By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
It’s crunch time as the LHSAA power rankings determining playoff byes, home game sites and pairings are coming into focus with two regular-season weeks remaining.
Undefeated Haughton and streaking Northwood have rising stock. The Bucs might be moving toward a first-round bye, while the Falcons are soaring in the direction of an opening-round home game.
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. The top four get first-round byes and second-round home games, while teams seeded 5-16 are at home in the opening round.
In Select divisions, 24 go to postseason in the Select divisions, with the top eight earning first-round byes and second-round home dates, and seeds 9-16 play at home in the first round.
Haughton’s 42-28 win at Airline last Friday lifted the undefeated Bucs up two slots in Non-Select Division I, into sixth place, two spots shy of a bye. Haughton (8-0) goes to Natchitoches Central (0-8) Friday, then hosts Evangel (4-4) in Week 10.
With its third straight dominant win, Northwood (4-4) has risen 13 spots in two weeks, moving up four this week to No. 19 in Non-Select Division II, three slots away from hosting a first-rounder. The Falcons play Southwood (1-7) Friday and finish at home against Woodlawn (0-8).
Green Oaks (6-1) was upset at Homer, 40-8, last Friday, and dropped four spots in Non-Select Division II. The Giants slipped from No. 2 and a first-round bye, down to sixth. They host North Caddo (2-5) Friday night, then visit Calvary (7-1) Nov. 5.
Previously perfect Calvary slid one spot to No. 6 in Select Division III after a 24-7 loss on the road to the No. 1 team in Select Division II, Archbishop Shaw.
Loyola (5-3) remained at No. 8 in Select DIII, on the bubble in line for a first-round bye.
Inside the seed line in position to host first-round games are Airline (6-2), 15th in Non-Select D1; Captain Shreve (4-4), 15th in Select D1; and Booker T. Washington (6-2), 14th in Select D2.
Projected to head on the road for first-round playoff games are Evangel (4-4), Parkway (4-4), and rising Huntington, winner of two of its last three.
Huntington’s upset of Captain Shreve moved the Raiders (2-6) inside the projected playoff bracket, going up two spots to 23rd in Select D1. They go to Benton and host Natchitoches Central in the final two weeks.
On the verge of making it into the playoff groups are two 1-7 teams, Byrd (26th, two spots out of the 24-team Select D1 field) and Southwood (25th, one shy of postseason in Select D2). Likely needing at least one win, the Yellow Jackets go to Parkway and meet Captain Shreve to finish. Along with hosting Northwood, the Cowboys wrap up at Benton.
Here are LHSAA power rankings through seven 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 (up 1), Mandeville, 14.69; 6 (up 2), Haughton, 13.80; 15 (down 1), Airline, 11.56; 20 (up 1), Parkway, 10.63, 31 (no change), Benton, 8.91.
SELECT DIVISION I
1 (up 1), St. Augustine, 15.47; 15 (down 2), Captain Shreve, 9.84; 19 (down 3), Evangel, 9.41; 23 (up 2), Huntington, 8.59; 26 (up 1), Byrd, 7.81.
NON-SELECT DIVISION II
1 (no change), Neville, 15.71; 19 (up 4), Northwood, 10.77; 33 (up 1), Bossier, 8.88; 41 (no change), Woodlawn, 6.13.
SELECT DIVISION II
1 (no change), Archbishop Shaw, 14.81; 14 (no change), Booker T. Washington, 11.17; 25 (no change), Southwood, 8.04.
NON-SELECT DIVISION III
1 (no change), Jena, 14.93; 6 (down 4), Green Oaks, 14.31.
SELECT DIVISION III
1 (no change), Notre Dame, 15.86; 6 (down 1), Calvary, 13.92; 8, (no change), Loyola, 12.96; 28 (up 2), North Caddo, 7.96; 35 (down 1), Magnolia School of Excellence, 5.52.
NON-SELECT DIVISION IV
1 (no change), East Feliciana, 15.19; 41 (no change), Plain Dealing, 6.57