Neville football routs Franklin Parish behind defense, Blackston

MONROE, La. — Five consecutive victories have erased any lingering doubt about the Neville Tigers following a Week 1 loss at Ruston. The Class 4A No. 2 program dismantled No. 5 Franklin Parish 49-24 on Friday night at Mickey McCarty Field, leaning heavily on a defense that generated two touchdowns and a junior running back who wore down one of Louisiana’s most prolific ball carriers.

The District 2-4A matchup arrived with significant postseason implications. Both programs are navigating a new district alignment after years in Class 5A, and the LHSAA’s select/non-select playoff split means regular-season dominance directly dictates seeding for deep October and November runs. Neville (5-1) has positioned itself as a legitimate Division I select contender by stacking wins against reigning quarterfinalists Evangel and Alexandria during its current streak, alongside home shutouts over Ouachita and West Monroe.

Junior Jarvis Blackston delivered the defining offensive performance against the Patriots (5-2), rushing for 112 yards and three touchdowns. His production accelerated late, capped by a 33-yard fourth-quarter score that sealed the outcome. Head coach Mike Collins noted a consistent pattern in Blackston’s game management: he routinely elevates his physicality and vision in the second half, wearing out defensive fronts that fail to rotate fresh personnel.

That stamina proved critical against an opponent built around LSU commit Trey Martin. The Franklin Parish senior entered the contest with 1,322 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns this season, actively chasing his school’s single-season rushing record. Martin accounted for 179 yards and two scores against Neville, validating his recruiting profile. But the Tigers refused to let a single back dictate the tempo.

“(Martin) is as advertised, and Jarvis Blackston is also,” Franklin Parish head coach Adrian Burnette said. “Both of those guys are friends. I know they have a mutual respect, and they battled each other.”

While the backfield duel drew pregame attention, Neville’s defense engineered the final margin. Sophomore C.J. Goins recorded an interception and a scoop-and-score fumble recovery. Senior Kayden Jones added a pick-six late in the game, turning Franklin Parish’s desperation into immediate points. For ULM-committed senior quarterback Parker Robinson, the defensive output fundamentally alters how opposing coordinators must prepare for the Tigers.

“We couldn’t ask for more. If we can get one defensive touchdown, hey, we’ll take it,” Robinson said. “The defense has produced turnovers and points all year for us to even give us a chance in these games… We wouldn’t have put up 49 points without them.”

Franklin Parish kept the scoreboard closer than the final tally suggests for extended stretches, but missed extra points and failed two-point conversion attempts steadily eroded their ability to mount a genuine comeback. In high school football, special teams execution frequently separates district contenders from pretenders, and the Patriots’ kicking struggles compounded the damage inflicted by Neville’s turnover margin.

Neville now shifts focus to a Thursday night road trip against West Ouachita (1-6). The Chiefs dropped a 54-51 decision to Wossman last week, marking their third consecutive defeat. Despite the lopsided records, Jones cautioned against overlooking fundamental corrections required after a 25-point victory.

“A lot of penalties, we need to get that straight, missing catches, missing blocks,” Jones said. “It’s a lot of stuff you still have to correct after a big win. Nothing is going to be perfect.”

The Tigers’ transition from District 2-5A to the 4A classification has provided a different competitive rhythm, testing a roster built for semifinal-level expectations. With five straight wins following their opening-night stumble in Ruston, Neville’s next district test arrives on short rest Thursday.