Three Point Stance: Jennings will find Lutcher’s record deceiving
Warren Arceneaux
Rodrick Anderson
In this edition of the Three Point Stance, staff writers Rodrick Anderson and Warren Arceneaux discuss the second (regional) round of the high school football playoffs.
What is the most interesting matchup involving an area large schools?
WA: Jennings at Lutcher. The Battle of the Bulldogs should be a good one. Jennings is the undefeated top seed in Class 3A, but Lutcher has a winning tradition and this year’s 5-3 record is a little deceiving considering its strength of schedule. Points should be plentiful. Lutcher scored 54 last week while Jennings averages 47.7 per game.
RA: Minden at Leesville. The Wampus Cats survived a scare from No. 28 Northwood last week thanks to a last-minute touchdown by running back Caleb Gallashaw. Leesville has won three consecutive games but will have to deal the Crimson Tide this week and their three-year starter at quarterback in Trenton McLaughlin to get back to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2018.
What is the best small schools game?
WA: Avoyelles at Kinder. This one shapes up as an old-school battle of the trenches between teams that like to control possession with dominant run games. The Yellow Jackets have a good set of linebackers in Bryce Laughlin and Trenton Bono. They will need to be in top form to slow the Mustangs, who ran for 422 yards in last week’s win over Oakdale.
RA: Centerville at Oberlin. Oberlin has been waiting two weeks for a chance to bounce back from a loss to district rival Basile and start another deep playoff run. The game will be an old-school grind-it-out affair between Oberlin’s Malachi Simien (742 yards, 13 TDs) and Aiden Reed (697 yds., 11 TDs) and Centerville’s Tyler Gunner (851 yds., 8 TDs), Travis Billiot (559 yds., 7 TDs) and Morty Frederick (527 yds., 7 TDs).
Name a player to watch.
WA: Lake Charles College Prep receiver Solomon Lewis had eight catches for 163 yards and two TDs last week in a win over South Beauregard. The teams meet again Saturday afternoon and the Trailblazers passing game may need to produce more big plays. The Golden Knights held Prep to 83 yards rushing in the first game.
RA: Sophomore running back Grant Ducote has been essential to Rosepine’s success. When he runs for more than 150 yards, the Eagles are 4-0. He has run for more than 200 yards in back-to-back games, and Rosepine will need every yard it can get to upset No. 3 Loreauville, which hasn’t allowed more than two touchdowns in five consecutive games.
Rodrick Anderson/American Press