JONESVILLE &045; Block is taking to the road this week to face Lakeview. The Bears have had ups and downs this season, winning four games in relatively easy fashion, but struggling in two games they went on to lose.

It’s time for Block to step up and start playing better as the postseason approaches.

&uot;We’re looking at what we have to do as a team to compete in the playoffs,&uot; Block head coach Chad Harkins said. &uot;That’s all we worry about.&uot;

The Bears have cruised through much of the season, though sub-par performances against Ferriday and Buckeye cost Block two losses. But the Bears still have the inside track for a championship in a relatively weak District 4-1A.

Block has been preparing this week for Lakeview and star running back Darnei Bates, a big-time college prospect whom several Division 1A schools are rumored to be interested in.

&uot;They have a top-notch prospect in (running back Darnei) Bates,&uot; Harkins said. &uot;They put him a lot of different places. He’s an excellent player and he’s accounted for just about every yard they’ve gotten this year.&uot;

Harkins said his team would not change what it does on defense to try to stop Bates, though they may shade some of the coverage toward him.

&uot;We’re just going to try to play our base stuff and get better fundamentally, particularly on tackling,&uot; Harkins said. &uot;We may lean toward (Bates) a little bit, but we aren’t going to change things much.&uot;

The Block running attack has put up some big numbers this season, though Harkins said he’s still looking to see more consistency from his offense.

Block is the only team in its district averaging more than 16 points per game and the only one with a winning record. Several teams in the district will likely consolidate or drop football before next season, meaning the district will have a very different look after this season.

Ferriday at Rayville

FERRIDAY &045; The Ferriday Trojans may face their biggest test of the season thus far when they take on highly-touted Rayville.

Rayville is undefeated this season and already has some familiarity with District 4-2A after a 34-0 win over Vidalia Sept. 24. The Hornets haven’t had a game decided by fewer than 12 points this season and have a good chance to finish the regular season without a loss.

&uot;We’re going to try to take some stuff away from them. They run the ball well, they pass the ball well, so you have to take one part of that away from them,&uot; Ferriday head coach James McFarland said.

Ferriday will counter with a hard-nosed defense that’s been the strength of a struggling Trojan squad. The defensive line

On offense, things haven’t gone so well for the Trojans.

&uot;We’re struggling on offense. We have to minimize turnovers, missed blocks, mistakes and that sort of stuff,&uot; McFarland said. &uot;It’s been a slow process developing. We’re just not playing well.&uot;

A young offensive line has struggled to give protection or effective run-blocking, making the development of similarly young skill players difficult to gauge.

But McFarland said he has seen consistent improvement

After opening the season with four consecutive road games, the Hornets have returned to the friendly confines of their home stadium for three games including tonight’s matchup.

Ferriday could badly use a win as it prepares to enter its district season later this month.

Vidalia at McCall

VIDALIA &045; The Vikings will also hit the road for a district game against McCall. The Tigers are 4-1 on the season and the only team in District 4-2A with a winning record.

Vidalia, under head coach Dee Faircloth, is still working to get a host of younger players on the same page on offense and defense, though the team appears to be getting things in order.

An 18-0 win over district rival Lake Providence got the Vikings off on the right foot in the district season. A win against McCall would give Vidalia the early edge on a district title.