Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
The high school football playoff pairings are out for the four select divisions in Louisiana. Here's what stood out for Baton Rouge area schools after the brackets and schedule were released. Division I Select The lone Baton Rouge area school to earn a bye into the regional round was Catholic (8-2, 5-0). The Bears ended the regular season on a five-game winning streak. Catholic also finished the regular season with a massive 41-7 win over Zachary. The Bears will face the winner of No. 13 Hammond and No. 20 Captain Shreve. Liberty (6-4, 3-2) is the other Baton Rouge area school to make the Division I select playoffs. The Patriots moved up into the No. 21 seed and will head on the road to take on No. 12 Brother Martin. Division II Select Two Baton Rouge area schools earned a bye into the regional round in Division II Select. No. 4 University High (8-2, 6-0) closed out the season winning its last six games, including a 14-8 win over Madison Prep to win the District 6-3A title. The Cubs await the winner of No. 13 Booker T. Washington-Shreveport and fellow local school No. 20 Istrouma. U-High's defense only allowed more than 20 points in a game once across the win streak. No. 5 Madison Prep (8-2, 5-1) also earned a bye. Despite the loss to the Cubs, the Chargers ended the regular season with a 60-6 win over Helix Mentorship Academy. The defense pitched three shutouts this season, while the offense averaged 42.1 points per game this year. Madison Prep awaits the winner of No. 12 John F. Kennedy and No. 21 Frederick A Douglass. Also making the playoffs in Division II select from the Baton Rouge area is No. 9 St. Michael, which will host No. 24 Loranger in the first round, and No. 18 Belaire, which takes on No. 15 Patrick Taylor Science/Tech. Division III Select Despite only slotting in at the No. 5 seed, Dunham is still positioned to make a run to the final after earning a bye. The Tigers (9-1, 6-0) won all of their games by double digits, and were only held to less than 40 points once in their 27-21 loss to St. Charles. Dunham's defense also held opponents to single digits or no points in six games. Dunham awaits the winner of No. 12 Northlake Christian and No. 21 St. Louis Catholic. After a 1-3 start to the year, Parkview Baptist (5-5, 4-2) closed out the season winning four of their last five games to not just make the playoffs but earn the right to host a first-round playoff game. The No. 16 Eagles will take on No. 17 D'Arbonne Woods Charter in the opening round. Another team that turned its season around was No. 15 Episcopal. The Knights started the season 1-4, before closing out the year winning four of five to finish 5-5, 4-2. Episcopal will host No. 18 De La Salle. Other Baton Rouge area schools in the Division II Select playoffs are No. 24 Glen Oaks, which will face No. 9 Catholic-NI, and No. 14 Slaughter Community Charter, which will play No. 19 Pope John Paul II. Division IV Select The team to watch in Division IV Select could be No. 5 Ascension Catholic (8-2, 5-0). The Bulldogs closed the season on a six-game winning streak behind a strong running game led by senior Trevin Simon. Ascension Catholic will await the winner of No. 12 St. John and No. 21 St. Mary's. The Bulldogs defeated St. John 57-35 earlier in the year on the road. No. 4 Catholic-PC (8-2, 4-2) also earned a bye and will play No. 13 Sacred Heart or No. 20 Westminster Christian-Lafayette Other Baton Rouge area schools in the bracket include No. 17 Ascension Christian, which will play No. 16 Opelousas Catholic, No. 11 Kentwood, which hosts No. 22 Vermillion Catholic and No. 10 Southern Lab, which faces No. 23 Central Catholic.
