Class 5A playoffs
Second round
Haughton vs. Alexandria
WHERE/WHEN: J.L. “Butch” Stoker Stadium, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Haughton 8-1, Alexandria 4-1
SEEDS: Haughton No. 11, Alexandria No. 6
LAST WEEK: Haughton def. No. 22 Live Oak 31-3, Alexandria def. No. 27 Slidell 35-0
HAUGHTON NOTES: Bucs have won seven in a row … Haughton looking to reach quarterfinals for second straight year … Bucs led 10-3 at the half last week then pulled away in the third quarter … Sophomore QB Colin Rains passed for 164 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 60 and one … Sophomore RB Dexter Smith rushed for 65 yards … WRs Elijah Rochon and Gage East both made plays … Defense limited Live Oak to 95 yards, 70 of which came on field-goal drive … Haughton has allowed 7.4 points per game during winning streak.
ALEXANDRIA NOTES: Because of COVID-19 issues, Trojans played just four regular-season games, the minimum required by the LHSAA to make the playoffs … Alexandria defeated Parkway 35-12 in Week 1, but Panthers were within nine in fourth quarter … Alexandria’s other regular-season wins were against Green Oaks, 45-16, and Pineville, 55-12 … Trojans’ lone loss was to District 2-5A foe West Monroe 18-10 … Seeded No. 3 last season, Alexandria was upset by Mandeville 13-12 in the second round; Mandeville then lost to Haughton 34-14 in the quarterfinals … Four different Trojans scored last week … Judd Barton passed for two touchdowns and Jarvis Newton ran for two … Jaylon Williams and TJ Johnson caught TD passes … Trayv’on Culbert is another talented receiver.
Louisiana Army National Guard Bowl Game
Benton vs. West Ouachita
WHERE/WHEN: West Ouachita, 7 p.m.
RECORDS: Benton 2-4, West Ouachita 2-3
LAST WEEK: Did not play
BENTON NOTES: Tigers defeated Natchitoches Central 40-0 in regular-season finale on Nov. 20 … Benton was No. 33 in the final Class 5A power rankings, one spot below the playoffs cutline … Tigers’ four losses were by a combined 14 points … Benton had to cancel regular-season games against Byrd and Southwood … Senior Dane Stearn had four catches for 102 yards against Natchitoches Central … Sophomore QB Gray Walters also had outstanding game.
WEST OUACHITA NOTES: Chiefs lost to District 2-5A foe Ruston 35-3 in last outing on Nov. 13 … West Ouachita had three games canceled … Chiefs’s wins were against Lakeside 47-0 in Week 2 and Northwood-Lena 48-0 in Week 3 … Other losses were against Bastrop 40-37 in Week 1 and Pineville 32-14 in Week 6 … Like Benton, West Ouachita moved up to Class 5A from 4A last year … Benton defeated West Ouachita in 2018 4A baseball semifinals en route to state title … Tigers also knocked Chiefs out of 2019 baseball playoffs in quarterfinals.
