Photographed: Michael Cunningham of Westminster Christian, photo by Freddie Herpin
Bobby Ardoin Consulting Writer/Editor
Four St. Landry Parish football teams remain in the state playoffs as second-round postseason games are scheduled to unfold Friday night.
Opelousas High, Northwest High and Westminster Christian Academy defeated bi-district opponents last week, while Opelousas Catholic had a bye.
Northwest and OCS have second-round home games, while fifth-seeded Opelousas (8-3) faces a road trip at St. Francisville for a Division II contest against No. 5 West Feliciana and Westminster travels to Monroe for a select- game against Ouachita Christian, which also earned a first-round bye.
Originally the parish featured seven playoff teams, but Port Barre, Eunice High and St. Edmund lost their bi-district contests last Friday night.
Here’s a look at the second round games that involve parish teams.
No. 9 Ascension Catholic (9-2) at No. 8 Opelousas Catholic (7-3)
If this Division IV select matchup sounds familiar, it’s probably because these teams are playing for the fourth time during the last two seasons.
Ascension Catholic has dominated the recent series, winning all three of the last games played, including a second round game which eliminated OCS last year.
The Vikings also lost to ACHS during Week 2 (39-28), something that has bothered OCS during the past couple of months, says head coach Cullen Matherne.
“We’ve felt we let that one get away from us in the fourth quarter,” Matherne says
OCS Matherne says, spent last week healing some injured players and conducting practices. “We’ve looked at it as a win-win situation, keeping in shape and getting our work in as we would normally do,” says Matherne.
The Vikings have scored over 50 points in each of the last four games using a redesigned offense.
That style is different than the one used by Ascension Catholic, that Matherne describes as an old-school scheme that features a fullback, running back and tight ends.
“They set up the run-game with the play action pass and they have a great offense,” Matherne says.
OCS senior quarterback Mark Collins has thrown for 37 touchdowns and has accumulated nearly 3,500 yards of total offense.
No. 22 Northwest High (8-3) at No. 6 Wossman (9-2)
The Raiders are home for the Division II non-select postseason game for the first time since 2017.
Northwest head football coach Chris Edwards says Wossman features a typical North-Louisiana look that includes tall, rangy players who also possess sufficient speed.
“Wossman runs a spread the defense with an offense that usually has one back, but you will see them run the ball a lot out of that formation,” Edwards says.
Defensively Wossman has recorded five shutouts, while averaging over 30 points a game.
Edwards says the players on this year’s team are experiencing the playoffs for the first time in their careers.
“I think what has impressed them is they are seeing right now that all the hard work they have been putting in this year and during the offseason is beginning to pay off,” Edwards adds.
Northwest moved into the second round with a 42-20 win over Franklin Parish on Friday night.
Senior Northwest running back Javian Reese gained 171 yards on 26 carries. Reese, one of the top rushers in the state, also scored three rushing touchdowns during the second half.
Overall the Raiders ran for 406 yards.
Complementing Reese were running backs Samuel Leday (6 carries, 111 yards), Craig Malveaux (8-76) and Jayden Chavis (8-45).
Northwest established a 12-0 first quarter lead and scored in every quarter.
No. 19 Westminster Christian (6-5) at No. 3 Ouachita Christian (9-1)
WCA is advancing to the second round for the first time since 2016. It’s also the first year that head coach Byron Porter has guided the program.
The Crusaders reached the Division IV select contest after beating St. Edmund (7-6) in a bi-district contest played in Eunice.
Westminster running back Michael Cunningham gained 137 yards on 26 carries and scored the only WCA touchdown on an eight-yard run with 11:52remaining in the second quarter.
WCA also limited St. Edmund running back KeVon Johnson, who entered the game with nearly 1,900 regular season rushing yards to 133 on 32 attempts.
The teams combined for only 18 passing yards in a game played during a persistent rain.
Ouachita Christian, which had a first-round bye last week, is a team that possesses all the essentials of a quality playoff opponent, says Westminster football coach Brandon Porter.
“They are big and they also have a lot of team speed. They are good, with only one loss to a team from Arkansas. We’re going up there with the attitude that we are going to win,” Porter says.
Porter adds that the victory over St. Edmund – the first for the WCA program since 2016 – was important.
“It was really a big deal for these kids. We’re excited and we are riding a wave right now that we don’t want to stop. We are getting some kids into our program now and they are starting to help us change the narrative,” Porter says.
Cunningham has accumulated nearly 900 yards of total offense this year.
