By Shawn White
(NWLA Under the Radar)
As you know, November is hooping time, so it’s time for dunks, fast breaks, and chewing the referees out from the stands. The 2023-24 season will kick off for Class B & C schools (Castor, Gibsland-Coleman, and Saline) next weekend. Class A will have to wait until after football season and will start for Arcadia on November 11 and Ringgold on November 14.
Bienville Parish was full of district champions deep playoff runs last season. Ringgold will defend its District 1-1A boys title and Arcadia will defend its girls title. Arcadia girls reached the state semifinals and were knocked out on a heartbreaking last second shot to eventual champion Oakdale. Gibsland-Coleman won their district in both boys and girls and took a trip to Marsh Madness in Lake Charles to fall in the semifinals to eventual state champion. The Bulldogs were the only Class C school to reach the state semifinals in Division V. Gibsland-Coleman girls reached the quarterfinals in Division V. Saline Bobcats and Lady Bobcats will look to defend their District 2-C titles.
The local Bienville Parish Schools released their schedules for the 2023-24 season. Stay tuned to the Bienville Parish Journal all season for updates to the upcoming basketball season.
Arcadia Hornets & Lady Hornets
All Games Start at 6:00 pm Unless Otherwise Noted
| Date | Game | Home / Away | Notes |
| Nov 11 | Arcadia Jamboree | Home | TBA |
| Nov 14 | Summerfield | Home | |
| Nov 15-18 | Lakeside Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 20-22 | Wossman Tournament | Away | Girls Only |
| Nov 30-Dec 2 | Bienville Parish Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Dec 4 | Simsboro | Home | |
| Dec 8 | Gibsland-Coleman | Home | |
| Dec 11 | Ruston | Home | |
| Dec 14-16 | Minden Holiday Classic | Away | Girls Only |
| Dec 14-16 | Logansport Tournament | Away | Boys Only |
| Dec 18 | Lincoln Prep | Home | |
| Dec 22 | Simsboro | Away | |
| Dec 23 | Gibsland-Coleman | Away | |
| Dec 28-30 | Doc Edwards Tournament | Away | Bossier City / Girls Only / TBA |
| Dec 29 | Jonesboro-Hodge | Home | Boys Only |
| Jan 9 | *Glenbrook | Away | |
| Jan 12 | *Homer | Home | |
| Jan 13 | Lincoln Prep Classic | Away | TBA / Boys Only |
| Jan 16 | *Plain Dealing | Away | |
| Jan 19 | *Magnolia SOE | Home | Boys Only |
| Jan 23 | Ruston | Away | |
| Jan 25 | *Ringgold | Home | |
| Jan 27 | Lincoln Prep | Away | |
| Jan 29 | *Haynesville | Away | |
| Feb 1-3 | District 1-1A Tournament | TBA / Girls Only | |
| Feb 5 | Lakeside | Home | Boys Only |
| Feb 7-10 | District 1-1A Tournament | TBA / Boys Only | |
| Feb 16 | Jonesboro-Hodge | Home | Boys Only |
Castor Tigers and Lady Tigers
All Games start at 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted
| Date | Game | Home / Away | Notes |
| Oct 26 | Simsboro Jamboree | Away | Time TBA |
| Oct 31 | Doyline | Away | 4:30 Girls & Boys |
| Nov 2-4 | Dodson Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 7 | Dodson | Home | 5:00 |
| Nov 9-11 | Gibsland Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 14 | Calvin | Home | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Nov 16 | Parkway | Home | 6:00 (Boys Only) |
| Nov 17 | D’Arbonne Woods | Home | |
| Nov 27 | Haughton | Away | |
| Nov 30- Dec 2 | Bienville Parish Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Dec 5 | Saline | Home | |
| Dec 7 | Glenbrook | Away | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Dec 12 | Sterlington | Home | 5:30 |
| Dec 14 | Bossier / Red River | Home | |
| Dec 19 | Ouachita Christian | Home | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Jan 2 | Sterlington | Away | 5:00 |
| Jan 4 | Glenbrook | Home | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Jan 5 | Downsville | Away | |
| Jan 9 | Cedar Creek | Away | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Jan 11 | Lakeside | Home | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Jan 12 | Choudrant | Away | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Jan 18 | Downsville | Home | 6:00 |
| Jan 19 | Claiborne Christian | Away | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Jan 23 | *Quitman | Away | 6:00 |
| Jan 26 | *Doyline | Home | 6:00 |
| Jan 30 | *Weston | Away | 6:00 |
| Feb 1 | Jonesboro-Hodge | Away | 5:00 (JV, Girls, Boys) |
| Feb 2 | *Quitman | Home | 6:00 |
| Feb 6 | *Doyline | Away | 6:00 |
| Feb 8 | *Weston | Home | 6:00 |
| Feb 12 | Simsboro | Home | 6:00 Boys Only |
| Feb 13 | Cedar Creek | Home | 6:00 (JVB, Boys) |
| Feb 16 | Many | Away | 6:00 (JVB, Boys) |
Gibsland-Coleman Bulldogs & Lady Bulldogs
All Games start at 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted
| Date | Game | Home / Away | Notes |
| Nov 2-4 | Choudrant Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 9 | Simsboro | Home | |
| Nov 10 | Castor | Home | |
| Nov 14 | Union Parish | Home | |
| Nov 17 | Walker | Home | Girls Only |
| Nov 21 | Minden | Home | Boys Only |
| Nov 27 | Parkway | Home | |
| Nov 30 – Dec 2 | Bienville Parish Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Dec 8 | Arcadia | Away | |
| Dec 11 | Ringgold | Away | |
| Dec 13-16 | Minden Holiday Classic | Away | TBA |
| Dec 18 | Ruston | Home | 5:00 pm |
| Dec 23 | Arcadia | Home | |
| Dec 28-30 | Doc Edward Tournament | Away | Bossier City / TBA |
| Jan 2 | Parkway | Away | Girls Only |
| Jan 8 | Choudrant | Home | |
| Jan 12 | Huntington | Away | Girls Only |
| Jan 13 | Lincoln Prep | Away | Boys Only |
| Jan 16 | Simsboro | Home | |
| Jan 23 | *Summerfield | Away | |
| Jan 25 | *Family Community | Away | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 6 | *Claiborne Christian | Away | 5:00 PM |
Ringgold Redskins & Lady Skins
All Games are 6:00 PM unless otherwise noted
| Date | Game | Home/Away | Notes |
| Nov 14 | Simsboro | Home | |
| Nov 15-18 | Lakeside Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 20 | Captain Shreve | Away | Boys Only |
| Nov 21 | Stanley | Away | |
| Nov 27 | Calvary Baptist | Home | |
| Nov 30-Dec 2 | Bienville Parish Tournament | Home | TBA |
| Dec 5 | Haughton | Away | Boys Only |
| Dec 8 | Southwood | Home | |
| Dec 11 | Gibsland-Coleman | Home | |
| Dec 12 | North Webster | Home | Girls Only |
| Dec 13-16 | Minden Holiday Classic | Away | TBA |
| Dec 18 | Southwood | Away | |
| Dec 21 | Converse | Away | |
| Dec 22 | Evangel Christian | Away | |
| Dec 28-30 | Doc Edwards Tournament | Away | Bossier City / TBA Boys Only |
| Jan 2 | Lakeview | Away | |
| Jan 3-6 | Bossier Tournament | Away | TBA – Boys Only |
| Jan 5 | Woodlawn | Home | |
| Jan 9 | *Magnolia SOE | Away | Boys Only |
| Jan 12 | *Glenbrook | Home | |
| Jan 16 | Bossier | Away | Girls Only |
| Jan 17 | LIncoln Prep | Home | |
| Jan 19 | *Plain Dealing | Home | |
| Jan 23 | *Haynesville | Home | |
| Jan 25 | *Arcadia | Away | |
| Jan 29 | *Homer | Away | |
| Feb 1-3 | District 1-1A Tournament | TBA / Girls Only | |
| Feb 5 | Summerfield | Away | |
| Feb 7-10 | District 1-1A Tournament | TBA / Boys Only | |
| Feb 13 | West Monroe | Away | Boys Only |
| Feb 17 | Calvary Baptist Tournament | Away | Boys Only |
Saline Bobcats & Lady Bobcats
All Games start at 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted
| Date | Game | Home / Away | Notes |
| Oct 26 | Calvin Jamboree | Away | TBA |
| Oct 31 | Claiborne Christian | Away | West Monroe |
| Nov 2-4 | Choudrant Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 7 | Quitman | Away | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Nov 9-11 | Calvin Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Nov 14 | Cedar Creek | Away | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Nov 16-18 | Saline Tournament | Home | TBA |
| Nov 28 | Haughton | Away | |
| Nov 30-Dec 3 | Bienville Parish Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Dec 5 | Castor | Away | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Dec 7-9 | Cedar Creek Tournament | Away | TBA |
| Dec 11 | Ouachita Christian | Away | |
| Dec 15 | Choudrant | Home | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Dec 18 | Lakeside | Away | |
| Dec 19 | D’Arbonne Woods | Home | |
| Dec 29 | Hicks | Away | Natch-Cent I-49 Shootout / TBA |
| Jan 2 | Ouachita Christian | Home | |
| Jan 5 | Cedar Creek | Home | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Jan 8 | Weston | Home | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Jan 12 | *Central (Larto) | Away | 5:00 PM |
| Jan 16 | *Calvin | Home | |
| Jan 19 | *Georgetown | Away | |
| Jan 23 | *Dodson | Home | |
| Jan 25 | Jonesboro-Hodge | Away | 5:00 PM / JV |
| Jan 29 | Claiborne Christian | Home | 5:00 PM |
| Jan 30 | *Central (Larto) | Home | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 1 | *Calvin | Away | 5:00 PM |
| Feb 6 | *Georgetown | Home | |
| Feb 9 | *Dodson | Away | |
| Feb 13 | Open | TBA | Boys Only |
| Feb 16 | St. Mary’s | Home | Boys Only |