Pairings shake out as expected
A glitch in the computer system used to compile the votes for playoff seeding delayed the process by more than an hour.
Local coaches said they still got pretty much what they expected when the Louisiana High School Athletic Association posted the boys soccer pairings late Wednesday afternoon.
“I think the Division I rankings were pretty much right on,” Catholic High coach Bo Cassidy said. “I figured we’d be either a No. 5 or a No. 6, and we wound up at No. 6. There really weren’t a whole lot of surprises.”
Sixteen schools from Baton Rouge-based districts advanced to the playoffs in Divisions I, II and III. First round or bidistrict playoffs for boys teams must be completed by Saturday night.
No local team garnered a top three seed. Parkview Baptist (16-6-2) got the No. 4 seed in Division III, the highest ranking in coach Roger Charcap’s five seasons. Like Catholic (16-4-1) in Division I, University, of Division III, grabbed a No. 6 seed.
“I was surprised,” Charcap said. “I thought we’d be a No. 6 or a No. 7. I think the fact that we beat U-High probably helped with that. There were a couple of teams, like Episcopal, that didn’t get seeded as high as I thought they would. Overall, I think the seedings were good.”
Catholic, of Division I, District 5, is set to host No. 27 Natchitoches Central at 7 p.m. Friday at the Burbank Soccer Complex. Two Division II, District 6 rivals, No. 11 St. Michael (14-7-3) and No. 22 Broadmoor, are also scheduled to at 7 p.m. Friday. That contest is tentatively set for Woodlawn High.
Charcap’s fourth-seeded PBS team is set to host No. 29 Abbeville at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“I thought we’d be No. 10 or an 11, so we’re about where I thought we’d be,” St. Michael coach Paul Fletcher said. “The thing that surprised me was that Lutcher was seeded 17th. I thought they might be higher. We’re pleased to have four teams from our district in the playoffs.”
Catholic is one of six local Division I teams in the playoffs. Walker, of District 4, garnered a No. 32 seed and travels to play No. 1 Jesuit-New Orleans.
St. Amant, seeded 10th, hosts No. 23 Bonnabel, while another District 5 team, No. 11 Dutchtown, hosts No. 22 Sam Houston. Two other District 4 teams, No. 18 Zachary (at No. 15 Westgate) and No. 26 Central (at No. 7 Acadiana), travel. In Division II, No. 17 Lutcher (at No. 16 DeRidder), No. 24 Belaire (at No. 9 Vandebilt) also travel.
In Division III, No. 6 University is also set to play Friday. The Cubs will host No. 27 Houma Christian at 6 p.m.
Episcopal, a 16th seed (No. 17 Lusher), and Runnels, a No. 15 seed (No. 18 Bossier), are will host first-round contests. No. 28 Christian Life travels to Hammond to take on No. 5 St. Thomas Aquinas.