By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports
Shreveport-Bossier had 21 girls’ and boys’ soccer teams earn their spots in the LHSAA championship playoffs. After Round 1 there are only 10 still standing.
Only one of those 21 games involving local teams resulted in a seeding upset when the Division II 17th-seeded Lakeshore girls visited No. 16 Parkway at Preston Crownover Stadium on Saturday. The Lady Panthers fell 5-2. All other home games for locals resulted in wins with higher seeds prevailing, while all away games were losses.
Division II’s 13th seeded Caddo Magnet boys were able to hold off a feisty Lakeshore team, seeded 20th, by 2-1, putting the Mustangs into Round 2.
Seeded second in Division III boys, Loyola’s Flyers easily dispatched No. 31 Opelousas, 8-0.
Also, in Division III boys play, No. 8 seed Bossier was able to dispatch 25th-seeded DeRidder 5-1. The Bearkats took some time getting warmed up as they only were up 2-0 at the half. They took control with two quick goals at the start of the second half.
D-IV’s No. 15 Calvary boys held off No. 18 Catholic-New Iberia 3-2. The Cavaliers were given a gift in the first minute with an own goal by Catholic. Calvary’s Preston Walton and Isaih Evens scored with assists by Ty Knight and Liam Smothers.
The best chance for a boys upset came when D-I Shreve fell to No. 8 Southside in Lafayette 2-1 in double overtime. The Gators were tied with four minutes remaining in regulation when they were awarded a penalty kick. Unfortunately, the PK hit the side bar and went harmlessly out. Shreve held on through 28 minutes of overtime before Southside scored the golden goal just two minutes before going to PKs. The Gators’ goal in regulation was scored by Nathan Thomas.
The remaining D-I boys teams, No. 25 Benton and No. 21 Byrd, fell. Benton was beaten 4-0 at No. 9-seeded East Ascension. Byrd lost 5-1 to 12th seed Fountainebleau.
No. 25 Northwood, 25th in D-II, played its best game of the season but still fell to 8th– seeded Archbishop Rummel 2-0.
Keeping with the hard-fought losses by 25th seeded local teams, D-IV Evangel overachieved on its seeding by playing 8th seed Grace Christian tough, falling 1-0 on the road.
Twelve girls teams went into the playoffs, but only six moved forward.
In D-I, No. 5 Benton, No. 7 Byrd and No.10 Captain Shreve won their Round 1 games easily. The Lady Tigers topped No. 28 Ponchatoula 8-0, while Byrd blanked No. 26 Destrehan 4-0 and Shreve handled No. 23 Acadiana 7-1.
Third-seeded Caddo Magnet was the only D-II girls team to advance, beating South Lafourche 8-0.
In D-IV, third-seeded Loyola received a forfeit from No. 30 Fisher. No. 9 seeded Calvary cruised to a 5-0 win over No. 24 Lafayette Christian Academy.
The remaining six local girls teams all fell in their quest to continue their seasons.
D-I No. 29 Haughton lost 8-0 at No. 4 Denham Springs.
In D-II, No.16 Parkway lost to No.17 Lakeshore. North DeSoto, seeded 26th, lost to No. 7 Prairieville 8-0 and 29th seed Northwood lost 10-0 at Central Lafourche.
Bossier, 29th seeded in D-III, lost 10-0 at 4th seed University Lab.
North Caddo, seeded 27th in D-IV, had its season ended 8-0 at sixth-seed Isadore Newman.
Look for the Round 2 playoff preview in Tuesday’s Shreveport-Bossier Journal.
Contact David at dersoff@bellsouth.net
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