On Saturday, the Bogalusa High School Jr. ROTC Raider Platoon won first place at the Lumberjack Raider Challenge, held at Camp Villere in Slidell. The victory propelled the Raiders to win their third consecutive U.S. Army Northshore Raider District Championship.

The district consists of Bogalusa, Fontainebleau, Lakeshore, Hammond, Salmen and Northshore High Schools. Other schools that competed were South LaFourche, Central LaFourche, Zachary, and Lee High School.

During last Saturday’s competition, the Lumberjacks’ Raiders placed first in the Rope Bridge, Cross-Country Rescue and Raider Fitness Test events and placed second in Team Run and Obstacle Course, earning overall first place for the event.

The Raider Platoon is an elite team of Jr. ROTC cadets that volunteer and are selected to participate in a rigorous physical and mental competition called Raider Challenge. Endorsed by the U.S. Army Cadet Command, the Northshore District competitions consist of five outdoor physical events: 5K Team Run, Raider Fitness Test, Obstacle Course, Cross-Country Rescue and One-Rope Bridge.

The Raider Challenge educates the cadets on the importance of teamwork (being part of something that is bigger than yourself), physical fitness, mental toughness and overcoming adversity.

The Lumberjack Raiders have one more competition remaining — The Louisiana Raider State Championship held on Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Gillis Long Center in Carville. Training since August, the Lumberjack Raiders will test their skill against the top Raider teams in the state and hope to bring home a state championship to Bogalusa.