Airline is averaging 57 points per game after ringing up 76 last Friday night, but allowing 52 in a homefield triumph over Natchitoches Central.
Voters in the LSWA state Top 10 polls evidently were swayed by Airline’s scoring, giving the Vikings a lift up in this week’s rankings.
The Vikings gained 12 points in the polling, going up from 29 to 41 points, and rose one slot to No. 9 in this week’s Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A Top 10 rankings. Airline was tied with Mandeville at No. 10 last week, but the Skippers collected just three new points this week.
An impressive win by Calvary, 21-14 over a good Class 5A Huntington team, earned the Cavaliers no improvement in the Class 2A rankings. Calvary remained No. 2 and still collected 129 points. Incredibly, Oak Grove – a formidable team, but one Calvary beat 62-41 in Week 1 — continues to pick up a first-place vote and stands fourth.
A dozen LSWA members from around the state vote weekly to rank the top 10 teams in each of the five LHSAA classifications.
Unbeaten Airline (8-0) gets its toughest test Friday night when the Vikings travel to play 7-1 Byrd at Lee Hedges Stadium in a District 1-5A showdown. Byrd picked up two points in this week’s polling while Parkway (also 7-1) received one point (a 10th-place ranking by one voter).
Northwood (7-1) collected a point in Class 4A voting.
The LSWA’s Top 10 rankings for Week 9:
CLASS 5A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Karr (9) 7-0, 141, 1
2. Neville (3) 8-0, 132, 2
3. Acadiana 7-1, 111, 4
4. Alexandria
5. Catholic-Baton Rouge 6-1, 96, 5
6. Ruston 6-2, 79, 3
7. Zachary 6-1, 77, 7
8. Archbishop Rummel 7-1, 59, 8
9. Airline
10. Mandeville 8-0, 32, T10
Others receiving votes: Central 17, Jesuit 14, Hahnville 8, John Curtis 5, St. Paul’s 4, West Monroe 4, Byrd 2, Covington 1, Parkway 1.
CLASS 4A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Teurlings Catholic (12) 8-0, 144, 1
2. North DeSoto 6-2, 123, T2
3. Lutcher
4. St. Thomas More 5-3, 104, 4
5. E.D. White 6-2, 94, 5
6. Archbishop Shaw 6-2, 91, 6
7. Opelousas 4-3, 77, 8
8. Franklin Parish 7-1, 50, 9
9. Cecilia
10. Franklinton 7-1, 31, 10
Others receiving votes: Westgate 25, Plaquemine 13, Iowa 8, Vanderbilt Catholic 5, West Ouachita 4, Minden 3, Istrouma 1, Lakeshore 1, Leesville 1, Northwood-Shreveport 1.
CLASS 3A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. University (12) 7-1, 144, 1
2. Bunkie
3. Jennings 7-1, 114, 3
4. St. James 5-2, 107, 4
5. Northwest 6-2, 89, 5
6. John F. Kennedy 4-4, 79, 6
7. Amite 6-2, 62, 7
8. Jewel Sumner 7-1, 57, 8
9. Sterlington 5-3, 49, 9
10. Madison Prep 5-3, 43, 10
Others receiving votes: De La Salle 23, Erath 12, Bastrop 5, Iota 5, Kaplan 5, Lake Charles Prep 4, Carroll 3, Haynes Academy 3, Jena 1.
CLASS 2A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Newman (7) 6-0, 132, 1
2. Calvary Baptist (1) 6-2, 129, 2
3. Dunham (3) 8-0, 126, 3
4. Oak Grove (1) 6-1, 108, 4
5. Ouachita Christian 8-0, 96, 5
6. Catholic-New Iberia 7-1, 86, 6
7. Episcopal-Baton Rouge 7-1, 63, 7
8. Union Parish 4-4, 49, NR
9. Notre Dame 4-4, 46, 8
10. Lafayette Chrisitan 3-5, 42, 10
Others receiving votes: Mangham 19, Pope John Paul 13, DeQuincy 6, Lafayette Renaissance 4, Northlake Christian 4, Ferriday 3, Kinder 1, Lakeside 1, South Plaquemines 1.
CLASS 1A
School (1st place votes), record, total voting points, previous ranking
1. Vermilion Catholic (12) 8-0, 144, 1
2. Haynesville 8-0, 128, 2
3. Ascension Catholic 6-1, 114, 3
4. Riverside 5-2, 108, 4
5. Catholic-Pointe Coupee 8-0, 92, 5
6. Covenant Christian 8-0, 89, 6
7. Southern Lab 4-3, 79, 7
8. St. Martin’s 5-2, 44, 9
9. Kentwood 5-3, 40, 8
10. Ascension Episcopal 6-1, 38, NR
Others receiving votes: St. Edmund 19, Logansport 9, Jeanerette 8, St. Frederick 7, Central Catholic 4, Westminster-Opelousas 4, General Trass 3, Hamilton Christian 3, Delhi Charter 1, Glenbrook Academy 1, Elton 1.