High Five: News/notes/thoughts, Week of Jan. 2
Got something that you think I missed in this week’s High Five? Or something that you think should be in next week’s? Feel free to tweet me, @BHudson977, or comment on this post. Shake back time for New Iberia Remember…
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Continue ReadingGot something that you think I missed in this week’s High Five? Or something that you think should be in next week’s? Feel free to tweet me, @BHudson977, or comment on this post.
Shake back time for New Iberia
Remember when New Iberia was one of the top five teams in 5A, according to the LHSAA’s power points? That day is probably gone, after losses to H.L. Bourgeois, St. Martinville and Lafayette in the last 10 days. All is not lost here: games against district foes like Lafayette and Barbe could do the Yellowjackets some good if they win them, but losing those games could spiral this thing into a tailspin that produces a brutally difficult route to the Top 28. This is a team to watch in the next couple of weeks.
New 1A championship contender, Delhi?
I got see Delhi a few times in its appearance in Sterlington’s Christmas tournament last week and was crazy impressed with the Bears. I’m trying to get more of a deep dive on Delhi’s makeup going in the coming days (future content tease!), but know this: Delhi being No. 8 in the power points currently posted on the LHSAA’s site is misleading. This is as good a Top 28 contender as one can find in 1A.
If you’re wondering why a team I’m pumping up so much is all the way down to No. 8 in the power points, allow me to justify myself: Delhi did lose to Delhi Charter in the season opener, but I’ve been told Delhi had six players foul out in that game. (I have not confirmed that, so it may be exaggerated, but even a subdued version is worth noting.) The other losses came to 3A powerhouse Carroll twice, 4A Bastrop and another talented 3A team in Madison. Beating Simsboro and West Ouachita in back-to-back days at the Sterlington tournament is another feather in the cap.
Holy Cross: Misleading record or sign of things to come?
Holy Cross’ 14-4 is one of the best records in Division I, yet the Tigers were at No. 9 in the power points that were released midweek last week. Why? Because the Tigers haven’t really played anybody. The wins over Rummel, Brother Martin, Warren Easton, Benjamin Franklin, Eleanor McMain and others don’t do much for me. The Tigers did play Episcopal, but lost.
All of that is about to change: Holy Cross gets the two best teams in its district, John Curtis and St. Augustine, in the first 13 days of this month. I think we’ll find out pretty quickly how much weight we should put into Holy Cross’ non-district record; even a pair of really close losses would do something to legitimize Holy Cross as a player in Division I.
The Don Redden Memorial Classic…get ready
This tournament – Ouachita’s big yearly event – had four Top 28 teams last year: host Ouachita (5A), Wossman (3A), Simsboro (Class B), St. Louis Catholic (3A), plus Carroll and Rayville teams that almost cracked the Top 28 after tight losses in the quarterfinals. (Carroll’s quarterfinals loss, ironically enough, came to St. Louis.)
This year’s field is just as stacked: I see Wossman, Carroll, Ouachita, Woodlawn (Shreve.) and Rayville as true Top 28 threats, with other teams like Neville, West Monroe, West Ouachita and Bastrop as teams with potential to win a playoff game. You’ll get more on this tournament later in the week. (Another future content tease!)
District play beginning with a bang
On Tuesday, I count 15 districts across the state that will begin district play. Not all of the Tuesday games are standout shows, but the beginning of district play does signify the upcoming blockbuster matchups. District 9-5A is one, for example, as it accelerates the countdown to the John Curtis-St. Aug matchups.
Others like that include District 8-3A, where Kaplan, North Vermilion and Berwick should have a heck of a battle with one another, and 6-3A with its four teams in top 14 of the power points: Brusly, Baker, West Feliciana and Donaldsonville.
Others that are going to be flat-out awesome are 3-5A, 7-5A, 2-3A, 1-1A, 2-1A and 4-1A all of them starting district play Tuesday.