By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
As the stretch run begins with four weeks to go in the high school football regular season, LHSAA power ranking positions are rounding into form with playoff byes and berths at stake.
After moving to 6-0, the Haughton Bucs have edged into the top tier at No. 8 in Non-Select Division I. The top eight teams after 10 weeks in all eight divisions get first-round playoff byes.
Another local unbeaten, Green Oaks (6-0), hung in at No. 2 in Non-Select Division II. The Giants are in position to earn a very favorable postseason draw with multiple home game opportunities.
Last week’s Captain Shreve comeback had significant impact on the Gators and Parkway. After Shreve’s rally from 21 down at halftime to a 61-48 victory over the Panthers, the Gators climbed up five spots to 12th in Select Division I, three spots ahead of an Evangel team that thrashed Shreve 46-0 a week earlier.
Undefeated Calvary (6-0) dipped to fifth in Select Division III despite drilling Homer 64-14, since the Pelicans are 1-5. Loyola (3-3) slipped one place below the bye line, falling to ninth in the same division after its second straight double-digit loss.
The LHSAA power rankings system factors in game results, strength of schedule and to some degree, point differentials.
The power rankings after the end of the regular season set the playoff brackets in each division. In Non-Select divisions, 28 teams qualify; 24 go to postseason in the Select divisions.
Here are LHSAA power rankings through six weeks for all 19 local teams, along with the top-ranked team in each division statewide (rankings movement in parenthesis):
NON-SELECT DIVISION I
1 (no change), Barbe, 15.67; 8 (up 1), Haughton, 13.33; 13 (up 3), Airline, 11.94; 25 (down 2), Parkway, 9.84, 30 (down 1), Benton, 9.17.
SELECT DIVISION I
1 (no change), Archbishop Rummel, 16.11; 12 (up 5), Captain Shreve, 11.23; 15 (down 1), Evangel, 10.78; 24 (down 1), Huntington, 8.33; 28 (down 5), Byrd, 6.39.
NON-SELECT DIVISION II
1 (no change), Neville, 16.67; 32 (up 2), Northwood, 9.67; 33 (down 5), Bossier, 9.66; 41 (down 3), Woodlawn, 5.67.
SELECT DIVISION II
1 (up 1), Archbishop Shaw, 13.78; 14 (down 5), Booker T. Washington, 11.17; 25 (down 1), Southwood, 8.11.
NON-SELECT DIVISION III
1 (up 2), Jena, 15.47; 2 (no change), Green Oaks, 14.27
SELECT DIVISION III
1 (no change), Notre Dame, 16.28; 5 (down 1), Calvary, 13,84; 9, (down 5), Loyola, 12.50); 32 (no change), North Caddo, 7.40; 33 (up 2), Magnolia School of Excellence, 7.06.
NON-SELECT DIVISION IV
1 (up 1), Mangham, 14.94, 14.80; 41, Plain Dealing, 5.78