[10/8/04]Tonight is second-chance Friday for Tensas and Tallulah Academy.

Both teams missed their shots at the District 7-A championship River Oaks clinched it with a 17-6 win over Tensas last week but can still remain on track for the playoffs with a win in their game tonight in St. Joseph, La.

“We knew the district was pretty balanced coming in, so it does not surprise me that it’s come down to the last week or two,” Tallulah coach Jacky Thames said. “The way this thing has played out, it’s two pretty good teams battling for the second-place spot.”

Tensas (4-3, 2-1) can clinch its first playoff berth since 2001 by beating the Trojans. To do it, they’ll have to get by a surging Tallulah team that is following a familiar script to the postseason.

Last year, Tallulah lost its first district game before rallying to win seven straight and the district title. This season, it stumbled out of the gate to a 1-3 record. Since losing to River Oaks on Sept. 10, however, the Trojans have ripped off three straight wins.

Briarfield hosts Claiborne

Briarfield has been up and down all year. Each win has been followed by a loss, and each loss followed by another win.

With a 28-0 win over Huntington last week, the Rebels (4-3) hope to avoid the trend and reach back-to-back wins for the first time this year against Claiborne (5-2).

Delhi hosts Davidson

Dennis Johnson knew going in that his Davidson Warriors were overmatched. Even he didn’t expect last week’s rout against Sterlington to be as one-sided as it was.

Sterlington, last season’s runner-up in Louisiana Class 2A, beat Davidson 90-6. Sterlington led 78-0 at halftime, and its starters didn’t even put on uniforms for the second half.

“It took a lot of character to get through that one,” Johnson said with a laugh. “I had to rely on my religious beliefs.”

The good news for Johnson and the Warriors (0-5) is that the rest of their schedule is free from any more powerhouses like Sterlington. Davidson opens its District 4-1A schedule tonight against Delhi.

Vidalia hosts L. Providence

Lake Providence opens District 4-2A play tonight at Vidalia (2-3). Freshman tailback James Turner’s three touchdowns carried the Panthers to a 26-20 win over Newellton a week ago, but Harris said the team’s passing must get better if Lake Providence hopes to improve its record.

“We need to improve the passing game,” he said. “Turner has been carrying us week in and week out.”

Benton hosts McCall

McCall (4-1) plays its final tuneup for district play against Benton. The Dragons have been a surprise this season, jumping out to a 4-1 start despite losing 16 starters from last year’s team. McCall has scored at least 34 points in all but one game.

P. Gibson hosts Wilkinson Co.

After suffering through a 13-game losing streak, Port Gibson has its first winning streak in two years. The Blue Waves beat Amite County 34-20 last week for their second straight victory.

Tallulah High hosts Block

Tallulah (1-4) faces a tough start to district play when Block comes to town. The Bears are the only team in District 4-1A with a winning record.

SIA hosts Calhoun

A promising season turned sour for the 2-5 Confederates, but Calhoun may be just what they need to get back on track.

Calhoun (0-7) has been shut out five times this season and is allowing 42.3 points per game on defense.