Panthers begin district with tough test against Northwest

The Pine Prairie Panthers are still looking for that first win of the season and will try to get it at home this week when they host the Northwest Raiders tomorrow night in the first district game for both squads.
The Panthers (0-5) are coming off a 47-14 loss to the Port Barre Red Devils in a game played this past Friday night. However, Pine Prairie head coach Yves Prince sees progress in his young football squad.
“Even though we are not getting the wins, we are getting better and better each week,” stated Prince. “It is a slow process when you have the youth we have on the field. Still, these players are giving everything they have day in and day out. We are just hoping for it to all click in place.”
Northwest is a team that is very hard to read. Even though the Raiders are 1-4 on the season, they have played a brutal schedule.
Northwest has played three Class 4A schools and a Class 5A school in their first five games. The other game came against a talented Crowley team that resides in Class 3A.
The Raiders have scored 114 points this season, with 48 of those points coming in a win over Opelousas High School. Northwest is vulnerable, however, scoring eight points or less in two of their games this season.
Defensively, the Raiders give up an average of 39.2 points per game, including 73 points to the defending Class 3A Eunice Bobcats. Northwest has not held an opponent to less than 20 points this season.
“When you look at Northwest’s record, you would think that they are not very good this season,” said Prince. “But, that record is deceiving. They have played some really tough opponents this year. They are still a very talented team. We are going to have to play mistake free in order to have a chance. Being at home will be a big boost for us. I just hope that our players come ready to play this week.”
One bright spot for the Panthers is the fact that they have been able to put points on the board the last two game. After not having scored in their first three contests this year, Pine Prairie has now collected 21 total points.