's
go Parkway Legend He's a Parkway legend.

Coach DBS.

He was my offensive coordinator
when I was a freshman, Right?

Plays guitar on Sundays at our church.

Great dude.

He's coaching those DBS up.

And so they got it.

They got it rolling last week offensively.

Now they put it together with the defense.

I'm going to give them I'm going to I'm
going to give them my pick.

I'm going with the Bearcat.
Let's go. That was easy.

We knocked them out.

So we got our three picks this week.

I'm on fire right now.

There was a couple of things. Oh, yeah.

I didn't just want to like a little
housekeeping, if you will.

As people will
have noticed, I did not pick North DeSoto.

I let Coach Peck. Not the setup.

It's not that I have anything against
North DeSoto.

I did see some comments on Facebook that
maybe they thought that perhaps we didn't.

Look, here's the deal.

When we send photographers out to games,
they're going to two, maybe three games.

So we're talking about
they're there for like a quarter, Right.

So if something good doesn't happen
for your team in that quarter,

unfortunately, we don't have it.

That's why I ask you viewers,
send us some plays.

We know you got the phone out.

You had your phone out of the park.

We take a quick video.

Give me some.

Send it in.

We will use it.
So I just wanted to clean that up.

Look, I don't have a

I know I'm from Houghton,
just the same as you're from Parkway.

But look, we love all these guys.

You know, these players and coaches.

You learn to build relationships

with all of them, regardless of what team,
whatever.

They went to high school,
I just wanted to throw that out there that

sometimes it appears
you can't make it to everything, right?

So I just like to keep it.

We're getting late in the year.
People's emotions get higher.

It's it's an important time
to to send that reminder out.

So I will step off the soapbox and yeah,
I think we're going to wrap it up.

Unless you have anything else to add.

No, sir.

I'm good, brother.

I'm good.

Things are good picks now. Yeah.

This this is going to be fun.

So enjoy your birthday dinner, Coach.

You're the best. We wish you
the best of luck. This week will be.

We'll be chicken, we'll be there.

We'll have cameras there
for maybe like, a quarter.

So just keep that in mind.

We'll be there for the game of again,
wishing you best of luck.

Enjoy your dinner and our guys tuning in.

Thanks for checking us out.

We'll be here next week on the Three
Fever and Point after podcast.