Classic matchup comes to town

Shreveport, Louisiana -- This year’s Shreveport Classic may actually live up to the name. Prairie View comes into the Classic — a Panthers “home’’ game — in first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Western Division. Prairie View is 4-3 overall and 4-2 in the SWAC.

The Panthers’ opponent on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Independence Stadium is a Jackson State team which is in second place in the Eastern Division. Jackson State is 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the conference.

First-year Prairie View head coach Heishma Northern doesn’t need a primer on his opponent or its historical significance.

“One of the first collegiate football games I ever went to was Grambling versus Jackson State. My uncle was a running back. It was in Jackson Memorial Stadium,’’ Northern said. “My only loss as a senior football player at Southern University was to Jackson State University. I’ve been second in the conference and third in the nation to a guy from Jackson State. My football and my relationship with Jackson goes back a long way.’’

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