By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Second-round LHSAA football playoff games involving six local teams – four at home – kick off tonight with every squad entertaining thoughts of turkey and ham being part of their pregame meals next week.
Calvary Baptist, Evangel Christian, Loyola College Prep and Parkway are host teams tonight, while Booker T. Washington and Captain Shreve head to Baton Rouge hoping to upset their fourth-seeded opponents.
Calvary, Evangel and Loyola enjoyed first-round byes last week and their high power rankings earned second-round home games tonight. Parkway powered by visiting Covington 51-30, erasing an early 10-0 deficit, last Friday.
The Flyers are the No. 2 seed in Select Division II and coach John Sella has his team eager for a playoff run.
“We’re saying ‘let’s not waste this opportunity to be possibly practicing during Thanksgiving break’,” said the second-year coach. “There are a lot of teams in the area who haven’t practiced during the break in a long time and a lot of teams that have already hung it up for the year and here we are with an opportunity so let’s take advantage of it and make the most out of it.”
He and Parkway coach Coy Brotherton are reading from the same script when it comes to assessing their opponents.
“At this point, teams aren’t still in the playoffs by accident. Every team from here on out is going to be good so we have to be prepared,” said Sella. “As a high seed you’re going to get every team’s best game so you can’t sneak up on anyone. From here on out it’s the real deal.”
The sixth-seeded Panthers got an early scare in their Non-Select Division I opener from No. 27 Covington. Now they host 11th-seeded Hahnville.
“Everyone you play this time of year is going to be good. Our message to the team this week is ‘be more perfect than you were last week. If you do that you have a chance to advance’,” said Brotherton. “Our coaching staff has done a good job in preparation and the kids have been focused all week long.”
In the tightest seed matchup among the locals, No. 8 ECA hosts ninth-ranked St. Paul’s in a Select Division I contest. Eagles coach Denny Duron is assuring his team is locked in to face the Wolves.
“St. Paul’s is a very disciplined team on both sides of the ball. They are a multi set/multi offensive package football team, which means they run a lot of formations and a lot of different kinds of plays from option to Wing-T to spread to power,” he said. “Their defense is very disciplined and they will not beat themselves.”
Calvary’s Rodney Guin was grateful for his team’s bye in the Select Division III bracket, which allowed the Cavaliers some recovery time for players with bruises and aches, and the coaching staff extra preparation on Metairie Park Country Day, a 41-point winner in the opening round.
“They have great skill guys we will have to control. We must control the line of scrimmage on both sides to win,” he said. “They are very well coached and make few mistakes
Shreve and BTW embrace their underdog status. The Gators go to Catholic High, which has played in the state semifinals each of the last eight seasons, for a Select Division I battle.
“They’re a storied program. They’ve done it for a long time the right way and they’re a heck of a ball club,” said Shreve coach Jeremy Wilburn. “They’ve whooped everybody in the Baton Rouge area for years and years.
“It’s a tall task but it’s a tremendous opportunity for us. If we go there and do what we’re capable of, I don’t see a reason we don’t come out with a win. We’ll let it hang out tomorrow and see where it goes.”
BTW’s Gary Cooper believes squaring off in District 1-4A games against unbeaten North DeSoto, Loyola and Northwood has the Lions tuned up for their Select Division II visit to University Lab.
“It’s going to be a good ballgame. University is good, but in our district we’ve played some of the best in the state,” he said. “We’re not going in timid or scared, we’re going in to play a good football game against a good football team.”
Tonight’s second-round playoff games involving Shreveport-Bossier teams:
NON-SELECT
Division I
No. 11 Hahnville (9-2) at No. 6 Parkway (10-1)
SELECT
Division I
No. 9 St. Paul’s (9-2) at No. 8 Evangel (8-2)
No. 20 Captain Shreve (7-4) at No. 4 Catholic-B.R. (8-2)
Division II
No. 13 Booker T. Washington (7-4) at No. 4 University (8-2)
No. 18-Belaire (6-5) at No. 2 Loyola (9-1)
Division III
No. 11 Country Day (7-4) at No. 6 Calvary (9-1)
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com