The best high school football games in Louisiana take place in the River Parishes, and that may never be more evident than this Friday.

The best part for local gridiron fans is it is just the beginning of many more games to come.

With reclassification out of the way for the next two years for LHSAA prep sports, the new districts are perfect for sports fans hungry for intense matchups.

The West St. John Rams are playing in District 12-2A and are in the midst of a humbling four-game losing streak. That seems like the perfect time for a home game against district rival Riverside.

The two teams are new district foes, and the familiarity of the football players and fans are sure to make this game an exciting affair.

The two teams are joined in District 12-2A by Country Day, Newman and Sophie Wright, plus, oh yeah, St. Charles Catholic.

So local football fans can count on future matchups this season pitting Riverside against SCC and West St. John against SCC.

St. John the Baptist Parish’s other high school — East St. John — is cemented in a winless start to 2015, but nothing could be better for the players and fans than a win over familiar opponent Hahnville. The two teams battle Friday in a matchup of District 7-5A opponents.

East St. John is used to familiar faces in District, as the school routinely plays Hahnville and Destrehan.

Things are more interesting in District 9-3A, where this week’s matchup pits St. James High against Lutcher High.

Former West St. John athletic director and football coach Robert Valdez previously told L’OBSERVATEUR the decision to play in 2A was for the benefit of the entire Rams sports program.

“There’s still going to be some challenges in certain sports when it comes to numbers,” Valdez said. “We still need to grow. But we feel we can compete in 2A.”

The lure of playing multiple local, rivalry games in each sport also made financial sense.

That will be true in all sports, but especially during football season, where SCC, RA and WSJ are each coming off trips to their respective postseason classification’s state semifinals.

“You look at that district, and just about every week it’s some kind of marquee matchup,” Valdez said. “It’s exciting. You’re looking at a district loaded with traditional programs— one of, if not the toughest 2A districts in the state.”

He told us that back in February, and it remains true today. It is officially football rivalry time in St. John the Baptist Parish and the rest of the River Region. Football fans rejoice.