History is made with Select and Non-Select playoffs

   Back when football practices began in August, it was every team’s goal to make the playoffs.

Under the new playoffs plan, it seems nearly every team had that chance.

For the first time in the history of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, there will be two different football playoffs  set to begin this weekend.

Six local teams earned playoff spots but only four have first-round games this week.

No. 17 Eunice High  (6-4) will travel to No. 16 Westgate (5-4) today in the Class 4A playoffs, while No. 15 Crowley  (7-3) will entertain No. 18 Peabody (7-3) on Friday.

In Class 3-A, No. 9 Church Point (7-3) will play host to No. 24 Eleanor McMain (5-5), while Basile (10-0) will have a first-round bye in Class 1-A. The Bearcats will take on the winner between No. 13 Louisiana New Tech and No. 20 Ringgold in the second round.

In Division IV, the No. 5 St. Edmund Blue Jays (7-3) have a bye and will face the No. 12 Ascension Catholic-No. 21 Ascension Episcopal winner in the regionals.

In Division II, No. 3 Notre Dame (10-0) will entertain No. 14 Thomas Jefferson (5-4).

There were 160 spots in nine different backets.

In the Non-Select Playoffs, there were seven first-round byes with 34 teams with losing records receiving berths including 0-10 East Iberville.

In the Select Playoffs, 14 teams received first round byes with 12 teams below .500, including 1-9 False River Academy.

There were several schools from both brackets who declined a playoff berth which affected the list of first-round byes.

Crescent City (4-6), Mt. Hermon (0-10), Gueydan (0-9), Lusher (4-6), Tensas (0-9), Ridgewood (2-8), Ben Franklin (4-6), Grace King (2-7), Ecole Classique (0-6) and Haynes Academy (4-6) all declared their non-playoff status.

It is hard to believe that this year’s playoffs are so watered down that a team that won three games or less would earn a playoff spot.

Don’t be surprised by the lopsided scores in the first round as the LHSAA works it way to the nine state titles in the two divisions.

Here are the complete pairings:

Class 5A

Bidistrict pairings

(32) Slidell (5-5) at (1) Acadiana (9-1)

(17) Haughton (6-4) at (16) Ponchatoula (7-3)

(24) Hahnville (5-5) at (9) Ouachita Parish (7-3)

(25) South Lafourche (5-5) at (8) Barbe (8-2)

(28) Woodlawn-BR (4-6) at (5) Dutchtown (8-2)

(21) John Ehret (8-2) at (12) Mandeville (8-2)

(20) Natchitoches Central (5-5) at (13) Ruston (7-3)

(29) Terrebonne (5-5) at (4) Destrehan (9-1)

(30) McKinley (3-7) at (3) East Ascension (8-2)

(19) Airline (5-5) at (14) Covington (6-4)

(22) Comeaux (6-4) at (11) Central (9-1)

(27) Denham Springs (4-6) at (6) West Monroe (8-2)

(26) West Jefferson (5-5) at (7) New Iberia (8-2)

(23) Thibodaux (6-4) at (10) Zachary (7-3)

(18) St. Amant (6-4) at (15) East St. John (6-4)

(2) Parkway (9-0) at (31) Captain Shreve (3-7)

Class 4A

Bidistrict pairings

(32) South Terrebonne (5-5) at (1) Neville (9-0)

(17) Eunice (6-4) at (16) Westgate (5-4)

(24) Tara (5-4) at (9) Breaux Bridge (6-3)

(25) Woodlawn-Shreve (5-5) at (8) DeRidder (9-1)

(28) Bastrop (3-7) at (5) Warren Easton (8-2)

(21) Lakeshore (5-5) at (12) Belle Chasse (7-3)

(20) North DeSoto (6-4) at (13) Rayne (8-2)

(29) McDonogh 35 (2-7) at (4) East Jefferson (10-0)

(30) Ellender (5-5) at (3) Landry-Walker (8-1)

(19) Lutcher (5-5) at (14) LaGrange (5-5)

(22) Wossman (5-5) at (11) Franklin Parish (6-3)

(27) Washington-Marion (5-5) at (6) Plaquemine (8-2)

(26) Fair Park (6-4) at (7) Franklinton (8-2)

(23) Benton (5-5) at (10) Northwood-Shreve (9-1)

(18) Peabody (7-3) at (15) Crowley (7-3)

(31) Salmen (3-7) at (2) Karr (8-1)

Class 3A

Bidistrict pairings

(32) Carroll (2-8) at (1) Livonia (10-0)

(17) Buckeye (7-3) at (16) Northwest (5-5)

(24) McMain (5-5) at (9) Church Point (7-3)

(25) Donaldsonville (4-6) at (8) South Beauregard (7-3)

(28) Jena (4-6) at (5) Jennings (7-3)

(21) Franklin (6-4) at (12) Westlake (5-5)

(20) North Vermilion (5-5) at (13) Loranger (6-4)

(29) Rayville (4-6) at (4) Patterson (8-2)

(30) Ville Platte (3-6) at (3) Union Parish (9-1)

(19) Brusly (5-5) at (14) Jewel Sumner (8-2)

(22) Mansfield (5-5) at (11) Kaplan (7-3)

(27) Bogalusa (4-6) at (6) Richwood (7-3)

(26) Marksville (5-5) at (7) West Feliciana (7-3)

(23) Port Barre (6-4) at (10) Amite (7-3)

(18) North Webster (7-3) at (15) Iowa (7-3)

(31) Miller-McCoy (3-7) at (2) Caldwell Parish (9-1)

Class 2A

Bidistrict pairings

(32) Delcambre (2-8) at (1) Many (9-1)

(17) Pickering (6-4) at (16) Springfield (5-5)

(24) St. Helena (2-8) at (9) East Feliciana (5-4)

(25) Ferriday (3-7) at (8) Oak Grove (6-4)

(28) DeQuincy (3-7) at (5) Loreauville (9-1)

(21) Northeast (4-6) at (12) Lakeside (7-3)

(20) South Plaquemines (4-6) at (13) Red River (7-3)

(29) Jonesboro-Hodge (3-7) at (4) Welsh (8-2)

(30) Istrouma (1-9) at (3) Kinder (9-1)

(19) Homer (3-6) at (14) Capitol (6-4)

(22) St. James (4-6) at (11) Lake Arthur (6-4)

(27) Sophie B. Wright (4-6) at (6) Sterlington (7-3)

(26) General Trass (3-7) at (7) Vinton (8-2)

(23) Pine (4-6) at (10) Rosepine (6-4)

(18) Oakdale (4-6) at (15) Carver (4-5)

(31) Bunkie (1-9) at (2) Winnfield (8-2)

Class 1A

Bidistrict pairings

(1) Haynesville (10-0) gets a bye

(17) Arcadia (2-8) at (16) Varnado (2-8)

(24) Grand Lake (1-9) at (9) LaSalle (8-2)

(25) North Central (1-9) at (8) Montgomery (7-3)

(5) Kentwood (7-2) gets a bye

(21) Northwood-Lena (2-8) at (12) Oberlin (6-4)

(20) Ringgold (2-8) at (13) New Tech-Plain Dealing (5-5)

(4) Basile (10-0) gets a bye

(3) West St. John (8-2) gets a bye

(19) Logansport (2-8) at (14) Elton (4-6)

(22) South Cameron (2-8) at (11) Block (5-5)

(6) Pointe Coupee Central (8-3) gets a bye

(7) East Beauregard (8-2) gets a bye

(23) East Iberville (0-10) at (10) White Castle (6-4)

(18) Delhi (1-9) at (15) Merryville (3-7)

(2) Mangham (8-2) gets a bye

Select

Division I

Bidistrict pairings

(1) St. Augustine (8-1) gets a bye

(9) Brother Martin (4-6) at (8) Jesuit (5-5)

(5) Archbishop Rummel (7-3) gets a bye

(4) Scotlandville (8-1) gets a bye

(3) Catholic (8-2) gets a bye

(6) Holy Cross (8-2) gets a bye

(10) Archbishop Shaw (4-6) at (7) St. Paul’s (7-3)

(2) Byrd (9-1) gets a bye

Division II

Bidistrict pairings

John Curtis (7-2) gets a bye

(9) De La Salle (5-4) at (8) St. Charles (7-3)

(12) St. Michael (4-6) at (5) St. Thomas More (9-1)

(13) Loyola (4-6) at (4) Evangel (8-1)

(14) Thomas Jefferson (5-4) at (3) Notre Dame (10-0)

(11) E.D. White Catholic (5-5) at (6) Parkview Baptist (7-2)

(10) Vandebilt Catholic (6-4) at (7) Teurlings Catholic (6-3)

(15) St. Louis Catholic (3-7) at (2) University (10-0)

Division III

Bidistrict pairings

(1) Episcopal (10-0) gets a bye

(9) St. Thomas Aquinas (8-2) at (8) Riverside Academy (8-2)

(12) Pope John Paul II (5-5) at (5) Menard (7-3)

(13) Westminster Christian (3-7) at (4) Archbishop Hannan (8-2)

(11) Dunham (6-3) at (6) Catholic-NI (7-3)

(10) Opelousas Catholic (7-3) at (7) Newman (9-1)

(2) Calvary Baptist gets a bye

Division IV

Bidistrict pairings

(1) Vermilion Catholic (10-0) gets a bye

(17) St. Martin’s (5-5) at (16) Central Catholic (4-6)

(24) Madison Prep (2-6) at (9) Convenant Christian (6-4)

(25) Grambling (2-8) at (8) St. Mary’s (6-4)

(5) St. Edmund (7-3) gets a bye

(21) Ascension Episcopal (5-5) at (12) Ascension Catholic (6-4)

(20) Catholic-Pointe Coupee (5-5) at (13) Hanson Memorial (6-4)

(4) Cedar Creek (7-3) gets a bye

(3) Metairie Park Country Day (9-1) gets a bye

(19) St. John (3-7) at (14) Christian Life (7-3)

(22) Houma Christian (5-5) at (11) Highland Baptist (6-3)

(27) False River Academy (1-9) at (6) St. Frederick (6-4)

(26) Ascension Christian (2-8) at (7) Southern Lab (3-7)

(23) Hamilton Christian (3-7) at (10) Delhi Charter (6-4)

(18) Lafayette Christian (6-4) at (15) Sacred Heart-VP (5-4)

(2) Ouachita Christian (8-2) gets a bye