Four East Texas teams will be taking part in the 2014 Battle on the Border High School Football Showcase this weekend at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Gladewater, Marshall, Lufkin and Longview will compete in the Pelican State football festival.

On Friday, the Gladewater Bears (2-0) will take on the St. Thomas More Cougars (1-1) from Lafayette, Louisiana, at 6 p.m. The second game of the doubleheader has the El Dorado Wildcats (1-0) (Arkansas) meeting the Shreveport C.E. Byrd Yellow Jackets (2-0) at 8:30 p.m.

Four games are scheduled for Saturday.

The 2-0 Marshall Mavericks tangle with the Parkway Panthers (0-1) of Bossier City, Louisiana, at 11 a.m.

The Lufkin Panthers (2-0 and ranked No. 2 in Texas’ Class 5A poll) follow by battling the John Curtis Patriots (2-0) of River Ridge, Louisiana, at 2 p.m.

The third game has the Shades Valley Mounties (3-0) of Birmingham, Alabama, playing the Acadiana Wreckin’ Rams (2-0) of Lafayette at 5 p.m.

The nightcap pits the Longview Lobos (0-2) against the Neville Tigers (1-0) of Monroe, Louisiana, at 8 p.m.

The No. 1-ranked Class 5A John Tyler squad was scheduled to take part in the event, but when the UIL realigned JT into an eight-team district the Lions had to withdraw. The third weekend of the season is when the Lions and the Robert E. Lee Red Raiders meet in their cross-town rivalry, which dates back to 1958.

Pre-admission ticket prices are $10 (general admission) and $50 (club level includes covered/enclosed seating and free food). Game ticket prices are $15 (general admission) and $50 (club level includes covered/enclosed seating and free food).

There is also a youth football team/group package for $400 (including 30 general admission tickets, 30 concession food vouchers and two parking passes).

One ticket gets you into all six games.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 318-221-0712 (Independence Bowl Office) or 318-635-1361 (State Fair of Louisiana Box Office). You can also go to www.thebattleontheborder.com.

SPORTSMANSHIP BREAKFAST

Students from Robert E. Lee and John Tyler high schools, coaches, district administrators, board members and representatives from Trinity Mother Frances will come together for the Tyler Independent School District’s annual Sportsmanship Breakfast today.

Dr. Marty Crawford, Tyler ISD Superintendent, TISD athletic director Greg Priest and student body presidents and principals from both high schools will speak about the importance of good sportsmanship.

The Sportsmanship Breakfast is sponsored by Document Solutions–Xerox. The varsity football teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. Friday on Earl Campbell Field at Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium.

BUILT FORD TOUGH PLAYER OF WEEK

Waskom running back/free safety Kevin Johnson was named the Class 3A Built Ford Tough Texas High School Football Player of the Week for Week 2.

Each week six Built Ford Tough football players are honored for their performance on the field and their leadership off the field.

Every time he carries the ball, Johnson sets a new school career record. In last week’s 63-12 win over Omaha Paul Pewitt, Johnson averaged more than 25 yards per carry (eight runs for 206 yards) and scored touchdowns from 26, 21 and 61 yards before sitting out the second half. He’s well on his way to obliterating his single-season mark of 1,860 yards and 26 TDs set last year. He shares carries (and living quarters) with his first cousin, June Bug Johnson, who ran for 1,384 yards last season.

“They are closer than brothers,” Waskom coach Whitney Keeling said.

Kevin Johnson is an enormous presence as the Wildcats’ free safety, making 12 tackles in last week’s win. Waskom, ranked among the top five in Class 3A Division II, is looking to improve on last year’s run to the state semifinals.

A proud owner of an 88.9 academic average, Johnson excels at every sport he tries. The two-time district MVP in basketball was also a regional qualifier in the long jump, triple jump and sprint relay in track. Johnson is active in both the First Baptist Church and the FCA, and reads to elementary school youngsters every Friday. Northwestern State is among the schools taking a look at him for the next level.

“I’ve been coaching for 18 years,” Keeling said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have won a state championship and I’ve been to the semifinals four times. But from among all the players I’ve coached, if I were building a team today, I’d start with Kevin.

“He gives 100 percent on every play. If he’s not carrying it, he’s downfield blocking. And on defense, he’s always around the ball. I’ve never had a kid with higher character and he never has a bad day.”

Other winners this week are:

Class 6A: Soso Jamabo, Sr., running back, Plano West

Class 5A: Tracin Wallace, Soph., quarterback, Fort Worth South Hills

Class 4A: Tre’Vontae Hights, Sr., quarterback/Defensive Back, Yoakum

Class 2A: Ligon West, Jr., quarterback/defensive back, Stamford

Private Schools: Jace Franklin, Soph., quarterback, Austin Regents.

STEROID TESTING

When the University Interscholastic League released its steroid testing results last month, the organization reported no positive results.

However, the UIL released a corrected version of the 2013-2014 UIL Anabolic Steroid Testing Report on Wednesday.

The UIL said in a release: “At the time of the initial release, two samples were still undergoing testing and have since come back positive. This changes the positive results from zero to two. The UIL regrets this error.”

The statistical report of the testing program took place between September 2013 and May 2014 and includes information such as the total number of tests conducted, the number of positive results and the breakdown of student-athletes tested by sport and gender.

Of the 2,633 tests conducted, there were two confirmed positive results, 10 inconclusive endogenous records and seven protocol violations for an unexcused absence at the time the test was administered. An inconclusive endogenous record denotes an elevated testosterone amount in the body with an inability to determine if the amount was naturally or unnaturally produced.

Of the 172 schools where tests were conducted, 2,405 boys and 228 girls were tested representing 10 sports for each gender. The sports with the most student-athletes tested were football for males (1,112) and volleyball for females (47).