The Kinder High football team will play a more traditional football schedule this fall.
After last season was delayed and then shortened due to COVID-19 protocols, the Yellow Jackets are looking forward to playing the traditional 10-game regular season.
“It will be nice to get back to a full season with all of our fans being able to enjoy the game again,” Kinder coach Bret Fuselier said. “They won’t have to go through all the protocols to watch a game this season.”
After a scrimmage against Westlake on August 20th, and then taking part in the Allen Parish Jamboree on August 27th, the defending Class 2A state runner-ups will play five non-district games to start the upcoming season — with three of them being on the road.
Kinder will open up the season at home on Friday, Sept. 3rd against rival Welsh, and then host Iowa the following week on Friday, Sept. 10th.
Kinder will then go on the road for three straight non-district games against Loreauville (Sept. 17), Catholic-Point Coupee (Sept. 24) and then finally at Northwest (Oct. 1).
“The three weeks on the road will be challenging because we are playing against very good teams,” Fuselier said. “We will just look to improve week to week and get ourselves ready for the district schedule. But it will have a feel of a playoff game on the road.”
Even though the schedule presents some odd situations because of the one-year agreements being delayed due to last year’s devastating hurricanes, Fuselier is excited about the five non-district games on the slate for the Yellow Jackets.
“We bring back Welsh which is a big rivalry game that has not been on the schedule in a few years, so that’s good,” Fuselier said. “Week 2 we will honor our military and face an Iowa team that’s always good and it seems as though every game with them comes down to the last possession.”
Fuselier added, “We have to travel back to Loreauville which we beat in the quarterfinals last year and with a team that they are bringing back their top two players in quarterback Caleb Jacob and twin brother WR Collin Jacob. We have to travel in Week 4 to Catholic of Point Coupee who is a contender every year in Division IV. And we end our non district schedule on the road at Northwest.”
Kinder will then open up District 5-2A play at home against Rosepine (Oct. 8), play at Oakdale (Oct. 15), host DeQuincy (Oct. 22) and Pickering (Oct. 29) and wrap up the regular season with a road game at Vinton (Nov. 5).
Unlike last season that played only three non-district contests, Kinder will spend valuable time playing against teams that run different schemes and personnel which help prepare them for their district slate and hopefully another deep playoff run.
“This schedule gives us a mix of teams that like to do different things offensively and defensively and should get us ready for our district schedule as well as beyond,” Fuselier said.
