Since its high school football program began in 1930, the Sulphur Tors have played 999 games. No. 1,000 and 1,001 could be big momentum builders for the Tors as they try to make a midseason push up the power ratings.

Today will be the first of back-to-back rivalry games for the Tors (2-2, 1-2) as they travel to Moss Bluff to take on undefeated Sam Houston (4-0, 3-0) at Wayne Hooper Memorial Stadium. Sulphur will host Barbe (2-2, 0-2) next week.

“Sam Houston and Barbe are huge rivals,” Sulphur head coach Cody Gueringer said. “You can throw the record books out regardless of what either team is.

“We know the task at hand, and that is what we want. That is what we have signed up for, to play in these games and have these moments. We can’t waste opportunities. We can’t ride the roller coaster of emotions. We have to stay even-keeled. We try to have that positive mind-set no matter what.”

Sulphur is No. 21 in the nonselect Division I power ratings after last week’s loss to No. 6 Carencro.

What has worked best for the Tors is getting their run and pass game involved, which was the case in both wins this season.

“We have to be able to play almost 50-50 offensively because that is where you are most successful,” Gueringer said. “We are going to maximize whatever the defense is giving us.

“We want to establish the run. Everything works from the run game for us, but if somebody is going to give us things in the passing game, we are going to do that to our advantage.”

Senior quarterback Addison Constance has completed 60 percent of his passes and thrown for 836 yards and nine touchdowns. The Tors have five receivers with at least 123 yards and 10 catches, led by junior tight end J.D. Lafleur (17 rec., 261 yards, 3 TDs). But they will be tested by a Broncos defense with nine picks, led by Cooper Smith (3) and Aaron Gott (2).

“Our receivers have really stepped up for us,” Gueringer said. “They can adjust and change things in the middle of the game which has been great.

“(Sam Houston does) a great job over there. They are super fundamentally sound with what they do schematically. They do a great job coverage-wise. They stay disciplined. We know it is a tough task for us.”

Sam Houston can’t afford to lose the momentum that it has built. After its rivalry game with the Tors, the Broncos will play two top-10 teams in the next three weeks, starting with No. 8 Acadiana next week and No. 6 Carencro on Oct. 20. The three teams share the District 3-5A lead.

“They have some good athletes and are coached well,” Sam Houston head coach Chad Davis said. “They give a ton of effort.

“It is going to be another good game (tonight). We are one week at a time and making sure we are 1-0 every week, not looking at our overall record and making sure we take care of what we are supposed to every day.”

Sam Houston, which is 4-0 for the first time since 2018, returns home after a two-game road trip.

“Another local rivalry. It is the same thing, just a different week,” Davis said. “We are going to get everybody’s best shot. We are looking forward to playing Sulphur and being back home.”

Elsewhere

The parity in District 3-3A is evident after one week of play. Iowa (2-2, 1-0) had to rally to beat Jennings (2-2, 0-1) 35- 28, Lake Charles College Prep (2-2, 1-0) edged South Beauregard (2-2, 0-1) 20-14 in Longville and St. Louis Catholic (3-1, 1-0) turned a 10-7 first-half lead into a 45- 20 win over previously undefeated Kinder (3-1, 0-1).

Westlake (3-1), which suffered its first loss last week to DeRidder 27-0, will make its entry into the race today when it plays LCCP at Cougar Stadium.

The game to watch is Kinder at last year’s district champ Iowa, looking to make up for last year’s 28-0 loss. St. Louis hosts South Beauregard at Matt Walker Memorial Stadium in Sulphur.

There will be several big nondistrict games tonight in Southwest Louisiana, starting with East Beauregard (3-1) and its double-wing offense. The Trojans travel to face Grand Lake’s (2- 2) flex bone. There won’t be much passing. The teams have combined to attempt 16 passes in four games. Ian Vigo leads the Hornets’ ground game with 500 yards and four touchdowns, while East Beauregard’s Caleb Johnson has 409 yards and five touchdowns.

Jennings (2-2) hosts an Iota (3-1) team that is allowing 12.3 points a game. Iota has scored 111 points in its last two games and is led by running back Jacob Cormier (510 yards, 8 TDs) and quarterback Peyton Renfro (637 yards, 3 TDs).

Jennings running back ReJohn Zeno is averaging 126.3 yards per game with six touchdowns.

Welsh (2-2) has steamrolled its last two opponents 116-6 but hosts Class 2A No. 10 Loreauville (3-1) his week. Welsh walked away from Loreauville last year with a 20-16 win.