Week 9 St. Landry Football
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
A strong playoff aroma has begun filtering among several St. Landry Parish high school football programs as Week 9 of the regular season approaches.
Opelousas High, Northwest, St. Edmund, Westminster Christian and Opelousas Catholic appear to have solid credentials for extending their 2024 seasons beyond the second week in November
While Opelousas and Northwest are the highest-ranked teams in the ninth weekly Louisiana High School Athletic Association poll, it’s also time to begin paying more attention to the current power rankings which ultimately determine the order of postseason seeding.
Senior-heavy St. Edmund, which lost a crucial district game last Thursday night to Catholic High-Pointe Coupee (26-22), is seeded sixth in the Division IV non-select power rankings, four places below the Hornets, who are undefeated in league games.
CHPC can claim the district title outright in Week 10 by winning a hosted contest against Opelousas Catholic.
Opelousas High is ranked seventh in the weekly LSWA polls. The Tigers are currently No. 12 in the Division II non-select power rankings, following a district win last Friday night over Cecilia, currently seeded 19th in the same division.
The Tigers have much remaining in front of them, as Opelousas plays two more regular season league contests against Breaux Bridge and Beau Chene. Wins over both those opponents give Opelousas a district title which eluded the program last season.
Although Northwest plays in Class 3A, the Raiders will again compete against Class 4A schools in Division II non-select once the playoffs start.
The Raiders are posturing for a chance to win a district title in Week 10, if they and Iota both win Friday night.
Northwest is ranked fifth in Class 3A this week, while the Raiders are seeded No. 16 in their playoff division.
Westminster Christian has entered the postseason conversation after the Crusaders have posted three successive district victories.
Although WCA is unranked in Week 9, the Crusaders are No. 14 among Division IV non-select teams.
A key game remains for WCA in Week 10, when the Crusaders travel to meet St. Edmund in a contest that decides the final order of finish in District 5-1A.
Opelousas Catholic is seeded two places behind WCA in Division IV non-select. The Vikings lost consecutive district games to Westminster and St. Edmund.
However the Vikings have probably qualified for the playoffs, sitting at No. 16 in their division.
OCS still has a voice in the final district standings, as the Vikings will travel to play CHPC in Week 10.
WEEK 9 PARISH SCHEDULE
Eunice High (1-7, 1-2) at Leesville
Berchmans Academy (1-7, 0-4) at Opelousas Catholic (5-3, 2-2)
Kinder at Port Barre (1-7, 0-2)
Northwest (6-2, 4-0) at Crowley
North Central (1-7, 1-4) at Westminster (6-2, 3-1)
Opelousas (4-3, 2-0) at Breaux Bridge
Bolton at St. Edmund (7-1, 4-1)
