FERRIDAY, La. &045; There’s no reason to Ferriday head coach James McFarland tested for drugs or insanity. And this isn’t a

demented method of punishing his team.

His Trojans, he insists, are up for the challenge of playing John Curtis.

That’s multiple-state-champion, dress-out-85-kids-with-2A-enrollment John Curtis.

It’s a safe bet to pin the Trojans as the underdog in this battle at 7 p.m. today at Melz Field. But they’ll remain undaunted as LHSAA schools in the Miss-Lou enter Week 4.

&uot;We’ll play anybody,&uot; McFarland said. &uot;Nobody’s got the courage to play them down here, so I said I’ll do it. People think I’ve lost it. But it’s like us and the kids &045; you can get hurt playing anybody. You can’t guard against that. We’ve been having to play a higher class opponents ever since I’ve been at Ferriday.&uot;

The game &045; like the Trojans’ home contest last season against Calvary Academy &045; was a late addition to the schedule and a one-time game that won’t be returned next year. Thank goodness for that, and for now it fills in the open date on the Trojans’ scheduled created when Tallulah and McCall consolidated and maintained McCall’s schedule.

It’s the first regular season game for the Patriots, who played a jamboree before Hurricane Katrina hit.

The Patriots’ pedigree needs no mention. But just in case you’ve been under a rock for three seasons, the Patriots won state last year, lost in the championship in 2003 to Redemptorist and won it in 2002.

That’s just the last three years. They have 19 state championships since 1975.

&uot;The kids are excited,&uot; McFarland said. &uot;(Head coach J.T. Curtis) called me looking for a game. At the time, we didn’t have anybody else. I wanted to play, and I said, ‘What the heck? Come on down. We’ve been having to play the Carrolls, Peabodys, Franklin Parishes and Oak Groves. Jena and Buckeye &045; they won’t play us. It’s kind of like another game for us, to be honest with you.&uot;

Today, too, was supposed to be the day the Patriots played West Jefferson and gear up for District 10-2A action, its first season in 2A after dominating in 4A for years. Following the hurricane, players have filtered back to the area and have resumed practicing for what is now the season opener.

They’ll suit up 84 players tonight.

&uot;They’re not just playing football &045; they’re playing football, you know what I mean?&uot; McFarland joked. &uot;People are talking about tests, but we’re looking at it like another football team. Life and death ain’t riding on this game. We’ll go in and play as hard as we can play and let the chips fall where they may.&uot;

Yet the Trojans enter the game with plenty confidence with a 3-0 mark and a defense that’s allowed only one touchdown so far. Terrence Johnson ignites the offense at quarterback with his ability to run and throw the ball, and the defense has been stingy against the run.

&uot;The teams we’ve played against, we were better than them,&uot; McFarland said. &uot;I expected to play that way. John Curtis is a little different ball game. John Curtis scares everybody to death around here. I’ve watched three films, and I’ve only seen two touchdowns scored on them. One of the films was the state championship game. They’ve got some of the biggest linemen I’ve ever seen on a high school football team.&uot;

Bastrop at Block

JONESVILLE, La. &045; From the start of the season, the Bears were guilty of looking ahead &045; and dreading tonight’s game.

Not only are the Rams 4A, but they’re the state’s No. 1-ranked team facing a winless Class 1A team that’s in the midst of chemistry problems under first-year head coach Scott Green. It’s a game that was on the schedule when he arrived during the summer, and he admitted he hasn’t even brought the game film to school.

&uot;They’ve been at least to the quarterfinals in 4A the last four years,&uot; Green said. &uot;They have four defensive linemen that are all 6-1, 6-2 and run about a 4.7 or 4.8 40. They’re huge, physical and fast. They’re a legitimate top-notch 4A football team. Again, I have no idea why they’re on the schedule.&uot;

The game will help the Bears in power points rankings &045; playing up one class is worth two points, and they’ll get six &045; and add to the coffers of the athletic department since Bastrop will likely bring 750 fans.

Yet there couldn’t be a worse time for the Bears to face such a Goliath. After last week’s loss at Jena where Green questioned the team’s unity, he released a couple players this week after three others quit.

All four coaches have left from last year’s team, and Green said the program is going through an adjustment.

&uot;Friday night at Jena was the ugliest things you’ve ever seen,&uot; he said. &uot;No emotion, intensity, enthusiasm, tackling, &045; no nothing. There’s no spark out here at all right now. We’ve tried 50 things to get a hold of it. When all the old coaches left and the new coaches came in, we’ve had some getting-along problems, for lack of a better way of putting it. We should be probably 2-1.&uot;

Vidalia at Mangham

VIDALIA, La. &045; The Vikings will get a chance to get things back on track after last week’s struggles at Rayville.

The Vikings struggled stopping the run as the Hornets put up 432 yards on the ground.