LHSAA needs a playoffs fix

In 2008 the LHSAA started a seeding process for its boys and girls basketball playoffs using a power rating system similar to that of football. It has worked out to be a pretty fair and good system of taking the teams that do not finish first or second in their respective district and putting them in the playoffs based on their rating.

This is all good but the one thing that hasn't changed is how they determine who the home team is each week or game. It is something that shouldn't be that hard to figure out. For instance a team that is ranked no. 1 in their classification should always be the home team. It should be as simple as that, the higher ranked team should be home regardless of all this travel business (who traveled last, who has traveled the most, ect.) That is old and should go the way of the old way the brackets used to be filled out. Why have rankings if you don't use them in that manner.

This basketball season in the girls 5A playoffs you had both the No. 1 and 2 teams playing on the road in the second round. How does that make sense? What kind of reward is it to be one the top ranked schools in your classication if you have to travel to play another school that wasn't even a home team in the earlier round. Just because that team won its game, one game, all of a sudden it deserves to be at home the next game?

This is something that the principals need to look at now that they have the power rankings set up fairly to give the schools that deserve to be in the playoffs a chance at a state title. The old way of deciding this was the way it had to be before rankings but is now antiquated. The LHSAA needs to move on to the next step and fix this and make it right.

week 3 football in the books

The third week of the football season is done with no real big surprises as I think most everybody knows who is pretty good and Not! There were some not so pretty games which we pretty much knew would happen.

Byrd sits atop the local scene but some undefeateds like Haughton and Parkway in 1-5A and Northwood in 1-4A are calling for some attention. Look for the Yellow Jackets to move up a tad in the polls after beating Fair Park 63-8. Haughton layed the wood to Minden 34-7 and Parkway took it to Lakeside 54-12. Evangel (1-2) picked up its first win in beating Barbe 31-16. The Eagles learned a thing or two in playing out-of-state teams the first two games and will be hard pressed to be beat from here on.

Usually scoring 48 points is enough to garner a victory. But as Calvary found out on Friday, that isn't always the case. Facing a ranked Class 5A opponent for the second week in a row, the Cavaliers found the going tough again. Although they finally got their offense going they had no answer to stopping the Bears in a 69-48 loss. Quarterback Nik McCarty passed for a city record 569 yards and six touchdowns and Brandon Wilson caught 12 passes for 183 yards and three TDs receiving and one rushing. Carencro amassed over 500 yards on the ground and got a defensive touchdown in all of it.

In the big area rivalry game Haynesville disposed of Homer 50-26. The Golden Tornado ran for 413 yards but used a blocked punt to shift the momentum into their favor in the third quarter after only leading by 14-8 at the half. Haynesville is now 3-0 and has a huge test this week when it hosts Cedar Creek.

Blah week

It is a blah week after last weekend's Battle on the Border. That is the one negative to having such a great event to go to. It is hard to follow up with anything any better until it gets later in the season and teams are playing district games and fighting for playoff berths. The biggest and by far best game in the Shreveport-Bossier area in week 3 is the Barbe at Evangel game. Fair Park plays host to Byrd at Lee Hedges Stadium in the oldest series in Shreveport but it won't be much of a game. FP coach Mike Greene is making some progress with the Indians but he doesn't have the horses or depth. Coach Greene might be the only one around these parts that can put an athlete on the field faster than Richard Carthon in Justin Fortson but that is about it for FP. Captain Shreve goes to Independence Stadium to play Huntington in a rematch of the jamboree in which the Gators outscored the Raiders 24-14. Green Oaks at Northwood could be interesting. The Giants have a few athletes but too few players will once again prove to be their undoing in facing a deeper Falcon squad.

Friday Football is Here!

Well the first full night of real high school football is here. It will be a full night after last night's big game that had Byrd toppling top ranked West Monroe 30-23.

Tonight will have Natchitoches Central coming to Shreveport to face Calvary, Green Oaks visiting Captain Shreve at Lee Hedges Stadium, Bossier is at Airline, Woodlawn at Haughton, Alexandria at Parkway, Southwood at Notre Dame. Also, Fair Park is at Booker T. Washington, North Caddo at Northwood, Huntington at Marshall, Texas, Delhi Charter at Loyola and Evangel travels to take on Tulsa Union in Oklahoma.

It is still hot out so be sure and take some water with you and stay hydrated while at the game. It is too easy to fall out from heat exhaustion if you aren't used to being out in it all summer.

2011 Football Season is here

The hot summer weather continues but the football season is here. West Monroe will come to Shreveport to face Byrd to start the season at Lee Hedges Stadium on Thursday.

Byrd returns a lot of its starters from a year ago, including quarterback Richard Carthon the key to their offensive attack. Also back will be Treyvon Sims last years no. 2 rusher behind Carthon. Carthon had 865 yards rushing on 124 attempts and Sims 773 yards on 125 attempts. No. 3 back Christian Willis is also back after 650 yards rushing on 59 carries. So the Yellow Jackets have the most returning seniors this year than the past two and expecting big things.

West Monroe comes in as the No. 1 ranked team in the preseason poll released on Tuesday morning. The Rebels just seem to reload up the forces every year and this will be no exception.

Evangel pair named Outstanding in 2A

Evangel's Connor Castellano and Jenna Kreamer were both awarded for outstanding seasons by being named the Outstanding Players on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 2A baseball and softball All-State teams.

Castellano, a senior third baseman, hit .398, with seven home runs and 36 RBIs and helped lead the Eagles to the Class 2A baseball state championship. He has signed to play at Vanderbilt next season.

Kreamer also played third base as a junior and has commited to play for the University of Washington upon graduating from Evangel next year. She hit .490 with a home run and 27 RBIs in leading the Lady Eagles to their third consecutive state championship.

Joining Kreamer on the softball first team was teammate Lindsey Neyland who is also a junior.

Senior outfielder Hayden Jennings was also named to the first team baseball squad. Preston Gray of Lakeside was named to the infield and Jared Lupo of Calvary was named as a utility player.

Baseball state champions

This past weekend put a wrap to the high school sports season with state champions named in baseball. For Jesuit it was their 7th state title, the most in the highest classification. St. Louis Catholic (4A), Livonia (3A), Evangel (2A), St. Mary's (1A), Forest (B) and Hicks (C) all finished the season as the champions in their respective class.

Congratulations to all for their hard work in achieving that goal.

Class 1A, 2A finals come to FGF

The Class 2A and 1A state semifinals and finals will be played at Fair Grounds Field this weekend and will have many North Louisiana teams in competition for a state championship.

It all begins Friday at 10 a.m. with a 1A semifinal between St. Mary's and Catholic-Pointe Coupee. Oak Grove and Ouachita Christian will follow at approximately 1 p.m. with the other 1A semifinal.

Evangel and Dunham will play the first 2A semifinal at 4 p.m. and Calvary vs. Lakeside finish up the day with a 7 p.m. start.

This all depends if the rain that is predicted for in the morning doesn't back things up.

Tough day for 1-5A

Two of District 1-5A's team fell from the Class 5A playoffs in the second round. Three seed Airline fell at home to 14 seed Zachary 3-2 and 16 seed Captain Shreve lost to one seed Catholic in Baton Rouge 10-1. Byrd managed to escape an upset from Mandeville in a 2-1 walkoff win in eight innings.

Airline (27-7) saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion. Locked up in a 1-1 game entering the final seventh inning, Viking starting pitcher Layton Tromba was called for a balk on a play that should have been the final out for Zachary. Given the extra chance, the Broncos took advantage and scored twice to take a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the 7th. The Vikings could manage just one run in their half of the inning and come up short of advancing to the state tournament in New Orleans.

Captain Shreve stayed close to the top seeded Bears until starting pitcher Alex Fliss was finally knocked from the game. With a 2-1 lead, Catholic broke things open with an eight run sixth inning. Senior shortstop Jared Hedges (2-for-3) accounted for the Gators only run with a home run in the top of the sixth. Catholic starting pitcher, Aaron Nola (7-0), was brilliant in limiting the Gators to just three hits and striking out 12.

Byrd got another stellar pitching performance from Matt Sharp and won the game when outfielder Alex Inabnet hit a home run to end things. Byrd will meet Catholic in the quarterfinals on Friday in New Orleans.

Loyola takes golf/tennis State Titles

The Loyola boys golf team captured the Division III (Class 3A) State Championship on Tuesday at Oak Wing Golf Club in Alexandria. The Flyers had a two-day total 640 to outdistance runner-up Notre Dame by 16 strokes. Leading the way for the Flyers was medalist Eric Ricard who posted rounds of 69 and 73 for a 142 total. Just two strokes behind him was teammate Kirk Thomas (69-75--144). Loyola's Ryan Crissman was also among the top 10 individual finishers with a two-day total 168.

The Loyola boys tennis team also brought home a state championship. It was the seventh state tennis title for the Flyers.

District 1-5A teams post shutouts on first day

Both Byrd and Captain Shreve posted shutout wins on the first day of the Class 5A baseball playoffs in Shreveport Tuesday.

Byrd's Matt Sharp pitched a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts in leading the Yellow Jackets to a 3-0 win over Walker. Peter Pizarro had the biggest hit of the day for Byrd with a solo home run.

Alex Fliss pitched a shutout in Captain Shreve's 10-0 five inning run ruled win over Central-Baton Rouge. Fliss (5-3) allowed just four hits and struckout five in his five innings of work. Michael Schimpf was 3-for-3 at the plate and Peyton Attaway and Daniel Midyett were both 2-for-3 with Midyett driving in a pair of runs. Shreve will now travel to Baton Rouge next Monday to face Catholic, the No. 1 seed in the bracket.

Class 5A baseball pairings released

The Class 5A baseball playoffs have been released and all three district 1 representatives will host first round games. Airline is the No. 3 seed and will host Grace King. Byrd is an eight seed and play Walker and Captain Shreve is a 16 seed and play Central-Baton Rouge.

Below is a list of the first round pairings for Class 5A (with seedings in parenthesis):

(32) Central Lafourche at (1) Catholic-BR

(17) Central-BR at (16) Captain Shreve

(24) Thibodaux at (9) Mandeville

(25) Walker at (8) Byrd

(28) Rummel at (5) Barbe

(21) East Ascension at (12) St. Thomas More

(20) Destrehan at (13) Shaw

(29) Pineville at (4) Jesuit

(30) Grace King at (3) Airline

(19) Brother Martin at (14) Zachary

(22) Sulphur at (11) St. Paul’s

(27) Fontainebleau at (6) Acadiana

(26) Covington at (7) Dutchtown

(23) St. Amant at (10) Denham Springs

(18) John Ehret at (15) Hahnville

(31) Chalmette at (2) Lafayette

Airline captures 1-5A title

The Airline Vikings have struggled with thier defense here lately but was able to fight off a Byrd rally Friday night to take a 7-6 win over the Yellow Jackets and capture the District 1-5A crown.

Airline opened up a 5-1 lead and led 7-3 until Byrd made it a one-run game but Taylor Henry got a big strikeout to end the game with the tying run on third base.

The Vikings and the rest of Class 5A will wait until Sunday to find out who they will play in the first round of the playoffs next week. Both the Vikings and Yellow Jackets will have first round games at home with both projected to be seeded in the Top 10 of the power ratings. The top 16 teams received home games the first round. Captain Shreve, the third place finisher in the district is right on the bubble at either 16 or 17.

Baseball playoffs announced

The brackets for the baseball playoffs have been posted for Classes 4A through C.

Locally Calvary is the No. 1 seed in Class 2A and play host to Welsh while Evangel is the No. 2 seed and will host Winnfield. Other class 2A matchups has North Caddo traveling to Lakeside, Springhill is at Opelousas Catholic and Many at Rosepine.

In Class 4A, Haughton is the four seed and will be host to district foe Minden. District 1 champion Northwood is at Benton, Beau Chene is at Parkway and Ruston hosts Vandebilt Catholic.

North DeSoto will welcome Jena to Stonewall in the first round of Class 3A and Loyola travels to Erath.

Class 5A will wrap up the regular season on Friday with final reports due to the LHSAA by 10 p.m.

Baseball Standings - thru Saturday 4-30

Here are updated Baseball standings:

District 1-5A...........District...........All

Airline.........................10-2................26-6

Byrd............................9-3................20-13

Captain Shreve...........4-8...............19-15

Southwood.................1-11.................10-21

District 1-4...............District.........All

Northwood......................6-0...........17-15

Huntington.....................3-3...........5-16

Woodlawn.......................1-4............7-12

Fair Park.........................1-4............4-13

District 2-4A............District.........All

Haughton......................10-2.............25-6

Benton...........................9-3.............21-10

Parkway.........................8-4..............16-13

Minden..........................3-9..............12-19

Bossier...........................0-12.............2-25

District 1-3A.............District.........All

North DeSoto...............4-1..............23-11

Loyola...........................1-4...............10-22

District 1-2A.............District.........All

Evangel........................9-1..............23-9

Calvary.........................9-1..............19-9

Lakeside.......................6-4..............23-10

North Caddo.................3-7.............15-12

Springhill.....................3-7...............15-16

Homer..........................0-10...............7-14

Softball pairings 1st round/class C second roun

First round pairings for the LHSAA Softball playoffs:

CLASS 5A

Chalmette at Barbe

Lafayette at Airline

Assumption at Fontainebleau

Dominican at Dutchtown

Captain Shreve at St. Thomas More

Zachary at Live Oak

Slidell at Pineville

Terrebonne at Hahnville

South Terrebonne at West Monroe

Covington at Denham Springs

Academy of our Lady at Northshore

John Ehret at St. Joseph’s

Mt. Carmel at St. Amant

Carencro at Byrd

New Iberia at Sulphur

Thibodaux at East Ascension

CLASS 4A

O.P. Walker at Sam Houston

Parkway at Franklin Parish

Franklinton at Breaux Bridge

Pearl River at Ursuline

Morgan City at West Ouachita

St. Michael at Leesville

DeRidder at Belle Chasse

Tara at Vandebilt Catholic

Woodlawn at Haughton

Tioga at Northwood

St. Louis at Neville

Cecilia at Cabrini

Caddo Magnet at Alexandria

Beau Chene at Grant

Ruston at Lutcher

Warren Easton at Teurlings Catholic

CLASS 3A

St. Mary Academy at Buckeye

West Feliciana at Jewel Sumner

Church Point at Avoyelles

Bunkie at North Vermilion

Sacred Heart at Albany

North DeSoto at Rayne

Crowley at Caldwell Parish

Eunice at Catholic-N.I.

Xavier Prep at Parkview Baptist

Berwick at Livonia

Plaquemine at Notre Dame

Loranger at Kaplan

De La Salle at Jena

Rayville at Iowa

Loyola at E.D. White

Clark at Brusley

CLASS 2A

Episcopal at Riverside Acad.

Anacoco at South Beauregard

Runnels at Pine Prairie

Fisher at Mamou

Springhill at Winnfield

North Caddo at Many

French Settlement at Opelousas Cath.

Springfield at Evangel

Lakeview at DeQuincy

Doyle at Iota

Thomas Jefferson at Menard

Port Barre at Kinder

Mangham at St. Charles Cath.

Lakeside at Sterlington

Sacred Heart-V.P. Rosepine

Jonesboro-Hodge at John Curtis

CLASS 1A

West St. John at False River

St. Edmund at Merryville

Ascension Cath. at Oak Grove

St. Mary’s at Cedar Creek

Christian Life at Catholic-PC

South Cameron at Delcalmbre

Sarepta at Haynesville

White Castle at Hannan

Country Day at Ouachita Christian

Vermilion Catholic at Hanson

Montgomery at Block

Grambling at South Plaquemine

Delhi Charter at Logansport

St. Martin’s at Ascension Catholic

LaSalle at Oberlin

Ecole Classique at St. John

CLASS B

Evans at Oak Hill

Downsville at Stanley

Negreet at Quitman

Shongaloo at Choudrant

Harrisonburg at Monterey

Converse at Zwolle

Castor at Grand Lake

Bell City at Pitkin

Simsboro at Simpson

Weston at Houma Christian

Avoyelles Charter at Florien

Patrick Taylor at Forest

Centerville at Hornbeck

Fairview at Maurepas

Summerfield at Glenmora

Doyline at Holden

CLASS C

Second round

Phoenix at Starks

Ebarb at Family Christian

Assembly Christian at St. Joseph’s Plaucheville

Reeves at Claiborne Christian

Cotton Valley at Calvin

Georgetown at Kilbourne

Elizabeth at Hackberry

Dubach at Grace Christian

Thursday April 14 baseball games

District 2-4A leaders Haughton and Benton picked up wins on Thursday. Haughton downed Bossier 17-0 and Benton romped over Minden 20-7.

The Bucs (20-5, 6-1) erupted for seven first inning runs enroute to the washout of the Bearkats.

Ross Moore drove in seven runs in Benton's win. He was 3-for-4 and a pair of doubles. Tyler Harrell added two doubles in his three hits as Benton improved to 17-8, 6-1.

In District 1-2A, league leader Evangel took a pair of wins from North Caddo and is now 8-0 in the district and 19-7 overall. Calvary kept pace with Evangel with a 17-6 win over Lakeside. The Cavaliers sport a 7-1 mark in district and 15-8 on the year.

Coaches Baseball Polls - April 7

Class 5A

1. Catholic-BR

2. Mandeville

3. Barbe

4. Acadiana

5. Lafayette

6. Dutchtown

7. Airline

8. Jesuit

9. Shaw

10. Zachary

Others receiving votes: Byrd, St. Paul, Central-BR, Hahnville, Brother Martin, St. Thomas More.

Class 4A

1. Teurlings Catholic

2. St. Michael

3. Haughton

4. Sam Houston

5. Belle Chasse

6. Tioga

7. St. Louis

8. Franklinton

9. DeRidder

10. Morgan City

Others receiving votes: Ruston, Breaux Bridge, Benton, Grant, West Ouachita, Lutcher.

Class 3A

1. Notre Dame

2. Parkview Baptist

3. Holy Cross

4. E. D. White

5. Eunice

6. Livonia

7. Iowa

8. Catholic-N.I.

9. Redemptorist

10. West Feliciana

Others receiving votes: Bunkie, Berwick, North DeSoto, Buckeye.

Class 2A

1. Calvary

2. Evangel

3. Menard

4. St. Charles Catholic

5. Northlake Christian

6. Dunham

7. Riverside

8. Kinder

9. Rosepine

10. University

Others receiving votes: Sacred Heart-VP, Lakeside, Newman, John Curtis, Mangham.

Class 1A

1. St. Mary’s

2. Cedar Creek

3. Ouachita Christian

4. Vermilion Catholic

5. St. John

6. False River

7. St. Martin's

8. Ascension Catholic

8. Hanson Memorial

9. Oak Grove

Others receiving votes: St. Edmund, Central Catholic, St. Frederick, Catholic-PC.

Class B

1. Choudrant

2. Maurepas

3. Zwolle

4. Converse

5. Florien

6. Oak Hill

7. Hornbeck

8. Forest

9. Pitkin

10. Simsboro

Others receiving votes: Downsville, Houma Christian.

Class C

1. Family Christian

2. Hicks

tie. Claiborne Christian

4. Elizabeth

5. Grace Christian

6. Northside Christian

7. Georgetown

8. Reeves

9. Calvin

10. Assembly Christian

Others receiving votes: Kilbourne, Dubach Ebarb.

Coaches Baseball Polls

Class 5A

1. Catholic-BR

2. Lafayette

3. Barbe

4. Mandeville

5. Airline

6. Acadiana

7. Dutchtown

8. Jesuit

9. Zachary

10. Shaw

Others receiving votes: Central, Brother Martin, Hahnville, Byrd, St. Thomas More, and St. Paul.

Class 4A

1. Teurlings Catholic

2. St. Michael

3. Haughton

4. St. Louis

5. Belle Chasse

6. Sam Houston

7. Franklinton

8. Tioga

9. DeRidder

10. Morgan City

Others receiving votes: Ruston, ASH, Breaux Bridge, and Lutcher.

Class 3A

1. Notre Dame

2. Parkview Baptist

3. Holy Cross

4. Iowa

5. E. D. White

6. Catholic, New Iberia

7. Livonia

8. Redemptorist

9. Eunice

10. West Feliciana

Others receiving votes: Buckeye, Bunkie, North DeSoto, Loranger, and Brusly.

Class 2A

1. Calvary Baptist

2. Evangel

3. Northlake Christian

4. Menard

5. St. Charles Catholic

6. Dunham

7. Riverside

8. University

9. Kinder

10. Rosepine

Others receiving votes: Newman, Sacred Heart-Ville Platte, Lakeside, and John Curtis.

Class 1A

1. St. Mary

2. Cedar Creek

3. OCS

4. Vermilion Catholic

5. St. John

6. St. Martin's

7. Catholic, Pointe Coupee

8. Hanson Memorial

9. Oak Grove

10. False River

Others receiving votes: LaSalle, St. Edmund, and St. Frederick.

Class B

1. Choudrant

2. Converse

3. Maurepas

4. Zwolle

5. Florien

6. Oak Hill

7. Pitkin

8. Hornbeck

9. Forest

10. Simpson

Others receiving votes: Holden, Houma Christian, Simsboro, Fairview, Downsville,and Stanley.

Class C

1. Family Christian

2. Hicks

2. Claiborne Christian

4. Grace Christian

5. Elizabeth

6. Northside Christian

7. Georgetown

8. Reeves

9. Calvin

10. Assembly Christian

Others receiving votes: Dubach and Grand Isle.

Baseball Standings - thru Thursday 4/14/11

Here are updated Baseball standings:

District 1-5A...........District...........All

Airline.........................5-1................20-4

Byrd............................4-2................14-11

Captain Shreve...........2-4...............16-11

Southwood.................1-5.................10-14

District 1-4...............District.........All

Northwood......................5-0...........15-12

Huntington.....................2-2...........4-14

Woodlawn.......................1-3............6-10

Fair Park.........................1-4............4-10

District 2-4A............District.........All

Haughton......................6-1.............20-5

Benton...........................6-1.............17-8

Parkway.........................5-4..............12-13

Minden..........................3-7..............9-15

Bossier...........................0-7.............2-19

District 1-3A.............District.........All

North DeSoto...............3-1..............18-11

Loyola...........................1-3...............9-17

District 1-2A.............District.........All

Evangel........................8-0..............19-7

Calvary.........................7-1..............15-8

Lakeside.......................3-4..............17-8

Springhill.....................3-5...............12-11

North Caddo.................2-6.............13-9

Homer..........................0-7...............7-11