By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/YouTube TV
As we are about to kick off Week 2 of the high school football season, here’s Part 2 of my take on local teams with postseason legs.
Last week in Part 1, I covered teams that I believe could get deep into the LHSAA playoffs and challenge for the state championship. My local Fab Four is Evangel Christian, Calvary Baptist, Airline, and Captain Shreve.
In Part 2, I’ll give you squads that I expect to make the playoffs with the potential to maybe win a game or two there. Confidence in the postseason can catch lightning in a bottle, so never say never for teams like Class 5A Benton, Class 5A Haughton, Class 5A Parkway, Class 5A Southwood, Class 5A Byrd, Class 4A Woodlawn, Class 4A Huntington, Class 2A Loyola College Prep and Class 2A Green Oaks.
These teams have some great skill players and enough talent up front. Most have experienced quarterbacks or play tough schedules that will give them a chance to toughen up for the playoffs.
Benton can become a great team with a strong offense (again) and a young defense that should improve week-to-week. Haughton is always hungry to win, has a great streak of making it to the postseason but also is very young and we shall see how that plays out.
Parkway has one of the top kickers in the country in Aeron Burrell, and a big-time offensive line to help new faces at quarterback and running back. The Panthers might be a real playoff sleeper if those backs develop.
Stacy Ballew and his excellent coaching staff at Byrd know playoff success. The Yellow Jackets have plenty of new faces and must develop in non-district play, but they have one of the nation’s better kickers (Abram Murray) and a winning culture that might help them find their way into the Division I Select bracket.
Southwood has a ton of talent. Will this be the year to put it all together under new coach Mike Green, a proven winner? Don’t sleep on the Cowboys.
Woodlawn has a dynamic four-year starting QB, Isaiah Kennedy, and great talent at the skill positions. If coach Thed Harris’ Knights stay healthy, they could surprise people.
Loyola has a great coaching staff and if the Flyers can get to the playoffs, they have a chance to get to the second round. Since coach Mike Greene plays a challenging non-district schedule, not many teams are playing better than them come playoff time in Class 2A.
Green Oaks also has a four-year starting QB, Torvoras Lee, and returns several key players with experience for first-year coach James Bradford Jr.
In the Shreveport-Bossier area the schedules are so tough during the regular season, and teams have few weaknesses, so they’re often ready for playoff opponents who are not as good.
With Edna Karr moving up last year to Class 5A, that opens a door for Class 4A teams in Shreveport-Bossier. Having to face a powerhouse like Edna Karr is no longer a roadblock, and if you can avoid Neville in the bracket, you have a chance to win a round or two in the playoffs.
So I have more Class 4A teams in my SBJ Postseason Top 10 below because of their chances to advance, while Class 5A is the most difficult classification in the state to move forward in postseason.
Here are my top contenders in the state playoffs, based on talent and potential to improve in the regular season.
This list is in order of those I expect to stay in the playoffs and maybe get to the Superdome Classic. Each of the first four has a chance to make it to New Orleans, and the top two are going to be tough to stop barring injuries.
- Calvary Baptist
- Evangel Christian
- Airline
- Captain Shreve
- Woodlawn
- Byrd
- Benton
- Green Oaks
- Parkway
- Southwood
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com