JOURNAL SPORTS

The Parkway, Huntington and Haughton girls basketball teams made the most out of what they earned – homecourt advantage though the state quarterfinals – and posted convincing state quarterfinal victories Thursday night in the LHSAA playoffs.

Parkway, the No. 1 seed in Non-Selection Division I and two-time defending state champion, will travel to Hammond next week for a semifinal matchup with its nearby District 1-5A rival Haughton. The Lady Panthers know the road to Marsh Madness, but it will be the first-ever state semifinal appearance for Haughton.

Huntington is also quite familiar with the route to the University Center in Hammond and will make the trip for the fifth time in six seasons after blowing out Lafayette in a Select Division I quarterfinal.

The other two local teams reaching the state quarters couldn’t pull surprises over higher-seeded home teams. Seasons ended for Captain Shreve and Calvary Baptist Thursday evening.

With three teams in Hammond, and two more (Shreve and Natchitoches Central) with competitive losses in the quarterfinals, District 1-5A enhanced its reputation as the state’s strongest district.

Local girls playoff scores

Parkway 36, Denham Springs 22

Haughton 66, Barbe 41

Huntington 67, Lafayette 36

Woodlawn-Baton Rouge 58, Captain Shreve 50

Lafayette Christian 73, Calvary Baptist 27

Marsh Madness matchups (dates, times TBA by LHSAA)

Non-Select Division I semifinal – No. 1 Parkway vs. No. 4 Haughton

Select Division I semifinal  — No. 4 Huntington vs. No. 1 John Curtis