As the heat picks up in July and August, the ZHS football team is preparing for the 2024 season.
The 2023 Broncos added to the ZHS football legacy with a state runner-up finish that may not match the four 5-A State Championships but will go down as quite memorable.
This week we look at the 2024 schedule, which has changed substantially in the preseason and nondistrict opponents. Next week we dig a little into who is back, who will be expected to contribute and where the strengths are anticipated.
The Broncos will scrimmage former District 4-5A member Denham Springs at Denham Springs on Aug. 22. The Yellow Jackets did not advance to the playoffs in 2023. The jamboree will feature a familiar foe in the West Feliciana Saints and the Broncos and Saints freshmen, junior varsity and varsity will compete Aug. 30.
The Saints advanced to the second round of the 4-A nonselect playoffs in 2023 before falling (14-0) to Opelousas. More on Opelousas to follow.
The season opener will be home against the Plaquemine Green Devils. Though not a district opponent, the Green Devils have played the Broncos in recent years and were in the same district many years ago. Plaquemine is in the same district as West Feliciana and also advanced to the second round (regional) of the 4-A nonselect playoffs in 2023 before falling to Iowa (36-19).
The Broncos will take to the road for week two of the nondistrict schedule to take on powerhouse Acadiana in Scott. There have been some true battles between these programs that started one-sided with the Rams scoring tons of points with their “veer machine” but since Brewerton has taken over the reins in Zachary the Broncos have led the series.
In 2023 the Rams were the State runner-up in select Division 1 falling to the District 4-5A Catholic Bears in the finals (55-31).
Week three brings another team from Acadiana — Carencro — travels to the Bronco Corral to face the Broncos. Carencro is another famed football program that made it to the regional round of the 2023 Select Division 1 playoffs.
On Oct. 4, the Broncos will close out the predistrict schedule with a home game against the Opelousas Tigers. Though only a 12-seed in the 2023 playoffs, Opelousas became the 4A state champions with a victory over the 2 seed Cecilia. Along the way they defeated the top seeded North DeSoto and, as mentioned previously, West Feliciana.
The Tigers are an impressive program and should be a good pre-district tune up.
The district remains the same with Scotlandville, Liberty, Woodlawn, Central and Catholic. The Broncos will play three district games on the road starting with Scotlandville on Oct. 11 and close out the two-game district home stand against reigning Division 1 Select Champion Catholic. Neither Scotlandville nor Liberty — the Broncos road opponent on Oct. 18 — reached the playoffs in 2023 and were rebuilding.
Woodlawn, who will travel to Zachary on Oct. 25, opened the playoffs with a win over Huntington before being beaten handily by Edna Karr in the second round (50-0). After the Panthers, the Broncos make the short trip to Central to compete against the Wildcats in David Simoneaux’s second season on Nov. 1.
Last year the Broncos defeated the Wildcats at home in a tight game (35-28). The Wildcats advanced to the quarterfinals in 2023 before falling to Dutchtown (21-20) who the following week fall to the Broncos in the semifinals by a two-day score of 31-28.
The regular season ends on a Thursday night, Nov. 7, at home against those Catholic Bears. Last year’s game was epic with the Broncos falling in a controversial overtime (35-28) that saw penalty flags, rule books and other shenanigans. From there, who knows?
Apologies for the Omission
In my ramblings last week about former ZHS athletes and their summer adventures I forgot to mention Boston Scott. Scott has moved from the East Coast (Philadelphia Eagles) to the West Coast (Los Angeles Rams). They will open training camp on July 25 at Loyola Marymount University.
Boston will be the elder statesmen in the running backs room with rookie Blake Corum (Michigan), second year man Zach Evans (Ole Miss), Ronnie Rivers (Fresno State) and Kyren Williams (Notre Dame). Williams is the returning starter after rushing for 1,144 yards and scoring 12 TDs in 2023.