Pickering, East Beauregard face difficult first round match ups
Published 3:56 pm Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Rodrick Anderson
Warren Arceneaux
In this edition of the Three Point Stance, Rodrick Anderson and Warren Arceneaux discuss the small school football playoff pairings.
What is the best first round game?
RA: Pickering at Bunkie, Class 2A. Pickering’s playoff stock wavered as it struggled down the stretch, losing two of its last three games, but the Red Devils are not a 20-seed to be ignored. Pickering has one of the top 1-2 receiver combos in Southwest La. in DeShawn Jackson (661 yards, 9 TD) and Evan Fernandez (529 yards, 7 TD) and a dual threat quarterback in Marlon Freeney who has accounted for 28 touchdowns. Bunkie has gone from 4-7 in 2019 to 5-3 this year.
WA: Montgomery at East Beauregard, Class 1A. It doesn’t get any closer seed-wise, and this one could feature plenty of points. Montgomery beat Gueydan 66-42 last week. The Trojans’ last two games have had a total of 139 points scored.
Which area team will make the longest playoff run?
RA: Grand Lake will open the playoffs with its highest ranking ever and will get a bye in the first round. The Hornets went 5-1 this season despite the destruction brought by a pair of hurricanes and dealing with the coronavirus. Grand Lake was just a play away from reaching the quarterfinals last year and have a dangerous ground game that is averaging nearly 300 yards a game led by Levi Murrell (516 yards, 6 TD) and Eli Fountain (505 yards, 8 TD).
WA: Kinder. The Yellow Jackets reached the quarterfinals last year and are entering the playoffs on a high note with four straight wins. In those games, Kinder has outscored its opponents 179-26.
Name a player to watch.
RA: Rosepine junior quarterback Ethan Frey (73-134-2, 1,184 yards, 12 TD) has upped his accruracy this season, throwing just two picks in six games, and has given the Eagles a second run threat (271 yards, 5 TD) along with sophomore running back Grant Ducote (704 yards, 11 TD). With Frey under center, the Eagles are averaging more than 400 yards and 36 points a game.
WA: Oakdale running backs Cedric Allison and Jamall Warnell. Each running back averages over 100 yards per game for the Warriors, who will travel to Avoyelles in the first round. In their only game against an area team this season, the Mustangs allowed a big game to South Beauregard back Malachi McElhaney, who ran for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
