Friday’s games
Parkway vs. Natchitoches Central
WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Preston Crownover Stadium
RECORDS: Natchitoches Central 5-5, Parkway 9-1
SEEDS: Natchitoches Central No. 27 5A, Parkway No. 6
NATCHITOCHES CENTRAL NOTES: Chiefs lost final two regular-season games … Natchitoches Central averaging 27.6 points per game and allowing 29.0 … Chiefs handed Class 4A No. 4 seed Benton only loss in Week 2
PARKWAY NOTES: Panthers enter playoffs on six-game winning streak … Parkway averaging 39.2 points per game and allowing 19.9 … Panthers first-team defense has allowed just one TD in last six games
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Natchitoches Central — QB Austin Guy, WR Brandon Rachal. Parkway — RB CJ Morgan, DB Lloyd Cole.
Ponchatoula vs. Airline
WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Airline
RECORDS: Ponchatoula 7-3, Airline 7-3
SEEDS: Ponchatoula No. 17 5A, Airline No. 16
PONCHATOULA NOTES: Green Wave finished in three-way tie for third in 6-5A … Ponchatoula won final two regular-season games in routs over non-playoff teams … Green Wave averaging 32.4 points per game and allowing 16.7
AIRLINE NOTES: Vikings enter playoffs on three-game losing streak against tough competition … Airline struggled on offense in 28-0 loss to Parkway last week … Vikings averaging 33.5 points per game and allowing 17.5
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ponchatoula — DB David Nichols, RB Joquan Johnson. Airline — RB Shun’Cee Thomas, DB Xavier Johnson.
Haughton vs. Barbe
WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Lake Charles
RECORDS: Haughton 6-4, Barbe 6-3
SEEDS: Haughton No. 19 5A, Barbe No. 14
HAUGHTON NOTES: Bucs snapped four-game losing streak with 41-0 victory over Captain Shreve last week … Haughton averaging 29.5 points per game and allowing 22.3 … Rodney Guin in his 16th and final season as head coach
BARBE NOTES: Bucs finished runner-up in 3-5A behind two-time defending state champion Acadiana … Barbe had open date last week … Bucs enter playoffs on five-game winning streak … Barbe averaged 42.1 points in final six games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Haughton — QB Darius Brooks, WR Antonio Woodfork. Barbe — QB Gavin Nettles, RB/R Kirkland Banks.
Fair Park vs. Benton
WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Benton
RECORDS: Fair Park 5-5. Benton 9-1
SEEDS: Fair Park No. 29 4A, Benton No. 4
FAIR PARK NOTES: Indians lost to Benton 42-22 in Week 7 after leading 22-20 going into fourth quarter … Fair Park enters playoffs on two-game losing streak … Indians head coach Mike Greene was head coach at Airline for 12 seasons
BENTON NOTES: District 1-4A champion Tigers enter playoffs on eight-game winning streak … Benton averaging 39.1 points per game and allowing 24.2 … Sophomore RB Jermaine Newton rushed for more than 800 yards in seven district games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Fair Park — RB Robert Rochell, RB Cedric Pehl. Benton — QB Garrett Hable, DL Chauncey Taylor.
Plain Dealing vs. Oberlin
WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Oberlin
RECORDS: Plain Dealing 3-7, Oberlin 4-6
SEEDS: Plain Dealing No. 17 1A, Oberlin No. 16
PLAIN DEALING NOTES: Lions enter playoffs on three-game losing streak … Plain Dealing dressed out only 18 players for last week’s game at Arcadia … Plain Dealing lost to Arcadia 20-18 on TD and two-point conversion in final minute
OBERLIN NOTES: Tigers finished fourth in eight-team District 4-1A … Oberlin averaging 22.0 points per game and allowing 29.8 … Tigers lost in second round of playoffs last season
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Plain Dealing — Keldrick Carper, QB Thomas Gay. Oberlin — L Tucker Fontenot, TE Dane Clark.
— Russell Hedges, rhedges@bossierpress.com
