Class 5A
How the Contenders Fared
No. 11 Acadiana
Business as usual for the Rams, who crushed Central Lafourche via an overpowering run game. Sound familiar? But this is where the sledding gets rough for the Rams, who face Parkway on the road and then probably Destrehan in the next round. Those are the last two teams Acadiana beat in the 5A state championship game. Yeesh.
Remembering Cecilia’s 1995 state title team
No. 2 Zachary
While Sulphur certainly has a good offense, giving up 32 points in the first round isn’t exactly what the Broncos wanted to do I would think. A big local matchup against Dutchtown is on the docket this week, but if they can lock their defense up it’s hard for me to see how they don’t get into the semifinals.
No. 1 West Monroe
Workman-like performance in the first round, but a second-round matchup against Ponchatoula presents some challenges. The next two games for the Rebels will be tough, so a quality performance and a big win against Ponchatoula will go a long way in showing if this is a true state-championship team.
Acadiana hosts Central Lafourche in their first round playoff game Friday night at Dotson Stadium. John Rowland/Special to the Advertiser
How the Dark Horse Fared
No. 13 Landry-Walker
Landry-Walker took care of business in the first round, but it was truly the second round game that I was looking forward to when I named them the dark horse of the class. Byrd on the road will be tough, but Landry-Walker is big an athletic and will pose problems.
Most Interesting Matchup in Round Two
No. 11 Acadiana vs. No. 6 Parkway
Acadiana absolutely blew Parkway out in the state championship game purely because the Rams were by far the more physical football team. Did Parkway learn from the beating or will the Rams give them more of the same?
Upset Candidate: No. 13 Landry-Walker over No. 4 Byrd
I could not have been more off the mark in my first crack at this category, as Byrd crushed Fountainebleau in the first round. I’m doubling down on my dark horse pick this week, so Byrd will either continue to make me look like I don’t know what I’m talking about, or Landry-Walker gets into the quarters.
Division I
Evangel’s Johnathan Jones, right, committed to Louisiana Tech on Saturday morning, becoming the first member of the 2017 class.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 1 Rummel; No. 5 John Curtis; No. 2 Evangel
None of these teams played because the split makes no sense to anyone. On the bright side, none of my contenders got upset!
Dark Horse: No. 6 Catholic of Baton Rouge
Hey this team didn’t play either! Isn’t this fun for everyone involved and beneficial for the young men played football?
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 8 Jesuit vs. No. 1 Rummel
St. Augustine gave Holy Cross a real fight in the first round, but both first round matchups in the first round ended up being pretty close affairs. For this week, this is a huge rivalry, and while Rummel will probably end up winning, the defending state champs have pride and will make them work hard for it.
Upset Candidate: No. 6 Catholic of Baton Rouge over No. 3 Brother Martin
As you can tell, I’m a fan of the double down. But Brother Martin is dealing with a lot of injuries and Catholic of Baton Rouge might be able to impose its will and get a win.
Class 4A
Raymond Calais Jr. (5) of Cecilia with the stiff arm on the Jackets defense on night Oct. 23, 2015.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 2 Crowley
The Gents took care of Abbeville and got rid of any potential first round demons after losing at that stage last season. Crowley has Livonia up next, though, and will have to be on top of its game to advance to the quarterfinals.
No. 3 Cecilia
The Bulldogs could’ve scored 100 points in the first round if they had really wanted to. But much like Crowley (it’s crazy how connected these two teams have been connected throughout the season) Cecilia face an athletic Edna Karr team in the second round. Getting them at home is a big boost.
No. 2 Neville
Sorry to everyone who took that tempting betting action on Beau Chene pulling off the upset at Neville in the first round. This will be Neville’s biggest test until the semifinals. Carencro, when on its game, can beat anyone. Or the Bears might get blown out by 40, you never know with them.
How the Dark Horse Fared
No. 10 Franklinton put up 39 points on a Breaux Bridge defense that had only given up 30 points once this season (31 to Cecilia). All teams in Class 4A need to be worried about this team.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 2 Crowley vs. No. 18 Livonia
Livonia served me well in this category in the first round, and will give Crowley all it can handle at Livonia in the second round.
Upset Candidate: No. 13 McDonogh 35 over No. 4 Benton
My first two upset candidates in the Non-Select brackets lost by a combined total of 92-16. Hopefully this week goes a little better. Benton might be a tad overrated and McDonogh has Division I prospect peppered throughout its roster.
Division II
STM quarterback William Bellamy throws a pass in a heavy rain during the Cougars’ 29-0 win over Northside on Friday.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 1 University Lab; No. 4 Parkview Baptist; No. 2 St. Thomas More
Yay, more bye weeks! Everyone loves not watching playoff football right? Tt’s the best. In all seriousness, private schools rely on their gate to keep their programs going and not having home playoff games directly hurts their pockets.
How the Dark Horse Fared
Teurlings took a while to get going, but eventually got it done in impressive fashion against St. Michael. No. 3 De La Salle awaits in the quarterfinals and could prove to be tougher than originally expected.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 7 E.D. White vs. No. 2 St. Thomas More
Two teams that play completely different styles. The Cougars are going to spread the Cardinals out on defense and test them on the perimeter, while the Cardinals are going to try and keep everything in close and use their stable of running backs to pummel the Cougars into submission. St. Thomas More has struggled against more physical teams this season, so this might be closer than most people think.
Upset Candidate: No. 6 Teurlings over No. 3 De La Salle
The Rebels are the only non-top four seed that has a chance to compete for a state title. Teurlings has already gone to New Orleans once this season and come away victorious and I think that experience will help them in the quarterfinals.
Class 3A
Southwood’s Terry Williams pulls in a one-handed catch during first half-action against North Webster.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 6 North Webster
None of my contenders in Class 3A covered themselves in glory in the first round, but North Webster pulled out the 29-27 win against Port Allen. They’ll need to shake any of that off though with Amite (who won 54-0 in the first round) up next.
No. 4 Patterson
Patterson sweated out a 21-16 win against Ville Platte, which again doesn’t make me feel great about the pick. West Feliciana scored 62 points against Jennings in the first round, but Jennings is known for very shoddy defense, so Patterson should advance to the quarterfinals.
No. 2 Eunice
The Bobcats only beat McMain 22-18 in the first round. That’s their lowest margin of victory in any game this season. Could the playoff nerves have gotten to Eunice? We will see in the second round against St. James.
How the Dark Horse Fared
Well the first of my dark horses is down. Looking back on it, the Bobcats were playing in their first home playoff game in a long time and were always going to be playing with some nerves. The new dark horse in Class 3A? Amite, who might slay one of the contenders this week and looked unstoppable in the first round.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 7 Northwest vs. No. 10 Marksville
A little close in the seeding, but Northwest’s Chris Lee put the Raiders on his back in the first round and carried them to the win. If you’re looking to find one of the best running backs in the state that no one knows about go check out the Northwest game this Friday.
Upset Candidate: No. 21 Iowa over No. 5 Church Point
Kaplan took care of business in the first round against Brusly and proved they deserved the No. 9 seed in Class 3A. Church Point has been struggling to close the season thanks to a bevy of injuries and Iowa has an explosive offense. Not sure if Bears can consistently score with Iowa.
Division III
Notre Dame running back Lance Bertrand (34) and the Pios are hoping to continue their recent roll at University.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 1 Riverside
Riverside won 55-8 against No. 16 Northlake Christian in the first round, winning by an expectedly large margin. In fact, the only thing surprising about the first round of the Division III playoffs is that we actually have games to talk about.
No. 3 Notre Dame
Raise your hand if you’ve been shutout by Notre Dame this season. The Pios were impressive in their 41-0 win against Haynes, but have a tough matchup against Calvary at home in the quarterfinals.
No. 2 St. Thomas More Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas had a lower margin of victory than any of the other contenders, and haven’t gotten the best reviews on a second glance. Of any of the contenders St. Thomas Aquinas’ spot is the most tenuous.
How the Dark Horse Fared
Calvary was impressive in its 50-7 win against Dunham, but this will be the real test for the Cavaliers. Notre Dame is the most physical team they have faced all season.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Calvary
Opelousas Catholic gave St. Charles all it could handle in the first round, and this game should be no different. The teams are so different stylistically that it will lead to interesting battles all over the field. Matchup to watch? Calvary’s defensive backs ability to lock up Notre Dame’s receivers without help. If they can do that and load the box to stop the run they have a better chance.
Upset Candidate: No. 10 Country Day over No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas
I have impressively not hit one of my upset picks from the first round yet. Even a broken clock is right twice a day right?
Class 2A
Pickering’s Kordell Craft (24, front) comes down with a catch while being covered by Menard’s Bradley Bordelon (34, back) Friday.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 1 Many
The first round of the Class 2A playoffs was an absolute joke. Only three games were decided by less than three touchdowns. Can you tell I’m a big fan of the current playoff system? In other news, Many beat an 0-10 team in the first round of the playoffs 57-0. Shocker.
No. 2 Kinder
Kinder beat Rosepine 62-0. At least Rosepine had won one game this season.
No. 5 Pickering
Pickering only beat Capitol 46-0, making them the under-performer of the three contenders. Capitol’s only win this season was against the aforementioned Mentorship Academy by a score of 6-0.
How the Dark Horse Fared
Loreauville crushed Vinton and looks poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 10 Loreauville vs. No. 7 East Feliciana
As previously mentioned, there weren’t very many interesting matchups in the first round of this stacked bracket. But Loreauville and East Feliciana both have quality athletes and should fight it out for a shot in the quarterfinals.
Upset Candidate: No. 13 Red River over No. 4 Rayville
I printed out the bracket and tossed a dart. Might give me better results. But somehow Class 2A was the closest I’ve gotten so far to hitting an upset, as No. 21 Lake Arthur only lost 34-28 to No. 12 St. Helena in the first round. Progress!
Division IV
Ascension Episcopal takes on St. Fredrick on Friday night. John Rowland/Special to the Advertiser
No. 1 Ascension Episcopal
The Blue Gators struggled a tad against St. Frederick and the pressure of being the hunted rather than the hunter might be getting to this talented group.
No. 2 Vermilion Catholic
The more and more I look at it, the more and more I like Vermilion Catholic’s state championship chances. The Eagles are just such a brutal matchup for everyone they are likely to see until the final.
No. 3 Central Catholic
Stefano Guarisco is going to have to be at the height of his powers against Southern Lab, but perhaps more importantly the Eagles defense needs to be better after giving up 38 points.
How the Dark Horse Fared
It was kind of cheating to pick Southern Lab, who had been in the top three in the power rankings almost all season, as the dark horse. But so far so good, as the Kittens took care of business in the first round and showcased their trademark athleticism.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 3 Central Catholic vs. No. 6 Southern Lab
If the bracket had broken differently and this was the state championship game it wouldn’t have surprised me.
Upset Candidate: No 9 Cedar Creek over No. 1 Ascension Episcopal
Cedar Creek is a physical football team and as Central Catholic proved in the final week of the season, that is what gives the Blue Gators trouble. If Ascension Episcopal had looked better in the first round this wouldn’t have been the pick, but the Blue Gators have to prove themselves in the quarterfinals. Also for those keeping track, I’m 0-8 in this category from the first round now.
Class A
Mangham punched its second straight ticket to Superdome with 42-27 win over Kentwood Friday.
How the Contenders Fared
No. 1 Kentwood; No. 2 Basile; No. 3 Haynesville
All teams had bye weeks and considering the blood bath that was the first round, it wouldn’t have mattered if they played.
How the Dark Horse Fared
Loganspot beat 0-10 North Central 59-0 and will move on to face No. 9 Elton in the second round. With a win they’ll get top overall seed Kentwood in the quarterfinals.
Most Interesting Matchup: No. 11 South Cameron vs. No. 6 White Castle
White Castle doesn’t have the most impressive body of work for a No. 6 seed, so South Cameron could come out on top if they surprise White Castle and get an early lead.
Upset Candidate: No. 18 Homer over No. 2 Basile
Going 0-9 in the first week is truly an accomplishment. Homer beat the No. 15 team in the only upset of the first round and maybe the can keep it going
