By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
The LHSAA football postseason kicks off Friday night with nine Shreveport-Bossier schools in action, including six who will host first-round games.
Calvary and Loyola earned first-round byes and will host second-round games Nov. 13.
The first-round slate, with a quick note about each game:
Non-Select Division I
No. 22 Parkway (5-5) at No. 11 Haughton (8-2)
We’ve seen this before: The Bucs ran past the Panthers 55-36 in midseason, Oct. 1 at Parkway, when Haughton’s Brandon Craig ran for seven (yes, 7) touchdowns, tying the Shreveport-Bossier record.
No. 18 Central-Baton Rouge (5-4) at No. 15 Airline (7-3)
The Vikings average 41.5 points, and have scored at least 32 each week. The Wildcats are allowing just 20.7 per game. Their best win: 38-7 on Sept. 11 over a Denham Springs team that finished 7-3 and is the 12th seed.
Select Division I
No. 21 Warren Easton (4-6) at No. 12 Evangel (6-4)
It’s Eagles vs. Eagles as these tradition-rich programs collide. Warren Easton opened with four losses, then won four straight and dropped its last two, including 29-28 last week to ninth-seeded Bonnabel.
No. 20 Huntington (4-6) at No. 13 John Curtis (4-6)
The Raiders have won four of their last five, and three in a row. The Patriots dropped five straight – including a 10-9 loss to fifth-seeded Archbishop Rummel and a 42-32 defeat to unbeaten, No. 1-seeded St. Augustine. They also had competitive losses to two more teams, No. 3 Edna Karr and eighth-seeded Brother Martin, who earned first-round byes.
No. 18 Hammond (4-6) at No. 15 Captain Shreve (5-4)
We’ve seen this before, Part 2: The teams met last year in a playoff opener at Hammond and the Gators blew away the Tornadoes 61-21. Hammond is scoring only 20.2 per game, but while winning its last two, has averaged 39 against a pair of teams that finished 1-9.
Non-Select Division II
No. 19 Northwood (6-4) at No. 14 Cecilia (7-3)
Northwood has won five in a row, averaging 54 points in that stretch, including back-to-back 30-point victories over playoff teams Booker T. Washington and Minden. The Bulldogs are giving up just 20 per game. Their only loss in the second half of the season was 50-48 to Opelousas.
Select Division II
No. 24 McKinley (4-6) at No. 9 Booker T. Washington (7-3)
BTW is averaging 35 points and the Lions’ overlooked defense is giving up only 18.4. The Panthers are scoring just 20.7 per game and that average drops to 10.1 in their last seven games. Other than posting a combined 51 points in their only two wins in that stretch, they have been held to one score, or shut out, in the losses.
Non-Select Division III
No. 21 Donaldsonville (5-5) at No. 12 Green Oaks (7-2)
The Giants have been outscored 96-28 in their losses at Homer and Calvary, but have a 44-13 average scoring margin in their wins. The Tigers have won their last three over teams with a combined 8-20 record.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com