Parish Hoops In Playoffs

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

While one St. Landry Parish team is playing for a third consecutive girls state basketball championship, seven parish boys teams are hoping to advance to the quarterfinal round of playoffs this week.

The J.S. Clark Leadership Academy girls team, the defending Class B champion, is headed to Hammond again on Wednesday as the third-seeded Bulldogs (24-8) meet No. 2 Cedar Creek (27-3) in a semifinal matchup on the Southeastern Louisiana campus auditorium at 1 pm.

Parish boys’ teams are engaged in second-round (regional) games on either Monday or Tuesday.

Third-seeded Opelousas High hosts No. 14 A.J. Ellender Tuesday at 6:30 pm.

Other remaining parish teams playing on Tuesday night are Northwest High, North Central,, J.S. Clark and Beau Chene.

Beau Chene is scheduled to play at No. 2 Minden on Monday night, while North Central is at East Iberville, also on Monday night. Westminster goes to New Orleans to play at Crescent City on Monday afternoon.

J.S. Clark – Cedar Creek

The Bulldogs have had little problem reaching the Division IV-select state tournament which includes top-seeded Southern Lab and No. 5 Ouachita Christian.

On Thursday night Clark hosted and beat crosstown and district opponent Westminster Christian 68-27.

Clark has also beaten No. 11 Ascension Catholic (64-36) in the second round.

Like the Bulldogs, Cedar Creek has had little difficulty navigating through the playoffs.

In the bi-district round Cedar Creek defeated St. Frederick’s of Monroe (59-24), while last Thursday night Cedar Creek beat seventh-seeded Hamilton Christian (47-28).

Boys Playoffs

Opelousas High (21-5) was ranked as high as No. 2 in Division II non-select during the past several months.

The Tigers received a first-round bye and now meet Ellender, a familiar playoff opponent. Ellender moved past the initial round on Friday night, beating No. 19 Eunice (69-66).

If Opelousas beats Ellender, the Tigers will presumably have another home playoff game on Friday night against either No. 11 Plaquemine or sixth-seeded Bossier City.

Beau Chene, also in Division II non-select and North Central in Division IV non-select, each entered the playoffs with a losing record.

The Gators however, defeated No. 18 West Feliciana at home last Friday night (65-62).

Minden didn’t play in a first-round game because of the first-round bye.

Beau Chene or Minden is scheduled to meet either No. 7 Franklin Parish or 10-seeded Albany in the Quarterfinal round.

Northwest, (16-11) winner of the St. Landry Parish Tournament, is seeded ninth in Division II-non select.

The Raiders opened the playoffs last Friday night by defeating No. 24 Jennings (74-64).

On Tuesday Northwest will travel to No. 8 Bastrop (18-6) which defeated No. 25 Breaux Bridge 87-39 in a first-round game.

The Quarterfinal round won’t get any easter for either Northwest or Bastrop, since top-seeded Wossman or No. 16 Abbeville awaits the winner.

J.S. Clark (17-11), which played for the Class B title last year, is ranked No. 7 this season in the Division IV non-select postseason.

The Bulldogs are set to play No. 10 Ascension Christian (22-8) at home Tuesday night beginning at 6:30 pm. Ascension Christian beat No. 23 Riverside (75-56) on Friday night in a first-round playoff contest.

Clark or Ascension Christian meets No. 15 Covenant Christian or second-seeded Lincoln Prep in the Quarterfinal round.

Sixteenth-seeded Westminster Christian (14-11) completed the first round playoffs with a 60-43 victory over No. 17 Northwood-Lena (60-43).

If WCA defeats Crescent City, the Crusaders play the winner of No. 9 Central Private or eighth-seeded MLK-Charter.

North Central, seeded No. 11, defeated No. 22 Varnado in LeBeau last Friday night (56-46). The Hurricanes meet sixth-seeded East Iberville on Monday night in the second round game.

East Iberville beat South Plaquemine (68-47) in the opening round.

North Central or East Iberville plays either No. 3 Lakeview or 14th-seeded Elton in a Quarterfinal game.