The Louisiana High School Athletic Association released the football playoff brackets Sunday, and the Acadiana area is well-represented with 33 teams — 16 select and 17 nonselect — qualifying for the playoffs.
Of those teams, the Lafayette Christian Knights and the Westminster Christian Crusaders are the lone area teams to earn No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions. The Knights (9-1) and the Crusaders, who are 10-0, are the top seeds in select Division III and IV.
“Getting the No. 1 seed is a big deal for us,” Knights coach Matt Standiford said. “Getting the No. 1 seed is a huge accomplishment for our kids. Getting the top spot, you feel like you have put yourself in the best position.”
While the Knights are thrilled to be having the road to the dome come through them, Crusaders coach Byron Porter was kind of indifferent.
“We were No. 1 going into our game (Thursday), so I didn’t see us dropping,” Porter said. “So, I thought we’d be the No. 1 seed but, in the end, where you are seeded doesn’t really matter. When the postseason begins, we are all going to be 0-0. Wherever we would’ve been, we would have just showed up and played.”
The Acadiana area also has two teams — Teurlings Catholic (10-0) and Notre Dame — that received No. 2 seeds. The Knights, Crusaders, Rebels, Pios, Lafayette Renaissance (No. 7 Division III select), Jeanerette (No. 4 Division IV nonselect) and Ascension Episcopal (No. 7 Division IV select) have all earned first-round byes.
“We felt the best would be No. 2 and the worst would have been No. 3,” said Rebels coach Michael Courville, whose team received a first-round bye. “I don’t want to say I’m indifferent, but the bye week has merit depending on your situation. Having a bye week can help you heal up, but it isn’t ideal to have a week of practice and not have a game at the end.”
On the nonselect side, the Southside Sharks are hoping they are able to make a run as the No. 8 seed in Division I. And while some may be disappointed for not receiving a first-round bye, Sharks coach Jess Curtis isn’t among them.
“I’ve never been crazy about bye week,” Curtis said. “I don’t like losing momentum. It’s good to get healthy, but there is good and bad about bye weeks. I’m totally fine with us not having one.”
