2016 Louisiana Football 5A Quarterfinal Playoff Update and Preview

Written by Charlie Beuttel

Twitter: @charlie_cds3

We have reached the quarterfinals of the 5A Louisiana High School Football Playoffs with eight teams left battling for the four semifinal spots Friday night. All four games on Friday night are guaranteed to be action-packed and highly entertaining. If in the area, make sure you make it out to one of these games so you don’t miss any of the action!

5A Quarterfinal Match-Ups

No. 9 John Ehret (10-2) @ No. 1 Destrehan (11-0)

In the second round, Destrehan squeaked past Mandeville 37-36 while John Ehret got past Hahnville 35-28.

The No. 1 seeded Destrehan Wildcats scored a touchdown with nine seconds remaining on a 17-yard pass from Harold Blood Jr. to Justin Jefferson to move within one point of sending the game into overtime. While attempting to tie the game on the extra point, Jefferson bobbled the snap but luckily threw a successful pass to Mason Clark to give Destrehan the victory.

Friday’s game will be Destrehan’s fourth consecutive quarterfinal appearance. The Wildcats are led by quarterback Kohen Granier and wide receiver and Notre Dame commit, Michael Young.

John Ehret was led by running back Byron James in their second round win. The standout senior rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams made the semifinals last year but only one can make that step in 2016. Can Destrehan continue their undefeated run towards a state title or will John Ehret make their second consecutive trip to the semifinals?

No. 5 Landry-Walker (10-2) @ No. 4 Parkway (11-1)

Last Friday, Landry-Walker destroyed Sulphur 50-24 while Parkway rallied past Central-Baton rouge 26-14.

Landry-Walker has been led all year by senior quarterback and Mississippi State commit, Keytaon Thompson. Parkway is led by two of the best players in Louisiana in the Class of 2018, quarterback Justin Rogers and wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. Both these teams are on amazing winning streaks as Landry-Walker have not lost since Week 2 on Sept. 9 and Parkway has not lost since their lone defeat this season against Evangel on Sept. 23.

Landry-Walker fell in the quarterfinals last year but is eager to take the next step by defeating Parkway. On the other hand, Parkway is working hard to make their second consecutive semifinal appearance. The matchup should be a fun game to watch as both teams have exciting offenses.

No. 14 Acadiana (8-3) @ No. 11 Zachary (9-3)

In the second round, Acadiana destroyed Ponchatoula 38-14 while Zachary routed East Ascension 51-17. These two teams are responsible for the last three 5A state titles with Acaidana winning in 2013 and 2014. Zachary took home the gold in 2015.

This season, Zachary is led by quarterback Keilon Brown who accounted for three total touchdowns in the Broncos second round win and wide receiver Shyron White. Zachary’s defense is led by Donovan Perkins.

All of Acadiana’s offense against Ponchatoula came on the ground as the Rams racked up 273 rushing yards in their upset of the No. 3 seed. Braylen Trahan led the way with 105 yards, two rushing touchdowns and one more score on a pick-six.

These two teams are lone double-digit seeded teams left in the bracket. It will be interesting to see if Zachary can successfully defend their title or if Acaidana can make another run towards New Orleans.

No. 7 St. Amant (12-1) @ No. 2 West Monroe (10-1-1)

Last Friday, St. Amant defeated Barbe 16-6 while West Monroe destroyed Ouachita Parish 61-21. St. Amant Gators’ defensive back Khaj Washington clinched the win for his team by returning a Barbe pass 90 yards for a touchdown with just under four minutes to go. St. Amant’s 16 points scored was their lowest point total of the season with 28 being their previous lowest. They have scored over 50 points in a game a whopping five times this year. Their offense is led by quarterback Hayden Mallory who threw for 102 yards and a touchdown last week. Cade Nelson, St. Amant’s third string running back, stepped up due to injuries and chipped in 108 rushing yards on 12 carries.

On the other hand, West Monroe thoroughly destroyed their in-district rival to reach this point. The Rebels were led by Slade Bolden and Tennessee commit Trey Coleman who both rushed for more than 100 yards and the dynamic duo combined for five total touchdowns.

Who will win this highly anticipated game and punch their ticket in the semifinals?

Photo credit: lafootballmagazine.com; West Monroe RB Trey Coleman