By Matt Vines, DeSoto Parish Journal

LOGANSPORT – When Kevin Magee took the reins 10 years ago, he wanted the Logansport name to have the same effect on opponents like traditional powers Haynesville, Oak Grove and Kentwood.

The No. 1 seed Tigers are making their fifth semifinals appearance since 2016 against arguably the most holy of small-school brands in No. 4 seed Haynesville on Friday.

A win against Haynesville would send Logansport to the state title game for the third time in Magee’s tenure.

While Logansport’s two state titles — one of which Magee was a quarterback (1995) and the other the head coach (2016) – won’t stack up to Haynesville’s 17, Kentwood’s nine or Oak Grove’s seven, Logansport’s last decade measures up just fine as the Tiger’s Eye along the Sabine River has gained notoriety.

“When we started this journey 10 years ago, I thought could we sustain that success over 10 years and what does that look like?” Magee said. “When somebody says Class 1A, or Division IV Non-Select now, who are the guys at the end – the guys that you see over and over again playing in December.

“The four names at the top (Logansport, Haynesville, Oak Grove and Kentwood) – that’s who comes to mind.”

No. 2 Kentwood and No. 3 Oak Grove play in the other semifinal for the right to face the Logansport/Haynesville winner in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Logansport has beaten each of the other three powers once in Magee’s tenure, including a 1-0 mark against Haynesville and iconic coach David Franklin, who’s continued the program’s success after father Red Franklin built the football powerhouse.

The Tigers beat Haynesville for the 2016 Class 1A state championship, denying the Golden Tornado a third straight title.

Logansport got back to the Dome in 2021 by beating Oak Grove, eventually falling to Homer in the state title game.

“There’s a lot of history, and the awe of those names aren’t so big for our players anymore,” Magee said. “And it’s not just about what’s in our kids’ minds, but we want to make sure that our name puts the same taste into our opponents’ mouth.”

With Logansport rattling off nine wins to end the regular season, the Tigers earned the No. 1 seed and the right to host until they lose or hop on a bus to New Orleans.

No walking through the hallowed halls of Red Franklin Memorial Stadium this year, but the Logansport High Stadium with its second season on new turf is state-of-the-art.

The fans will be revved up with another opportunity to play for a championship at stake, and the Haynesville faithful will show up in full force as well.

Logansport hung on for a 42-34 win against No. 8 Welsh this past week, needing Jukadynn Carter’s 263 rushing yards while accounting for the deep bag of trick plays that Welsh uses on offense.

Haynesville, which pounded No. 5 Jeanerette 36-6 in the quarters, will line up and try to beat its opponent helmet on helmet.

“(Welsh) gives you so many looks with cute, gimmicky plays, and some of those worked,” Magee said. “But our defense was able to adjust and played really well.

“With Haynesville, you get what you see on offense and defense. They believe in what they do and in who they are, and so do we. Teams that use smoke and mirrors, I don’t think they wholeheartedly believe in who they are.”

Magee noted that Haynesville is much more disciplined than in the past few seasons, something he said his Tigers must have if they want another shot at a state title.

“Haynesville passes the eye test, they are physical, and they don’t make mistakes,” Magee said. “We were able to win up front (against Welsh) and be consistent in the run game, and we’ll need to do that again Friday.

“We can’t give up big chunk plays, and we have to cut down on our penalties – especially when it results in first downs. You can’t give your opponents first downs at this stage.”