SWLA Week 5 Preview: Barbe and Sulphur Headline a Friday Built for Answers

By Connor Couvillion | CouvSportsMedia

September gave Southwest Louisiana plenty of offense. October opens with a test of who can sustain it and who can get the stop that matters.

Barbe and Sulphur enter their rivalry game unbeaten after combining for 107 points in Week 4. Sam Houston returns home after a one point loss that turned a commanding lead into a difficult week of preparation. Iowa visits South Beauregard after watching a halftime advantage disappear at Jennings.

These are CouvSportsMedia’s three games to watch in Week 5. All three are scheduled for Friday, October 2, at 7 p.m. Central.

BARBE AT SULPHUR

Friday, October 2 - 7 p.m.
Matt Walker Memorial Stadium - Sulphur
Barbe: 4-0 (1-0)

Sulphur: 4-0 (1-0)

There is already enough history between Barbe and Sulphur to fill the stands. This season, the records provide an additional reason to arrive early.

Both teams have won their first four games. Both won their District 3 5A opener. Friday’s winner reaches the halfway point of the regular season unbeaten, with a district victory against a local rival.

Barbe arrives after beating Lafayette 52 to 35 in a game that was tied entering the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers scored the final period’s only 17 points, pairing their offensive production with the defensive finish they needed.

Jordin Griffin was central to nearly everything.

Griffin rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries, added a 24 yard reception and returned a kickoff 86 yards for another touchdown. That is five touchdowns across two phases of the game and a reminder that containing Barbe requires more than defending its offensive snaps.

Quarterback Jelandon Gray supplied the balance. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Chris Rideau caught both touchdown passes, while Sawyer Kuypers led Barbe’s receivers with 74 yards.

For Sulphur, the defensive challenge begins with Griffin, but committing too many bodies to the run creates opportunities for Gray and his receivers. Barbe can punish a missed tackle without needing to abandon its passing game.

The Tors present a similar problem.

Sulphur’s 55 to 54 victory over Sam Houston featured a comeback from a 23 point fourth quarter deficit. Noah Courtney finished it with the winning two point conversion run. He was credited with 450 passing yards, while Bryson Hardy contributed 171 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards, scoring three times on the ground and once through the air.

Hardy’s versatility makes him especially important Friday. Barbe has to account for him as a runner and a receiver while still covering Courtney’s other options, including Jayden Lilly and Wyatt Hackler.

The Buccaneers do have defensive performances to build on. Julian Rideau recorded 12 tackles against Lafayette, and Bo Armstrong intercepted two passes. Against an offense capable of extending drives through the air, those tackles in space and opportunities to take the ball away become particularly valuable.

Sulphur has won its last two games by a combined four points: 45 to 42 over Pineville and 55 to 54 over Sam Houston. The Tors have demonstrated their ability to survive tight finishes. They have also allowed 96 points across those two games, leaving a clear area to address before facing another productive offense.

Couv’s read: Watch the first down runs. If either defense consistently limits Griffin or Hardy without additional help near the line, it can make the opposing quarterback face tougher passing situations. If both backs keep creating manageable downs, the pressure shifts toward red zone execution, special teams and the final possession.

The rivalry will supply the emotion. Tackling will determine how much that emotion is worth.

SOUTHSIDE AT SAM HOUSTON

Friday, October 2 - 7 p.m.
Wayne Hooper Memorial Stadium - Moss Bluff
Southside: 2-2 (1-0)
Sam Houston: 1-3 (0-1)

Sam Houston’s task is to turn a painful finish into a complete performance.

The Broncos scored 54 points against Sulphur and still left with a loss. Their offense showed it could produce enough to win a district game. Now the challenge is making that production hold up for four quarters.

Southside offers little room for a slow recovery.

After opening with losses to Brother Martin and Westgate, the Sharks beat Union Parish 49 to 7 and New Iberia 56 to 0. That is a combined scoring margin of 105 to 7 across their last two games, with the New Iberia victory opening their District 3 5A schedule.

Running back Justin Williams is a major reason to take that surge seriously. In the Union Parish win, he rushed for 324 yards on only 16 carries. That works out to more than 20 yards per attempt, a striking example of how quickly Southside can turn a routine possession into points.

The Sharks also have experience at quarterback with Parker Dies. Alongside Williams, Coby Broussard Jr. and Kollen Francois, he gives coach Jess Curtis an experienced group of offensive playmakers. For Sam Houston, that means defending the entire formation rather than concentrating exclusively on one ball carrier.

The Broncos have their own running back capable of controlling a game.

Markeithon Simon carried 37 times for 283 yards and four touchdowns against Sulphur. His workload and production give Sam Houston a clear offensive foundation: establish the run, sustain possessions and force Southside to defend repeated physical snaps.

Brody Anderson gives that approach another dimension. He passed for 179 yards and two touchdowns against the Tors while adding 57 rushing yards and another score. Drake Johnson caught both touchdown passes.

That balance matters. If Southside crowds Simon, Sam Houston needs Anderson and its receivers to make those defensive adjustments costly. If the Broncos become predictable, long possessions can quickly turn into stalled drives.

The defensive responsibility is just as significant. Sam Houston needs to limit Southside’s long gains and make the Sharks execute repeatedly. Forcing an offense to complete a full drive creates more chances for a tackle for loss, a penalty, or a takeaway to change the possession.

Couv’s read: The opening quarter will tell us how Sam Houston has responded emotionally. The fourth will tell us whether the football has improved. After losing their district opener, the Broncos have an opportunity to restore their footing at home. Southside arrives with a chance to secure a second district victory before facing Sulphur the following week.

IOWA AT SOUTH BEAUREGARD

Friday, October 2 - 7 p.m.
South Beauregard High School - Longville
Iowa: 1-3 (0-1)
South Beauregard: 3-1 (1-0)

Iowa’s record creates urgency. South Beauregard’s creates opportunity.

The Yellow Jackets head to Longville looking for their first District 3 3A victory. The Golden Knights have an opportunity to strengthen their position at home, with the Iowa matchup also scheduled as South Beauregard’s homecoming game.

For Iowa, the immediate concern is sustaining its offense after halftime.

The Yellow Jackets led Jennings 25 to 22 at the break last week but did not score again in a 36 to 25 loss. They generated points through multiple phases, including Deyontae Byrd’s blocked punt return touchdown, yet could not maintain their advantage.

Lawston Broussard passed for 185 yards, completing 13 of 19 attempts with two interceptions. Kaston Lewis caught 11 passes for 119 yards and added 30 rushing yards.

Lewis’s involvement gives Iowa a reliable starting point. His ability to contribute both as a receiver and a runner allows the Yellow Jackets to move him around and make South Beauregard account for him in different areas of the field.

But Iowa also needs production beyond its primary target. Aarhmad Holmes rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown against Jennings, and Trey Maynor supplied a 47-yard touchdown reception. Those contributions become especially important if the Knights devote additional coverage to Lewis.

South Beauregard enters after a 21 to 13 victory over St. Louis Catholic, a result built on timely rushing plays and turnovers.

Rhett Dupin rushed for 145 yards on 18 carries and scored a touchdown. Davis Henry added a 59-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. The Knights also intercepted St. Louis quarterback Graham Langley four times.

That creates an obvious matchup to watch: Iowa’s passing efficiency against a defense coming off a four-interception performance.

For Broussard, the challenge is balancing aggression with possession. Iowa needs explosive plays, but an unnecessary turnover could give a productive South Beauregard ground game a shorter field and additional control over the clock.

For the Knights, Dupin’s running can do more than accumulate yards. Consistent gains would help South Beauregard stay on schedule, extend possessions, and reduce the number of opportunities available to Iowa’s offense.

Couv’s read: Iowa needs a response after halftime as much as it needs a fast start. South Beauregard needs to make its opponent earn every possession. If the Knights protect the ball and sustain their rushing production, they can put increasing pressure on an Iowa team trying to avoid a second consecutive district loss.

Friday gives the Yellow Jackets a chance to change the direction of their season. It gives South Beauregard a chance to show that its district opening win was the beginning of something.

Statistics and reporting were referenced from the American Press, MaxPreps, GeauxPreps, Louisiana Football Magazine, Crescent City Sports, and school schedules.