Nerd Notes: 2021 Season Opener Edition

The temperatures are in the mid to upper 90s and the heat index is over 100 degrees. That means that it’s time for high school football in Louisiana! With 2021 ushering in the 105^th season of Minden High School football, this week’s nerd notes will focus on not only the Tide’s week one opponent, the Parkway Panthers, but also a little bit of history of season openers as well.  But first, let’s look at the Parkway Panthers.

• Parkway and Minden have met 26 times since 1970. Parkway leads the overall series 16-10, having won the last 7 games in the series, dating back to 2007.
• Minden won the first game in the series in 1970 at Parkway, 13-0.
• Parkway’s first win came the following year at Minden, 21-14.
• Minden’s longest winning streak in the series is 4 games. (1997-98, 2001-02)
• Minden’s longest losing streak in the series is the aforementioned 7 games. (2007-12, 2019)
• Biggest win by Minden in the series: 33-15 (1992)
• Biggest loss by Minden in the series: 33-0 (2010)
• Most points scored by Minden in series: 47 (2006)
• Most points allowed by Minden in the series: 46 (2011)

There have been single game records in this series in the all-time record book.

• TQ Mims holds the 6^th place spot all time in passing attempts vs. Parkway (47 in 2008)
• Lou Watkins holds 6^th place in longest field goal made all-time, also against Parkway (40 yds, 1995)

A season opening game is bigger in football than possibly any other sport, with the season being shorter than all the other sports. With just 10 regular season games, every one of them is important most years in determining playoff position, and in older times before the power ratings—a district championship. With some early year records hard to find or poorly reported and recorded, Jake Chapman and I have “officially” logged 87 seasons of the 106 known years of Minden High Football. So, here are a few bonus nerd notes for the season opener in 2021.

• Minden has an all-time unofficial record (lacking 18 seasons of early history) record of 52-35 in recorded season openers.
• Longest winning streak: 6 games (Twice, 1978-1983 and 1997-2002)
• Longest losing streak: 5 games (1970-1974)
• Record under Coach Heard in season openers: 3-5

So, there is your week one edition of nerd notes. Welcome back, high school football! See you at the game tonight, but if you can’t make it, be sure to listen in on 104.5 FM KBEF or online at kbef.com!