By MATT VINES, Journal Sports
Three weeks of games can feel like an eternity for teams to decide their playoff fates.
But other squads are quickly running out of time.
So how are football teams in Caddo and Bossier Parish looking?
Well – not good.
If the playoffs ended today, just 10 of the 19 football programs (53 percent) in Caddo and Bossier parishes would be in.
Considering that 69 percent of all teams across all divisions make the postseason, it’s a grade well below par.
The numbers get much better considering how many teams would get a bye or host a first-round game.
Of those 10 currently in, seven are in line to host first-round games or earn byes.
No. 2 Green Oaks (D-III Non-Select), No. 5 Calvary Baptist (D-III Select) and No. 8 Loyola (D-III Select) would receive byes.
Teams hosting first-round games would be No. 8 Haughton (D-I Non-Select), No. 13 Captain Shreve (D-1 Select), No. 14 Booker T. Washington (D-II Select) and No. 14 Airline (D-1 Non-Select).
Those that would be (currently) hitting the road include No. 17 Evangel (D-I Select), No. 21 Parkway (D-I Non-Select) and No. 23 Northwood (D-II Non-Select).
Who has the best chances of moving in Week 8?
BENTON
The No. 31 Tigers (3-4, 1-3) can move into the D-1 Non-Select playoff picture with a three-game home slate of Natchitoches Central, Huntington, and Southwood.
Those teams have a combined two wins total, and the Chiefs are still hunting their first win although they nearly knocked off Airline (32-29) at home and battled Captain Shreve (40-27) at home.
Malachi Zeigler (1,800 total yards) and Benton’s bevy of backs and receivers should be able to make hay against a Chiefs defense that’s allowed six of seven teams to score 40 or more points.
Benton is likely favored in all three, and one would think two wins to get five total is enough to leap into the Top 28.
EVANGEL
The Eagles (4-3, 3-0) are the likely District 1-5A favorites given that they’ve beaten district opponents by a combined 200-42. How effectively their offense operates while quarterback Peyton “Pop” Houston is on the shelf with his injured shoulder will impact that forecast, however.
Tonight, the No. 17 Eagles get a winless Byrd bunch (0-7) that has played to margins of 10 points or less in four of their seven losses, but they haven’t pulled one out — yet.
Evangel can move into first-round home playoff game territory with a win that should set up a District 1-5A sprint with games against Airline and Haughton to finish the regular season.
NORTH CADDO
The No. 30 Titans (1-5) are on the outside looking into a 24-team field in D-III Select, but they welcome in winless Magnolia Charter (0-7) at home.
While North Caddo couldn’t dent the scoreboard in losses against Cedar Creek (48-0) and Calvary (61-0), Magnolia has been shut out in four of their seven contests.
The Mariners have scored in double digits just once, a 46-14 loss to Lakeview.
If North Caddo doubles its win total and gets power-point bumps for upcoming games against Green Oaks and Homer, is that enough to punch a playoff ticket in a 24-team field?
NORTHWOOD
While the No. 23 Falcons (3-4, 1-2 District 1-4A) have almost surely locked up their playoff spot in D-II Non-Select, Northwood could propel themselves to a first-round home game with a closing schedule of Bossier, Southwood and Woodlawn.
Bossier (3-4) is likely the toughest team left even with no Montrevell Lewis.
Northwood’s dynamic run game and a defense that’s improved by leaps and bounds will look to bury Bossier like they did BTW (58-26) and Minden (56-20).
Northwood is only about 0.70 power points from home playoff territory, and three wins should vault the Falcons well past No. 16.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
The Lions (5-2, 2-1 District 1-4A) will stay on the inside track if they score a rivalry victory against Woodlawn (0-7, 0-3).
But that’s not set in stone. The Knights have one-score losses to Minden (21-14) and Southwood (28-22), and Carroll (20-14), showing their ability to be competitive.
At No. 14, a win over Woodlawn would keep BTW in the home playoff picture.
But can the Lions stay that way with a closing slate of North DeSoto (7-0) and Minden (5-2)?
The power points will certainly help, and if they can go 1-1 in that stretch, a home playoff game is a guarantee.
CALVARY/GREEN OAKS
No, this epic matchup isn’t until Week 10, but both teams are arguably facing their toughest tasks yet this week.
There’s no question that when Calvary (7-0, 2-0) heads down to Class 4A No. 4 Archbishop Shaw (6-1), it’s the Cavaliers’ most difficult challenge and serves as a dry run for traveling to the Superdome for a state championship game.
Calvary’s best win is a 52-24 triumph over Loyola (4-3) as other teams like Bunkie, Union Parish and Huntington haven’t quite lived up to what Calvary likely expected when making the schedule.
But Shaw is different. These Eagles have rolled through competition with wins against Hahnville (20-14) and E.D. White (45-0) with its only stumble coming to Class 5A No. 5 Archbishop Rummel (24-7).
For Green Oaks, traveling to Homer (2-5) should offer a good test for a squad that’s cleared every hurdle so far.
Ignore Homer’s record as three of those losses have been by one score (Minden, Haynesville, and Ouachita Christian) while they battled undefeated Haughton in a 12-point defeat.
Another data point – Calvary destroyed them 64-14.
The Giants survived Booker T. Washington in a Week 3 rivalry game 20-18, stopping a two-point conversion in the closing seconds, and have handled everybody else by 19 points or more, but a trip to Homer offers another gauge measuring how good the Giants are.
Contact Matt at matt.vines@lsus.edu