FERRIDAY — The Ferriday High School Trojans will look to get one step closer to the LHSAA District 2-2A championship when they travel to Delhi, La. to take on the Delhi Charter School Gators at 7 p.m. Friday.

Ferriday is 5-3 overall and 4-0 in District 2-2A while Delhi Charter is 4-4 overall and 2-2 in district play. The Trojans are the No. 3 team in the LHSAA Class 2A power ratings after disposing of Mangham High School 51-14 last Friday night.

Meanwhile, the Gators are on a two-game losing streak after losing at General Trass High School 18-12 last Friday night. They are currently at No. 25 in the Class 2A power ratings.

“Right now it is a pretty big game in the district championship picture,” Ferriday head coach Stanley Smith said. “They’re a very physical team. They run an I-formation and some double formations. We have to make sure we play physical on the line of scrimmage.”

Smith noted that this year’s Delhi Charter team is different from the one the Trojans defeated at home 54-12.

“They changed their philosophy some. They’re a little bit more athletic. They get the ball to the edges a little bit more and make plays. They’re a better ball club than they were last year,” Smith said.

And that combination of athleticism and physicality is what concerns Smith the most about the Gators. After last week’s win over Mangham, he said that he wants the Trojans to start faster. And jumping out to a big lead early on the road against a good Delhi Charter team will be important.

“We have to take care of business and set the tone early,” Smith said. “Defensively, they have a lot of athletes. They go back and forth from an odd front to an even front. We’ve got to make sure we do the best we can to execute.”

Smith said that the outcome of this game will be determined in the trenches. Which means both the offensive line and defensive line will have to step up for Ferriday to come out victorious and stay undefeated in district play.

“It’s going to be that kind of game. It’s going to be physical,” Smith said.