The Bossier Bearkats and Parkway Panthers will look to advance to the state tournament in their respective divisions Friday.
Bossier (21-9), the No. 4 seed, hosts No. 5 Franklin Parish (23-7) in a non-select Division II quarterfinal game at 7.
Parkway (15-15), the No. 23 seed, visits No. 2 Ruston (21-3) in a non-select Division I quarterfinal game at 6:30.
The winners advance to the state tournament, also known as Boys’ Marsh Madness, next week at Lake Charles’ Burton Coliseum.
Bossier is looking for its fourth trip to the state tournament in the last five years. All told, the Bearkats have made 16 appearances since the first state tournament in Shreveport in 1961.
Bossier has won five state championships. The first one was one year before the first state tournament. The others were in 2011 (Class 4A), 2016 (Class 4A), 2020 (Class 3A) and 2023 (non-select Division II).
Bossier was the non-select Division II runner-up last year.
The Bearkats received a first-round bye in this season’s playoffs then rolled past No. 13 Assumption 69-41 Tuesday in the second round. Bossier is in the quarterfinals for the eighth year in a row.
Franklin Parish defeated No. 28 Iota 78-29 in the first round and No. 12 Abbeville 69-49 in the second.
The Patriots are in the quarterfinals for the fourth straight year but haven’t advanced. Last year, they lost to Minden 52-44.
Franklin Parish is a member of very strong District 2-4A. The Patriots lost to No. 1 seed and defending state champion Wossman 55-47 and Peabody 68-51 in district play. Both are in the quarterfinals. Peabody is the No. 2 seed in select Division II.
Bossier has played one of the toughest schedules in the state. The Bearkats lost to seven state teams. Six are in the quarterfinals of their respective divisions.
Parkway is looking for its first trip to the state tournament. The Panthers came close in 2015, falling to eventual champion Scotlandville 55-46 in the quarterfinals.
The Panthers are facing a formidable foe in Ruston. But with two big upsets in the playoffs under their belts, they won’t be intimidated.
Parkway defeated No. 10 seed Slidell 74-70 in the first round and No. 7 Sulphur 73-67, both in overtime on the road.
Ruston received a first-round bye. The Bearcats routed No. 18 Barbe 74-38 in the second.
Ruston has won 10 in a row. The Bearcats’ last defeat was against Peabody 71-60 on Jan. 17.
Ruston’s other losses were to Huntington 93-90 in the Bossier tournament and El Dorado, Ark., 66-63 in the season opener. In the El Dorado game, the Bearcats didn’t have their full team as some were still playing football.
Last year, Ruston lost to Denham Springs 53-50 in the quarterfinals. The Bearcats reached the semifinals in 2024.
Ruston junior forward Ahmad Hudson is one of the state’s athletes. He scored 27 points and had 14 rebounds against Barbe. Hudson is also considered one of the top tight end prospects in the nation.