Chiefs aim to prepare correctly for district champion Captain Shreve
By MATT VINES, Journal Sports
SHREVEPORT – Preparation.
Natchitoches Central coach Brad Laird said after last week's 45-6 loss to Evangel Christian that his Chiefs didn't prepare well, placing the onus on himself, his staff and his players.
District 1-5A supplies plenty of measuring sticks to test a team's mettle, and NCHS will get another crack at it Friday when they head to defending district champion Captain Shreve for a 7 p.m. kickoff at Lee Hedges Stadium.
The Chiefs (1-1, 0-1 District 1-5A) proved they could win a close game (which was a 2023 bugaboo) in a 14-12 slobber knocker at Breaux Bridge in the rain to open the season, and their goal is to be in a similar position against a talented Gators (1-1, 0-1) squad.
"I think (first-year head coach) Jeremy Wilburn has a done a great job with that team, and they've experienced a big emotional win against Ouachita (29-27) and an emotional close loss against Huntington (46-35)," Laird said. "But again for us, it's going to be about our preparation.
"Our opponent will change, and our team has to make sure we're fitting the bill."
With its beefy offensive line and explosive running backs, Huntington was able to create running room against the Captain Shreve defense. It's a Huntington offense that Wilburn helped create as the offensive coordinator from 2020-2023.
A traditional running game would greatly assist NCHS quarterback Owen Smith, who has been the leading rusher in both the Chiefs games so far.
Smith netted 45 yards against Evangel, which included a 37-yard scamper. He bolted 19 yards for a touchdown against Breaux Bridge with no time remaining in the first half, which ended up being the deciding score.
Running backs Kerry McGraw and Kelton Howard are the top two producers at running back, although Howard's 32 yards against Breaux Bridge is a season-high for the position.
Captain Shreve doesn't have that issue as running back Jamarcea Plater has rushed for 365 yards through two games.
Smith, who ranked as a top-10 passer in Louisiana in terms of yardage this past season, has had more modest outputs of 219 yards and 141 yards this year. Receiver Camryn Davis is gone from last year, and while Dillon Braxton has assumed the leading role, NCHS is looking for bonafide second and third receiving options.
Both Laird and Wilburn have a history of stopping offenses.
Laird was the Northwestern State defensive coordinator in two of his three stints when Wilburn played safety (2004-05) on NSU's last Southland Conference championship team and when Wilburn returned as a graduate assistant from 2010-11.
"I've gotten to be good friends with Jeremy and his father Mike (Wilburn, a big NSU supporter)," said Laird, who most recently guided the Demons as the head coach for the past six years and is in his first season at NCHS. "It's fun to watch, to see the work he's put in in his different steps along the way.
"He's been surrounded by good coaches that have allowed him to incorporate his own system and how his program is going to be run. He's very organized and a fierce competitor, and you see that in the way his team plays."
The similarities continue between Laird and Wilburn as both are in their first seasons at their current school.
But Laird brings nearly three decades of football coaching experience overall, including a decade as a head football coach at the high school and college level combined.
Wilburn has blossomed as an assistant coach who is stepping into his first head coaching role at the high school level.
Reunion aside, the NCHS-Captain Shreve matchup will feature two teams desperately trying to avoid an 0-2 district start in an incredibly deep league with no easy wins.
While District 1-5A often struggles to produce state title contenders, the vast majority of the nine-team district is expected to make the playoffs.
