Point After Podcast Season 2 Ep 6

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.

Welcome into the Three Fever point
after podcast.

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

the offensive coordinator of Natchitoches
Central.

It's Jeff Harper in the house.

Coach, again,
thanks as always for being here.

A busy Friday night coming up for you.

Let's start off
by filling our our listeners

in to exactly what you got going on Friday
night.

Well, my daughter's the senior

homecoming queen for Parkway
High School, so.

Good old dad gets to be a part of that.

You know that game.

They they acknowledge
the court at halftime.

And so

I'm going to get to walk
her across the field.

That was one of the things
that when the job opportunity

came up to go with Coach Curtis
to Nike Central,

it was really a hang up for me

because I knew Senior
Night was going to be a big deal and.

And then, of course,
if she got on homecoming court.

So I didn't want to miss either
one of the shows.

And she's she's really the one that
signed off on on me being able to coach.

And so

when she
when she got it, it's exciting for her.

So Thursday night,

I'll come back from walk through
and get to see her in the parade

and then Friday be there
for the first half of the Parkway game

and then walk
her across the field at halftime.

And then as soon as that's over with,
we're parked.

I mean, my wife's going to have a spot
for me right there next to the stadium.

I'm I'm literally jumping in the truck
and driving up a bit.

And I wouldn't be surprised
if Reynolds has the visitor

parking area blocked off the road
down the street or whatever.

But, you know,
I've got to get up there for that.

So I know Jeff is going to be blowing up
my phone, wanting to know, you know,

how close I am in the third quarter. But

yeah, it's
going to be it's going to be a fun time.

Plus, it's making memories of my daughter
her senior year.

So pretty cool.

Well, I applaud you for that.

And I applaud Coach Curtis as well,

everyone,
for making something like this happen.

So cool at the side of the game
that we don't really get to see as often.

You know, we think of all you guys,

you know, coaches,
and that's the way we see you on air.

But obviously, you know, fathers,
family, guys and and a big moment

for your daughter.

I will ask, though, will the will you go
full suit on the sidelines at Benton

or will there will be a wardrobe change
as we head over there?

No, I will be full suit.

Let's go at halftime
and then there will be some,

you know,
changing of clothing on the way to bid.

There's no way.

No way.

I'm stepping out of a vehicle
in a suit at Ben and Colin.

You know,
whatever's left in the game, right?

I'm not wearing a suit.

All right, well, I'll do that.

So I'm going to be at Parkway.

I'm going to find you. There I go.

Madeline's going to be at Benton,
so she's going to find you there. So?

So we'll find you. Don't worry.

We want to get a quick camera shot.

We have some other ideas
that you heard us talking off air

about what
we were planning on doing Friday night.

So it's a ton of fun.

We really can't wait to to showcase that.

And I'm so excited for you.

And your family's
going to be a fun night either way.

It's been fun for me this week because
I actually got some picks, right, Coach?

I was three.

No, how about that?

Congrats. Congratulations, man. Welcome.

Welcome to the 2023 pick this season.

I'm so glad that you had a great week
and you did pick really good,

really good opponents.

You know,
the guys that you pick were great picks.

And so I'm glad you're on the scoreboard.
Funny.

Ha. Feels good. You know,
I was really struggling. I had to.

I had to get something out here.

I had to at least know I know a little bit

about what
we're talking about each and every week

just to roll through those picks.

I've got them here on my other sheet.

I picked Bird over Benton Ruston, over
Neville and Captain Shreve over Parkway.

I was a little unfair on that.

Ruston Neville I definitely picked
first and got Ruston in there. So

you got to do what you got to do,
you know what I mean?

To to get back in the competition.

That's what we did.

This quickly ran through those games.

Good to see Bird
get their first win of the year.

Obviously not good
that happened against Reynolds more in the

in the Benton Tigers
but Bird seemed like they found something

in that Shreve game
and maybe put it all together last week.

Yeah I mean I think they found the

you know, the things that they need
to do on both sides of the ball.

I know just visiting with Coach Ballou
a couple of weeks ago, you know,

they were trying to find
the right rotation there in the secondary

and trying to get guys
to do the right things on defense.

I mean, every defensive coach,
they feel that way going into games.

And so if guys don't fit in certain spots,
guys, they'll wrap up in open field.

You know, those can be really,
you know, bad, lopsided games.

And so I know he was doing that, but finding that finding the groove there with the

the quarterback change

you know Gallman going to DBS
really helped on that side of the ball

and providing some stability
in the secondary.

He's a great athlete to turn around
you got Harrison Ayers

and then you know Ash or Murray out there
rotate it in every two or three drops.

But they've played really well
in both through touchdown passes.

And so that was pretty cool to watch.

Now, how did it happen?

At the expense of my buddies
over at Benton.

But, you know, it it is what it is.

And I know that it was a big, big night
for the for the Yellowjackets.

Yeah, but 60 on the scoreboard was really,
really impressive.

Yeah.

I love seeing those bird touchdown passes
every time.

It's like seeing a unicorn fly by.

It's so, so rare when you.

When you get to catch a glimpse.

That's a lot of fun.

There we did talk a lot about Captain
Shreve on Friday football fever.

We had head coach Adam
Kirby on their red hot.

One point of concern from them.

Brody Savage kind of went down
awkwardly on a play coach.

Actually,

I didn't know this at the time,
and he he didn't tell me when he was here.

He actually carried Brody off on his back.

He gave him a piggyback
ride to the sideline.

So that was interesting there.
Hopefully he's okay.

I haven't got any word there, but Shreve
is is looking like they're starting to put

put it together as well
following that Calvary game.

We'll talk about Shreve in just a minute
because they are in our game of the week.

Coming up.

Russell and Neville,
the highlight of that game to me

was the Bearcats down late Neville
muffs, a punt

and the long snapper
gets all the way downfield to

to recover that fumble and set up a game
winning touchdown for Rustin.

I made that
the number two play of the week

I mean a long snapper
special teams play like that.

Coach Kirby said it that night.

That's high school football right there.

I'm sure as a coach,
that's some stuff you love to hear about.

Yeah, those are effort
plays and a lot of times after plays,

the difference in winning and losing,
especially in tight ballgames like that.

I mean, you know, this past weekend
we said and the coach was office

and we were talking about,
you know, every week it's it's four

or five plays, two or three plays
that make the difference in games

being close and games being competitive
and then just people getting blown out.

And, you know, that's impressive
for for the long snapper to go down

and make the fumble recovery.

At the same time, I'm
sure the Neville guys are proud of the man

that somebody didn't get
their hands on the guy and slow him down

because they snap and they go
and they every one on that that that

return team has got a responsibility.

And so I'm sure that that was discussed
on the sidelines

and definitely in the meeting rooms
and coaches office after the game.

But hey hats off to Neville man
I mean 1410

against arguably the best team
in barbering It's impressive.

Yeah, very, very I mean what a great game.

It's kind of game you hope for
when you pick game of the week

really got two games of the week
type quality games last week

when with with Calvary hosting Westgate

we talked a lot about that matchup
last week.

Going into it,

the questions that maybe Calvary didn't
necessarily need to answer

but were interesting
to see if they would answer

and wow, did they ever
they go for quarters,

something they don't do a lot
and they haven't really had to

do against the bigger schools
they've played outside of Watchmen.

You go for quarters against Westgate,
you leave no doubt

you're one of the best teams in the state.

I mean, what more what more outside of now
trying to win a state championship?

Does this team need to do?
I mean, they look really, really special.

They just got to stay hungry.

I mean, now they're entering their draw
their district schedule.

And I mean,
they frontloaded their schedule.

I mean, they're not ducking anybody,
you know, multiple, five, eight teams.

And then you're dealing with,

you know, Westgate and and Wiseman,
who's really good on defense.

And I really think that that last game
helped him a lot for Westgate,

not so much.

They were dealing specifically
with athletes and all that.

They saw those every week.

It's the fact that they had to play deep
into the ballgame

there against Wiseman
and that prepared him

for what they were going to face
when they play Westgate.

For them to beat Westgate and beat them
the way they did, that's very impressive.

And so to me,

they stand alone.

They're in into a in and, you know,
I think they can beat

anybody proven and beat anybody in state
any classification.

So Calvary didn't have anything to prove.

They just need to stay focused
and stay healthy.

And, you know,
don't don't become complacent

because maybe you get into,
you know, some of your schedule

that may not be as difficult
as the beginning of your year.

And I know that Coach Q
and I, this guy's ready every week,

regardless of who's on the schedule,
who they're playing.

Yeah.

And you know, you mentioned Wiseman.

I agree with that totally.

It was a good opportunity
for them to have a game that they hadn't

or some moments in games
they hadn't had yet this year where things

weren't going their way
for a good portion of that game,

whether it be fumbles, turnovers,
anything like that.

They had some issues
against that Wiseman defense

and they you know their their defense
hung tough and yeah I agree

I think it really better prepared them
for that Westgate matchup

and they looked really good
I mean it was defense again

to Julius Morris he had two rushing
touchdowns a pick six I mean wow you talk

about all the stars on your team
than having a guy like that step up to it.

Just really, really exciting, exciting
time to be a Calgary Cavalier,

that's for sure.

This week, man.

You know, Captain Shreve Airline,

you just saw Airline
last week down in Natchitoches.

Man, this one could be a lot of fun.

Shreve Like I mentioned just a minute ago,
their finger in something out here.

Yeah, they are.

Here's the thing with airline.

I mean, airline is is is great
at what they do.

I walked you through all of that last week
when we were describing,

you know what makes makes been tailor
so good and that offense

and coach Goggin and his staff do
excellent job at getting guys coached up

really liked the game plan
that Coach Goggin had against us

and he showed some things
he hasn't shown before.

And you know, you could go back
and look at years of film

and some of that stuff
you're not going to see

and you kind of know what's coming
because if you have an answer

for some things that you've got to come up
with a different way

to, to run the same things.

And so he did that and it was excellent
and it's really good play.

CALLER These kids play hard.

Here's the thing with three
they're big, they're fast or physical.

Can they can they keep

airline from scoring every single time
they have the ball?

Right.

You know, we found some momentum
in the third quarter and fourth quarter

and created some stops
and and did some good things, you know,

But at the end of the day,
you can't spot them any points.

You can't and you can't give them a lead.

And then if you have that lead,

you can't let off the gas because they can
they could score in a hurry.

And they're really good on special teams.

They find a way to steal possession.

So, you know, I think the key comes down
to can can Shareef stop

the things that airline does very well
the identity plays

and then can trade
impose their their will on them in the box

can they run the ball because if they can

and they can keep airline over there
on the sidelines a little bit and

move the ball and flip the field
and do some of those things,

they can make that thing very competitive
and even even compete to win it

because they've got the talent.

They really do.

But airlines, as hot as I've seen them
in, when I tell you they go out there,

doesn't matter what you work all week,
they execute it perfectly.

And so,
you know, that's going to be a great game.

I'm looking forward to seeing it
because we play three the following week.

So, you know, all eyes on that game

this Friday for for more than just,
you know, the local teams.

I mean, everybody's
kind of watching that saying, all right,

this could be a preview
of the district championship.

Yeah, I agree totally.

And that was it was an easy
one for game of the week for us.

And yeah, you know, watching airline,

you've obviously gotten to see a lot more
than we have just from the highlights.

But yeah I mean

kind of echoing what you said
it didn't end in game we've seen it

really almost seem to not matter
sometimes what the defense was doing.

I mean, we've been in those passes,
you know, those does deep shots.

He's putting him in the perfect spot.

It's hard to stop Shreeve.

From what I've seen,
their defense is tough.

They can run the ball and that could be
a key against an offense like airline.

Slow it down. Get him out of rhythm.

I love Jamal and Otis.

We got obviously check on Brody Savage.

Hopefully he's

okay because he has added a huge spark
to that, to that Captain Shreve offense.

But look, you know, Coach
Kirby was in here last week.

I mean, obviously you're coming in
right after a win.

He's feeling pretty good,
but he seems just a lot more

confident, of course, but

maybe a little more calm than perhaps
they were at the beginning of the year.

And I think that goes
for the whole team in general,

because you know, being on the sidelines,
shooting their games,

that just seems to be a little calm
over that sideline

that maybe
we haven't seen there in a while.

I think this team
starting to believe in the coaching

and what they've got going on
and we're starting to see it out there.

So, yeah, I'm I'm looking forward
big time to this game.

I think we're going to have
a really good game of the week.

Should be a lot of fun
and it's good to kind of get back to that,

you know, right here in the city,
Shreveport, bowls, your match up there

for Game of the
week. We're excited for that,

I guess.

Really, I know you've got some cheddar
biscuits waiting on you,

so we're not going to keep you
for too long tonight.

I mean, that's a reason to stop
anything for me.

We've got another game
that I think is going to be interesting.

You know, our weather guy, Patrick
Dennis, he's been

he helped us out last week
at that Calgary game.

Hopefully he's not in here.

I'm going to try to strong arm them
into helping us out again this week.

We're going to call it
the Patrick Dennis Game of the Week.

Northwood and Evangel.

Good test for the for the Eagles.

Here they are.

They ran away from Woodlawn at the end

last week, but they didn't necessarily
look good at the beginning.

I think they fumbled two out of the first
three snaps of that game.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not I'm not

surprised by how competitive the game was.

Woodlawn is good, and I told you
after we played in week one,

I mean, Coach Harris got those kids
play and believing and they're doing

they're doing great things.

They're
and they're very athletic, very athletic.

So they can
they can turn it on and off when it comes

to, you know, slinging it all
over the yard, running it all over you,

you know, coming downhill on defense,
not surprised by that.

Northwood is doing some good things, too.

Got to see some film of them, you know,

today, just, you know, going through
and getting ready for Brennan and

and they played each other and

and they've got some
they've got some kids that can play.

And they definitely
are fun to watch on defense.

I mean, they get after you on defense.

And so one thing Coach Brown does is he
schemes teams up very, very well.

And you know, you got Coach
Dory on the other side of the ball

his offensive genius and so that's
that's going to be a really cool match up.

And here's the deal in Northwood
score on the Angels defense.

If Northwood can score the ball
and do some of the things

they've been doing
the last couple of weeks,

that will be a very,
very competitive ballgame.

If they can't in Evangel, you know,

Evangel gets, you know, do what they do,
throwing the ball

a little bit
and there's no pressure from Northwood.

That thing could get away from it quickly,

but I don't believe it's
going to be that way at all.

I think that North was really good
on defense and they they can they can

they can really bring pressure
down things up and confuse your QB

and they can put their hands on receivers
and whether or not they can stop.

Bolden Brothers, I don't know.

But you know, that

that definitely is going to be
an interesting, interesting ballgame.

Such a different dynamic when you talk
about the quarterbacks for their team.

I mean, you have paid in full gym
who's been playing for feels like forever

all the experience in the world
as a senior.

Then you have Hudson hair
and on the northwest side senior

but hasn't really seen
a lot of that game experience.

I think we're starting to see

Heron get a lot more comfortable there
and he's had a couple of really strong

performances
here in the past couple of weeks.

So yeah, that's that's interesting.
Gabriel offer it.

Obviously
you got to mention him when you're talking

evangel on the defensive side.
He is a beast.

They're hand on the ball at the goal line.

He's a problem for any team.

Patrick Dennis Game of the week.

That's what we're calling it.

Northwood
and Evangel should be a lot of fun.

Okay. We're going to let you get
to the Cheddar Biscuits in just a minute.

I did want to ask one last thing.

Since we are a high school football

podcast in Louisiana, we got to talk about
we're recording this on a Tuesday.

It is the day of the vote
down in the NCAA.

The select definition that we saw
last year challenged by a lawsuit

voted on today, 68% voted to keep it
as is as it was last year.

It's just for,

you know, some you're a lot more involved
in this process than someone like me is.

I feel like it's such a talking point
all year.

But then when it comes down to the vote,
it always seems to be overwhelmingly,

overwhelmingly this way.

I don't

want to ask you your stance on it
or whatever, but

just your opinions on how this goes down.

It seems like every time we argue,

we get together,
we vote and it's always the same result.

Well, you know, I'm not an aide and

I don't really have much an opinion
on how it goes,

but I know that some of the things
that happened with the change

last year was there were some things
that could have been done differently

and should have been done
differently involving, you know,

principals and that kind of stuff.

And so I think they've

they've got everybody back to the table.

And I think that they're doing it,
you know, with the vote today was right.

Here's the thing. I'm all for

the current format now.

I didn't really like,
you know, being a former to head coach.

I didn't really like 382
being grouped together in some parades,

having to play up and so on.

So they're going
to have to work all that out.

But I do believe that there should be
a separation between select and select.

And I do believe that, you know,
that's the sticking point.

You know, Northwood had a great argument
about it.

You know, they had one one or two kids

for a specific program in their school,
and those kids aren't even athletes

in Huntington
had some some of the same issues.

And, you know, open enrollment parishes,
all that kind of stuff.

At the end of the day,

you can go back to the drawing board
and some of that stuff you can fix.

You can change some of those policies,
but you know, you want to give kids

the opportunity to compete
and you definitely want to have,

you know, the format now.

I mean, look,
I don't know how I don't know

how many teams
need to be and all that kind of stuff.

And I don't get in all that right.

I just think that they got it
right on the vote.

And now it's a matter of what's
the playoff format going to look like.

And they're saying that it's going to be,

you know, similar to what it was last year
and all this and all that.

We'll find out as we get closer to town.

But I think that they needed
to get this thing settled,

and I'm glad that they got it done
sooner than later.

Yeah, I mean, it's all you can do, right?

You put it up for a vote.
I mean, that's how it works.

And then the majority votes one way.

And that's that's just the way it is.

68% is not.

You know, that's pretty overwhelming,
obviously.

You know what is want it.

I do agree with you, though.

I think there's got to be some

there's got to be some discussions
on an individual basis.

When you look at schools
like Northwood in Huntington,

they have no business
playing in those brackets that they're in.

They're not in that

same category
that you would put other schools

in those brackets in at least,
I don't think.

And in Northwood, like you said,

I really thought
they had a compelling argument.

When you look at the way
their season went last year,

in the regular season,

they they're pretty much even
with North DeSoto, it's a one point game.

They go to Stonewall
and when they separate in brackets,

North DeSoto
goes to the state championship game.

They're out in the second round.

So it is such a complicated thing
and it's there's no perfect answer to it.

But I but I do know there's got to be some
some some leeway, some sort of case

by case basis that we can figure this out
for these schools and whatever.

Because you just hate to see kids

play a full year and then feel like
they don't have a chance.

I don't know.
I mean, I didn't play football.

I played hockey as much different,
different, you know, vibe or whatever,

if you will.

But I just can't assume that's a
that's a good feeling there when you

when you feel, you know, let down,
I guess you would say.

And I know some Northwood people did
express that to us going into last year.

But look, we could talk about this
all day.

We'll talk a little bit more about it
last week.

We'll try to have a guest in here to kind
of break it all down a little more.

But Coach, those cheddar
biscuits, are they ready for you?

I'm staring at them right now.

All right, now,
that's not not not too often.

I've coming home, grilled
chicken, baked potatoes, cheddar biscuits.

You know, I'm excited about jumping
off this podcast and getting to work for.

Let's let you get to it.

Go job.

Best of luck in your journeys this Friday.

We'll follow you.

We'll try to catch up with you.

And sure, it's going to be a good weekend.

And thanks, as always for being here. Man.

Appreciate your brother.

All right, guys,
that's going to do it for us.

Another episode of the three favorite
point after podcast is in the books.

We'll see you right here next week. So,