JOURNAL SPORTS
Calvary Baptist’s surprising loss on the road to Class 4A unbeaten Franklin Parish last Friday didn’t do much to alter the Cavaliers’ status in the high school football state rankings compiled by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
It did jump the winning Patriots (3-0) into the 4A Top 10 at No. 8.
It cost Calvary (1-2) just one spot and a few points in the Class 2A poll. The Cavaliers, after a 32-28 defeat in Winnsboro, slipped out of the No. 1 ranking and just four points behind Newman, a team they beat in the Select Division III semifinals last year on the way to a state championship.
Calvary opened this season with a 62-41 win over Oak Grove, which maintained its No. 3 slot in the 2A poll. The Cavs’ other loss was also by four points, 42-38, in Week 2 to Class 5A’s No. 5 Neville Tigers. That didn’t dislodge CBA from the No. 1 ranking last week.
Calvary is the only local team ranked in the LSWA’s polls, although Airline and Byrd have status in the “also receiving votes” listing in Class 5A, and Northwood entered the chat in Class 4A.
The Falcons (3-0) could raise their stock considerably this Friday if they can go to Stonewall and knock off No. 6 North DeSoto (1-2) in a District 1-4A opener.
Airline (3-0) hosts Evangel (1-2) in a 1-5A contest. Byrd (3-0) goes south to John Ehret (1-2) in metro New Orleans.
Calvary carries a 58-game 1-2A winning streak into its league opener at home Friday night against 3-0 D’Arbonne Woods, which didn’t get a top 10 vote again this week.
Twelve LSWA members who cover high school football around the state vote weekly on the Top 10s in each classification.
This week’s LSWA Top 10 rankings by class:
CLASS 5A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Ruston (12) 3-0, 144, 1
2. Karr 2-0, 130, 2
3. Acadiana 2-1, 122, 4
4. Catholic-Baton Rouge 2-1, 95, 3
5. Neville 3-0, 90, 5
6. Alexandria 3-0, 83, 10
7. Zachary 2-1, 66, 6
8. John Curtis 2-1, 51, 8
9. Archbishop Rummel 3-0, 37, NR
10. St. Augustine 2-1, 28, 9
Others receiving votes: Destrehan 24, Airline 14, Central 10, Brother Martin 9, Dutchtown 7, Mandeville 7, Barbe 5, Terrebonne 5, West Monroe 5, Byrd 4, Carencro 2.
CLASS 4A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Teurlings Catholic (8) 3-0, 132, 4
2. St. Thomas More (1) 1-2, 123, 1
3. Opelousas (2) 1-1, 121, 3
4. Westgate 2-0, 106, 6
5. Cecilia 2-1, 87, 5
6. North DeSoto 1-2, 81, 2
7. E.D. White 2-1, 79, 8
8. Lutcher 2-0, 60, 9
9. Franklin Parish 3-0, 48, NR
10. Archbishop Shaw 1-2, 42, 7
Others receiving votes: Lakeshore 25, St. Charles Catholic 9, Leesville 8, Vandebilt Catholic 6, Northwood-Shreveport 5, Assumption 2, McDonogh (35) 1.
CLASS 3A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. University (12) 2-1, 144, 2
2. John F. Kennedy 3-0, 130, 5
3. St. James 1-1, 121, 1
4. Bunkie 3-0, 102, 6
5. Northwest 2-1, 90, 3
6. Bastrop 3-0, 75, 8
7. Sterlington 2-1, 73, 4
8. Jena 2-1, 44, 7
9. Jewel Sumner 3-0, 39, NR
10. Jennings 2-1, 30, NR
Others receiving votes: Amite 25, Madison Prep 25, De La Salle 15, Erath 10, South Beauregard 6, Parkview Baptist 4, Lake Charles College Prep 2, Pine 1.
CLASS 2A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Newman (5) 1-0,127, 2
2. Calvary Baptist (1) 1-2, 123, 1
3. Oak Grove (4) 2-1, 120, 3
4. Dunham 3-0, 117, 6
5. Lafayette Christian 1-2, 97, 4
6. Ouachita Christian 3-0, 87, 7
7. Notre Dame 2-1, 74, 5
8. Episcopal-Baton Rouge 3-0, 65, 8
9. Catholic-New Iberia 2-1, 42, 10
10. Mangham 2-1, 28, NR
Others receiving votes: Ferriday 24, Union Parish 24, South Plaquemines 8, Pope John Paul (II) 6, Kinder 1, Northlake Christian 1.
CLASS 1A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Southern Lab (10) 2-0, 142, 1
2. Vermilion Catholic (2) 3-0, 134, 2
3. Haynesville 3-0, 118, 3
4. Riverside 1-1, 106, 4
5. St. Martin’s 3-0, 91, 5
6. Kentwood 2-1, 77, 6
7. Ascension Catholic 2-0, 68, 7
8. Opelousas Catholic 3-0, 50, 8
9. Logansport 2-1, 44, 9
10. Catholic-Pointe Coupee 3-0, 27, NR
Others receiving votes: Covenant Christian 21, St. Frederick 13, Jeanerette 9, Ascension Episcopal 8, Central Catholic 5.