By LEE HILLER, Journal Sports
High school football teams around the state are starting preseason practices with a goal of getting to the playoffs, something Loyola College Prep has done the most by any Caddo-Bossier school with 43 appearances.
The Flyers’ first trip was in 1961 when the school was known as Jesuit. They played Neville, who leads the entire state with 61 playoff trips. Haynesville is second statewide with 59 and Homer is tied for third with Kentwood with 57. Ruston follows those two with 55.
Byrd High is right behind them with 42 appearances with the Yellow Jackets’ initial postseason game coming in 1926. The Jackets made 13 appearances before 1961.
Haughton is third locally with 41 beginning in 1963.
Bossier follows them with 38 appearances, with seven of those before 1961. Bossier, Byrd, Plain Dealing and now-closed Fair Park are the only local schools to have playoff games before 1961. Fair Park had 11 of its 25 before 1961. Only four of Plain Dealing’s 35 trips were before 1961.
Benton’s first playoff game occurred in 1966. Now the Tigers have 36 total. Airline is two behind with 34 total, its first appearance resulting in the school’s only state championship in 1967.
List of local schools with total number of playoff appearances, years listed
LOYOLA – Jesuit, St. John’s, (43)
61, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 80, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
BYRD (42)
26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 43, 49, 53, 56, 60, 62, 64, 70, 71, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 00, 02, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
HAUGHTON (41)
63, 71. 72, 76, 77, 78, 81, 84. 85, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
BOSSIER (38)
42, 45, 46, 48, 50, 55, 59, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76, 85, 86, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11, 12, 19, 21
BENTON (36)
66, 67, 68, 69, 72, 76, 78, 79, 90, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23
AIRLINE (34)
67, 72, 74, 76, 78, 86, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23
PLAIN DEALING (35)
38, 47, 58, 60, 61, 72, 73, 74, 80, 81, 82, 83, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 02, 04, 05, 06, 07, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21
WOODLAWN (34)
61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69,73, 76, 77, 78, 79,’81, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 94, 03, 04, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20*, 23
CAPTAIN SHREVE (33)
68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 79. 80. 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 89, 90, 92, 96, 05, 06, 07, 09, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
EVANGEL (33)
91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
NORTHWOOD (26)
68, 69, 71, 86, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 04, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
PARKWAY (21)
84, 87, 88, 94, 95, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23
CALVARY BAPTIST (19)
05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
GREEN OAKS (18)
79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 00, 01, 02, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23
NORTH CADDO (18)
73, 77, 95, 99, 00, 01, 03, 04, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
SOUTHWOOD (18)
73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 81, 82, 84, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 04
HUNTINGTON (17)
80, 82, 83, 84. 85, 94, 02, 03, 07, 09, 10, 12, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON (13)
80, 89, 90, 00, 02, 04, 05, 06, 07, 12, 14, 16, 23
MAGNOLIA (2)
20, 21
FAIR PARK (25) (closed)
39, 40, 44, 45, 47, 50, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 65, 69, 74, 75, 79, 83, 92, 94, 95, 08, 11, 13, 14, 15
SOUTHFIELD (1) (closed)
76
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